Innocence, Innocency, Innocent
ino-sens, ino-sen-si, ino-sent (, zakhu, , nikkayon, , hinnam, , haph, , nak; , athoos): the King James Version and the American Standard Revised Version have innocency in Gen 20:5; Psa 26:6; Psa 73:13; Dan 6:22; Hos 8:5. In Daniel the Hebrew is zakhu, and the innocence expressed is the absence of the guilt of disloyalty to God. In all the other places the Hebrew is nikkayon, and the innocence expressed is the absence of pollution, Hosea having reference to the pollution of idolatry, and the other passages presenting the cleansing under the figure of washing hands. the King James Version has innocent not fewer than 40 times. In one place (1Ki 2:31) the Hebrew is hinnam, meaning undeserved, or without cause, and, accordingly, the American Standard Revised Version, instead of innocent blood … shed, has blood … shed without cause. In another place (Job 33:9) the Hebrew is haph, meaning scraped, or polished, therefore clean, and refers to moral purity. In all the other places the Hebrew is nak, or its cognates, and the idea is doubtless the absence of pollution. In more than half the passages innocent is connected with blood, as blood of the innocent, or simply innocent blood. In some places there is the idea of the Divine acquittal, or forgiveness, as in Job 9:28 : I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent (compare Job 10:14, where the same Hebrew word is used). The New Testament has innocent twice in connection with blood – innocent blood, and innocent of the blood (Mat 27:4, Mat 27:24).