PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
A Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels — Volume 1
James Hastings · 1,289,916 words · 1288 reading sections
Section 241
We therefore think that the viirr-fip was a jug or ewer, with a dish, saucer or basin, under it to catch the drippings, but that the stress of the word is not on this under-basin. We also think that it was kept chiefly in the house, and used for the many 'hand-washings' which the Jews practised (Mt 15-, Mk V etc.), but…
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(1) Cleanliness per se may be set aside. It is possible to be cleanly with less elaborate apparatus ; and the majority in OT (or even NT) times would have ' neither privacy nor inclination ' for bathing. (2) Luxury in the classical world (diffused even among the people, under Koman influence, at least subsequently to N…
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The ' mote ' (t6 Kip(pos, from Kipipoi, ' to contract," ' dry up,' ' wither ') may be a dry stalk or twig, or aiw small dry body. The word is used in the LXX (Gn 8") to render in?, the adj. applied to the olive-leaf brought by the dove. Weymouth {NT in Modern Speech) renders ' speck.' It is clear, therefore, that the …
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■riie secondary meaning of ' beatitude ' is a de- claration of blessedness. This declaration may be made of glorified saints in heaven, as in the Beati- tudes of the Apocalypse ; or of disciples on earth, as in nearly all the Beatitudes of the Gospels. But the word is unduly restricted in its signi- ficance when it is …
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keep it.' (Lk ips). 'Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching.' (Lk 12^', cf. vv. 38- -is^ Mt24«). ' If ye know these things, blessed are ye if ye do them.' (Jn 13"). ' Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.' (Jn 20^). [In Mt 25^ a difl"erent word (ei^oyriixi…
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Tliis repetition of the word ' blessed ' in what is here called the eighth Beatitude is the gi'ound assigned by; some for dividing it into two Beati- tudes. Wright {Synopsis of the Gosjjels in Greek, p. 161) speaks of nine Beatitudes. In his judg- ment, however, the ninth, which is longer and in the second person, is a…
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That the shorter form in Luke is more genuine is the opinion of many scholars. Dr. E A. Abbott thinks ' it is more probable that Luke represents tlie letter of the original words of Jesus more closely than Matthew, however niucli tlie latter may better represent the spirit of them' [Enc. Brit » X. 798»). But the words …
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180 BEAUTY BEAUTY emphasize the distinction between the passive and active graces of the Christian character. Yet it seems better to distinguish the eighth Beatitude from the other seven ; it ditt'ers from them essenti- ally, for it attaches blessedness to endurance of opposition and not to inward qualities, to cond…
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3. Ethical beautu. — The life of Christ witnessed in every detail to His inspiring and impressive per- sonality. It is surely a torso presentation of that life that would make ' sweet reasonableness ' its prevailing characteristic. Rather it is marked by the absence of that philosophic detachment that would live and le…
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Various allusions are made in the Gospels to beds that could be carried -. ' Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house' (Mt y") ; ' Rise, take up thy bed, and walk ' ; ' And immediately the man . . . took up his bed, and walked ' (Jn S^- «) ; ' Behold men bringing on a bed a man that was palsied' (Lk 5'8 KV). St.…
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182 BEGETTING BEGETTING V. 8) ; Eliaha was recognized as a prophet by tlie woman of Sluinem, because no fly crept over his place at the table {Berakh. lOi) ; on the yezcr ha-rd as a fly see Berakh. 61rt, Targ. Jer. on Ec 10'). The supposition that the name corresponds to Aramaic i<33iSj;3= 'enemy' is not very likely…
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In view of this Messianic, spiritual application of the idea referred to, the words of Ps 2^ have been supposed to allude to some typical king like David or Solomon, and the expression, ' Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee,' to denote an act performed by God on the person addressed, as by constituting him k…
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1. The theological is associated with the apologetic aim of the Fourth Gospel. It was an important part of the object of the Evangelist to enable the Church to rid herself of the influence of the mis- chievous speculations of the time, of a humani- tarian Ebionism on the one side, and of Gnosticism on the other. That J…
