Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical terms, the concept of "sentence" can refer to a judicial decision or decree, often reflecting divine judgment or human legal proceedings. The term is used in various contexts throughout the Scriptures, illustrating both God's righteous judgment and the legal practices of ancient Israel.
Divine JudgmentThe Bible frequently portrays God as the ultimate judge who issues sentences based on His perfect justice and righteousness. In the Old Testament, God's sentences are often depicted as direct consequences of the people's obedience or disobedience to His commandments. For instance, in the book of Genesis, God pronounces a sentence upon Adam and Eve following their disobedience: "To the woman He said, 'I will sharply increase your pain in childbirth; in pain you will bring forth children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.' And to Adam He said, 'Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat, cursed is the ground because of you; through toil you will eat of it all the days of your life'" (
Genesis 3:16-17).
In the New Testament, the concept of divine sentencing is further developed with the promise of final judgment. Jesus speaks of the separation of the righteous from the wicked, where each will receive their due sentence: "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life" (
Matthew 25:46).
Human Legal ProceedingsIn addition to divine judgment, the Bible also addresses human legal systems and the sentences they impose. The Mosaic Law provided a comprehensive legal code for the Israelites, including various sentences for different offenses. For example, the law prescribed specific penalties for crimes such as theft, murder, and false witness. In Deuteronomy, the principle of proportional justice is emphasized: "Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot" (
Deuteronomy 19:21).
The role of judges and elders in administering justice and issuing sentences is also highlighted in the Scriptures. In the book of Exodus, Moses appoints capable men to serve as judges over the people, instructing them to judge fairly and impartially: "Select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens" (
Exodus 18:21).
Mercy and RedemptionWhile the Bible underscores the importance of justice and the execution of sentences, it also emphasizes God's mercy and the possibility of redemption. The Psalms frequently appeal to God's mercy in the face of deserved judgment: "Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; remember me according to Your loving devotion, because of Your goodness, O LORD" (
Psalm 25:7).
The New Testament reveals the ultimate expression of God's mercy through Jesus Christ, who bore the sentence of sin on behalf of humanity. The Apostle Paul writes, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (
Romans 6:23). Through faith in Christ, believers are spared the sentence of eternal separation from God and are granted the promise of eternal life.
In summary, the concept of "sentence" in the Bible encompasses both divine and human judgments, reflecting God's justice, the legal practices of ancient Israel, and the overarching theme of mercy and redemption through Jesus Christ.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) Sense; meaning; significance.
2. (n.) An opinion; a decision; a determination; a judgment, especially one of an unfavorable nature.
3. (n.) A philosophical or theological opinion; a dogma; as, Summary of the Sentences; Book of the Sentences.
4. (n.) In civil and admiralty law, the judgment of a court pronounced in a cause; in criminal and ecclesiastical courts, a judgment passed on a criminal by a court or judge; condemnation pronounced by a judicial tribunal; doom. In common law, the term is exclusively used to denote the judgment in criminal cases.
5. (n.) A short saying, usually containing moral instruction; a maxim; an axiom; a saw.
6. (n.) A combination of words which is complete as expressing a thought, and in writing is marked at the close by a period, or full point. See Proposition, 4.
7. (v. t.) To pass or pronounce judgment upon; to doom; to condemn to punishment; to prescribe the punishment of.
8. (v. t.) To decree or announce as a sentence.
9. (v. t.) To utter sententiously.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
SENTENCEsen'-tens: Eight Hebrew and three Greek words are thus translated in the King James Version. Sometimes it points to a mystery (Daniel 5:12;Daniel 8:23); then again to the contents of the Law (Deuteronomy 17:11); then again to the idea of judgment (Psalm 17:2) or of a judicial sentence (2 Corinthians 1:9Luke 23:24), or of judicial advice (Acts 15:19, the American Standard Revised Version "judgment").
