Reference: Blasphemy
American
A man is guilty of blasphemy, when he speaks of God, or his attributes, injuriously; when he calumniously ascribe such qualities to him as do not belong to him, or robs him of those which do. The law sentenced blasphemers to death, Le 24:12-16. In a lower sense, men are said to be blasphemed when abused by calumnious and reviling words, 1Ki 21:10; Ac 6:11.
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So they instigated people to say, "We have heard him use abusive language about Moses and about God."
Easton
In the sense of speaking evil of God this word is found in Ps 74:18; Isa 52:5; Ro 2:24; Re 13:1,6; 16:9,11,21. It denotes also any kind of calumny, or evil-speaking, or abuse (1Ki 21:10; Ac 13:45; 18:6, etc.). Our Lord was accused of blasphemy when he claimed to be the Son of God (Mt 26:65; comp. Mt 9:3; Mr 2:7). They who deny his Messiahship blaspheme Jesus (Lu 22:65; Joh 10:36).
Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost (Mt 12:31-32; Mr 3:28-29; Lu 12:10) is regarded by some as a continued and obstinate rejection of the gospel, and hence is an unpardonable sin, simply because as long as a sinner remains in unbelief he voluntarily excludes himself from pardon. Others regard the expression as designating the sin of attributing to the power of Satan those miracles which Christ performed, or generally those works which are the result of the Spirit's agency.
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Some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is talking blasphemy!"
Therefore, I tell you, men will be forgiven for any sin or abusive speech, but abusive speech about the Spirit cannot be forgiven. And whoever speaks against the Son of Man will be forgiven for it, but whoever speaks against the holy Spirit cannot be forgiven for it, either in this world or in the world to come.
Then the high priest tore his clothing and said, "He has uttered blasphemy! What do we want of witnesses now? Here you have heard his blasphemy!
"Why does this man talk so? This is blasphemy. Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
I tell you, men will be forgiven for everything, for all their sins and all the abusive things they say. But whoever reviles the holy Spirit can never be forgiven, but is guilty of an unending sin."
And anyone who speaks against the Son of Man will be forgiven for it, but no one who reviles the holy Spirit will be forgiven.
And they said many other abusive things to him.
But when the Jews saw the crowd, they were very jealous, and they contradicted what Paul said and abused him.
But as they contradicted and abused him, he shook his clothes in protest, and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am not to blame for it! After this I will go to the heathen."
For, as the Scripture says, the very name of God is abused among the heathen, because of you!
Then I stood on the sand of the seashore, and I saw an animal come up out of the sea with ten horns and seven heads, and with ten diadems on its horns, and blasphemous titles on its heads.
It opened its mouth in blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling-place, that is, those who live in heaven.
and they were dreadfully scorched, but they reviled the name of God who had control of these plagues, and would not repent and give him glory.
and reviled the God of heaven for their sufferings and sores, but they would not repent of what they had done.
huge hailstones of immense weight fell on mankind from heaven, and men reviled God because of the plague of hail, the plague of it was so terrible.
Fausets
Literally a "railing accusation" against anyone (Jg 1:9). "Evil speaking" is probably meant by it in Col 3:8. But it is more often used in the sense of any speech directly dishonoring God (1Ki 21:10; 2Sa 12:14; Ps 74:18; Isa 52:5; Ro 2:24). Stoning was the penalty, as upon the son of Shelomith, a woman of Dan, and of an Egyptian father (Le 24:11); Stephen was so treated by a sudden outbreak of Jewish zeal (Ac 7:57-60). The Savior would have been stoned for the blasphemy alleged as the ground of His condemnation (Mt 26:65; Lu 5:21; Joh 10:36); but the Romans, to whom He was delivered, used crucifixion.
