2. Wisdom (Job 6:13, Ecclesiastes
Abraham’s oldest servant: Gen 24: 21,
SUCCESS DEFINED
Success is defined in the Encyclopaedia
Britannica as
1 obs: outcome result
2 a : degree or measure of succeeding b :
favorable or desired outcome ; also: the
attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence
3 : one that succeeds
Synonyms
Arrival, Flying colours, go, prosperity,
achievement, victory
Antonyms
Failure, Nonsuccess, Unsuccessfulness
In the International Standard Bible
Encyclopaedia, success is defined as
1. To follow after
2. Prosper
3. To take possession
The word success is not common in the Bible. It
is used only once (Joshua 1:8) in the King
James Version, twice (Joshua 1: 7 & 8) in the
American Standard Version and five times in
the New King James Version. However, in the
newer versions of the bible, success is seen 25
times in the New International Version, 6 times
in the Amplified Bible and 33 times in the New
Living Bible.
Other words used instead of success in the New
King James Version and the American Standard
Version of the bible are:
1. Good speed (Gen 24:12)
1.
10:10)
3. Substance (Job 30:22)
4. Prosper (Joshua 1:7)
The Hebrew word translated success in the
King James Version of the Bible is Sakal. The
word sakal in Hebrews means any of the
following:
To be/make/act circumspect, intelligent,
consider, expert, instruct, prosper,
prudent, deal prudently, skill, give skill,
skillful, have good success, teach,
understand, have understanding, make
to understand, wisdom, wise, be wise,
behave self wisely, consider wisely,
make wise, wisely, guide, guide
wittingly.
Let us now consider those people that were
considered prosperous in the bible and see the
things that made them to be regarded as
prosperous. We will only consider those that the
word prosper/prospereth/prosperous was used
for. This is so because the word sakal is used
only once in the King James Version of the
bible and can also be translated ‘prosper’. This
is affirmed by the definition of the International
Standard Bible Encyclopaedia.
To prosper based on its derivative Greek word,
‘yoo-od-o-o’, is to do well and progress in a
defined task or journey. In its passive sense, it is
to succeed in reaching a destination and in its
figurative sense, it can be likened to succeed in
a business affair or have a prosperous journey.
56
2. Joseph: Gen 39: 2, 3, 23: 21
3. Solomon (King of Judah): 1 Chronicles
29: 23
4. King Uzzaih: 2 Chronicles 26: 5
5. King Hezekiah: 2 Kings 18: 7, 2
Chronicles 31: 21, 32: 30
6. Daniel: Daniel 6: 28
From the above examples, only one thing is
common to all, their prosperity/success can be
attributed to God. Also, it is found out that once
some of them depart from the way of God, the
person loses the object of the success.
1. Uzziah: 2 Chronicles 26: 16 – 21. He
became proud and usurped the functions
of the priests. He became a leper till
death.
2. Hezekiah: 2 Kings 20: 12 – 19. He
displayed ostentatious behaviour (show
off) and incurred the wrath of God. He
became the source of the captivity of the
tribe of Judah
Therefore, success can be defined as progress in
a defined task or journey brought about by the
blessing of God and sustained by perpetually
abiding in the way of God.
REV. DR. ADEOLU OLUSODO
adeolusodo@yahoo.com
234 - 8080445336