In
this
study, the word abomination will be considered as to
its meaning, along with
its Old and New Testaments usage and the Hebrew and
Greek word origins. A
commentary on the Old Testament and a New Testament
commentary will be
consulted. A concise overview of the word
abomination will come from the International
Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
Finally, the study will conclude with a definition
from two sources, one
contemporary, and the other classic.
“The
thoughts of
the wicked are an abomination (תּוֹעֲבַ֣ת)
to the LORD, But the words of the pure are
pleasant.” (Proverbs 15:26)
Strong’s
Lexicon:
“detests
תּוֹעֲבַ֣ת
(tō·w·‘ă·ḇaṯ)
Noun
- feminine
singular construct
Strong's
Hebrew
8441: 1) a disgusting thing, abomination, abominable
1a) in ritual sense (of
unclean food, idols, mixed marriages) 1b) in ethical
sense (of wickedness etc.)”
From the Pulpit Commentary on Proverbs 15:26:
“Verse
26. - The
thoughts of the wicked (or, evil devices) are an
abomination to the Lord.
Although the Decalogue, by forbidding coveting,
showed that God's Law touched
the thought of the heart as well as the outward
action, the idea here refers to
wicked plans or designs, rather than emphatically to
the secret movements of
the mind. These have been noticed in ver. 11. But
the words of the pure are
pleasant words; literally, pure are words of
pleasantness; i.e. words of
soothing, comforting tone are, not an abomination to
the Lord, as are the
devices of the wicked, but they are pure in a
ceremonial sense, as it were, a
pure and acceptable offering. Revised Version,
pleasant words are pure.
Vulgate, “Speech pure and pleasant is approved by
him” - which is a paraphrase
of the clause. Septuagint, “The words of the pure
are honoured (σεμναί).”
Proverbs 15:26” (1)
“And
he said unto
them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before
men; but God knoweth your
hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men
is abomination (βδέλυγμα)
in the sight of God.” (Luke
16:15)
Strong’s
Lexicon:
“[is]
detestable
βδέλυγμα
(bdelygma)
Noun
- Nominative
Neuter Singular
Strong's
Greek
946: An abominable thing, an accursed thing. From bdelusso; a detestation, i.e. idolatry.”
From Ellicott's
Commentary
for English Readers on Luke 16:15:
“(15)
Ye are they
which justify yourselves before men. — The character
described is portrayed
afterwards more fully in the parable of Luke
18:9-14. The word there used,
“this man went down to his house justified rather
than the other,” is obviously
a reference to what is reported here. They forgot,
in their self-righteousness
and self-vindication, that they stood before God as
the Searcher of all hearts.
That
which is
highly esteemed among men . . .—Literally, that
which is high, or lifted up,
among men. The word is at once wider and more vivid
than the English.
Abomination
. .
.—The word is the same as in “the abomination of
desolation” (Matthew 24:15),
that which causes physically nausea and loathing.
The word seems chosen as the
expression of a divine scorn and indignation, which
answered, in part, to their
“derision,” and was its natural result. (Comp. the
bold language of Psalm 2:4,
Proverbs 1:26, Revelation 3:16.)” (2)
International
Standard
Bible Encyclopedia,
a summary of
abomination:
ABOMINATION
“a-bom-i-na'-shun
(piggul, to`ebhah, sheqets (shiqquts)):
Three
distinct Hebrew words are rendered in the English
Bible by “abomination,”
or “abominable thing,” referring (except in Genesis
43:32; Genesis 46:34) to
things or practices abhorrent to Yahweh, and opposed
to the ritual or moral
requirements of His religion. It would be well if
these words could be
distinguished in translation, as they denote
different degrees of abhorrence or
loathsomeness.”
“The
word
most used for this idea by the Hebrews and
indicating the highest degree
of abomination is to`ebhah, meaning primarily that
which offends the religious
sense of a people. When it is said, for example,
“The Egyptians might not eat
bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination
unto the Egyptians,” this is
the word used; the significance being that the
Hebrews were repugnant to the
Egyptians as foreigners, as of an inferior caste,
and especially as shepherds
(Genesis 46:34). The feeling of the Egyptians for
the Greeks was likewise one
of repugnance. Herodotus (ii.41) says the Egyptians
would not kiss a Greek on
the mouth, or use his dish, or taste meat cut with
the knife of a Greek.”
