Reproof, reprove (Hastings' Dictionary)

The verb (from Lat. reprobare through Old Fr. reprover) means — 1. To disapprove of, reject, as in Ps 118=^ Wye. (138S) 'The stoon which the bilderis repreueden ' ; Mk 8" Tind. ' And he beganne to teache them, how that the soune of man must sutl're many thinges, and shuld be reproved of the elders, and of the bye prestes and scribes.' There is no example of this meaning in AV. 2. To disprove, refute, aa Shaks. Ve7iti.i, 19,1 — * What have you urged that I cannot reprore? and // Uenry VI. 111.

i. 40— • Reprove my allegation. If yon can ; Or else conclude my words effectual.' Of this meaning there are probably some examples in AV, as Job 6'^ ' How forcible are riglit w-jrds I i REPTILE RESEN 229 but what doth your arguing reprove ? ' Is 37* ' It may be the Lord thy God will hear the words of Rabshakeh . . and will reprove tlie words which the Lord thy God hath heard,' tlioufjli in these and other like places Oxf. Ueb. Lex. takes the mean- ing to be snnply 'rcDuke.' 3.

To convict, as Jer. Taylor, Great Exemplar, Pref. p. 14, ' God hatli never been deficient, but hath to all men that believe him given sufficient to confirm them ; to those few that believed not, suHieieut to reprove them.' So in AV, Jn 16' ' He will reprove the world of sin ' (Wye. ' repreuve,' Tind. ' rebuke,' Gen. ' reprove,' Gen. marg. ' convince,' AVra 'convince,' KV 'convict') ; cf. Jn 8** Wye. 'Who of you schal repreuve me of synne ? ' (Tmd.

' can rebuke,' AV ' convinceth,' RV ' convicteth ') ; 2Ti 4'-' 'Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long- suffering and doctrine.' 4. To chide, rebuke, the mod. meaning, as Pr 9' ' Reprove not a scomer, lest he hate thee : rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.' Reproof is used mostly in the sense of rebuke, but there is a possible e.xaniple of conviction in 2 Ti 3" (' prolitable for doctrine, for reproof [irpJs fK€yii6v], for correction, for instruction in right- eou.

sness'); and a probable examjile of ditproof, refutation in Ps 3S''' (' Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs ' ; RVm ' arguments '). J. Hastings.