Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

In the KJV, "Intercede" means "pray for someone." The gap-standing. When Christ 'ever liveth to make intercession,' He is not merely praying from a distance but perpetually standing between God and humanity -- His own body the bridge, His own wounds the evidence, His own presence the guarantee. The Spirit's intercession is 'groanings which cannot be uttered' -- not polite prayer but anguished, wordless standing-in-the-gap.

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

Greek entynchano ('to meet with/encounter/approach on behalf of another/stand in the gap between two parties') formalized into 'pray for someone' -- losing the physical, gap-standing, between-two-parties dimension. The word was at peak usage around 1611 and declined by still used but formalized (~1900).

Question 3

What modern word replaced "Intercede"?

Accepted Answer

"Intercede" was replaced by: "pray for" (though this request-making; intercession was physically standing between god and the one in need -- occupying the gap); "speak on behalf of" (though this verbal representation; intercession was an ongoing, bodily, present-tense standing between parties); "advocate for" (though this legal; intercession was intimate and costly -- the intercessor bore the weight of both parties).

What Does “Intercede” Mean in the Bible?

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