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.
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And the city shall be set apart, even it and all that is in it, to LORD. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. But as for you, only keep yourselves from what is set apart, lest when ye have set it apart, ye take from what is set apart. So ye would make the camp of Israel accursed, and trouble it. read more. But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are holy to LORD. They shall come into the treasury of LORD. So the people shouted, and [the priests] blew the trumpets. And it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, that the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up in And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, both young and old, and ox, and sheep, and donkey, with the edge of the sword.
But the sons of Israel committed a trespass in what was set apart. For Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took from what was set apart, and the anger of LORD was kindled against the And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to 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 to 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 toil there, for they are but few. So there went up there of the people about three thousand men. And they fled before the men of Ai. And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty-six men. And they chased them [from] before the gate even to Shebarim, and smote them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted, and became as water. And Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of LORD until the evening, he and the elders of Israel, and they put dust upon their heads. And Joshua said, Alas, O lord LORD, why have thou at all brought this people over the Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to cause us to perish? Would that we had been content and dwelt beyond the Jordan! Oh, LORD, what shall I say after Israel has turned their backs before their enemies! For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and will encompass us around, and cut off our name from the earth, and what will thou do for thy great name? And LORD said to Joshua, Get thee up. Why are thou thus fallen upon thy face? Israel has sinned. Yes, they have even transgressed my covenant which I commanded them. Yes, they have even taken from what was set apart, and have also stolen, and also dissembled. And they have even put it among their own stuff. Therefore the sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies because they have become accursed. I will not be with you any more unless ye destroy what was set apart from among you. Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow. For thus says LORD, the God of Israel, There is what has been set apart in the midst of thee, O Israel. Thou cannot stand before thine enemies until ye take aw In the morning therefore ye shall be brought near by your tribes, and it shall be, that the tribe which LORD takes shall come near by families, and the family which LORD shall take shall come near by households, and the household w And it shall be, that he who is taken with the devoted thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of LORD, and because he has wrought folly in Israel. So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel near by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken. And he brought near the family of Judah, and he took the family of the Zerahites. And he brought near the family of the Zerahites man by man, and Zabdi was taken. And he brought near his household man by man, and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. And Joshua said to Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to LORD, the God of Israel, and make confession to him, and tell me now what thou have done. Hide it not from me. And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Of a truth I have sinned against LORD, the God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: When I saw among the spoil a goodly Babylon mantle, 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 ground in the midst of my tent So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent. And, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it. And they took them from the midst of the tent, and brought them to Joshua, and to all the sons of Israel, and they laid them down before LORD. And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the mantle, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his donkeys, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he h And Joshua said, Why have thou troubled us? LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and they burned them with fire, and 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."
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but the field, when it goes out in the jubilee, shall be holy to LORD, as a field set apart; the possession of it shall be the priest's.
Notwithstanding, nothing set apart, that a man shall set apart to LORD of all that he has, whether of man or beast, or of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed; everything set apart is most holy to LORD.
Notwithstanding, nothing set apart, that a man shall set apart to LORD of all that he has, whether of man or beast, or of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed; everything set apart is most holy to LORD. No one set apart, who shall be set apart from among men, shall be ransomed; he shall surely be put to death.
No one set apart, who shall be set apart from among men, shall be ransomed; he shall surely be put to death.
And Israel vowed a vow to LORD, and said, If thou will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities. And LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites. And they utterly destroyed them and their cities. And the name of the place was called Hormah.
And thou shall not bring an abomination into thy house, and become a devoted thing like it. Thou shall utterly detest it, and thou shall utterly abhor it, for it is a cursed thing.
And the city shall be set apart, even it and all that is in it, to LORD. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.
And as some spoke about the temple, that it was adorned with fine stones and gifts, he said,
And when it became day, some of the Jews, having made a conspiracy, put themselves under a curse, saying neither to eat nor to drink until they would kill Paul.
who, having come near to the chief priests and the elders, said, We have put ourselves under a curse, a curse to taste of nothing until we would kill Paul.
Therefore thou should not be persuaded by them, for more than forty men of them wait to ambush him, who have put themselves under an oath, neither to eat nor drink until they have killed him. And now are they ready, expecting the p
For I wished I myself to be accursed from the Christ, for my brothers, my kinsmen according to flesh,
Therefore I make known to you, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God says, Jesus is accursed, and no man can say, Jesus is Lord, except by Holy Spirit.
If any man does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. Maranatha.
But even if we, or an agent from heaven, should preach a good-news to you contrary to what we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, I now also say again, if any man preaches a good-news to you contrary to what ye received, let him be accursed.
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).
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Yet now, if thou will forgive their sin--, and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou have written.
Yet now, if thou will forgive their sin--, and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou have written.
Notwithstanding, nothing set apart, that a man shall set apart to LORD of all that he has, whether of man or beast, or of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed; everything set apart is most holy to LORD.
Notwithstanding, nothing set apart, that a man shall set apart to LORD of all that he has, whether of man or beast, or of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed; everything set apart is most holy to LORD. No one set apart, who shall be set apart from among men, shall be ransomed; he shall surely be put to death.
No one set apart, who shall be set apart from among men, shall be ransomed; he shall surely be put to death.
