Archaic Words In The KJB (Part 3)

7. Ambassage
Luke 14:31-32 KJB reads, “Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.” From this passage, it’s very easy to see an “ambassage” is a message calling for peace and reconciliation. English Dictionaries confirm this. The New English Dictionary defines “ambassage” as “2. The message conveyed by an ambassador; the business entrusted to him.” Merriam Webster defines “ambassador” as “an official envoy; especially: a diplomatic agent of the highest rank accredited to a foreign government or sovereign as the resident representative of his or her own government or sovereign or appointed for a special and often temporary diplomatic assignment”. What does “diplomatic” mean? Merriam Webster defines “diplomatic” as “involving the work of maintaining good relations between the governments of different countries: of or relating to diplomats or their work”. Thus, in the English language, an “ambassage” is a message sent (with a messenger) desiring conditions of peace. Exactly as the KJB has it — and you can learn that word from the KJB in half the time it’ll take you to look at three dictionaries for it. But even so, this word is not archaic. The Yah Sacred Scriptures (2001) has “ambassage” in Luke 19:14.

8. Ambushment
2 Chronicles 13:13-14 KJB says, “But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambushment was behind them. And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind: and they cried unto the LORD, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.” By comparing verse 13 to 14, just as the “ambushment” was before and behind Judah, the “battle” was before and behind Judah. This implies that “ambushment” means “battle”. In the context, the KJB defines an ambushment as a planned battle attack on someone else. And it’s right. The New English Dictionary defines “ambushment” as “1. A disposition or arrangement of troops in a wood or other place of concealment so as to fall on an enemy by surprise; the trap so constructed; ambush; ambuscade.” And modern Bibles are still using this word! The Amplified Bible (1987) has “ambushment” in 2 Chronicles 13:13.

9. Amerce
Deuteronomy 22:18-19 KJB has, “And the elders of that city shall take that man and chastise him; And they shall amerce him in an hundred shekels of silver, and give them unto the father of the damsel, because he hath brought up an evil name upon a virgin of Israel: and she shall be his wife; he may not put her away all his days.” According to the KJB’s parallel structure of “elders...shall” and “they shall”, amerce is to chastise. In the context, the chastisement is apparently the taking of money and the giving of it to someone else (the father of the damsel). Thus, the KJB defines “amerce” as taking money from someone as a form of chastisement. The New English Dictionary agrees with the KJB’s built in definition by defining “amerce” as “1. To punish by an arbitrary fine; to fine, mulct (a person).” But it’s far too old to be used anymore. It’s so old, The Hebrew Transliteration Bible (2010) has “amerce” in Deuteronomy 22:19 ;-).