So the fulfillment of the prophecy (contrary to what might have been expected, seeing that crucifixion was not a Jewish punishment) was brought about, "they pierced My hands and My feet" (Ps 22:16; compare Joh 18:31-32; 19:6-7). The Jews, in spite of themselves, fulfilled the prophecies to the letter (Joh 11:50-52). The hearer of the blasphemy rent his garment, which might never be mended, and laid his hand, putting the guilt wholly, on the offender's head. The Jews, because of Le 24:16, superstitiously shrank from even naming Jehovah. In Ex 22:28, "thou shalt not curse the gods" (elohim) refers to disrespectful language toward magistrates. From Ex 23:13, "make no mention of the name of other gods," they thought themselves bound to turn the idols' names into nicknames, as Baal into Bosheth, Beth-aven for Beth-el, Beel-zebul for Beel-zebub.
When the Jewish rulers, who had such numerous proofs of Jesus' Messiahship, shut their hearts against conviction, and at last stifled conscience and the light so utterly as to attribute His miracles of love, as the casting out of unclean spirits, to the help of the prince of demons, Christ pronounced that they were either committing or on the verge of committing the sin against the Holy Spirit which is forgiven neither in this world nor in the world to come, though all sin against the Son of man can be forgiven (Mt 12:31, etc.; Mr 3:28, etc.).
None can now commit formally the same sin of attributing Jesus' miracles against Satan's kingdom to Satan's help, so evident a self contradiction that nothing short of a seared conscience, and a hardened determination to resist every spiritual impression and even malign the Spirit's work before other men, could have given birth to such a sin. But a man may commit virtually the same sin by continued malignant resistance of the gracious Spirit in one's own heart, with, at the same time, blasphemous and Satanic misrepresentation of it to others. He who has committed it is so given over to a reprobate mind as to have no pang of conscience about it, and the very fear of anyone that he has committed it is proof positive that he has not, for if he had he would have been "past feeling" (Heb 6:4-6; 1Jo 5:16).
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Therefore, I tell you, men will be forgiven for any sin or abusive speech, but abusive speech about the Spirit cannot be forgiven.
Therefore, I tell you, men will be forgiven for any sin or abusive speech, but abusive speech about the Spirit cannot be forgiven.
Then the high priest tore his clothing and said, "He has uttered blasphemy! What do we want of witnesses now? Here you have heard his blasphemy!
Then the high priest tore his clothing and said, "He has uttered blasphemy! What do we want of witnesses now? Here you have heard his blasphemy!
I tell you, men will be forgiven for everything, for all their sins and all the abusive things they say.
I tell you, men will be forgiven for everything, for all their sins and all the abusive things they say.
And the scribes and the Pharisees began to debate and say, "Who is this man who talks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
And the scribes and the Pharisees began to debate and say, "Who is this man who talks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
"You know nothing about it. You do not realize that it is to your interest that one man should die for the people, instead of the whole nation being destroyed."
"You know nothing about it. You do not realize that it is to your interest that one man should die for the people, instead of the whole nation being destroyed." Now he was not self-moved in saying this, but as high priest for that year he was inspired to say that Jesus was to die for the nation??52 and not only for the nation but also for the purpose of uniting the scattered children of God.
Now he was not self-moved in saying this, but as high priest for that year he was inspired to say that Jesus was to die for the nation??52 and not only for the nation but also for the purpose of uniting the scattered children of God.
Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves, and try him by your law." The Jews said to him, "We have no authority to put anyone to death."
Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves, and try him by your law." The Jews said to him, "We have no authority to put anyone to death." This was to fulfil what Jesus said when he declared how he was to die.
This was to fulfil what Jesus said when he declared how he was to die.
When the high priests and their attendants saw him, they shouted, "Have him crucified! Have him crucified!" Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and have him crucified, for I can find nothing to charge him with."
When the high priests and their attendants saw him, they shouted, "Have him crucified! Have him crucified!" Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and have him crucified, for I can find nothing to charge him with." The Jews answered, "We have a law, and by our law he deserves death, for declaring himself to be a son of God."
The Jews answered, "We have a law, and by our law he deserves death, for declaring himself to be a son of God."
