Reference: Anathema
American
That is, a curse, a ban, signifies properly something set apart, separated, devoted. It is understood principally to denote the absolute, irrevocable, and entire separation of a person from the communion of the faithful, or from the number of the living, or from the privileges of society; or the devoting of any man, animal, city or thing, to be extirpated, destroyed, consumed, and, as it were, annihilated, Le 27. Thus Jericho, Jos 6:17-21, and Achan were accursed, Jos 7:1-25.
Another kind of anathema, very peculiarly expressed, occurs
1Co 16:22: "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema, Maranatha." This last word is made up of two Syriac words, signifying, "The Lord cometh," that is, the Lord will surely come, and will execute this curse, by condemning those who love him not. At the same time, the opposite is also implied, that is, the Lord cometh also to reward those who love him. See EXCOMMUNICATION.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And the city shall be anathema unto the LORD, even it, and all the things that are in it; only Rahab, the harlot, shall live, she and all that are with her in the house because she hid the messengers that we sent. But keep yourselves from the anathema, that ye not touch nor take any thing of the anathema so that ye not make the camp of Israel anathema and trouble it. read more. For all the silver and gold and vessels of brass and iron are consecrated unto the LORD; they shall come into the treasury of the LORD. Then the people shouted when the priests blew with the shofarot, and it came to pass when the people heard the voice of the shofar, that the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, each man straight before him and they took the city. And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and ass, with the edge of the sword.
But the sons of Israel committed a trespass in the anathema; for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the anathema; and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the sons of Israel. And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which was beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke unto them, saying, Go up and spy out the land. And the men went up and spied out Ai. read more. And they returned to Joshua and said unto him, Let not all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; do not make all the people to labour there; for they are but few. So about three thousand men of the people went up there; and they fled before the men of Ai. And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty-six men; for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down; therefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water. Then Joshua rent his clothes and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the evening, he and the elders of Israel, putting dust upon their heads. And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, why hast thou caused this people to pass the Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? We should have been content and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan! O Lord, what shall I say now that Israel has turned their backs before their enemies! For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it and shall compass us around and cut off our name from upon the earth; then what wilt thou do unto thy great name? And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get up; why dost thou lie thus upon thy face? Israel has sinned and has even transgressed my covenant which I commanded them; for they have even taken of the anathema and have also stolen and lied also, and they have even put it in their own vessels. Therefore, the sons of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but shall turn their backs before their enemies because they have been in the anathema; neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the anathema from among you. Get up, sanctify the people and say, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow; for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is anathema in the midst of thee, O Israel; thou canst not stand before thy enemies until ye take away the anathema from among you. In the morning, therefore, ye shall come near according to your tribes, and it shall be that the tribe which the LORD takes shall come according to the families thereof, and the family which the LORD shall take shall come by households, and the household which the LORD shall take shall come man by man. And it shall be that he that is taken in the anathema shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he has because he has broken the covenant of the LORD and because he has wrought folly in Israel. So Joshua rose up early in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken; and bringing near the tribe of Judah, the family of the Zarhites was taken; and bringing near the family of the Zarhites man by man, Zabdi was taken; and he caused his household to come near, man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. Then Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory now to the LORD God of Israel and give him praise; and tell me now what thou hast done; do not hide it from me. And Achan answered Joshua and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done. When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment and two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it. So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent and the silver under it. And they took them out of the midst of the tent and brought them unto Joshua and unto all the sons of Israel and laid them out before the LORD. Then Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan, the son of Zerah, and the silver and the garment and the wedge of gold and his sons and his daughters and his oxen and his asses and his sheep and his tent and all that he had, and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? The LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones and burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.
Easton
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 Lu 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 (Nu 18:14; Le 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 (Le 27:21,28); and "none devoted shall be ransomed. He shall surely be put to death" (Le 27:29). The word therefore carried the idea of devoted to destruction (Nu 21:2-3; Jos 6:17); and hence generally it meant a thing accursed. In De 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 (Ac 23:12,14,21). "To call Jesus accursed" [anathema] (1Co 12:3) is to pronounce him execrated or accursed. If any one preached another gospel, the apostle says, "let him be accursed" (Ga 1:8-9); i.e., let his conduct in so doing be accounted accursed.
