Abomination () is an English term used to translate the

Biblical Hebrew Biblical Hebrew ( or ), also called Classical Hebrew, is an archaic form of the Hebrew language, a language in the Canaanite languages, Canaanitic branch of the Semitic languages spoken by the Israelites in the area known as the Land of Isra ...

terms shiqquts and , which are derived from , or the terms , or (noun) or (verb). An abomination in English is that which is exceptionally loathsome,

hate Hatred or hate is an intense negative emotional response towards certain people, things or ideas, usually related to opposition or revulsion toward something. Hatred is often associated with intense feelings of anger, contempt, and disgust. Ha ...

ful,

sin In religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law or a law of the deities. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered ...

ful, wicked, or vile. The term is translated ''abomination'' by almost all translations of the Bible. The similar words, , and , are almost exclusively used to refer to unclean animals. The common but slightly different Hebrew term, , is also translated as ''abomination'' in the

Authorized King James Version The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version (AV), is an Early Modern English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England, which was commissioned in 1604 and published in 1611, by ...

, and sometimes in the

New American Standard Bible The New American Standard Bible (NASB, also simply NAS for "New American Standard") is a translation of the Bible in contemporary English. Published by the Lockman Foundation, the complete NASB was released in 1971. New revisions were publis ...

. Many modern versions of the Bible (including the

New International Version The New International Version (NIV) is a translation of the Bible into contemporary English. Published by Biblica, the complete NIV was released on October 27, 1978, with a minor revision in 1984 and a major revision in 2011. The NIV relies ...

and

New English Translation The New English Translation (NET) is a free, "completely new" English translation of the Bible, "with 60,932 translators' notes" sponsored by the Biblical Studies Foundation and published by Biblical Studies Press. History and textual basis ...

) translate it ''detestable''; the

New American Bible The New American Bible (NAB) is an Bible translations into English, English translation of the Bible first published in 1970. The 1986 Revised NAB is the basis of the revised Lectionary. In the Catholic Church it is the only translation approved ...

translates it ''loathsome''. It is mainly used to denote idolatry; and in many other cases it refers to inherently

evil Evil, as a concept, is usually defined as profoundly immoral behavior, and it is related to acts that cause unnecessary pain and suffering to others. Evil is commonly seen as the opposite, or sometimes absence, of good. It can be an extreme ...

things such as illicit sex, lying, murder, deceit, etc.; and for unclean foods. __TOC__

Analysis of the term

Shiqquts

''Shiqquts'' is used in the following ways: # In prophecies in (cf. 12:11), it is generally interpreted as referring to the fearful calamities that were to fall on the

Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...

s in the time of

Antiochus IV Epiphanes Antiochus IV Epiphanes ( 215 BC–November/December 164 BC) was king of the Seleucid Empire from 175 BC until his death in 164 BC. Notable events during Antiochus' reign include his near-conquest of Ptolemaic Egypt, his persecution of the Jews of ...

, saying, "And they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate." Jerome, and most of the Christian fathers, suppose that the reference is to Antiochus as the type of Antichrist, and that the description passes from the type to the antitype.Albert Barnes commentary Idolatry is presented as the chief

in the Bible, and shiqquts is often used to describe such. # In his campaign of

Hellenization Hellenization or Hellenification is the adoption of Greek culture, religion, language, and identity by non-Greeks. In the ancient period, colonisation often led to the Hellenisation of indigenous people in the Hellenistic period, many of the ...

Antiochus Antiochus (Ancient Greek: Ἀντίοχος) is a Greek male personal name, likely meaning "resolute in contention", or "unwavering". It is derived from the two words αντί ("against") and ὄχη ("support"). It was a dynastic name for rulers of ...

caused an altar to be erected on the altar for burnt-offerings of the

Second Temple The Second Temple () was the Temple in Jerusalem that replaced Solomon's Temple, which was destroyed during the Siege of Jerusalem (587 BC), Babylonian siege of Jerusalem in 587 BCE. It was constructed around 516 BCE and later enhanced by Herod ...

, on which pig sacrifices were offered to

Zeus Zeus (, ) is the chief deity of the List of Greek deities, Greek pantheon. He is a sky father, sky and thunder god in ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, who rules as king of the gods on Mount Olympus. Zeus is the child ...