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LiTKRATiTRE.— Cremer, Bib.-Theol. Lexicon, s.vv.; H. Holtz- mann, Lehrbxich der Xeutest. TheologieA. p. 436; commentaries of Alford, Meyer, etc. ; Beyechlag, NT Theol. i. pp. 68ff., 242, ii. p. 48 ; Dorner, Development of the Doctrine o/ the Person of Chritt, Div. I. vol. i. p. 63 ff. ; Reuss, Christian Theohgp in the …
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According to Hume, ' an opinion or belief is nothing but an idea that is different from a fiction, not in the nature or in the order of its parts, but in the manner of its being conceived. But when I would explain this manner, I scarce find any word that fully answers the case, but am obliged to have recourse to every …
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Between the necessary and universal beliefs on the one hand, and the practical necessity which coerces our beliefs on the other hand, there lies a wide field of beliefs, the validity of which depends on our ability to sift, examine, and criticise tliem. The process of sifting and criticism is coextensive with experienc…
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Animism itself was a form of belief which came to higher issues in the social intercourse of man with man. The belief which man came to hold as to the animistic character of all objects whatsoever attained to vividness and certainty when applied to his fellow-men. In this sphere there was cer- tainty, for was there not…
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Yet the man in the street has something in common with tlie greatest and the highest. If he cannot initiate he may imitate, and if he cannot make the discovery he may appreciate and act on it when it has been made. For in the long-run the achievements of great men in any sphere, just in proportion to their truth and va…
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BELIEF all who have trusted and followed Him. He Him- self makes the claim : ' I am the way, the truth, and the life ' ( Jn 14*). St. Paiil makes it for Him : ' in whom are all tlie treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden' (Col 2'). This is not the place to unfold the meaning of the claim of Christ to the reverence a…
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The coiTesixradence is perfect between our needs and their satisfaction in Jesus Christ. Here the subjective is controlled by the objective, and the coercive power of Christ over the belief of those who trust Him is perfect. Much might be said on the educative power of Christ on man as to the true needs of man, and muc…
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ciXoyuv properly means to ascribe (to God) praise and honour (benedicere). In accordance with the usage of the OT and NT and of the Christian Church, this act also is termed 'benediction.' It is of the nature of thanks^ivinu and jiraise to God for His goodness, and dillcrs c^intially from that kind of benediction «lii.…
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It ia not easy to draw a line in principle between the thanks- giving of God which is benediction and that which is denoted by the word ' praise ' («.Vi7»). But there is a practical distinc- tion. The use of special formulas, and especially of the word 'n? ' blessed' (siXeyij/isvo,-), is characteristic of benedictions.…
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That such a terrible state of things should have BENEDICTUS BENEDICTUS deeply afi'ected Zacharias was as right as it was natural. That it wrought within him affections altogether good and holy is just a sign that it was the Spirit of Christ who taught him by them. The book alreadjf referred to, the Psalter (or Psalm…
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The structure of the Benedictus is simple. It consists of three stanzas — the first (vv.''*-™) setting forth the fact of God's interposition in the approach- ing birth of the long-looked-for Saviour ; the second (vv.'1"'») telling the purpose of His incarnation : and the third (vv.™-™) an ai)ostrophe to Zacharias' babe…
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Such being the intensive character, the exten- sive character of benevolence may he observed in Christ's conipaseiuu on the multitudes (Mk 8^ Mt U"), namely, on each individual ; and, again, in His healing every one of those around Him on a well-known occasion at Capernaum (Lk 4^°). By precept as well as by example be…
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The traditional site of the baptism of Christ at MakhAdet Hajlah in the Jordan Valley near Jericho, though defended by Sir Charles Wilson and others, seems to be too far south. Others would read, by conjecture, in the text of St. John's Gospel, Bridapa^pd, i.e. Beth-nimrah, on the Wddy Shaib, five miles east of the Jor…
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LiTERATDRE.— Robinson, SnP^ i. 431^33 ; Guirin, Palestine, LUCIEN Gautier. BETHANY.— 2. See Bethabara. EETHESDA.- Jn 5^ ' Now there is in Jeru.salem by the sheep-ga^e (iirl rrj wpo^ariKji) a pool, which is called iu Hebrew Bethesda, having live porches' 194 BETHESDA BETHESDA (RV). Instead of BTjeeo-Si (TK), the …
