Condemn

Condemn - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

CONDEMN, v.t. [L., to condemn, to disapprove, to doom, to devote.]

1. To pronounce to be utterly wrong; to utter a sentence of disapprobation against; to censure; to blame. But the word often expresses more than censure or blame, and seems to include the idea of utter rejection; as, to condemn heretical opinions; to condemn ones conduct.

We condemn mistakes with asperity, where we pass over sins with gentleness.

2. To determine or judge to be wrong, or guilty; to disallow; to disapprove.

Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have confidence towards God. I John 3.

3. To witness against; to show or prove to be wrong, or guilty, by a contrary practice.

The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it. Mat 12.

4. To pronounce to be guilty; to sentence to punishment; to utter sentence against judicially; to doom; opposed to acquit or absolve; with to before the penalty.

The son of man shall be betrayed to the chief priests, and to the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death. Mat 20.

He that believeth on him is not condemned. John 3.

5. To doom or sentence to pay a fine; to fine.

And the king of Egypt--condemned the land in a hundred talents of silver. 2 Chr 36.

6. To judge or pronounce to be unfit for use or service; as, the ship was condemned as not sea-worthy. To judge or pronounce to be forfeited; as, the ship and her cargo were condemned.

Condemnation - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

CONDEMNATION, n.

1. The act of condemning; the judicial act of declaring one guilty, and dooming him to punishment.

For the judgment was by one to condemnation. Rom 5.

2. The state of being condemned.

Dost thou not fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation. Luke 23.

3. The cause or reason of a sentence of condemnation. John 3.

Condemned - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

CONDEMNED, pp. Censures; pronounced to be wrong, guilty, worthless or forfeited; adjudged or sentenced to punishment.

kon-dem', kon-dem-na'-shun:

1. In the Old Testament:

(1) The causative stem of rasha` "to declare (or make) wrong," "to condemn," whether in civil, ethical or religious relations. Taken in this sense the word needs no comment (Ex 22:9; De 25:1; Job 40:8); "Who then can condemn?" (Job 34:29, the King James Version "make trouble").

(2) `anash, "to fine." "Condemned the land" (2Ch 36:3 the King James Version; the King James Version margin "mulcted"; the Revised Version (British and American) "amerced"; the American Standard Revised Version "fined"); "wine of the condemned" (Am 2:8; the Revised Version (British and American) "fined" (unjustly)).

(3) The active participle of shaphaT, "to judge." "From those that condemn his soul" (Ps 109:31 the King James Version; the Revised Version (British and American) "that judge his soul").

2. In the New Testament:

The New Testament usage is much more complicated, both because of the greater number of Greek words rendered "condemn" and "condemnation," and because the King James Version translates the same word in several different ways, apparently with no rule whatever.

(1) The most important word is krino, "to judge." From it are a number of derivative verbs and nouns. the Revised Version (British and American) has rigidly excluded the harsh words "damn" and "damnation," substituting "judge," "condemn," "judgment," "condemnation." This is proper, since the word damn (Latin, damnare, "to inflict loss" upon a person, "to condemn"), and its derivatives has, in process of time, suffered degradation, so that in modern English it usually refers to eternal punishment. This special application of the word for some centuries ran side by side with the original meaning, but even as late as Wycliffe's version the word "damn" is usually employed in the sense of condemn, as in Job 9:20, "My mouth shall dampne me." It is even applied to the condemnation of Jesus by the chief priests and scribes (Mr 10:33). This degeneration of the word is perhaps due, as Bishop Sanderson says, "not so much to good acts as to bad manners." Krino is rendered uniformly "judge" by the Revised Version (British and American), even where the context. compels the thought of condemnation (Joh 3:17,18; 12:47; Ac 7:7; "might be damned," 2Th 2:12 the King James Version; Ro 14:22; Jas 5:9).

(2) The more specific sense of condemn, however, is found in katakrino, "to judge one down" (Mt 12:41,42; Mr 14:64): "is damned if he eat" (Ro 14:23; 1Co 11:32 the King James Version; the Revised Version (British and American) "condemned"). See also Mr 16:16; 2Pe 2:6.

(3) For "condemnation" there is the noun krima, or krima (for accent see Thayer's Lexicon), in a forensic sense, "the sentence of the judge" (Lu 23:40; Mt 23:14, omitted in the Revised Version (British and American); "condemnation of the devil" 1Ti 3:6; 5:12; Jude 1:4).

(4) Much stronger is katakrima, "condemnation" (Ro 5:16,18; 8:1) with reference to the Divine judgment against sin.

(5) krisis, "the process of judgment," "tribunal" (Joh 3:19; 5:24), with reference to "the judgment brought by men upon themselves because of their rejection of Christ."

(6) A stronger word is the adjective autokatakritos, "self-condemned" (Tit 3:11; compare 1Jo 3:20,21).

G. H. Trever

Definition

The terms “condemn” and “condemnation” refer to judging someone for doing something wrong.

• Often the word “condemn” includes punishing that person for what they did wrong.
• Sometimes “condemn” means to falsely accuse someone or to judge someone harshly.
• The term “condemnation” refers to the act of condemning or accusing someone.

Translation Suggestions

• Depending on the context, this term could be translated as “harshly judge” or “criticize falsely.”
• The phrase “condemn him” could be translated as “judge that he is guilty” or “state that he must be punished for his sin.”
• The term “condemnation” could be translated as “harsh judging” or “declaring to be guilty” or “punishment of guilt.”

(See also: judge, punish)

Bible References

• 1 John 3:20
• Job 9:29
• John 5:24
• Luke 6:37
• Matthew 12:7
• Proverbs 17:15-16
• Psalms 34:22
• Romans 5:16

Word Data

• Strong’s: H6064, H7034, H7561, H8199, G01760, G08430, G26070, G26130, G26310, G26320, G26330, G29170, G29190, G29200, G52720, G60480