idol

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In general, idol denotes any deity that is foreign to Judaism , in particular every Gentile Christian deity . Because with regard to the Jewish one-one God YHWH , "all the gods of the peoples are nothing" (כָּל-אֱלֹהֵי הָעַמִּים, אֱלִילִים kol elohei haamim elilim 1 Chr 16:26  OT ). In a narrower sense, the term denotes the worshiped image of such a deity. This double meaning also largely synonymous terms used Idol and Idol .

From a Christian point of view, idol describes a false, pagan deity, i.e. something that is worshiped as God without being the Christian God from this point of view .

The Middle High German word Abgott comes from Old High German  abot , probably from an old adjective meaning “godless” (cf. Gothic afguþs , which translates asebḗs in Greek for “godless”), and originated at the time of the Christianization of the Teutons . In Old High German texts it is the translation of Latin simulacrum and idolum, among other things .

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  1. Idol. In: Jacob Grimm , Wilhelm Grimm (Hrsg.): German dictionary . tape 8 : Glibber – Gräzist - (IV, 1st section, part 5). S. Hirzel, Leipzig 1958, Sp. 1430 ( woerterbuchnetz.de ).
  2. Idol. In: Duden online dictionary. Bibliographisches Institut GmbH - Dudenverlag.