AUDIENCE

o'-di-ens: Translated from the Hebrew 'ozen, "ear." In Genesis 23:10 f "in the audience of" is equal to "in the presence of," or "while they listened." Compare Exodus 24:7; 1 Samuel 25:24 (Revised Version (British and American) "in thine ears"); 1 Chronicles 28:8; Nehemiah 13:1. In the New Testament the expression "to give audience" (Acts 22:22; 13:16, the Revised Version (British and American) "hearken"; Acts 15:12, the Revised Version (British and American) "they hearkened") translated from the Greek akouo "to hear" or derivatives, and means "to listen," "to pay attention." In the King James Version Luke 7:1 (Revised Version, "in the ears of") and the King James Version Luke 20:45 (Revised Version, "in the hearing of") the usage is similar to that of the Old Testament.

From the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Edited by James Orr, published in 1939 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.