King James Bible Dictionary

May be simply defined as the termination of life. It is represented under a variety of aspects in Scripture:

1. "The dust shall return to the earth as it was" (Ecclesiastes 12:7).

2. "Thou takest away their breath, they die" (Psalms 104:29).

3. It is the dissolution of "our earthly house of this tabernacle" (2 Corinthians 5:1); the "putting off this tabernacle" (2 Peter 1:13, 14).

4. Being "unclothed" (2 Corinthians 5:3, 4).

5. "Falling on sleep" (Psalms 76:5; Jeremiah 51:39; Acts 13:36; 2 Peter 3:9.

6. "I go whence I shall not return" (Job 10:21); "Make me to know mine end" (Psalms 39:4); "to depart" (Philippians 1:23).

The grave is represented as "the gates of death" (Job 38:17; Psalms 9:13; 107:18). The gloomy silence of the grave is spoken of under the figure of the "shadow of death" (Jeremiah 2:6).

Death is the effect of sin (Hebrews 2:14), and not a "debt of nature." It is but once (9:27), universal (Genesis 3:19), necessary (Luke 2:28-30). Jesus has by his own death taken away its sting for all his followers (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).

There is a spiritual death in trespasses and sins, i.e., the death of the soul under the power of sin (Romans 8:6; Ephesians 2:1, 3; Colossians 2:13).

The "second death" (Revelation 2:11) is the everlasting perdition of the wicked (Revelation 21:8), and "second" in respect to natural or temporal death.

THE DEATH OF CHRIST is the procuring cause incidentally of all the blessings men enjoy on earth. But specially it is the procuring cause of the actual salvation of all his people, together with all the means that lead thereto. It does not make their salvation merely possible, but certain (Matthew 18:11; Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 1:4; 3:13; Ephesians 1:7; 2:16; Romans 8:32-35).

Called:

Giving up the Ghost
Genesis 25:8; Genesis 35:29; Lamentations 1:19; Acts 5:10

King of Terrors
Job 18:14

A Change
Job 14:14

Going to Thy Fathers
Genesis 15:15; Genesis 25:8; Genesis 35:29

Putting Off this Tabernacle
2 Peter 1:14

Requiring the Soul
Luke 12:20

Going the Way Whence There is No Return
Job 16:22

Being Gathered to Our People
Genesis 49:33

Going Down into Silence
Psalms 115:17

Returning to Dust
Genesis 3:19; Psalms 104:29

Being Cut Down
Job 14:2

Fleeing as a Shadow
Job 14:2

Departing
Philippians 2:23

Sleep
Deuteronomy 31:16; Job 7:21; Job 14:12; Jeremiah 51:39; Daniel 12:2; John 11:11; Acts 7:60; Acts 13:36; 1 Corinthians 15:6; 1 Corinthians 15:18; 1 Corinthians 15:51; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-15

Exemption from:

Enoch
Genesis 5:24; Hebrews 11:5

Elijah
Hebrews 12:2

Promised to saints at the second coming of Christ
1 Corinthians 15:51; 1 Thessalonians 4:15; 1 Thessalonians 4:17

No death in heaven
Luke 20:36; Revelation 21:4

Desired:

Desired:
Jeremiah 8:3; Revelation 9:6

By Moses
Numbers 11:15

By Elijah
1 Kings 19:4

By Job
1 Kings 18:3; Job 6:8-11; Job 7:1-3; Job 7:15-16; Job 10:1; Job 14:13

By Jonah
Jonah 4:8

By Simeon
Luke 2:29

By Paul
2 Corinthians 5:2; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:20-23

As a judgment:

Upon the Antediluvians
Genesis 6:7; Genesis 6:11-13

Upon Sodomites
Genesis 19:12-13; Genesis 19:24-25

Upon Saul
1 Chronicles 10:13-14

Symbolized:

