King James Bible Dictionary

See Industry; Labor
Industry; Labor

WORK, verb intransitive [G., Gr.]

1. In a general sense, to move, or to move one way and the other; to perform; as in popular language it is said, a mill or machine works well.

2. To labor; to be occupied in performing manual labor, whether severe or moderate. One man works better than another; one man works hare; another works lazily.

3. To be in action or motion; as the working of the heart.

4. To act; to carry on operations.

Our better part remains to work in close design.

5. To operate; to carry on business; to be customarily engaged or employed in. Some work in the mines, others in the loom, others at the anvil.

They that work in fine flax. Isaiah 19:9.

6. To ferment; as, unfermented liquors work violently in hot weather.

7. To operate; to produce effects by action or influence.

All things work together for good to them that love God. Romans 8:28.

This so wrought upon the child, that afterwards he desired to be taught.

8. To obtain by diligence. [Little used.]

9. To act or operate on the stomach and bowels; as a cathartic.

10. To labor; to strain; to move heavily; as, a ship works in a tempest.

11. To be tossed or agitated.

Confusd with working sands and rolling waves.

12. To enter by working; as, to work into the earth.

To work on, to act on; to influence.

To work up, to make way.

Body shall up to spirit work

To work tot windward, among seamen, to sail or ply against the wind; to beat.

WORK, verb transitive

1. To move; to stir and mix; as, to work mortar.

2. To form by labor; to mold, shape or manufacture; as, to work wood or iron into a form desired, or into an utensil; to work cotton or wool into cloth.

3. To bring into any state by action. A foul stream, or new wine or cider, works itself clear.

4. To influence by acting upon; to manage; to lead.

An work your royal father to his ruin.

5. To make by action, labor or violence. A stream works a passage or a new channel.

Sidelong he works his way.

6. To produce by action, labor or exertion.

We might work any effect--only by the unity of nature.

Each herb he knew, that works or good or ill.

7. To embroider; as, to work muslin.

8. To direct the movements of, by adapting the sails to the wind; as, to work a ship.

9. To put to labor; to exert.

WORK every nerve.

10. To cause to ferment, as liquor.

To work out,

1. To effect by labor and exertion.

WORK out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Philippians 2:12.

2. To expend in any work as materials. They have worked up all the stock.

To work double tides, in the language of seamen, to perform the labor of three days in two; a phrase taken from the practice f working by the night tide as well as by the day.

To work into, to make way, or to insinuate; as, to work ones self into favor or confidence.

To work a passage, among seamen, to pay for a passage by doing duty on board of the ship.

WORK, noun [G., Gr.]

1. Labor; employment; exertion of strength; particularly in man, manual labor.

2. State of labor; as, to be at work

3. Awkward performance. What work you make!

4. That which is made or done; as good work or bad work

5. Embroidery; flowers or figures wrought with the needle.

6. Any fabric or manufacture

7. The matter on which one is at work In rising she dropped her work

8. Action; deed; feat; achievement; as the works of bloody Mars.

9. Operation.

As to the composition or dissolution of mixed bodies, which is the chief work of elements--

10. Effect; that which proceeds from agency.

Fancy wild work produces oft, and most in dreams.

11. Management; treatment.

12. That which is produced by mental labor; a composition; a book; as the works of Addison.

13. Works, in the plural, walls, trenches and the like, made for fortifications.

14. In theology, moral duties or external performances, as distinct from grace.

To set to work To set on work to employ; to engage in any business.

WORKED, participle passive Moved; labored; performed; managed; fermented.

WORKER, noun One that works; one that performs.

WORK-FELLOW, noun One engaged in the same work with another. Romans 16:1.

WORK-FOLK, noun Persons that labor.

WORKING, participle present tense Moving; operating; laboring; fermenting.

WORKING, noun

1. Motion; the act of laboring.

2. Fermentation.

3. Movement; operation; as the workings of fancy.

WORKHOUSE, WORKING-HOUSE noun

1. A house where any manufacture is carried on.

2. Generally, a house in which idle and vicious persons are confined to labor.

WORKMAN noun [work and man.]

1. Any man employed in labor, whether in tillage or manufactures.

2. By way of eminence, a skillful artificer or laborer.

WORKMANLIKE, adjective Skillful; well performed.

WORKMANLY, adjective Skillful; well performed.

WORKMANLY, adverb In a skillful manner; in a manner becoming a workman.

WORKMANSHIP, noun

1. Manufacture; something made, particularly by manual labor. Exodus 31:3.

2. That which is effected, made or produced. Ephesians 2:10.

3. The skill of a workman; or the execution or manner of making any thing. The workmanship of this cloth is admirable.

4. The art of working.

WORKMASTER, noun [work and master.] The performer of any work.

