THE FULL ARTICLE — from the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

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

spesh'-al-i (me'odh (Ps 31:11 the King James Version); malista): Used in an emphatic sense; derived from a superlative. While usually employed for emphasis, it carries with it slightly the idea of something additional. Not used in the Old Testament in the Revised Version (British and American), the sense of the Hebrew being,,expressed more clearly by "exceedingly," "very." Its ordinary New Testament usage is, "mostly," "particularly," "chiefly" or, "most of all." Paul in his practical exhortations says: "But if any provideth not for his own, and specially his own household, he hath denied the faith (1Ti 5:8; compare Ga 6:10; 1Ti 4:10).

Walter G. Clippinger