By the pale horse
Revelation 6:8

By King of Terrors
Job 18:14

Apostrophe to
Hosea 13:14; 1 Corinthians 15:55

Unclassified scriptures relating to
Genesis 2:17; Genesis 3:19; Genesis 27:2; Joshua 23:14; 1 Samuel 2:6; 1 Samuel 20:2-3; 2 Samuel 1:23; 2 Samuel 14:14; Job 3:13; Job 3:18-19; Job 7:1; Job 7:8-10; Job 7:21; Job 14:6; Job 10:21-22; Job 14:2; Job 14:5; Job 14:7-12; Job 14:14; Job 14:19-21; Job 16:22; Job 17:13-14; Job 17:16; Job 21:23; Job 21:25-26; Job 21:32-33; Job 30:23; Job 34:14-15; Job 36:18-19; Job 38:17; Psalms 23:4; Psalms 30:9; Psalms 6:5; Psalms 88:9-14; Psalms 115:17; Isaiah 38:18; Psalms 39:4; Psalms 39:13; Psalms 49:7; Psalms 49:9-10; Psalms 68:20; Deuteronomy 32:39; Psalms 82:7; Psalms 89:48; Psalms 90:3; Psalms 103:14-16; Psalms 104:29; Psalms 143:3; Lamentations 3:6; Psalms 144:4; Psalms 146:4; Ecclesiastes 2:14-18; Ecclesiastes 3:2; Ecclesiastes 3:19-21; Ecclesiastes 4:2; Ecclesiastes 5:15; Job 1:21; Ecclesiastes 6:6; Ecclesiastes 6:10; Ecclesiastes 7:1-2; Ecclesiastes 7:15; Ecclesiastes 8:8; Ecclesiastes 9:3; Ecclesiastes 9:5-6; Ecclesiastes 9:10; Ecclesiastes 12:5; Ecclesiastes 12:7; Isaiah 25:8; Isaiah 38:1; Isaiah 38:10-13; Isaiah 40:7; Isaiah 51:12; Jeremiah 9:21; Hosea 13:14; Zech 1:5; Matthew 10:28; Luke 20:34-38; Luke 23:39-43; John 9:4; Romans 5:12; Romans 5:14; 1 Corinthians 15:21-22; 1 Corinthians 15:26; 1 Corinthians 15:55-57; 1 Timothy 6:7; 2 Timothy 1:10; Hebrews 2:14-15; Hebrews 9:27; Hebrews 13:14; James 1:10-11; 1 Peter 1:24; Revelation 1:18; Revelation 20:12-14; Revelation 21:4

Preparation for
Deuteronomy 32:29; 2 Kings 20:1; Psalms 39:4; Psalms 39:13; Psalms 90:12; Ecclesiastes 9:4; Ecclesiastes 9:10; Ecclesiastes 11:7-8; Isaiah 38:18-19; Luke 12:35-37; John 9:4; Romans 14:8; Philippians 1:21; Hebrews 13:14; James 4:15; 1 Peter 1:17

Of the righteous
Numbers 23:10; 2 Samuel 12:23; 2 Kings 22:19-20; Psalms 23:4; Psalms 31:5; Psalms 37:37; Psalms 49:15; Psalms 73:24; Psalms 116:15; Proverbs 14:32; Ecclesiastes 7:1; Isaiah 57:1-2; Daniel 12:13; Luke 2:29; Luke 16:22; Luke 23:43; John 11:11; Acts 7:59; Romans 14:7-8; 1 Corinthians 3:21-23; 1 Corinthians 15:51-57; 2 Corinthians 1:9-10; 2 Corinthians 5:1; 2 Corinthians 5:4; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:20-21; Philippians 1:23-24; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14; 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10; 2 Timothy 4:6-8; Hebrews 2:14-15; Hebrews 11:13; 2 Peter 1:11; 2 Peter 1:14; Revelation 14:13

Scenes of:

Isaac
Genesis 27:1-4; Genesis 27:22-40

Jacob
Genesis 49:1-33; Hebrews 11:21

Moses
Deuteronomy 31:14-30; Deuteronomy 32:1-52; Deuteronomy 33:1-29; Deuteronomy 34:1-7

David
1 Kings 2:1-10

Zechariah
2 Chronicles 24:22

Jesus
Matthew 27:34-53; Mark 15:23-38; Luke 23:27-49; John 19:16-30

Stephen
Acts 7:59-60

Paul
2 Timothy 4:6-8

Of the wicked
Numbers 16:30; 1 Samuel 25:38; 2 Chronicles 21:6; 2 Chronicles 21:20; Job 4:21; Job 18:14; Job 18:18; Job 20:4-5; Job 20:8; Job 20:11; Job 21:13; Job 21:17-18; Job 21:23-26; Job 24:20; Job 24:24; Job 27:8; Job 27:19-23; Job 34:20; Job 36:12; Job 36:14; Job 36:18; Job 36:20; Psalms 37:1-2; Psalms 37:9-10; Psalms 37:35-36; Psalms 49:7; Psalms 49:9-10; Psalms 49:14; Psalms 49:17; Psalms 49:19-20; Psalms 55:15; Psalms 55:23; Psalms 58:9; Psalms 73:3-4; Psalms 73:17-20; Psalms 78:50; Psalms 92:7; Proverbs 2:22; Proverbs 5:22-23; Proverbs 10:25; Proverbs 10:27; Proverbs 11:7; Proverbs 11:10; Proverbs 13:9; Proverbs 14:32; Proverbs 21:16; Proverbs 24:20; Proverbs 29:1; Proverbs 29:16; Ecclesiastes 8:10; Isaiah 14:11; Isaiah 14:15; Isaiah 17:14; Isaiah 26:14; Jeremiah 16:3-4; Ezekiel 28:8; Ezekiel 28:10; Amos 9:10; Luke 12:20; Luke 16:22-28; Acts 5:3-10; 1 Thessalonians 5:3