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This site is thus supported not only by the mediaeval tradition, but by the early tradition as well. The Bordeaux pilgrim, who visited Jeru- salem in A.D. 333, after mentioning two large fish- pools by the side of the temple, one at the right hand, the other at the left, says in another place {Itin. Hierosol. 589) : ' …
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2. Bethlehem of Judah (mm- "3 Jg 17'- ", Ru !'• = etc.) or Judffia (Mt 2', Lk..'2^). This town (the modern Beit Lahm) is situated about 6 miles S.S.W. of Jerusalem, lying high up on a grey limestone ridge running from east to west, and occupying the projecting summits at each end, with a sort of saddle between. The ri…
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It is in the earl; meet first with Betli of Epluath.* 'When I came from Padan,' said Jacob on his deathbed, recounting to Joseph in Egypt his cliequered history, ' Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath : and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath …
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country of Judiea as pi ^ ■ ! i i.ir cattle and other beasts. Those Apocr_\|il' il i. -|.. i> \.i,ii ti deal with the In- fancy, notably the Pnlfntiiiniium Jaaibi and the peeudo- ilat'thceus, make mention of the cave. Pseudo-Matthseus (ch. 13) says, ' The angel commanded the beast to stop, for her time to bear had come…
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pattern marks the very spot of the Nativity with the inscription : ' Hie dc Virgine Marid Jesus Christus natus est.' To the Christian the associations of the place make it full of impres- siveness, and the visitor has no more sacred or tender recollections of holy ground than those which cluster round the Church and th…
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xl. [1897], p. 148) betw.Tii tin. .in logy of the name Bethphage and the story cf the barren fig- tree. But it may be noted that the latter is associ- ated in the Gospels (Mt 21"-^-, Mk 1 1""- ="-26) with Bethany, not Bethphage. Formerly Nestle {SK, 1896, p. 323 ft'., and in his Philologica Sacra, 1896, p. 16 f.) had …
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Assuming this as a possibility, the place must always have been a considerable distance from the mouth of the Jordan. It is not unlikely, how- BETHSAIDA BETHSAIDA 199 ever, as Merrill suggests, that the landing-place of Julias was the original site of the town, and that among the local hsliermen it retained the old…
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(4) There is a manifest verification and corroboration of this testimony in the close association of Bethsaida with Capernaum and Chorazin in the judgment pronounced upon them by our Lord because of their peculiar privileges (Mt 1121-23). There is no uncertainty with respect to the import of this denunciation. It could…
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Such, at least, is St. Matthew's report. St. Mark and St. Luke represent them as merely promisinfj mone\% the amount un- specified. It iiii;.'lit lie supposed that St. Matthew's account is is^imilated to Zee l\^'- " (cf. Mt 27'- ") ; but (1) Mt 273-= proves Ihat the money had been paid, at all events before the trial …
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After the Exile the custom of the earlier period seems to have continued, although with certain modifications. The payment to the liride's father on the part of the prospective groom had been increasingly regarded as the property, at least in part, of the bride. Sndi ;i, ].ayMient during this period was often suppli'in…
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DuGALD Clark. BILL.— 1. Bill of divorcement : Mk 10*, Mt 19' (RV): Gr. ^i/3\(oi' (a scroll or letter) diroffracrlov; shorter equivalent, diroo-Tdo-ioc Mt 5-". In all three Passages the expression is used of the nn'l? nsP emanded in Dt 24'-* of the husband who divorces his wife. In contrast with the older usage— still…
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This question of the composition cf the Canticles in St. Luke is a very important one, because it is constantly assumed that they were the invention of the author of the Third Gospel. But in this case we have to assvune that the Greek Luke, or some unknown writer, was able to transfer himself in thought to a time when …
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From a somewhat dift'erent point of view these Jewish conceptions are noteworthy. In Lk P- we read : ' He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David : and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever ; and of his kingdom there sha…
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If credit be allowed to the Acts of the Apostles, it would seem that St. Luke himself, as also St. * See the remarks of Wi ill-' f tl r ,„ ?, ,',j ffrfeiz, p. 202; Dalman, /''' n i I mh iit,mpt« have been made to astiil . i ) : I I li ih, and the arguments for and a„ cm i I ii i in yfii'-' ij, P- HamtiCk (Sitzvng…
