“To the Son, God said, . . .
‘You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;
therefore, God, even your God,
has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.’”
Hebrews 1:8–9
Because the King James translators preferred to translate anomia (lawlessness) as “iniquity”, the apostles’ emphasis on the goodness of the law of Moses is missed. Lawlessness (anomia) is certainly iniquity, but the apostles’ point was to condemn deeds that were contrary to the law which God gave to Moses. The following are our translations of all the New Testament verses which contain the word anomia. We have tried to make the meaning clearer by adding the emphasis on the law that the apostles had in mind.
Matthew 7:23 (concerning the Final Judgment): “Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you who work lawlessness [KJV: iniquity]!’”
Matthew 13:41: “The Son of man will send forth his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all things that offend and those who do lawlessness [KJV: iniquity].”
Matthew 23:28 (to the Pharisees): “Outwardly, you appear very righteous to men, but inwardly, you’re full of hypocrisy and lawlessness [KJV: iniquity].”
Matthew 24:12 (concerning the end times): “Because of a great increase of lawlessness [KJV: iniquity], the love of many will grow cold.”
Romans 4:7 (quoting Psalm 32:1): “Blessed are they whose lawless deeds [KJV: iniquities] are forgiven and whose sins are covered.”
Romans 6:19: “Just as you once presented your members as slaves to uncleanness, and lawlessness upon lawlessness [KJV: iniquity unto iniquity], so now present your members as slaves to righteousness unto holiness.”
2Thess. 2:7a–8 (concerning the antichrist): “For the mystery of lawlessness [KJV: iniquity] is already at work. And then, the lawless one [KJV: that Wicked] shall be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy with the appearance of his coming.”
Hebrews 1:9 (the Father to the Son): “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness [KJV: iniquity].”
Hebrews 10:17 (quoting Jeremiah 31:34): “Of their sins and their lawless deeds [KJV: iniquities] will I never be reminded again.”
Titus 2:14: “[Jesus] gave himself for us so that he might redeem us from all lawlessness [KJV: iniquity] and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good works.”
2Peter 2:16 (concerning Balaam): “He had been rebuked for his lawless conduct [KJV: iniquity]; a dumb ass, speaking with human voice, restrained the madness of the prophet.”
Next: Lawlessness and Government
