Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

In the KJV, "Root" means "origin." The paradox. Jesus claimed to be both 'root and offspring of David' -- both the source of David's line and its product. He was simultaneously the ancestor and the descendant, the origin and the fruit. This paradox contained the entire Christology: the Creator entering His own creation as a creature.

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

Hebrew shoresh ('root/origin/source/the hidden life-source from which everything grows') reduced to 'underground plant part.' The theological dimension of Christ as both root (source) and branch (offspring) was lost. The word was at peak usage around 1611 and declined by still used but botanical-ized (~1800).

Question 3

What modern word replaced "Root"?

Accepted Answer

"Root" was replaced by: "origin" (though this starting point; the root was the ongoing, hidden source of life and sustenance); "cause" (though this initial trigger; a root continuously feeds and sustains what grows from it); "foundation" (though this static base; roots are alive, active, drawing water and nutrients from hidden depths).

What Does “Root” Mean in the Bible?

What Was Lost

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