Meaning of “Abomination”

1. Abomination — This word is used, (1.) To express the idea that the Egyptians considered themselves as defiled when they ate with strangers (Gen. 43:32). The Jews subsequently followed the same practice, holding it unlawful to eat or drink with foreigners (John 18:28; Acts 10:28; 11:3). (2.) Every shepherd was “an abomination” unto the Egyptians (Gen. 46:34). This aversion to shepherds, such as the Hebrews, arose probably from the fact that Lower and Middle Egypt had formerly been held in oppressive subjection by a tribe of nomad shepherds (the Hyksos), who had only recently been expelled, and partly also perhaps from this other fact that the Egyptians detested the lawless habits of these wandering shepherds. (3.) Pharaoh was so moved by the fourth plague, that while he refused the demand of Moses, he offered a compromise, granting to the Israelites permission to hold their festival and offer their sacrifices in Egypt. This permission could not be accepted, because Moses said they would have to sacrifice “the abomination of the Egyptians” (Ex. 8:26); i.e., the cow or ox, which all the Egyptians held as sacred, and which they regarded it as sacrilegious to kill. (4.) Daniel (11:31), in that section of his prophecies which is generally interpreted as referring to the fearful calamities that were to fall on the Jews in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, says, “And they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.” Antiochus Epiphanes caused an altar to be erected on the altar of burnt-offering, on which sacrifices were offered to Jupiter Olympus. (Comp. 1 Macc. 1:57). This was the abomination of the desolation of Jerusalem. The same language is employed in Dan. 9:27 (comp. Matt. 24:15), where the reference is probably to the image-crowned standards which the Romans set up at the east gate of the temple (A.D. 70), and to which they paid idolatrous honours. “Almost the entire religion of the Roman camp consisted in worshipping the ensign, swearing by the ensign, and in preferring the ensign before all other gods.” These ensigns were an “abomination” to the Jews, the “abomination of desolation.” This word is also used symbolically of sin in general (Isa. 66:3); an idol (44:19); the ceremonies of the apostate Church of Rome (Rev. 17:4); a detestable act (Ezek. 22:11).

2. Desolation, Abomination of — (Matt. 24:15; Mark 13:14; comp. Luke 21:20), is interpreted of the eagles, the standards of the Roman army, which were an abomination to the Jews. These standards, rising over the site of the temple, were a sign that the holy place had fallen under the idolatrous Romans. The references are to Dan. 9:27. (See ABOMINATION »T0000053.)

2 results from Easton's Bible Dictionary

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Abinoam Abomination

Bible Search for “Abomination”

1. Genesis Chapter 43 Verse 32 — And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

2. Genesis Chapter 46 Verse 34 — That ye shall say, Thy servants' trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

3. Exodus Chapter 8 Verse 26 — And Moses said, It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our God: lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us?

4. Leviticus Chapter 7 Verse 18 — And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings be eaten at all on the third day, it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be imputed unto him that offereth it: it shall be an abomination, and the soul that eateth of it shall bear his iniquity.

5. Leviticus Chapter 11 Verse 42 — Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all four, or whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination.

6. Leviticus Chapter 11 Verse 41 — And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten.

7. Leviticus Chapter 11 Verse 23 — But all other flying creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an abomination unto you.

8. Leviticus Chapter 11 Verse 20 — All fowls that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination unto you.

9. Leviticus Chapter 11 Verse 13 — And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray,

10. Leviticus Chapter 11 Verse 12 — Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.

11. Leviticus Chapter 11 Verse 11 — They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcasses in abomination.

12. Leviticus Chapter 11 Verse 10 — And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you:

13. Leviticus Chapter 18 Verse 29 — For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people.

14. Leviticus Chapter 18 Verse 27 — (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;)

15. Leviticus Chapter 18 Verse 26 — Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you:

16. Leviticus Chapter 18 Verse 22 — Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.

17. Leviticus Chapter 20 Verse 13 — If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

18. Deuteronomy Chapter 7 Verse 26 — Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.

19. Deuteronomy Chapter 7 Verse 25 — The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God.

20. Deuteronomy Chapter 12 Verse 31 — Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.

21. Deuteronomy Chapter 13 Verse 14 — Then shalt thou inquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you;

22. Deuteronomy Chapter 17 Verse 4 — And it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it, and inquired diligently, and, behold, it be true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in Israel:

23. Deuteronomy Chapter 17 Verse 1 — Thou shalt not sacrifice unto the LORD thy God any bullock, or sheep, wherein is blemish, or any evilfavouredness: for that is an abomination unto the LORD thy God.

24. Deuteronomy Chapter 18 Verse 12 — For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

25. Deuteronomy Chapter 18 Verse 9 — When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.

26. Deuteronomy Chapter 20 Verse 18 — That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.

27. Deuteronomy Chapter 22 Verse 5 — The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.

28. Deuteronomy Chapter 23 Verse 18 — Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the LORD thy God.

29. Deuteronomy Chapter 24 Verse 4 — Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

30. Deuteronomy Chapter 25 Verse 16 — For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the LORD thy God.

31. Deuteronomy Chapter 27 Verse 15 — Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.

32. Deuteronomy Chapter 29 Verse 17 — And ye have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them:)

33. Deuteronomy Chapter 32 Verse 16 — They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger.

34. 1 Samuel Chapter 13 Verse 4 — And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.

35. 1 Kings Chapter 11 Verse 7 — Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.

36. 1 Kings Chapter 11 Verse 5 — For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

37. 1 Kings Chapter 14 Verse 24 — And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

38. 2 Kings Chapter 16 Verse 3 — But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.

39. 2 Kings Chapter 21 Verse 11 — Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols:

40. 2 Kings Chapter 21 Verse 2 — And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

41. 2 Kings Chapter 23 Verse 24 — Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD.

42. 2 Kings Chapter 23 Verse 13 — And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.

43. 2 Chronicles Chapter 28 Verse 3 — Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.

44. 2 Chronicles Chapter 33 Verse 2 — But did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like unto the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.

45. 2 Chronicles Chapter 34 Verse 33 — And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the LORD their God. And all his days they departed not from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.

46. 2 Chronicles Chapter 36 Verse 14 — Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.

47. 2 Chronicles Chapter 36 Verse 8 — Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.

48. Ezra Chapter 9 Verse 14 — Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping?

49. Ezra Chapter 9 Verse 11 — Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness.

50. Ezra Chapter 9 Verse 1 — Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.

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