Good works:

Jesus an example of
John 10:32; Acts 10:38

Holy women should manifest
1 Timothy 2:10; 1 Timothy 5:10

God remembers
Nehemiah 13:14; Hebrews 6:9-10

Shall be brought into judgment
Ecclesiastes 12:14; 2 Corinthians 5:10

In the judgment, will be an evidence of faith
Matthew 25:34-40; James 2:14-20

Ministers should be patterns of
Titus 2:7

Ministers should exhort to
1 Timothy 6:17-18; Titus 3:1; Titus 3:8; Titus 3:14

God is glorified by
John 15:8

Designed to lead others to glorify God
Matthew 5:16; 1 Peter 2:12

A blessing attends
James 1:25

Of the righteous, are manifest
1 Timothy 5:25

Parables relating to:

The talents and pounds
Matthew 25:14-29; Luke 19:12-27

Of the laborers in the vineyard
Matthew 20:11-15

The two sons
Matthew 21:28-31

Of the barren fig tree
Luke 13:6-9

Unclassified scriptures relating to
Deuteronomy 6:25; Deuteronomy 24:13; Nehemiah 13:14; Nehemiah 5:19; Job 30:25; Psalms 37:3; Psalms 90:17; Psalms 106:30-31; Jeremiah 22:15-16; Ezekiel 14:14; Ezekiel 14:20; Ezekiel 18:5-9; Matthew 3:8; Matthew 6:1-4; Matthew 10:42; Matthew 18:5; Matthew 19:16-21; Mark 10:17; Luke 10:25; Matthew 25:34-46; John 3:21; John 15:2-8; John 15:14; Acts 10:4; Acts 10:38; Romans 2:13; 1 Corinthians 3:6-9; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Galatians 6:4; Ephesians 2:10; Philippians 1:11; Philippians 2:13; Colossians 1:10; Colossians 3:12-14; Colossians 3:17; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 1 Thessalonians 1:7-8; 2 Thessalonians 2:17; 1 Timothy 2:10; 1 Timothy 5:9-10; 1 Timothy 6:18-19; 2 Timothy 2:21; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Titus 2:14; Titus 3:1-2; Titus 3:8; Titus 3:14; Hebrews 6:10; Hebrews 10:24; Hebrews 13:21; James 1:22-27; James 3:13; James 3:17-18; Revelation 14:13; Revelation 22:14

Insufficiency of works, for salvation
Psalms 49:7-8; Psalms 127:1-2; Ecclesiastes 1:14; Isaiah 43:26; Isaiah 57:12; Isaiah 64:6; Ezekiel 7:19; Ezekiel 33:12-19; Daniel 9:18; Matthew 5:20; Luke 17:7-10; Luke 18:9-14; Acts 13:39; Romans 3:20-31; Romans 4:1-22; Romans 8:3; Romans 9:16; Romans 9:31-32; Romans 11:6; 1 Corinthians 13:1-3; Galatians 2:16; Galatians 2:19; Galatians 2:21; Galatians 3:1-29; Galatians 4:9-11; Galatians 5:2; Galatians 5:4; Galatians 5:6; Galatians 5:18; Galatians 6:15; Ephesians 2:8-9; Philippians 3:3-9; Colossians 2:20-23; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:4-5; Hebrews 4:3-10; Hebrews 6:1-2; Hebrews 9:1-14; James 2:10-11

Works of God
God, Works of

Entered into by God with Adam as the representative of the human race (comp. Genesis 9:11, 12; 17:1-21), so styled because perfect obedience was its condition, thus distinguishing it from the covenant of grace. (See COVENANT OF WORKS.)

The old objection against the doctrine of salvation by grace, that it does away with the necessity of good works, and lowers the sense of their importance (Romans 6), although it has been answered a thousand times, is still alleged by many. They say if men are not saved by works, then works are not necessary. If the most moral of men are saved in the same way as the very chief of sinners, then good works are of no moment. And more than this, if the grace of God is most clearly displayed in the salvation of the vilest of men, then the worse men are the better.

The objection has no validity. The gospel of salvation by grace shows that good works are necessary. It is true, unchangeably true, that without holiness no man shall see the Lord. "Neither adulterers, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards" shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Works are "good" only when, (1) they spring from the principle of love to God. The moral character of an act is determined by the moral principle that prompts it. Faith and love in the heart are the essential elements of all true obedience. Hence good works only spring from a believing heart, can only be wrought by one reconciled to God (Ephesians 2:10; James 2:18:22).

2. Good works have the glory of God as their object; and (3) they have the revealed will of God as their only rule (Deuteronomy 12:32; Revelation 22:18, 19).

Good works are an expression of gratitude in the believer's heart (John 14:15, 23; Galatians 5:6). They are the fruits of the Spirit (Titus 2:10-12), and thus spring from grace, which they illustrate and strengthen in the heart.

Good works of the most sincere believers are all imperfect, yet like their persons they are accepted through the mediation of Jesus Christ (Colossians 3:17), and so are rewarded; they have no merit intrinsically, but are rewarded wholly of grace.

WORKSHOP, noun [work and shop.] A shop where any manufacture is carried on.

WORKWOMAN, noun A woman who performs any work; or one skilled in needle work.