Topical Encyclopedia The term "foul" in the Bible is often associated with impurity, uncleanness, or moral corruption. It is used to describe both physical and spiritual states that are contrary to the holiness and purity that God desires for His people. The concept of "foul" can be found in various contexts throughout the Scriptures, including ceremonial law, moral teachings, and spiritual symbolism.Ceremonial and Ritual Impurity In the Old Testament, the concept of being "foul" or unclean is frequently addressed in the context of the Levitical laws. These laws were given to the Israelites to maintain ceremonial purity and to distinguish them from other nations. For example, in Leviticus 11, certain animals are deemed unclean or "foul" for consumption, such as pigs and shellfish. The Israelites were instructed to avoid these animals to remain ceremonially clean: "You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you" (Leviticus 11:8). The laws of uncleanness also extended to other areas, such as skin diseases and bodily discharges, which rendered a person ceremonially unclean and required specific purification rituals (Leviticus 13-15). These regulations underscored the importance of holiness and separation from anything that defiles. Moral and Spiritual Corruption Beyond ceremonial laws, the Bible uses the term "foul" to describe moral and spiritual corruption. In the New Testament, Jesus addresses the issue of inner purity, emphasizing that true defilement comes from within a person rather than external sources. In Mark 7:20-23, Jesus states, "What comes out of a man, that is what defiles him. For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly. All these evils come from within, and these are what defile a man" . The Apostle Paul also speaks to the issue of moral impurity in his epistles. In Ephesians 5:3-4, he exhorts believers to avoid any form of impurity: "But among you, as is proper among the saints, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or crude joking, which are out of character, but rather thanksgiving" . Symbolism and Imagery The Bible often uses vivid imagery to convey the concept of foulness in a spiritual sense. In Revelation, Babylon is depicted as a "dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, every unclean bird, and every detestable beast" (Revelation 18:2). This imagery highlights the complete moral and spiritual corruption of Babylon, symbolizing the ultimate judgment against sin and impurity. Application for Believers For believers, the call to avoid what is foul is a call to pursue holiness and purity in all aspects of life. The Apostle Peter reminds Christians of their identity as a holy nation, urging them to "abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul" (1 Peter 2:11). The pursuit of purity is not merely an external adherence to rules but a transformation of the heart and mind, aligning one's life with the righteousness of Christ. In summary, the concept of "foul" in the Bible encompasses both ceremonial and moral dimensions, serving as a reminder of the holiness that God requires and the transformative power of the Gospel to cleanse and purify the believer. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary 1. (n.) A bird.2. (superl.) Covered with, or containing, extraneous matter which is injurious, noxious, offensive, or obstructive; filthy; dirty; not clean; polluted; nasty; defiled; as, a foul cloth; foul hands; a foul chimney; foul air; a ship's bottom is foul when overgrown with barnacles; a gun becomes foul from repeated firing; a well is foul with polluted water. 3. (superl.) Scurrilous; obscene or profane; abusive; as, foul words; foul language. 4. (superl.) Hateful; detestable; shameful; odious; wretched. 5. (superl.) Loathsome; disgusting; as, a foul disease. 