Abominable (111) (athemitos from a = negative + themis = statute, an adjective from themis = law) is literally contrary to statute, and thus illegal or unlawful. It describes that which is forbidden.
Vincent writes...
More literally, unlawful, emphasizing the idolatries as violations of divine law.
Athemitos is used in the Apocryphal book of 2 Maccabees to describe unlawful sacrifices.
2 Maccabees 7:1 records Jews who were
compelled by the king against the law (athemitos) to taste swine's flesh
Luke records the only other NT use of athemitos by the Apostle Peter in Acts 10:28
And he (Peter is speaking and is the one who uses athemitos) said to them, "You yourselves know how unlawful (athemitos) it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean.
Since idolatries were not forbidden by Gentile laws, Peter has to be referring to the fact that they were "unlawful" and "abominable" before a Holy God. Going beyond the inner sense of what was proper, their idolatries led to evils that tended to make men shudder. Their past associations with such idolatries should motivate them assiduously and unswervingly to adhere to their new life (armed for the same purpose verse 1) in Christ with its demands (1Pe 1:15-note) and provision (Ro 8:13-note) for moral purity.
Be the first to react on this!
Greek Word Studies ( - )
Read freely Greek Word Studies from the Austin Precept text commentary of the Bible in text and pdf format. Precept Austin is an online free dynamic bible commentary similar to wikipedia with updated content and many links to excellent biblical resources around the world. You can browse the entire collection of Commentaries by Verse on the Precept Austin website.We have been "bought with a price" to be "ambassadors for Christ" and our "salvation is nearer to us than when we believed" so let us "cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" "so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming." (1Cor 6:20, 2Cor 5:20, Ro 13:11, 2Cor 7:1, 1Jn 2:28)