Disgust is an emotional response of revulsion or profound disapproval aroused by something unpleasant or offensive. In the context of the Bible, disgust can be understood as a reaction to sin, idolatry, and moral corruption, which are offensive to the holiness of God. The Bible provides numerous instances where God expresses disgust towards the actions and attitudes of individuals and nations that deviate from His commandments and righteousness.

Biblical Instances of Disgust

1. Idolatry and False Worship: One of the most prominent causes of divine disgust in the Bible is idolatry. The Israelites' repeated turning to idols provoked God's anger and revulsion. In Ezekiel 6:9 , God expresses His disgust with the Israelites' idolatry: "Then in the nations to which they have been carried captive, those who escape will remember Me—how I have been grieved by their adulterous hearts that turned away from Me, and by their eyes that lusted after their idols. They will loathe themselves for the evil they have done and for all their abominations."

2. Moral Corruption: The moral decay of societies and individuals also elicits divine disgust. In the days of Noah, the widespread corruption and violence on earth led God to express His regret for creating humanity, as seen in Genesis 6:5-6 : "Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time. And the LORD regretted that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him in His heart."

3. Hypocrisy and Empty Rituals: God is also disgusted by religious hypocrisy and empty rituals that lack genuine devotion. In Isaiah 1:13-14 , God declares His disdain for insincere worship: "Bring your worthless offerings no more; your incense is detestable to Me. New Moons, Sabbaths, and convocations—I cannot endure iniquity in a solemn assembly. I hate your New Moons and your appointed feasts. They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them."

4. Sexual Immorality: Sexual immorality is another area that provokes divine disgust. The apostle Paul, in his letters, often warns against such behavior, emphasizing that it is contrary to God's will. In Romans 1:24-26 , Paul describes how God gave people over to their sinful desires as a result of their rejection of Him: "Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity for the dishonoring of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise! Amen. For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions."

Human Disgust in Response to Sin

While divine disgust is a response to sin and unrighteousness, humans are also called to feel a sense of disgust towards sin. Believers are encouraged to hate what is evil and cling to what is good (Romans 12:9). This righteous indignation is not directed at individuals but at the sin that separates people from God. In Psalm 119:104 , the psalmist expresses a personal revulsion towards falsehood: "I gain understanding from Your precepts; therefore I hate every false way."

Conclusion

Disgust, as depicted in the Bible, is a powerful emotional response that underscores the seriousness of sin and the need for holiness. It serves as a reminder of God's perfect nature and His desire for His people to live in accordance with His will.1. (v. t.) To provoke disgust or strong distaste in; to cause (any one) loathing, as of the stomach; to excite aversion in; to offend the moral taste of; -- often with at, with, or by.

2. (v. t.) Repugnance to what is offensive; aversion or displeasure produced by something loathsome; loathing; strong distaste; -- said primarily of the sickening opposition felt for anything which offends the physical organs of taste; now rather of the analogous repugnance excited by anything extremely unpleasant to the moral taste or higher sensibilities of our nature; as, an act of cruelty may excite disgust.

1692. emeo -- to vomit
... 1692 -- properly, vomit (); (figuratively) repulsed, showing utter rejection (desiring
total separation); "to reject with extreme disgust" (, 6, 321). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1692.htm - 6k

1609. ekptuo -- to spit out, to spurn
... 4429 , "spit") -- properly, spit (completely, with revulsion) because distasteful,
ie (thoroughly separate from); reject , with utter disgust (used only in Gal ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1609.htm - 7k

2214. zara -- loathsome thing
... loathsome. From zuwr (in the sense of estrangement) (compare zarah); disgust --
loathsome. see HEBREW zuwr. see HEBREW zarah. 2213, 2214. zara. 2215 . ...
/hebrew/2214.htm - 6k

Love of Religion, a New Nature.
... To be dead to sin, is to feel a disgust at it. We know what is meant by
disgust. Take, for instance, the case of a sick man, when ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol vii/sermon xiii love of religion.htm

Whether Likeness is a Cause of Pleasure?
... Objection 3: Further, those who are satiated with certain delights, derive not pleasure
but disgust from them; as when one is satiated with food. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether likeness is a cause 2.htm

