Question 1

What does "Forgive" mean in the King James Bible?

Accepted Answer

In the KJV, "Forgive" means "let go of resentment." The weight-bearing. Hebrew nasa meant 'to lift and carry' -- when God forgave, He literally picked up the crushing weight of sin and carried it away. This was not an emotion but a physical transfer of burden. The scapegoat on the Day of Atonement was a visual enactment: sins were placed on it and it carried them into the wilderness.

Question 2

Why did the word "Forgive" disappear from modern English?

Accepted Answer

Hebrew nasa/salach ('to carry away/lift off/send forth') and Greek aphiemi ('to send away/release/let go of a debt') were reduced from legal/financial debt release to an emotional process of 'letting go of anger.' The word was at peak usage around 1611 and declined by still used but emotionalized (~1900).

Question 3

What modern word replaced "Forgive"?

Accepted Answer

"Forgive" was replaced by: "let go" (though this vague emotional process; forgiveness was a concrete legal act of debt cancellation); "pardon" (though this implies the offender still owes but won't be punished; biblical forgiveness meant the debt was actually carried away); "move on" (though this self-focused psychological process; forgiveness was an objective act that changed the offender's status).

What Does “Forgive” Mean in the Bible?

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