ISBE
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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia · 1915

Fain

fan (advb.):

Occurs twice in English Versions of the Bible, in the sense of "gladly":

(1) in Job 27:22 as the rendering of barach, "to flee with haste" (from anything), "He would fain flee out of his hand," literally, as in in of the King James Version, "in fleeing he would flee";

(2) in Luke 15:16, as the translation of epithumeo, "to fix the mind or desire on," "He would fain have filled his belly with the husks which the swine did eat." the Revised Version (British and American) adds two instances:

(1) Luke 13:31, "Herod would fain kill thee";

(2) Acts 26:28, "Thou wouldest fain make me a Christian."

See ALMOST.

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, James Orr, general editor (Chicago: Howard-Severance, 1915). Public domain. Text as published by biblestudytools.com. From the Encyclosphere, the open network of encyclopedias run by the Knowledge Standards Foundation. Changed for Deep Dive Bible: links to 1, 2, and 3 John that our source pointed at the Gospel of John corrected; our source’s section marks set as headings.