Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

In the KJV, "Trespass" means "sins." The spatial, boundary-crossing metaphor. To trespass against someone was to invade their God-given territory -- their dignity, their rights, their peace. The word made sin tangible and spatial: you crossed a line you knew was there.

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

Narrowed from 'spiritual violation/transgression against God and neighbor' to primarily 'unauthorized entry onto property,' making the Lord's Prayer sound like a real estate dispute. The word was at peak usage around 1611 and declined by ~1950.

Question 3

What modern word replaced "Trespass"?

Accepted Answer

"Trespass" was replaced by: "sin" (though this too broad and generic; trespass specifically meant crossing a known boundary -- deliberate encroachment into forbidden territory); "offense" (though this focuses on the victim's feelings; trespass emphasized the violator's deliberate boundary-crossing); "wrongdoing" (though this vague and morally diluted; trespass carried spatial imagery of invasion).

What Does “Trespass” Mean in the Bible?

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