Hypocrite

The general acceptation of this word, and the character of the person under the influence of hypocrisy, is not well understood. We perfectly, well apprehend, that an hypocrite, and especially in religion, means one that wishes to be thought what he is not, and takes pains to impose upon others a seeming sanctity of character, which, in fact, his heart is a stranger to. This is the supposed meaning of an hypocrite, and this, as far as it goes, is right; but this is not all. For the full arid complete description of the character is, whenheimposeth upon himself also: this is the finishing of the term hypocrisy. And very awful is it to say, that the deception is but too possible. Our Lord’s expression is solemn to this amount. (Luke x2: 1, 2.) Beware ye of the leaven of the pharisees, which is hypocrisy: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known." Hence that most interesting desire of the soul as expressed by David, "cleanse thou me from secret faults." (Ps. xix. 12.)

a word from the Greek, which signifies one who feigns to be what he is not; who puts on a masque or character, like actors in tragedies and comedies. It is generally applied to those who assume appearances of a virtue, without possessing it in reality. Our Saviour accused the Pharisees of hypocrisy. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word caneph, which is rendered “hypocrite,” “counterfeit,” signifies also a profane wicked man, a man polluted, corrupted, a man of impiety, a deceiver. It was ingeniously said by Basil, that the hypocrite did not put off the old man, but put the new man upon it.

One who, like a stage-player, feigns to be what he is not. The epithet is generally applied to those who assume the appearance of virtue or piety, without possessing the reality. Our Savior accused the Pharisees of hypocrisy, Luk 12:1 .\par

HYPOCRITE.—This word occurs in the NT only in the Synoptic Gospels; but ‘hypocrisy’ is used in the Epistles (Gal 2:13, 1Ti 4:2, 1Pe 2:1), and the verb ‘to play the hypocrite’ in Luk 20:20 (tr. [Note: translate or translation.] ‘feigned’). The hypocrisy of the Gospels is the ‘appearing before men what one ought to be, but is not, before God.’ At times it is a deliberately played part (e.g. Mat 6:2; Mat 6:5; Mat 6:16; Mat 22:18 etc.), at others it is a deception of which the actor himself is unconscious (e.g. Mar 7:6, Luk 6:42; Luk 12:56 etc.). Thus, according to Christ, all who play the part of religion, whether consciously or unconsciously, without being religious, are hypocrites; and so fall under His sternest denunciation (Mat 23:1-39). This meaning of the word has led some to give it the wider interpretation of ‘godlessness’ in some passages (e.g. Mat 24:51; cf. Luk 12:46); but as there may always be seen in the word the idea of a religious cloak over the godlessness, the ordinary sense should stand.

In the AV [Note: Authorized Version.] of OT (e.g. Job 8:13, Isa 9:17) ‘hypocrite’ is a mistranslation of the Heb. word chânçph. It passed into the AV [Note: Authorized Version.] from the Latin, which followed the Greek Versions. In RV [Note: Revised Version.] it is rendered ‘godless,’ ‘profane.’

Charles T. P. Grierson.

A person with wrong motives

who pretends to be good.