King James Bible Dictionary

Nothingness; vanity.

1. Hosea speaks of the "high places of Aven" (10:8), by which he means Bethel. He also calls it Beth-aven, i.e., "the house of vanity" (4:15), on account of the golden calves Jeroboam had set up there (1 Kings 12:28).

2. Translated by the LXX. "On" in Ezekiel 30:17. The Egyptian Heliopolis or city of On (q.v.).

3. In Amos 1:5 it denotes the Syrian Heliopolis, the modern Baalbec.

iniquity; force; riches; sorrow

1. The plain of the Sun
Amos 1:5

2. Another name for On
Ezekiel 30:17

3. Beth-Aven
Hosea 10:8

(nothingness).

1. The "plain of Aven" is mentioned by (Amos 1:5) in his denunciation of Syria and the country to the north of Palestine. This Aven is by some supposed to be the once magnificent Heiropolis, "city of I the sun," now Baalbek (Bal'bek) of Coele-Syria, whose ruins are one of the wonders of the ages. It was situated in a plain near the foot of the Anti-Libanus range of mountains, 42 miles northwest of Damascus. It is famous for the colossal ruins of its temples, one of which with its courts and porticos, extended over 1000 feet in length. The temples were built of marble or limestone and granite. Some of the columns were 7 feet in diameter and 62 feet high, or including capital and pedestal, 89 feet. Some of the building-stones were 64 feet long and 12 feet thick. The temples are of Roman origin.
2. In (Hosea 10:8) the word is clearly an abbreviation of Bethaven, that is, Bethel. Comp. (Hosea 4:15) etc.
3. The sacred city of Heliopolis or On, in Egypt. (Ezekiel 30:17)

AVENA'CEOUS, adjective [Latin avenacceus, from avena, oats.]

Belonging to, or partaking of the nature of oats.

AV'ENAGE, noun A certain quantity of oats paid by a tenant to a landlord in lieu of rent or other duty.

AV'ENER,

AVENGE, verb transitive avenj'. [Latin vindex.]

1. To take satisfaction for an injury by punishing the injuring party; to vindicate by inflicting pain or evil on the wrong doer.

Shall not God avenge his own elect. Luke 18:1.

Avenge me of my adversary.

In these examples, avenge implies that the evil inflicted on the injuring party is a satisfaction or justice done to the injured, and the party vindicated is the object of the verb.

2. To take satisfaction for, by pain or punishment inflicted on the injuring party.

He will avenge the blood of his servants. Deuteronomy 32:1.

Here the thing for which satisfaction is taken is the object of the verb.

3. To revenge. To avenge and revenge, radically, are synonymous. But modern usage inclines to make a valuable distinction in the use of these words, restricting avenge to the taking of just punishment, and revenge to the infliction of pain or evil, maliciously, in an illegal manner.

4. In the passive form this verb signifies to have or receive just satisfaction, by the punishment of the offender.

Shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

Jeremiah 5:1.

AVENG'ED, participle passive Satisfied by the punishment of the offender; vindicated; punished.

AVENG'EMENT, noun Vengeance; punishment; the act of taking satisfaction for an injury in inflicting pain or evil on the offender; satisfaction taken; revenge.

AVENG'ER, noun One who avenges or vindicates; a vindicator; a revenger.

(Heb. goel, from verb gaal, "to be near of kin," "to redeem"), the nearest relative of a murdered person. It was his right and duty to slay the murderer (2 Samuel 14:7, 11) if he found him outside of a city of refuge. In order that this law might be guarded against abuse, Moses appointed six cities of refuge (Exodus 21:13; Numbers 35:13; Deuteronomy 19:1, 9). These were in different parts of the country, and every facility was afforded the manslayer that he might flee to the city that lay nearest him for safety. Into the city of refuge the avenger durst not follow him. This arrangement applied only to cases where the death was not premeditated. The case had to be investigated by the authorities of the city, and the wilful murderer was on no account to be spared. He was regarded as an impure and polluted person, and was delivered up to the goel (Deuteronomy 19:11-13). If the offence was merely manslaughter, then the fugitive must remain within the city till the death of the high priest (Numbers 35:25).

Premosaic
Genesis 9:5-6

Cain fears
Genesis 4:14-15

Lamech fears
Genesis 4:24

Law concerning, set aside by David
2 Samuel 14:4-11
Homicide

Figurative
Psalms 8:2; Psalms 44:16; Romans 13:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:6

Scriptures relating to
Genesis 9:5-6; Numbers 35:19-29; Deuteronomy 19:4-13; Joshua 20:1-9

AVENG'ERESS, noun A female avenger.

AVENG'ING, participle present tense Executing vengeance; taking satisfaction for an injury by the punishment of the offender; vindicating.

AV'ENOR, noun

In English feudal law, an officer of the king's stable whose duty was to provide oats.

AV'ENS, noun The herb bennet.

AV'ENTINE, adjective Pertaining to Mons Aventinus, one of the seven hills on which Rome stood.

AVEN'TURE, noun [Latin venio, to come.]

A mischance causing a person; s death without felony; as by drowning, or falling from a house. [See Adventure.]

AV'ENUE, noun [Latin venio.]

1. A passage; away or opening for entrance into a place; any opening or passage by which a thing is or may be introduced.

2. An alley, or walk in a garden, planted with trees, and leading to a house, gate, wood, etc., and generally terminated by some distant object. The trees may be in rows on the sides, or, according to the more modern practice, in clumps at some distance from each other.

3. A wide street, as in Washington, Columbia.