Bible Dictionary
DIMINISH
To diminish means to reduce, lessen, or take away from something. Scripture uses the word for decreasing or shearing away, and forbids diminishing God’s commands.
Definition
To diminish means to reduce, lessen, shear away, or take something from its proper measure. It may describe a decrease or the removal of part of something, and it can also refer to altering divine commands.
Biblical Usage
Deuteronomy forbids diminishing from God’s commands. Ezekiel uses the word in a context of reduction and degradation, where the underlying Hebrew literally means to shear.
Historical Background
The image of shearing the beard may lie behind Ezekiel’s language, expressing humiliation, loss, and diminished manhood. The Revised Version retains most of the older uses of diminish.
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>di-min'-ish: the Revised Version (British and American) has retained nearly all passages of the King James Version where "to diminish" is used. Some of these uses have become obsolete: De 4:2, "neither shall ye diminish from it." "Diminish" generally means "to reduce," "to lessen." In this sense it is employed in Eze 5:11 from the Hebrew gara`, literally, "to shear." The picture of shearing the beard, expressing degradation and loss of manhood, may underlie this passage.</p>