Certain

1. The orig. meaning of c. is fixed or definite, not fluctuating. It is seen in Ex IG ' gather a c. rate every day ' (ioi's ci— «^, RV ' a day's portion every day ') ; 2 Ch 8" ' after a c. rate every day' (cv^ Di— 13^, RV 'as the duty of every day re<iuired'); Neh U-^ 'a c. portion . . . for the singers, due every day' (to'-a ci— c^ •"'-;"¥, RV 'a settled provision ... as every day re- quired'); I Co 4" 'we . . . have no c. dwelling- place ' (doTOTou^ieK). See also Dn 2" ' the dream is c' {2ir. ' fixed,' cf. 2" ' I know of certainty,' same Heb.); Ac 2o-" 'of whom I have no c. thing to write' (dff^aXijs). Or c. after being ascertained, Dt 13" 'Then shalt thou imiuire, and make search, and ask diligently ; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing c' (p3j), and IT. In this sense is the phrase ' for certain,' 1 K 2", Jer 2G" ; and 'for a certain,' 1 K 2^ 'know. for a c' (RV 'for c.'), where the a is redundant. See A. 2. When a person or tiling' is taken out of the fluctuating multitude and hxed in the mind, it need not be further specified, and so becomes in- definite, as in the common phrases ' a certain man,' etc. (Heb. e-in, i?-x, or iij.x, Gr. tis mostly, also iyepwToi, Mt 18-» 21" 22% and ds). Thus we have, Ac 8" ' a c. water ' ; S' ' a c. part ' ; Lk 23'" ' a c. sedition' ; 2 Ch 18' 'after c. years' ; Ezr 10" 'c. chiefs of the fathers' (RV 'c. heads of fathers' houses') ; and Dn 8'" ' I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that c. saint which spake,' where we see the word changing from its definite to its indefinite use. 'Certain' in this sense is free], used alone, where we now use the eaguer ' sonu;,' as Nu IG' ' c. of the children of Israel ' ; 1 Ch 19" ' there went c. and told David ' ; Lk 8" ' it was told him by c. which said ' ; 18 'unto c. which trusted in themselves.' Certainly. 1 S 20^ ' Thy father certainly know- eth that I have found grace in thine eyes, not ' it is certain that thy father knoweth,' but 'thy father knoweth for a certainty' (Hub. VX n-, RV 'knoweth well'); so 20», Gn 43', .Jer 13'- 40'^ 42"'- ^. Same He>.. in Jos 23" ' know for a certainty ' ; 1 K 5^ ' know for certain ' ; 2^- ' know for a certain ' ; Ji^r 26'° ' know ye for certain.' Certainty is used in the obsol. sense of 'the fact,' or ' acdial circumstances,' in Lk 1 ' that thou mightest know the c. of those things' {aacfiiXfia) ; Ac 21" 22 (ri dff^aX^s). Cf. Shaks. Mam. IV. v. 140— • If yon desire to know the certainty Of your dear father's death.' J. Hastings. CERTIFY, in AV, means not ' to make certain ' or 'a.ssure,' but simply 'to make to know,' 'tell.' In OT it occurs (1) Ezr 4" '« 5" T' (ynin) ; (2) 2 S 15- (Tjn); (3) Est 2^ (VK, RV 'tell'). In Apocr. Wis 18' [rpoytfuirKtii), Ep. Jer' (ofayYAXui), liar (deiKrva), 1 Mac 11-" (airar/'AXw), 2 Mac l'» {Siacraifiiu), 2 Mac U»(f/S4Tes). In NT Gal 1" ' I certify you' {yvu,- Mw, RV ' I make known to you '). Cf. Vs ,39» Pr. Bk. ' Lonl, let me know mine end, and the number of my days, that I may be certified how long I have to live' (AV 'that I may know how frail I am,' RV ' Let me know how frail I am ') ; 19- Pr. Bk. ' One day telleth another, and one night certi- fieth another.' J. Hastings.