The concept of "forbid" in the Bible encompasses the idea of prohibiting or restraining certain actions, behaviors, or practices. This term is often used in the context of divine commandments, moral laws, and apostolic instructions. The Bible provides numerous instances where God, through His laws and teachings, forbids certain actions to guide His people towards righteousness and holiness.

Old Testament Usage

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word often translated as "forbid" is "אסר" (asar), which means to bind or prohibit. The Mosaic Law contains numerous prohibitions that are foundational to the covenant relationship between God and Israel. For example, the Ten Commandments include several prohibitions, such as "You shall not murder" (Exodus 20:13) and "You shall not steal" (Exodus 20:15). These commandments serve as moral and ethical guidelines for the Israelites.

God also forbids the worship of other gods and the making of idols, emphasizing His exclusive sovereignty and the need for His people to remain faithful. In Deuteronomy 5:7-8 , it is stated, "You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath."

New Testament Usage

In the New Testament, the Greek word "κωλύω" (koluo) is commonly used to denote forbidding or hindering. Jesus and the apostles provide teachings that include prohibitions aimed at maintaining the purity and unity of the Christian community. For instance, Jesus forbids divorce except on the grounds of sexual immorality, as seen in Matthew 19:9 : "And I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman, commits adultery."

The apostle Paul also addresses issues of conduct within the church, forbidding practices that lead to division or moral compromise. In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 , Paul warns, "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God."

Divine Authority and Human Responsibility

The prohibitions found in Scripture underscore the authority of God and the responsibility of His people to live according to His will. The act of forbidding is not merely about restriction but is intended to protect and preserve the holiness and well-being of the community. In Acts 10:47 , Peter, recognizing the work of the Holy Spirit, states, "Can anyone withhold the water to baptize these people? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have!" Here, the concept of forbidding is turned on its head, as Peter acknowledges that human restrictions must yield to divine action.

Conclusion

The biblical concept of forbidding is deeply rooted in the relationship between God and His people, reflecting His desire for them to live in obedience and holiness. Through divine prohibitions, believers are called to discernment and faithfulness, aligning their lives with the teachings and commandments of Scripture.1. (p. p.) of Forbid.

2. (v. t.) To command against, or contrary to; to prohibit; to interdict.

3. (v. t.) To deny, exclude from, or warn off, by express command; to command not to enter.

4. (v. t.) To oppose, hinder, or prevent, as if by an effectual command; as, an impassable river forbids the approach of the army.

5. (v. t.) To accurse; to blast.

6. (v. t.) To defy; to challenge.

7. (v. i.) To utter a prohibition; to prevent; to hinder.

FORBID

for-bid' (kala; koluo):

Occurs very seldom in the Old Testament except as the rendering of chalilah (see below); it is once the translation of kala', "to restrain" (Numbers 11:28, "Joshua. said My lord Moses forbid them"); twice of tsawah, "to command" (Deuteronomy 2:37, "and wheresoever Yahweh our God forbade us"; Deuteronomy 4:23, "Yahweh thy God hath forbidden thee," literally, "commanded"); once of lo', "not," the Revised Version (British and American) "commanded not to be done" (Leviticus 5:17). In the phrases, "Yahweh forbid" (1 Samuel 24:6; 1 Samuel 26:11 1 Kings 21:13), "God forbid" (Genesis 44:7 Joshua 22:29; Joshua 24:16 1 Samuel 12:23 Job 27:5, etc.), "My God forbid it me" (1 Chronicles 11:19), the word is chalilah, denoting profanation, or abhorrence (rendered, Genesis 18:25 the King James Version, "that be far from thee"); the English Revised Version leaves the expressions unchanged; the American Standard Revised Version substitutes "far be it from me," "thee," etc., except in 1 Samuel 14:45; 1 Samuel 20:2, where it is, "Far from it."