And the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who dwelt in the South, heard tell that Israel came by the way of Atharim, and he fought against Israel, and took some of them captive.
And the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who dwelt in the South, heard tell that Israel came by the way of Atharim, and he fought against Israel, and took some of them captive. And Israel vowed a vow to LORD, and said, If thou will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.
And Israel vowed a vow to LORD, and said, If thou will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities. And LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites. And they utterly destroyed them and their cities. And the name of the place was called Hormah.
And LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites. And they utterly destroyed them and their cities. And the name of the place was called Hormah.
Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that has known man by lying with him.
Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that has known man by lying with him.
And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed every inhabited city, with the women and the little ones; we left none remaining.
And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed every inhabited city, with the women and the little ones; we left none remaining. We only took the cattle for a prey to ourselves, with the spoil of the cities which we had taken.
We only took the cattle for a prey to ourselves, with the spoil of the cities which we had taken.
But of the cities of these peoples, that LORD thy God gives thee for an inheritance, thou shall save alive nothing that breathes,
But of the cities of these peoples, that LORD thy God gives thee for an inheritance, thou shall save alive nothing that breathes,
that they not teach you to do after all their abominations, which they have done to their gods, so ye would sin against LORD your God.
that they not teach you to do after all their abominations, which they have done to their gods, so ye would sin against LORD your God.
And the city shall be set apart, even it and all that is in it, to LORD. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.
And the city shall be set apart, even it and all that is in it, to LORD. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. But as for you, only keep yourselves from what is set apart, lest when ye have set it apart, ye take from what is set apart. So ye would make the camp of Israel accursed, and trouble it.
But as for you, only keep yourselves from what is set apart, lest when ye have set it apart, ye take from what is set apart. So ye would make the camp of Israel accursed, and trouble it. But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are holy to LORD. They shall come into the treasury of LORD.
But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are holy to LORD. They shall come into the treasury of LORD. So the people shouted, and [the priests] blew the trumpets. And it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, that the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up in
So the people shouted, and [the priests] blew the trumpets. And it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, that the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up in And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, both young and old, and ox, and sheep, and donkey, with the edge of the sword.
And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, both young and old, and ox, and sheep, and donkey, with the edge of the sword. And Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, Go into the harlot's house, and bring out there the woman, and all that she has, as ye swore to her.
And Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, Go into the harlot's house, and bring out there the woman, and all that she has, as ye swore to her. And the young men, the spies, went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brothers, and all that she had. They also brought out all her kindred, and they set them outside the camp of Israel.
And the young men, the spies, went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brothers, and all that she had. They also brought out all her kindred, and they set them outside 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 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 LORD. But Joshua saved alive Rahab the harlot, and her father's household, and all that she had. And she dwelt in the midst of Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
But Joshua saved alive Rahab the harlot, and her father's household, and all that she had. And she dwelt in the midst of Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. And Joshua charged them with an oath at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before LORD who rises up and builds this city Jericho. With the loss of his first-born he shall lay the foundation of it, and with the loss of his younges
And Joshua charged them with an oath at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before LORD who rises up and builds this city Jericho. With the loss of his first-born he shall lay the foundation of it, and with the loss of his younges
There was not a city that made peace with the sons of Israel, except the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon. They took all 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 in battle. For it was of LORD to harden their hearts, to come against Israel in battle, that he might utterly destroy them, that they might have no favor, but that he might destroy them as LORD commanded Moses.
For it was of LORD to harden their hearts, to come against Israel in battle, that he might utterly destroy them, that they might have no favor, but that he might destroy them as LORD commanded Moses.
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and fearful day of LORD comes.
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and fearful day of LORD comes. And he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the sons, and the heart of the sons to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
And he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the sons, and the heart of the sons to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
For I wished I myself to be accursed from the Christ, for my brothers, my kinsmen according to flesh,
For I wished I myself to be accursed from the Christ, for my brothers, my kinsmen according to flesh,
If any man does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. Maranatha.
If any man does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. Maranatha.
As we have said before, I now also say again, if any man preaches a good-news to you contrary to what ye received, let him be accursed.
As we have said before, I now also say again, if any man preaches a good-news to you contrary to what ye received, let him be accursed.
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.
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For I wished I myself to be accursed from the Christ, for my brothers, my kinsmen according to flesh,
If any man does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. Maranatha.
But even if we, or an agent from heaven, should preach a good-news to you contrary to what we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, I now also say again, if any man preaches a good-news to you contrary to what ye received, let him be accursed.
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.
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Notwithstanding, nothing set apart, that a man shall set apart to LORD of all that he has, whether of man or beast, or of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed; everything set apart is most holy to LORD. No one set apart, who shall be set apart from among men, shall be ransomed; he shall surely be put to death.
For I wished I myself to be accursed from the Christ, for my brothers, my kinsmen according to flesh,
Therefore I make known to you, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God says, Jesus is accursed, and no man can say, Jesus is Lord, except by Holy Spirit.
If any man does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. Maranatha.
As we have said before, I now also say again, if any man preaches a good-news to you contrary to what ye received, let him be accursed.
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.
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Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion, for I will make thy horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass, and thou shall beat many peoples in pieces. And I will devote their gain to LORD, and their substance to LORD of the whole earth.