Greek
1948. epikrino -- to decree, givesentence... to decree, give
sentence. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: epikrino Phonetic
Spelling: (ep-ee-kree'-no) Short Definition: I decree, give
sentence Definition
...610. apokrima -- a judicialsentence, by ext. an answer
... apokrima. 611 . a judicialsentence, by ext.... Word Origin from apokrinomai Definition
a judicialsentence, by ext. an answer NASB Word Usagesentence (1)....
2613b. katadike --sentence
... 2613a, 2613b. katadike. 2614 .sentence. Transliteration: katadike Short
Definition: condemnation. Word Origin from kata and dike...
2613. katadikazo -- to passsentence upon
... to passsentence upon. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: katadikazo Phonetic
Spelling: (kat-ad-ik-ad'-zo) Short Definition: I condemn Definition: I condemn...
2613a. katadikazo -- to passsentence upon
... 2613, 2613a. katadikazo. 2613b . to passsentence upon. Transliteration:
katadikazo Short Definition: condemned. Word Origin from...
1345. dikaioma -- an ordinance, asentence of acquittal or...
... an ordinance, asentence of acquittal or condemnation, a righteous deed. Part of
Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: dikaioma Phonetic Spelling: (dik-ah'-yo...
2920. krisis -- a decision, judgment
... krisis Phonetic Spelling: (kree'-sis) Short Definition: judging, divine judgment
Definition: judging, judgment, decision,sentence; generally: divine judgment...
1253. diakrisis -- the act of judgment
... Noun, Feminine Transliteration: diakrisis Phonetic Spelling: (dee-ak'-ree-sis) Short
Definition: distinguishing, deciding, passingsentence on Definition...
2917. krima -- a judgment
... Word Origin from krino Definition a judgment NASB Word Usage condemnation (8), judgment
(15), judgments (1), lawsuits (1),sentence (1),sentence of...
3387. me tis -- any
... any Or me tis (may tis) from me and tis; whether any -- any (sometimes unexpressed
except by the simple interrogative form of thesentence). see GREEK me....
Strong's Hebrew
6599. pithgam -- an edict, decree... Word Origin of foreign origin Definition an edict, decree NASB Word Usage
edict (1),
sentence (1). decree,
sentence. Of Persian origin
...4941. mishpat -- judgment
... plan (1), plans (1), practice (1), procedure (4), properly (2), regulation (1),
right (8), rightful place (1), rights (2), rule (1),sentence (2), sentenced (1...
2420. chidah -- a riddle, an enigmatic, perplexing saying or...
... riddles (1). dark sayingsentence, speech, hard question, proverb, riddle.
From chuwd; a puzzle, hence, a trick, conundrum, sententious...
280. achidah -- a riddle
... hardsentence. (Aramaic) corresponding to chiydah, an enigma -- hardsentence. see
HEBREW chiydah. 279, 280. achidah. 281 . Strong's Numbers.
7081. qesem -- divination
... divination, divinesentence, witchcraft. From qacam; a lot: also divination (including
its fee), oracle -- (reward of) divination, divinesentence, witchcraft....
6310. peh -- mouth
... assent, collar, command(-ment), X eat, edge, end, entry, + file, hole, X in, mind,
mouth, part, portion, X (should) say(-ing),sentence, skirt, sound, speech...
8201. shephet -- judgment
... judgment. From shaphat; asentence, ie Infliction -- judgment. see HEBREW
shaphat. 8200, 8201. shephet. 8202 . Strong's Numbers.
1779. din -- judgment
... cause, judgment, plea, strife. From diyn; judgement (the suit, justice,sentence
or tribunal); by impl. Also strife -- cause, judgement, plea, strife....
1697. dabar -- speech, word
... please, portion, + power, promise, provision, purpose, question, rate, reason, report,
request, X (as hast) said, sake, saying,sentence, + sign, + so, some...
6600. pithgam -- a command, word, affair
... corresponding to pithgam Definition a command, word, affair NASB Word Usage answer
(1), answer...matter (1), answered* (1), edict (1), report (1),sentence (1...
