All KJV Words
Archaic KJV Word
What Does “Lewd” Mean in the Bible?
In the King James Bible, “Lewd” means “vulgar” in modern English. It is an archaic word from the 1611 KJV that has dropped out of everyday use.
What Was Lost
The class dimension of moral language. The 'lewd fellows of the baser sort' in Acts were not sexual deviants but uneducated, common ruffians -- mob elements. The word described social station and willful ignorance, not sexual behavior. Its narrowing to only sexual meaning erased the biblical concern with willful ignorance as a moral failing.
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