In the New Testament koluo, "to cut short," "restrain" is the word commonly translated "forbid" (Matthew 19:14, "forbid them not," etc.); in Luke 6:29, the Revised Version (British and American) has "withhold not"; diakoluo, with a similar meaning, occurs in Matthew 3:14, "John forbade him," the Revised Version (British and American) "would have hindered him"; akolutos, "uncut off" (Acts 28:31), is translated "none forbidding him." The phrase "God forbid" (me genoito, "let it not be," Luke 20:16 Romans 3:4, etc.) is retained by the Revised Version (British and American), with margin "Be it not so," except in Galatians 6:14, where the text has "Far be it from me"; me genoito is one of the renderings of chalilah in Septuagint. "God forbid" also appears in Apocrypha (APC 1Macc 2:21, the Revised Version (British and American) "Heaven forbid," margin, Greek "may he be propitious," APC 1Macc 9:10, the Revised Version (British and American) "Let it not be").

W. L. Walker

550. apeipon -- to forbid, renounce
... to forbid, renounce. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: apeipon Phonetic Spelling:
(ap-i-pom'-ane) Short Definition: I renounce, disown Definition: I renounce ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/550.htm - 6k

546. apeileo -- to threaten
... to threaten. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: apeileo Phonetic Spelling:
(ap-i-leh'-o) Short Definition: I threaten, forbid by threatening Definition: I ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/546.htm - 6k

2967. koluo -- to hinder
... Word Origin probably from the same as kolazo Definition to hinder NASB Word Usage
forbid (2), forbidden (1), forbidding (1), forbids (1), hinder (5), hindered ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2967.htm - 7k

1254. diakoluo -- to hinder
... forbid. From dia and koluo; to hinder altogether, ie Utterly prohibit -- forbid.
see GREEK dia. see GREEK koluo. (diekoluen) -- 1 Occurrence. 1253, 1254. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1254.htm - 6k

1096. ginomai -- to come into being, to happen, to become
... be brought (to pass), (be) come (to pass), continue, be divided, draw, be ended,
fall, be finished, follow, be found, be fulfilled, + God forbid, grow, happen ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1096.htm - 15k

3361. me -- not, that...not, lest (used for qualified negation)
... also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas ou expects an affirmative
one)) whether -- any but (that), X forbear, + God forbid, + lack, lest ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3361.htm - 8k

2008. epitimao -- to honor, to mete out due measure, hence to ...
... charge, rebuke. From epi and timao; to tax upon, ie Censure or admonish; by implication,
forbid -- (straitly) charge, rebuke. see GREEK epi. see GREEK timao. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2008.htm - 8k

2436. hileos -- propitious
... Word Origin another spelling of hilaos (propitious, gracious) Definition propitious
NASB Word Usage god forbid (1), merciful (1). gracious, merciful. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2436.htm - 7k

5106. nu -- to hinder, restrain, frustrate
... 5105, 5106. nu. 5107 . to hinder, restrain, frustrate. Transliteration: nu
Phonetic Spelling: (noo) Short Definition: forbid. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/5106.htm - 6k

2486. chalilah -- far be it!
... Word Origin from chalal Definition far be it! NASB Word Usage far (19), forbid
(2). be far, God forbid. ... be far, (X God) forbid. see HEBREW chalal. ...
/hebrew/2486.htm - 6k

3607. kala -- to shut up, restrain, withhold
... finish, forbid, keep back, refrain, restrain, retain, shut up, be stayed,.
A primitive root; to restrict, by act (hold back or in ...
/hebrew/3607.htm - 6k

6680. tsavah -- to lay charge (upon), give charge (to), command ...
... order (2). appoint, forbid, give a charge, give a, give in, send with
commander send a messenger, put, set in order. A primitive ...
/hebrew/6680.htm - 6k

What Does God Forbid in the Eighth Commandment?
... Lord's Day 42 Question 110 What does God forbid in the eighth commandment?
What does God forbid in the eighth commandment? God forbids ...
/.../various/the heidelberg catechism /question 110 what does god.htm

Does God Forbid in this Commandment, Only Adultery, and Such Like ...
... Lord's Day 41 Question 109 Does God forbid in this commandment, only adultery,
and such like gross sins? Does God forbid in this ...
/.../various/the heidelberg catechism /question 109 does god forbid.htm

"Who Can Forbid Water?"
... Book VII. Chapter XXX.""Who Can Forbid Water?". Then she, when she heard
this, said: "And what hinders me to be baptized to-day? ...
/.../unknown/recognitions of clement /chapter xxx who can forbid water.htm

