Votive

A votive deposit or votive offering is one or more objects displayed or deposited, without the intention of recovery or use, in a sacred place for broadly religious purposes.

It is also defined as "offered, given, dedicated, etc., in accordance with a vow." There are two uses of the word vow in the Bible.

Vows and Prayers

Today the word vow is defined “a solemn promise, pledge, or personal commitment: marriage vows...” But in the KJV of the Bible vow is translated from a word that means prayer. Translating horkos as vow might lead someone to think that Jesus prohibited vows yet the original words of the text may reveal a very different meaning.

These little deceptions through sophistry can go a long way to confuse the whole world. We have shown this a hundred times and more in our writings. Sophistry like this leads many people astray and has kept people from becoming doers of the word.

Some translations use the word vow instead of oath in Matthew 5:33 but this leads to confusion since we see another word for vow which appears in the biblical text in Acts 18:18 where we see that Paul took a vow, Acts 21:23, and in James 5:15 where the word is also translated prayer.

Acts 18:18 "And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow <euche>."

Acts 21:23 "Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have <euche> a vow on them;"

James 5:15 "And the prayer <euche> of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

You do not have to become a Greek scholar but you should be willing to peek over the theological fence that other men have constructed in your mind with their different translations and private interpretations. The word we see for vow in these verses is euche or euchomai which means a prayer to God, a vow, what you desire or intend to do. It is the word from which you get eucharistos or Eucharist.

Other words like proseuche translated prayer 36 times or proseuchomai which is the word pray almost 90 times are extensions of this word we see translated vow.

The word euche is clearly not the same as word horkos more often translated oath but some people want to imagine that they can use these words interchangeably. They do the truth and Christ a disservice and if they continue in this they are bearing false witness about what Christ actually said and meant.

We have seen how translators can translate five different words into the same English word and the same Greek word into five or more different English word. If you couple this practice with the truth that each English words can have many different definitions then you should clearly see without some reference to original texts that you are opening the door to confusion and even lies. There should be a consistency in translating and the use of words in translations and especially in formulating your own conversations about Christ's doctrines.

So the word vow can mean several things. Matrimony is established with vows publicly announced before witnesses and God. This is not the same as Marriage vows as established by the authority of the State which fences a husband and wife under the authority of the State.

By not examining the meaning of words and the purpose and spirit of the original authors including their choice of words we are dissembling the Gospel of Christ and equivocate over the meanings of His words by worshiping what we want to believe is true rather than accepting the truth of what Christ actually said. We are leading people astray and are fencing in our thinking by our own personal interpretation and prejudice.

Don't be led astray by bad translations and other tools of sophistry.

A vow, as used with the translation of the the Greek word eucho and used in the Bible, is a prayer.

A vow is a statement. "A vow is not an oath."^[1]

"A vow is not an oath."^[2]

"A vow is not an oath."^[3]

A vow is a statement.

A vow (euche¯) is a willing undertaking of good things. ^[4]

A vow is not even a promise. A promise is "a declaration that something will or will not be done, given, etc." an it is made to someone or some organization but a vow is an expression of intent to the general public but between you and God. It does not bring you under the authority of others, adjure or establish a jurisdiction under the authority of others.

If you need help:

Or want to help others:

Footnotes

↑ The Distinguished Jurist's Primer, Volume 1, By Averroës, Ibn Rushd
↑ Southeastern Mennonite Conference
↑ The Monthly Repository of Theology and General Literature, Volume 19 published prior to 1923
↑ THE SAPPHIRE LIGHT OF THE MIND:THE SKEMMATA OF EVAGRIUS PONTICUS WILLIAM HARMLESS, S.J., AND RAYMOND R. FITZGERALD,

[1] The Distinguished Jurist's Primer, Volume 1, By Averroës, Ibn Rushd

[2] Southeastern Mennonite Conference

[3] The Monthly Repository of Theology and General Literature, Volume 19 published prior to 1923

[4] THE SAPPHIRE LIGHT OF THE MIND:THE SKEMMATA OF EVAGRIUS PONTICUS WILLIAM HARMLESS, S.J., AND RAYMOND R. FITZGERALD,

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

Votive

Vows and Prayers

Footnotes

Navigation menu

Search