INNOCENCE
Acting in perfect consonance to the law, without incurring guilt or consequent punishment.
See MAN.
Fuente: Theological Dictionary
Innocence
The word Nakah (, Ass. naq) signifies (in the passive) to be cleansed or made free from pollution, and so to be guiltless, innocent, and unpunished. It implies that a man’s innocence with respect to a particular charge is established in the sight of others, so that the charge falls to the ground. The first passage in which it occurs is Gen 24:8; Gen 24:41, ‘Thou shalt be clear from this my oath.’
We read in Exo 34:7, Num 14:18, and Nah 1:3, that ‘the Lord will by no means clear (the guilty).’ These words, coming as they do after the representation of God as ‘forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin,’ are remarkable. They are illustrated by the following clause, ‘visiting the iniquity of the fathers up on the children, and up on the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth (generation).’ They imply that, though God is ready to pardon sin, He by no means ignores or disregards it. The sinner is regarded as guilty in God’s sight until the revealed way of removing that guilt is found and appealed to. this truth is also taught in the following passages where the word is used:– Exo 20:7, Deu 5:11, ‘The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.’ Num 5:31, ‘Then shall the man be guiltless from iniquity,’ i.e. shall be acquitted from the charge of wrong-doing. Num 32:22, ‘Then afterwards ye shall return and be guiltless before the Lord and before Israel.’ Jos 2:19, ‘H is blood shall be up on his head, and we will be guiltless,’ i.e. with respect to the oath made to spare Rahab’s kindred (compare verse 17, where the same word is rendered ‘blameless’). 1Sa 26:9, ‘Who can stretch forth his h and against the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless?’ 2Sa 3:28, ‘I and my kingdom are guiltless before the Lord forever from the blood of Abner, the son of Ner.’ 2Sa 14:9, ‘The woman of Tekoah said unto the king, The iniquity be on me and on my father’s house; and the king and his throne be guiltless.’ 1Ki 2:9, ‘Now therefore hold him not guiltless.’ Job 10:14, ‘If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.’ Every sin constitutes a distinct charge against a man in the sight of God, and it must be dealt wit has such. Psa 24:4, ‘He that hath clean hands and a pure heart.’ Clean hands are those which are innocent of blood-guiltiness. Joe 3:21, ‘I will cleanse their blood which I have not cleansed.’
Some other renderings of the words may be noticed:–Gen 20:5, ‘ in the integrity of my heart and in the innocency of my hands have I done this.’ Gen 44:10, ‘Ye shall be blameless.’ Exo 23:7, ‘The innocent and righteous slay thou not.’ Deu 19:9-10, ‘Thou shalt add three cities more for thee besides these three, that innocent blood be not shed in thy land, and so blood be up on thee.’ Deu 19:13, ‘Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away (the guilt of) innocent blood from Israel.’ Deu 21:8-9, ‘Lay not innocent blood to the charge of thy people Israel. . So shalt thou put away (the guilt of) innocent blood from among you.’ Deu 27:25, ‘Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person’ (compare 1Sa 19:5; 2Ki 21:16; 2Ki 24:4). Jdg 15:3, ‘Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines.’ Job 4:7, ‘Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent’ (see also Job 9:23; Job 9:28; Job 17:8; Job 22:19; Job 22:30; Job 27:17). Psa 10:8, ‘He doth murder the innocent’ (see Psa 15:5; Psa 94:21; Psa 106:38; Pro 1:11; Pro 6:17; Isa 59:7; Jer 2:34; Jer 7:6; Jer 19:4; Jer 22:3; Jer 22:17; Jer 26:15; Joe 3:19; Jon 1:14). Psa 19:13, ‘Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous (sins); let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.’ Psa 26:6, ‘I will wash my hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar’ (see Psa 73:13). Pro 6:29, ‘Whosoever toucheth (his neighbour’s wife) shall not be innocent’ (see Psa. 11:21, Psa 16:5, Psa 17:5, Psa 19:5; Psa 19:9, Psa. 28:20; Jer 2:35). Jer 25:29; Jer 49:12, ‘Should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished.’ Jer 30:11; Jer 46:28, ‘I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.’
The above are almost all the passages in which the word Nakah occurs. It generally appears to signify proved innocence from specified charges, whether those charges are brought by God or man. The offences, if committed, were punishable; but when they have not been committed, if that innocence can be made clear, the person against whom the charge is made goes off free from blame and punishment. It is evident that the innocence implied by this word is from one point of view not such a perfect state as what is called justification; for whilst the former leaves one in the negative position of not having done certain things, the latter advances a step further, and constitutes one upright in the sight of God. Where Nakah is used, man is regarded as actually clear from a charge; where Tsadak is used, man is regarded as having obtained deliverance from condemnation, and as being thus entitled to a certain inheritance.
In the Piel or intensive voice, the word is only used in negative sentences, with the exception of Psa 19:12, ‘Cleanse thou me from my hidden (faults),’ i.e. hold me guiltless.
The LXX renders Nakah by , , , and, in a few passages, by and .
Fuente: Synonyms of the Old Testament
Innocence
INNOCENCE.Innocence, strictly speaking, denotes the entire absence of sin in a human soul. As such, in its primary meaning, we have no personal experience of it in ourselves or in others. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). We can, therefore, have no actual knowlege of what would be the effect of this quality upon a human character. In this sense it is an attribute of Jesus Christ alone among men, who was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin (Heb 4:15); who knew no sin (2Co 5:21); who could address to His watchful foes the challenge, Which of you convicteth me of sin? (Joh 8:46). The gulf between innocence and the state of the soul that has once committed sin can be realized only as we comprehend the nature of sin and its immeasurable depravity and consequences. See art. Sinlessness. (For the subject of our Lords innocence of the charges which led to His crucifixion, see art. Trial of Jesus Christ).
Innocence in a comparative sense may be attributed to men who, though fallen, are yet, in respect of particular sins, innocent, or who from circumstances of upbringing, or by the special grace of God, are shielded from that knowledge of sin by personal experience which is the common lot of men. Such a man was John the Baptist, who was in the deserts until the day of his showing unto Israel (Luk 1:80). It has been said that there are only two states of life open to the man who wishes to serve God. The one is the state of innocence, the other of penitence. John the Baptist may be taken as a type of the one, St. Peter of the other. It must not be supposed that innocence implies ignorance or weakness. If John the Baptist, in whose life no fall is recorded, the essence of whose career is one unbroken record of devotion to the service of God, be taken as a type of innocence, he is pre-eminently the stern masculine type of character, and he displays great knowledge of men and power of dealing with the varied temptations of soldiers, publicans, and professors of religion.
The temptation specially addressed to innocence is the knowledge of evil as well as good (Gen 3:5), but the experience of evil which entails the irrecoverable loss of innocence is not wisdom in the true sense of the word. The knowledge of wickedness is not wisdom (Sir 19:22). Innocence possesses an intuitive perception of right and wrong, observable in the child, which becomes blunted by the indulgence of sin; it also implies a strength which is lost by a fall. Each successive lapse from innocence makes the soul weaker in that particular direction in which the fall has taken place.
For further treatment of this subject the reader may be referred to a sermon on the subject in Illingworths University and Cathedral Sermons, p. 99 ff.
M. R. Newbolt.