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Bible Dictionaries
Corban
Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary
or קרבן , Mark 7:11; from the Hebrew קרב , to offer, to present. It denotes a gift, a present made to God, or to his temple. The Jews sometimes swore by corban, or by gifts offered to God, Matthew 23:18 . Theophrastus says that the Tyrians forbad the use of such oaths as were peculiar to foreigners, and particularly of corban, which, Josephus informs us, was used only by the Jews. Jesus Christ reproaches the Jews with cruelty toward their parents, in making a corban of what should have been appropriated to their use. For when a child was asked to relieve the wants of his father or mother, he would often say, "It is a gift," corban, "by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;" that is, I have devoted that to God which you ask of me; and it is no longer mine to give, Mark 7:11 . Thus they violated a precept of the moral law, through a superstitious devotion to Pharisaic observances, and the wretched casuistry by which they were made binding upon the conscience.
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Watson, Richard. Entry for 'Corban'. Richard Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/wtd/c/corban.html. 1831-2.
