Banish
Banish (found in the Auth. Vers. only in the forms "banished," Hebrews נִדִּח, niddach', 2Sa 14:13-14, outcast, as elsewhere; and "banishment," Hebrews מִדּוּחִים, madduchim', "causes of ban.," La 2:14, rather seauctions; Chald. שׁרשׁוּ or שׁרשִׁי, sheroshu' or sheroshi', lit. a rooting out, Ezr 7:26). This was not a punishment enjoined by the Mosaic law; but after the captivity, both exile and forfeiture of property were introduced among the Jews; and it also existed under the Romans, by whom it was called diminutio capitis, because the person banished lost the rights of a citizen, and the city of Rome thereby lost a head. But there was another description of exile termed disportatio, which was a punishment of greater severity. The party banished forfeited his estate, and, being bound, was put on board ship and transported to some island specified by the emperor, there to be confined in perpetual banishment (see Smith's Dict. of Class. Antiq. s.v. Banishment). In this manner the apostle John was exiled to the little island of Patmos (Re 1:9). SEE EXILE.
