Innocence; Innocency; Innocent

Innocent - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

IN'NOCENT, a. [L.innocens.]

1. Properly, not noxious; not producing injury; free from qualities that can injure; harmless; innoxious; as an innocent medicine or remedy.

2. Free from guilt; not having done wrong or violated any law; not tainted with sin; pure; upright. In this general sense, no human being that is a moral agent, can be innocent. It is followed by of.

3. Free from the guilt of a particular crime or evil action; as, a man is innocent of the crime charged in the indictment.

4. Lawful; permitted; as an innocent trade.

5. Not contraband; not subject to forfeiture; as innocent goods carried to a belligerent nation.

IN'NOCENT, n. One free from guilt or harm.

1. A natural; an idiot. [Unusual.]

in'-o-sens, in'-o-sen-si, in'-o-sent (zakhu, niqqayon, chinnam, chaph, naqi; athoos): the King James Version and the American Standard Revised Version have innocency in Ge 20:5; Ps 26:6; 73:13; Da 6:22; Ho 8:5. In Daniel the Hebrew is zakhu, and the innocence expressed is the absence of the guilt of disloyalty to God. In all the other places the Hebrew is niqqayon, and the innocence expressed is the absence of pollution, Hosea having reference to the pollution of idolatry, and the other passages presenting the cleansing under the figure of washing hands. the King James Version has innocent not fewer than 40 times. In one place (1Ki 2:31) the Hebrew is chinnam, meaning "undeserved," or "without cause," and, accordingly, the American Standard Revised Version, instead of "innocent blood .... shed," has "blood .... shed without cause." In another place (Job 33:9) the Hebrew is chaph, meaning "scraped," or "polished," therefore "clean," and refers to moral purity. In all the other places the Hebrew is naqi, or its cognates, and the idea is doubtless the absence of pollution. In more than half the passages "innocent" is connected with blood, as "blood of the innocent," or simply "innocent blood." In some places there is the idea of the Divine acquittal, or forgiveness, as in Job 9:28: "I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent" (compare Job 10:14, where the same Hebrew word is used). The New Testament has "innocent" twice in connection with blood--"innocent blood," and "innocent of the blood" (Mt 27:4,24).

E. J. Forrester

Definition

The term “innocent” means to not be guilty of a crime or other wrongdoing. It can also refer more generally to people who are not involved in evil things.

• A person accused of doing something wrong is innocent if he has not committed that wrong.
• Sometimes the term “innocent” is used to refer to people who have done nothing wrong to deserve the bad treatment they are receiving, as in an enemy army attacking “innocent people.”
• In the Bible, “blood” can represent “killing,” so “innocent blood” refers to “killing people who did not deserve to die.”

Translation Suggestions

• In most contexts, the term “innocent” can be translated as “not guilty” or “not responsible” or “not to blame” for something.
• When referring in general to innocent people, this term could be translated as “who have done nothing wrong” or “who are not involved in evil.”
• “To shed innocent blood” can be translated as “to kill people who did not deserve to die.”

(See also: guilt)

Bible References

• 1 Corinthians 4:4
• 1 Samuel 19:5
• Acts 20:26
• Exodus 23:7
• Jeremiah 22:17
• Job 9:23
• Romans 16:18

Examples from the Bible stories

• __8:6 After two years, Joseph was still in prison, even though he was innocent__.
• __40:4 One of them mocked Jesus, but the other said, “Do you have no fear of God? We are guilty, but this man is innocent__.”
• __40:8 When the soldier guarding Jesus saw everything that happened, he said, “Certainly, this man was innocent__. He was the Son of God.”

Word Data

• Strong’s: H2136, H2600, H2643, H5352, H5355, H5356, G01210