Bible Encyclopedia: Cruelty

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

CRUEL; CRUELTY

kroo'-el, kroo'-el-ti 'akhzar, ("harsh," "fierce," chamac, "violence"): There are various uses of the word "cruel" in the Old Testament:

(a) "the cruel (deadly) venom of asps" (Deuteronomy 32:33);

(b) spoken of men of relentless hate: "They hate me with cruel hatred" (Psalm 25:19; compare Proverbs 5:9; Proverbs 11:17; Proverbs 12:10 Jeremiah 6:23; Jeremiah 50:42);

(c) Job speaks of God's dealings with him as "cruel" and arbitrary: "Thou art turned to be cruel to me" (Job 30:21); conscious of his virtue, yet holding God to be the author of his sufferings, Job is driven to the conclusion that God has become his enemy and is bent upon destroying him;

(d) the "day of Yahweh"-a prophetic phrase to denote the time of God's manifestation in judgment-is described as coming, "cruel, with wrath and fierce anger" (Isaiah 13:9). The word "cruelty" has nearly disappeared from the Bible. In the Revised Version (British and American) it occurs only in Psalm 27:12. The King James Version has it in Genesis 49:5 Psalm 74:20 (the Revised Version (British and American) "violence"); Ezekiel 34:4 (perekh, "crushing," the Revised Version (British and American) "rigor").

The Old Testament records many acts on the part of chosen individuals and the elect nation which are marked by gross cruelty, particularly when measured by the leaders are standards of our own age. Some of these acts are sanctioned by Scripture or even presented as commanded by God, as, for example, the sacrifice of Isaac, the extermination of the Canaanites, the authorization of the avenger of blood and of human slavery, and of retaliation for evil. Some of the deeds performed by Divinely appointed of Israel are characterized by inhumanity. Samuel "hewed Agag in pieces" (1 Samuel 15:33). David massacred the Ammonites with great barbarity (2 Samuel 12:31). Elijah slew the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:40; compare 2 Kings 1:10; 2 Kings 10:25). Some of the utterances of the Psalmists breathe spirit of hate and revenge, as in the so-called imprecatory psalms (Psalm 137:8, 9; Psalm 139:21 f). This has often been a matter of great perplexity to the devout student of the Bible. He has found it difficult to reconcile such practices, which bear the stamp of Divine approval, with the highest standards of Christian morality. It is sometimes urged in justification that these deeds are permitted, but not commanded by God. But this answer if we recognize the fact, which Jesus emphasizes, that the in attendant cruelties and horrors. The Old Testament religion is a self-accommodation to the low moral standard of those whom it was designed to instruct. This He reiterates in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:22, 28, 34), and affirms in His reference to the hardness of the ancestral Jewish heart (Matthew 19:8). In the Old Testament we are dealing with the childhood of the world, in which revelation is compelled to limit itself to the comprehension of its subjects. It must speak so that they can understand. It must start with them where it finds them. It walk, that character may grow step by step. A gradual development of spiritual and ethical ideals may clearly be traced in the sacred records. We must therefore read the Old Testament narratives and interpret their teaching, not according to the standards of our own age, but the light of the age to which these narratives belong. The spirit of Elijah may not be the spirit of Christ (Luke 9:55). While many of the acts of cruelty and barbarity recorded in the Old Testament are indicative of an age of a low type of morality, yet we must at the same time recognize the fact, that Israel's religion by emphasizing holy living and righteous conduct created an atmosphere favorable for the growth of high ethical ideals. Wherever this religion is seen at its best, as in the teachings of the prophets, it is the mark of the righteous man to treat human life as sacred and to refrain scrupulously from inflicting unnecessary pain. Even the Gentiles shall be brought to judgment for their barbarities and inhuman practices (Amos 1:2 2 Kings 25:7). Among the blessings of the Messianic kingdom, predicted by the prophets, is the cessation of war with all of its Law of Israel also reflected this tendency toward humanity, and many of its ordinances, while seemingly inhuman, really tended to mitigate prevailing barbarity. Instances of such ordinances those referring to the maltreatment of slaves (Exodus 21:20), to the Cities of Refuge (Numbers 35:19; compare Joshua 20), to rules of warfare (Deuteronomy 20:10 f), etc. The extermination of the Canaanites is represented as a Divine judgment upon a morally corrupt civilization (Genesis 15:16 Deuteronomy 12:30). It is declared necessary in order to guard the Hebrews from contamination by the sins of the Canaanites (Exodus 23:32). It is not so far back, that many of the practices that are condemned by the most enlightened Christianity of our day, prevailed universally and were not thought incompatible with Christian civilization. Even our own time needs to secure a more widespread practical recognition of the principles of humanity, kindness and justice, which are professedly the law of the Christian life. L. Kaiser must lead them along lines in which they of their own volition can hardly meets the facts of the case. We shall arrive at a truer answer