Evidences of Regeneration.
... of sin. And often the sensibility of sinners, as well as of saints, is filled
with deep disgust and loathing in view of sin. I know ...
/.../finney/systematic theology/lecture xxix evidences of regeneration.htm

The Final Disillusion
... his friend disapproved of. Some time earlier, at Carthage, Augustin had filled
him with disgust of the circus. But hardly was Alypius ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bertrand/saint augustin/ii the final disillusion.htm

Ridicule of the Statues Erected by the Greeks.
... One ought to turn away with disgust from one who bore off the fruits of great
incontinence, and whom the Romans compared to a sow, which also on a like account ...
/.../tatian/tatians address to the greeks/chapter xxxiv ridicule of the statues.htm

To Daniella of Orvieto Clothed with the Habit of St. Dominic
... receive, not the payment, but the pledge"not waiting to receive it till the enduring
life, where is life without death, satiety without disgust, and hunger ...
/.../benincasa/letters of catherine benincasa/to daniella of orvieto clothed.htm

Of True Humility, and How Abbot Serapion Exposed the Mock Humility ...
... Whereupon the other was filled with such vexation and disgust that he could not
hide by his looks the annoyance which he felt in his heart. ...
/.../cassian/the conferences of john cassian/chapter xi of true humility.htm

Impressive Phrases
... discrimination, acuteness, insight, and judgment. disgust, distaste, loathing,
and abhorrence. ... dread, disgust, repugnance, and dreariness. ...
/.../kleiser/fifteen thousand useful phrases/section iv impressive phrases.htm

The Imagination.
... reports; it seizes with avidity on the things that please it, but scarcely is it
in possession of the sought for objects when it abandons them with disgust. ...
/.../sainte-foi/serious hours of a young lady/chapter x the imagination.htm

Useless Sacrifice
... You ask, with astonishment and disgust, how comes that there? and are told,
to your fresh astonishment and disgust, that that is ...
/.../kingsley/all saints day and other sermons/sermon xxxvi useless sacrifice.htm

Disgust (18 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To provoke disgust or strong distaste in; to cause (any one) loathing, as
of the stomach; to excite aversion in; to offend the moral taste of; -- often ...
/d/disgust.htm - 12k

Loathe (19 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vt) To feel extreme disgust at, or aversion for; to
hate. ... 3. (vi) To feel disgust or nausea. Multi-Version Concordance ...
/l/loathe.htm - 12k

Disgusted (7 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) of Disgust. Multi-Version Concordance
Disgusted (7 Occurrences). Genesis 27:46 And Rebekah ...
/d/disgusted.htm - 8k

Abhor (23 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) To fill with horror or disgust. ... 4. (vi) To shrink back with horror,
disgust, or dislike; to be contrary or averse; -- with. Int. ...
/a/abhor.htm - 14k

Surfeit (1 Occurrence)
... 3. (n.) Disgust caused by excess; satiety. ... 7. (vt) To fill to satiety and disgust;
to cloy; as, he surfeits us with compliments. Multi-Version Concordance ...
/s/surfeit.htm - 7k

Disgusting (149 Occurrences)
... 1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Disgust. 2. (a.) That causes disgust; sickening; offensive;
revolting. Multi-Version Concordance Disgusting (149 Occurrences). ...
/d/disgusting.htm - 38k

Kibroth-hattaavah (5 Occurrences)
... which fell on the hinder part of the camp, and killed many persons, but ceased at
the intercession of Moses (Numbers 11:1, 2). Then a disgust fell on the ...
/k/kibroth-hattaavah.htm - 10k

Kibrothhattaavah (5 Occurrences)
... which fell on the hinder part of the camp, and killed many persons, but ceased at
the intercession of Moses (Numbers 11:1, 2). Then a disgust fell on the ...
/k/kibrothhattaavah.htm - 10k

Odious (9 Occurrences)
... 2. (a.) Causing or provoking hatred, repugnance, or disgust; offensive;
disagreeable; repulsive; as, an odious sight; an odious smell. ...
/o/odious.htm - 9k

Overturning (14 Occurrences)
... on your high places, overturning your perfume altars, and will put your dead bodies
on your broken images, and my soul will be turned from you in disgust. ...
/o/overturning.htm - 10k

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