Topical Encyclopedia
Definition and Usage:The term "corrupt" in the Bible is often used to describe moral decay, perversion, or the degradation of purity, whether in individuals, societies, or systems. It implies a departure from God's standards and righteousness, leading to actions and thoughts that are contrary to His will.
Old Testament References:In the Old Testament, the concept of corruption is frequently associated with idolatry, injustice, and moral decay.
Genesis 6:11-12 states, "Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and full of violence. God looked upon the earth and saw that it was corrupt; for all living creatures on the earth had corrupted their ways." This passage highlights the widespread moral corruption that led to the judgment of the flood.
The Hebrew word often translated as "corrupt" is "shachath," which conveys the idea of being spoiled or ruined. In
Deuteronomy 4:16 , Moses warns the Israelites, "so that you do not act corruptly and make for yourselves an idol in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female." Here, corruption is linked to idolatry and the abandonment of true worship.
New Testament References:In the New Testament, corruption is frequently associated with the sinful nature and the influence of the world. The Greek word "phtheiro" is used to describe moral and spiritual decay. In
1 Corinthians 15:33 , Paul warns, "Do not be deceived: 'Bad company corrupts good character.'" This highlights the influence of negative associations on one's moral integrity.
Ephesians 4:22 instructs believers to "put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires." This passage emphasizes the transformative power of Christ in overcoming the corruption inherent in the sinful nature.
Theological Implications:Corruption is fundamentally a spiritual issue, reflecting the fallen state of humanity. It is a manifestation of sin that affects both individuals and societies. The Bible teaches that corruption stems from the heart, as Jesus explains in
Mark 7:21-23 : "For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly. All these evils come from within, and these are what defile a man."
Redemption and Restoration:Despite the pervasive nature of corruption, the Bible offers hope through redemption in Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:4 speaks of the divine nature believers partake in, "through these He has given us His precious and magnificent promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, now that you have escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."
The transformative power of the Holy Spirit enables believers to overcome corruption and live in righteousness.
Romans 12:2 encourages, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God."
Practical Application:Believers are called to live lives that reflect the purity and holiness of God, resisting the corrupt influences of the world.
Philippians 2:15 exhorts Christians to "become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world." This call to holiness is a testament to the transformative work of Christ in the believer's life, enabling them to stand against corruption and be a witness to the world.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
a.) Changed from a sound to a putrid state; spoiled; tainted; vitiated; unsound.
2. (a.) Changed from a state of uprightness, correctness, truth, etc., to a worse state; vitiated; depraved; debased; perverted; as, corrupt language; corrupt judges.
3. (a.) Abounding in errors; not genuine or correct; as, the text of the manuscript is corrupt.
4. (v. t.) To change from a sound to a putrid or putrescent state; to make putrid; to putrefy.
5. (v. t.) To change from good to bad; to vitiate; to deprave; to pervert; to debase; to defile.
6. (v. t.) To draw aside from the path of rectitude and duty; as, to corrupt a judge by a bribe.
7. (v. t.) To debase or render impure by alterations or innovations; to falsify; as, to corrupt language; to corrupt the sacred text.
8. (v. t.) To waste, spoil, or consume; to make worthless.
9. (v. i.) To become putrid or tainted; to putrefy; to rot.
10. (v. i.) To become vitiated; to lose purity or goodness.
Greek
1311. diaphtheiro -- to destroy utterly, to spoil,corrupt... to destroy utterly, to spoil,
corrupt. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration:
diaphtheiro Phonetic Spelling: (dee-af-thi'-ro) Short Definition: I destroy, waste
...5351. phtheiro -- to destroy,corrupt, spoil
... to destroy,corrupt, spoil. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: phtheiro Phonetic
Spelling: (fthi'-ro) Short Definition: Icorrupt, spoil, destroy Definition...
