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Has anyone ever told you: יהוה (Yahweh) God loves you and has a great plan for your life?
Has anyone ever told you: יהוה (Yahweh) God loves you and has a great plan for your life?
Strong’s G4027: A compound noun combining περί (around) and κάθαρμα (that which is cleansed away), denoting “refuse, filth, or scum.” Used in ancient ritual contexts for purification sacrifices and metaphorically in the New Testament to describe how the world views Christ’s followers.
Περικάθαρμα represents both ritual purification remains and social outcasts. As a compound word, it combines the comprehensive aspect of περί with the cleansing concept of κάθαρμα, creating a powerful image of complete rejection or removal. In the New Testament, Paul uses it to describe how apostles were viewed by society – as worthless refuse. The word carried deep sacrificial connotations in Greek culture, where human scapegoats were sometimes called περικαθάρματα before being expelled or sacrificed for city purification. Early church writers embraced this identification with Christ’s suffering, seeing their social rejection as participation in His sacrifice. Today, it reminds believers that following Christ may mean being treated as society’s refuse while actually serving God’s redemptive purpose.
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Etymology:
For compound words: The prefix περί adds “completely” to κάθαρμα “cleansed matter,” creating the sense of total rejection or removal
Translation Options:
Nominal Features:
Examples:
Nominative/Accusative: περικάθαρμα
Genitive: περικαθάρματος
Plural: περικαθάρματα
BDAG emphasizes its ritual and social implications. Thayer’s notes its use in purification ceremonies. LSJ provides examples from ritual contexts. Vine’s connects it to Christian suffering. Strong’s emphasizes complete removal. Moulton and Milligan document its use in curses and ritual texts.
First appearance:
“We have become, and are still, like the [scum] of the world, the refuse of all things.” (1 Corinthians 4:13)
Additional References:
None
Author: Work | Text |
---|---|
Demosthenes: Against Aristogiton | “These men are the [refuse] of the city” |
Aristophanes: Plutus | “He treated them as [offscouring] to be removed” |
Plutarch: Moralia | “The [scum] was gathered for the purification ritual” |
Περικάθαρμα powerfully illustrates how following King Jesus often means sharing in His rejection by the world. Yet, like Christ’s redemptive suffering, what appears to be worthless refuse in the world’s eyes is precious in God’s plan. This word reminds us that the gospel often works through what society rejects.
Strong’s G4027: Compound noun denoting that which is completely cleansed away or removed. Used in ritual contexts for purification sacrifices and metaphorically for social outcasts. Carries deep implications about Christian suffering and identification with Christ.
Part of speech: Noun
Tags: #Suffering #Persecution #Sacrifice #Ritual #BiblicalGreek #CompoundWords #ChristianIdentity #PaulineTeaching #Martyrdom #Rejection
Note: While this entry strives for accuracy, readers engaged in critical research should verify citations and keyword occurrences in their Bible translation of choice. For Biblical citations, the F.O.G Bible project recommends Logos Bible software.
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