6. (superl.) Ugly; homely; poor. 7. (superl.) Not favorable; unpropitious; not fair or advantageous; as, a foul wind; a foul road; cloudy or rainy; stormy; not fair; -- said of the weather, sky, etc. 8. (superl.) Not conformed to the established rules and customs of a game, conflict, test, etc.; unfair; dishonest; dishonorable; cheating; as, foul play. 9. (superl.) Having freedom of motion interfered with by collision or entanglement; entangled; -- opposed to clear; as, a rope or cable may get foul while paying it out. 10. (v. t.) To make filthy; to defile; to daub; to dirty; to soil; as, to foul the face or hands with mire. 11. (v. t.) To incrust (the bore of a gun) with burnt powder in the process of firing. 12. (v. t.) To cover (a ship's bottom) with anything that impeded its sailing; as, a bottom fouled with barnacles. 13. (v. t.) To entangle, so as to impede motion; as, to foul a rope or cable in paying it out; to come into collision with; as, one boat fouled the other in a race. 14. (v. i.) To become clogged with burnt powder in the process of firing, as a gun. 15. (v. i.) To become entangled, as ropes; to come into collision with something; as, the two boats fouled. 16. (n.) An entanglement; a collision, as in a boat race. 17. (n.) See Foul ball, under Foul, a. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia FOULfoul (raphas; akdthartos): Greek 169. akathartos -- unclean, impure ... prefix) and kathairo Definition unclean, impure NASB Word Usage impure person (1), unclean (29), unclean things (1). foul, unclean. ... //strongsnumbers.com/greek2/169.htm - 7k 5494. cheimon -- winter, a storm 3393. miasma -- a stain, defilement 946. bdelugma -- a detestable thing 4508. rhuparos -- filthy 948. bdelussomai -- to detest 148. aischrologia -- abusive language 3435. moluno -- to stain, defile 496. antipipto -- to fall against, strive against 5337. phaulos -- worthless, bad Strong's Hebrew 7515. raphas -- foul, trouble... raphas. 7516 . foul, trouble. Transliteration: raphas Phonetic Spelling: (raw-fas') Short Definition: foul. Word Origin the same as raphas, qv. foul, trouble ... /hebrew/7515.htm - 5k 2092. zaham -- to be foul, loathsome 6292. piggul -- foul thing, refuse 887. baash -- to have a bad smell, to stink 7511. raphas -- to stamp, tread 4833. marpes -- (water) befouled 5122. nevalu -- a refuse heap 6709. tsachanah -- a stench 2930. tame -- to be or become unclean 2931. tame -- unclean Library But Perhaps this Foul Pollution May be Less Apparent in the Rest. ... ! is that Foul Smell... What Then was this Feeling? for of a Truth it was Too Foul... Who Can Disentangle that Twisted and Intricate Knottiness? Foul is ... Deluded by an Insane Love, He, Though Foul and Dishonourable ... The Bible the Great Civilizer Morning Hymn Songs from 'the Water-Babies' A Clean Tongue. Of Three Means in the which a Contemplative Prentice Should be ... Thesaurus Foul (41 Occurrences)... extraneous matter which is injurious, noxious, offensive, or obstructive; filthy; dirty; not clean; polluted; nasty; defiled; as, a foul cloth; foul hands; a ... /f/foul.htm - 21k Foul-mouthed (1 Occurrence) Possessed (100 Occurrences) Dirt (9 Occurrences) Cured (62 Occurrences) Weather (5 Occurrences) Foulness (1 Occurrence) Filth (21 Occurrences) Filthy (22 Occurrences) Roams (3 Occurrences) Resources What is a reviler in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does the Bible say about the power of words? | GotQuestions.org What does the Bible say about coarse jesting and crude joking? | GotQuestions.org Foul: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Concordance Foul (41 Occurrences)Matthew 10:1 Matthew 12:43 Matthew 16:3 Mark 1:23 Mark 1:26 Mark 1:27 Mark 3:11 Mark 5:2 Mark 5:8 Mark 5:13 Mark 6:7 Mark 7:25 Mark 9:25 Luke 4:33 Luke 4:36 Luke 6:18 Luke 8:29 Luke 9:42 Luke 11:24 John 11:39 Acts 5:16 Acts 8:7 Colossians 3:8 Revelation 16:2 Revelation 16:13 Revelation 18:2 Exodus 7:18 Exodus 7:21 Exodus 8:14 Exodus 16:20 Exodus 16:24 Job 16:16 Job 31:40 Psalms 38:5 Isaiah 19:6 Isaiah 50:2 Ezekiel 4:14 Ezekiel 32:2 Ezekiel 34:18 Ezekiel 34:19 Habakkuk 2:16 Subtopics Related Terms Notwithstanding (37 Occurrences) |
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