03-Abstain1

Abstain

In our further study of using Bible software to help us learn take this hypothesis:  The meaning of the word ‘abstain’ is:  1) not vote for or against a proposal when a vote is held  2) refrain from something to choose not to do something (Encarta Dictionary N.A.).   Abstain has several synonyms or substitutes these are:  desist – refrain – withdraw – withhold – curb – go without (Dictionary Form) – give up (Dictionary Form) – (The opposite would be” indulge” (an Antonym)).    Reviewing the synonyms can give you a reasonable understanding of the meaning of the word.

We will study the word ‘abstain’ from the Bible’s standpoint: 

I consider the first point is to see how many times the word is used in the Bible.  Recognizing that for different translations there would be different quantities and usage in various scripture texts.  Using the English Standard Version (ESV) it is found 12 times in the Bible.  In the New King James (NKJ)  and the New International Version (NIF) it is only 8 times.

In all the Bibles that Logos has it is 285 times in 69 verses of 39 resources…(Bibles used in search).

WHAT does that information tell you?  There could be several answers to that question.  Rather than give my answer I will just say this:  We need to be very careful when we take a translation and zero in on a word to prove a point that we may argue that the word means such-and-such.  In reality it was a word used by the translation committee for that Bible.  It would be better to take such words and do the above search to see how different Greek or Hebrew words are translated into the English word you’re reading.  Remember that there would be a variety of ‘root language’ words that was translated “abstain”, in this case.  To understand this better it would be well to see what different Greek/Hebrew words are used in the texts found in the ESV version.  The FIRST text in our series for the ESV Bible is:

Leviticus 22:2 (ESV)  “Speak to Aaron and his sons so that they abstain from the holy things of the people of Israel, which they dedicate to me, so that they do not profane my holy name: I am the LORD.

This HEBREW word appears different places in the Bible and they translate with three different English words:

One notices that the TWO times it is translated “Abstain” are located in our listing of 12 from the ESV.  However, make note that 7 other times that same Hebrew word was translated as ‘separate(s)’ and one time as ‘consecrated’. 

1 Peter 2:11(ESV)  – Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 

This GREEK word appears different places in the Bible and they translate with seven different English words:  “received” – “was a long way” – “is” – “enough” – “was” – “abstinence” – “have” –AND – “abstain” (these 5 times would be in our listing for the ESV version).

With seven different English words used in translating the same Greek words it help us to realize that the committee that assembles the translation tries to place the best English word(s) that fit the Greek language. 

The Greek and Hebrew language does NOT translate directly as most languages would not be able to do that.  Again we have learned that the English words in the 1611 KV were words that this generation does not know or has a different meaning applied to it.  THUS, the need for continuing to translate the Bible into words that are now connected to the meaning the original language intended when written.

Here is a picture of the Greek word and it’s translations:

In the next figure you see the various Greek Words and the central Greek word (The one we’re on) with the meaning of “Receive in full”…..  Compare the two ‘donut’ diagrams…(Same Greek word in center.)

NEXT one can click on each of the words in the 1st figure – say the English word “WAS”:

In the above scriptures where they used ‘received’ one could see that using the word ‘abstain’ would not fit with our language.  The sentence would NOT make any sense to us if that same Greek word was always translated as “was” or “received” or “abstain”.

Looking at Abstain in the donut diagram:

Looking at received:

I hope the above examples shows the point that we read a ‘translation’ and the team of translators work to place the English word that would fit the content/meaning of the original Greek language.  THUS, we need to be careful to lock on a specific word in our Bible until we have read that same scripture in various translations.  Of course if one is a Greek student they would approach it still differently.

Here are scriptural ‘examples’ of it used:  (these can be found in the above figure as well).

Here is the meaning of the Greek word using different ‘Greek Dictionaries’”

ABSTAIN, ABSTINENCE   apecho (ἀπέχω, 568), “to hold oneself from” (apo, “from,” echomai, the middle voice of echo, “to have,” i.e., to keep oneself from), in the NT, invariably refers to evil practices, moral and ceremonial, Acts 15:20, 29; 1 Thess. 4:3; 5:22; 1 Tim. 4:3; 1 Pet. 2:11; so in the Sept. in Job 1:1; 2:3. See ENOUGH, RECEIVE.¶   Note: The noun “abstinence” in Acts 27:21, KJV, translates asitia, “without food,” RV (a, negative, sitos, “food”). Cf. asitos, “fasting,” v. 33.¶  

VCEDONTW

échō [to have, hold], antéchomai [to hold fast], apéchō [to keep away], enéchō [to hold fast], énochos [held fast], katéchō [to hold fast], metéchō [to share], metochḗ [sharing], métochos [sharing in], nounechṓs [wisely], symmétochos [sharing with] échō (nounechṓs). A. échein in Secular Usage. This term means “to have” in various senses, “to have in, on, around, over, or with,” “to own,” “to enjoy,” “to possess.” In Greek philosophy it is used with abstract terms, e.g., with qualities or with fellowship, which may be with gods or demons as well as other people (for Christians with Christ or God). B. échein in the LXX. Hebrew has no single term for “to have,” so that échein is comparatively rare in the LXX (some 500 times), mostly with no originals. The use of échein covers all the meanings in classical and Hellenistic Greek, including the having of power, spirit, hope, etc., as well as virtues and fellowship with others or with God. When there is no object, the …

Little Kittel

568.  ἀπέχω apĕchō, ap-ekh´-o; from 575 and 2192; (act.) to have out, i.e. receive in full; (intrans.) to keep (oneself) away, i.e. be distant (lit. or fig.):—be, have, receive.

CDWGTHB

One could tap the speaker icon and the word would be pronounced in Greek for you:

Lemma  means:  In linguistics a lemma (plural lemmas or lemmata) is either of two things: Morphology, lexicography: the canonical form, dictionary form, or citation form of a set of words …

Next step might be to take each of the 12 verses and do a study of that verse.