In Ro 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 1Co 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."
See Verses Found in Dictionary
but the field, when it goes out in the jubilee, shall be holy unto the LORD, as a field of anathema; the possession thereof shall be the priest's.
But no anathema, that anyone shall devote unto the LORD of all that they have of men and animals and of the fields of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed. All anathema is most holy unto the LORD.
But no anathema, that anyone shall devote unto the LORD of all that they have of men and animals and of the fields of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed. All anathema is most holy unto the LORD. Any anathema of men which is devoted shall not be ransomed, but shall surely be put to death.
Any anathema of men which is devoted shall not be ransomed, but shall surely be put to death.
Then Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities. And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanite; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities, and he called the name of the place Hormah.
Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house lest thou become an anathema like it, but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is anathema.
And the city shall be anathema unto the LORD, even it, and all the things that are in it; only Rahab, the harlot, shall live, she and all that are with her in the house because she hid the messengers that we sent.
And as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said,
And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together and they vowed under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.
And they came to the princes of the priests and the elders and said, We have made a vow of anathema that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul.
But do not believe them, for more than forty of them lie in wait to ambush him, who have vowed under a curse that they will neither eat nor drink until they have killed him, and now they are ready, looking for a promise from thee.
For I could wish that myself were anathema from Christ for my brethren, those who are my kinsmen according to the flesh,
Therefore I give you to understand, that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus anathema and that no one can call Jesus Lord but by the Holy Spirit.
If any man does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema. Our Lord has come.
But even if we, or an angel from heaven, were to preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be anathema. As we said before, so do I say now again, If anyone preaches any other gospel unto you than what ye have received, let him be anathema.
Fausets
Hebrew cheerem; "a thing or person devoted;" so, accursed to the Lord, and incapable of being redeemed, and, if a person, doomed to death (Le 27:28-29; 1Co 12:3; 16:22; Ga 1:9; Ro 9:3, compare Ex 32:32). "I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren," lit. "I was wishing," i.e., the wish was rising within me, so intense is my love for Israel, that I myself were sacrificed in soul as well as body for their sake, were such wish lawful, which it is not; the wish remained incomplete, checked by calmer and more sober thoughts, which vehement zeal for the moment forgot. It never passed beyond the region of deepfeeling, wherein he was transported momentarily out of all other considerations into the all absorbing one, "an ecstasy of charity" (Bacon). "ANATHEMA-MARANATHA" (i.e., "the Lord cometh") 1Co 16:22.
An Aramaic watchword of the first age, suitable for believers in all ages: If He come not to bless, He shall come to smite with a curse) alludes to Mal 4:5-6; "To those who fear in the New Testament 'love' the Lord's name, He comes as the Sun of Righteousness with healing on His wings;" but to those who fear and love Him not, lie will come smiting the earth with a "curse" (cheerem or anathema). Paul pronounces the anathema on those loving Him not, while as yet He is not come, that by fleeing to Him now they may escape the curse and gain the blessing. Paul is God's inspired mouthpiece proclaiming the doom to which those not loving Jesus are set apart, and his inspired prayer of anathema is but praying that (God's will be done. In the Old Testament forcible setting apart to His glory of what ought to have been, but was not willingly, consecrated to Him, is implied.
So in the case of Jericho the city was so devoted to destruction, and all in it, except Rahab; and the silver, gold, brass, and iron, were consecrated to Jehovah (Jos 6:17-26). Similarly Israel's vow (Nu 21:1-3): "if Thou wilt deliver this people into my hand, I will utterly destroy (Hebrew make a cheerem or anathema of) their cities." Therefore they called that place Hormah (Chormah), i.e., the place made a (cheerem) or anathema of; put under a ban; devoted to God for destruction as accursed). This gives the true view of the dooming of the Canaanites; the sinners themselves were to be made an awful example of God's punitive justice to which they were set apart; their possessions were properly the Lord's, but were given by Him to Israel as a gift henceforth to be used to His glory.
