Wax (Hastings' Dictionary)

This verb, which means to grow (Middle Eng. waxen, AngloSa.x. weaxan, allied to ouidvciv), is trcquently used in AV, and gives another syn. for ' grow,' as in Lk I* ' And the cliild grew, and waxed strong (iKpaTaioDro) in spirit,' 13'" 'And it grew, and waxed a great tree' (^^i-ero ch UfSpov liiya, KV ' became a tree,' omitting iiiya with edd.) Cf.

Maundevillc, Travels, 105, 'In Ethiopia, when the children be young and little, they be all yellow; and when that they wax of age, that yellowness tumeth to be all black.' The word is sometimes used with scarcely more meaning than ' become,' as Nu 11-^ ' Is the Lord's liand waxed short?" So Mt 26'' Tind. 'And he toke with him Peter and the two sonnes of Zebede, and began to wexe sorowfuU and to be in an agonye ' ; Lk 11^ Tind. ' The Pharises began to wexe busye aboute him.'

It was, however, formerly used in the sense of grow or increase, without an adjective (it is never so used in AV), as Ac G' Wye. ' The word of the lord wuxed ' ; Gn 9' Tind. ' See that ye encrease, and waxe.' J. flASTINGS. WAY (, n, mx, AJis), meaning literally either road * or journey, is used by a natural ligure for course or manner in a gieat variety of applica- tions.

It is used for God's purpose or action (Ex 33", Job 21" 36•^ Ps 67" 77^ Pr 8'«, Is 20" 40^, Job 21" 34"), described by varied epithets of excellence (Ps 25", 2 S 22^', Ps IS', Dt 32^, Kev 15^ Dn 4", Hos I4», Job 26", Ro ll"), defended against doubt (Ezk 18"- ="), and contrasted with man's plans and doings (Is 55'^) ; also of His command- ments (Gn 18'», Ex 18 32», Dt 9" ll-» 31^ Jg 2-=, Job 23", Ps 37* 119", Jer 5<-», Mai 2», Mt ii'", Mk 12", Lk 20-», Dt 5™ 8» 10'- 11^ 19» 26" '28» 30", Jos '>2^ Ps 18=' 25 51" SI" 95'« 103' 119^ 12S' 138», 2 S 22-', 1 K 2» 3''' S** ll"-", Is 2» 42-^ 58- 63" 64», Jer 7''''), which He is ready to teach men (Ps25'- •■ " 27" 32» 86" lig^-aa-ssn 1392J 1438, I3 30-' 35", Jer 32»» 42", Mic 4^ Ps 16" lltf"- "» 23'), and in obedi- ence to which there is reward (Pr 8'=, Zee 3', Mai 2").

Man's conduct generally is spoken of as a 'way' (1 K 2< 8-, 2 Ch 6'", Ps 119'-», Ja S"") or For an account of Uie muo roodwayB of Palealine 8e« articles Ieask asd Comuehcz, p. 8a6>>, and Was, p. 8920. 'ways' (1 S 18", Job 4« 13" 22', Ps 39> 119»- ", Ezk 16", Ac 14", 1 Co 4", Ja P, cf.

Pr 6"), moraUy contrasted as good ( 1 S 12-^, 1 K S', 2 Ch 6-'', Job 31', Ps 1« 101-8, Pr 2» 29-'', Is 26', Mt 21'», Ro 3", 1 Co 12", 2 P 2"=') and bad (Gn 6'^ Nu22', Jg2'», 1 K 13", Job S's 22'5, Ps l'-» 36 49", Pr 4"-'» 19^, Ezk 3'8, Hos 10", Ps 10» 125», Pr !"• 2"- "> 3" 10' 14^ .>_KS 2S«'S Jer 15').

