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Bible Encyclopedias
Innocent
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
or (prop. נָקַי, άθῶος ). The Hebrews considered innocence as consisting chiefly in an exemption from external faults committed contrary to the law hence they often join innocent with hands (Genesis 37:22; Psalms 24:4). "I will wash my hands in innocency" (Psalms 26:6).; "Then have I cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency" (Psalms 73:13). Josephus admits of no other sins than those actions which are put in execution (Ant. 12:7, 1). Sins in thought, in his account, are not punished by God. This is a very different standard of morality from that of the Gospel (Matthew 5:28; John 3:15), or even of the O.T. (Psalms 51:6). To be innocent is used sometimes for being exempt from punishment. "I will not treat you, as one innocent" (Jeremiah 46:28); literally, ‘ I will not make thee innocent; I will chastise thee, but like a kind father. Jeremiah (Jeremiah 49:12), speaking to the Edomites, says, "They who have not (so much) deserved to drink of the cup of my wrath, have tasted of it." Nahum 1:3 declares that "God is ready to exercise vengeance; he will make no one innocent; he will spare no one;" (Exodus 34:7, Heb.), "Thou shalt make no one innocent;" no sin shall remain unpunished. "With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure" (Psalms 18:26); thou treatest the just as just, the good as good; thou never dost confound the guilty with the innocent.
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McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Innocent'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/i/innocent.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.