“Among
the
objects described in the Old Testament as
“abominations” in this sense are
heathen gods, such as Ashtoreth (Astarte), Chemosh,
Milcom, the “abominations”
of the Zidonians (Phoenicians), Moabites, and
Ammonites, respectively (2 Kings
23:13), and everything connected with the worship of
such gods. When Pharaoh,
remonstrating against the departure of the children
of Israel, exhorted them to
offer sacrifices to their God in Egypt, Moses said:
“Shall we sacrifice the
abomination of the Egyptians (i.e. the animals
worshipped by them which were
taboo, to`ebhah, to the Israelites) before their
eyes, and will they not stone
us?” (Exodus 8:26).”
“It
is
to be noted that, not only the heathen idol itself,
but anything offered to
or associated with the idol, all the paraphernalia
of the forbidden cult, was
called an “abomination,” for it "is an abomination
to Yahweh thy God"
(Deuteronomy 7:25, 26). The Deuteronomic writer here
adds, in terms quite
significant of the point of view and the spirit of
the whole law: `Neither
shalt thou bring an abomination into thy house and
thus become a thing set
apart (cherem = tabooed) like unto it; thou shalt
utterly detest it and utterly
abhor it, for it is a thing set apart' (tabooed).
To`ebhah is even used as
synonymous with “idol” or heathen deity, as in
Isaiah 44:19 Deuteronomy 32:16 2
Kings 23:13; and especially Exodus 8:22.”
“Everything
akin
to magic or divination is likewise an abomination
to`ebhah; as are sexual
transgressions (Deuteronomy 22:5; Deuteronomy 23:18;
Deuteronomy 24:4), especially
incest and other unnatural offenses: “For all these
abominations have the men
of the land done, that were before you” (Leviticus
18:27; compare Ezekiel
8:15). It is to be noted, however, that the word
takes on in the later usage a
higher ethical and spiritual meaning: as where
“divers measures, a great and a
small,” are forbidden (Deuteronomy 25:14-16); and in
Proverbs where "lying
lips" (Proverbs 12:22), “the proud in heart”
(Proverbs 16:5), "the
way of the wicked" (Proverbs 15:9), “evil devices”
(Proverbs 15:26), and “he
that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth
the righteous” (Proverbs
17:15), are said to be an abomination in God's
sight. At last prophet and sage
are found to unite in declaring that any sacrifice,
however free from physical
blemish, if offered without purity of motive, is an
abomination: `Bring no more
an oblation of falsehood-an incense of abomination
it is to me' (Isaiah 1:13;
compare Jeremiah 7:10). “The sacrifice of the
wicked" and the prayer of
him "that turneth away his ear from hearing the
law,” are equally an
abomination (see Proverbs 15:8; Proverbs 21:27;
Proverbs 28:9).”
“Another
word
rendered “abomination” in the King James Version is
sheqets or shiqquts.
It expresses generally a somewhat less degree of
horror or religious aversion
than [to`ebhah], but sometimes seems to stand about
on a level with it in
meaning. In Deuteronomy 14:3, for example, we have
the command, “Thou shalt not
eat any abominable thing,” as introductory to the
laws prohibiting the use of
the unclean animals (see CLEAN; UNCLEANNESS), and
the word there used is
[to`ebhah]. But in Leviticus 11:10-13, 20, 23, 41,
42, Isaiah 66:17; and in
Ezekiel 8:10 sheqets is the word used and likewise
applied to the prohibited
animals; as also in Leviticus 11:43 sheqets is used
when it is commanded, “Ye
shall not make yourselves abominable.” Then sheqets
is often used parallel to
or together with to`ebhah of that which should be
held as detestable, as for
instance, of idols and idolatrous practices (see
especially Deuteronomy 29:17
Hosea 9:10 Jeremiah 4:1; Jeremiah 13:27; Jeremiah
16:18 Ezekiel 11:18-21;
Ezekiel 20:7, 8). It is used exactly as [to`ebhah]
is used as applied to
Milcom, the god of the Ammonites, which is spoken of
as the detestable thing
sheqets of the Ammonites (1 Kings 11:5). Still even
in such cases to`ebhah
seems to be the stronger word and to express that
which is in the highest
degree abhorrent.”
