Abomination

I hate and loathe falsehood, but I love Your Law.  Psalm 119:163  NASB

Loathe – As you will recall, we encountered the English translated word “loathe” in verse 158.  There we discovered that the Hebrew qûṭ meant “intense disgust, repulsion,” in other words, something that makes you sick to your stomach.  Now we have the same English word, but not the same Hebrew word.  The difference is important.  The word translated “loathe” in this verse is tôʿēbâ, from the root tāʿab.  We’ll need to investigate the root and the derivative if we want to see why the psalmist chose tôʿēbâ instead of qûṭ.  First, the verb:

Its basic meanings in the Piel are “abhor, loathe” in a physical sense (Job 9:31; 19:19; 30:10; Ps 107:18) and “detest, exclude” for ritual or ethical reasons (Deut 7:26; 23:7 [H 8]). Often the two meanings coalesce (Amos 5:10; Mic 3:9); in any event, the subject may be either God (Ps 106:40) or man (Isa 49:7). In the Hiphil, the verb means “commit abominable/detestable deeds” (I Kgs 21:26; Ps 14:1; 53:1 [H 2]; Ezk 16:52), while in the Niphal it means “be loathesome [sic], detestable” (I Chr 21:6; Job 15:16; Isa 14:19).[1]

Now the derivative, tôʿēbâ:

As with the verb, so also with the noun the abomination may be of a physical, ritual or ethical nature and may be abhorred by God or man. Sharing a meal with a Hebrew was ritually offensive to an Egyptian (Gen 43:32), as was offering certain kinds of sacrifices (Ex 8:22). Homosexuality and other perversions are repugnant to God and fall under his judgment (Lev 18:22–30; 20:13). Idolatry (Deut 7:25), human sacrifice (Deut 12:31), eating ritually unclean animals (Deut 14:3–8), sacrificing defective animals (Deut 17:1), conducting one’s business dishonestly (Deut 25:13–16), practicing ritual prostitution (I Kgs 14:23f.), and similar acts of disobedience (for seven more abominations, see the list in Prov 6:16–19) were sure to bring God’s wrath on those who perpetrated them. [2]

Now we have the context.  tôʿēbâ might not turn your stomach, but it violates deeper cultural, spiritual, and ethical values.  In particular, the psalmist calls “falsehood” abominable.  What is that?  Simply—lies (šeqer).  Breaking promises.  Reneging on a treaty.  Disrespecting oaths.  Being unreliable.  That covers a lot of ground these days.  How much of our current civilization is guilty of tôʿēbâ?  How long can a civilization survive that is awash in tôʿēbâ?  It appears that we are no further toward righteousness than the culture of the psalmist.  The love of God’s Law (Torah) is the polar opposite of tôʿēbâ, and yet we fail to embrace what gives life.  We are a civilization that loves death.

Topical Index: tôʿēbâ, abomination, lie, Psalm 119:163

[1] Harris, R. L., Archer, G. L., Jr., & Waltke, B. K., eds. (1999). In Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., p. 976). Moody Press.

[2] Ibid.

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Richard Bridgan

“…lies (šeqer). Breaking promises. Reneging on a treaty. Disrespecting oaths. Being unreliable. That covers a lot of ground these days. How much of our current civilization is guilty of tôʿēbâ? How long can a civilization survive that is awash in tôʿēbâ?”

Apparently civilizations that are awash in tôʿēbâ can survive for some time, but ultimately… apart from repentance that is proffered by the long-suffering grace of God… they most assuredly cannot survive his inevitable righteous judgement.

Death is not only a sentence that serves the chessed of God; it is the measure and means of victory by which everyone who is fathered by God conquers the world— and this is the victory: our faith.