Spiritual

General references
Luke 1:79; John 5:24-26; John 6:50-51; John 6:53; John 11:26; Romans 5:12; Romans 5:15; Romans 7:11; Romans 8:5-6; Romans 8:12-13; 2 Corinthians 5:14; Ephesians 2:1; Ephesians 2:5-6; Ephesians 4:18; Ephesians 5:14; Colossians 2:13; 1 Timothy 5:6; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 5:12
Depravity; Man, State of, After the Fall; Reprobacy

Second

Second
Proverbs 14:12; Ezekiel 18:4; Ezekiel 18:10-13; Ezekiel 18:21; Ezekiel 18:23-24; Ezekiel 33:8-9; Ezekiel 33:11; Ezekiel 33:14-16; Matthew 7:13; Matthew 10:28; Matthew 25:30; Matthew 25:41; Matthew 25:46; Mark 9:43-44; Romans 1:32; Romans 6:16; Romans 6:21; Romans 6:23; Romans 8:13; Romans 9:22; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; James 1:15; James 4:12; 2 Peter 2:12; Revelation 2:11; Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:14; Revelation 21:8
Hell; Wicked, Punishment of

Figurative of regeneration
Romans 6:2-11; Romans 7:1-11; Romans 8:10-11; Colossians 2:20
Dead; Regeneration

DEATH, noun deth.

1. That state of a being, animal or vegetable, but more particularly of an animal, in which there is a total and permanent cessation of all the vital functions, when the organs have not only ceased to act, but have lost the susceptibility of renewed action. Thus the cessation of respiration and circulation in an animal may not be death for during hybernation some animals become entirely torpid, and some animals and vegetables may be subjected to a fixed state by frost, but being capable of revived activity, they are not dead.

2. The state of the dead; as the gates of death Job 38:17.

3. The manner of dying.

Thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas. Ezekiel 28:8.

Let me die the death of the righteous. Numbers 23:10.

4. The image of mortality represented by a skeleton; as a death's head.

5. Murder; as a man of death

6. Cause of death

O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. 2 Kings 4:40.

We say, he caught his death

7. Destroyer or agent of death; as, he will be the death of his poor father.

8. In poetry, the means or instrument of death; as an arrow is called the feathered death; a ball, a leaden death

DEATHs invisible come winged with fire.

9. In theology, perpetual separation from God, and eternal torments; called the second death Revelation 2:10.

10. Separation or alienation of the soul from God; a being under the dominion of sin, and destitute of grace or divine life; called spiritual death

We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. 1 John 3:1. Luke I.

Civil death is the separation of a man from civil society, or from the enjoyment of civil rights; as by banishment, abjuration of the realm, entering into a monastery, etc.

DEATH-BED, noun deth'-bed. The bed on which a person dies or is confined in his last sickness.

DEATH'-BODING, adjective Portending death.

DEATH-DARTING, adjective Darting or inflicting death.

DEATH'FUL, adjective Full of slaughter; murderous; destructive.

These eyes behold the deathful scene.

DEATH'FULNESS, noun Appearance of death.

DEATH'LESS, adjective Immortal; not subject to death, destruction or extinction; as deathless beings; deathless fame.

DEATH'LIKE, adjective

1. Resembling death; gloomy; still; calm; quiet; peaceful; motionless; like death in horror or in stillness; as deathlike slumbers.

2. Resembling death; cadaverous.

DEATH'S-DOOR, noun A near approach to death; the gates of death.

DEATH'S-MAN, noun An executioner; a hangman.

DEATH'-SHADOWED, adjective Surrounded by the shades of death.

DEATH'-TOKEN, noun That which indicates approaching death.

DEATH'WARD, adverb Toward death.

DEATH'-WATCH, noun A small insect whose ticking is weakly supposed, by superstitious and ignorant people, to prognosticate death.