Lexical Summary eidólothutos: Sacrificed to idols Original Word: εἰδωλόθυτον Strong's Exhaustive Concordance meat offered in sacrifice unto idols. Neuter of a compound of eidolon and a presumed derivative of thuo; an image-sacrifice, i.e. Part of an idolatrous offering -- (meat, thing that is) offered (in sacrifice, sacrificed) to (unto) idols. see GREEK eidolon see GREEK thuo NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom eidólon and thuó Definition sacrificed to idols NASB Translation sacrificed to an idol (1), sacrificed to idols (1), thing sacrificed (1), thing sacrificed to idols (1), things sacrificed (6), things sacrificed to idols (6). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1494: εἰδωλόθυτοςεἰδωλόθυτος, εἰδωλόθυτον (εἴδωλον and θύω), a Biblical and ecclesiastical word (Winers Grammar, 26; 100 (94)), sacrificed to idols; τό εἰδωλόθυτον and τά εἰδωλόθυτα denote the flesh left over from the heathen sacrifices; it was either eaten at feasts, or sold (by the poor and the miserly) in the market: Acts 15:29; Acts 21:25; 1 Corinthians 8:1, 4, 7, 10; 1 Corinthians 10:19, 28 (here L text T Tr WH read ἱερόθυτόν, which see); Revelation 2:14, 20. (Cf. Lightfoot on Galatians, p. 308f.) Topical Lexicon Definition and Scope Strong’s Greek 1494 identifies food that has been slaughtered in honor of a pagan deity and later served in a communal meal, sold in public markets, or presented at civic festivals. The issue is not mere diet but fellowship with idolatry. Old Testament Background Israel was repeatedly warned that sacrificial meals to false gods constituted covenant infidelity (Exodus 34:15; Numbers 25:2; Deuteronomy 32:17; Psalm 106:28). These precedents frame the New Testament’s concern: participation in idol‐feasts confuses the holiness of God with pagan worship and exposes the participant to demonic influence. Occurrences in the New Testament • Acts 15:29; Acts 21:25 – Apostolic decrees for Gentile converts The Council of Jerusalem: Apostolic Standard for Gentile Believers Acts 15:29: “You must abstain from food sacrificed to idols…” Abstention protected table fellowship between Jewish and Gentile believers and publicly separated the church from idolatrous worship. Acts 21:25 confirms that this was not a temporary expedient but a standing expectation when Gentile converts entered mixed congregations. Paul’s Pastoral Teaching to Corinth 1 Corinthians 8–10 addresses three contexts: (1) eating in pagan temples, (2) purchasing meat in the marketplace, (3) private meals with unbelievers. Paul therefore affirms liberty where idolatry is not invoked, yet he binds the conscience where participation would entail fellowship with demons or cause a brother to stumble. Christ’s Prophetic Rebuke in Revelation Revelation 2:14 and 2:20 unite sexual immorality with eating idol food, showing how accommodation to the surrounding culture undermines covenant fidelity. The risen Lord insists that tolerating such teaching is grounds for severe discipline (2:16, 23). Historical Background: Greco-Roman Sacrificial System Virtually every civic banquet, trade-guild meeting, or family celebration involved meats first dedicated to a deity. Refusal to partake marked Christians as socially alien and often provoked persecution (see 1 Peter 4:3-4). The New Testament exhortations equip believers to navigate this hostile environment without compromising loyalty to Christ. Theological Themes 1. Exclusive worship: “There is no God but one” (1 Corinthians 8:4). Practical Ministry Implications Today • Cross-cultural mission: missionaries must discern local ceremonies where food symbolizes allegiance to spirits or ancestors, guiding converts to avoid syncretism. Key Exegetical Insight In 1 Corinthians 10:28 a manuscript variation substitutes ἱερόθυτον (“sacrificial”) for εἰδωλόθυτον, yet Paul’s argument stands: any meat explicitly identified as part of an idolatrous rite must be refused. The variance highlights the broad application—whether to an idol or any sacred offering outside the covenant—believers abstain. Christological Considerations Christ, the true Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7), fulfills and eclipses all sacrificial systems. His once-for-all offering secures a redeemed people who worship “in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). The lure of idol food is thus both unnecessary and disloyal, for believers already feast at the better table of grace. Summary Strong’s 1494 confronts the church with the perennial tension between living in the world and belonging wholly to God. Scripture answers with a consistent ethic: avoid any participation that confuses Christian worship with idolatry, exercise liberty only within the bounds of love, and stand firm in exclusive devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ. Forms and Transliterations ειδωλοθυτα ειδωλόθυτα εἰδωλόθυτα ειδωλοθυτον ειδωλόθυτον ειδωλόθυτόν εἰδωλόθυτον εἰδωλόθυτόν ειδωλοθυτων ειδωλοθύτων εἰδωλοθύτων ιεροθυτον ἱερόθυτόν eidolothuta eidōlothuta eidolothuton eidōlothuton eidōlothutōn eidolothyta eidolóthyta eidōlothyta eidōlóthyta eidolothyton eidolothýton eidolóthyton eidolóthytón eidōlothyton eidōlothytōn eidōlothýtōn eidōlóthyton eidōlóthytón hierothyton hieróthytón ierothutonLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Acts 15:29 Adj-GNPGRK: ἀπέχεσθαι εἰδωλοθύτων καὶ αἵματος NAS: that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood KJV: That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and INT: to abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood Acts 21:25 Adj-ANS 1 Corinthians 8:1 Adj-GNP 1 Corinthians 8:4 Adj-GNP 1 Corinthians 8:7 Adj-NNS 1 Corinthians 8:10 Adj-ANP 1 Corinthians 10:19 Adj-NNS 1 Corinthians 10:28 Adj-NNS Revelation 2:14 Adj-ANP Revelation 2:20 Adj-ANP Strong's Greek 1494 |
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