Example-
Jeremiah 10:22
“Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate,
and a den of dragons.”
Okay, I actually used dictionaries and it helps but sometimes KJB has already defined hard words for us and dictionaries were just to confirm the right definition. In the case of the word ‘bruit’, the OED is lacking in the meaning giving us only 4 meanings which may be about the report in general or rumor. The same is true with Collins Dictionary, likewise of 1913 Webster. The passage, however, had something to make the cities of Judah desolate. This is not a rumor since the prophet talks about a definite knowledge that “pastors become brutish”, and they “have not sought the Lord…”. So the context in the KJB sheds light on the meaning of this ‘bruit’, which is a ‘commotion’ out of the North Country.
Looking at older dictionaries, John Baret, Triple Dictionary just confirmed the meaning of the word ‘commotion” or bruit which is a great noise, a trouble, a commotion of people. Is this a rumor, I say no. God bless
John Baret,
An Alveary or Triple Dictionary, in English, Latin, and French (1574)
¶ to Sturre: or prouoke: to call out: to raise vp: to waken
.Excio, cis, cíui, cire, cîtum. vel Excieo, cies, cíui, ciêre, éxcitum. Excito, tas. Frequentat. ab Excieo. Cic. And
Excitatus. Partic. Cic. Moued or stirred vp. Vide Moue and Stirre.
* Tumult: businesse: ruffling: sturre: trouble: whorly burly, that riseth of a great feare: sedition: insurrection: commotion of people: great noyse, & broyle. Tumultus, tus, m.g. Cic. And
Tumultuosus, a, um. Cic. Ful of businesse, trouble & rufling: troublous: that sturreth to sedition: full of broyle & sturre. And
Tumultuóse, tius, sissimè. Aduerb. Liu. Troublously: with businesse, sturre, and rufling: in hast: without study. And
Tumultuo, as. Plaut. & Tumúltuor, aris. Dep. Liu. To make tumult, sturre, ruffling &c.
To sturre vp mens courages. Exuscitare animos.
To sturre great hatred towarde me. Concitare magnum odium in aliquem. Cic.
What sturre or businesse is that? Quæ illæc turba est? Ter.
To moue or sturre vp to. Excitare ad arma ciuitatem aliquam. Cic.
To be in a great sturre or trouble. Effeuescere quodam quasi æstu per translat. Cic.
To moue & sturre vp mens courages to warre. Animos in bella versibus exacuere. Hor.
To make great sturre or busines: to make much a doo where it nedeth not. Excitare tragædias. Cic.
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