Bible Dictionary: Prefer

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (v. t.) To carry or bring (something) forward, or before one; hence, to bring for consideration, acceptance, judgment, etc.; to offer; to present; to proffer; to address; -- said especially of a request, prayer, petition, claim, charge, etc.

2. (v. t.) To go before, or be before, in estimation; to outrank; to surpass.

3. (v. t.) To cause to go before; hence, to advance before others, as to an office or dignity; to raise; to exalt; to promote; as, to prefer an officer to the rank of general.

4. (v. t.) To set above or before something else in estimation, favor, or liking; to regard or honor before another; to hold in greater favor; to choose rather; -- often followed by to, before, or above.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

PREFER

pre-fur': Does not always have the general meaning "to choose before another." In Psalm 137:6, it does have this sense and the two versions agree; in Esther 2:9, the Revised Version (British and American) has "removed" where the King James Version has "preferred"; in Daniel 6:3, "distinguished" takes its place; in John 1:15, 30, "become" is substituted for "preferred"; in 1:27, "preferred" drops out entirely; in Romans 12:10, the versions agree.

Greek

138. haireo -- to take, choose
... to take, choose. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: haireo Phonetic Spelling:
(hahee-reh'-om-ahee) Short Definition: I choose, prefer Definition: I choose ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/138.htm - 7k

4285. proegeomai -- to go before (as a leader)
... proegeomai Phonetic Spelling: (pro-ay-geh'-om-ahee) Short Definition: I lead onward
by example Definition: I lead onward by example, go before, prefer. ... prefer. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4285.htm - 7k

2106. eudokeo -- to think well of, ie to be well-pleased
... Word Usage am well content (1), am well-pleased (5), been pleased (1), chosen gladly
(1), good pleasure (1), has...pleasure (1), pleased (2), prefer (1), taken ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2106.htm - 8k

2309. thelo -- to will, wish
... option from subjective impulse; whereas boulomai properly denotes rather a passive
acquiescence in objective considerations), ie Choose or prefer (literally or ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2309.htm - 11k

1101. glossokomon -- a case, a box
... glossokomon Phonetic Spelling: (gloce-sok'-om-on) Short Definition: bag, purse,
box, chest Definition: (a vernacular word), bag, purse; some prefer to take as ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1101.htm - 6k

1807. exaireo -- to take out, to deliver
... 1807 (from 1537 , "completely out ," intensifying 138 , "personally choose, prefer") --
properly, remove ("totally from"), ie bring into a " (full removal).". ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1807.htm - 7k

2919. krino -- to judge, decide
... We only (2919 ) accurately by based on God's word, ie to approve (prefer)
what is correct and reject what is inferior (wrong). [2919 ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2919.htm - 11k

4299. prokrima -- a prejudice
... prejudice, bias. From a compound of pro and krino; a prejudgment (prejudice), ie
Prepossession -- prefer one before another. see GREEK pro. see GREEK krino. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4299.htm - 7k

4255. proaireo -- to bring forth or forward
... purpose. From pro and haireomai; to choose for oneself before another thing (prefer),
ie (by implication) to propose (intend) -- purpose. see GREEK pro. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4255.htm - 6k

Strong's Hebrew

5869. ayin -- an eye
... looked* (3), looks* (1), maliciously* (1), notice (1), outward appearance (1), own
eyes (1), please* (3), pleased* (14), pleases* (1), prefer* (2), presence (8 ...
/hebrew/5869.htm - 7k

8138. shanah -- to repeat, do again
... transmute (transitive or intransitive) -- do (speak, strike) again, alter, double,
(be given to) change, disguise, (be) diverse, pervert, prefer, repeat, return ...
/hebrew/8138.htm - 6k

7489a. raa -- to be evil, bad
... 7), evildoer (2), evildoers (16), evildoing (1), grieved (1), hard (1), harm (1),
harming (1), hostile (3), hurt (3), practiced evil (1), prefer* (2), sad (2 ...
/hebrew/7489a.htm - 6k

5927. alah -- to go up, ascend, climb
... to) go (away, up); grow (over) increase, lay, leap, levy, lift (self) up, light,
(make) up, X mention, mount up, offer, make to pay, + perfect, prefer, put (on ...
/hebrew/5927.htm - 8k

Library

I Prefer, He Says, to Receive Christ's Baptism Where Both Parties ...
... Book I. Chapter 5. " 6. I prefer, he says, to receive Christ's baptism
where both parties agree that� "6. I prefer, he says ...
/.../writings in connection with the donatist controversy /chapter 5 6 i.htm

Geminius of Furni Said: "Certain of Our Colleagues May Prefer ...
... Book VII. Chapter 23. " 44. Geminius of Furni said: "Certain of our
colleagues may prefer heretics to themselves� "44. Geminius ...
/.../chapter 23 44 geminius.htm

(Of those who Ought not to be Admitted to Prefer an Accusation, or ...
... V. (Of those who ought not to be admitted to prefer an accusation, or to bear witness;
and that evidence is not to be given but on things happening in the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/unknown/the decretals/v of those who ought.htm

All I desire is God's Holy Will, and if in Heaven I could no ...
... LETTERS TO HER BROTHER MISSIONARIES IV All I desire is God's Holy Will, and if in
Heaven I could no longer work for His glory, I should prefer exile to Home. . ...
//christianbookshelf.org/therese/story of a soul/iv all i desire is.htm

