Topical Encyclopedia
The concept of "reject" in the Bible encompasses a range of meanings, including the refusal to accept, believe, or follow. It is often associated with the rejection of God, His commandments, His prophets, and ultimately, His Son, Jesus Christ. This entry explores the biblical understanding of rejection, its implications, and its occurrences throughout Scripture.
Old Testament ContextIn the Old Testament, rejection is frequently depicted in the context of Israel's relationship with God. The Israelites often rejected God's commandments and turned to idolatry, leading to divine judgment. For instance, in
1 Samuel 8:7, God tells Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you. For it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king." This passage highlights the spiritual rebellion of the Israelites, who desired a human king over divine rule.
The prophets also faced rejection as they delivered God's messages. Jeremiah, known as the "weeping prophet," experienced significant opposition. In
Jeremiah 6:19, God declares, "Hear, O earth! I am bringing disaster on this people, the fruit of their own schemes, because they have not listened to My words and have rejected My law."
New Testament ContextIn the New Testament, rejection takes on a more personal dimension with the coming of Jesus Christ. The Gospels record numerous instances where Jesus was rejected by the religious leaders and even by His own people.
John 1:11 states, "He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him." This rejection is a fulfillment of the prophecy in
Isaiah 53:3, which describes the Messiah as "despised and rejected by men."
The rejection of Jesus is further illustrated in the parable of the tenants (
Matthew 21:33-46), where the tenants reject and kill the landowner's son, symbolizing the rejection of Christ by the Jewish leaders. Jesus Himself speaks of this rejection in
Luke 9:22, saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised to life."
Theological ImplicationsRejection in the biblical sense often leads to consequences, both temporal and eternal. The rejection of God's commands and His messengers in the Old Testament resulted in exile and suffering for Israel. In the New Testament, the rejection of Christ is linked to spiritual blindness and eternal separation from God. Jesus warns in
John 12:48, "There is a judge for the one who rejects Me and does not receive My words; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day."
However, the Bible also offers hope and redemption for those who have rejected God. The account of the prodigal son (
Luke 15:11-32) illustrates God's willingness to forgive and restore those who return to Him. The apostle Paul, once a persecutor of Christians, became a leading figure in the early Church after encountering Christ (
Acts 9:1-19).
Practical ApplicationBelievers are called to examine their own hearts for areas of rejection towards God's will and to remain steadfast in faith despite facing rejection from the world. Jesus encourages His followers in
John 15:18-19, "If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first. If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world."
In summary, the theme of rejection in the Bible serves as a sobering reminder of the human tendency to turn away from God, yet it also underscores His enduring grace and the promise of reconciliation for those who seek Him.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
v. t.) To cast from one; to throw away; to discard.
2. (v. t.) To refuse to receive or to acknowledge; to decline haughtily or harshly; to repudiate.
3. (v. t.) To refuse to grant; as, to reject a prayer or request.
Greek
593. apodokimazo -- toreject... to
reject. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: apodokimazo Phonetic Spelling:
(ap-od-ok-ee-mad'-zo) Short Definition: I
reject after testing, I disqualify
...3868. paraiteomai -- to beg from, to beg off
... off. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: paraiteomai Phonetic Spelling:
(par-ahee-teh'-om-ahee) Short Definition: I make excuse, refuse,reject Definition:...
114. atheteo -- to do away with what has been laid down, set aside
... 114 (literally, , "un-place") -- properly, ;reject what is already laid down; to
(disregard as spurious); nullify, make void; to break faith (); remove out of...
1609. ekptuo -- to spit out, to spurn
... out, to spurn. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: ekptuo Phonetic Spelling:
(ek-ptoo'-o) Short Definition: I spit upon, disdain,reject, loathe Definition:...
683. apotheo -- to thrust away
... thrust away. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: apotheo Phonetic Spelling:
(ap-o-theh'-om-ahee) Short Definition: I push or thrust away,reject Definition:...
654. apostrepho -- to turn away, turn back
... turn back. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: apostrepho Phonetic Spelling:
(ap-os-tref'-o) Short Definition: I turn away, restore,reject Definition: I turn...
3456. mukterizo -- to turn up the nose or sneer at
... disdain. 3456 (from , "nose") -- properly, to turn up the nose, turning away
to ; (figuratively) mock, scornfully disdain (reject)....
1692. emeo -- to vomit
... 1692 -- properly, vomit (); (figuratively) repulsed, showing utter rejection (desiring
total separation); "toreject with extreme disgust" (, 6, 321)....
1592. ekmukterizo -- to hold up the nose in derision of
... 1592 (from 1537 , "out of" and 3456 , "to blow the nose," see there) -- properly,
turn the nose out (up), ie , ; (figuratively)reject ("blow someone off...
545. apeithes -- disobedient
... 545 ("unpersuaded") begins with the decision toreject what , with His
offer to about His preferred-will (cf. 2307 ). See 543 ()....
Strong's Hebrew
2186a. zanach -- toreject, spurn... 2186, 2186a. zanach. 2186b . to
reject, spurn. Transliteration: zanach Short
Definition: rejected. Word Origin a prim. root Definition
...2186. zanach -- toreject, spurn
... zanach. 2186a . toreject, spurn. Transliteration: zanach Phonetic Spelling:
(zaw-nakh') Short Definition:reject. cast away off, remove far away off...
3988a. maas -- toreject
... 3988, 3988a. maas. 3988b . toreject. Transliteration: maas Short Definition:
rejected. Word Origin a prim. root Definition toreject...
