Challenge
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible [1]
CHALLENGE . To ‘challenge’ in the language of AV [Note: Authorized Version.] is to claim , as in Golding’s tr. [Note: translate or translation.] of Calvin’s Job , p. 578; ‘Iob neuer went about to challenge such perfection, as to have no sinne in him.’ The word occurs in Exodus 22:9 , in the heading of Isaiah 45 ‘By his omnipotency he challengeth obedience;’ and in Job 3:5 AVm [Note: Authorized Version margin.] .
King James Dictionary [2]
CHALLENGE, n. Literally, a calling, or crying out, the primary sense of many words expressing a demand, as claim. Hence appropriately,
1. A calling upon one to fight in single combat an invitation or summons, verbal or written, to decide a controversy by a duel. Hence the letter containing the summons is also called a challenge.
2. A claim or demand made of a right or supposed right.
There must be no challenge of superiority.
3. Among hunters, the opening and crying of hounds at the first finding the scent of their game.
4. In law, an exception to jurors the claim of a party that certain jurors shall not sit in trial upon him or his cause that is, a calling them off. The right of challenge is given both in and criminal trials, for certain causes which are supposed to disqualify a juror to be an impartial judge. The right of challenge extends either to the whole panel or array, or only to particular jurors, called a challenge to the polls. A principal challenge is that which the law allows without cause assigned. A challenge to the favor, is when the party alleges a special cause. In criminal cases, a prisoner may challenge twenty jurors, without assigning a cause. This is called a peremptory challenge.
CHALLENGE, VT
1. To call, invite or summon to answer for an offense by single combat, or duel.
2. To call to a contest to invite to a trial as, I challenge a man to prove what he asserts, implying defiance.
3. To accuse to call to answer.
4. To claim as due to demand as a right as, the Supreme Being challenges our reverence and homage.
5. In law, to call off a juror, or jurors or to demand that jurors shall not sit in trial upon a cause. See the noun.
6. To call to the performance of conditions.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia [3]
chal´enj : Only in Exodus 22:9 , where the King James Version has taken Hebrew 'āmar , "say," in the sense of "claim." the Revised Version (British and American) "whereof one saith, This is it," points more definitely to the idea of identification of the stolen personal property.