The degree of the work of destruction varied: men alone (De 20:18); men, women, and children, the cattle and spoil kept for the army (De 2:34-35); every living creature (De 20:16; 1Sa 15:3); virgins excepted (Nu 31:17). Had the Canaanites humbled themselves before God's judgment and submitted, they would have been spared; but they were given up to judicial hardening to their own ruin (Jos 11:19-20).
See Verses Found in Dictionary
that thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me now out of thy book which thou hast written.
that thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me now out of thy book which thou hast written.
But no anathema, that anyone shall devote unto the LORD of all that they have of men and animals and of the fields of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed. All anathema is most holy unto the LORD.
But no anathema, that anyone shall devote unto the LORD of all that they have of men and animals and of the fields of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed. All anathema is most holy unto the LORD. Any anathema of men which is devoted shall not be ransomed, but shall surely be put to death.
Any anathema of men which is devoted shall not be ransomed, but shall surely be put to death.
And when King Arad, the Canaanite, who dwelt toward the Negev, heard tell that Israel came by the way of the sentinels; then he fought against Israel and took some of them prisoners.
And when King Arad, the Canaanite, who dwelt toward the Negev, heard tell that Israel came by the way of the sentinels; then he fought against Israel and took some of them prisoners. Then Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.
Then Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities. And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanite; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities, and he called the name of the place Hormah.
And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanite; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities, and he called the name of the place Hormah.
Now therefore kill every male among the little ones and kill every woman that has known a man by lying with him.
Now therefore kill every male among the little ones and kill every woman that has known a man by lying with him.
And we took all his cities at that time and utterly destroyed all the cities, the men and the women and the little ones; we left none to remain.
And we took all his cities at that time and utterly destroyed all the cities, the men and the women and the little ones; we left none to remain. We took only the beasts for a prey unto ourselves and the spoil of the cities which we took.
We took only the beasts for a prey unto ourselves and the spoil of the cities which we took.
Only of the cities of these peoples, which the LORD thy God gives thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breathes;
Only of the cities of these peoples, which the LORD thy God gives thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breathes;
that they not teach you to do after all their abominations, which they do unto their gods, lest ye should sin against the LORD your God.
that they not teach you to do after all their abominations, which they do unto their gods, lest ye should sin against the LORD your God.
And the city shall be anathema unto the LORD, even it, and all the things that are in it; only Rahab, the harlot, shall live, she and all that are with her in the house because she hid the messengers that we sent.
And the city shall be anathema unto the LORD, even it, and all the things that are in it; only Rahab, the harlot, shall live, she and all that are with her in the house because she hid the messengers that we sent. But keep yourselves from the anathema, that ye not touch nor take any thing of the anathema so that ye not make the camp of Israel anathema and trouble it.
But keep yourselves from the anathema, that ye not touch nor take any thing of the anathema so that ye not make the camp of Israel anathema and trouble it. For all the silver and gold and vessels of brass and iron are consecrated unto the LORD; they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.
For all the silver and gold and vessels of brass and iron are consecrated unto the LORD; they shall come into the treasury of the LORD. Then the people shouted when the priests blew with the shofarot, and it came to pass when the people heard the voice of the shofar, that the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, each man straight before him and they took the city.
Then the people shouted when the priests blew with the shofarot, and it came to pass when the people heard the voice of the shofar, that the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, each man straight before him and they took the city. And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and ass, with the edge of the sword.
And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and ass, with the edge of the sword. But Joshua said unto the two men that had spied out the land, Go into the harlot's house and bring the woman out of there with all that she has, as ye swore unto her.
But Joshua said unto the two men that had spied out the land, Go into the harlot's house and bring the woman out of there with all that she has, as ye swore unto her. And the young men that were spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and her mother and her brethren and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred and put them outside in the camp of Israel.
