Shamefastness (AV, Shamefacedness)
Shamefastness (AV, Shamefacedness)
“a sense of shame, modesty,” is used regarding the demeanor of women in the church, 1Ti 2:9 (some mss. have it in Heb 12:28 for deos, “awe:” here only in NT). “Shamefastness is that modesty which is ‘fast’ or rooted in the character … The change to ‘shamefacedness’ is the more to be regretted because shamefacedness … has come rather to describe an awkward diffidence, such as we sometimes call sheepishness” (Davies; Bible English, p. 12).
As to aidos and aischune (see ASHAMED, B, No. 1), aidos is more objective, having regard to others; it is the stronger word. “Aidos would always restrain a good man from an unworthy act, aischune would sometimes restrain a bad one” (Trench, Syn. xix, xx).