Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

In the KJV, "Let" means "restrain." The theological weight of a divine restraining force actively holding back evil. Paul's passage describes someone powerfully letting (restraining) the mystery of iniquity -- a vivid image of cosmic spiritual warfare that reads as permission in modern English.

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

Complete meaning reversal -- the most dramatic in English. 'Let' shifted from 'hinder/restrain' to 'allow/permit,' making 2 Thessalonians 2:7 appear to say the opposite of its intended meaning. The word was at peak usage around 1611 and declined by ~1700.

Question 3

What modern word replaced "Let"?

Accepted Answer

"Let" was replaced by: "hinder" (though this implies mere obstruction; the old 'let' meant active, forceful restraint); "restrain" (though this close but clinical; let-as-hinder carried a sense of holding back something powerful and dangerous); "prevent" (though this ironically, 'prevent' took over the blocking meaning just as 'let' lost it -- a linguistic swap).

What Does “Let” Mean in the Bible?

What Was Lost