Discern
King James Dictionary [1]
DISCERN, s as z. L., to separate or distinguish, Gr.
1. To separate by the eye, or by the understanding. Hence, 2. To distinguish to see the difference between two or more things to discriminate as, to discern the blossom-buds from the leaf-buds of plants.
Discern thou what is thine-- Genesis 31 .
3. To make the difference.
For nothing else discerns the virtue or the vice.
4. To discover to see to distinguish by the eye.
I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding. Proverbs 7 .
5. To discover by the intellect to distinguish hence, to have knowledge of to judge.
So is my lord the king to discern good and bad. 2 Samuel 14 .
A wise mans heart discerneth time and judgment. Ecclesiastes 8 .
DISCERN,
1. To see or understand the difference to make distinction as, to discern between good and evil, truth and falsehood. 2. To have judicial cognizance.
Vine's Expository Dictionary of OT Words [2]
Nâkar ( נָכַר , Strong'S #5234), “to discern, regard, recognize, pay attention to, be acquainted with.” This verb is found in both ancient and modern Hebrew. It occurs approximately 50 times in the Hebrew Old Testament. The first time nâkar is used is in Gen. 27:23.
The basic meaning of the term is a “physical apprehension,” whether through sight, touch, or hearing. Darkness sometimes makes “recognition” impossible (Ruth 3:14). People are often “recognized” by their voices (Judg. 18:3). Nâkar sometimes has the meaning of “pay attention to,” a special kind of “recognition”: “Blessed be the man who took notice of you” (Ruth 2:19, Rsv, Kjv “did take knowledge of”). This verb can mean “to be acquainted with,” a kind of intellectual awareness: “… Neither shall his place know him any more” (Job 7:10; cf. Ps. 103:16). The sense of “to distinguish” is seen in Ezra 3:13: “… The people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people.…”
Webster's Dictionary [3]
(1): ( v. i.) To make cognizance.
(2): ( v. t.) To see by the eye or by the understanding; to perceive and recognize; as, to discern a difference.
(3): ( v. i.) To see or understand the difference; to make distinction; as, to discern between good and evil, truth and falsehood.
(4): ( v. t.) To see and identify by noting a difference or differences; to note the distinctive character of; to discriminate; to distinguish.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia [4]
di - zûrn ´: Five Hebrew words are Thus translated: bı̄n , yādha‛ , nākhar , rā'āh and shāma‛ ̌ . It may simply mean "observe" ( bı̄n ), "I discerned among the youths" ( Proverbs 7:7 ); or discriminating knowlege, "A wise man's heart discerneth time and judgment" ( Ecclesiastes 8:5 , yādha‛ ); "He discerned him not, because his hands," etc. ( Genesis 27:23 , nākhar ); "Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked" ( Malachi 3:18 , rā'āh ); "So is my lord the king to discern good," etc. ( 2 Samuel 14:17 , shāma‛ ). In the New Testament the words anakrı́nō , diakrı́nō and dokimázō are thus translated, expressing close and distinct acquaintance with or a critical knowledge of things. Used in 1 Corinthians 2:14 the King James Version of "the things of the spirit of God"; in 1 Corinthians 11:29 of "the (Lord's) body" in the sacrament; in Matthew 16:3 of "the face of the heaven"; in Hebrews 5:14 of a clear knowledge of good and evil as the prerogative of a full-grown man. See also next article.
