Topical Encyclopedia
The term "extirpate" refers to the act of eradicating or completely removing something. In a biblical context, this concept often relates to the removal of sin, idolatry, or wickedness from among God's people. The Bible contains numerous instances where God commands the extirpation of evil to maintain the holiness and purity of His people.
Old Testament ContextIn the Old Testament, the concept of extirpation is frequently associated with the Israelites' conquest of Canaan. God commanded the Israelites to completely destroy the Canaanite nations to prevent the corruption of His people through idolatry and immoral practices. In
Deuteronomy 7:2 , God instructs, "and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy."
The extirpation of idolatry is a recurring theme. In
Deuteronomy 12:2-3 , God commands, "Destroy completely all the places on the high mountains, on the hills, and under every spreading tree where the nations you are dispossessing worship their gods. Tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, and burn their Asherah poles in the fire; cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out their names from those places."
New Testament ContextWhile the New Testament does not focus on physical extirpation, it emphasizes the spiritual removal of sin and evil influences. Jesus Christ's teachings and the writings of the apostles call for the extirpation of sin from the believer's life. In
Matthew 5:29-30 , Jesus uses hyperbolic language to stress the importance of removing sin: "If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell."
The apostle Paul also speaks to the need for extirpating sinful behaviors. In
Colossians 3:5 , he writes, "Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry."
Theological ImplicationsThe concept of extirpation underscores the biblical principle of holiness and separation from sin. God's commands to extirpate evil reflect His desire for His people to be set apart and devoted to Him. The eradication of sin and idolatry is essential for maintaining a covenant relationship with God. The call to extirpate sin is not only a command but also a reflection of God's holiness and justice.
Practical ApplicationFor believers today, the principle of extirpation involves a commitment to personal holiness and the rejection of sinful influences. This requires vigilance in identifying and removing anything that hinders one's relationship with God. Through prayer, repentance, and reliance on the Holy Spirit, Christians are called to extirpate sin from their lives, striving to live in a manner that honors God and reflects His righteousness.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(
v. t.) To pluck up by the stem or root; to root out; to eradicate, to destroy wholly; as, to extirpate weeds; to extirpate a tumor; to extirpate a sect; to extirpate error or heresy.
Greek
1842. exolethreuo -- to destroy utterly... destroy. From ek and olothreuo; to
extirpate -- destroy. see GREEK ek. see GREEK
olothreuo. (exolethreuthesetai) -- 1 Occurrence. 1841, 1842.
...Strong's Hebrew
6789. tsamath -- to put an end to, exterminate... consume, cut off, destroy, vanish. A primitive root; to
extirpate (literally or
figuratively) -- consume, cut off, destroy, vanish. 6788, 6789.
...Library
Impressive Phrases
... equivocal, uncertain, cloudy, and ambiguous. eradicate,extirpate, exterminate,
and annihilate [extirpate = pull up by the roots]....
We who are Without Fear Ourselves are not Seeking to Frighten You....
... once when we confess. In doing your utmost toextirpate us, if that is your
object, it is innocence you assail. But how many rulers...
Species, or Units of Nature.
... Are millions of years adequate as a cause, when associated with all the forces
known in nature, to produce new species andextirpate old ones?...
Knox's Intrigues, and his Account of Them, 1559
... Their purpose was, not by any means to secure toleration and freedom of conscience,
but toextirpate the religion to which they were opposed....
The Changed Life
... By taking one at a time and crucifying it steadily, I hope in the end toextirpate
all." To this, unfortunately, there are four objections....
Against Atheism and Infidelity.
... This evil comes upon us from the works of a few solemn blockheads, that meet together
with the zeal and seriousness of apostles, toextirpate common sense, and...
To Pastors and Teachers
... It is the conquest of the heart alone that canextirpate those dreadful vices which
are so predominant, such as drunkenness, blasphemy, lewdness, envy, and...
The Scriptures
... they have not been lost. The Word of God has never wanted enemies to oppose,
and, if possible, toextirpate it. They have given out...
I Relate all those Things on the Authority of Well-Informed...
... earth, He deigned to collect again and to restore His flock, partly laid waste by
ravenous wolves, and partly scattered abroad, and toextirpate those noxious...
After Eutropius Having Been Found Outside the Church had Been...
... give diligent heed to the study of the Scriptures: for if thou doest this the Scripture
will expel thy despondency, and engender pleasure,extirpate vice, and...
Thesaurus
Extirpate (1 Occurrence)... Noah Webster's Dictionary (vt) To pluck up by the stem or root; to root out; to
eradicate, to destroy wholly; as, to
extirpate weeds; to
extirpate a tumor; to
...Extinguished (14 Occurrences)
Uproot (17 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (vt) To root up; to tear up by the roots; to remove
utterly; to eradicate; toextirpate. Multi-Version Concordance...
Weed (3 Occurrences)
... 10. (vt) To take away, as noxious plants; to remove, as something hurtful; toextirpate.
11. (vt) To free from anything hurtful or offensive. 12....
Root (54 Occurrences)
... 18. (vt) To tear up by the root; to eradicate; toextirpate; -- with up, out,
or away. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. DAVID, ROOT OF....
Esther (48 Occurrences)
... Soon after this he gave Haman the Agagite, his prime minister, power and authority
to kill andextirpate all the Jews throughout the Persian empire....
Exterminate (8 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) To destroy utterly; to cut off; toextirpate; to annihilate; to root out;
as, to exterminate a colony, a tribe, or a nation; to exterminate error or...
Extirpated (2 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) ofExtirpate. Multi-Version Concordance
Extirpated (2 Occurrences). Matthew 15:13 But he answered...
Molech (16 Occurrences)
... 3. The Worship in the Prophets: Even Josiah's thorough reformation failed toextirpate
the Molech-worship, and it revived and continued till the destruction of...
Persecution (22 Occurrences)
... queen, were united the fiercest and sternest qualities inherent in the old Semitic
race", sought in the most relentless manner toextirpate the worship of...
Resources
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