All KJV Words
Archaic KJV Word
What Does “Wist” Mean in the Bible?
In the King James Bible, “Wist” means “knew” in modern English. It is an archaic word from the 1611 KJV that has dropped out of everyday use.
What Was Lost
Moses's holy ignorance. Moses 'wist not that his face shone' -- he was unaware that encounter with God had visibly transformed him. The word captured the beautiful unconsciousness of genuine holiness: Moses did not know he was radiant. Jesus's 'wist ye not?' was a gentle rebuke of Mary and Joseph's unawareness of what they should have known.