Diligence; Diligent; Diligently

dil'-i-jens, dil'-i-jent-li: This word is used in various senses in our English Bibles.

1. In the Old Testament:

In Ezra 5:8, "with diligence" means "with care"; in Ezra 6:12; Ezra 7:17, "with speed," "speedily"; in Prov 4:23 "watchfulness"; in Deut 4:9; Deut 6:17; Deut 19:18; Ps 77:6; Prov 27:23; Isa 55:2; Mic 7:3, "with care," "scrupulously," "earnestly." Sometimes it means "early" "with haste" (Job 8:5; Prov 8:17). It may mean "industrious," "exacting" (Prov 10:4; Prov 12:27; Prov 22:29).

2. In the New Testament:

The American revisers have rendered "diligence" for various words in the King James Version, e. g. for "business" in Rom 12:11; "giving diligence" for "endeavoring" (Eph 4:3); "give diligence" for "study" (2 Tim 2:15,), for "labor" (Heb 4:11); "diligently" for "carefully" (Phil 2:28; Heb 12:17); "be diligent in" for "meditate upon" (1 Tim 4:15). It is well also to remember that the Old English meaning of diligence is "with love," from diligo, "to love."

G. H. Geberding