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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They then instigated people to say, "We have heard him talking blasphemy against Moses and 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 scribes said to themselves, "The man is talking blasphemy!"
I tell you therefore, men will be forgiven any sin and blasphemy, but they will not be forgiven for blaspheming the Spirit. Whoever says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the holy Spirit will never be forgiven, neither in this world nor in the world to come.
Then the high priest tore his dress and cried, "He has blasphemed! What more evidence do we want? Look, you have heard his blasphemy for yourselves!
"What does the man mean by talking like this? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins, who but God alone?"
I tell you truly, the sons of men shall be forgiven all their sins, and all the blasphemies they may utter, but whoever blasphemes against the holy Spirit is never forgiven, he is guilty of an eternal sin."
Everyone also who says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven for it, but he who blasphemes against the holy Spirit will never be forgiven.
And many another insult they uttered against him.
But when the Jews saw the crowds they were filled with jealousy; they began to contradict what Paul said and to abuse him.
But as they opposed and abused him, he shook out his garments in protest, saying, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am not responsible! After this I will go to the Gentiles."
Why, it is owing to you that the name of God is maligned among the Gentiles, as scripture says!
Then I stood on the sand of the sea, and I saw a Beast rising out of the sea with ten horns and seven heads, ten diadems on his horns, and blasphemous titles on his heads.
so he opened his mouth for blasphemies against God, to blaspheme his name and his dwelling (that is, the dwellers in heaven).
till men, scorched by the fierce heat, blasphemed the name of the God who had control of these plagues; yet they would not repent and give him glory.
blaspheming the God of heaven for their pains and their ulcers, but refusing to repent of their doings.
and huge hailstones fell from heaven on men, till men blasphemed God for the plague of the hail ??for the plague of it was fearful.
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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I tell you therefore, men will be forgiven any sin and blasphemy, but they will not be forgiven for blaspheming the Spirit.
I tell you therefore, men will be forgiven any sin and blasphemy, but they will not be forgiven for blaspheming the Spirit.
Then the high priest tore his dress and cried, "He has blasphemed! What more evidence do we want? Look, you have heard his blasphemy for yourselves!
Then the high priest tore his dress and cried, "He has blasphemed! What more evidence do we want? Look, you have heard his blasphemy for yourselves!
I tell you truly, the sons of men shall be forgiven all their sins, and all the blasphemies they may utter,
I tell you truly, the sons of men shall be forgiven all their sins, and all the blasphemies they may utter,
Then the scribes and Pharisees began to argue, "Who is this blasphemer? Who can forgive sins, who but God alone?"
Then the scribes and Pharisees began to argue, "Who is this blasphemer? Who can forgive sins, who but God alone?"
(He did not say this simply of his own accord; he was high priest that year, and his words were a prophecy that Jesus was to die for the nation,
(He did not say this simply of his own accord; he was high priest that year, and his words were a prophecy that Jesus was to die for the nation, and not merely for the nation but to gather into one the scattered children of God.)
and not merely for the nation but to gather into one the scattered children of God.)
Then said Pilate, "Take him yourselves, and sentence him according to your own Law." The Jews said, "We have no right to put anyone to death"
Then said Pilate, "Take him yourselves, and sentence him according to your own Law." The Jews said, "We have no right to put anyone to death" (that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled, by which he had indicated the kind of death he was to die).
(that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled, by which he had indicated the kind of death he was to die).
Now when the high priests and their attendants saw him, they yelled, "Crucify him, crucify him!" Pilate said, "Take him and crucify him yourselves! I find nothing wrong about him."
Now when the high priests and their attendants saw him, they yelled, "Crucify him, crucify him!" Pilate said, "Take him and crucify him yourselves! I find nothing wrong about him." The Jews retorted, "But we have a Law, and by [our] Law he is bound to die, because he has made himself out to be God's Son."
The Jews retorted, "But we have a Law, and by [our] Law he is bound to die, because he has made himself out to be God's Son."
