med-i-ta'-shun (haghuth, sichah): "Meditation" is the translation of haghuth, from haghah, "to murmur," "to have a deep tone," hence, "to meditate" (Ps 49:3); of haghigh, "sighing," "moaning" (Ps 5:1; see Ps 5:2); of higgayon, "the murmur" or dull sound of the harp, hence, meditation (Ps 19:14, "Let.... the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight"); of siach, "speech," "meditation" (Ps 104:34, "Let my meditation be sweet unto him"); of sichah, a "bowing down," "musing" (Ps 119:97,99; #/RAPC 2Es 10:5). "To meditate" is the translation of haghah (Jos 1:8; Ps 1:2; 63:6; Isa 33:18 the King James Version); of suach (Ge 24:63); of siach (Ps 119:15,23, etc.; Ps 143:5, the King James Version "muse"; 1Ch 16:9; Ps 105:2 margin). In Apocrypha we have "to meditate" (Ecclesiasticus 14:20, "Blessed is the man that shall mediate in wisdom," the Revised Version margin "most authorities read come to an end" (teleutesei); Ecclesiasticus 39:1, "meditateth in the law of the Most High" (dianoeomai)). The lack of meditation is a great want in our modern religious life. In the New Testament, we have "to meditate" (promeletao, "to take care beforehand"), Lu 21:14, and "meditate" (meletao, "to take care"), 1Ti 4:15 the King James Version (the Revised Version (British and American) "be diligent"); compare Php 4:8; Col 3:2.

  W. L. Walker