Archaic Words In The KJB (Part 2)

4. Alamoth
Psalm 46:1 KJB says, “(To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth.) God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” You can read the entire psalm to get the picture that this entire chapter is full of references to the strength and refuge of God. Thus, by the KJB, “alamoth” is the strength and refuge of God. What does it mean in English, though? Well, nobody knows. There is no English definition for the word “alamoth” anywhere. “Alamoth” is simply a transliteration (taking the Hebrew word and spelling out in English how it sounds) of the Hebrew word עֲלָמוֹת (Strong #H5961). What does that Hebrew word mean? Well, nobody knows what that means either. But they do conjecture that it probably means a virgin because עָלֶמֶת (almah) looks kind of like alamoth. And there are other guesses as to what this would mean (e.g. a location, a hiding place, etc.) But let’s think for just a minute what the above Psalm would mean if “alamoth” meant a virgin. “A Song upon Alamoth.” Is the Psalmist saying he fornicated with a virgin while singing praise to God? God forbid. Do you see how rediculous it would be if “alamoth” meant a virgin? 1 Chronicles 15:20 lists another mention of “alamoth”, “And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries on Alamoth;”. Were those musical instruments so heavy, they needed to be placed on the heads of virgins for support? Why not on a table or something? As you should see by now, it’s rediculous to think “alamoth” means virgins. The KJB is right. Alamoth means the strength and refuge of God. 1 Chronicles 15:20 is about playing musical instruments on the strength of God (or a song dedicated to the strength of God, e.g. Psalm 41). And from the KJB, I’m going to conjecture that “alamoth” is related not to “almah”, but to “alemeth”: עָלֶמֶת. (Strong #5964). Alemeth means a “covering”. This is just as God as our strength and refuge is our covering from evil. And speaking of being an “archaic word”, The New International Version (2011) has “alamoth” in 1 Chronicles 15:20. I guess the brand new NIV’s outdated too! I’m being sarcastic, of course.

5. Almug
1 Kings 10:12 KJB reads, “And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the LORD, and for the king’s house, harps also and psalteries for singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen unto this day.” An almug is a particular tree according to this verse. That last phrase implies these trees weren’t well known in Israel, and were quite rare. Thus, the KJB defines “almug” as a rare and largely unknown tree. The English language confirms this. The New English Dictionary defines “almug” as “A variant of Algum…” (Vol. 2, p. 248). 1828 Webster says “Algum” is “In scripture, a tree or wood about which the learned are not agreed…” It’s exactly the same — a tree largely unknown and rare. And since this was listed as “archaic”, it would benefit the reader to know The English Standard Version (2011) has “almug” in 1 Kings 10:12.

6. Aloes
The KJB reads in Proverbs 7:17, “I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.” Aloes is a perfume. John 19:39-40 KJB says, “And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.” Aloes is a spice for preservation purposes. Numbers 24:6 KJB reads, “As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river’s side, as the trees of lign aloes which the LORD hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters.” Apparently the full name of aloes is “lign aloes”. Aloes would then simply be an abbreviated version of Lign Aloes. Regardless, aloes also are said to come from trees. Thus, according to the KJB alone, aloes is a perfume or spice that comes from trees. Easton’s Bible Dictionary defines “Lign-aloes” as “a perfume derived from some Oriental tree (Numbers 24:6), probably the agallochum or aloe-wood.” “Probably” means they don’t know what tree. But what they do know is that it is a perfume that comes from trees. Exactly what the KJB teaches. See, you don’t need a dictionary to find out what these words mean. And apparently, this word is so archaic, that The New International Version (2011) has “aloes” in Numbers 24:6.