CORBAN

A sacred gift, a present devoted to God, or to his temple, Mt 23:18. Our Savior reproaches the Jews with cruelty towards their parents, in making a corbon of what should have been appropriated to their use. The son would say to his needy parents, "It is a gift- whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me," that is, I have already devoted to God that which you request of me, Mr 7:11; and the traditionary teachings of the Jewish doctors would enforce such a vow, and not suffer him to do aught for his parents against it, although it was contrary to nature and reason, and made void the law of God as to honoring parents, Mt 15:3-9. The Pharisees, and the Talmudists their successors, permitted even debtors to defraud their creditors by consecrating their debt to God; as if the property were their own, and not rather the right of their creditor.

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Corban. Corban
A Hebrew word adopted into the Greek of the New Testament and left untranslated. It occurs only once (Mark 7:11). It means a gift or offering consecrated to God. Anything over which this word was once pronounced was irrevocably dedicated to the temple. Land, however, so dedicated might be redeemed before the year of jubilee (Lev. 27:16-24). Our Lord condemns the Pharisees for their false doctrine, inasmuch as by their traditions they had destroyed the commandment which requires children to honour their father and mother, teaching them to find excuse from helping their parents by the device of pronouncing “Corban” over their goods, thus reserving them to their own selfish use.

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CORBAN. → An oblation Mr 7:11

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corban. Corban, n. a gift, alms, almsbasket, box, sacrifice

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Cor″ban (kôr″băn), n. [[Heb. qorbān, akin to Ar. qurbān.]] 1. 1. (Jewish Antiq.) An offering of any kind, devoted to God and therefore not to be appropriated to any other use; esp., an offering in fulfillment of a vow.
☞ In the old Testament the hebrew word is usually translated “oblation” as in Numb. xviii. 9, xxxi. 50. ☞ The traditionists laid down that a man might interdict himself by vow, not only from using for himself, but from giving to another, or receiving from him, some particular object, whether of food or any other kind. A person might thus exempt himself from assisting parents in distress, under plea of corban. Dr. W. Smith. 2. 2. An alms basket; a vessel to receive gifts of charity; a treasury of the church, where offerings are deposited.