What Does Rebuke Mean?
Rebuke means to sharply disapprove of and issue a corrective judgment on sinful behavior by one or more persons, particularly in the Body of Christ, The Church. It flows out of the teaching function of The Lord Jesus Christ and His Church.
Hebrew and Greek Word Study of The Word
1. יָכַח (yāḵaḥ) – The most common word for rebuke
Core Meaning: To reason with, correct, prove wrong, or bring into moral clarity.
Grammatical Form: Verb — used both for legal dispute and moral correction.
Key Uses:
Job 13:15 – “I will reason (yāḵaḥ) with Him.”
Proverbs 9:8 – “Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you.”
Proverbs 27:5 – “Better is open rebuke than hidden love.”
Isaiah 11:4 – Messiah will rebuke with righteousness.
Theological Note:
This kind of rebuke is not harsh, but logical, corrective, instructional. It seeks repentance, not humiliation.
Greek Septuagint Equivalent:
ἐλέγχω (elenchō) — to convict, expose, or correct (same in NT: John 16:8; 2 Tim. 3:16).
2. גָּעַר (gāʿar) – Divine Rebuke or Authoritative Threat
Core Meaning: To rebuke with authority, often used by God against enemies.
Often connected with command, warning, or spiritually binding.
Key Uses:
Psalm 106:9 – God rebukes (gāʿar) the Red Sea and it parts.
Zechariah 3:2 – “The Lord rebuke thee, Satan!”
Nahum 1:4 – God rebukes creation with power.
Psalm 9:5 – God rebukes nations and destroys the wicked.
Theological Note:
This word implies strong divine intervention — God asserting His sovereign authority.
Greek LXX Equivalent:
ἐπιτιμάω (epitimaō) — the SAME Greek word Jesus “rebukes” demons with (Mark 1:25; Luke 8:24).
3. תוֹכַחַת (tokhacháh) – NOUN form: Rebuke / Correction
Core Meaning: “Instructional rebuke” — correction that leads to wisdom & restoration.
Key Uses (Book of Proverbs):
Proverbs 1:23 – “Turn at My rebuke, and I will pour out My Spirit.”
Proverbs 3:11 – “Do not despise the Lord’s discipline or His rebuke.”
Proverbs 6:23 – “Reproofs of discipline are the way of life.”
Proverbs 15:31 – “He who listens to rebuke gains wisdom.”
Proverbs 29:15 – “A child left alone brings shame.”
Theological Note:
Rebuke = DISCIPLESHIP. In Proverbs, rebuke is wisdom’s doorway and God’s instrument of growth, not punishment.
TWO TYPES
| Type | Hebrew Word | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Corrective / Restorative | יָכַח & תוֹכַחַת | To bring clarity, repentance, return to truth |
| Authoritative / Divine Judgment | גָּעַר | To stop evil, silence Satan, command circumstances |
Connection to Christ
| Hebrew | Greek (LXX) | NT Usage |
|---|---|---|
| יָכַח (yāḵaḥ) | ἐλέγχω | John 16:8 – Spirit convicts the world |
| גָּעַר (gāʿar) | ἐπιτιμάω | Mark 1:25 – Jesus rebukes a demon |
| תוֹכַחַת | παιδεία | Hebrews 12:5–6 – Discipline of sons |
How The Lord Jesus Rebuked:
The Lord Jesus used both types :
| Passage | Context | Greek Word |
|---|---|---|
| Mark 1:25 | Demon rebuked | ἐπιτιμάω |
| Mark 4:39 | Storm rebuked | ἐπιτιμάω |
| Luke 9:55 | Rebukes disciples’ motives | ἐπιτιμάω |
| Revelation 3:19 | Rebukes & disciplines believers | ἐλέγχω |
Divine rebuke = protection
Restorative rebuke = sanctification
Scriptures on Rebuking And How To Issue One
- 1 Timothy 5:20 As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.
- Proverbs 17:10 A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool.
- Galatians 6:1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
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- Leviticus 19:17 “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him.”
- 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.
- 1 Timothy 5:1 Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers.
- 2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
- Jude 1:9 But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.”
- Luke 17:3 “Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.”
- Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
- Ezekiel 3:18 If I say to the wicked, “You shall surely die,” and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.
- James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
- James 5:20 Let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
- Jeremiah 17:10 “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”
