{"id":2882,"date":"2019-01-16T15:21:14","date_gmt":"2019-01-16T14:21:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.manual4life.org\/en\/?p=2882"},"modified":"2019-07-17T16:11:07","modified_gmt":"2019-07-17T15:11:07","slug":"forgive-word-study","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/forgive-word-study\/","title":{"rendered":"To forgive &#8211; word study"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In this study the meaning of the Greek verb <strong>\u2018aphiemi\u2019<\/strong> is considered.<br \/>\nIn the Bible this is translated as:<strong> to forgive<\/strong>, among other things.<\/p>\n<p>This Greek verb appears in 133 Bible texts and is only translated as <strong>to forgive<\/strong> on approximately <strong>1 in 4 occasions<\/strong> and then always in the context of sin and guilt.<br \/>\nProbably as a result of this, the expression has taken on a fraught content and many people have great difficulty <strong>forgiving<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Forgiving<\/strong> often gives the impression that someone\u2019s error, or the terrible things that happened in the past, should not be held against them.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Biblical forgiveness does not smooth these events out, however, but desires to set people free from the past and point them towards the present and the future.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>That is the reason for this study, in the hope that, through it, a better understanding of <strong>\u2018aphiemi\u2019<\/strong>, <strong>to forgive<\/strong> will become more easily manageable and people will go on to experience freedom in Jesus Christ, as God has intended them to do.<\/p>\n<p>This is only a word study that does not consider emotional questions concerning relationships between people.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Word study:<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>According to the <a title=\"Online Bijbel\" href=\"http:\/\/www.manual4life.org\/en\/online-bijbel\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">OLB<\/span><\/a> <strong>\u2018aphiemi\u2019<\/strong> is a combination of two words:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>apo: a preposition with the meaning of separation, of distance or time.<\/li>\n<li>hieme: to be translated as to send, to go.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>\u2018Aphiemi\u2019<\/strong> is therefore also translated by the OLB as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>to send away, to bid going away, yield up, to let go, give up a debt<\/li>\n<li>to permit, allow, not to hinder<\/li>\n<li>to leave, go way (in order to go to another place, to depart from one)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The Greek\/Dutch dictionary translates it as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>to send away, to let go, to renounce<\/li>\n<li>to chase away, to throw away<\/li>\n<li>to set free, to acquit, to free from<\/li>\n<li>to forgive, to absolve<\/li>\n<li>to let loose, to set oneself free from something, to sail away<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Notice:<\/strong> that <strong>to forgive<\/strong> in the OLB\u2019s translation only occupies a subordinate place.<br \/>\nTo forgive is only mentioned at the fourth place in the dictionary.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2018Aphiemi\u2019<\/strong> is therefore translated 3 times out of 4 by words such as <strong>to send away, to let go<\/strong> or<strong> to let<\/strong>, with the underlying thought of separation in distance and time (see the make-up of <strong>\u2018aphiemi\u2019<\/strong> on the page above).<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u2018Aphiemi\u2019 in the Bible translation:<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A few Bible texts that give a different view of forgiving, and that better reflect the real drift of \u2018aphiemi\u2019.<br \/>\n\u2018Aphiemi\u2019 is indicated in \u2018bold\u2019 letters in these examples.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Matthew 3:15<\/strong><br \/>\nJesus asks John the Baptist to baptise Him in the Jordan and John refuses.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>Jesus replied, \u201c<strong>Let it be<\/strong> so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfil all righteousness.\u201d Then John <strong>consented<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>This could have possibly been translated here as<strong> to forgive<\/strong>, in the sense of: John, <strong>forgive<\/strong> me for putting this question to you and just baptise me. He then <strong>forgave<\/strong> Him and he baptised Jesus.<\/p>\n<p>However, what Jesus asks John is<strong> to let go<\/strong> of<strong> the question<\/strong> he has asked Him.<br \/>\nWhen Jesus asks to be baptised, it is not up to John to comment on this and to attempt to prevent Him from doing so.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Matthew 15:14<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em><strong>Leave<\/strong> them; they are blind guides.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The disciples came to tell Jesus that the Pharisees were offended by His words.<br \/>\nThe answer Jesus gave His disciples to this could have been translated as: <strong>Forgive<\/strong> them, they are blind; they lead the blind.<\/p>\n<p>As it is translated now, what Jesus means is clearer, i.e.: <strong>Let go of<\/strong> the fact that the Pharisees are offended in Me. They cannot understand my words. They are blind.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Matthew 4:22<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u2026 and immediately they <strong>left<\/strong> the boat and their father and followed him.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Jesus calls James and John to follow Him and they immediately orientate themselves towards their new future. They <strong>let go of<\/strong> what is occupying them, including their family.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Matthew 19:27<\/strong><br \/>\nThis is translated differently once again in Peter\u2019s declaration.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>Peter answered him, \u201cWe <strong>have left<\/strong> everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Matthew 8:15<\/strong><br \/>\nPeter\u2019s mother-in-law lay in bed with a fever:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>He (Jesus) touched her hand and the fever <strong>left<\/strong> her, and she got up and began to wait on him.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Matthew 13:30<\/strong><br \/>\nA landowner has sown wheat and an enemy sows weeds among it.<br \/>\nThe workers want to remove the weeds from among the wheat.<br \/>\nBecause they would then also damage the wheat, the landowner says:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em><strong>Let<\/strong> both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Expressed otherwise: <strong>Let go of<\/strong> your desire to remove the weeds, so that both will grow together until the harvest.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Luke 17:35<\/strong><br \/>\nA statement by Jesus about the future, in which it is difficult to trace the notion of <strong>forgiving<\/strong> as it is generally understood.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other <strong>left<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>While two women are working together a separation between them comes about, because one of them suddenly disappears. The second woman is <strong>left behind<\/strong>, whereby the idea of <strong>forgiving<\/strong> is once again traceable with difficulty, in view of the fact that <strong>leaving behind<\/strong> rather implies <strong>judgement<\/strong> here.<\/p>\n<p><strong>John 4:1\/3<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John \u2026 So he <strong>left<\/strong> Judea and went back once more to Galilee.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>In His thoughts Jesus was not occupied with what He had had to do in Judea, so that they would understood Him better.<br \/>\nHe temporarily <strong>left<\/strong> His ministry in Judea <strong>behind<\/strong> (resting) and concentrated on Galilee once again.<\/p>\n<p><strong>John 4:28<\/strong><br \/>\nA clear example of what forgiving actually means.<br \/>\nJesus\u2019 conversation with a Samaritan woman who comes to the well to draw water.<br \/>\nWhen she understood who Jesus was she forgot why she had come to the well.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>Then, <strong>leaving<\/strong> her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, \u2026<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>John 11:48<\/strong><br \/>\nThe Pharisees took counsel to kill Jesus. They were worried that everyone would believe in Him and came to the conclusion:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>If we <strong>let<\/strong> him <strong>go<\/strong> on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The Pharisees say something like: If we <strong>let<\/strong> Him <strong>go<\/strong>, <strong>let Him free<\/strong> to do as He wishes, they will all believe in Him.<\/p>\n<p><strong>1 Corinthians 7:13<\/strong><br \/>\nPaul, concerning marriage with an unbeliever:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not <strong>divorce<\/strong> him.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The woman is not <strong>to let her husband go<\/strong>, go away from him, because of his unbelief. She must not view his unbelief as a reason to break up their marriage relationship, but rather <strong>let go of<\/strong> the fact that he does not believe.<\/p>\n<p><strong>John 14:18<\/strong><br \/>\nJesus promises the coming of the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>I will not <strong>leave<\/strong> you as orphans; I will come to you.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Revelation 2:4<\/strong><br \/>\nIn the letters to the seven churches the Ephesians are reproached for having <strong>forsaken<\/strong> their first love, having distanced themselves from it.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>Yet I hold this against you: You have <strong>forsaken<\/strong> the love you had at first.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Matthew 4:11<\/strong><br \/>\nIn the desert the devil does not succeed in seducing Jesus to disobey His Father.