THE FULL ARTICLE — from the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915), general editor James Orr — public domain, printed whole.

re-nu': The word is used in various senses:

(1) of material things, e.g. Ps 104:30; here it means to give a new appearance, to refresh, to restore the face of the earth;

(2) in 1Sa 11:14, to establish more firmly the kingdom by reinstalling King Saul;

(3) in 2Ch 15:8, to rebuild or repair the broken altar;

(4) in La 5:21, "renew our days," restore the favors of former days;

(5) in Isa 41:1, `let them gather together, or marshal their strongest arguments for answer';

(6) in Ps 103:5; Isa 40:31, it refers to the restoring of spiritual strength;

(7) in the New Testament it invariably refers to spiritual renewal, e.g. Ro 12:2; 2Co 4:16; Eph 4:23; Col 3:10; Tit 3:5; Heb 6:6; all derivatives of kainos, "new."

G. H. Gerberding