Custom

Charles Buck Theological Dictionary

A very comprehensive term, denoting the manners, ceremonies, and fashions of a people, which having turned into habit, and passed into use, obtain the force of laws. Custom and habit are often confounded. By custom, we mean a frequent reiteration of the same act; and by habit, the effect that custom has on the mind or the body.

See HABIT. "Viewing man, " says Lord Kames, "as a sensitive being, and perceiving the influence of novelty upon him, would one suspect that custom has an equal influence? and yet our nature is equally susceptible of both; not only in different objects, but frequently in the same. When an object is new, it is enchanting; familiarity renders it indifferent; and custom, after a longer familiarity, makes it again desirable. Human nature, diversified with many and various springs of action, is wonderful, and indulging the expression, intricately constructed. Custom hath such influence upon many of our feelings, by warping and varying them, that we must attend to its operations, if we would be acquainted with human nature. A walk upon the quarter-deck, though intolerably confined, becomes, however, so agreeable by custom, that a sailor, in his walk on shore, confines himself commonly within the same bounds. I knew a man who had relinquished the sea for a country life: in the corner of his garden he reared an artificial mount, with a level summit, resembling, most accurately, a quarter-deck, not only in shape, but in size; and here was his choice walk." Such we find is often the power of custom.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Mark 2:14

A tax or tribute (q.v.) of half a shekel was annually paid by every adult Jew for the temple. It had to be paid in Jewish coin (Matthew 22:17-19; Mark 12:14,15 ). Money-changers (q.v.) were necessary, to enable the Jews who came up to Jerusalem at the feasts to exchange their foreign coin for Jewish money; but as it was forbidden by the law to carry on such a traffic for emolument (Deuteronomy 23:19,20 ), our Lord drove them from the temple (Matthew 21:12 : Mark 11:15 ).

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

CUSTOM(S) ( Matthew 17:25 , Romans 13:7 ): ‘receipt of custom’ ( Matthew 9:9 , Mark 2:14 , Luke 5:27 ). This is to be carefully distinguished from ‘tribute’ (wh. see). The customs were paid on the value of goods, in Galilee and Peræa to the Herods, but in the Roman province of Judæa to the procurator as agent of the Roman government. The ‘receipt of custom’ was the collector’s office.

A. Souter.

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

CUSTOM. —See Tribute.

King James Dictionary

CUSTOM, n. L.

1. Frequent or common use, or practice a frequent repetition o the same act hence, way established manner habitual practice.

The prists custom with the people was--- 1 Samuel 2 .

We have no such custom. 1 Corinthians 11 .

The customs of the people are vain. Jeremiah 10 .

2. A buying of goods practice of frequenting a shop and purchasing or procuring to be done.

Let him have your custom, but not your votes.

The shopkeeper has extensive custom, or a good run of custom. A mill or a manufacturer has extensive custom, or little custom.

3. In law, long established practice, or usage, which constitutes the unwritten law, and long consent to which gives it authority. Customs are general, which extend over a state or kingdom, and particular, which are limited to a city or district.

CUSTOM,

1. To make familiar. See Accustom, which is the word used. 2. To give custom to.

CUSTOM, n. Tribute, toll or tax that is, cost or charge paid to the public.

Render custom to whom custom is due. Romans 13 .

Customs, in the plural, the duties imposed by law on merchandize imported or exported. IN Great Britain and the United States, this word is limited to these species of duties.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

The words halak, τέλος, apparently allude to the duty paid on merchandise or produce, and should be distinguished from 'tribute.' Ezra 4:13,20; Ezra 7:24; Matthew 17:25; Romans 13:7 .

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

1: Τέλος (Strong'S #5056 — Noun Neuter — telos — tel'-os )

"an end, termination," whether of time or purpose, denotes, in its secondary significance, "what is paid for public ends, a toll, tax, custom," Matthew 17:25 (RV, "toll"); Romans 13:7 (RV and AV, "custom"). In Palestine the Herods of Galilee and Perea received the "custom;" in Judea it was paid to the procurator for the Roman government. See End , Finally , Uttermost.

