Advantage (Hastings' Dictionary)
This is one of our numerous mi^ spelt Eng. words. Itcomes fromaran<, 'before,' with the suffix age. Hence it has no connexion with Lat. prep, ad (though the misspelling is found as early as 1523), and the meaning is not simple profit, but superiority. In this sense it is found in Ro 3' ' What a. then hath the Jew ? ' and 2 Co 2", to which RV adds 2 Co V 12"-". In Job 35", Jude v." 'a.' should be 'profit.'
And so the verb ' to advantage,' now obsolete, which is found in Lk 9', 1 Co 15" ' what advantageth it me t ' ia rightly turned into ' profit ' in RV. J. HASTINag.
This topic also has an entry in the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Both articles offer independent scholarly perspectives.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Advantage
Advantage ad-van'-taj (cakhan): In Job 35:3 is interpreted in succeeding clause as "profit." In Ro 3:1 perissos, is likewise interpreted by a paraphrase in the next sentence. the Revised Version (British and American) prefers to render pleonekteo by "take advantage," where the King James Version has "defraud" (2Co 7:2), or "make gain of" (2Co 12:17; compare 2Co 2:11). In Jude 1:16 "advantage" (opheleia) means "profit." ⇒See the definition of advantage in the KJV Dictionary
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia