Study on the word "atonement"

Due to struggles I am now having as a result of some reading in Ancient-Future Faith, I am doing a word study on the uses of the word "atonement" in the Scriptures. The main tool I used in this study is the word lookup on the Bible gateway, http://www.biblegateway.com/.

Atonement in the Old Testament

In the AV, the word atonement is used 69 times in the OT. The Pentateuch has 65 of them, in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. In the rest of the OT, there are

2 Samuel 21:3

1 Chronicles 6:49

2 Chronicles 29:24

Nehemiah 10:33

The verb atone is not used at all in the AV.

The ESV uses atonement 82 times in the OT.

71 of them are in Exodus through Numbers. Three of these are added titles, leaving 68 in Exodus through Numbers (three more than AV).

Two are added in Deuteronomy: 21:1 (title) and 21:8. The ESV has "Accept atonement" and the AV has "Be merciful." Most of the other versions have some variant of "Accept this atonement."

The others are:

2 Samuel 21:3

1 Chronicles 6:49

2 Chronicles 29:24

Nehemiah 10:33

Ezekiel 43:20 AV has purge

Ezekiel 43:26 AV has purge

Ezekiel 45:15 AV has make reconciliation

Ezekiel 45:17 AV has make reconciliation

Ezekiel 45:20 AV has reconcile

The word "satisfaction" is used in the AV only in Numbers 35:31-32, dealing with the murderer and the city of refuge.

The word satisfy is used 10 times in the AV, nine in the OT and one in the NT. Once in Job 38:27 it refers to satisfying desolate ground. The other times, it refers to satisfying men. It never refers to satisfying God.

The word "substitute" does not occur in the AV.

The word "substitution" does not occur in the AV.

Atonement in the New Testament

The word atonement in English appears in the AV only in Romans 5:11. The verb atone does not occur.

AV the atonement

ESV uses reconciliation (no atonement)

NIV reconciliation

NASB the reconciliation

CEV to make peace with us

Amplified reconciliation

ASV the reconciliation

NJKV the reconciliation

21st Century KJV the atonement

New Living Translation has made us friends of God

Young's Literal Translation the reconciliation

Darby the reconciliation

The Message this amazing friendship with God

HCSB reconciliation

Wycliffe reconciling

Greek

Westcott-Hort 1881 has την καταλλαγην

Stephanus 1550 has την καταλλαγην

1894 Scrivener NT has την καταλλαγην

So in the NT, this word την καταλλαγην is the only word translated atonement in the AV. crosswalk.com gives these uses of it in the Greek NT, two in Romans and two in 2 Corinthians:

Romans 5:11 the atonement

Romans 11:15 the reconciling

2 Corinthians 5:18 reconciliation

2 Corinthians 5:19 reconciling, reconciliation

The NIV

Now I find that in Romans 3:25, the NIV uses "sacrifice of atonement." They give a footnote explaining this as "the one who would turn aside his wrath, taking away sin."

The NIV uses "atonement" in the New Testament in three places:

Romans 3:25

Both the AV and the ESV use "propitiation" here.

Hebrews 2:17

Here, the AV uses "reconciliation", the ESV "propitiation."

Again, the NIV gives a footnote, explaining "make atonement for the sins" by "turn aside God's wrath, taking away the sins."

Hebrews 9:5

Here, both the AV and the ESV use "mercy seat" (the cover of the Ark of the Covenant).

Citations

Add these citations to your bibliography. Select the text below and then copy and paste it into your document.

APA:

atonement. (n.d.). Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary. Retrieved October 09, 2006, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/atonement

MLA:

"atonement." Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary. 09 Oct. 2006. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/atonement >

Chicago Style:

atonement. Dictionary.com. Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/atonement (accessed: October 09, 2006).

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