But they uttered a great shout and stopped their ears, and they rushed upon him all together,
But they uttered a great shout and stopped their ears, and they rushed upon him all together, and dragged him out of the city and stoned him, the witnesses throwing down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
and dragged him out of the city and stoned him, the witnesses throwing down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. As they stoned Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"
As they stoned Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" Then falling on his knees, he cried out, "Lord, do not lay this sin up against them!" With these words he fell asleep.
Then falling on his knees, he cried out, "Lord, do not lay this sin up against them!" With these words he fell asleep.
For, as the Scripture says, the very name of God is abused among the heathen, because of you!
For, as the Scripture says, the very name of God is abused among the heathen, because of you!
But now you too must put them all aside??nger, rage, spite, rough, abusive talk??hese must be banished from your lips.
But now you too must put them all aside??nger, rage, spite, rough, abusive talk??hese must be banished from your lips.
For it is impossible to arouse people to a fresh repentance when they have once for all come into the light and had a taste of the gift from heaven, and shared in the holy Spirit
For it is impossible to arouse people to a fresh repentance when they have once for all come into the light and had a taste of the gift from heaven, and shared in the holy Spirit and felt the goodness of the word of God and the strong influences of the coming age,
and felt the goodness of the word of God and the strong influences of the coming age, and yet have fallen back, for they crucify the Son of God on their own account, and hold him up to contempt.
and yet have fallen back, for they crucify the Son of God on their own account, and hold him up to contempt.
Hastings
The modern use of this word is more restricted in its range than that of either the OT or the NT. 1. In the former it is narrower in its scope than in the latter, being almost universally confined to language or deeds (1Ma 2:6) derogating from the honour of God and His claims to the over-lordship of men (Le 24:10-16, cf. 1Ki 21:10,13; 2Ki 19:6 etc.). The contemptuous scorning of sacred places was regarded as blasphemy (see 1Ma 2:6; 1Ma 7:38, cf. Ac 6:13), as was also the light and irresponsible utterance of the sacred Name (Isa 52:6; Eze 36:20; De 5:11), the degradation of Jehovah-worship by conformity to pagan rites (Eze 20:27), and the continued wilful transgression of Divine commands and despising of 'the word of the Lord' (Nu 15:30 f.). The incident of the man gathering sticks on the Sabbath seems to be a concrete example of blasphemy (Nu 15:32 f.).
2. When we come to the NT, the word is found more frequently, and is employed in a manner more nearly allied to the usage of classical writings. The English Version has accordingly tr it often as 'railing' or slanderous talk generally (Mt 15:19 = Mr 7:22; Eph 4:31; Col 3:8; 1Ti 6:4; Jude 1:9), looked at, however, on its ethical and religious side. The cognate verb, too, is treated in the same way (Mr 15:29 = Mt 27:39; Lu 22:65; 23:39; Ro 3:8; 14:16; 1Co 4:18; 10:30; Tit 3:2; 1Pe 4:4,14; 2Pe 2:2,10,12; Jude 1:8,10), as is also the derived adjective (2Ti 3:2; 2Pe 2:11).
One of the most frequent of the charges brought by the Jews against Jesus was that of blasphemy, and when we inquire into the meaning of the accusation, we find that it was the application to Himself of Divine attributes and prerogatives (Mr 2:7 = Mt 9:3; Mr 14:64 = Mt 26:65; Joh 10:33,36). On the other hand, the NT writers regarded the unreasoning attitude of the Jews to the claims and teaching of Jesus as blasphemous (Mr 15:29 = Mt 27:39; Lu 22:65; 23:39; Ac 13:45; 18:6). It is interesting also to notice that this is the word put by the author of the Acts into the mouth of the town-clerk of Ephesus when he was appeasing the riotous mob who were persuaded that St. Paul and his companions had insulted the local deity (Ac 19:37).