With a loud shriek they shut their ears and rushed at him like one man.
With a loud shriek they shut their ears and rushed at him like one man. Putting him outside the city, they proceeded to stone him (the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a youth called Saul).
Putting him outside the city, they proceeded to stone him (the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a youth called Saul). So they stoned Stephen, who called on the Lord, saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"
So they stoned Stephen, who called on the Lord, saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" Then he knelt down and cried aloud, "Lord, let not this sin stand against them!" With these words he slept the sleep of death.
Then he knelt down and cried aloud, "Lord, let not this sin stand against them!" With these words he slept the sleep of death.
Why, it is owing to you that the name of God is maligned among the Gentiles, as scripture says!
Why, it is owing to you that the name of God is maligned among the Gentiles, as scripture says!
but off with them all now, off with anger, rage, malice, slander, foul talk!
but off with them all now, off with anger, rage, malice, slander, foul talk!
For in the case of people who have been once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly Gift, who participated in the holy Spirit,
For in the case of people who have been once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly Gift, who participated in the holy Spirit, who tasted the goodness of God's word and the powers of the world to come, and then fell away ??6 it is impossible to make them repent afresh, since they crucify the Son of God in their own persons and hold him up to obloquy.
who tasted the goodness of God's word and the powers of the world to come, and then fell away ??6 it is impossible to make them repent afresh, since they crucify the Son of God in their own persons and hold him up to obloquy.
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 scribes said to themselves, "The man is talking blasphemy!"
For out of the heart come evil designs, murder, adultery, sexual vice, stealing, false witness, and slander.
Then the high priest tore his dress and cried, "He has blasphemed! What more evidence do we want? Look, you have heard his blasphemy for yourselves!
Those who passed by scoffed at him, nodding at him in derision
Those who passed by scoffed at him, nodding at him in derision
"What does the man mean by talking like this? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins, who but God alone?"
adultery, lust, malice, deceit, sensuality, envying, slander, arrogance, recklessness,
You have heard his blasphemy for yourselves. What is your mind?" They condemned him, all of them, to the doom of death;
Those who passed by scoffed at him, nodding at him in derision and calling, "Ha! You were to destroy the temple and build it in three days!
Those who passed by scoffed at him, nodding at him in derision and calling, "Ha! You were to destroy the temple and build it in three days!
And many another insult they uttered against him.
And many another insult they uttered against him.
One of the criminals who had been hung also abused him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us as well."
One of the criminals who had been hung also abused him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us as well."
"Truly, truly I tell you," said Jesus, "I have existed before Abraham was born."
The Jews retorted, "We mean to stone you, not for a good deed, but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, make yourself God."
The Jews retorted, "We mean to stone you, not for a good deed, but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, make yourself God."
Then said Pilate, "Take him yourselves, and sentence him according to your own Law." The Jews said, "We have no right to put anyone to death"
The Jews retorted, "But we have a Law, and by [our] Law he is bound to die, because he has made himself out to be God's Son."
They also brought forward false witnesses to say, "This fellow is never done talking against this holy Place and the Law!
They also brought forward false witnesses to say, "This fellow is never done talking against this holy Place and the Law!
Putting him outside the city, they proceeded to stone him (the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a youth called Saul).
But when the Jews saw the crowds they were filled with jealousy; they began to contradict what Paul said and to abuse him.
But as they opposed and abused him, he shook out his garments in protest, saying, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am not responsible! After this I will go to the Gentiles."
Instead of that, you have brought these men here who are guilty neither of sacrilege nor of blasphemy against our goddess.
Why should we not do evil that good may come out of it?" (which is the calumny attributed to me ??the very thing some people declare I say). Such arguments are rightly condemned.
Drop all bitter feeling and passion and anger and clamouring and insults, together with all malice;
but off with them all now, off with anger, rage, malice, slander, foul talk!
This salutation is in my own hand, from Paul. 'Remember I am in prison. Grace be with you.'
