fre'-li (chinnam, nedhabhah; dorean parrhesiazomai):
"Freely" occurs in three senses:ts two slightly different words. In1Co 7:22the word is apeleutheros, "a freeman," one who was born a slave and has received freedom. In this case it refers to spiritual freedom. He that was in bondage to sin has been presented with spiritual freedom by the Lord. InRe 6:15the word is simply eleutheros, "a free man" as opposed to a slave.
(1) Gratis, for nothing (Nu 11:5, chinnam, "for nought," "the fish which we did eat in Egypt freely," the Revised Version (British and American) "for nought");Mt 10:8, dorean, "Freely ye have received, freely give," the Revised Version (British and American) omits "have";Ro 3:24, "being justified freely by his grace";2Co 11:7, "I have preached to you the gospel freely," the Revised Version (British and American) "for nought";Re 21:6;22:17, "Take the water of life freely"; charizomai (Ro 8:32) is translated "freely give," ta charisthenta (1Co 2:12), "the things that are freely given," the American Standard Revised Version has "were" for "are."
(2) Willingly, spontaneously: nedhabhah, "willing offering" (Ps 54:6, "I will freely sacrifice unto thee," the Revised Version (British and American) "with a freewill-offering";Ho 14:4, "I will love them freely"); nadhabh, "to give willingly'' (Ezr 2:68, the Revised Version (British and American) "willingly offered"; compare 1:6); nedabh Aramaic (7:15; compare 7:13,16).
(3) Without hindrance or restraint, 'akhal, "to eat" is rendered inGe 2:16, "Thou mayest freely eat," the King James Version margin" Hebrew, eating thou shalt eat";1Sa 14:30, "if.... the people had eaten freely"; parrhesiazomai, "to speak freely, openly, boldly" (Ac 26:26, "Unto whom also I speak freely"); meta parrhesias, "with full speech" (Ac 2:29, "I may say unto you freely").
Revised Version has "have drunk freely" for "well drunk" (Joh 2:10). The word is methusko, Pass. "to become drunk." Comparison withLu 12:45;Eph 5:18;1Th 5:7;Re 17:2, where the same word is translated the King James Version "made drunk," the Revised Version (British and American) "made drunken" (Mt 24:49;Ac 2:15;1Co 11:21;Re 17:6, "drunken"), will show that the meaning is "drunk," which was the rendering of Tyndale and Cranmer; Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) has cum inebriati fuerint; Plummer renders "have become drunk, are drunk."
W. L. Walker