Question 1

What does "Addicted" mean in the King James Bible?

Accepted Answer

In the KJV, "Addicted" means "devoted." The beautiful excess of self-surrender. The household of Stephanas 'addicted themselves to ministry' -- they gave themselves over so completely to serving the saints that it consumed their lives. The word described the kind of total devotion that modern English can only frame as pathology. We have no positive word for 'so committed it takes over your life.'

Question 2

Why did the word "Addicted" disappear from modern English?

Accepted Answer

Darkened from 'voluntarily devoted/dedicated to a cause' (Latin addicere 'to assign/devote') to 'compulsively dependent on a substance,' pathologizing a word that once described holy commitment. The word was at peak usage around 1611 and declined by ~1900.

Question 3

What modern word replaced "Addicted"?

Accepted Answer

"Addicted" was replaced by: "devoted" (though this softer; addicted-as-devoted meant total, consuming dedication -- your whole self given over); "dedicated" (though this professional and measured; addicted implied a devotion so complete it consumed the person); "committed" (though this volitional and balanced; addicted-as-devoted carried the beautiful excess of all-in surrender).

What Does “Addicted” Mean in the Bible?

What Was Lost