Repugnant or detestable act, person, or thing. The idea of abomination derives from the specific demands God’s holiness makes upon his people. Adjectives frequently used for abominations in the Old Testament are “abhorrent,” “loathsome,” “unclean,” and “rejected.”
There are four major Hebrew words translated “abomination.” The one most frequently used indicates violation of an established custom or ritual. This violation brings the judgment of God. Examples range from defective sacrifices (Deuteronomy 17:1) to magic and divination (Deuteronomy 18:12) or idolatrous practices (2 Kings 16:3). A second Hebrew word refers to the meat of certain kinds of animals that was ritually defiling, whether touched or eaten (Leviticus 11:10–13). A third word designates three-day-old sacrificial meat (Leviticus 7:18). A fourth word refers almost only to idolatrous objects of pagan origin (Jeremiah 4:1; 7:30).
Apart from the specialized usage of “abomination of desolation,” the Greek word for “abomination” is used infrequently in the New Testament (Luke 16:15; Romans 2:22; Titus 1:16; Revelation 17:4–5; 21:8, 27) and is translated by many English words. The primary connotation is anything that is abhorrent to a holy God.