Acquaint; Acquaintance
The Concept of Knowing in Scripture
The words "acquaint" and "acquaintance" in the Bible refer to knowledge gained through personal experience and relationship rather than abstract information. In both Hebrew and Greek, the terms imply a degree of familiarity and closeness that goes beyond casual contact. An acquaintance in the biblical sense is someone known through direct interaction, shared experience, or ongoing relationship.
God's Perfect Knowledge
The most profound use of "acquaint" in Scripture appears in Psalm 139:3, where the psalmist declares to God: "You are acquainted with all my ways." The Hebrew word here conveys thorough, intimate knowledge. God does not merely observe human behavior from a distance; He is personally and completely familiar with every aspect of a person's life. This verse is part of one of the Bible's most powerful meditations on divine omniscience, where David marvels that God knows his thoughts, words, and movements before they even occur (Psalm 139:1-6).
Job 22:21 offers another significant use: "Acquaint now yourself with God, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you." Here Eliphaz urges Job to enter into a relationship of personal familiarity with God, promising that such knowledge brings peace and blessing. While Eliphaz's overall counsel to Job is flawed, this particular exhortation reflects a genuine biblical truth about the importance of knowing God personally.
The Suffering Servant's Acquaintance with Grief
Isaiah 53:3 describes the Suffering Servant as "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." This phrase goes beyond saying that the Servant merely experienced sorrow; it indicates that grief was an intimate companion, something known deeply and thoroughly. The Hebrew word for "acquainted" here suggests someone who has become familiar through prolonged, personal experience.
Christians have historically understood this passage as a prophecy of Jesus Christ, whose earthly life was marked by consistent exposure to human suffering, rejection, and ultimately the agony of the cross. His acquaintance with grief was not theoretical but experiential, enabling Him to serve as a compassionate high priest (Hebrews 4:15).
Human Acquaintances
In the Gospels, the word "acquaintance" describes the people who knew Jesus personally. Luke 2:44 records that Mary and Joseph, traveling from Jerusalem after the Passover feast, assumed the young Jesus was among their relatives and acquaintances in the caravan. Luke 23:49 notes that at the crucifixion, "all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching."
In the Old Testament, 2 Kings 12:5 instructs priests to collect money from their acquaintances for temple repairs, using the term in its straightforward social sense. The word implies a relationship close enough to involve financial trust.
The Spectrum of Knowledge
Biblical acquaintance operates on a spectrum. At one end stands God's perfect, exhaustive knowledge of every human being. At the other end are the ordinary social connections between people who share community, travel, and daily life. In between stands the deep, experiential knowledge of suffering described in Isaiah 53, and the transformative knowledge of God urged in Job 22:21.
The Call to Know God
The biblical language of acquaintance ultimately points toward the central call of Scripture: to know God and be known by Him. Jeremiah 9:24 declares, "Let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me." The New Testament echoes this in passages like Philippians 3:10, where Paul expresses his supreme desire "to know Christ and the power of his resurrection." True acquaintance with God is the goal of human existence.
Biblical Context
Acquaint and acquaintance appear in Psalm 139:3 (God's omniscient knowledge), Job 22:21 (knowing God personally), Isaiah 53:3 (the Suffering Servant's familiarity with grief), Luke 2:44 and 23:49 (Jesus's circle of known persons), and 2 Kings 12:5 (social relationships). The concept spans the entire range of biblical literature.
Theological Significance
The biblical concept of acquaintance reveals that true knowledge in Scripture is relational, not merely intellectual. God's acquaintance with human ways demonstrates His personal involvement in creation. The Suffering Servant's acquaintance with grief provides the basis for Christ's compassionate mediation. And the call to be acquainted with God points to the ultimate purpose of human existence: intimate, transformative knowledge of the Creator.
Historical Background
In ancient Israelite society, acquaintanceship carried social obligations including mutual aid, hospitality, and trust. The biblical terms for knowing and acquaintance overlap with legal and covenantal language, where to 'know' someone could imply formal recognition or covenant relationship. This social background enriches the theological uses of the term, where being 'known' by God implies being in covenant relationship with Him.