Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

In the KJV, "Propitiation" means "atoning sacrifice." The specific mechanism of atonement: God's righteous anger at sin was real and required satisfaction, and Christ's death was that satisfaction. Removing 'propitiation' allowed readers to imagine atonement without wrath -- a significant theological shift embedded in a vocabulary change.

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

Theological controversy: scholars debated whether God's wrath needed satisfying (propitiation) or sin needed covering (expiation). Most modern translations chose softer alternatives. The word was at peak usage around 1611 and declined by ~1980.

Question 3

What modern word replaced "Propitiation"?

Accepted Answer

"Propitiation" was replaced by: "atoning sacrifice" (though this descriptive but diffuse; propitiation specifically named the turning away of divine wrath through substitutionary payment); "expiation" (though this removes god's wrath from the equation entirely; propitiation held both the wrath and the mercy in tension); "sacrifice of atonement" (though this wordy and vague; propitiation was precise theological vocabulary).

What Does “Propitiation” Mean in the Bible?

What Was Lost