Hypocrite | AdventAI

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 21, 1858

Hypocrite.

In the Scriptures, very severe judgments are denounced against hypocrites, and the hypocritical nation of Israel. I am not acquainted with the Hebrew; and know not what term is employed in the Hebrew Old Testament to denote "hypocrite," or "hypocritical." But in the Septuagint, which is a Greek translation of the Hebrew, made about 225 years before the birth of our Lord, in all places not exceeding two, so far as I have discovered, where the English version reads "hypocrite," or "hypocritical" a Greek word is employed, which denotes lawless, irreverent, wicked, not keeping the law.

The above remark applies to the Old Testament.

In the New Testament (the original language of which is Greek) the Greek term employed for hypocrite, is "upokrites;" the "u" being aspirated, and pronounced as if an "h" were before it, thus, "hupokrites." And from this comes the English "hypocrite."

The Greek "hupokrites," means a stage-player; one who plays a part under a mask.

Both the Greek and the Roman stage-actors, in their performances, wore masks, which covered the head and face, and were fashioned so as to represent the character intended to be played. By the Greek "hupokrites," therefore, as applied by the sacred penmen, is meant one who appears under a religious mask; whose profession and life do not correspond; whose religion is an outward covering; in other words, who has the form of godliness without the power.—Sel