Bible Encyclopedias
Annul; Disannul

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

a -nul ´, dis -a -nul ´: God, as the Supreme Ruler, can disannul His covenant for cause (Isaiah 28:18 ); man, through willfulness and transgression, as party of the second part, may break the contract and thus release Yahweh, as party of the first part (Job 40:8; Isaiah 14:27 ), though there are some purposes and laws which the Almighty will carry out in spite of ungodly rage and ravings (Galatians 3:15 the King James Version); or an old law or covenant might be conceived as disannulled by a new one ( Galatians 3:17 ), or because of its becoming obsolete and ineffective (Hebrews 7:18 ). For the first idea, the Hebrew employs כפר , kāphar = "to cover," "to expiate," "condone," "placate," "cancel," "cleanse," "disannul," "purge," "put off" (Isaiah 28:18 ); and the Greek (Galatians 3:15 ), athetéō = "to set aside," "disesteem," "neutralize," "violate," "frustrate." One covenant disannulling another by "conflict of laws" is expressed by ακυροο , akuróō , "to invalidate," "disannul," "make of no effect." Athetéō is employed to express also the disannulling through age and disuse (Hebrews 7:18 ).