Topical Bible: Wickedly

◄ Wickedly ►

Jump to: Webster's • Concordance • Thesaurus • Greek • Hebrew • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

The term "wickedly" in the Bible is used to describe actions, thoughts, or behaviors that are morally wrong, sinful, or in direct opposition to God's commandments. It is often associated with the deliberate and conscious choice to act in a manner that is contrary to the righteousness and holiness that God desires from His people.

Old Testament Usage

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word often translated as "wickedly" is "רָשָׁע" (rasha), which conveys the idea of being guilty or criminal. The concept of acting wickedly is frequently addressed in the context of the covenant relationship between God and Israel. For instance, in Deuteronomy 9:4, Moses warns the Israelites not to attribute their success in conquering the land to their own righteousness, but rather to recognize that it is because of the wickedness of the nations that God is driving them out: "When the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say in your heart, ‘The LORD has brought me in to possess this land because of my righteousness.’ No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is driving them out before you."

The Psalms frequently contrast the ways of the wicked with the ways of the righteous. Psalm 1:1-2, for example, highlights the blessedness of the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked: "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night."

New Testament Usage

In the New Testament, the Greek word "πονηρῶς" (ponēros) is often used to describe wicked actions. The New Testament continues the theme of contrasting wickedness with righteousness, emphasizing the transformative power of the Gospel to turn individuals from wickedness to righteousness. In Acts 3:26, Peter speaks to the people, saying, "When God raised up His servant, He sent Him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."

The Apostle Paul, in his letters, frequently admonishes believers to avoid wickedness and to live lives that reflect their new identity in Christ. In Ephesians 4:22-24, Paul instructs the believers to "put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be renewed in the spirit of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."

Theological Implications

From a theological perspective, acting wickedly is not merely a matter of external behavior but is rooted in the condition of the human heart. Jeremiah 17:9 states, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" This underscores the need for divine intervention and transformation through the Holy Spirit, as human efforts alone are insufficient to overcome the inherent sinfulness of the heart.

The Bible consistently calls for repentance and a turning away from wickedness, emphasizing that God's desire is for all to come to repentance and to live in accordance with His will. The call to forsake wickedness is a call to align oneself with God's purposes and to live a life that reflects His character and holiness.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

(adv.) In a wicked manner; in a manner, or with motives and designs, contrary to the divine law or the law of morality; viciously; corruptly; immorally.

Greek

91. adikeo -- to do wrong, act wickedly
... to do wrong, act wickedly. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: adikeo Phonetic
Spelling: (ad-ee-keh'-o) Short Definition: I act unjustly towards Definition: I ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/91.htm - 8k

Strong's Hebrew

7561. rasha -- to be wicked, act wickedly
... 7560, 7561. rasha. 7562 . to be wicked, act wickedly. Transliteration: rasha
Phonetic Spelling: (raw-shah') Short Definition: condemn. ...
/hebrew/7561.htm - 6k

7489a. raa -- to be evil, bad
... Word Origin denominative verb from ra Definition to be evil, bad NASB Word Usage
act so wickedly (1), act wickedly (1), acted wickedly (1), acted...wickedly (1 ...
/hebrew/7489a.htm - 6k

4209. mezimmah -- purpose, discretion, device
... devices (1), intent (1), plans (1), plot (1), plots (1), purpose (2), purposes
(1), schemer* (1), thoughts (1), vile deeds (1), wicked schemes (1), wickedly (1 ...
/hebrew/4209.htm - 6k

7564. rishah -- wickedness
... Word Origin from the same as rasha Definition wickedness NASB Word Usage evildoer*
(1), guilt (1), wickedly (1), wickedness (11). fault, wickedness. ...
/hebrew/7564.htm - 6k

7451b. ra -- evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity
... 7), calamity (4), disaster (2), evil (94), harm (2), harmful (1), hurt (1), ruin
(3), surely (1), trouble (2), unpleasant (1), wickedly (1), wickedness (1). ...
/hebrew/7451b.htm - 5k

5753. avah -- to bend, twist
... literally or figuratively (as follows) -- do amiss, bow down, make crooked, commit
iniquity, pervert, (do) perverse(-ly), trouble, X turn, do wickedly, do wrong ...
/hebrew/5753.htm - 5k

7463a. raah -- evil, misery, distress, injury
... 6), misfortunes (1), pain (1), situation (1), sorrow (1), trouble (9), troubles
(1), very* (1), wicked (3), wicked deeds (1), wickedly (1), wickedness (39 ...
/hebrew/7463a.htm - 6k

