Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadInternational Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Hypocrisy; Hyprocrite
Subjects in this Topic:
hi-pok´ri-si, hip´ō̇-krit (×—× ×£, hÌ£oÌ„neph, ×—× ×£, hÌ£aÌ„neÌ„ph; ὑποÌκÏισις, hupoÌkrisis, ὑποκÏιτηÌÏ‚, hupokriteÌ„Ìs):
(1) “Hypocrisy†occurs only once in the Old Testament as the translation of hÌ£oÌ„neph (, the Revised Version (British and American) “profanenessâ€); hÌ£aÌ„neÌ„ph, from which it is derived, means properly “to cover,†“to hide,†or “becloud,†hence, to pollute, to be polluted or defiled, to make profane, to seduce; as a substantive it is translated “hypocrite†(; ; ; ; ; ; ; , in all which instances the Revised Version (British and American) has “godless man,†“godless men,†“godlessâ€; , the Revised Version (British and American) “the godless manâ€; , the Revised Version (British and American) “profaneâ€; , the Revised Version (British and American) “the godless onesâ€); it is rendered “hypocritical,†in ; , the Revised Version (British and American) “profane.â€
(2) “Hypocrisy,†“hypocrite†are frequent in the New Testament, chiefly in Christ's discourses in the Gospels. The word hupokrisis (primarily, “an answer,†“responseâ€) meant generally, in classical Greek, stageplaying, acting, the histrionic art; hence, it came to mean acting a part in life, etc. We find hupokrisis in this sense in 2 Macc 6:25, the Revised Version (British and American) “dissimulation,†and hupokrıÌnomai, “to pretend,†“to feign,†etc. Ecclesiasticus 1:29; 32:15; 33:2, translated “hypocriteâ€; 2 Macc 5:25, “pretending peace,†the Revised Version (British and American) “playing the man of peaceâ€; 6:21, the Revised Version (British and American) “to make as if.†HupokriteÌ„s (literally, “an actorâ€) is the Septuagint for hÌ£aÌ„neÌ„ph (; ), equivalent to bad, wicked, godless, which is perhaps included in some of our Lord's uses of the words, e.g. f, “full of hypocrisy and iniquity†(compare f; ); but, in general, the meaning is acting a part, false, deceptive and deceived, formally and outwardly religious and good, but inwardly insincere and unrighteous; the hypocrite may come to deceive himself as well as others, but “the hypocrite's hope shall perish†( the King James Version). On no class did our Lord pronounce such severe condemnation as on the hypocrites of His day.
“Hypocrisy†(hupokrisis) occurs in ; ; ; ; (in it is rendered “dissimulationâ€); “hypocrite†(hupokriteÌ„s), , , ; ; ; ; , , , , ; ; ; ; ; in , anupoÌkritos is “without hypocrisy,†so the Revised Version (British and American), (“unfeigned,†; ; ; ).