By and by

An English term that in 1611 meant “immediately.” However, in common usage today it has come to mean nearly the opposite. It occurs in Matt. 13:21, in the parable of the sower; in Mark 6:25, in the account of the beheading of John the Baptist; and in Luke 21:9, in Jesus’ explanation of events connected with the destruction of Jerusalem. In each case a proper recognition of the term is necessary in order to correctly understand the narrative. See also Luke 17:7.