3. The legal punishment for blasphemy was death (Le 24:16), and so the Jews claimed the life of Jesus, as the just and lawful outcome of His words and teaching (Joh 19:7, cf. Joh 10:33; 8:58 f.). The proto-martyr Stephen lost his life, too, on a charge of blasphemy (Ac 6:13; 7:58), when his enemies, in a violent and sudden fit of rage, forgot the limitation imposed on them as vassals of the Roman Empire (cf. Joh 18:31; see Westcott, Gospel of St. John, Additional Note in loc). On the 'blasphemy against the Holy Ghost,' see art. Sin, III. 1.
J. R. Willis.
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Some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is talking blasphemy!"
For out of the heart come wicked designs, murder, adultery, immorality, stealing, false witness, impious speech.
Then the high priest tore his clothing and said, "He has uttered blasphemy! What do we want of witnesses now? Here you have heard his blasphemy!
And the passers-by jeered at him, shaking their heads
And the passers-by jeered at him, shaking their heads
"Why does this man talk so? This is blasphemy. Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
greed, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, abusiveness, arrogance, folly??23 all these evils come from inside, and they pollute a man."
Did you hear his blasphemy? What is your decision?" And they all condemned him as deserving to be put to death.
And the passers-by jeered at him, shaking their heads and saying, "Aha! you who would tear down the sanctuary and build one in three days!
And the passers-by jeered at him, shaking their heads and saying, "Aha! you who would tear down the sanctuary and build one in three days!
And they said many other abusive things to him.
And they said many other abusive things to him.
One of the criminals who were hanging there, abused him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us too!"
One of the criminals who were hanging there, abused him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us too!"
Jesus said to them, "I tell you, I existed before Abraham was born!"
The Jews answered, "We are not stoning you for doing anything good, but for your impious talk, and because you, a mere man, make yourself out to be God."
The Jews answered, "We are not stoning you for doing anything good, but for your impious talk, and because you, a mere man, make yourself out to be God."
Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves, and try him by your law." The Jews said to him, "We have no authority to put anyone to death."
The Jews answered, "We have a law, and by our law he deserves death, for declaring himself to be a son of God."
Then they brought forward false witnesses, who said, "This man is constantly saying things against this holy place and against the Law,
Then they brought forward false witnesses, who said, "This man is constantly saying things against this holy place and against the Law,
and dragged him out of the city and stoned him, the witnesses throwing down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
But when the Jews saw the crowd, they were very jealous, and they contradicted what Paul said and abused him.
But as they contradicted and abused him, he shook his clothes in protest, and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am not to blame for it! After this I will go to the heathen."
For you have brought these men here, though they have not been guilty of disloyalty nor uttered any blasphemy against our goddess.
And why not say, as people abuse us for saying and charge us with saying, "Let us do evil that good may come out of it"? Such people will be condemned as they deserve!
You must give up all bitterness, rage, anger, and loud, abusive talk, and all spite.
But now you too must put them all aside??nger, rage, spite, rough, abusive talk??hese must be banished from your lips.
This farewell is in my own hand, from Paul. Remember that I am in prison. God bless you.
People will be selfish, avaricious, boastful, arrogant, abusive, undutiful, ungrateful, irreverent,
to abuse nobody, to be peaceable and reasonable, showing perfect gentleness to everyone.
In that same way these dreamers defile the body, make light of authority, and deride majesty. The archangel Michael himself, when he had the dispute with the devil about Moses' body, did not venture to condemn him for blasphemy; he only said, "May the Lord rebuke you!" read more. But these people deride anything they do not understand, and the things they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, they use for their own destruction.
