Forefront (Hastings' Dictionary)
In earlier nse the 'forefront was opposed to the 'backfront,' as Evelyn (1059), To R. Boyle, 3 Sept. ' To the entry fore front of this a court, and at the other back front a plot walled in of a competent square,' and Leoni (17"20), Albcrti's Arckit. i. xxxix. 2, 'From the . . Fore- front of the Work I draw a Line quite thro' to the Back-front.' But the 'back' being no longer called a ' front,' ' forefront ' is mostly replaced oy 'front.'
It is used in AV as tr° of (1) u^ys face, 2 K 1014, Ezk 40'3 '"» 47' ; (2) d'is ^jid overagainst thi face. Ex 269 2S", Lv 8», 2 S 11"; (3) \v tooth. FOREGO FOREIGNER 49 1 S 14» ; (4) Ml head, 2 Ch 20" ; and TplxruTov face, 1 Mac 4". RV changes Lv 8^ ' upon the mitre, even upon his forefront,' into ' upon the mitre, in front' ; and 1 S 14' ' The forefront of the one was situate nortliward ' into ' The one crag rose up on the north.'
RV also adds Jos 22" 'in the fore- front of the land of Canaan ' (^•,D-'^v, AV ' over against') ; and Ezk40""' ' And from the forefront of the gate at the entrance unto the forefront of the inner porch' (o^x ■J?'-'?!! I'lnx-.J lys'!; ';?"''H, AV ' from the face . . unto the face ').
This topic also has an entry in the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Both articles offer independent scholarly perspectives.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Forefront
Forefront for'-frunt (panim): For "forefront," "front" is now generally used, since "back-front" has gone out of use. "Forefront" is the translation of panim, "face" (2Ki 16:14; Eze 40:19 bis; Eze 47:1); of mul panim, "over against the face" (Ex 26:9; Le 8:9, "And he put the mitre upon his head; also upon the mitre even upon his forefront, did he put the golden plate"; for "upon his forefront" the Revised Version (British and American) has "in front; 2Sa 11:15, "in the forefront of the hottest battle"); of ro'sh, "head" (2Ch 20:27); of shen, "tooth" (1Sa 14:5, "The forefront (The King James Version, margin "Hebrew tooth") of the one was situated northward over against Michmash," the Revised Version (British and American) "The one crag rose up on the north in front of Michmash"); in 1 Macc 4:57 margin it is the translation of prosopon, "face": "They decked the forefront of the temple with crowns of gold." ⇒See the definition of forefront in the KJV Dictionary The Revised Version (British and American) has "forefront" for "face" (Eze 40:15), "in the forefront of" for "over against" (Jo…
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