2: Τελώνιον (Strong'S #5058 — Noun Neuter — telonion — tel-o'-nee-on )

denotes "a custom-house," for the collection of the taxes, Matthew 9:9; Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27 (RV, "place of toll").

Webster's Dictionary

(1):

(n.) Habitual buying of goods; practice of frequenting, as a shop, manufactory, etc., for making purchases or giving orders; business support.

(2):

(n.) Frequent repetition of the same act; way of acting common to many; ordinary manner; habitual practice; usage; method of doing or living.

(3):

(n.) Familiar aquaintance; familiarity.

(4):

(v. t.) To make familiar; to accustom.

(5):

(v. t.) To supply with customers.

(6):

(n.) Long-established practice, considered as unwritten law, and resting for authority on long consent; usage. See Usage, and Prescription.

(7):

(n.) The customary toll, tax, or tribute.

(8):

(n.) Duties or tolls imposed by law on commodities, imported or exported.

(9):

(v. t.) To pay the customs of.

(10):

(v. i.) To have a custom.

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Chald. הֲלָךְ, halak', a way-tax. i.e. toll, Ezra 4:13; Ezra 4:20; Ezra 7:24; Gr. τέλος, a tax. 1 Maccabees 11:35; Matthew 17:25; Romans 13:7; φόρος, tribute, 2 Maccabees 4:28; τηεή, price; 1 Maccabees 10:29), RECEIPT OF (τελώνιον, collector's office, i.e. toll-house, Matthew 9:9; Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27). (See Toll). Under the Persian and Syrian supremacy, imposts of various kinds were collected by local agents. Under the Romans, the management of the provincial revenues was generally committed to the Roman knights, who were thence denominated chief publicans, or chief collectors of the taxes; the tax-gatherers or exactors whom they employed were termed publicans. It was different in Judaea, for there the management of the revenues was committed to the Jews themselves, and those who held this office eventually obtained an equal rank with the knights of Rome (Luke 19:2; Josephus, War, 2:14, 9). The subordinate agents, or publicans, in collecting the revenues, took their position at the gates of cities and in the public ways, and, at the place appointed for that purpose, called the "receipt of custom," examined the goods that passed, and received the moneys that were to be paid (Matthew 9:2; Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27; Luke 5:29). These tax-gatherers, if we may believe Cicero (Pro Flacc. 28), were more inclined to exact too much than to forget the promise which they had made to their masters; and were, accordingly, in consequence of their extortions, everywhere, more particularly in Judaea, objects of hatred, and were placed in the same class with notorious sinners (Mark 2:15-16; Luke 3:12-13). The Pharisees held no communication with them; and one ground of their reproaches against the Savior was, that he did not refuse to sit at meat with persons of such a character (Matthew 5:46-47; Matthew 9:10-11; Matthew 11:19; Matthew 18:17; Matthew 21:31-32). The half-shekel tax was a tax or tribute to be paid annually by every adult Jew at the Temple. It was introduced after the captivity in consequence of a wrong interpretation of certain expressions in the Pentateuch, and differed from the revenue which accrued to the kings, tetrarchs, and ethnarchs, and from the general tax that was assessed for the Roman Caesars. It was required that this tax should be paid in Jewish coin (Matthew 22:17-19; Mark 12:14-15). The prominent object of the temple money-changers (q.v.) was their own personal emolument; but the acquisition of property in this way was contrary to the spirit of the law in Deuteronomy 23:20-21. It was for this reason that Jesus drove them from the temple (Matthew 21:22; Mark 11:15; John 2:15). Messengers were sent into other cities for the purpose of collecting this tax (Matthew 17:25). The Jews who collected this tax from their countrymen dwelling in foreign nations transmitted the sums collected every year to Jerusalem. This accounts for the immense amount of the treasures which flowed into the Temple (Josephus, Ant. 14:7, 2). (See Tax).