Library

Some Wickedly Act Independently of the Bishop.
... Chapter IV."Some wickedly act independently of the bishop. It is fitting,
then, not only to be called Christians, but to be so ...
/.../chapter iv some wickedly act independently.htm

Zain.
... is "word.". 52. The next verse is, "The proud dealt exceeding wickedly: yet
have I not shrinked from Thy law" (ver.51). By the proud ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/zain.htm

The Recovery and Revival of the Blessed Hope Itself.
... Many shall be purified, and made white and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly:
and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand." [9 ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/pink/the redeemers return/1 the recovery and revival.htm

Commandment Fourth. On Putting One's Wife Away for Adultery.
... for repentance is great wisdom. [173] For he who has sinned understands that he
acted wickedly in the ... For he feels that he has sinned and acted wickedly.--Vat. ...
/.../the pastor books first second third/commandment fourth on putting ones.htm

How those are to be Admonished who Abstain not from the Sins which ...
... forsake them not are to be admonished to learn to consider anxiously that they cleanse
themselves in vain by their weeping, if they wickedly defile themselves ...
/.../leo/writings of leo the great/chapter xxx how those are.htm

National Sins and Miseries
... "Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: But these sheep, what have they done?" ...
It behoves each of us to say, "Lo, I have sinned; I have done wickedly.". ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 130 national sins and.htm

Commandment Tenth. Of Grief, and not Grieving the Spirit of God ...
... For every cheerful man does what is good, and minds what is good, and despises
grief; [215] but the sorrowful man always acts wickedly. ...
/.../pastor/the pastor books first second third/commandment tenth of grief and.htm

Not Now, but Hereafter!
... of the Lord's displeasure, and I beg the modern Bildads and Zophars to reconsider
their position, lest they too should be found to be "speaking wickedly for God ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 7 1861/not now but hereafter.htm

Infant Salvation
... observation. It has been wickedly, lyingly, and slanderously said of Calvinists,
that we believe that some little children perish. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 7 1861/infant salvation.htm

Commandments to Men.
... That We Ought Not to Be Over-Curious About Those Who Live Wickedly, But
to Be Intent Upon Our Own Proper Employment. IV. Thou shalt ...
/.../various/constitutions of the holy apostles/sec ii commandments to men.htm

Thesaurus

Wickedly (34 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Wickedly (34 Occurrences). ... (WEY). Genesis 19:7 He said,
"Please, my brothers, don't act so wickedly. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV). ...
/w/wickedly.htm - 17k

Iniquitously (6 Occurrences)
... (adv.) In an iniquitous manner; unjustly; wickedly. ... Psalms 106:6 We have sinned with
our fathers, We have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly. (See JPS). ...
/i/iniquitously.htm - 8k

Perversely (15 Occurrences)
... and make supplication to you in the land of those who carried them captive,
saying,'We have sinned, and have done perversely; we have dealt wickedly;' (WEB ...
/p/perversely.htm - 11k

Acted (98 Occurrences)
... against me. (DBY). 2 Samuel 22:22 For I have kept the ways of Yahweh, and
have not wickedly departed from my God. (See NAS). 2 Samuel ...
/a/acted.htm - 37k

Pervert (18 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). Job 34:12 Yes surely, God will
not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert justice. ...
/p/pervert.htm - 12k

Dealt (130 Occurrences)
... and make supplication to you in the land of those who carried them captive,
saying,'We have sinned, and have done perversely; we have dealt wickedly;' (WEB ...
/d/dealt.htm - 37k

Plead (64 Occurrences)
... and make supplication to you in the land of those who carried them captive,
saying,'We have sinned, and have done perversely; we have dealt wickedly;' (See ...
/p/plead.htm - 31k

Supplication (71 Occurrences)
... and make supplication to you in the land of those who carried them captive,
saying,'We have sinned, and have done perversely; we have dealt wickedly;' (WEB ...
/s/supplication.htm - 29k

Omri (16 Occurrences)
... The testimony of 1 Kings 16:25, 26, that he "dealt wickedly above all that were
before him," coupled with the reference to "the statutes of Omri" in Micah 6:16 ...
/o/omri.htm - 20k

Repent (74 Occurrences)
... and make supplication to you in the land of those who carried them captive,
saying,'We have sinned, and have done perversely; we have dealt wickedly;' (WEB ...
/r/repent.htm - 29k

Resources

Who was Eli in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Was the American Revolution a violation of Romans 13:1-7? | GotQuestions.org

