Topical Encyclopedia
The term "vile" in the Bible is often used to describe actions, behaviors, or characteristics that are morally reprehensible, detestable, or abominable in the sight of God. It is associated with sinfulness, corruption, and moral degradation. The concept of vileness is significant in understanding the nature of sin and the holiness of God, as it contrasts the purity and righteousness that God desires from His people.
Old Testament UsageIn the Old Testament, the Hebrew word often translated as "vile" is "נָבָל" (nabal), which can mean foolish or contemptible. This term is used to describe actions that are not only foolish but also morally corrupt. For example, in
Psalm 14:1 , it is written, "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt; their acts are vile. There is no one who does good." Here, the vileness is associated with a denial of God and a life of corruption.
Another Hebrew word, "זָמָה" (zamah), is used in contexts of lewdness or wickedness, often in relation to sexual immorality or idolatry. In
Ezekiel 16:27 , God speaks of the Israelites' unfaithfulness, saying, "Behold, therefore, I stretched out My hand against you and reduced your portion. I gave you over to the greed of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your lewd conduct."
New Testament UsageIn the New Testament, the Greek word "φαῦλος" (phaulos) is often translated as "vile" or "worthless." It denotes actions that are morally bad or evil. In
Romans 1:26 , the Apostle Paul describes the consequences of humanity's rejection of God: "For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones." The passage goes on to describe various vile behaviors that result from turning away from God.
The concept of vileness is also evident in the description of the human heart and its capacity for evil. In
Mark 7:21-23 , Jesus says, "For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness. All these evils come from within, and these are what defile a man."
Theological ImplicationsThe vileness of sin is a central theme in the Bible, highlighting the need for redemption and the transformative power of God's grace. The Bible teaches that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (
Romans 3:23), and that the wages of sin is death (
Romans 6:23). However, through faith in Jesus Christ, believers are cleansed from their sins and made righteous before God.
The call to holiness is a response to the vileness of sin. Believers are urged to live lives that reflect the holiness of God, as seen in
1 Peter 1:15-16 : "But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'" This call to holiness is a rejection of all that is vile and an embrace of the righteousness that comes through Christ.
Practical ApplicationUnderstanding the concept of vileness in the Bible encourages believers to examine their own lives and to seek God's help in overcoming sin. It serves as a reminder of the seriousness of sin and the importance of living a life that honors God. Through prayer, repentance, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Christians are empowered to turn away from vile behaviors and to pursue a life of holiness and righteousness.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
superl.) Low; base; worthless; mean; despicable.
2. (superl.) Morally base or impure; depraved by sin; hateful; in the sight of God and men; sinful; wicked; bad.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
VILE, VILLANYvil, vil'-an-i: The original words for "vile" and "villany" are used in about 10 different senses, e.g. despised (1 Samuel 15:9), despicable (Daniel 11:21 the King James Version), lightly esteemed (Deuteronomy 25:3), empty (Judges 19:24 the King James Version), foolish (Isaiah 32:6, the King James Version and the English Revised Version), dishonorable (Romans 1:26), filthy or dirty (James 2:2), humiliation (Philippians 3:21).
Villany occurs but twice in the King James Version (Isaiah 32:6Jeremiah 29:23), and signifies emptiness or folly (so the Revised Version (British and American)). From the foregoing meanings it will be seen that the word "vile" does not always bear the meaning which has come to be invariably given it in our present-day speech. Anything common or ordinary or humble might, in the Scriptural sense, be termed "vile." SoJob 40:4, the Revised Version (British and American) "Behold, I am of small account"; also "the low estate of his handmaid" (Luke 1:48). Ordinarily, however, the idea of contemptible, despicable, is read into the word.
William Evans
Greek
4508. rhuparos -- filthy...vile. From rhupos; dirty, ie (relatively) cheap or shabby; morally, wicked --
vile.
see GREEK rhupos. (rupara) -- 1 Occurrence. (ruparos) -- 1 Occurrence.
...819. atimia -- dishonor
... dishonor, reproach, shame,vile. From atimos; infamy, ie (subjectively) comparative
indignity, (objectively) disgrace -- dishonour, reproach, shame,vile....
5113. tolmetes -- a bold, daring man
... Cognate: 5113 -- literally, darers, very bold people who what make them afraid,
ie as they blatantly (boldly) practice theirvile, disrespectful acts....
955. Beliar -- "lord of the forest," Beliar, a name of Satan
... 955 (transliterated from the OT 1100 , "worthless,vile, wickedness") -- Belial,
an appellation of Satan which stresses his deep-seated -- "the one who is...
148. aischrologia -- abusive language
... filthy communication, obscene speech. From aischros and logos;vile conversation --
filthy communication. see GREEK aischros. see GREEK logos....
5014. tapeinosis -- low estate, humiliation
... humiliation, low estate. From tapeinoo; depression (in rank or feeling) --
humiliation, be made low, low estate,vile. see GREEK tapeinoo....
1890. epaphrizo -- to foam up
... foam out. From epi and aphrizo; to foam upon, ie (figuratively) to exhibit
(avile passion) -- foam out. see GREEK epi. see GREEK aphrizo....
579. apobletos -- to be thrown away, ie rejected
... Phonetic Spelling: (ap-ob'-lay-tos) Short Definition: worthy to be cast away, worthless
Definition: worthy to be cast away, worthless, regarded asvile....
Strong's Hebrew
5240. nemibzah --vile... 5239, 5240. nemibzah. 5241 .
vile. Transliteration: nemibzah Phonetic Spelling:
(nem-ib-zeh') Short Definition:
vile.
...vile From bazah, despised --
vile.
