Bible Dictionary
DANGER
Danger is the possibility of harm or judgment. In some New Testament passages, however, the word refers more certainly to liability or guilt before judgment, including the consequences of rejecting God’s truth.
Definition
Danger ordinarily describes a possibility of harm, judgment, or loss. In some New Testament passages, however, it denotes liability or guilt whose consequence is certain.
Biblical Usage
In Jesus’ teaching, danger refers to judgment brought upon a person by conduct. In Mark, the related expression describes being guilty of an eternal sin, including the unpardonable sin.
Historical Background
The underlying term literally describes being held liable in such a way that escape is impossible; older translators rendered it “in danger,” while later versions may use “guilty” or “liable.”
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>dan'-jer: Danger does not express a state of reality but a possibility. In Mt 5:21 f, however, and also the King James Version Mr 3:29 (the Revised Version (British and American)) "but is guilty of an eternal sin"the expression "danger" refers to a certainty, for the danger spoken of is in one case judgment which one brings upon himself, and in the other the committing of an unpardonable sin. Both are the necessary consequences of a man's conduct. The reason for translating the Greek (enochos, literally, "to be held in anything so one cannot escape") by "is in danger," instead of "guilty" or "liable," may be due to the translator's conception of these passages as a warning against such an act rather than as a statement of the judgment which stands pronounced over every man who commits the sin.</p><p>A. L. Breslich</p>