Folden

This earlier ptcp. of tlie verb to fold is found in Nali 1" ' while they be foldcn together as thorns ' (RV ' like tan^ded [Amer. UV entangled] thorns'). The meaning is that the thorns are intertwined so as to form an impenetrable hedge. The tr° comes from the Geneva Bible, ' For he shall come as unto tliorncs folden one in another,' with the marginal gloss, 'Tho^h the Assyrians thinke tlieni selves like thomes tliat pricke on all sides, yet the Lord wil set fyre on them.'

For this sense of the verb to fold cf. Mt 27^ Wye. ' thei foldynge a crowne of thornis,' and Ca 7° Gov. ' Tlie ha5-re of thy heade is like the kynges purple folden up in plates.' The Heb. (d>;2?) is used in Job 8" of roots entwined round a lieap of stones, EV ' His roots are wrapped about the heap. ' J. Hastings. FOLK was at one time used as equivalent to ' nation'(Ger. Volk). Thus Ac IC Wye. 'in eche folk he that dredith God and worchith rightwisnesse is accepte to hym ' ; Ps 33" Gov.

' Blessed are the people that holde the Lorde for their God, and blessed are the folke whom he hath chosen to be his heritage ' (a tr" preferred by ' Four Friends ' : see Psnlnut Chron. Arranged, 1891, p. 387) ; 2Es6-' Gov. ' Amongeall ye multitudes of tolkes thou hast gotten the one people.' So in AV Jer 51°* 'the Eeople shall labour in vain, and the folk in the re (o'DN^ ; RV ' the nations for the fire ').

So in Pr soothe meaning is ' nation,' thou"li tlie applica- tion is to tlie ' comes,' after Gov. 'the conyes are but a feeble folk' (Heb. oy). But in Gn 33" (Dj) the word is used of a chieftain's followers or re- tainers, a special sense which is now only Scottish.* Cf. G. Pettie (1581), Tr° of Guazzo's Civ. Conv. iii. 170, 'Tlie m.aister of the house . . ought . . to shewe himselfe more seuere towards his owne folke, then towards others.'

In NT the word is thrice used for people or persons indefinitely (Mk 6', Jn 5', Ac 5'*), and there is no corresponding Greek word. In the last passage a plural form is employed ('sicke folkes ' m 1611), which is now used only of relatives, esp. in the phrase ' young fnlL-a ' tho wnr;) ' fnlL- ' being itself Collective. See J. Hastings. folks,' the word Kinsfolk.