Greek

5544. chrestotes -- goodness, excellence, uprightness
... Hence 5544 () is listed as (Gal 5:22). With the believer, 5544 ("divine ") is the
goodness which meets the need and avoids human harshness (cruelty). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5544.htm - 7k

Strong's Hebrew

395. akzeriyyuth -- cruelty, fierceness
... 394, 395. akzeriyyuth. 396 . cruelty, fierceness. Transliteration: akzeriyyuth
Phonetic Spelling: (ak-ze-ree-ooth') Short Definition: fierce. ...
/hebrew/395.htm - 6k

6531. perek -- harshness, severity
... cruelty, rigor. From an unused root meaning to break apart; fracture, ie Severity --
cruelty, rigour. 6530, 6531. perek. 6532 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/6531.htm - 6k

2555. chamas -- violence, wrong
... cruelty, damage, false, injustice, oppressor, unrighteous, violence against,
done,. From chamac; violence; by implication, wrong; by meton. ...
/hebrew/2555.htm - 6k

Library

Whether Cruelty is Opposed to Clemency?
... OF CRUELTY (TWO ARTICLES) Whether cruelty is opposed to clemency? Objection
1: It would seem that cruelty is not opposed to clemency. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether cruelty is opposed to.htm

Of Cruelty (Two Articles)
... OF CRUELTY (TWO ARTICLES). We must now consider cruelty, under which head there
are two points of inquiry: (1) Whether cruelty is opposed to clemency? ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/of cruelty two articles .htm

Whether Cruelty Differs from Savagery or Brutality?
... OF CRUELTY (TWO ARTICLES) Whether cruelty differs from savagery or brutality? Objection
1: It would seem that cruelty differs not from savagery or brutality. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether cruelty differs from savagery.htm

Of the Cruelty of the Heathens against the Christians.
... Chap XI."Of the Cruelty of the Heathens Against the Christians. ... For what number
of volumes will contain so infinite, so varied kinds of cruelty? ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap xi of the cruelty of.htm

The Cruelty of the Idumeans when they were Gotten into the Temple ...
... CHAPTER V. The Cruelty Of The Idumeans When They Were Gotten Into The Temple
During The Storm; And Of The Zealots. Concerning The ...
/.../chapter v the cruelty of.htm

And Now that Cruelty, which He had Learned in Torturing the ...
... Chap. XXII. And now that cruelty, which he had learned in torturing the
Christians� And now that cruelty, which he had learned ...
/.../of the manner in which the persecutors died/chap xxii and now that.htm

The Cruelty of Herod Toward the Infants, and the Manner of his ...
... The Church History of Eusebius. Book I. Chapter VIII."The Cruelty of Herod
toward the Infants, and the Manner of his Death. 1. When ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter viii the cruelty of herod.htm

Cruelty of Macedonius, and Tumults Raised by Him.
... Book II. Chapter XXXVIII."Cruelty of Macedonius, and Tumults raised by him.
The bishops of the Arian party began to assume greater ...
/.../chapter xxxviii cruelty of macedonius and.htm

Every Severity, Therefore, and Apparent Cruelty, Either in Word or ...
... Book 3 Chapter 17. Every severity, therefore, and apparent cruelty, either
in word or deed� 17. Every severity, therefore, and ...
/.../on christian doctrine in four books/chapter 17 every severity therefore.htm

The Cruelty of the Sacrifices to the Gods.
... Chapter III."The Cruelty of the Sacrifices to the Gods. Well, now, let
us say in addition, what inhuman demons, and hostile to ...
/.../clement/exhortation to the heathen/chapter iii the cruelty of the.htm

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (n.) The attribute or quality of being cruel; a disposition to give unnecessary pain or suffering to others; inhumanity; barbarity.

