v. Abomination, Fornication
Eze 11:18 and they shall take away from her all her i and all
Act 17:16 seeing the city delivered to the i
1Co 10:14 therefore, my beloved, flee from the i
Gal 5:20 i, witchcraft, enmities, lawsuits
1Pe 4:3 walking in .. orgies .. and abominable i
Idolatry (Gr. eidí‡lolatry). According to biblical usage, idolatry includes both the worship of false gods in various forms and the worship of images as symbols of Yahweh. The NT expands the concept of idolatry to include practices such as gluttony (Phi 3:19) and attitudes such as covetousness (Eph 5:5), which is in harmony with the spiritual emphasis in the NT. Idolatry was practiced very early in history. Abraham’s immediate ancestors “served strange gods” (Joshua 24:2). The patriarchs devoted themselves to the monotheistic worship of Jehovah, but members of their families were sometimes influenced by idolatry (Gen 31:30, 32-35; 35:1-4). It was a frequent sin in Israel (Deu 32:16; 2Ki 17:12; Psa 106:38) and a more than passing concern in the early Christian church (1Co 12:2). Canaanite paganism was popular because of its low ethical standards in contrast to the high ones of the Hebrew religion, and the more demanding religion was often abandoned for the easier worship of Baal. The problem of idolatry was so serious in ancient times that the first 2 commandments of the Decalogue deal in a very definite way with this phase of religious life (Exo 20:3-6). During the exodus period there were 2 notable violations of these commandments: first was the worship of the golden calf (ch 32); second, the apostasy at Shittim, where Israel fell into the licentious practices of Moabite idolatry (Num 25:1, 2). From the conquest of Canaan to the Babylonian captivity, idolatry was a persistent and demoralizing pattern in Israel’s experience. In the earliest period this scheme was repeated over and over again: Israel fell into idolatry and was the victim of aggression (Psa_106); then a judge emerged who freed him and re-established the cult of Yahweh. The fluctuation between the worship of the God of Israel and idolatry continued during the time of the kings, often strengthened by political alliances and marriages with pagans (1Ki 11:1-13; etc.). In those times the battle against the idols was led by prophets: Elijah challenged the idolatrous Ahab (21:17-27); Amos warned the people that captivity would result from the worship of false gods (Amos 5:1, 26, 27); Hosea denounced the “calf of Samaria” (Hos 8:4-6); Isaiah ridiculed the folly of worshiping the work of one’s own hands (Isa 44:9-20); Jeremiah predicted divine punishment as a result of idol worship (Jer 7:16-20, 29-34); Ezequiel announced the desolation of the country because of idolatry (Eze_6). The repetition of these warnings is very frequent, which indicates the seriousness of the problem in OT times. During the captivity, the Israelites learned their lesson regarding idolatry. Their rejection of images became so strong and lasting that centuries later they considered even Roman standards to contaminate them; and they even destroyed the golden eagle of Herod’s temple. They made every effort to isolate themselves from any influence that might incline them toward idolatry. The new synagogue worship, which was very common in NT times, was an effective protection against foreign influence. The former tendency to fraternize with neighboring nations gave rise to a fanatical isolation (Joh 4:9; Act 10:28) which had very negative consequences. Converts from paganism in NT times were in constant danger of falling back into idolatry, so there are many warnings against it (1Co 5:10, 11; 6:9; 10:7; Eph 5:5; Rev 21: 8; 22:15; etc). One of the problems that most concerned about this was eating food sacrificed to idols. Some converts from paganism could not, in good conscience, make use of them. Paul recommended that they be treated with consideration, and that the more mature Christians, for whom idols were nothing 572 and therefore the food sacrificed to them was no different from those who were not, should not press their consciences of those (1Co_8; cf Rom_14). The genius of Judaism and Christianity is ethical monotheism. The belief that “God is one” and that “God cares about what people do” contrasts with the degraded polytheism of the centuries. Bib.: FJ-GJ ii.9.2, 3; FJ-JA xvii.6.2, 3. Idol. Figure, statue, likeness, etc., venerated as a representation of a divinity. An idol, in a broad sense, can be any tangible object that is worshiped as a god, or as a symbol of that god. “Image” has a slightly more restricted meaning, since it generally designates a fabricated likeness, supposedly “portraying” the deity it represents. In the Bible these terms are used to translate many Hebrew and Greek words, few of which correspond exactly to the English words. Some biblical words are terms that refer to the form or nature of the idol, or to the manner in which it was made; others represent various expressions of contempt for the absurdity and debasement of idolatry. Some important ones are: 1. Heb. ‘elîl, “we god”, “nothing” (Psa 96:5; Isa 2:8). 2. Heb. ‘eben, “stone”, which designated the material with which some idols were made. 3. Heb. gillûlîm (“dung balls”) and ‘elîlîm (“little gods”), terms of contempt for false gods (1Ki 21:26; Eze 14:3-7). 4. Heb. pâsîl and pesel, originally a carved wooden image, a carved idol, and, in later writings, any other type of image (of stone, clay, even cast iron; Exo 20:4; Deu 7:5; Jdg 3:19, 26; 2Ch 33:19; Isa 40:19, 20; 44:9, 10). 5. Heb. tselem, “image”, “likeness”, generally similar to the English word “image” (Eze 23:14; Amo 5:26). 6. Heb. massêkâh, idol of molten metal. 7. Heb. temûnâh, representative statue of a god qualifying him in some of his attributes. 8. Heb. terâfîm, “teraphs”.* 9. Gr. eídí‡Ion (from which our word “idol” comes; Act 7:41; 1Co 12:2; 1Joh 5:21). 10. Gr. eikon, “image”, “likeness” (Rom 1:23; cf its basic meaning of “likeness” in Mat 22:20; 2Co 4:4; etc.; figs 163, 503).
