Antonia: give up the ghost

Question

Hello!Can you please explain the phrasal verb give up in this context:(of Jesus) He calls for something to drink, and they give him vinegar. He drinks the vinegar, then, to quote the verse, he gives up the ghost. He dies.Does it mean abandon ,leave?Thanks

Danyoo · Accepted Answer

give up

1. To surrender: The suspects gave themselves up.
2. To devote (oneself) completely: gave herself up to her work.
1. To cease to do or perform: gave up their search.
2. To desist from; stop: gave up smoking.
To part with; relinquish: gave up the apartment; gave up all hope.
1. To lose hope for: We had given the dog up as lost.
2. To lose hope of seeing: We'd given you up an hour ago.
To admit defeat.
To abandon what one is doing or planning to do: gave up on writing the novel.

The above definitions are from dictionary.com. It basically means to stop or surrender.

Now as you know, the bible can be very difficult to interprete. I am not a bible scholar, but in the context, I believe they are talking about the Holy Ghost. Since *** consists of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, it means he gave himself up. Still it's very abstract.

Maybe someone else can provide additional insight...

Nona the brit · Answer

'To give up the ghost' is an idiom meaning to die.

Anonymous · Answer

Yes, I see.. I think I'm going to look for the quote in the Bible and see how is it translated there.

Thanks

p.s. I wonder if it is the same quote as (if my memory serves me right) the one when Jesus said: In you hands, Father, I give my ghost (this is literal translation, not actual quote).

Nona the brit · Answer

Possibly. the 'give up the ghost' sounds inappropriate to me for use in a biblical passage, too slangy. Or perhaps that is where the idiom came from and it just sounds odd now because we don't realise that was its initial context?

Nona the brit · Answer

I also can't imagine Jesus talking about ghosts - is this a mistranslation of spirit or soul? the only biblical 'ghost' is the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit.

Anonymous · Answer

No, it is written in the original: ghost.

Thank you anyway, I have to look it up in the bible, I haven't had time to do it.

Davkett · Answer

Nona The Brit is this a mistranslation of spirit or soul? .

Not necessarily a mistranslation. It seems to have a traditional use. (I don't believe it refers to the Holy Ghost, traditionally believed to be one of the three aspects of ***.)

Here are some other Biblical precedents on its use:

Ghost An old Saxon word equivalent to soul or spirit. It is the translation of the Hebrew nephesh and the Greek pneuma , both meaning "breath," "life," "spirit," the "living principle" (Job 11:20; Jer 15:9; Mat 27:50; Joh 19:30). The expression "to give up the ghost" means to die (Lam 1:19; Gen 25:17; Gen 35:29; Gen 49:33; Job 3:11).

MrPedantic · Answer

Yes; "to surrender the spirit". "Give up the ghost" has always struck me as almost pleasingly onomatopoeic.

MrP

Antonia: give up the ghost

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