Library
A MemorableSentence,
... A MEMORABLESENTENCE,. Formed from the signification of the names by which
the tribes were called, by which both the order of the...
TheSentence of the Synod.
... The Canons of the Blessed and Holy Fathers Assembled at Antioch in Syria. TheSentence
of the Synod. (From the Acts. Collation VIII., L. and C., Conc., Tom....
TheSentence of the Judge is Set Forth, the Counterpleas of the...
... Book II. Chapter XIV. Thesentence of the Judge is set forth, the counterpleas of
the opposers are considered?... Nay, He hath already pronouncedsentence....
TheSentence which Condemned the Judges
... EXPOSITIONS OF HOLY SCRIPTURE; ALEXANDER MACLAREN, DD, Litt. D.; ST. MATTHEW
Chaps. XVIII to XXVIII THESENTENCE WHICH CONDEMNED THE JUDGES....
TheSentence against the Monothelites.
... The Sixth Ecumenical Council. TheSentence Against the Monothelites. Session
XIII. (L. and C., Concilia, Tom. VI., col.943.). The...
WhichSentence Dishonoreth the Holy Martyrs, Nay Rather Taketh...
... Section 3. Whichsentence dishonoreth the holy Martyrs, nay rather taketh
away holy martyrdoms altogether.? 3. Whichsentence...
If theSentence is one of Command, Either Forbidding a Crime or...
... Book 3 Chapter 24. If thesentence is one of command, either forbidding
a crime or vice? 24. If thesentence is one of command...
Whether the Demons Will Carry Out theSentence of the Judge on the...
... OF THOSE WHO WILL JUDGE AND OF THOSE WHO WILL BE JUDGED AT THE GENERAL JUDGMENT
(EIGHT ARTICLES) Whether the demons will carry out thesentence of the Judge on...
TheSentence to this Effect, Then, Having Been Passed by Pilate...
... Part I."The Acts of Pilate. Second Greek Form. Chapter 10. Thesentence
to this effect, then, having been passed by Pilate?...
But Now as to theSentence which Follows all These...
... Book 4 Chapter 20. But now as to thesentence which follows all these? 20.
But now as to thesentence which follows all these: "and...
Thesaurus
Sentence (53 Occurrences)... of. 8. (vt) To decree or announce as a
sentence. 9. (vt) To utter
sententiously. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
SENTENCE. sen
...Revoke (10 Occurrences)
... Amos 1:3 Thus saith Jehovah: For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four,
I will not revoke mysentence, because they have threshed Gilead with...
Doom (15 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vt) Judgment; judicialsentence; penal decree;
condemnation. 2. (vt) That to which one is doomed or...
Period (43 Occurrences)
... 5. (n.) A completesentence, from one full stop to another; esp., a well-proportioned,
harmonioussentence.... 9. (n.) A complete musicalsentence. 10....
Conscience (36 Occurrences)
... 1. Judicial: This is judicial. No sooner is a decision formed than there ensues
a judgment favorable or adverse, asentence of guilty or not guilty....
Damn
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vt) To condemn; to declare guilty; to doom;
to adjudge to punishment; tosentence; to censure. 2. (vt...
Damnation (11 Occurrences)
... of magistracy. Thissentence of condemnation comes not from the magistrate,
but from God, whose authority is thus resisted. In 1...
Verdict (7 Occurrences)
... you shall come to the priests the Levites, and to the judge who shall be in those
days: and you shall inquire; and they shall show you thesentence of judgment...
Damnable (1 Occurrence)
... False prophets taught doctrines calculated to destroy others, and themselves incurred
thesentence of destruction such as overtook the fallen angels, the world...
Condemn (43 Occurrences)
... 3. (vt) To pronounce a judicialsentence against; tosentence to punishment,
suffering, or loss; to doom; -- with to before the penalty....
Resources
When the Bible is translated into English, how do the translators decide what punctuation to use? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does it mean that all have sinned? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is antinomy? | GotQuestions.orgSentence: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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