Being Led, However, from this to Prefer the Catholic Doctrine...
... Book VI Chapter V Being led, however, from this to prefer the Catholic doctrine�
Being led, however, from this to prefer the Catholic ...
/.../augustine/the confessions of saint augustine/chapter v being led however.htm

Petilianus Said: "You, Therefore, who Prefer Rather to be Washed ...
... Book II. Chapter 102. " 231. Petilianus said: "You, therefore, who prefer
rather to be washed with the most� "231. Petilianus ...
/.../chapter 102 231 petilianus.htm

But on the Question Whether we Ought to Prefer a Catholic of The.. ...
... Book IV. Chapter 20. " 28. But on the question whether we ought to prefer
a Catholic of the� "28. But on the question whether ...
/.../writings in connection with the donatist controversy /chapter 20 28 but.htm

Petilianus Said: "Choose, in Short, which of the Two Alternatives ...
... Petilianus said: "Choose, in short, which of the two alternatives you prefer.� ...
Petilianus said: "Choose, in short, which of the two alternatives you prefer. ...
/.../chapter 97 220 petilianus.htm

That, Being Redeemed and Quickened by the Blood of Christ, we ...
... 6. That, being redeemed and quickened by the blood of Christ, we ought
to prefer nothing to Christ. In the Gospel the Lord speaks ...
/.../cyprian/the treatises of cyprian/6 that being redeemed and.htm

Trypho Compares Jesus with Perseus; and Would Prefer [To Say] that ...
... Chapter LXVII."Trypho compares Jesus with Perseus; and would prefer [to say] that
He was elected [to be Christ] on account of observance of the law. ...
/.../chapter lxvii trypho compares jesus with.htm

Thesaurus

Prefer (10 Occurrences)
... 3. (vt) To cause to go before; hence, to advance before others, as to an office
or dignity; to raise; to exalt; to promote; as, to prefer an officer to the ...
/p/prefer.htm - 10k

Sure (142 Occurrences)
... use, however, is common (chiefly for 'aman, "to confirm," and its derivatives) in
English Versions of the Bible, where modern English would prefer "secure" or ...
/s/sure.htm - 40k

Surely (587 Occurrences)
... use, however, is common (chiefly for 'aman, "to confirm," and its derivatives) in
English Versions of the Bible, where modern English would prefer "secure" or ...
/s/surely.htm - 39k

Prefects (18 Occurrences)

/p/prefects.htm - 12k

Nest (22 Occurrences)
... Eagles use a large heap of coarse sticks and twigs on the cleft of a mountain (Job
39:27 Jeremiah 49:16 Obadiah 1:4); hawks prefer trees; vultures, hollow ...
/n/nest.htm - 18k

Og (22 Occurrences)
... Some, however, prefer to suppose that what is intended is "a sarcophagus of black
basalt," which iron-like substance abounds in the Hauran. ...
/o/og.htm - 17k

Rent (76 Occurrences)
... and Vulgate and Revised Version, or as some prefer interpreting the phrase, "girdle
and robe are torn [ie, are `a rent'] by the hand of violence.". ...
/r/rent.htm - 32k

Elhanan (4 Occurrences)
... Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff
of whose spear was like a weaver's beam." Most modern critics prefer as the ...
/e/elhanan.htm - 10k

Person (807 Occurrences)
... of this article to make as clear as possible the conception of the Person of Christ,
in the technical sense of that term, which lies on-or, if we prefer to say ...
/p/person.htm - 49k

Promote (21 Occurrences)
... venture. 2. (vt) To exalt in station, rank, or honor; to elevate; to raise;
to prefer; to advance; as, to promote an officer. 3. (vi ...
/p/promote.htm - 12k

Bible Concordance

Prefer (10 Occurrences)

2 Corinthians 5:8 We are of good courage, I say, and are willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be at home with the Lord.
(See NAS NIV)

Philemon 1:9 yet for love's sake I rather beg, being such a one as Paul, the aged, but also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.
(See RSV)

Deuteronomy 21:16 Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not prefer the son of the beloved first-born, before the son of the hated, which is indeed the first-born:
(WBS RSV NIV)

1 Kings 21:2 Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, "Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near to my house; and I will give you for it a better vineyard than it. Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in money."
(See NIV)

1 Kings 21:6 He said to her, "Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite, and said to him,'Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it pleases you, I will give you another vineyard for it.' He answered,'I will not give you my vineyard.'"
(See NIV)

Job 36:21 Take heed, don't regard iniquity; for you have chosen this rather than affliction.
(See NAS NIV)

Psalms 137:6 Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I don't remember you; if I don't prefer Jerusalem above my chief joy.
(WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS)

Jeremiah 8:3 And death will be desired more than life by the rest of this evil family who are still living in all the places where I have sent them away, says the Lord of armies.
(See RSV NIV)

Jeremiah 40:4 Now, behold, I release you this day from the chains which are on your hand. If it seems good to you to come with me into Babylon, come, and I will take care of you; but if it seems bad to you to come with me into Babylon, don't: behold, all the land is before you; where it seems good and right to you to go, there go.
(See NAS)

Ezekiel 16:32 A wife who commits adultery! who takes strangers instead of her husband!
(See NIV)

Subtopics

Prefer

Related Terms

Sure (142 Occurrences)

Surely (587 Occurrences)

Prefects (18 Occurrences)

Nest (22 Occurrences)

Og (22 Occurrences)

Rent (76 Occurrences)

Elhanan (4 Occurrences)

Person (807 Occurrences)