1294. diastrepho -- to distort, fig. misinterpret,corrupt
... misinterpret,corrupt. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: diastrepho Phonetic
Spelling: (dee-as-tref'-o) Short Definition: I pervert,corrupt, oppose...
4595. sepo -- to makecorrupt, pass. becomecorrupt
... 4594, 4595. sepo. 4596 . to makecorrupt, pass.... Word Origin a prim. verb Definition
to makecorrupt, pass. becomecorrupt NASB Word Usage rotted (1)....
3075. lumainomai -- to outrage, tocorrupt
... to outrage, tocorrupt. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: lumainomai Phonetic
Spelling: (loo-mah'-ee-nom-ahee) Short Definition: I ravage, harry, devastate...
2704. kataphtheiro -- to destroy entirely
... to destroy entirely. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: kataphtheiro Phonetic
Spelling: (kat-af-thi'-ro) Short Definition: I destroy,corrupt Definition: I...
4550. sapros -- rotten, worthless
... rotten, worthless. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: sapros Phonetic Spelling:
(sap-ros') Short Definition: rotten, useless,corrupt Definition: rotten...
1389. doloo -- to ensnare, fig. to adulterate
... to adulterate. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: doloo Phonetic Spelling:
(dol-o'-o) Short Definition: I adulterate,corrupt Definition: I adulterate...
3344. metastrepho -- to turn (about), to pervert
... to pervert. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: metastrepho Phonetic Spelling:
(met-as-tref'-o) Short Definition: I turn, change,corrupt, pervert Definition...
853. aphanizo -- to make unseen, ie destroy
... away (1).corrupt, disfigure, destroy. From aphanes; to render unapparent,
ie (actively) consume (becloud), or (passively) disappear...
Strong's Hebrew
444. alach -- to becorrupt (morally)... 443, 444. alach. 445 . to be
corrupt (morally). Transliteration: alach Phonetic
Spelling: (aw-lakh') Short Definition:
corrupt. Word Origin a prim.
...7844. shechath -- tocorrupt
... 7843, 7844. shechath. 7845 . tocorrupt. Transliteration: shechath Phonetic
Spelling: (shekh-ath') Short Definition: corruption....corrupt, fault....
2610. chaneph -- to be polluted or profane
...corrupt, defile, greatly, pollute, profane. A primitive root; to soil, especially
in a moral sense --corrupt, defile, X greatly, pollute, profane....
7843. shachath -- perhaps to go to ruin
... Usage act corruptly (4), act...corruptly (1), acted corruptly (3), acted...corruptly
(1), acting corruptly (1), blemished animal (1),corrupt (8), corrupted (4...
1605. gaar -- to rebuke
... 1).corrupt, rebuke, reprove. A primitive root; to chide --corrupt, rebuke,
reprove. 1604, 1605. gaar. 1606 . Strong's Numbers.
4743. maqaq -- to decay, rot, fester, pine away
... consume away, becorrupt, dissolve, pine away. A primitive root; to melt;
figuratively, to flow, dwindle, vanish -- consume away, be...
4167. muq -- to mock, deride
... root Definition to mock, deride NASB Word Usage mock (1). becorrupt. A primitive
root; to jeer, ie (intens.) Blaspheme -- becorrupt. 4166, 4167. muq. 4168...
2254. chabal -- to bind, pledge
... by a pledge; figuratively, to pervert, destroy; also to writhe in pain (especially
of parturition) -- X at all, band, bring forth, (deal)corrupt(-ly), destroy...
7810. shochad -- a present, bribe
... Word Origin from shachad Definition a present, bribe NASB Word Usage bribe (15),
bribes (3),corrupt (1), gifts (1), present (2), reward (1)....
Library
Who Teach: that theCorrupt and Natural Man Can So Well Use the...
... Third and Fourth Heads of Doctrine Paragraph 5 Who teach: That thecorrupt
and natural man can so well use the common grace? Who...
Corrupt Nature from Adam.
