ANATHEMA, is a Greek word1, which signifies something set apart, separated, devoted. It is understood principally to denote the cutting off and entire destruction of one separated from the communion of the Faith, or the number of the Living, or the privileges of Society, or the devoting of any Man, Animal, City, or other thing to be extirpated, destroyed, given to the flames, and in some sort annihilated.
The Hebrew word Cherem2 signifies properly to destroy, exterminate, devote, anathematize. Moses requires of the Israelites to devote those to the Curse, and utterly Ex. xxii. 19.extirpate them who sacrifice to false Gods. In like manner, God commands that the Cities belonging to the Canaanites which did not surrender to the Israelites, Deut. vii. 2, 26. xx. 17.should be thus devoted. Achan having diverted to his own use some of the spoil of Jericho which had been devoted by God, was exterminated, he, his family, his cattle, his furniture, his tent, and all that belonged Josh. vi. 17, 21. vii. 1, 2, &c.to him. He was stoned, and consumed with fire.
The word Cherem, or Anathema, is likewise sometimes taken for that which is consecrated, vowed, or offered to the Lord, so Lev.xxvii. 28, 29.that it may no longer be employed in common and profane uses. No devoted thing that a Man shall devote unto the Lord, of all that he hath, of Man and Beast, and of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed; every devoted thing is most holy unto the Lord: None devoted, which shall be devoted of Men, shall be redeemed, but shall surely be put to death. There are some who assert that the Persons thus devoted were put to death; whereof Jephthah’s Daughter is a memorable example, whom her Father sacrificed to God, Judg. xi. 29, &c. See our Disser tation upon Jephthah’s Vow before the book of Judges. Sometimes the whole nation devoted some particular persons or Cities: For example, the Israelites devoted King Arad’s Country. The People assembled at Mizpeh devoted all who should not march against the Tribe of Benjamin, to revenge the injury offered to the young Ch. xix.Levite’s Wife. Saul devoted those who should eat before Sun set while they were 1 Sam. xiv. 24.pursuing the Philistines. It appears by the execution of all these consecrations, that they who were involved in them were to be put to death.
Sometimes particular persons devoted themselves if they did not perform something specified by them: For example, in Acts xxiii. 12, 13.the Acts of the Apostles, above forty Persons bound themselves with an oath that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed St. Paul. The Essenians3 were engaged by the most horrible oaths to observe the statutes of their Sect; and they who, having incurr’d the guilt of any considerable fault, were driven from their Assemblies, were generally starved to death in a very miserable manner, and obliged to feed upon grass like Beasts, not daring even to receive any food which might be offered them, because they were engaged by the vows which they had made not to eat any.
Ex. xxxii. 31. Rom. ix. 3.Moses and St. Paul in some sort anathematized themselves, or at least wished to be accursed for their Brethren. Moses conjures God to forgive the Israelites; if not, that he would blot him out of the book of Life; and St. Paul says that he could wish to be accursed for his Brethren the Israelites, rather than see them excluded from the benefit of Christ’s Covenant by their malice and obdurate temper.
Excommunication, Anathema, and cutting off, are the greatest penalty that can be inflicted on any Man in this world; whether by these terms we understand a violent and ignominious death, or a separation from the society of the Saints, an exclusion from the benefit of their Prayers, and communion with them in things sacred, or whether, lastly, Reprobation and condemnation to eternal misery are meant by them; for Interpreters are very much divided on these texts: But they agree that Moses and St. Paul gave each of them on these occasions the most sensible proofs of the greatest and most perfect charity, and in the strongest and boldest way of amplifying things, expressed their ardent desire to procure the happiness of their Brethren, and preserve them from the utmost misery.
Excommunication was also a kind of Anathema with the Hebrews, as it is among Christians. Of all the several degrees of Excommunication, Anathema was the greatest, whereby the excommunicated person was deprived not only of the opportunity of communicating in Prayers and other holy offices, but of all admittance to the Church, and conversation with Believers. Among the Hebrews, they who were excommunicated could not perform any publick duty of their employments; they could be neither Judges nor Witnesses, neither be present at Funerals, nor circumcise their own Sons, nor set down in the company of other Men nearer than within the distance of four cubits. They were not capable of receiving the publick rites of Burial; and if they died under Excommunication, a large stone was left upon their Graves, or the People threw stones upon their Sepulchres, and heaped them in great quantity upon them, as they did upon the bodies of Achan Josh. vii. 26. 2 Sam. xvii. 27. Josh. xxi. 18.and Absalom. See Selden de Jure Nat. & Gent. l. iv. c. 1.
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