Morish
In scripture this does not always refer to speaking evil of God, to which the word is now restricted. The same Greek word is translated 'railing' in 1Ti 6:4; Jude 1:9; and 'evil speaking' in Eph 4:31, as it might well be rendered elsewhere. Blaspheming the name of the Lord was under the Jewish economy punishable by death: the son of Shelomith who had married an Egyptian, was stoned to death for this sin. Le 24:11,14,23. The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost was attributing the Lord's action of casting out demons to the agency of Satan
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But when the Pharisees heard of it they said, "This man cannot drive out demons except by the aid of Beelzebub, the prince of the demons." But he knew what they were thinking, and he said to them, "Any kingdom that is disunited is on the way to destruction, and any city or household that is disunited cannot last. read more. If Satan is driving Satan out, he is disunited, and so how can his kingdom last? And if I am driving the demons out by Beelzebub's aid, by whose aid do your sons drive them out? Therefore let them be your judges. But if I am driving the demons out by the aid of God's Spirit, then the Kingdom of God has overtaken you. How can anyone get into a strong man's house and carry off his property unless he first binds the strong man? After that he can plunder his house. Anyone who is not with me is against me, and anyone who does not join me in gathering, scatters. Therefore, I tell you, men will be forgiven for any sin or abusive speech, but abusive speech about the Spirit cannot be forgiven. And whoever speaks against the Son of Man will be forgiven for it, but whoever speaks against the holy Spirit cannot be forgiven for it, either in this world or in the world to come.
You must give up all bitterness, rage, anger, and loud, abusive talk, and all spite.
is a conceited, ignorant person, with a morbid craving for speculations and arguments which result only in envy, quarreling, abuse, base suspicions,
The archangel Michael himself, when he had the dispute with the devil about Moses' body, did not venture to condemn him for blasphemy; he only said, "May the Lord rebuke you!"
Smith
in its technical English sense, signifies the speaking evil of God and in this sense it is found
etc. But according to its derivation it may mean any species of calumny and abuse: see
etc. Blasphemy was punished by stoning, which was inflicted on the son of Shelomith.
On this charge both our Lord and St. Stephen were condemned to death by the Jews. The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost,
consisted in attributing to the power of Satan those unquestionable miracles which Jesus performed by "the finger of God" and the power of the Holy Spirit. It is plainly such a state of wilful, determined opposition to God and the Holy Spirit that no efforts will avail to lead to repentance. Among the Jews it was a sin against God answering to treason in our times.
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And whoever speaks against the Son of Man will be forgiven for it, but whoever speaks against the holy Spirit cannot be forgiven for it, either in this world or in the world to come.
I tell you, men will be forgiven for everything, for all their sins and all the abusive things they say.
But as they contradicted and abused him, he shook his clothes in protest, and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am not to blame for it! After this I will go to the heathen."
For, as the Scripture says, the very name of God is abused among the heathen, because of you!
The archangel Michael himself, when he had the dispute with the devil about Moses' body, did not venture to condemn him for blasphemy; he only said, "May the Lord rebuke you!"
Watsons
BLASPHEMY, ?????????, properly denotes calumny, detraction, reproachful or abusive language, against whomsoever it be vented. That ????????? and its conjugates are very often applied, says Dr. Campbell, to reproaches not aimed against God, is evident from the following passages: Mt 12:31-32; 27:39; Mr 15:29; Lu 22:65; 23:39; Ro 3:8; 14:16; 1Co 4:13; 10:30; Eph 4:31; 1Ti 6:4; Tit 3:2; 1Pe 4:14; Jude 1:9-10; Ac 6:11,13; 2Pe 2:10-11; in the much greater part of which the English translators, sensible that they could admit no such application, have not used the words blaspheme or blasphemy, but rail, revile, speak evil, &c. In one of the passages quoted, a reproachful charge brought even against the devil is called ?????? ??????????, Jude 1:9; and rendered by them, "railing accusation." The import of the word ????????? is maledicentia, in the largest acceptation; comprehending all sorts of verbal abuse, imprecation, reviling, and calumny. And let it be observed, that when such abuse is mentioned as uttered against God, there is probably no change made in the signification of the word: the change is only in the application; that is, in the reference to a different object. The idea conveyed in the explanation now given is always included, against whomsoever the crime be committed. In this manner every term is understood that is applicable to both God and man. Thus the meaning of the word disobey is the same, whether