... in the first and third lines of the stanza. Hymn 2:128.Corrupt nature
from Adam. 1 Bless'd with the joy of innocence Adam, our...
Every Thing Proceeding from theCorrupt Nature of Man Damnable.
... CHAPTER 3. EVERY THING PROCEEDING FROM THECORRUPT NATURE OF MAN DAMNABLE. EVERY
THING PROCEEDING FROM THECORRUPT NATURE OF MAN DAMNABLE....
Are we Then SoCorrupt that we are Wholly Incapable of Doing any...
... Lord's Day 3 Question 8 Are we then socorrupt that we are wholly incapable
of doing any good, and inclined to all wickedness? Are...
Attempts of the Sanhedrim toCorrupt and Alarm the Restored Blind...
... Attempts of the Sanhedrim tocorrupt and alarm the restored Blind Man."Christ's
Conversation with him."The Sight of the Blind, and the Blindness of the...
Corrupt Nature from Adam.
... Hymns, Book II HYMN 128Corrupt nature from Adam. CMCorrupt nature from Adam.
Blest with the joys of innocence. Adam our father stood,....
Original Sin Arose from Adam's Depraved Will. Whence theCorrupt...
... Book II. Chapter 48."Original Sin Arose from Adam's Depraved Will. Whence
theCorrupt Will Sprang. "If," says he, "sin comes from...
It is Unlawful for Anyone toCorrupt or Cut up a Book of the Old.....
... The Sixth Ecumenical Council. Canon LXVIII. It is unlawful for anyone to
corrupt or cut up a book of the Old? It is unlawful for...
That the Rational Part of Our Soul isCorrupt.
... The Conferences of John Cassian. Chapter XVI. That the rational part of
our soul iscorrupt. And therefore if you want to discover...
Those who First Advanced the Heresy of Artemon; their Manner of...
... Book V. Chapter XXVIII."Those who first advanced the Heresy of Artemon; their Manner
of Life, and how they dared tocorrupt the Sacred Scriptures....
Thesaurus
Corrupt (59 Occurrences)... 2. (a.) Changed from a state of uprightness, correctness, truth, etc., to a worse
state; vitiated; depraved; debased; perverted; as,
corrupt language;
corrupt...Corruptly (20 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (adv.) In acorrupt manner; by means of corruption
or corrupting influences; wrongfully. Multi-Version Concordance...
Fruit (318 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). Matthew 7:17 Even so, every good
tree produces good fruit; but thecorrupt tree produces evil fruit....
Corrupted (28 Occurrences)
... (imp. & pp) ofCorrupt.... Genesis 6:12 God saw the earth, and saw that it was
corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth....
Manners (6 Occurrences)
... manners" appears in the sense of "morals"; compare 1 Corinthians 15:33, the Revised
Version (British and American) "Evil companionshipscorrupt good morals." 3...
Defile (63 Occurrences)
... to taint. 7. (vt) To injure in purity of character; tocorrupt. 8. (vt)
Tocorrupt the chastity of; to debauch; to violate. 9. (vt...
Produces (27 Occurrences)
... Produces (27 Occurrences). Matthew 7:17 Even so, every good tree produces good
fruit; but thecorrupt tree produces evil fruit. (WEB WEY DBY)....
Bringeth (313 Occurrences)
... (KJV ASV WBS). Matthew 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit;
but acorrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. (KJV ASV WBS)....
Bribe (27 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) A price, reward, gift, or favor bestowed or promised with a view to prevent
the judgment orcorrupt the conduct of a judge, witness, voter, or other...
Manner (351 Occurrences)
... manners" appears in the sense of "morals"; compare 1 Corinthians 15:33, the Revised
Version (British and American) "Evil companionshipscorrupt good morals." 3...
Resources
How does bad company corrupt good character (1 Corinthians 15:33)? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does the Bible say about corruption? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does it mean to have a reprobate mind? | GotQuestions.orgCorrupt: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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