Reference: Answer
American
Besides the common use of this word in the sense of to reply, it is very often used in the bible, following the Hebrew and Greek idioms, in the sense of to speak; meaning simply that one begins or resumes his discourse, Zec 3:4; 6:4; Mt 11:25; 12:38; Lu 7:40. It also means, to sing in choruses or responses, 1Sa 18:7; and to give account of one's self in judgment, Ge 30:33; Job 9:3.
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So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be accounted stolen with me.
And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
And he answered and spoke to those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And to him he said, Behold, I have caused thy iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
Then I answered and said to the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord?
At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to babes.
Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
Hastings
An answer is (1) an apology or defence, as 2Ti 4:16 'at my first answer no man stood by me'; so perhaps 1Pe 3:21 'the answer of a good conscience'; (2) oracle, Divine response, as Ro 11:4 'what saith the answer of God?'
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But what saith the answer of God to him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal.
At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.
The like figure to which, even baptism, doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
Watsons
ANSWER. Besides the common usage of this word, in the sense of a reply, it has other significations. Moses, having composed a thanksgiving, after the passage of the Red Sea, Miriam, it is said, answered, "Sing ye to the Lord," &c,
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So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be accounted stolen with me.
And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles have befallen them, that this song shall testify against them as a witness: for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination which they form, even now, before I have brought them into the land which I swore.
Is not this David, of whom they sung one to another in dances, saying, Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them.
And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers who stood by, struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so?
No, but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raiseth the dead: