Archaic KJV Word
Suffer
Modern equivalent: let
What Was Lost
The dual meaning where allowing something required patience and even personal cost. When Jesus said 'suffer the little children,' the word conveyed both his welcoming permission and his willingness to bear the disciples' objections to do so.
Closest Survivor in Modern English
tolerate (retains the endurance undertone but adds negative judgment)
Peak Usage (1611)
KJV Matthew 19:14 -- 'Suffer the little children to come unto me'
Died ~1800
The pain/endurance meaning of 'suffer' overtook its older sense of 'permit/allow,' making the verse sound like Jesus wanted children to experience pain.
What Replaced It
“let”
Too casual and permissive; suffer-as-allow carried an undertone of patience and deliberate forbearance
“allow”
Bureaucratic and neutral; suffer implied the allower was actively making space despite difficulty or opposition
“permit”
Formal and impersonal; suffer carried warmth and willingness