The term "very" is an adverb used in the Bible to emphasize the degree or extent of a particular quality, action, or state. It serves to intensify the meaning of the word it modifies, often highlighting the significance or extremity of a situation or characteristic. In the context of Scripture, "very" is employed to underscore the profound nature of God's attributes, the depth of human experience, or the intensity of events.

Usage in Scripture

1. Emphasizing God's Attributes: The Bible frequently uses "very" to describe the attributes of God, underscoring His greatness and majesty. For instance, in Psalm 145:3 , it is written, "Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; His greatness is unsearchable." Here, the term "most" functions similarly to "very," emphasizing the unparalleled nature of God's greatness.

2. Describing Human Experience: The word "very" is also used to convey the intensity of human emotions or conditions. In Genesis 7:19 , during the account of the flood, it states, "And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered." The use of "so mightily" parallels the function of "very," indicating the overwhelming nature of the floodwaters.

3. Highlighting Events: In the narrative of significant biblical events, "very" serves to accentuate the extraordinary nature of occurrences. For example, in Matthew 27:54 , after witnessing the events surrounding Jesus' crucifixion, the centurion and those with him exclaimed, "Truly this was the Son of God!" The term "truly" here is akin to "very," affirming the certainty and profound impact of the realization.

Theological Implications

The use of "very" in the Bible is not merely a linguistic device but carries theological weight. It reflects the biblical worldview that recognizes the depth and intensity of both divine and human realities. By emphasizing certain aspects of God's nature or human experience, Scripture invites readers to contemplate the profound truths of faith with greater seriousness and reflection.

Conservative Christian Perspective

From a conservative Christian standpoint, the emphasis provided by "very" in Scripture aligns with the belief in the inerrancy and authority of the Bible. It underscores the conviction that the biblical text is divinely inspired and that every word, including those that intensify meaning, is purposeful and significant. This perspective holds that the use of "very" serves to draw attention to the majesty of God, the seriousness of sin, and the transformative power of redemption through Jesus Christ.

In summary, the term "very" in the Bible functions as a powerful tool to highlight the intensity and significance of divine and human realities, inviting believers to a deeper understanding and appreciation of their faith.1. (v. t.) True; real; actual; veritable.

2. (adv.) In a high degree; to no small extent; exceedingly; excessively; extremely; as, a very great mountain; a very bright sum; a very cold day; the river flows very rapidly; he was very much hurt.

VERY

ver'-i: As adjective (from verus, "true"), "true," "real," "actual," etc. (Genesis 27:21, 24, "my very son Esau"; Joshua 10:27, "this very day"; John 7:26, "the very Christ," etc.); chiefly as adverb, "in a high degree," "extremely." As ab adverb it is commonly in the Old Testament the translation of me'odh, and in the New Testament represents, as adjective and adverb, several Greek words, as alethos, "truly" (John 7:26, above), autos (John 14:11, "the very works' sake"; Romans 13:6), sphodra (Matthew 18:31, "very sorry," the Revised Version (British and American) "exceeding sorry"; Mark 16:4, "very great," the Revised Version (British and American) "exceeding"), huper- (in composition 1 Thessalonians 5:13), etc. the Revised Version (British and American) frequently omits "very," and also substitutes other words for it, as "exceeding" (2 Chronicles 16:8 Matthew 26:7; compare above), "sore" (Zechariah 9:5), etc.

W. L. Walker

3029. lian -- very, exceedingly
... very, exceedingly. Part of Speech: Adverb Transliteration: lian Phonetic Spelling:
(lee'-an) Short Definition: very, very much, exceedingly Definition: very ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3029.htm - 6k

4185. poluteles -- very costly
... very costly. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: poluteles Phonetic Spelling:
(pol-oo-tel-ace') Short Definition: very costly, very precious Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4185.htm - 6k

4036. perilupos -- very sad
... very sad. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: perilupos Phonetic Spelling:
(per-il'-oo-pos) Short Definition: very sorrowful Definition: very sorrowful ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4036.htm - 7k

4970. sphodra -- very much
... very much. Part of Speech: Adverb Transliteration: sphodra Phonetic Spelling:
(sfod'-rah) Short Definition: exceedingly, greatly Definition: exceedingly, greatly ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4970.htm - 7k