And the young men that were spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and her mother and her brethren and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred and put them outside in the camp of Israel. And they burnt the city with fire and all that was in it; only the silver and the gold and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD.
And they burnt the city with fire and all that was in it; only the silver and the gold and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. And Joshua gave Rahab, the harlot, her life and also to her father's household and to all that she had; and she dwells in Israel even unto this day because she hid the messengers, whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
And Joshua gave Rahab, the harlot, her life and also to her father's household and to all that she had; and she dwells in Israel even unto this day because she hid the messengers, whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD that rises up and builds this city Jericho. He shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.
And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD that rises up and builds this city Jericho. He shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.
There was not a city that made peace with the sons of Israel except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon; they took all the others in battle.
There was not a city that made peace with the sons of Israel except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon; they took all the others in battle. For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly and that they might have no mercy, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly and that they might have no mercy, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
Behold, I send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD:
Behold, I send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD: and he shall convert the heart of the fathers to the sons, and the heart of the sons to the fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with destruction.
and he shall convert the heart of the fathers to the sons, and the heart of the sons to the fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with destruction.
For I could wish that myself were anathema from Christ for my brethren, those who are my kinsmen according to the flesh,
For I could wish that myself were anathema from Christ for my brethren, those who are my kinsmen according to the flesh,
If any man does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema. Our Lord has come.
If any man does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema. Our Lord has come.
As we said before, so do I say now again, If anyone preaches any other gospel unto you than what ye have received, let him be anathema.
As we said before, so do I say now again, If anyone preaches any other gospel unto you than what ye have received, let him be anathema.
Hastings
Morish
This is a Greek word untranslated in 1Co 16:22; it occurs also in Ro 9:3; 1Co 12:3; Ga 1:8-9 and is uniformly translated 'accursed.' The solemn passage in 1 Cor. 16 is "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed, Maranatha (the Lord cometh)." In Galatians it is said that if any person or even an angel from heaven preached any other gospel than that which they had received, let him be accursed. Two solemn denunciations relating to the person of the Lord Jesus and the gospel of God.
The word ??????? was used for any votive offering in a heathen temple, which could not be redeemed; hence anything devoted. In the N.T. it is devoted to God's curse, destruction.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
For I could wish that myself were anathema from Christ for my brethren, those who are my kinsmen according to the flesh,
If any man does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema. Our Lord has come.
But even if we, or an angel from heaven, were to preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be anathema. As we said before, so do I say now again, If anyone preaches any other gospel unto you than what ye have received, let him be anathema.
Smith
Anathema,
which literally means a thing suspended, is the equivalent of the Hebrew word signifying a thing or person voted. Any object so devoted to Jehovah was irredeemable. If an inanimate object, it was to be given to the priests,
if a living creature or even a man, it was to be slain.
The word anathema frequently occurs in St. Paul's writings, and is generally translated accused. An examination of the passages in which it occurs shows that it had acquired a more general sense as expressive either of strong feeling,
or of dislike and condemnation.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
But no anathema, that anyone shall devote unto the LORD of all that they have of men and animals and of the fields of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed. All anathema is most holy unto the LORD. Any anathema of men which is devoted shall not be ransomed, but shall surely be put to death.
For I could wish that myself were anathema from Christ for my brethren, those who are my kinsmen according to the flesh,
Therefore I give you to understand, that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus anathema and that no one can call Jesus Lord but by the Holy Spirit.
If any man does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema. Our Lord has come.
As we said before, so do I say now again, If anyone preaches any other gospel unto you than what ye have received, let him be anathema.
Watsons
ANATHEMA, from ?????????, signifies something set apart, separated, or devoted, Mic 4:13, or the formula by which this is effected. To anathematize is generally understood to denote the cutting off or separating any one from the communion of the faithful, the number of the living, or the privileges of society; or the devoting of an animal, city, or other thing, to destruction. See ACCURSED.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion; for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs bronze; and thou shalt break in pieces many peoples; and thou shalt consecrate their spoil unto the LORD and their riches unto the Lord of the whole earth.