Olympios. (Comp. 1 Maccabees 1:54). Following the wording of , this may have been the abomination of desolation of

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

. #sinful sacrifices () #idolatry (, , , ) #witchcraft () The word is used with reference to: #seafood that lacks fins and scales () #all insects except for locust, crickets and grasshoppers (, ) #eagles, ossifrage, and the osprey () #other biblically

unclean animals In some religions, an unclean animal is an animal whose consumption or handling is taboo. According to these religions, persons who handle such animals may need to Ritual purification, ritually purify themselves to get rid of their uncleanline ...

or touching certain things,() Consequently, these animals were unclean and therefore eating them was forbidden. The exception is , where those who eat unclean insects are made abominable (using a verb derived from ). is rendered in the KJV as follows: #abominable (, ) #abomination (, ) #abhorred () #detest ()

Tōʻēḇā

''Tōʻēḇā'' is used in the following ways: #Every

shepherd A shepherd is a person who tends, herds, feeds, or guards flocks of sheep. Shepherding is one of the world's oldest occupations; it exists in many parts of the globe, and it is an important part of Pastoralism, pastoralist animal husbandry. ...

was "an abomination" unto the

Egyptians Egyptians (, ; , ; ) are an ethnic group native to the Nile, Nile Valley in Egypt. Egyptian identity is closely tied to Geography of Egypt, geography. The population is concentrated in the Nile Valley, a small strip of cultivable land stretchi ...

(). #

Pharaoh Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian language, Egyptian: ''wikt:pr ꜥꜣ, pr ꜥꜣ''; Meroitic language, Meroitic: 𐦲𐦤𐦧, ; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') was the title of the monarch of ancient Egypt from the First Dynasty of Egypt, First Dynasty ( ...

was so moved by the fourth plague, that while he refused the demand of

Moses In Abrahamic religions, Moses was the Hebrews, Hebrew prophet who led the Israelites out of slavery in the The Exodus, Exodus from ancient Egypt, Egypt. He is considered the most important Prophets in Judaism, prophet in Judaism and Samaritani ...

, he offered a compromise, granting to the

Israelites Israelites were a Hebrew language, Hebrew-speaking ethnoreligious group, consisting of tribes that lived in Canaan during the Iron Age. Modern scholarship describes the Israelites as emerging from indigenous Canaanites, Canaanite populations ...

permission to hold their festival and offer their sacrifices in Egypt. This permission could not be accepted, because

said they would have to sacrifice "the abomination of the

" (). # lists seven things which are also abominations: "haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief, a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers." ''Tōʻēḇā'' is also used in Jewish (and Christian Old Testament) scriptures to refer to: #

idolatry Idolatry is the worship of an idol as though it were a deity. In Abrahamic religions (namely Judaism, Samaritanism, Christianity, Islam, and the Baháʼí Faith) idolatry connotes the worship of something or someone other than the Abrahamic ...

or idols (, , ) #illicit sex (e.g. prostitution, adultery, incest) (, , ) #illicit marriage () #a man "lying with a man as with a woman" (see Homosexuality in the Hebrew Bible) (, , ) # temple prostitution () #offerings from the above () #

child sacrifice Child sacrifice is the ritualistic killing of children in order to please or appease a deity, supernatural beings, or sacred social order, tribal, group or national loyalties in order to achieve a desired result. As such, it is a form of human ...

to Molech () # cross-dressing () #cheating in the market by using rigged weights (, ) #dishonesty () #pride () #unclean animals () #stealing, murder, and adultery, breaking covenants () #

usury Usury () is the practice of making loans that are seen as unfairly enriching the lender. The term may be used in a moral sense—condemning taking advantage of others' misfortunes—or in a legal sense, where an interest rate is charged in e ...

, making unethical or immoral monetary loans that unfairly enrich the lender, oppressing the poor and needy, etc. () ''Tâ‛ab'' is rendered the following ways in the KJV #abhor, 9 Deu 7:26, Deu 23:7 (2), Job 9:31, Job 30:10, Psa 5:6, Psa 119:163, Amo 5:10, Mic 3:9; #abominable, 6 1Ch 21:6, Job 15:16, Psa 53:1 (2), Isa 14:19, Eze 16:52; #abhorred, 3 Job 19:19, Psa 106:40, Eze 16:25; #abhorreth, 2 Psa 107:18, Isa 49:7; #abominably, 1 1Ki 21:26; #committed, 1 Eze 16:52.

References

External links

{{Wiktionary, abomination
bibletab.com/a/abomination.htm
Bible concordance for the term *http://www.paidionbooks.org/girrard/studies/abomnatn.htm#42 Hebrew Bible words and phrases Religious terminology Antiochus IV Epiphanes

Analysis of the term

Shiqquts

Tōʻēḇā

See also

References

External links