for-giv ́nes (כּפר, kāphar, נשׂא, nāsā', סלח, ṣālaḥ; ἀπολύειν, apolúein χαρίζεσθαι, charízesthai, ἄφεσις, áphesis πάρεσις, páresis):
Of the seven words, three Hebrew and four Greek, which are used to express the idea of forgiveness, the last two occur in this sense only once each. Apoluein (Luke 6:37) is used because of the analogy of sin to debt, and denotes the release from it. It has the meaning “forgiveness” in 2 Maccabees 12:45 also, in which passage the word for sin is expressed. In Romans 3:25 Paul uses paresis instead of the usual aphesiš. The former means “putting aside,” “disregarding,” “pretermission”; the latter, “putting away” completely and unreservedly (Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament, section xxxiii). It does not mean forgiveness in the complete sense, and in the King James Version is incorrectly translated “remission.” Nor does it mean that God had temporarily suspended punishment which at some later date He might inflict (Sanday on Romans 3:25). It was apparent that God had treated sins as though He had forgiven them, though in fact such an attitude on the part of God was without such a foundation as was later supplied by an adequate atonement, and so the apostle avoids saying that God forgave them. This passing over of sins had the tendency of destroying man’s conception of God’s righteousness, and in order to avert this Christ was set forth as a propitiation and God’s disregard of sin (paresis) became a real forgiveness (aphesis); compare Acts 14:16; 17:30. Charizesthai is not found outside of the writings of Luke and Paul, and in the sense “to forgive sins” is peculiarly Pauline (2 Corinthians 2:7; 12:13; Ephesians 3:2; Colossians 2:13; 3:13). It expresses, as no other of these words does, his conception of the graciousness of God’s pardon. Kāphar (Deuteronomy 21:8; Psalms 78:38; Jeremiah 18:23) and ṣālah (Numbers 30:5, 30:8, 30:12; 1 Kings 8:30, 8:34, 8:36, 8:39, 8:50, etc.) are used only of Divine forgiveness, while nāsā' is used in this sense (Exodus 32:32; Numbers 14:19; Joshua 24:19; Psalms 25:18; 32:1, 32:5; 99:8; Isaiah 2:9), and also of human forgiveness (Genesis 50:17; Exodus 10:17; 1 Samuel 25:28). Remission (Matthew 26:28; Mark 1:4; Luke 1:77; 24:47; Acts 2:38; 10:43; Hebrews 9:22; 10:18) and blotting out (Psalms 51:1, 51:9; Isaiah 43:25; Jeremiah 18:23; Acts 3:19) are synonyms of forgiveness, and to understand it fully such words as save, justify, reconcile and atonement should also be considered.
Forgiveness was not a pagan virtue. The large-souled man might disregard offenses in cases where he considered them beneath his notice, but to forgive was weak-spirited (F. W. Robertson on 1 Corinthians 4:12). Even in the Old Testament, man’s forgiveness of his fellow-man is infrequently mentioned. In every case the one asking forgiveness is in a position of subserviency, and is petitioning for that to which he has no just right (Genesis 50:17; Exodus 10:17; 1 Samuel 15:25; 25:28). The Imprecatory Psalms attest the fact that forgiveness of enemies was not esteemed as a virtue by Israel. They could appeal to the law which enjoined upon them to seek neither the peace nor the prosperity of their avowed enemies (Deuteronomy 23:6; compare Ezra 9:12). Jesus gave the popular summing-up of the law and not its exact words when he said, “Ye have heard that it was said ... hate thine enemy” (Matthew 5:43), and this certainly does represent their attitude and their understanding of the teaching of the Scriptures.
To continue reading this Bible article, click here.
Author: International Std. Bible Encyclopedia
Keywords: Forgiveness, Forgive
Source: James Orr (editor), The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 5 volume set.
Page indexed by: inWORD Bible Software.