Archaic Words In The KJB (Part 5)

13. Ariel
Isaiah 21:9 KJB says, “Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices.” Ariel is a name for a city. Elsewhere in the KJB, it’s a name for a person. News flash — names aren’t archaic. How do I know this? Because even the New International Version (2011) has it here! As of yet, there is no way to update a name. No dictionary is needed here.

14. Armhole
Jeremiah 38:11-13 KJB reads, “So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah. And Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so. So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.” From reading this, it seems obvious of what happened. They let down two “cords” with clothes hanging on them. Then Jeremiah put his arms over the clothes (which themselves were over the cords), and was lifted up. By thinking about it, “armholes” would have to mean armpits (the only place Jeremiah could put his arms over the cords). And that’s exactly what it means. The 1828 Webster Dictionary defines “armhole” as, “1. The cavity under the shoulder, or the armpit.” In fact, even the more modern Amplified Bible (1987) uses this word in Ezekiel 13:18. This is in no way archaic.

15. Artificer
Genesis 4:22 KJB tells us, “And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.” 1 Chronicles 29:5 KJB reads, "The gold for things of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and for all manner of work to be made by the hands of artificers. And who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the LORD?" According to the KJB, an artificer is someone who works with metals (apparently to mold them into different shapes). Plus, the very name sounds like someone who crafts the metals into art (artificer). The KJB defines “artificer” as someone who works with and shapes metals into specific shapes for specific uses (e.g. art). The New English Dictionary confirms this by defining “artificer” as, “1. One who makes by art or skill; esp. one who follows an industrial handicraft, a craftsman.” And like the other “archaic” words, it’s so old, that The World English Bible (2000) has it in Jeremiah 10:9.