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>Then the devil <strong>left<\/strong> him, and angels came and attended him.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>It is difficult to assume that the devil <strong>forgives<\/strong> Jesus because He does not go along with his suggestions. He does not persist, however. He temporarily <strong>lets go of (rests)<\/strong> his attempts to seduce Jesus and goes away.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hebrews 2:8<\/strong><br \/>\nGod has subjected everything to Jesus and, in a manner of speaking, not <strong>left<\/strong> anything<strong> to chance<\/strong>, or overlooked anything.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u2026 and put everything under their feet. In putting everything under them, God <strong>left<\/strong> nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Matthew 18:27<\/strong><br \/>\nThe notion of <strong>forgiving<\/strong> is clearly reflected in the parable of the slave who owes his master 10,000 talents and is unable to repay.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>The servant\u2019s master took pity on him, <strong>cancelled<\/strong> the debt and let him go.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The master does not <strong>forgive the slave<\/strong>, but he <strong>lets him go free<\/strong>, because he<strong> \u2018forgives\u2019 the debt<\/strong> (literally: the loan).<br \/>\nExpressed otherwise: <strong>Waives the demand<\/strong> that the slave must repay the debt.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">What is forgiving?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>100 of the 133 texts could be included in the survey above, whereby \u2018aphiemi\u2019 is not translated as to forgive.<\/p>\n<p>It is clear from the texts mentioned here that <strong>\u2018aphiemi\u2019 is a general expression<\/strong>, which usually means that one:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>lets go of <strong>something<\/strong> (an expression or a statement)<\/li>\n<li>whereby <strong>people<\/strong> are set free.\u00a0 (the person who is \u2018forgiven\u2019 and\/or the person who \u2018forgives\u2019)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong> \u2018Aphiemi\u2019<\/strong> is a word that is used in many situations.<br \/>\nWhen it refers to the relationship between two people it does not usually directly refer to one person, but to <strong>that which in fact fundamentally influences the relationship<\/strong>.<br \/>\nIn that relationship <strong>\u2018aphiemi\u2019<\/strong> only says something about the <strong>attitude<\/strong> of the person who <strong>forgives<\/strong>, i.e. that he literally <strong>lets go of<\/strong> the past, distances himself from it and is no longer occupied with it.<\/p>\n<p>The last text from Matthew 18:27, which is mentioned above, gives a splendid example of this and is therefore discussed further in the studies <a title=\"Forgiveness \u2013 basic principles 1\" href=\"http:\/\/www.manual4life.org\/en\/forgiveness-basic-principles-1\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u2018Forgiveness \u2013 basic principles 1 and 2\u2019<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The master <strong>cancels<\/strong> the slave\u2019s <strong>debt<\/strong>.<br \/>\nThe master no longer demands that the slave reimburse the enormous debt from the past.<\/p>\n<p>The master <strong>lets go of<\/strong> the debt from <strong>the pas<\/strong>t.<br \/>\n<strong>Freedom in the present<\/strong> comes in its place:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong> freedom for the master<\/strong>, who no longer lives under tension, because the slave is unable to pay off the enormous debt from the past<\/li>\n<li><strong>freedom for the slave<\/strong>, who is no longer enslaved, pursued by his past.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Continued in the study: Forgiving in practice.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Print this study as a PDF document:<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.manual4life.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/To-forgive-\u2013-word-study.pdf\">To forgive \u2013 word study.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this study the meaning of the Greek verb \u2018aphiemi\u2019 is considered. In the Bible this is translated as: to forgive, among other things. This Greek verb appears in 133 Bible texts and is only translated as to forgive on approximately 1 in 4 occasions and then always in the context of sin and guilt. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2882"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2882"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2882\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2986,"href":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2882\/revisions\/2986"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2882"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2882"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/delevensschool.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2882"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}