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Topic:
Thoughts And Things Of The Bible -- Anathema
Anathema refers to anything laid up or suspended; hence anything laid
up in a temple or set apart as sacred. In this sense the form of the
word is anath(ee)ma , once in plural used in the Greek New Testament, in
Luke 21:5, where it is rendered "gifts." In the LXX. the form
anathema is generally used as the rendering of the Hebrew word herem ,
derived from a verb which means (1) to consecrate or devote; and (2) to
exterminate. Any object so devoted to the Lord could not be redeemed
(Num. 18:14; Lev. 27:28, 29); and hence the idea of exterminating
connected with the word. The Hebrew verb (haram) is frequently used of
the extermination of idolatrous nations. It had a wide range of
application. The anathema or herem was a person or thing irrevocably
devoted to God (Lev. 27:21, 28); and "none devoted shall be
ransomed. He shall surely be put to death" (27:29). The word
therefore carried the idea of devoted to destruction (Num. 21:2, 3;
Josh. 6:17); and hence generally it meant a thing accursed. In Deut.
7:26 an idol is called a herem = anathema , a thing accursed. In the New
Testament this word always implies execration. In some cases an
individual denounces an anathema on himself unless certain conditions
are fulfilled (Acts 23:12, 14, 21). "To call Jesus accursed"
[anathema] (1 Cor. 12:3) is to pronounce him execrated or accursed. If
any one preached another gospel, the apostle says, "let him be
accursed" (Gal. 1:8, 9); i.e., let his conduct in so doing be
accounted accursed. In Rom. 9:3, the expression "accursed"
(anathema) from Christ, i.e., excluded from fellowship or alliance with
Christ, has occasioned much difficulty. The apostle here does not speak
of his wish as a possible thing. It is simply a vehement expression of
feeling, showing how strong was his desire for the salvation of his
people. The anathema in 1 Cor. 16:22 denotes simply that they who love
not the Lord are rightly objects of loathing and execration to all holy
beings; they are guilty of a crime that merits the severest
condemnation; they are exposed to the just sentence of "everlasting
destruction from the presence of the Lord."
Derived from Easton's and Smith's Bible Dictionaries
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