we speak of disobeying God or of disobeying man. The same may be said of believe, honour, fear, &c. As, therefore, the sense of the term is the same, though differently applied, what is essential to constitute the crime of detraction in the one case, is essential also in the other. But it is essential to this crime, as commonly understood, when committed by one man against another, that there be in the injurious person the will or disposition to detract from the person abused. Mere mistake in regard to character, especially when the mistake is not conceived by him who entertains it to lessen the character, nay, is supposed, however erroneously, to exalt it, is never construed by any into the crime of defamation. Now, as blasphemy is in its essence the same crime, but immensely aggravated by being committed against an object infinitely superior to man, what is fundamental to the very existence of the crime will be found in this, as in every other species which comes under the general name. There can be no blasphemy, therefore, where there is not an impious purpose to derogate from the Divine Majesty, and to alienate the minds of others from the love and reverence of God. The blasphemer is no other than the calumniator of Almighty God. To constitute the crime, it is as necessary that this species of calumny be intentional, He must be one, therefore, who by his impious talk endeavours to inspire others with the same irreverence towards the Deity, or perhaps, abhorrence of him, which he indulges in himself. And though, for the honour of human nature, it is to be hoped that very few arrive at this enormous guilt, it ought not to be dissembled, that the habitual profanation of the name and attributes of God by common swearing, is but too manifest an approach toward it. There is not an entire coincidence: the latter of these vices may be considered as resulting solely from the defect of what is good in principle and disposition; the former from the acquisition of what is evil in the extreme: but there is a close connection between them, and an insensible gradation from the one to the other. To accustom one's self to treat the Sovereign of the universe with irreverent familiarity, is the first step; malignly to arraign his attributes, and revile his providence, is the last. The first divine law published against it, "He that blasphemeth the name of the Lord," (or Jehovah, as it is in the Hebrew) "shall be put to death," Le 24:16, when considered along with the incidents that occasioned it, suggests a very atrocious offence in words, no less than abuse or imprecations vented against the Deity. For, in what way soever the crime of the man there mentioned be interpreted,
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Therefore, I tell you, men will be forgiven for any sin or abusive speech, but abusive speech about the Spirit cannot be forgiven.
Therefore, I tell you, men will be forgiven for any sin or abusive speech, but abusive speech about the Spirit cannot be forgiven. And whoever speaks against the Son of Man will be forgiven for it, but whoever speaks against the holy Spirit cannot be forgiven for it, either in this world or in the world to come.
And whoever speaks against the Son of Man will be forgiven for it, but whoever speaks against the holy Spirit cannot be forgiven for it, either in this world or in the world to come.
And the passers-by jeered at him, shaking their heads
I tell you, men will be forgiven for everything, for all their sins and all the abusive things they say. But whoever reviles the holy Spirit can never be forgiven, but is guilty of an unending sin."
And the passers-by jeered at him, shaking their heads and saying, "Aha! you who would tear down the sanctuary and build one in three days!
And anyone who speaks against the Son of Man will be forgiven for it, but no one who reviles the holy Spirit will be forgiven.
And they said many other abusive things to him.
One of the criminals who were hanging there, abused him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us too!"
So they instigated people to say, "We have heard him use abusive language about Moses and about God."
Then they brought forward false witnesses, who said, "This man is constantly saying things against this holy place and against the Law,
And why not say, as people abuse us for saying and charge us with saying, "Let us do evil that good may come out of it"? Such people will be condemned as they deserve!
You must give up all bitterness, rage, anger, and loud, abusive talk, and all spite.
I can testify how anxious he is about you and the brothers in Laodicea and Hierapolis.
to abuse nobody, to be peaceable and reasonable, showing perfect gentleness to everyone.
The archangel Michael himself, when he had the dispute with the devil about Moses' body, did not venture to condemn him for blasphemy; he only said, "May the Lord rebuke you!"
The archangel Michael himself, when he had the dispute with the devil about Moses' body, did not venture to condemn him for blasphemy; he only said, "May the Lord rebuke you!" But these people deride anything they do not understand, and the things they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, they use for their own destruction.