Bible Lexicons

The wider sense, which we have seen the corresponding verb has in Romans 2:22 (see s.v. ἱεροσυλέω), also attaches to ἱερόσυλος in Acts 19:37 (cf. 2 Maccabees 4:42), where Ramsay (Hastings’ DB i. p. 441) understands οὔτε ἱεροσύλους οὔτε βλασφημοῦντας τὴν θεάν as implying ";guilty neither in act nor in language of disrespect to the established religion of our city"; : see further CRE.5 p. 260, and Lightfoot Essays on Supernatural Religion, p. 299 f., who cites an inscr. found in this very temple of Ephesus, though of a later date than the passage in Acts,— ἔστω ἱεροσυλία καὶ ἀσέβεια, ";let it be regarded as sacrilege and impiety"; (Wood Inscr. vi. 1, p. 14). Other exx. of the adj. from the inscrr. are Syll 523.49 (iii/B.C.) ὁ δὲ εἴ ]πας ἢ [πρήξ ]ας τι παρὰ τόνδε τὸν νόμον. . . ἔστω ἱερόσυλος, ib. 602.8 (iv/iii B.C.) ἢν δέ τις [τὴν στήλην ] ἀφαν [ίζηι ἢ τὰ γράμματα ], πασχέτω ὡς ἱερόσυλος, and ib. 680.10 (Rom.). The new Menander shows several exx. of ἱερόσυλε used in abuse with a general sense (cf. ";horse-thief";) : e.g. Menandrea, p. 60.333 ἱερ [ό ]συλε παῖ, p. 38.524 ἱερόσυλε γραῦ.