proselyte

5 definitions found

proselyte - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Proselyte \Pros"e*lyte\, n. [OE. proselite, OF. proselite, F.
     proselytus, Gr. ?, adj., that has come, n., a new comer,
     especially, one who has come over from heathenism to the
     Jewish religion; ? toward, to + (prob.) the root of ? to
     come.]
     A new convert especially a convert to some religion or
     religious sect, or to some particular opinion, system, or
     party; thus, a Gentile converted to Judaism, or a pagan
     converted to Christianity, is a proselyte.
     [1913 Webster]
  
           Ye [Scribes and Pharisees] compass sea and land to make
           one proselyte.                           --Matt. xxiii.
                                                    15.
     [1913 Webster]
  
           Fresh confidence the speculatist takes
           From every harebrained proselyte he makes. --Cowper.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Syn: See Convert.
          [1913 Webster]

  Proselyte \Pros"e*lyte\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Proselyted; p.
     pr. & vb. n. Proselyting.]
     To convert to some religion, opinion, or system; to bring
     over. --Dr. H. More.
     [1913 Webster]

proselyte - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  proselyte
      n 1: a new convert; especially a gentile converted to Judaism

proselyte - Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary :

  Proselyte
  is used in the LXX. for "stranger" (1 Chr. 22:2), i.e., a comer
  to Palestine; a sojourner in the land (Ex. 12:48; 20:10; 22:21),
  and in the New Testament for a convert to Judaism. There were
  such converts from early times (Isa. 56:3; Neh. 10:28; Esther
  8:17). The law of Moses made specific regulations regarding the
  admission into the Jewish church of such as were not born
  Israelites (Ex. 20:10; 23:12; 12:19, 48; Deut. 5:14; 16:11, 14,
  etc.). The Kenites, the Gibeonites, the Cherethites, and the
  Pelethites were thus admitted to the privileges of Israelites.
  Thus also we hear of individual proselytes who rose to positions
  of prominence in Israel, as of Doeg the Edomite, Uriah the
  Hittite, Araunah the Jebusite, Zelek the Ammonite, Ithmah and
  Ebedmelech the Ethiopians.
  
    In the time of Solomon there were one hundred and fifty-three
  thousand six hundred strangers in the land of Israel (1 Chr.
  22:2; 2 Chr. 2:17, 18). And the prophets speak of the time as
  coming when the strangers shall share in all the privileges of
  Israel (Ezek. 47:22; Isa. 2:2; 11:10; 56:3-6; Micah 4:1).
  Accordingly, in New Testament times, we read of proselytes in
  the synagogues, (Acts 10:2, 7; 13:42, 43, 50; 17:4; 18:7; Luke
  7:5). The "religious proselytes" here spoken of were proselytes
  of righteousness, as distinguished from proselytes of the gate.
  
    The distinction between "proselytes of the gate" (Ex. 20:10)
  and "proselytes of righteousness" originated only with the
  rabbis. According to them, the "proselytes of the gate" (half
  proselytes) were not required to be circumcised nor to comply
  with the Mosaic ceremonial law. They were bound only to conform
  to the so-called seven precepts of Noah, viz., to abstain from
  idolatry, blasphemy, bloodshed, uncleaness, the eating of blood,
  theft, and to yield obedience to the authorities. Besides these
  laws, however, they were required to abstain from work on the
  Sabbath, and to refrain from the use of leavened bread during
  the time of the Passover.
  
    The "proselytes of righteousness", religious or devout
  proselytes (Acts 13:43), were bound to all the doctrines and
  precepts of the Jewish economy, and were members of the
  synagogue in full communion.
  
    The name "proselyte" occurs in the New Testament only in Matt.
  23:15; Acts 2:10; 6:5; 13:43. The name by which they are
  commonly designated is that of "devout men," or men "fearing
  God" or "worshipping God."

proselyte - Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 :

  55 Moby Thesaurus words for "proselyte":
     Christian, God-fearing man, accepter, apostate, apostle,
     backslider, believer, bolter, catechumen, churchgoer, churchite,
     churchman, collaborationist, collaborator, communicant, convert,
     daily communicant, defector, deserter, devotee, devotionalist,
     disciple, fanatic, fifth columnist, follower, good Christian,
     mugwump, neophyte, pietist, quisling, receiver, recidivist,
     recreant, religionist, renegade, renegado, renegate, reversionist,
     runagate, saint, schismatic, seceder, secessionist, separatist,
     strikebreaker, tergiversant, tergiversator, theist, traitor,
     truster, turnabout, turncoat, turntail, votary, zealot