Folia Theologica et Canonica 10. 32/24 (2021)

Ius canonicum

SUBTLE DISTINCTION BETWEEN ‘ANATHEMA’ AND ‘EXCOMMUNICATION’ 149

ing, and in most cases it was used with a content that differed significantly from the original Hellenistic term in biblical Greek and, consequently, in sources of the Early Church.9

II. The Old Testament Meaning of ‘Anathema’

In Hebrew we can find two expressions with two original meanings which emphasizes some dichotomy regarding the Greek word ‘anathema’, which was used in the Greek translation (i.e. Septuaginta) for the both: ‘korban and ‘herém’. Can be seen also their similarity and difference as compared with the Hellenistic meanings which have explained above. The term of ‘korban kept the original Hellenistic content of ‘anathema’, used for ‘gifts dedicated to the Temple’. The term ‘herém’ - which comes from the verb ‘häram’ expressed to ‘cut off’, to ‘separate’, or to ‘curse’.10 11 If something or someone was cursed or condemned to be cut off or exterminated, the communication with him or the use of it was forbidden.11 The ‘hérém' appears at different places in the Old Testament with different contents12:-Leviticus 27:28 -(...) “But no devoted thing that a man devotes to the Lord, of anything that he has, whether of a man or beast, or of his inherited field, shall be sold or redeemed; every devoted thing is most holy to the Lord.”- Deuteronomy 7:26 - “And you shall not bring an abominable thing into your house, and become accursed like it; you shall utterly detest and abhor it; for it is an accursed thing.”-Joshua 8:24, 27 - “When Israel had finished slaughtering all the habitants of Ai in the open wilderness where they pursued them, and all of them to the very last had fallen by the edge of the sword, all Israel returned to Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword. (...) Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took as their booty, according to the word of the Lord which he commanded Joshua.”-Joshua 10: 28, 40 - “And Joshua took Makke’dah on that day, and smote it and its king with the edge of the sword; he utterly destroyed every person in it, he left none remaining; and he did to the king of Makke’dah as he had done to the king of Jericho. (...) So Joshua defeated the whole land, the hill county and the Negeb and the lowland and the slopes, and all their kings; he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the Lord God of Israel commanded.”-Joshua 11: 11 - “And they put to the sword all who were in it, utterly destroying them; there was none left that breathed, and he burned Hazor with fire.”

9 Vacant, A., Anathéme, 1168.

10 Vigouroux, M., Anathéme, in Vigouroux, M. (ed.), Dictionnaire de la Bible, I. Paris 1892. 545-550, especially 545-546.

11 Vigouroux, M., Anathéme, 546-547.

12 For biblical quotations I use The Holy Bible (revised standard version; Catholic Edition), Oxford - New York 2008.