4186. polutimos -- very precious
... very precious. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: polutimos Phonetic Spelling:
(pol-oot'-ee-mos) Short Definition: of great value Definition: of great ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4186.htm - 6k

3827. pampolus -- Immense, very great.
... 3826, 3827. pampolus. 3828 . Immense, very great. Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: pampolus Phonetic Spelling: (pam-pol ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3827.htm - 6k

2566. kallion -- very well.
... very well. Part of Speech: Adverb, Comparative Transliteration: kallion Phonetic
Spelling: (kal-lee'-on) Short Definition: very well Definition: very well. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2566.htm - 6k

4184. polusplagchnos -- very compassionate
... very compassionate. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: polusplagchnos Phonetic
Spelling: (pol-oo'-splankh-nos) Short Definition: very compassionate ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4184.htm - 7k

662. apotolmao -- to be very bold
... to be very bold. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: apotolmao Phonetic Spelling:
(ap-ot-ol-mah'-o) Short Definition: I assume boldness Definition: I assume ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/662.htm - 6k

4118. pleistos -- most, very great, much.
... pleistos. 4119 . most, very great, much. ... most, very great, much. Irregular superlative
of polus; the largest number or very large -- very great, most. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4118.htm - 7k

7260. rabrab -- very great things
... 7259, 7260. rabrab. 7261 . very great things. Transliteration: rabrab Phonetic
Spelling: (rab-rab') Short Definition: great. ... very great things ...
/hebrew/7260.htm - 5k

3357. yaqqir -- very precious, dear
... 3356, 3357. yaqqir. 3358 . very precious, dear. Transliteration: yaqqir
Phonetic Spelling: (yak-keer') Short Definition: dear. Word ...
/hebrew/3357.htm - 6k

1435. Giddel -- "very great," one of the Nethinim, also one of ...
... "very great," one of the Nethinim, also one of Solomon's servants. Transliteration:
Giddel Phonetic Spelling: (ghid-dale') Short Definition: Giddel. ...
/hebrew/1435.htm - 6k

4592. meat -- a little, fewness, a few
... 1), some (1), soon (3). almost some, very fewer lightly, little while, very
small matter, thing, some, soon, very. Or miat {meh-awt ...
/hebrew/4592.htm - 6k

4605. maal -- above, upwards
... older (2), onward (2), over (4), over* (1), severe (1), successive story (1), top
(9), upside down (1), upward (53), upward by stages (1), upwards (2), very (3 ...
/hebrew/4605.htm - 6k

3966. meod -- muchness, force, abundance
... 3965, 3966. meod. 3967 . muchness, force, abundance. Transliteration:
meod Phonetic Spelling: (meh-ode') Short Definition: very. ...
/hebrew/3966.htm - 7k

6106. etsem -- bone, substance, self
... substance, self NASB Word Usage body (3), bone (15), bone of my bones (1), bones
(83), itself (1), limb (1), pains (1), same (7), strength (1), very (7), very ...
/hebrew/6106.htm - 6k

3453. yashish -- aged
... very aged man, ancient, very old. From yashesh; an old man -- (very) aged (man),
ancient, very old. see HEBREW yashesh. 3452, 3453. yashish. 3454 . ...
/hebrew/3453.htm - 6k

4213. mizar -- a little, a trifle, a few
... 4212, 4213. mizar. 4214 . a little, a trifle, a few. Transliteration: mizar
Phonetic Spelling: (miz-awr') Short Definition: very. ... few, very. ...
/hebrew/4213.htm - 6k

3190. yatab -- to be good, well, glad, or pleasing
... 1), skillfully (2), stately (2), surely prosper (1), thoroughly (4), treat you better
(1), treated...well (1), trims (1), truly amend (1), very (1), very small ...
/hebrew/3190.htm - 7k

Very Sick
... VERY SICK. "Mother, Mrs. Oats is very sick!" Ruth said as she came in the door,
looking very sad. "Mama, she is sick; she is awful sick. I'm sorry for her. ...
/.../shaw/touching incidents and remarkable answers to prayer/very sick.htm

A Very Old Question.
... A Very Old Question. This leads to a very old question: Does prayer influence
God? ... Suppose I want something very much and need as well as want. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gordon/quiet talks on prayer/a very old question.htm