“The
other
word used to express a somewhat kindred idea of
abhorrence and translated
“abomination” in the King James Version is piggul;
but it is used in the Hebrew
Bible only of sacrificial flesh that has become
stale, putrid, tainted (see
Leviticus 7:18; Leviticus 19:7 Ezekiel 4:14 Isaiah
65:4). Driver maintains that
it occurs only as a “technical term for such state
sacrificial flesh as has not
been eaten within the prescribed time,” and,
accordingly, he would everywhere
render it specifically “refuse meat.” Compare lechem megho'al, “the loaths ome bread” (from ga'al, “to loathe”) Malachi 1:7. A chief interest in the subject
for Christians grows out of the use of the term in
the expression “abomination
of desolation” (Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14), which
see.”
See
also
ABHOR.
LITERATURE
“Commentators
at
the place Rabbinical literature in point. Driver;
Weiss; Gratz, Gesch. der
Juden, IV, note 15. George B. Eager” (3)
In conclusion:
How is abomination defined?
“It
is mainly used
to denote idolatry; and in many other cases it
refers to inherently evil things
such as illicit sex, lying, murder, deceit, etc.;
and for unclean foods.” - Abomination
(Bible) - Wikipedia
KJV
Dictionary
Definition:
abominable:
“ABOM'INABLE,
a.
See Abominate.
1.
Very hateful;
detestable; lothesome.
2.
This word is
applicable to whatever is odious to the mind or
offensive to the senses.
3.
Unclean. Levit.
vli.
Abominableness”
“ABOM'INABLENESS,
n.
The quality or state of being very odious;
hatefulness.
Abominably”
“ABOM'INABLY,
adv.
1.
Very odiously;
detestably; sinfully. 1Kings xxi.
2.
In vulgar
language, extremely, excessively.
Abominate”
“ABOM'INATE,
v.t.
L. abomino, supposed to be formed by ab and omen; to
deprecate as ominous; may
the Gods avert the evil.
To
hate extremely;
to abhor; to detest
Abominated”
“ABOM'INATED,
pp.
Hated utterly, detested; abhorred.
Abominating”
“ABOM'INATING,
ppr.
Abhorring; hating extremely.
Abomination”
“ABOMINA'TION,
n.
1.
Extreme hatred;
detestation.
2.
The object of
detestation, a common signification in scripture.
The
way of the
wicked is an abomination to the Lord. Prov. xv.
3.
Hence,
defilement, pollution, in a physical sense, or evil
doctrines and practices,
which are moral defilements, idols and idolatry, are
called abominations. The
Jews were an abomination to the Egyptians; and the
sacred animals of the Egyptians
were an abomination to the Jews. The Roman army is
called the abomination of
desolation. Mat. 24:13. In short, whatever is an
object of extreme hatred, is
called an abomination.” (4)
“Study
to
shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that
needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy
2:15)
Notes:
1.H.
D.
M. Spence and Joseph S. Exell, The
Pulpit
Commentary, Proverbs, Vol. 9., (Grand Rapids,
Michigan, Eerdmans
Publishing Company reprint 1978), p. 295.
2.Charles
John
Ellicott, Bible
Commentary for
English Readers, Luke, Vol.6, (London,
England, Cassell and Company), p.
322.
3.Orr,
James,
M.A., D.D. General Editor, “Entry for 'ABOMINATIO,'”
International
Standard Bible Encyclopedia,
(Grand Rapids, Michigan, Eerdmans, reprinted 1986),
pp. 15-16.
4.Definitions
from
Webster's
American Dictionary of
the English Language, 1828.
Mr.
Kettler
has previously published articles in the Chalcedon
Report and Contra
Mundum. He and his wife Marea attend the
Westminster, CO, RPCNA Church. Mr.
Kettler is the author of books defending the
Reformed Faith. Books can be
ordered online at www. JackKettler .com