Etymology is the study of the origin of words and the way in which their meanings have changed throughout history. (Source dictionary.com)

What is the etymology of the word faith?

Faith (n.)

Mid-13c., faith, feith, fei, fai “faithfulness to a trust or promise; loyalty to a person; honesty, truthfulness,” from Anglo-French and Old French feid, foi “faith, belief, trust, confidence; pledge” (11c.), from Latin fides “trust, faith, confidence, reliance, credence, belief,” from root of fidere “to trust,” from PIE root *bheidh “to trust, confide, persuade.” For sense evolution, see belief. Accommodated to other English abstract nouns in -th (truth, ealth, etc.).  (Source etymonline.com)

The issue of faith goes much further back considering that its English translation was not used until the 13^th century. What was the original language word, its true etymology? It is only used twice in the Old Testament and its root word is âman, aw-man’; a primitive root; (to go to the right hand) properly, to build up or support; to foster as a parent or nurse; figuratively to render (or be) firm or faithful, to trust or believe, to be permanent or quiet; morally to be true or certain;:—hence, assurance, believe, bring up, establish, fail, be faithful (of long continuance, steadfast, sure, surely, trusty, verified), nurse, (-ing father), (put), trust, turn to the right. (Source BLB.org Strong’s)

Comparing the English etymology with the Hebrew we discover that the English word fails to contain the most important aspect of faith, the right hand of God the Father. The right hand is associated with power, to enact will. Since we saw yesterday that faith is a gift from God then it is surely given with the purpose of enacting God’s will.

Considering both uses we must understand that the faith God gives us is used in various ways and is not limited to simply belief. That is only one aspect of faith. Not all these uses of faith are simply understood. Bring up and nursing might be associated with our growth in Christ. To foster as a parent might speak to our adoption but we rarely connect adoption with faith, but there it is in the âman definition.

34 Dictionaries by Larry Perry

Romans 16:26 English Standard Version (ESV) but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—

Since God’s command is to bring about obedience of faith, it is essential that we understand faith. Looking to the Blue Letter Bible as a resource we will find thirty-four bible dictionaries that define faith and its uses. Having read all those dictionaries has been very difficult because of the language of the authors is intellectual in design, to convince us over this very important issue. There is no plain text reading.

This may serve you as an example of the complexities in trying to define faith.

1 Corinthians 12 English Standard Version (ESV)

Spiritual Gifts

⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit,…

Faith is listed in the spiritual gifts in such a way as to lead us to believe that faith is not given to all of us.

Ephesians 2:8 English Standard Version (ESV) For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Since we cannot be saved without faith, then we all have been given faith as a gifts from God to be saved. Since both of these passages are true, then 1 Corinthians 12:9 must contain a narrow usage of faith that may be defined more thoroughly within one of those thirty-four dictionaries. To search out the exact meaning of faith as it is used in 1 Corinthians 12:9 using those intellectual pursuits puts us at risk of misunderstanding scripture by making it an intellectual decision.

Habakkuk 2:4 English Standard Version (ESV) “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.”

Romans 1:17 English Standard Version (ESV) For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for* faith,^[a] as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”^[b]

Footnotes:

 a Or beginning and ending in faith

 b Or The one who by faith is righteous shall live

Even within plain language there are complexities as the KJV uses *to faith.