Propitiation: That by which God is rendered propitious, i.e., by which it becomes
consistent with his character and government to pardon and bless the
sinner. The propitiation does not procure his love or make him
loving; it only renders it consistent for him to execise his love
towards sinners. In
(Romans 3:25; Hebrews 9:5) (A.V., "mercy-seat") the
Greek word hilasterion is used. It is the word employed by the LXX.
translators in
(Exodus 25:17) and elsewhere as the equivalent for the
Hebrew kapporeth, which means "covering," and is used of the lid of
the ark of the covenant
(Exodus 25:21; 30:6) This Greek word (hilasterion)
came to denote not only the mercy-seat or lid of the ark, but also
propitation or reconciliation by blood. On the great day of atonement
the high priest carried the blood of the sacrifice he offered for all
the people within the veil and sprinkled with it the "mercy-seat,"
and so made propitiation. In
(1 John 2:2; 4:10) Christ is called the
"propitiation for our sins." Here a different Greek word is used
(hilasmos). Christ is "the propitiation," because by his becoming our
substitute and assuming our obligations he expiated our guilt,
covered it, by the vicarious punishment which he endured. (Comp.)
(Hebrews 2:17) where the expression "make reconciliation" of the A.V. is
more correctly in the R.V. "make propitiation.")