...2933. tamah -- to be stopped up, stupid
... be defiled, be reputedvile. A collateral form of tame'; to be impure in a religious
sense -- be defiled, be reputedvile. see HEBREW tame'. 2932b, 2933....
7043. qalal -- to be slight, swift or trifling
... A primitive root; to be (causatively, make) light, literally (swift, small, sharp,
etc.) Or figuratively (easy, trifling,vile, etc.) -- abate, make bright...
7034. qalah -- to be lightly esteemed or dishonored
... base, contemn, despise, lightly esteem, set light, seemvile. A primitive root;
to be light (as implied in rapid motion), but figuratively...
5039. nebalah -- senselessness, disgrace
... folly,vile, villany. Feminine of nabal; foolishness, ie (morally) wickedness;
concretely, a crime; by extension, punishment -- folly,vile, villany....
959. bazah -- to despise
... despise, disdain, contemptible, think to scorn,vile person. A primitive root;
to disesteem -- despise, disdain, contemn(-ptible), + think...
5036. nabal -- foolish, senseless
... foolish,vile person. From nabel; stupid; wicked (especially impious) -- fool(-ish,
-ish man, -ish woman),vile person. see HEBREW nabel. 5035b, 5036....
8182. shoar -- horrid, disgusting
... open (1).vile. From sha'ar; harsh or horrid, ie Offensive --vile. see HEBREW
sha'ar. 8181, 8182. shoar. 8183 . Strong's Numbers.
2151. zalal -- to shake
... 2150, 2151. zalal. 2151a . to shake. Transliteration: zalal Phonetic Spelling:
(zaw-lal') Short Definition: down. blow down, glutton, riotous eater,vile...
5034. nabel -- to be senseless or foolish
... disgrace, dishounor, lightly esteem, come to nothing, makevile, wither
A primitive root; to wilt; generally, to fall away, fail...
Library
Vile Ingratitude!
...Vile Ingratitude! A Sermon (No.323). Delivered... This is abominable indeed! This
is sovile that no language can execrate it sufficiently. To...
TheVile Person
... Names And Titles of the Antichrist 22. TheVile Person. "And in his estate
shall stand up aVile Person, to whom they shall not give...
Separating the Precious from theVile
... Separating the Precious From theVile. A Sermon (No.305). Delivered on Sabbath Morning,
March 25th, 1860, by the. REV. CH SPURGEON. At Exeter Hall, Strand....
Behold I amVile!
... II. Seeking, Pleading, and Hoping. Hymn 7 Behold I amvile! John Newton 6,6,8,6.
Behold I amvile! O LORD, howvile am I,. Unholy, and unclean!...
HowVile are They
... THE SECOND CENTURY 34 Howvile are they. Howvile are they, and blind and
ignorant, that will not see every one to be the heir of...
TheVile Calumny About Onocoetes Retorted on the Heathen by...
... Book I. Chapter XIV. "TheVile Calumny About Onocoetes Retorted on the Heathen by
Tertullian. Report has introduced a new calumny respecting our God....
Vile Transformation of Jupiter.
... Book X. Chapter XXII."Vile Transformation of Jupiter. "There are also
innumerable adulteries of his, of which no offspring was...
Things Apparently Useless andVile Made by God.
... Book VIII. Chapter XLIII."Things Apparently Useless andVile Made by God.
"If, then, it seems to you that this is so, and what...
Twenty-Third Sunday after Trinity. For Our Conversation is in...
... For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the
Lord Jesus Christ; who shall change ourvile body, that it may be fashined...
Of the Third Consideration of the Sacred Holy Stigmata
... and who am I, a mostvile worm and thy most unprofitable servant?" and these
words he repeated over and over again, adding nothing more....
Thesaurus
Vile (59 Occurrences)... 2. (superl.) Morally base or impure; depraved by sin; hateful; in the sight of God
and men; sinful; wicked; bad. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
VILE, VILLANY
...Villany (4 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) See Villainy. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
VILE, VILLANY. vil, vil'-an-i: The original words for...
Contemptible (14 Occurrences)
... 1. (a.) Deserving of scorn or disdain; mean;vile; despicable.... (See NIV). 2 Samuel
6:22 I will be yet morevile than this, and will be base in my own sight....
Gazing-stock (2 Occurrences)
... make theevile, and will set thee as a gazing-stock," as one set up to be gazed
at, mocked and despised-a form of punishment in olden times; compare "mocking...
Gazingstock (2 Occurrences)
... make theevile, and will set thee as a gazing-stock," as one set up to be gazed
at, mocked and despised-a form of punishment in olden times; compare "mocking...
Personality
... Father. "Person" is also frequently supplied as the substantive implied
in various adjectives, etc., eg profane, perjured,vile....
Affection (30 Occurrences)
... Mention is made of "vile affections" (Romans 1:26) and "inordinate affection"
(Colossians 3:5). Christians are exhorted to set their affections on things above...
Passions (26 Occurrences)
... Romans 1:26 For this reason, God gave them up tovile passions. For their women
changed the natural function into that which is against nature....
Folly (68 Occurrences)
... In Isaiah 32:5, 6 the King James Version nabhal is translated "vile person" and
nebhalah "villany," the Revised Version (British and American) "fool" and "folly...
Fool (95 Occurrences)
... In Isaiah 32:5, 6 the King James Version nabhal is translated "vile person" and
nebhalah "villany," the Revised Version (British and American) "fool" and "folly...
Resources
What is the Queen James Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does the Bible mean when it says, “The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God'”? | GotQuestions.orgIs it wrong for a Christian to have a sexual fantasy? | GotQuestions.orgVile: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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