What does the Bible say about bestiality? | GotQuestions.org

Wickedly: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus

Concordance

Wickedly (34 Occurrences)

Romans 3:8
And why should we not say--for so they wickedly misrepresent us, and so some charge us with arguing--"Let us do evil that good may come"? The condemnation of those who would so argue is just.
(WEY)

Genesis 19:7
He said, "Please, my brothers, don't act so wickedly.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV)

Deuteronomy 9:18
And I fell down before the LORD, as at the first, forty days and forty nights: I did neither eat bread, nor drink water, because of all your sins which ye sinned, in doing wickedly in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
(KJV WBS)

Judges 19:23
The man, the master of the house, went out to them, and said to them, "No, my brothers, please don't act so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into my house, don't do this folly.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV)

1 Samuel 12:25
But if you shall still do wickedly, you shall be consumed, both you and your king."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV)

1 Samuel 24:17
He said to David, "You are more righteous than I; for you have done good to me, whereas I have done evil to you.
(See NAS)

2 Samuel 22:22
For I have kept the ways of Yahweh, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

2 Samuel 24:17
And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house.
(KJV WBS RSV)

1 Kings 8:47
yet if they shall repent in the land where they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication to you in the land of those who carried them captive, saying,'We have sinned, and have done perversely; we have dealt wickedly;'
(WEB JPS ASV YLT NAS RSV NIV)

1 Kings 16:25
Omri did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and dealt wickedly above all who were before him.
(WEB JPS ASV NAS)

2 Kings 21:11
"Because Manasseh king of Judah has done these abominations, and has done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, who were before him, and has made Judah also to sin with his idols;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS)

1 Chronicles 21:17
David said to God, Isn't it I who commanded the people to be numbered? It is even I who have sinned and done very wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand, O Yahweh my God, be against me, and against my father's house; but not against your people, that they should be plagued.
(WEB JPS ASV NAS RSV)

2 Chronicles 6:37
yet if they shall repent themselves in the land where they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication to you in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done perversely, and have dealt wickedly;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

2 Chronicles 20:35
After this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel; the same did very wickedly:
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

2 Chronicles 22:3
He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab; for his mother was his counselor to do wickedly.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Nehemiah 1:7
we have dealt very corruptly against you, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances, which you commanded your servant Moses.
(See NIV)

Nehemiah 9:33
However you are just in all that is come on us; for you have dealt truly, but we have done wickedly;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Job 10:15
If I have done wickedly -- wo to me, And righteously -- I lift not up my head, Full of shame -- then see my affliction,
(YLT)

Job 13:7
Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?
(KJV WBS NIV)

Job 34:12
Yes surely, God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert justice.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Psalms 18:21
For I have kept the ways of Yahweh, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Psalms 73:8
They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.
(KJV DBY WBS NAS)

Psalms 74:3
Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.
(KJV WBS YLT)

Psalms 106:6
We have sinned with our fathers. We have committed iniquity. We have done wickedly.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 139:20
For they speak against you wickedly. Your enemies take your name in vain.
(WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS NAS)

Isaiah 58:9
Then you shall call, and Yahweh will answer; you shall cry, and he will say,'Here I am.' "If you take away from the midst of you the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking wickedly;
(WEB ASV)

Jeremiah 16:12
and you have done evil more than your fathers; for, behold, you walk every one after the stubbornness of his evil heart, so that you don't listen to me:
(See NIV)

Jeremiah 38:9
My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is likely to die in the place where he is, because of the famine; for there is no more bread in the city.
(See NAS NIV)

Ezekiel 5:6
And she changeth My judgments into wickedness more than the nations, And My statutes more than the lands that 'are' round about her, For against My judgments they have kicked, And My statutes -- they have not walked in them.
(See NAS RSV)

Daniel 9:5
we have sinned, and have dealt perversely, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even turning aside from your precepts and from your ordinances;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Daniel 9:15
Now, Lord our God, who has brought your people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have gotten yourself renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Daniel 11:32
Such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he pervert by flatteries; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS)

Daniel 12:10
Many shall purify themselves, and make themselves white, and be refined; but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand; but those who are wise shall understand.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Malachi 4:1
For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
(KJV WBS)

Subtopics

Wickedly

Related Terms

Malice (24 Occurrences)

Queens (4 Occurrences)

Lewdness (68 Occurrences)

Intent (37 Occurrences)

Gomorrah (25 Occurrences)

Enormity (2 Occurrences)

Malignity (1 Occurrence)

Requite (42 Occurrences)

Streets (83 Occurrences)