In the Old Testament the rendering of the Hebrew word mamzer' , which means "polluted." In Deuteronomy 23:2 , it occurs in the ordinary sense of illegitimate offspring. In Zechariah 9:6 , the word is used in the sense of foreigner. From the history of Jephthah we learn that there were bastard offspring among the Jews ( Judges 11:1-7 ). In Hebrews 12:8 , the word (Gr. nothoi) is used in its ordinary sense, and denotes those who do not share the privileges of God's children.
M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition,
published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain, copy freely.
[N] indicates this entry was also found in Nave's Topical Bible
[S] indicates this entry was also found in Smith's Bible Dictionary
Bibliography InformationEaston, Matthew George. "Entry for Bastard". "Easton's Bible Dictionary".