THE FULL ARTICLE — from the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

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

shad, shad'-o, shad'-o-ing (tsel; skia): A shadow is any obscuration of the light and heat with the form of the intervening object, obscurely projected, constantly changing and passing away. "Shadow" is used literally of a roof (Ge 19:8), of mountains (Jud 9:36), of trees (Jud 9:15, etc.), of wings (Ps 17:8, etc.), of a cloud (Isa 25:5), of a great rock (Isa 32:2), of a man (Peter, Ac 5:15), of the shadow on the dial (2Ki 20:9, etc.), of Jonah's gourd (Jon 4:5 f). It is used also figuratively

(1) of shelter and protection (of man, Ge 19:8; So 2:3; Isa 16:3, etc.; of God, Ps 36:7; 91:1; Isa 4:6, etc.);

(2) of anything fleeting or transient, as of the days of man's life on earth (1Ch 29:15; Job 8:9; Ps 109:23);

(3) with the idea of obscurity or imperfection (in Heb 8:5; 10:1, of the Law; compare Col 2:17);

(4) of darkness, gloom; see SHADOW OF DEATH.

In Jas 1:17, we have in the King James Version, "the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (aposkiasma); the Revised Version (British and American) "shadow that is cast by turning"; the reference is to the unchangeableness of God as contrasted with the changes of the heavenly bodies. the Revised Version (British and American) has "of the rustling of wings" for "shadowing with wings" in Isa 18:1; the American Standard Revised Version has "shade" for "shadow" in various places (Jud 9:15; Job 40:22; Isa 4:6, etc.). In Job 40:21,22, for "shady trees" the Revised Version (British and American) has "lotus-trees."

W. L. Walker