"A Very Extraordinary Genius"
... Chapter 17. Wesley Arrested; A Terrible Ride; A Methodist Isaac Newton;
Wesley and the American War "A Very Extraordinary Genius". ...
/.../wesley/the journal of john wesley/a very extraordinary genius.htm

That Christ is Very God is Proved from the Fact that He is God's ...
... St. Ambrose's Exposition of the Christian Faith. Book I. Chapter XVII. That Christ
is very God is proved from the fact that He is God's own? ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter xvii that christ is.htm

The Lord is Very Good to Those
... MEDITATIONS The Lord is very good to those. tr., John Brownlie 8.6.8.6. I.
The Lord is very good to those. Who seek His matchless grace; ...
/.../brownlie/hymns of the apostolic church/the lord is very good.htm

That the Son is Very God, of the Same Substance with the Father. ...
... The fifteen books of aurelius augustinus, Bishop of Hippo, on the TrinityBook I.
Chapter 6."That the Son is Very God, of the Same Substance with the Father. ...
/.../augustine/on the holy trinity/chapter 6 that the son is.htm

Further, in the Very Case of the More Immoderate Requirement of ...
... Section 6. Further, in the very case of the more immoderate requirement
of the due of? 6. Further, in the very case of the more ...
/.../augustine/on the good of marriage/section 6 further in the.htm

That a Very Contemplative List not Meddle Him with Active Life ...
... HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVENTEENTH CHAPTER That a Very contemplative list not meddle
him with active life, nor of anything that is done or spoken about him, nor ...
/.../anonymous/the cloud of unknowing/here beginneth the seventeenth chapter.htm

Whether the Prophets See the Very Essence of God?
... OF THE MANNER IN WHICH PROPHETIC KNOWLEDGE IS CONVEYED (FOUR ARTICLES) Whether
the prophets see the very essence of God? Objection ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the prophets see the.htm

The Very Angels' Bread
... No. 46 The Very Angels' Bread. THE BLESSED SACRAMENT The Very Angels' Bread Panis
Angelicus. Tr. by Rt. Rev. Msgr. HT Henry, Litt.D. P. Meurers. Slowly. ...
/.../various/the st gregory hymnal and catholic choir book/no 46 the very angels.htm

Very (3073 Occurrences)
... 2. (adv.) In a high degree; to no small extent; exceedingly; excessively; extremely;
as, a very great mountain; a very bright sum; a very cold day; the river ...
/v/very.htm - 8k

Sad (73 Occurrences)
... And they were very sad. (BBE). ... (WEB NIV). Matthew 26:37 And he took with him Peter
and the two sons of Zebedee, and became sad and very troubled. (BBE). ...
/s/sad.htm - 27k

Quantities (13 Occurrences)
... Quantities (13 Occurrences). Genesis 41:49 Joseph laid up grain as the sand of the
sea, very much, until he stopped counting, for it was without number. ...
/q/quantities.htm - 10k

Covetousness (22 Occurrences)
... Covetousness is a very grave sin; indeed, so heinous is it that the Scriptures class
it among the very gravest and grossest crimes (Ephesians 5:3). In ...
/c/covetousness.htm - 18k

Sorrowful (29 Occurrences)
... Mark 6:26 And the king -- made very sorrowful -- because of the oaths and of those
reclining (at meat) with him, would not put her away, (YLT). ...
/s/sorrowful.htm - 15k

Argob (6 Occurrences)
... These ancient cities of Bashan probably contain the very oldest specimens of domestic
architecture in the world" (Porter's Giant Cities). (see BASHAN.). Int. ...
/a/argob.htm - 15k

Severe (53 Occurrences)
... 2. (superl.) Very strict in judgment, discipline, or government; harsh; not mild
or indulgent; rigorous; as, severe criticism; severe punishment. ...
/s/severe.htm - 23k

Vehement (10 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (a.) Very ardent; very eager or urgent; very
fervent; passionate; as, a vehement affection or passion. ...
/v/vehement.htm - 11k

Alabaster (6 Occurrences)
... Occurs only in the New Testament in connection with the box of "ointment of spikenard
very precious," with the contents of which a woman anointed the head of ...
/a/alabaster.htm - 11k

Sharp (115 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (superl.) Having a very thin edge or fine point;
of a nature to cut or pierce easily; not blunt or dull; keen. ...
/s/sharp.htm - 38k

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