2. (n.) A cruel and barbarous deed; inhuman treatment; the act of willfully causing unnecessary pain.

Topical Bible Verses

Luke 12:47
And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
Topicalbible.org

Matthew 10:28
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Topicalbible.org

Genesis 3:16
To the woman he said, I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in sorrow you shall bring forth children; and your desire shall be to your husband, and he shall rule over you.
Topicalbible.org

Mark 9:43
And if your hand offend you, cut it off: it is better for you to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Topicalbible.org

Thesaurus

Cruelty (8 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) A cruel and barbarous deed; inhuman treatment; the act of willfully causing
unnecessary pain. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. CRUEL; CRUELTY. ...
/c/cruelty.htm - 16k

Cruel (196 Occurrences)
... 3. (a.) Causing, or fitted to cause, pain, grief, or misery. 4. (a.) Attended with
cruelty; painful; harsh. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. CRUEL; CRUELTY. ...
/c/cruel.htm - 42k

Bloody (19 Occurrences)
... cruel. 4. (a.) Attended with, or involving, bloodshed; sanguinary; esp.,
marked by great slaughter or cruelty; as, a bloody battle. 5 ...
/b/bloody.htm - 17k

Menahem (8 Occurrences)
... After a reign of about ten years (BC 771-760) he died, leaving the throne to his
son Pekahiah. His reign was one of cruelty and oppression (2 Kings 15:14-22). ...
/m/menahem.htm - 13k

Adonibezek (2 Occurrences)
... He confessed that God had requited him for his like cruelty to the seventy kings
whom he had subdued (Judges 1:4-7; Comp. 1 Samuel 15:33). Int. ...
/a/adonibezek.htm - 8k

Achan (7 Occurrences)
... In Proverbs 11:17, 29; Proverbs 15:6, 27) the word is used with intensity to
describe the results of cruelty, disloyalty, greed, wickedness. ...
/a/achan.htm - 12k

Shame (412 Occurrences)
... 54:4 Micah 2:6), confusion (Isaiah 6:7), nakedness (Isaiah 47:3 Micah 1:11),
everlasting contempt (Daniel 12:2), folly (Proverbs 18:13), cruelty (Isaiah 50:6 ...
/s/shame.htm - 43k

Savage (3 Occurrences)
... savage manners. 4. (a.) Characterized by cruelty; barbarous; fierce;
ferocious; inhuman; brutal; as, a savage spirit. 5. (n.) A ...
/s/savage.htm - 7k

Felix (11 Occurrences)
... end of a two years' term, Porcius Festus was appointed in the room of Felix (AD
60), who proceeded to Rome, and was there accused of cruelty and malversation ...
/f/felix.htm - 15k

Breathe (17 Occurrences)
... "Breathe" in English Versions of the Bible of the Old Testament requires no remark
except at Psalm 27:12 ("such as breathe out cruelty"), from yaphach, "to ...
/b/breathe.htm - 15k

Bible Concordance

Cruelty (8 Occurrences)

Matthew 16:21 From this time Jesus began to explain to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer much cruelty from the Elders and the High Priests and the Scribes, and be put to death, and on the third day be raised to life again.
(WEY)

Luke 9:22 and He said, "The Son of Man must suffer much cruelty, be rejected by the Elders and High Priests and Scribes, and be put to death, and on the third day be raised to life again."
(WEY)

Hebrews 11:37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tried by temptation, they were killed with the sword. They went from place to place in sheepskins or goatskins, enduring want, oppression and cruelty.
(WEY)

Genesis 49:5 Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.
(KJV WBS)

Judges 9:24 That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing of his brethren.
(KJV WBS)

Psalms 27:12 Don't deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen up against me, such as breathe out cruelty.
(WEB KJV ASV WBS)

Psalms 74:20 Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
(KJV WBS)

Nahum 3:19 There is no healing your wound, for your injury is fatal. All who hear the report of you clap their hands over you; for who hasn't felt your endless cruelty?
(WEB NIV)

Subtopics

Cruelty

Cruelty in War

Cruelty of Jews to Jesus

Cruelty of Sarah to Hagar

Cruelty to Animals

Cruelty: Egyptians to the Israelites

Cruelty: Peninnah to Hannah

Cruelty: Soldiers to Jesus

Related Terms

Cruel (196 Occurrences)

Bloody (19 Occurrences)