I love words

I love words. I love the expression and meaning of them, and I love to read and learn from the styles of different authors. I am a word geek.

I’ve been watching The Truth Project with a Bible study group. This week’s session was on the “American Experiment” and it dealt with the biblical truths and principals our founding fathers firmly believed were the only foundation a government of a free people could be run by. During this video, Noah Webster is briefly spoken of.

I believe Noah Webster and I could have been kindred spirits if we lived during the same age (there’s an unspoken bond between word lovers). Most people know that Noah Webster wrote America’s first dictionary. Any man who has that kind of vocabulary and understanding of the English language and the proper expression of it has my deepest respect. But what really touched me was the reason he felt called to do it.

This is how it’s presented in The Truth Project: Noah Webster believed the fact that God spoke the world into existence is profound. If God chose to speak, then words are important and their meaning is important.

Webster’s dictionary was published in 1828. This dictionary is special because it defines (or strives to define) words in such a way that agrees with God. After all, if a definition of a word does not agree with God’s definition of the word, then it’s a bad definition and should be thrown out. For example, this is what the 1828 dictionary defines truth as:

Truth, n. 1. Conformity to fact or reality; exact accordance with that which is, or has been, or shall be. The truth of history constitutes its whole value. We rely on the truth of the scriptural prophecies. My mouth shall speak truth. Prov 8. Sancitfy them through thy truth; thy word is truth. John 17.

Can you imagine having this dictionary in schools, libraries, homes and offices to teach people the meaning of words? It would be radical.

For all you fellow word lovers, Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary can be searched online here. Eat your heart out!