Dictionaries :: Iniquity

Iniquity:

in-ik'-wi-ti (‘awon; anomia): In the Old Testament of the 11 words translated "iniquity," by far the most common and important is ‘awon (about 215 times). Etymologically, it is customary to explain it as meaning literally "crookedness," "perverseness," i.e. evil regarded as that which is not straight or upright, moral distortion (from ‘iwwah, "to bend," "make crooked," "pervert"). Driver, however (following Lagarde), maintains that two roots, distinct in Arabic, have been confused in Hebrew, one equals "to bend," "pervert" (as above), and the other equals "to err," "go astray"; that ‘awon is derived from the latter, and consequently expresses the idea of error, deviation from the right path, rather than that of perversion (Driver, Notes on Sam, 135 note) Whichever etymology is adopted, in actual usage it has three meanings which almost imperceptibly pass into each other:

(1) iniquity,

(2) guilt of iniquity,

(3) punishment of iniquity.

Primarily, it denotes "not an action, but the character of an action" (Oehler), and is so distinguished from "sin" (chaTTa'th). Hence, we have the expression "the iniquity of my sin" (Ps 32:5). Thus the meaning glides into that of "guilt," which might often take the place of "iniquity" as the translation of ‘awon (Ge 15:16; Ex 34:7; Jer 2:22, etc.). From "guilt" it again passes into the meaning of "punishment of guilt," just as Latin piaculum may denote both guilt and its punishment. The transition is all the easier in Hebrew because of the Hebrew sense of the intimate relation of sin and suffering, e.g. Ge 4:13, "My punishment is greater than I can bear"; which is obviously to be preferred to King James Version margin, the Revised Version, margin "Mine iniquity is greater than can be forgiven," for Cain is not so much expressing sorrow for his sin, as complaining of the severity of his punishment; compare 2Ki 7:9 (the Revised Version (British and American) "punishment," the Revised Version margin "iniquity"); Isa 5:18 (where for "iniquity" we might have "punishment of iniquity," as in Le 26:41,43, etc.); Isa 40:2 ("iniquity," the Revised Version margin "punishment"). The phrase "bear iniquity" is a standing expression for bearing its consequences, i.e. its penalty; generally of the sinner bearing the results of his own iniquity (Le 17:16; 20:17,19; Nu 14:34; Eze 44:10, etc.), but sometimes of one bearing the iniquity of another vicariously, and so taking it away (e.g. Eze 4:4 f; 18:19 f). Of special interest in the latter sense are the sufferings of the Servant of Yahweh, who shall "bear the iniquities" of the people (Isa 53:11; compare Isa 53:6).

Other words frequently translated "iniquity" are: ‘awen, literally, "worthlessness," "vanity," hence, "naughtiness," "mischief" (47 times in the King James Version, especially in the phrase "workers of iniquity," Job 4:8; Ps 5:5; 6:8; Pr 10:29, etc.); ‘awel and ‘awlah, literally, "perverseness" (De 32:4; Job 6:29 the King James Version, etc.).

In the New Testament "iniquity" stands for anomia equals properly, "the condition of one without law," "lawlessness" (so translated in 1 Joh 3:4, elsewhere "iniquity," e.g. Mt 7:23), a word which frequently stood for ‘awon in the Septuagint; and adikia, literally, "unrighteousness" (e.g. Lu 13:27).

Written by D. Miall Edwards

Iniquity: Sin; Wickedness; Evil.

Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men that work INIQUITY: and let me not eat of their dainties. (Psalm 141:3-4)

Iniquity:

lit., "lawlessness" (a, negative, nomos, "law"), is used in a way which indicates the meaning as being lawlessness or wickedness. Its usual rendering in the NT is "iniquity," which lit. means unrighteousness. It occurs very frequently in the Sept., especially in the Psalms, where it is found about 70 times. It is used

(a) of iniquity in general, Mat 7:23; 13:41; 23:28; 24:12; Rom 6:19 (twice); 2Cr 6:14, RV, "iniquity" (AV, "unrighteousness"); 2Th 2:3, in some mss.; the AV and RV follow those which have hamartia, "(man of) sin;" 2Th 2:7, RV, "lawlessness" (AV, "iniquity"); Tts 2:14; Hbr 1:9; 1Jo 3:4 (twice), RV, "(doeth)... lawlessness" and "lawlessness" (AV, "transgresseth the law" and "trangression of the law");

(b) in the plural, of acts or manifestations of lawlessness, Rom 4:7; Hbr 10:17 (some inferior mss. have it in Hbr 8:12, for the word hamartia).
See LAWLESSNESS, TRANSGRESSION, UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.

Note: In the phrase "man of sin," 2Th 2:3, the word suggests the idea of contempt of Divine law, since the Antichrist will deny the existence of God.

Iniquity:

denotes "unrighteousness," lit., "unrightness" (a, negative, dike, "right"), a condition of not being right, whether with God, according to the standard of His holiness and righteousness, or with man, according to the standard of what man knows to be right by his conscience. In Luk 16:8; 18:6, the phrases lit. are, "the steward of unrighteousness" and "the judge of injustice," the subjective genitive describing their character; in Luk 18:6 the meaning is "injustice" and so perhaps in Rom 9:14. The word is usually translated "unrighteousness," but is rendered "iniquity" in Luk 13:27; Act 1:18; 8:23; 1Cr 13:6, AV (RV, "unrighteousness"); so in 2Ti 2:19; Jam 3:6.

Iniquity:

denotes "a wrong, injury, misdeed" (akin to No. 2; from adikeo, "to do wrong"), the concrete act, in contrast to the general meaning of No. 2, and translated "a matter of wrong," in Act 18:14; "wrong-doing," Act 24:20 (AV, "evil-doing"); "iniquities," Rev 18:5.
See EVIL, WRONG.

Iniquity:

akin to poneo, "to toil" (cp. poneros, "bad, worthless;" see BAD), denotes "wickedness," and is so translated in Mat 22:18; Mar 7:22 (plural); Luk 11:39; Rom 1:29; 1Cr 5:8; Eph 6:12; in Act 3:26, "iniquities."
See WICKEDNESS. Cp. kakia, "evil."

Iniquity:

"law-breaking" (para, "against," nomos, "law"), denotes "transgression," so rendered in 2Pe 2:16, for AV, "iniquity."