Dictionaries :: Forfeit

International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia

Forfeit:

for'-fit (charam): "Forfeit" (from forisfacere, "to act beyond") implies loss through transgression or non-observance of some law or rule. The word occurs only once as the translation of charam, "to shut in," frequently to devote or consecrate a person or thing to God beyond redemption (compare Le 27:28,29; Mic 4:13; Ezr 10:8, "That whosoever came not within three days,.... all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the assembly of the captivity," King James Version margin, the American Revised Version, margin and the Revised Version (British and American) "devoted"; compare #/APC 1Esdras 9:4, "Their cattle should be seized to the use of the temple" (anieroo, "to consecrate," "devote"); 6:32, "all his goods seized for the king" (ta huparchonia autou einai (eis) basilika)).

The Revised Version (British and American) has "forfeited" (qadhesh, "consecrated,';" devoted") for "defiled" (De 22:9), margin "Hebrew consecrated"; "forfeit his life" for "lose his own soul" (psuche) (Mt 16:26; Mr 8:36); "lose or forfeit his own self" for "lose himself or be cast away" (Lu 9:25, heauton de apolesas e zemiotheis; zemioo is the Septuagint for ‘anash, "to be mulcted," or "fined," Ex 21:22; De 22:19; Pr 17:26; 19:19; 21:11; 22:3); Weymouth renders Lu 9:25, "to have lost or forfeited his own self" (or "had to pay his own self-his own existence-as a fine"); in the other instances of zemioo (1Co 3:15; Php 3:8), the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) render "suffer loss," "suffered.... loss"; 2Co 7:9 the King James Version, "receive damage."

Written by W. L. Walker

Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words

Forfeit:

in the Active Voice, signifies "to damage;" in the Passive, "to suffer loss, forfeit," Mat 16:26; Mar 8:36, of the "life," RV; AV, and RV marg., "soul;" in each place the RV has "forfeit," for AV, "lose;" Luk 9:25, "his own self" (RV. "forfeit," AV, "be cast away;" here the preceding word "lose" translates apollumi, "to destroy"). What is in view here is the act of "forfeiting" what is of the greatest value, not the casting away by Divine judgment, though that is involved, but losing or penalizing one's own self, with spiritual and eternal loss. The word is also used in 1Cr 3:15; 2Cr 7:9; Phl 3:8.
See CAST, LOSE, LOSS (suffer).