International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Religion

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Religion


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rḗ-lij´un: “Religion” and “religious” in Elizabethan English were used frequently to denote the outward expression of worship. This is the force of φρησκεία, thrēskeia, translated “religion” in ; , (with adjective thrḗskos, “religious”), while the same noun in is rendered “worshipping” (“cult” would give the exact meaning). And in the same external sense “religion” is used by the King James Version for λατρεία, latreı́a, “worship” (so the Revised Version (British and American)), in 1 Macc 1:43; 2:19, 22. Otherwise “Jews' religion” (or “religion of the Jews”) appears in 2 Macc 8:1; 14:38 (the Revised Version (British and American) bis); , (Ἰουδαΐσμός, Ioudaismós, “Judaism”); and “an alien religion” in 2 Macc 6:24 (ἀλλοφυλισμός, allophulismós, “that belonging to another tribe”). The neglect of the external force of “religion” has led to much reckless misquoting of , . Compare . See SUPERSTITION.