Base

(1) Substantive from Latin basis, Greek basis, a foundation.

(a) (mekhonah): the fixed resting-place on which the laverses inn Solomon's temple were set (1 Kgs 7:27-43; 2 Kgs 16:17; 2 Kgs 25:13; 2 Kgs 25:16; 2 Chr 4:14; Jer 27:19; Jeremiah 52:17; Jer 52:20; compare Ezra 3:3; Zech 5:11 the American Revised Version, margin).

(b) (ken): pedestal in the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) (1 Kgs 7:29; 1 Kgs 7:31) and in the Revised Version (British and American) only (Exod 30:18; Exod 30:28; Exod 31:9; Exod 35:16; Exod 38:8; Exod 39:39; Exod 40:11; Lev 8:11) of the base of the laver of the tabernacle (the King James Version "foot").

(c) (yarekh): "base of candlestick" (the Revised Version (British and American) of Exod 25:31; Exod 37:17) the King James Version "shaft."

(d) (yecodh): the Revised Version (British and American) "base of altar"; the King James Version "bottom" (Exod 29:12; Exod 38:8; Lev 4:7; Lev 4:18; Lev 4:25; Lev 4:30; Lev 4:34; Lev 5:9; Lev 8:15; Lev 9:9).

(e) (gabh): the Revised Version (British and American) "elevation," i.e. basement of altar; the King James Version "higher place" (Ezek 43:13).

(2) Adjective from French bas--low, or Welsh bas--"shallow": of lowly birth or station, of voluntary humility and of moral depravity.

(a) (shaphal, shephal): of David's self-humiliation (2 Sam 6:22): "a modest unambitious kingdom" (Ezek 17:14; Ezek 29:14; Ezek 29:15 (BDB); Dan 4:17 (the American Standard Revised Version "lowest")): compare shephelah = "lowland."

(b) (qalah): men of humble birth and station as opposed to the nobles (Isa 3:5).

(c) (beli-shem): "nameless," "of no account": "children of fools, yea, children of base men" (Job 30:8).

(d) the King James Version men, sons, daughters, children of Belial; literally "worthless persons"; in the American Standard Revised Version "base," except 1 Sam 1:16 "wicked woman"; also the English Revised Version of Deut 13:13, "base," which elsewhere retains the King James Version rendering.

(e) (tapeinos): "lowly," "humble or abject" (2 Cor 10:1); the Revised Version (British and American), "lowly"; so Paul's enemies said he appeared when present in the church at Corinth.

(f) (agenes): "of low birth," "of no account" (1 Cor 1:28): "base things of the world."

(g) (agoraios): " belonging to the market-place," loafers, worthless characters (Acts 17:5): "certain lewd fellows of the baser sort"; the Revised Version (British and American) "certain vile fellows of the rabble."

T. Rees