Diligence; Diligent; Diligently
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia [1]
dil´i - jens , dil´i - jent - li : This word is used in various senses in our English Bibles.
In Ezra 5:8 , "with diligence" means "with care"; in Ezra 6:12; Ezra 7:17 , "with speed," "speedily"; in Proverbs 4:23 "watchfulness"; in Deuteronomy 4:9; Deuteronomy 6:17; Deuteronomy 19:18; Psalm 77:6; Proverbs 27:23; Isaiah 55:2; Micah 7:3 , "with care," "scrupulously," "earnestly." Sometimes it means "early" "with haste" ( Job 8:5; Proverbs 8:17 ). It may mean "industrious," "exacting" ( Proverbs 10:4; Proverbs 12:27; Proverbs 22:29 ).
The American revisers have rendered "diligence" for various words in the King James Version, e.g. for "business" in Romans 12:11; "giving diligence" for "endeavoring" ( Ephesians 4:3 ); "give diligence" for "study" ( 2 Timothy 2:15 ,), for "labor" ( Hebrews 4:11 ); "diligently" for "carefully" ( Philippians 2:28; Hebrews 12:17 ); "be diligent in" for "meditate upon" ( 1 Timothy 4:15 ). It is well also to remember that the Old English meaning of diligence is "with love," from diligo , "to love."
