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elder

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elder


  5  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Elder  \Eld"er\,  a.  [AS.  yldra  compar.  of  eald  old  See  {Old}.] 
  1.  Older;  more  aged,  or  existing  longer. 
 
  Let  the  elder  men  among  us  emulate  their  own  earlier 
  deeds.  --Jowett 
  (Thucyd.  ) 
 
  2.  Born  before  another;  prior  in  years;  senior;  earlier; 
  older;  as  his  elder  brother  died  in  infancy;  --  opposed 
  to  {younger},  and  now  commonly  applied  to  a  son,  daughter, 
  child,  brother,  etc 
 
  The  elder  shall  serve  the  younger.  --Gen.  xxv. 
  23. 
 
  But  ask  of  elder  days,  earth's  vernal  hour.  --Keble. 
 
  {Elder  hand}  (Card  Playing),  the  hand  playing,  or  having  the 
  right  to  play,  first  --Hoyle. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Elder  \Eld"er\,  n.  [AS.  ealdor  an  elder,  prince,  fr  eald  old 
  See  {Old},  and  cf  {Elder},  a.,  {Alderman}.] 
  1.  One  who  is  older;  a  superior  in  age;  a  senior.  --1  Tim.  v. 
  1. 
 
  2.  An  aged  person;  one  who  lived  at  an  earlier  period;  a 
  predecessor. 
 
  Carry  your  head  as  your  elders  have  done 
  --L'Estrange. 
 
  3.  A  person  who  on  account  of  his  age,  occupies  the  office 
  of  ruler  or  judge;  hence  a  person  occupying  any  office 
  appropriate  to  such  as  have  the  experience  and  dignity 
  which  age  confers;  as  the  elders  of  Israel;  the  elders  of 
  the  synagogue;  the  elders  in  the  apostolic  church. 
 
  Note:  In  the  modern  Presbyterian  churches,  elders  are  lay 
  officers  who  with  the  minister,  compose  the  church 
  session,  with  authority  to  inspect  and  regulate  matters 
  of  religion  and  discipline.  In  some  churches,  pastors 
  or  clergymen  are  called  elders,  or  presbyters. 
 
  4.  (M.  E.  Ch.)  A  clergyman  authorized  to  administer  all  the 
  sacraments;  as  a  traveling  elder. 
 
  {Presiding  elder}  (Meth.  Ch.),  an  elder  commissioned  by  a 
  bishop  to  have  the  oversight  of  the  churches  and  preachers 
  in  a  certain  district. 
 
  {Ruling  elder},  a  lay  presbyter  or  member  of  a  Presbyterian 
  church  session.  --Schaff. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Elder  \El"der\,  n.  [OE.  ellern,  eller,  AS  ellen  cf  LG 
  elloorn  perh.  akin  to  OHG.  holantar  holuntar  G.  holunder 
  or  perh.  to  E.  alder,  n.]  (Bot.) 
  A  genus  of  shrubs  ({Sambucus})  having  broad  umbels  of  white 
  flowers,  and  small  black  or  red  berries. 
 
  Note:  The  common  North  American  species  is  {Sambucus 
  Canadensis};  the  common  European  species  ({S.  nigra}) 
  forms  a  small  tree.  The  red-berried  elder  is  {S. 
  pubens}.  The  berries  are  diaphoretic  and  aperient. 
 
  {Box  elder}.  See  under  1st  {Box}. 
 
  {Dwarf  elder}.  See  {Danewort}. 
 
  {Elder  tree}.  (Bot.)  Same  as  {Elder}.  --Shak. 
 
  {Marsh  elder},  the  cranberry  tree  {Viburnum  Opulus}). 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  elder 
  adj  1:  used  of  the  older  of  two  persons  of  the  same  name  especially 
  used  to  distinguish  a  father  from  his  son;  "Bill 
  Adams,  Sr."  [syn:  {older},  {sr.}] 
  2:  older  and  (at  least  formerly)  larger  than  another  though 
  relative  size  is  not  the  issue;  "big  sister"  [syn:  {big(a)}, 
  {older}]  [ant:  {little(a)}] 
  n  1:  a  person  who  is  older  than  you  are  [syn:  {senior}] 
  2:  any  of  numerous  shrubs  or  small  trees  of  temperate  and 
  subtropical  northern  hemisphere  having  white  flowers  and 
  berrylike  fruit  [syn:  {elderberry  bush}] 
  3:  any  of  various  church  officers 
 
  From  Easton's  1897  Bible  Dictionary  [easton]: 
 
  Elder 
  a  name  frequently  used  in  the  Old  Testament  as  denoting  a  person 
  clothed  with  authority,  and  entitled  to  respect  and  reverence 
  (Gen.  50:7).  It  also  denoted  a  political  office  (Num.  22:7).  The 
  "elders  of  Israel"  held  a  rank  among  the  people  indicative  of 
  authority.  Moses  opened  his  commission  to  them  (Ex.  3:16).  They 
  attended  Moses  on  all  important  occasions.  Seventy  of  them 
  attended  on  him  at  the  giving  of  the  law  (Ex.  24:1).  Seventy 
  also  were  selected  from  the  whole  number  to  bear  with  Moses  the 
  burden  of  the  people  (Num.  11:16,  17).  The  elder"  is  the 
  keystone  of  the  social  and  political  fabric  wherever  the 
  patriarchal  system  exists.  At  the  present  day  this  is  the  case 
  among  the  Arabs,  where  the  sheik  (i.e.,  "the  old  man")  is  the 
  highest  authority  in  the  tribe.  The  body  of  the  elders"  of 
  Israel  were  the  representatives  of  the  people  from  the  very 
  first  and  were  recognized  as  such  by  Moses.  All  down  through 
  the  history  of  the  Jews  we  find  mention  made  of  the  elders  as 
  exercising  authority  among  the  people.  They  appear  as  governors 
  (Deut.  31:28),  as  local  magistrates  (16:18),  administering 
  justice  (19:12).  They  were  men  of  extensive  influence  (1  Sam. 
  30:26-31).  In  New  Testament  times  they  also  appear  taking  an 
  active  part  in  public  affairs  (Matt.  16:21;  21:23;  26:59). 
 
  The  Jewish  eldership  was  transferred  from  the  old  dispensation 
  to  the  new  "The  creation  of  the  office  of  elder  is  nowhere 
  recorded  in  the  New  Testament,  as  in  the  case  of  deacons  and 
  apostles,  because  the  latter  offices  were  created  to  meet  new 
  and  special  emergencies,  while  the  former  was  transmitted  from 
  the  earlies  times.  In  other  words  the  office  of  elder  was  the 
  only  permanent  essential  office  of  the  church  under  either 
  dispensation." 
 
  The  elders"  of  the  New  Testament  church  were  the  pastors" 
  (Eph.  4:11),  "bishops  or  overseers"  (Acts  20:28),  leaders"  and 
  rulers"  (Heb.  13:7;  1  Thess.  5:12)  of  the  flock.  Everywhere  in 
  the  New  Testament  bishop  and  presbyter  are  titles  given  to  one 
  and  the  same  officer  of  the  Christian  church.  He  who  is  called 
  presbyter  or  elder  on  account  of  his  age  or  gravity  is  also 
  called  bishop  or  overseer  with  reference  to  the  duty  that  lay 
  upon  him  (Titus  1:5-7;  Acts  20:17-28;  Phil.  1:1). 
 




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