Altliou-li man is free to choose his own 'way' (Ps Wd^', Pr 7^ 21=» 23'"), hating the evil ' way ' (Ps 119""- '^- ^), or choosing it (Is53« 57" 59s 65", Jer 3 ', Is 66'), yet training is important (Pr 22''), and example, whether for good (Jg 2" 2 Ch 20^^ 1 K 22'''), as David's (2 K 22^ 2 Cli 11" 17"), or for evil (1 K lo-^ 2 K 2P', Pr 1" le'^' 28'", Is 3'-, Jer 2" 10- W; Ezk 23'-"), as of the kings of Israel (2 K 8'8 16', 2 Ch 21''- " 2S=), of the house of Ahab (2 K S'^, 2 Ch 22'), of Jeroboam (1 K 15" 16, '»■ •-« 22'-), of Balaam (2 P 2"), and of Cain (Jude ") ; but example is not always followed (1 S 8'-°, 2 Ch 21'-).

As a man's course is well known to (iod (Job 24^ 31'' 34-', Ps 119'* 1395, Pr 5-', Jer 16"), He deals with him according to his deserts (1 K &-, 2 Ch 6'^, Ps Uiy>, Jer 4'", Ezk 7-' 11-' 16" 22" 36'», 1 K 8^, 2 Ch 6^ Job 34", Pr 14', Jer 17" 32", Ezk 7' IS* 24" 33^, Hos i\ Zee 1«) in spite of occasional appearances to the contrary (Ps 37').

But God desires men to consider their 'ways' (Ezk 20" 16«' 36"'- 3-, Hag P) and turn from the evil (2 K 17", 2 Ch 7", Pr 5", Is 55', Jer 7'-= IS" 25=' 26'-" 35" 365-', Ezk 18-^ 338", Jon 38- '», Zee P), which He hates (Pr S" I5») ; and He promises to guide them into the good (Pr 4" S-"), which He loves (Pr 11™). There are two 'ways' before man (Jer 21, Mt 7"'', cf. Lk 1.3^- ^, also lJidach(, i. 1, and Ep. of Barnabas, xviii. ), one of which leads to life, pe.

ace, and happiness (Pr 6=^ W-^ IP 12-» 13" IS- 16", Ac 2=», Ro 3", Pr 3" 16' 4'), and the other to death, trouble, and misery (Pr 7-'' 13'= 14'- 16== 21" 22' 22-^, Is 59'), in spite of man's illusions (Pr 12"-='' 2P). This close connexion between conduct and condition is shown in tlie use of 'way' or 'ways' for man's lot as well as his deeds (Gn 28-'", Ex 23'=", Dt r', Jos 18, Jg IS"-*, Dt 28=»; the liter.

al sense is in these six passages passing over to the ligurative, whicli appears clearly in 2 S 22^, Ps 18-=, Job 3=* 19" 23'» 22=8 pg 356)_ x man may think of ordering his lot after his o^^■n wishes (Pr 16", Jer 10'="), but Gou disposes it according to His own will (Ps 37=^ S5", Pr 2"- '», Ps 91", Da 5==), to which it is well for man to commit himself (Ps 37', Pr 3"). One lot none can escape, for death is ' tlie way of all the earth' (Jos 23", 1 K 2=, cf. Job 16=).

The purpose of God, foretold by the prophets (Is 40", JIal 3') and fvdlilled in Christ, is described as the ' way of the LoED ' (Mt 3', Mk 1=- ', Lk 3* 7", Jn 1==, Ac 18=»'«', cf. Ac 13"'), of peace (Lk 1"), of truth (2 P 2=), and of salvation (Ac 16").

Christ Himself is (Jn 14-°''), or has opened up, the way for man to God (Heb 9" 10=") ; and, accordingly, the Christian religion is spoken of simply as ' the Way ' (Ac 9= ig"- =^ 22-' 24"- ■=), either because Christ claimed to be the Way (Jn 14"), or because He had spoken of the narrow way unto life (Mt 7') ; or, lastly, because in Him was fullillcd the prophetic saying regarding the way (Is 40', Mai 3'). A. E. Garvie.