King James Bible Dictionary

PROVI'DE, verb transitive [Latin provideo, literally to see before; pro and video, to see.]

1. To procure beforehand; to get, collect or make ready for future use; to prepare.

Abraham said, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt-offering. Genesis 22:8.

Provide neither gold nor silver nor brass in your purses. Matthew 10:9.

Provide things honest in the sight of all men. Romans 12:17.

2. To furnish; to supply; followed by with.

Rome, by the care of the magistrates, was well provided with corn.

Provided of is now obsolete.

3. To stipulate previously. The agreement provides that the party shall incur no loss.

4. To make a previous conditional stipulation. [See Provided.]

5. To foresee; a Latinism. [Not in use.]

6. provide in a transitive sense, is followed by against or for. We provide warm clothing against the inclemencies of the weather; we provide necessaries against a time of need; or we provide warm clothing for winter, etc.

PROVI'DE, verb intransitive To procure supplies or means of defense; or to take measures for counteracting or escaping an evil. The sagacity of brutes in providing against the inclemencies of the weather is wonderful.

Government is a contrivance of human wisdom to provide for human wants.

PROVI'DED, participle passive Procured beforehand; made ready for future use; supplied; furnished; stipulated.

1. Stipulated as a condition, which condition is expressed in the following sentence or words; as, 'provided that nothing in this act shall prejudice the rights of any person whatever.' This sentence is in the nature of the case absolute, the clause or sentence independent; 'this or that being provided which follows; ' 'this condition being provided ' The word being is understood, and the participle provided agrees with the whole sentence absolute. 'This condition being previously stipulated or established.' This and that here refer to the whole member of the sentence.

Literally means foresight, but is generally used to denote God's preserving and governing all things by means of second causes (Psalms 18:35; 63:8; Acts 17:28; Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3). God's providence extends to the natural world (Psalms 104:14; 135:5-7; Acts 14:17), the brute creation (Psalms 104:21-29; Matthew 6:26; 10:29), and the affairs of men (1 Chronicles 16:31; Psalms 47:7; Proverbs 21:1; Job 12:23; Daniel 2:21; 4:25), and of individuals (1 Samuel 2:6; Psalms 18:30; Luke 1:53; James 4:13-15). It extends also to the free actions of men (Exodus 12:36; 1 Samuel 24:9-15; Psalms 33:14, 15; Proverbs 16:1; 19:21; 20:24; 21:1), and things sinful (2 Samuel 16:10; 24:1; Romans 11:32; Acts 4:27, 28), as well as to their good actions (Philippians 2:13; 4:13; 2 Corinthians 12:9, 10; Ephesians 2:10; Galatians 5:22-25).

As regards sinful actions of men, they are represented as occurring by God's permission (Genesis 45:5; 50:20. Comp. 1 Samuel 6:6; Exodus 7:13; 14:17; Acts 2:3; 3:18; 4:27, 28), and as controlled (Psalms 76:10) and overruled for good (Genesis 50:20; Acts 3:13). God does not cause or approve of sin, but only limits, restrains, overrules it for good.

The mode of God's providential government is altogether unexplained. We only know that it is a fact that God does govern all his creatures and all their actions; that this government is universal (Psalms 103:17-19), particular (Matthew 10:29-31), efficacious (Psalms 33:11; Job 23:13), embraces events apparently contingent (Proverbs 16:9, 33; 19:21; 21:1), is consistent with his own perfection (2 Timothy 2:13), and to his own glory (Romans 9:17; 11:36).

PROV'IDENCE, noun [Latin providentia.]

1. The act of providing or preparing for future use or application.

Providence for war is the best prevention of it. [Now little used.]

2. Foresight; timely care; particularly, active foresight, or foresight accompanied with the procurement of what is necessary for future use, or with suitable preparation. How many of the troubles and perplexities of life proceed from want of providence!

3. In theology, the care and superintendence which God exercises over his creatures. He that acknowledges a creation and denies a providence involves himself in a palpable contradiction; for the same power which caused a thing to exist is necessary to continue its existence. Some persons admit a general providence but deny a particular providence not considering that a general providence consists of particulars. A belief in divine providence is a source of great consolation to good men. By divine providence is often understood God himself.

4. Prudence in the management of one's concerns or in private economy.

See God, Providence of; God, Providence of, Overruling Interpositions of
God, Providence of; God, Providence of, Overruling Interpositions of

PROV'IDENT, adjective Foreseeing wants and making provision to supply them; forecasting; cautious; prudent in preparing for future exigences; as a provident man; a provident animal.

The parsimonious emmet, provident

Of future.

Orange is what Augustus was,

Brave, wary, provident and bold.

PROVIDEN'TIAL, adjective Effected by the providence of God; referable to divine providence; proceeding from divine direction or superintendence; as the providential contrivance of things; a providential escape from danger. How much are we indebted to God's unceasing providential care!

PROVIDEN'TIALLY, adverb By means of God's providence.

Every animal is providentially directed to the use of its proper weapons.

PROV'IDENTLY, adverb With prudent foresight; with wise precaution in preparing for the future.

PROVI'DER, noun One who provides, furnishes or supplies; one that procures what is wanted.