"vanish" is the word tsamath, and once again we are not left in doubt as to its meaning.

Reviewing, we find that this word means, "to be cut off," "to be deprived" either of

being, existence, identity, or relationship. This is one of the words used to describe the

sinner's end. He is to be cut off (tsamath) from the living God, he will be destroyed

(shamad), and he will consequently perish (abad).

We will now turn our attention to another Hebrew word, namely, karath. In its various

forms it is translated in the A.V. "cut off," 88 times, "be cut off," 59 times, "cut

down," 19 times, and "cut," "destroy," "hewn down," "perish." It is further rendered

"covenant," twice, and "make a covenant," 84 times. Its primary meaning is "to cut off"

as a branch (Num. 13: 23), "to cut down" as a tree (Isa. 37: 24).  The word

kerithuth--a feminine noun from karath--is translated "divorce" and "divorcement" in

Deut. 24: 1, 3; Isa. 50: 1; Jer. 3: 8.

Karath is used continually with reference to the cutting up of the bodies of the animals

slain for sacrificial purposes (Jer. 34: 18). Psa. 50: 5 literally rendered is, "those who

have cut in pieces My victim in sacrifice." Gen. 15: 9-17 is an illustration of the practice

of cutting or dividing the bodies of the victims, but in this passage another word is used

instead of karath. This word karath is used in that solemn prophecy of Dan. 9: 26,

"Messiah shall be cut off and shall have nothing." This cutting off was the death on the

Cross. "He was cut off (gazer) out of the land of the living."

The repeated threat found in the law against offenders is, "that soul shall be cut off

from among his people" (Ex. 12: 15; Lev. 19: 8; Num. 15: 30, &100:). The words of

Jer. 48: 2, "Come, let us cut it off from being a nation," give us some idea of the force

of the word, but when we read it in Gen. 11: 11 in reference to the Flood, we realize how

tremendous this cutting off really is. There in Gen. 9: the words "cut off" correspond to

the words "destroy" and "die" of 6: 17 and 9: 11, and "curse" and "smite" of

Gen. 8: 21.

Turning from these historical references we find that this severe judgment is held over

the head of impenitent sinners:--

We have already said that the primary meaning of the word karath had reference to

the cutting down of a tree. This is clearly substantiated by reading the closing verses of

Psa. 37: The words "cut off" occur five times in this Psalm (verses 9, 22, 28, 34, 38).

If in verse 9 we read that the evildoers shall be cut off, we read in verse 10, "For but a

little while, and the wicked shall not be," and lest the reader should object to this strong

term indicative of extinction, the Scripture continues, "Yea, thou shalt diligently consider

his place, and it shall not be."

Verse 28 says, "The seed of the wicked shall be cut off"; the antithesis is given in the

sentence before concerning the saints, "They are preserved for ever." Verse 34 says,

"When the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it." We are not left to our own speculation