The phrase “cut off from” in the Old Testament

 There it was again, in Proverbs 2:22: “But the wicked shall be cut off”, in this case, cut off from the earth.  Other verses in the Bible say things like “from among this people” , or just “cut off”.  So what does it mean?

From https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/1946/what-does-the-old-testament-phrase-cut-off-from-their-people-mean

we find this answer, which is rather interesting.

“according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kareth:

The Hebrew term kareth ("cutting off" Hebrew: כָּרֵת‎, [kaˈret]) is a form of punishment for sin ... In the Talmud, kareth means not necessarily physical "cutting off" of life, but extinction of the soul and denial of a share in the world to come. ... 

In the Hebrew Bible, kareth is a form of punishment which may mean premature death, or else exclusion from the people.[3][4] According to Richard C. Steiner, the phrase "to be cut off from one's people" is an antonym for "to be gathered to one's people" (e.g. Genesis 25:8), and thus kareth in the Bible means to be deprived of the afterlife.[5]
Examples of sins making a person liable to kareth include eating chametz on Passover,[6] sexual violations,[7] ritual impurities, and a man's refusal to be circumcised.[8] The Book of Numbers states that anyone who sins deliberately or high-handedly receives kareth.

Rabbinic interpretation:

Kareth is the punishment for certain crimes and offences defined under Jewish law (e.g. eating the life blood of a living animal, eating suet, refusing to be circumcised, etc.), a punishment that can only be given at the hand of heaven unto persons of the Jewish faith who are bound to keep the Jewish law, rather than made punishable by any earthly court. In some cases of sexual misconduct and in breaking the laws of the Sabbath, such as where there are witnesses of the act, the court is able to inflict punishment. By definition, kareth does not apply to non-Jews. Kareth can either mean dying young (before the age of 50 or 60[10]), dying without children, or the soul being spiritually "cut off" from your people after death.[11] According to Nachmanides, both definitions are accurate.

You can look up the footnotes on that website.

One thing that intrigues me in that definition is the possible definition of  “being spiritually cut off from your people after death”.  In an LDS perspective that might be seen as a reference to the division between prison and paradise in the post mortal/pre-resurrection life, or to the (grossly oversimplified) understanding of post-resurrection life.  I tend to think it fits better with what the scriptures say about the former than what they say about the latter.  

This phrase, “cut off” comes up in Leviticus a number of times when a particular sin is mentioned, with the immediately following verse stating that sin is punishable by death. Some tend to think that this means that being “cut off” means being killed.  I tend, rather, to think that they are two separate consequences, not the same consequence being stated twice.  The Rabbinic interpretation seems to support that; referring to being “cut off”  as a consequence that comes from heavenly action or the eternal power of God, not a physical consequence carried out by humans on earth who are trying to carry out His will in regards to consequences on earth.

C.S. Lewis, in one of his books, portrayed the misery of hell not as a fire and brimstone suffering, but instead as an existence typified by one’s antipathy, anger, bitterness, resentment, and one’s self-justfication for sin, which caused one to isolate oneself further and further (both physically and relationship-wise) from others and from God.  It strikes me as something to consider as a possible example of the essence of what the biblical references to “being cut off” might be referring to in the eternal scheme of things.

Psalm 61 So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows.

 A relationship between my praising God and my ability to daily remember and keep the covenants I have made with God?

In my religious culture we speak of and practice thanking God, and petitioning God, and confiding in God, and confessing to God in our prayers.  But we tend to relegate our praising Him to our hymn singing:

“Oh God our Help in Ages Past…”  “I Stand All Amazed…”  “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow”

And realize, thinking about it, that when I think about praise in prayer I tend to remember expansive public prayers by evangelical friends, or quiet recitation by Catholic friends, or the strong words of the Imam I listened to in the local Mosque, but I cannot remember the last time I heard a member of my faith praise God in prayer;  humble, faithful, loving, trusting, petitioning, thankful prayers? yes.  prayers of praise?  not so much.

Why?  Perhaps it is because the perceived boisterousness or high energy of evangelical praise does not fit the tenor of the prayer we are trying to pray, or the solemnity and tradition of the quiet more formal Catholic prayer seems too different, or the declarations of the Imam seem too unfamiliar for us to incorporate into our own prayers. Or perhaps it is because we cannot find in our vocabulary words that express our  awe and understanding of the nature of our God. But that should not preclude us from praising in prayer.  Particularly since there are so many admonitions in the scriptures to “praise the Lord”.

What I am finding is that yes, when I praise God in prayer, I am fully and uncomfortably aware that the words I use, no matter how carefully and respectfully chosen are woefully inadequate.  And I don’t like that feeling.  

On the other hand, when I do try to praise him in prayer, verbally or just with my heart because words are so inadequate, and do so before I speak to him of the help I seek for others or myself, or of the good I want to do that day, (acknowledging consciously or subconsciously, in that process, the covenants that I want to keep that cause me to seek to do effectuate and do good), my power to keep those covenants and do that good is increased.  My confidence to be able to do and work for good actually increases as I articulate the power and majesty and amazing grace of my God to whom I am both expressing thanks and petitioning for assistance.

It seems that there is something about praising God in prayer that reminds me of the nature of God and of His ready, willing (full of grace) inclination to help.  And that increases my hope and faith as I move forward, which in turn opens my mind to more communication from Him; extra bits of holy determination and vision that empower me to live, more consistently, the covenants (vows) I have made.