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successors. Among the Greeks and Romans it was the distinctive badge of royalty.
Diocletian was the first Roman emperor to wear it constantly. The word is found in Rev.
12:3; 13:1; 19:12, in which passages it symbolizes the rule respectively of the Dragon,
the Beast, and Christ.¶ In the Sept., Esth. 1:11; 2:17, in some mss. in 6:8 and 8:15; also in
Isa. 62:3-4. For the distinction between this and
, see
CROWN
.
DIE, DEAD (to be, become), DYING
1.
(
)
, 2348), “to die” (in the perf. tense, “to be dead”), in the NT is
always used of physical “death,” except in 1 Tim. 5:6, where it is metaphorically used of
the loss of spiritual life. The noun
, and the verb
(below) are
connected. The root of this group of words probably had the significance of the breathing
out of the last breath. Cf words under DEATH.
2.
(
)
, 599), lit., “to die off or out,” is used (a) of the separation
of the soul from the body, i.e., the natural “death” of human beings, e.g., Matt. 9:24;
Rom. 7:2; by reason of descent from Adam, 1 Cor. 15:22; or of violent “death,” whether
of men or animals; with regard to the latter it is once translated “perished,” Matt. 8:32; of
vegetation, Jude 12; of seeds, John 12:24; 1 Cor. 15:36; it is used of “death” as a
punishment in Israel under the Law, in Heb. 10:28; (b) of the separation of man from
God, all who are descended from Adam not only “die” physically, owing to sin, see (a)
above, but are naturally in the state of separation from God, 2 Cor. 5:14. From this
believers are freed both now and eternally, John 6:50; 11:26, through the “death” of
Christ, Rom. 5:8, e.g.; unbelievers, who “die” physically as such, remain in eternal
separation from God, John 8:24. Believers have spiritually “died” to the Law as a means
of life, Gal. 2:19; Col. 2:20; to sin, Rom. 6:2, and in general to all spiritual association
with the world and with that which pertained to their unregenerate state, Col. 3:3, because
of their identification with the “death” of Christ, Rom. 6:8 (see No. 3, below). As life
never means mere existence, so “death,” the opposite of life, never means nonexistence.
See
PERISH
.
3.
$
(
)
, 4880), “to die with, to die together,” is used of
association in physical “death,” Mark 14:31; in 2 Cor. 7:3, the apostle declares that his
love to the saints makes separation impossible, whether in life or in “death.” It is used
once of association spiritually with Christ in His “death,” 2 Tim. 2:11. See No. 2 (b).¶
4.
$
(
1
, 5053), “to end” (from
, “an end”), hence, “to end one’s
life,” is used (a) of the “death” of the body, Matt. 2:19; 9:18; 15:4, where “die the death”
means “surely die,”
RV
, marg., lit., “let him end by death”; Mark 7:10; Matt. 22:25,
“deceased”; Luke 7:2; John 11:39, some mss. have verb No. 1 here; Acts 2:29; 7:15; Heb.
11:22 (
RV
, “his end was nigh”); (b) of the gnawings of conscience in self reproach, under
the symbol of a worm, Mark 9:48 (vv. 44 and 46,
KJV
). See
DECEASE
.¶
5.
(
1
, 2837), in the middle and passive voices, its only use in the NT,
signifies “to fall asleep.” It is connected etymologically with
“to lie down,” the
root
signifying “to lie.” Hence it is used metaphorically of “death,” Matt. 27:52, etc.
It is translated “be dead” in 1 Cor. 7:39. See
ASLEEP
.