| Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) The dead body of a human being. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia CORPSE korps: This word in the King James Version is the translations of two Hebrew words, pegher, and gewiyah, while nebhelah, and guphah, which mean the same, are translated "body," with which the English word "corpse" (Latin, corpus) was originally synonymical. Therefore we find the now apparently unnecessary addition of the adjective "dead" in 2 Kings 19:35 and Isaiah 37:36. The Greek equivalent is ptoma, literally, "a fallen body," "a ruin" (from pipto, "to fall"), in Mark 6:29 Revelation 11:8, 9.
Corpses were considered as unclean and defiling in the Old Testament, so that priests were not to touch dead bodies except those of near kinsfolk (Leviticus 21:1-3), the high priest and a Nazirite not even such (Leviticus 21:11 Numbers 6:6-8). Numbers 19 presents to us the ceremonial of purification from such defilement by the sprinkling with the ashes of a red heifer, cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet.
It was considered a great calamity and disgrace to have one's body left unburied, a "food unto all birds of the heavens, and unto the beasts of the earth" (Deuteronomy 28:26 2 Samuel 21:10 Psalm 79:2 Isaiah 34:3 Jeremiah 7:33, etc.). Thence is explained the merit of Rizpah (2 Samuel 21:10), and of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead, who protected or recovered and buried the mutilated bodies of Saul and his sons (1 Samuel 31:11-13 2 Samuel 2:4-7; compare 1 Chronicles 10:11, 12).
See BURIAL.
Even the corpses of persons executed by hanging were not to remain on the tree "all night," "for he that is hanged is accursed of God; that thou defile not thy land which Yahweh thy God giveth thee for an inheritance" (Deuteronomy 21:23).
H. L. E. Luering |  | Multi-Version Concordance Corpse (18 Occurrences) Matthew 14:12 And his disciples came, and took up the corpse, and buried him; and they went and told Jesus. (ASV) Matthew 24:28 For wherever the carcass is, there is where the vultures gather together. (See NAS) Mark 6:29 When his disciples heard this, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb. (WEB KJV ASV WBS YLT) Mark 9:26 Having cried out, and convulsed greatly, it came out of him. The boy became like one dead; so much that most of them said, "He is dead." (See NAS RSV NIV) Mark 15:45 And when he learned it of the centurion, he granted the corpse to Joseph. (ASV) Leviticus 22:4 "'Whoever of the seed of Aaron is a leper or has an issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he is clean. Whoever touches anything that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed goes from him; (See NAS NIV) Numbers 19:11 "He who touches the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days: (See NAS) Numbers 19:13 Whoever touches a dead person, the body of a man who has died, and doesn't purify himself, defiles the tabernacle of Yahweh; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water for impurity was not sprinkled on him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet on him. (See NAS) Deuteronomy 21:23 his corpse doth not remain on the tree, for thou dost certainly bury him in that day -- for a thing lightly esteemed of God 'is' the hanged one -- and thou dost not defile thy ground which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee -- an inheritance. (YLT NAS) 1 Kings 13:24 and he departed. And a lion met him by the way and slew him; and his corpse was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it; the lion also stood by the corpse. (DBY) 1 Kings 13:25 And behold, men passed by, and saw the corpse cast in the way and the lion standing by the corpse; and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt. (DBY) 1 Kings 13:28 And he went and found his corpse cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the corpse: the lion had not eaten the corpse, nor torn the ass. (DBY) 1 Kings 13:29 And the prophet took up the corpse of the man of God, and laid it upon the ass, and brought it back; and the old prophet came into the city, to mourn and to bury him. (DBY) 1 Kings 13:30 And he laid his corpse in his own sepulchre; and they mourned over him saying, Alas, my brother! (DBY) 2 Kings 9:37 and the body of Jezebel shall be as dung on the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel, so that they shall not say, "This is Jezebel."'" (See NAS RSV) Isaiah 14:19 But you, like a birth before its time, are stretched out with no resting-place in the earth; clothed with the bodies of the dead who have been put to the sword, who go down to the lowest parts of the underworld; a dead body, crushed under foot. (See NAS NIV) Jeremiah 26:23 And they bring out Urijah from Egypt, and bring him in unto the king Jehoiakim, and he smiteth him with a sword, and casteth his corpse unto the graves of the sons of the people.' (YLT) Haggai 2:13 Then Haggai said, "If one who is unclean by reason of a dead body touch any of these, will it be unclean?" The priests answered, "It will be unclean." (See NAS) |
