Bible Dictionary
DEMAND
To demand may mean to ask, inquire, or require something. In older Bible usage it does not always imply a harsh command, and context determines whether the request is forceful or simply investigative.
Definition
To demand may mean to ask, inquire, or require. In older biblical English it does not necessarily convey a peremptory command; context determines whether the word refers to investigation, a request, or a serious requirement.
Biblical Usage
In several King James Version passages, demand means no more than “ask” or “inquire,” and the Revised Version uses those terms. Elsewhere it is retained or introduced where the sense is to require or demand something.
Historical Background
The older English word could have the softer sense of asking, comparable to the French demander. Translation differences reflect whether the context presents inquiry or authoritative requirement.
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>de-mand': The peremptory, imperative sense is absent from this word in its occurrences in the King James Version, where it means no more than "ask," "inquire" (compare French, demander) one or the other of which the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes in 2Sa 11:7; Mt 2:4; Lu 3:14; 17:20; Ac 21:33. the Revised Version (British and American) retains "demand" in Ex 5:14; Job 38:3; 40:7; 42:4; Da 2:27; and inserts it (the King James Version "require") in Ne 5:18.</p>