Difference between revisions of "Ignorance"

<p> ''''' ig´nō̇ ''''' - ''''' rans ''''' ( שׁגגה , <i> ''''' sheghāghāh ''''' </i> ; ἂγνοια , <i> ''''' ágnoia ''''' </i> ): "Ignorance" is the translation of <i> ''''' sheghāghāh ''''' </i> , "wandering," "going astray" (&nbsp; Leviticus 4:2 , etc., "if a soul sin through ignorance," the Revised Version (British and American) "unwittingly," margin "through error"; &nbsp;Leviticus 5:15; &nbsp;Numbers 15:24; compare &nbsp;Numbers 35:11; &nbsp;Joshua 20:3; &nbsp;Ecclesiastes 5:6; &nbsp;Ecclesiastes 10:5 , "an error"). In the Law <i> ''''' sheghāghāh ''''' </i> means "innocent error," such as had to be taken with consideration in judgment (see passages referred to). "Ignorance" is also expressed by the negative <i> ''''' lō' ''''' </i> with <i> ''''' yādha‛ ''''' </i> , "to know" (&nbsp;Isaiah 56:10; &nbsp;Isaiah 63:16; &nbsp;Psalm 73:22 ); also by <i> ''''' bi ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' bhelı̄ da‛ath ''''' </i> , literally, "in want of knowledge" (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 19:4; compare &nbsp;Deuteronomy 4:12; &nbsp;Joshua 20:5 , translated "unawares," "unwittingly"). </p> <p> In the New Testament the words are <i> ''''' agnoia ''''' </i> , "absence of knowledge" (&nbsp; Acts 3:17; &nbsp;Acts 17:30; &nbsp;Ephesians 4:18; &nbsp;1 Peter 1:14 ); <i> ''''' agnóēma ''''' </i> , "error" (&nbsp;Hebrews 9:7 , the Revised Version margin "Greek: ignorances"); <i> ''''' agnōsı́a ''''' </i> , "ignorance" (&nbsp;1 Peter 2:15 ), "no knowledge" (&nbsp;1 Corinthians 15:34 the Revised Version (British and American)); <i> ''''' agnoéō ''''' </i> , "to be without knowledge," "ignorant" (&nbsp;Romans 1:13; &nbsp;Romans 10:3; &nbsp;Romans 11:25 , etc.), "not knowing" (&nbsp;Romans 2:4 , etc.), "understood not" (&nbsp;Mark 9:32 , etc.), "ignorantly" (&nbsp;Acts 17:23 , the Revised Version (British and American) "in ignorance"; &nbsp;1 Timothy 1:13 ); <i> ''''' idiō̇tēs ''''' </i> , translated "ignorant" (&nbsp;Acts 4:13 ), "unlearned" (&nbsp;1 Corinthians 14:16 , the Revised Version margin "him that is without gifts," and so in &nbsp;1 Corinthians 14:23 , &nbsp;1 Corinthians 14:14 ), "rude" (&nbsp;2 Corinthians 11:6 ); <i> ''''' agrámmatos ''''' </i> , once only in connection with <i> ''''' idiōtēs ''''' </i> (&nbsp;Acts 4:13 , "unlearned and ignorant men"); <i> ''''' agrammatos ''''' </i> corresponds to modern "illiterate" (compare &nbsp;John 7:15; &nbsp;Acts 26:24 ); <i> ''''' idiōtēs ''''' </i> originally denoted "the private man" as distinguished from those with a knowledge of affairs, and took on the idea of contempt and scorn. In [[Philo]] it denoted the whole congregation of [[Israel]] as distinguished from the priests ( <i> De Vita Mosis </i> , Iii 29). With Paul (&nbsp;1 Corinthians 14:16 , &nbsp;1 Corinthians 14:23 , &nbsp;1 Corinthians 14:24 ) it seems to denote "plain believers as distinguished from those with special spiritual gifts." In &nbsp;Acts 4:13 it may refer to the want of <i> [[Jewish]] </i> learning; certainly it does not mean <i> ignorant </i> in the modern sense. </p> <p> Paul in &nbsp;Romans 1:18 , &nbsp;Romans 1:32 attributes the pre-Christian ignorance of God to "the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hinder the truth in unrighteousness" (but the margin has, with the King James Version, " <i> hold </i> the truth, compare &nbsp; 1 Corinthians 7:30 , Gr"); many, however (Alford, De Wette, Meyer and others), translation "hold back the truth." A willful ignorance is also referred to in &nbsp;Ephesians 4:17 f; &nbsp; 2 Peter 3:5 . But there is also a less blameworthy ignorance. Paul at [[Athens]] spoke of "times of ignorance" which God had "overlooked" (&nbsp;Acts 17:30 ); Paul says of himself that he "obtained mercy, because (he) did it (against Christ) ignorantly in unbelief" (&nbsp;1 Timothy 1:13 ); Peter said to the Jews (&nbsp;Acts 3:17 ) that they and their rulers rejected Christ "in ignorance" (compare &nbsp;1 Corinthians 2:8 ); and Jesus Himself prayed for those who crucified Him: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do"; (&nbsp;Luke 23:34 ); in &nbsp;Hebrews 5:2 the necessary qualification of a high priest is that he "can bear gently with the ignorant and erring" - those who sin in ignorance or go astray (compare &nbsp; Hebrews 9:7 , "blood, which he offereth for himself, and for the errors of the people," margin "(Greek: ignorances"). [[Growing]] light, however, brings with it increasing responsibility, and the "ignorance" that may be "overlooked" at one stage of the history of men and nations may be blameworthy and even criminal at another. </p>

<p> the want of knowledge or instruction. It is often used to denote illiteracy. Mr. Locke observes that the causes of ignorance are chiefly three: </p> <p> '''1,''' want of ideas; </p> <p> '''2,''' want of a discoverable connection between the ideas we have; </p> <p> '''3,''' want of tracing and examining our ideas. </p> <p> As respects religion, ignorance has been distinguished into three sorts: </p> <p> '''1.''' An ''Invincible'' ignorance, in which the will has no part. It is an insult upon justice to suppose it will punish men because they were ignorant of things which they were physically incapable of knowing. </p> <p> '''2.''' There is a ''Willful'' and [[Obstinate]] ignorance; such an ignorance, far from exculpating, aggravates a man's crimes. </p> <p> '''3.''' A sort of voluntary ignorance, which is neither entirely willful nor entirely invincible, as when a man has the means of knowledge, and does not use them. '''''—''''' Locke, On ''The Understanding.'' 2, 178; Grove, ''Moral Philosophy,'' 2, 26, 29, 64; Watts, ''On The Mind;'' Henderson's Buck, ''Theolog. Dict.'' s.v. (See [[Knowledge]]). </p>