Source: Evangelical Bible Dictionary
Greek eidos, image, latreuein, to serve. Worship of a material image considered the residence of a supernatural being. Tribute worship, worship, serve, to gods other than Yahweh. This also includes certain pagan practices such as divination, sorcery, and customs such as the slicing of flesh. Israel was surrounded and came into contact with primitive peoples and great ancient civilizations, such as the Egyptians, the Chaldeans, idolaters, polytheists, who worshiped the heavenly bodies and the stars, the animals, the kings themselves, like the Egyptians; that they made all kinds of images, idols, cipos, statues of wood, stone or metal, for public worship, and domestic fetishes for private worship; who erected idolatrous monuments such as stelae, sanctuaries. Animal sacrifices, libations and oblations were offered to these divinities, and banquets were held, and some peoples even went so far as to immolate human victims in their honour. There are practices such as sacred prostitution, slaves, servants, of the sanctuaries, men and women, dedicated to this activity, with whose profits the cult was sustained, the so-called ® hierodules. When Yahweh establishes the alliance with his people, he makes the first demand in the Decalogue: † œYou shall have no other gods besides me †; he forbids making images, prostrating before them and worshiping them; Yahweh says, anthropomorphically, that he is a jealous God, that is, that worship is due only to him, for this reason he rejected Israel’s alliances with other peoples, Ex 20, 3-5; 34, 14-16; Deut 4, 35; 5, 7-10; 6, 14-15; Joshua 24, 19-20; Na 1, 2. Likewise, any sacrifice that was offered had to be brought to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, under penalty of being excluded from the kindred, Lv 17, 8-9. Despite the prohibition, the Israelite people idolized repeatedly, as in the desert, when Aaron melted down a golden calf, Ex 32, 4-6. Once the Israelites entered the land of Canaan, they encountered the cult of Baal and other gods, and were unfaithful to Yahweh, against which the prophets fought hard, Jc 2, 11; 3, 7; 8, 33; 10, 6 and 10; 1 Sam 7, 4; 12, 10; 1 R 18, 18; 2 Chr 24, 7; 28, 2; 33, 3; 34, 4; Salt 106 (1†™5), 28; Jer 9, 13; Hos 2, 15 and 19; 11, 2. The prophets constantly insisted that the idols are nothing more than the work of the hand of man and ironized how the people prostrated themselves before these falsehoods and vanities, Is 2, 8 and 20; 31, 7; 40, 1920; Jr 2, 5; 10, 3-15; Has 2, 17-20.
In the NT this problem continues, and Saint Paul tells the Gentiles, in his preaching, that those idols that they previously served are not gods, Ga 4, 8; on the contrary, they are dumb idols, 1 Cor 12, 1; corruptible representations, Rm 1, 23; so that, since they are nothing, the worship is not of idols but of demons, 1 Cor 8, 4-13; 10, 19-22; and with regard to eating food sacrificed to idols, Paul says that everything is lawful, but not everything is convenient; For him, consuming that food may not be a problem of conscience, but for another it is, therefore he must abstain so as not to scandalize his brother, 1 Cor 10, 23-33. On the other hand, the imperial rule of Rome at the time required the subjects of its colonies to worship the emperor, considered a god, which affected Christians from apostolic times. As the Christian faithful refused to recognize this divine character of the Caesars, they were considered subversive, which unleashed the persecution and martyrdom of many believers. The ® Apocalypse of Saint John deals with this problem and is intended to lift the spirits of Christians and strengthen faith in the midst of so much violence against the Church.
Digital Bible Dictionary, Grupo C Service & Design Ltda., Colombia, 2003
Source: Digital Bible Dictionary
In ancient times, idolatry included two ways of departing from true religion: the worship of false gods (whether through images or other means); and the worship of the Lord through images.
All the neighboring nations of ancient Israel were idolaters. The ancient Semites of Mesopotamia worshiped mountains, springs, trees, and heaps of stones. A typical example of such representations in wood is the sacred stick or ritual tree of Asherah, such as the idol of Gideon’s clan that he later destroyed (Jdg 6:25-32).
The religion of the Egyptians was largely centered on the veneration of the sun and the Nile River as sources of life. They also had a vast number of animals…