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nought (aven)". The last occurrence of the word used in the O.T. is in Zech. 10: 2: "The
idols have spoken vanity". Both Jew and Gentile have passed through this stage:--
The Gentile.
"Because when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were they
thankful; but became vain in their imagination . . . . . and changed the glory of the
incorruptible God into an image . . . . . uncleanness and vile affections . . . . . inventors of
evil things" (Rom. 1: 21-30).
The Jew.
"They changed their (or My) glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass .
. . . . they joined themselves unto Baal-peor . . . . . they provoked His anger with their
inventions" (Psa. 106: 20-29).
The first meaning of iniquity, as discovered by the meaning and usage of the word
aven, is not so much the violation of any one particular law, but the violation of the basis
of all law, "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me". The LXX renders aven by
anomia more than by any other word. The mystery of iniquity is expressed by the
"lawless one", and manifested by the usurpation of Divine honours by the man of sin. It
is a wholesome corrective to remember this phase. We are more prone to place murder,
robbery, adultery, and lying, foremost; these are but the outcome of that primitive
iniquity which, by enthroning self, dethrones God. The state of heart and mind resulting
from sin is expressed in the word avah (N.B.--Care should be taken by those who
"search and see" not to confuse this word which commences with the letter ayin with the
word avah which commences with the letter aleph).
Deformity.
Avah means wrong. Wrong comes from the same source that provides "to wring" and
"awry", and is cognate with the Dutch "wrang", acid or sour. The original idea of avah
is expressed in the following:--
"I was bowed down at the hearing of it" (Isa. 21: 3).
"He hath made my paths crooked" (Lam. 3: 9).
"He turneth it upside down" (Isa. 24: 1).
Perversity seems to express the meaning of the word. Sin having missed the mark
renders all labour abortive, and our very natures are wrung out of course or "wrong",
"perverse".
Deceit.
Avah leads to aval. If avah means that nature which is crooked, aval indicates those
actions that are deceitful and unfair. In about thirty passages the word is rendered
iniquity, and in the sense of a departure from that which is equal or right; this expresses
fairly well the meaning of the word. "He that soweth iniquity (aval) shall reap vanity