For men will be selfish, fond of money, boastful, haughty, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, irreverent,
they must abuse no one, they must not quarrel, but be conciliatory and display perfect gentleness to all men.
Despite it all, these visionaries pollute their flesh, scorn the Powers celestial, and scoff at the angelic Glories. Now the very archangel Michael, when he disputed the body of Moses with Satan, did not dare to condemn him with scoffs; what he said was, The Lord rebuke you! read more. But these people scoff at anything they do not understand; and whatever they do understand, like irrational animals, by mere instinct, that proves their ruin.
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 fellow only casts out daemons by Beelzebul the prince of daemons." As Jesus knew what they were thinking, he said to them, "Any realm divided against itself comes to ruin, any city or house divided against itself will never stand; read more. and if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then can his realm stand? Besides, if I cast out daemons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Thus they will be your judges. But if I cast out daemons by the Spirit of God, then the Reign of God has reached you already. Why, how can anyone enter the strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first of all binds the strong man? Then he can plunder his house. He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. I tell you therefore, men will be forgiven any sin and blasphemy, but they will not be forgiven for blaspheming the Spirit. Whoever says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the holy Spirit will never be forgiven, neither in this world nor in the world to come.
Drop all bitter feeling and passion and anger and clamouring and insults, together with all malice;
is a conceited, ignorant creature, with a morbid passion for controversy and argument which only leads to envy, dissension, insults, insinuations,
Now the very archangel Michael, when he disputed the body of Moses with Satan, did not dare to condemn him with scoffs; what he said was, 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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Whoever says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the holy Spirit will never be forgiven, neither in this world nor in the world to come.
I tell you truly, the sons of men shall be forgiven all their sins, and all the blasphemies they may utter,
But as they opposed and abused him, he shook out his garments in protest, saying, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am not responsible! After this I will go to the Gentiles."
Why, it is owing to you that the name of God is maligned among the Gentiles, as scripture says!
Now the very archangel Michael, when he disputed the body of Moses with Satan, did not dare to condemn him with scoffs; what he said was, 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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I tell you therefore, men will be forgiven any sin and blasphemy, but they will not be forgiven for blaspheming the Spirit.
I tell you therefore, men will be forgiven any sin and blasphemy, but they will not be forgiven for blaspheming the Spirit. Whoever says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the holy Spirit will never be forgiven, neither in this world nor in the world to come.
Whoever says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the holy Spirit will never be forgiven, neither in this world nor in the world to come.
Those who passed by scoffed at him, nodding at him in derision
I tell you truly, the sons of men shall be forgiven all their sins, and all the blasphemies they may utter, but whoever blasphemes against the holy Spirit is never forgiven, he is guilty of an eternal sin."
Those who passed by scoffed at him, nodding at him in derision and calling, "Ha! You were to destroy the temple and build it in three days!
Everyone also who says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven for it, but he who blasphemes against the holy Spirit will never be forgiven.
And many another insult they uttered against him.
One of the criminals who had been hung also abused him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us as well."
They then instigated people to say, "We have heard him talking blasphemy against Moses and God."
They also brought forward false witnesses to say, "This fellow is never done talking against this holy Place and the Law!
Why should we not do evil that good may come out of it?" (which is the calumny attributed to me ??the very thing some people declare I say). Such arguments are rightly condemned.
Drop all bitter feeling and passion and anger and clamouring and insults, together with all malice;
I can testify to his exertions on your behalf and on behalf of those at Laodicea and Hierapolis.
they must abuse no one, they must not quarrel, but be conciliatory and display perfect gentleness to all men.
Now the very archangel Michael, when he disputed the body of Moses with Satan, did not dare to condemn him with scoffs; what he said was, The Lord rebuke you!
Now the very archangel Michael, when he disputed the body of Moses with Satan, did not dare to condemn him with scoffs; what he said was, The Lord rebuke you! But these people scoff at anything they do not understand; and whatever they do understand, like irrational animals, by mere instinct, that proves their ruin.