The phrase "Against The Day" in Mason & Dixon

[David Morris]

This list is unmoderarted and without rules.

I don't know about the phrase "against the day" in M&D, but here are
some examples from the King James version of the Bible, where it's
used frequently:

Esther 3:13&14
And the letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to
destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and
old, little children and women, in one day, [even] upon the thirteenth
[day] of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and [to take] the
spoil of them for a prey.  The copy of the writing for a commandment
to be given in every province was published unto all people, that they
should be ready against that day.

Job 38:22&23
Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen
the treasures of the hail, Which I have reserved against the time of
trouble, against the day of battle and war?

John 12:7
Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she
kept this.

Romans 2:5
But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself
wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous
judgment of God;

2 Timothy 2:12
For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not
ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is
able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

So, from the context of these verses, it seems that the phrase applies
to a form of preparation or storage of something to be used at a time
appropriate in the future.

Is it listsed in the OED anybody?

David Morris

On Jan 23, 2008 8:47 AM, Guy Ian Scott Pursey
<g.i.s.pursey at reading.ac.uk> wrote:
>
> (And if anyone feels like advising me on the usual rules and customs of contacting this list, that would be great too. Perhaps, there's a webpage somewhere.)