Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadInternational Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Forbid
Subjects in this Topic:
for-bid´ (כּל×, kaÌ„laÌ„'; κωλυÌω, koÌ„luÌoÌ„): Occurs very seldom in the Old Testament except as the rendering of hÌ£aÌ„lı̄laÌ„h (see below); it is once the translation of kaÌ„laÌ„', “to restrain†(, “Joshua ... said My lord Moses forbid themâ€); twice of caÌ„waÌ„h, “to command†(, “and wheresoever Yahweh our God forbade usâ€; , “Yahweh thy God hath forbidden thee,†literally, “commandedâ€); once of loÌ„', “not,†the Revised Version (British and American) “commanded not to be done†(). In the phrases, “Yahweh forbid†(; ; ), “God forbid†(; ; ; ; , etc.), “My God forbid it me†(), the word is hÌ£aÌ„lı̄laÌ„h, denoting profanation, or abhorrence (rendered, the King James Version, “that be far from theeâ€); the English Revised Version leaves the expressions unchanged; the American Standard Revised Version substitutes “far be it from me,†“thee,†etc., except in ; , where it is, “Far from it.â€
In the New Testament koÌ„luoÌ„, “to cut short,†“restrain†is the word commonly translated “forbid†(, “forbid them not,†etc.); in , the Revised Version (British and American) has “withhold notâ€; diakoÌ„luÌoÌ„, with a similar meaning, occurs in , “John forbade him,†the Revised Version (British and American) “would have hindered himâ€; akoÌ„luÌtos, “uncut off†(), is translated “none forbidding him.†The phrase “God forbid†(meÌ„Ì geÌnoito, “let it not be,†; , etc.) is retained by the Revised Version (British and American), with margin “Be it not so,†except in , where the text has “Far be it from meâ€; meÌ„ genoito is one of the renderings of hÌ£aÌ„lı̄laÌ„h in Septuagint. “God forbid†also appears in Apocrypha (1 Macc 2:21, the Revised Version (British and American) “Heaven forbid,†margin, Greek “may he be propitious,†1 Macc 9:10, the Revised Version (British and American) “Let it not beâ€).