King James Bible Dictionary

FORBEAR, verb intransitive preterit tense forbore; participle passive forborne.

1. To stop; to cease; to hold from proceeding; as, forbear to repeat these reproachful words.

2. To pause; to delay; as, forbear a while.

3. To abstain; to omit; to hold one's self from motion or entering on an affair.

Shall I go against Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? 1 Kings 22:6.

4. To refuse; to decline.

Whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear Ezekiel 2:5.

5. To be patient; to restrain from action or violence. Proverbs 25:15.

FORBEAR, verb transitive

1. To avoid voluntarily; to decline.

FORBEAR his presence.

2. To abstain from; to omit; to avoid doing. Learn from the scriptures what you ought to do and what to forbear

Have we not power to forbear working? 1 Corinthians 9:6.

3. To spare; to treat with indulgence and patience.

FORBEARing one another in love. Ephesians 4:2.

4. To withhold.

FORBEAR thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not. 2 Chronicles 35:21.

FORBEARANCE, noun

1. The act of avoiding, shunning or omitting; either the cessation or intermission of an act commenced, or a withholding from beginning an act. Liberty is the power of doing or forbearing an action, according as the doing or forbearance has a preference in the mind. The forbearance of sin is followed with satisfaction of mind.

2. Command of temper; restraint of passions.

3. The exercise of patience; long suffering; indulgence towards those who injure us; lenity; delay of resentment or punishment.

Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance and long suffering? Romans 2:4.

FORBEARER, noun One that intermits or intercepts.

FORBEARING, participle present tense

1. Ceasing; pausing; withholding from action; exercising patience and indulgence.

2. adjective Patient; long suffering.

FORBEARING, noun A ceasing or restraining from action; patience; long suffering.