3988. ma'ac -- toreject
ma'ac. 3987, 3988. ma'ac. 3988a . toreject. Transliteration: ma'ac Phonetic
Spelling: (maw-as') Short Definition: abhor. abhor, cast...
1602. gaal -- to abhor, loathe
... Word Origin a prim. root Definition to abhor, loathe NASB Word Usage abhor (2),
abhorred (1), abhors (1), defiled (1), fail (1), loathed (3),reject (1)....
1920. hadaph -- to thrust, drive, push
... root Definition to thrust, drive, push NASB Word Usage depose (1), driven (2), driving
(1), push (1), push her away (1), pushed (2),reject (1), thrust (2...
5541. calah -- to make light of, toss aside
... calah. 5541a . to make light of, toss aside. Transliteration: calah Phonetic Spelling:
(saw-law') Short Definition:reject. tread down under foot, value...
5010. naar -- probably to abhor, spurn
... abandoned (1), spurned (1). abhor, make void. A primitive root; toreject -- abhor,
make void. 5009, 5010. naar. 5011 . Strong's Numbers.
5203. natash -- to leave, forsake, permit
... to pound, ie Smite; by implication (as if beating out, and thus expanding) to disperse;
also, to thrust off, down, out or upon (inclusively,reject, let alone...
5234. nakar -- to regard, recognize
... acknowledge, be acquainted with, care for, respect, revere, or (with suspicion implied),
to disregard, ignore, be strange toward,reject, resign, dissimulate...
Library
IReject this Predestination for the Following Reasons:
... 3. IREJECT THIS PREDESTINATION FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS. I. Because it is not
the foundation of Christianity, of Salvation, or of its certainty....
The First Opinion, which IReject, but which is Espoused by those...
... 1. The first opinion, which Ireject, but which is espoused by those [Supralapsarians]
who assume the very highest ground of this Predestination....
Of those whoReject the Doctrines of Philosophers, as Well as...
... The Oration of the emperor constantine, which he addressed "to the assembly of the
saints." Chapter X."Of those whoreject the Doctrines of Philosophers, as...
The JewsReject the Interpretation of the Lxx. , from Which...
... Chapter LXXI."The Jewsreject the interpretation of the LXX., from which,
moreover, they have taken away some passages. "But I...
The JewsReject Jesus.
... THREE HOSTILE QUESTIONS ASKED OF JESUS. THE JEWSREJECT JESUS. But though
he had done so many signs before them, yet they believed...
Letter iii. Having in the Former Two Letters Defined the Doctrine...
... LETTERS ON THE INSPIRATION OF THE SCRIPTURES. LETTER III. Having in the former
two Letters defined the doctrine which Ireject? My dear friend,...
(Of Marriages among Blood-Relations, and of those who are Born of...
... The Second Epistle. IV. (Of marriages among blood-relations, and of those who
are born of them; and of accusations which the lawsreject.)....
Faustus Fails to Understand Why He Should be Required Either to...
... Faustus fails to understand why he should be required either to accept orreject
the New Testament as a whole, while the Catholics accept orreject the various...
The Opinion of Justin with Regard to the Reign of a Thousand Years...
... Chapter LXXX."The opinion of Justin with regard to the reign of a thousand
years Several Catholicsreject it. And Trypho to this...
Of the Fact that those Persons whoReject the God of Israel, in...
... the harmony of the gospels.Book I. Chapter XXIV."Of the Fact that Those Persons
WhoReject the God of Israel, in Consequence Fail to Worship All the Gods; And...
Thesaurus
Reject (56 Occurrences)... repudiate. 3. (vt) To refuse to grant; as, to
reject a prayer or request.
Multi-Version Concordance
Reject (56 Occurrences). Mark
...Abhor (23 Occurrences)
... 3. (vt) To protest against; toreject solemnly.... ABHOR. ab-hor': "To cast away,"
"reject," "despise," "defy," "contemn," "loathe," etc....
Spurn (13 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) Toreject with disdain; to scorn to receive or accept; to treat with contempt....
(See NAS). Psalms 77:7 "Will the Lordreject us forever?...
Rejecting (9 Occurrences)
... & vb. n.) ofReject.... Rejecting (9 Occurrences). Mark 7:9 He said to them, "Full well
do youreject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition....
Ignore (13 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) To throw out orreject as false or ungrounded; -- said of a bill rejected
by a grand jury for want of evidence. See Ignoramus....
Renounce (12 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To declare against; toreject or decline formally; to refuse to own or
acknowledge as belonging to one; to disclaim; as, to renounce a title to land or...
Refuse (103 Occurrences)
... attacks. 3. (vt) To decline to accept; toreject; to deny the request or
petition of; as, to refuse a suitor. 4. (vt) To disown....
Disallow (3 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (vt) To refuse to allow; to deny the force or validity
of; to disown andreject; as, the judge disallowed the executor's charge. Int....
Discard (1 Occurrence)
... 1. (vt) To throw out of one's hand, as superfluous cards; toreject; to lay aside
(a card or cards).... 3. (vt) To put or thrust away; toreject....
Rejected (96 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) ofReject. Multi-Version Concordance... Romans
11:1 I ask then, did Godreject his people? May it never be!...
Resources
Why do people reject Jesus as their Savior? | GotQuestions.orgWhy do most Jews reject Jesus as the Messiah? | GotQuestions.orgDo the Qur'an and Muhammad affirm or reject the Bible? Should a Muslim read the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgReject: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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