The Scriptures Forbid Our Supposing Either that the Resurrection ...
... Chapter XXII."The Scriptures Forbid Our Supposing Either that the Resurrection
is Already Past, or that It Takes Place Immediately at Death. ...
/.../on the resurrection of the flesh/chapter xxii the scriptures forbid our.htm

St. John did not Absolutely Forbid that Prayer Should be Made for ...
... Two Books Concerning Repentance. Book I. Chapter X. St. John did not absolutely
forbid that prayer should be made for those who "sin? St. ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter x st john did.htm

We Forbid to be Publicly Read in Church, Histories of the Martyrs ...
... The Sixth Ecumenical Council. Canon LXIII. We forbid to be publicly read
in Church, histories of the martyrs which have been? ...
/.../schaff/the seven ecumenical councils/canon lxiii we forbid to.htm

Faustus Repels the Insinuation that the Prophecy of Paul with ...
... Book XXX. Faustus repels the insinuation that the prophecy of Paul with reference
to those that should forbid to marry. Faustus repels ...
/.../faustus repels the insinuation that.htm

Do are Then Make Void the Law through Faith? God Forbid; Yea, we ...
... Do are then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish
the law. Romans 3:31. The apostle had been proving that ...
/.../finney/lectures to professing christians/do are then make void.htm

Of the Fact that the False Gods do not Forbid Others to be ...
... the harmony of the gospels.Book I. Chapter XXV."Of the Fact that the False Gods
Do Not Forbid Others to Be Worshipped Along with Themselves. ...
/.../augustine/the harmony of the gospels/chapter xxv of the fact that.htm

Sixth Commandment
... It does not forbid the killing of animals for food and for other reasons. ... It does
not forbid the killing of burglars, etc., in self-defence. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/weighed and wanting/sixth commandment.htm

Forbid (46 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (pp) of Forbid. 2. (vt) To command against, or contrary
to; to prohibit; to interdict. ... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. FORBID. ...
/f/forbid.htm - 23k

Belongeth (36 Occurrences)
... Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, Suffer the little children, and forbid them not, to
come unto me: for to such belongeth the kingdom of heaven. (ASV). ...
/b/belongeth.htm - 17k

Suffer (195 Occurrences)
... moisture; to suffer loss or damage. 4. (vt) To allow; to permit; not to
forbid or hinder; to tolerate. 5. (vi) To feel or undergo ...
/s/suffer.htm - 36k

Nay (92 Occurrences)
... (KJV ASV DBY). Romans 3:31 Do we then make the law of none effect through faith?
God forbid: nay, we establish the law. (ASV). ... Is the law sin? God forbid. ...
/n/nay.htm - 34k

Farther (33 Occurrences)
... The word chalilah, an exclamation of abhorrence or aversion Septuagint me genoito;
see FORBID), is rendered "far from me," "far from thee," etc. ...
/f/farther.htm - 19k

Far (2526 Occurrences)
... The word chalilah, an exclamation of abhorrence or aversion Septuagint me genoito;
see FORBID), is rendered "far from me," "far from thee," etc. ...
/f/far.htm - 11k

Permit (36 Occurrences)
... Don't forbid them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. (See NAS). Mark
11:16 He would not allow anyone to carry a container through the temple. ...
/p/permit.htm - 16k

Belongs (127 Occurrences)
... Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, "Allow the little children, and don't forbid them
to come to me; for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to ones like these." (WEB WEY ...
/b/belongs.htm - 35k

Forbidden (20 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (pp) of Forbid. 2. (a.) Prohibited; interdicted.
Multi-Version Concordance Forbidden (20 Occurrences). ...
/f/forbidden.htm - 12k

Allow (86 Occurrences)
... Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, "Allow the little children, and don't forbid them
to come to me; for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to ones like these." (WEB). ...
/a/allow.htm - 33k

What does the Bible say about drinking alcohol / wine? Is it a sin for a Christian to drink alcohol / wine? | GotQuestions.org

Why was David so loyal to Saul after everything Saul had done to him? | GotQuestions.org

Should Christian women wear pants (trousers)? | GotQuestions.org

Forbid: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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