The meaning of Profane in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
pro-fan' (verb chalal, adjective chalal, chol; bebeloo, bebelos): From profanus, "before (i.e. outside) the temple," therefore unholy, polluted, secular, is of frequent occurrence (verb and adjective) in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. It occurs as the translation of chol in the King James Version only in (Ezekiel 22:26, the Revised Version (British and American) "common"; Ezekiel 42:20; Ezekiel 44:23; Ezekiel 48:15, the Revised Version (British and American) "for common use"); as the translation of chalal in Leviticus 21:7, Leviticus 21:14, the Revised Version margin "polluted"; and Ezekiel 21:25, where, for the King James Version "thou profane wicked prince of Israel," the Revised Version (British and American) has "thou, O deadly wounded wicked one, the prince of Israel." "To profane" (chalal) is seen in Leviticus 18:21; Leviticus 19:8; Nehemiah 13:17-18; Psalms 89:39; Isaiah 43:28; Ezekiel 22:8, Ezekiel 22:26, etc. "Profaneness" in Jeremiah 23:15 (chanuppah) is in the American Standard Revised Version "ungodliness." In the New Testament "profane" occurs in the sense of unholy, godless, regardless of God and divine things (I Timothy 1:9; I Timothy 4:7; I Timothy 6:20; II Timothy 2:16; Hebrews 12:16), and "to profane," or violate, in Matthew 12:5; Acts 24:6. The verb is frequent in Apocrypha in 1 Macc (1:43,45,63; 2:34, etc.; also in 2 Macc 8:2; 10:5; compare 2 Esdras 15:8; Judith 4:3,12; 1 Macc 1:48; 2 Macc 4:13). In numerous cases the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "profane" for other words and phrases in the King James Version, as for "to prostitute" (Leviticus 19:29), "an hypocrite" (Isaiah 9:17), "pollute" (Numbers 18:32; Ezekiel 7:21), etc.
W. L. Walker
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