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5. The censm of Qvirinius.— It is one of the great merits of Professor Ramsay's theoiT, that it not only claims credibility for the enrolment of Lk 2- as an historical event, but that it also com- bines with that claim a due recognition of Jewish national prejudices. The word for 'enrolment' (diro7pa(/>77), or its plur…
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t Zockler (art. 'Jesus Christus ' in PRE3) speaks of Ramsay's theory in terms of approval ; Chase speaks of the same theory as having advanced many stages the probability that St. Luke's reference to the enrolment under Quirinius is historical (Super- natural Element in our Lord's earthly Li/e, p. 21) ; while Kenyon (a…
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When we consider the many difficulties which surround this qufestio, it is somewhat surprising that Prof essor Schiirer all possible means of escape from the con- should affirm * BJ n. viii. tin this coi rOQt „ ,_ ,.__ . holding the office of procurator^ and not by a word signifying legatus, as Quirinius afterwa…
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With regard to the first point, it may be noted that ' after the betrothal the bride was under the same restrictions as a wife. If unfaithful, slie ranked and was punished as an adulteress (Dt 22^'-) ; and, on the other hand, tlie bridegroom, if he wished to break the contract, had tlie same privileges, and had also to…
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Soltau, who also supports the same origin for St. Matthew's story, adduces the parallels which in his opinion may be fitly drawn between the visit of the Parthian king to Rome and the visit of the Magi to Bethlehem {Die Geburtsgeschichtc Jem Christi, 1902, p. 37). As might be exjiected, he makes much of the fact that T…
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iii. Apocryphal accounts. —It is of the greatest significance that just in that portion of our Lord's life concerning which the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Luke are most silent, the Apocryphal covered, and written in Greek. But Zahn (Einleltuno, ii. p. 266) points out that this statement at least shows that by the …
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Jem : see, further, his article in SK, 1904, Heft 2). derivation might well be called a literary miracle. For a criti- cism of Conrady's attempt, see Theol. LiUralurblatt, 1901, p. -283. t See, e.g., C. A. Witz, Keine Liicke im Leben Jem, 1895, described as ' Antwort auf die Schrift von Nikolaus Notowitsch, Vie Liicke…
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To 'speak a word against the Son of Man' is taken as one form of tlie blasphemy or revUing. Here, therefore, the word is not used in its rela- tion to God. It does not stand for what we now understand by ' blasphemy ' in our narrower sense of the word. Jesus is not here standing on the ground of His divinity, to insult…
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210 BLESSEDNESS Jesus was 'for blasphemy,' addin" ' because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God' (Jn HP). This Avas just after He had said, ' I and the Father are one (ec).' The third occasion is at the trial of Jesus. According to Mt 26"^ and JNIk U^- " when Jesus, after being adjured by the hi"h priest to de…
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Blessedness may therefore be regarded as one of tlie forms under which our Lord presented the character of His kingdom, and so it becomes an illuminative idea whereby to read the whole Gospel narratives. They all illustrate it. They all serve to make up its content. The word and thought derived from the Old Testament r…
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above (§ 1) were elaborately developed in later Jewisli usage. Here the most important points for the illustration of the Gosjiels may be briefly sumiiiarized. (A) Blea-tinci of /)e)-so».s.— According to Jewish ideas, God is the sole source of all blessing, both material and spiritual ; and to Him alone, there- fore, …
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The Benediction over bread, which is recited before the meal begins, and which may have been kno«-n to our Lord, runs : ' Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who bringeth forth bread from the earth.' The corresponding one said before drinking wine is : ' Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the…
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Here naturally comes to be considered the use of fi5\o77)/4^vos=''blessed' (viz. by God) : it occurs six times in the acclamation, borrowed from Ps 118 [117]=«, of ' him that cometh ' ; Mt 2P 23^ and the II passages, Mk IP, Lk 13" \9^, Jn 12'» (where D reads fv\oyriT6i) ; once of the mother of the Lord and her Son, Lk …
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Two blind men followed Him, crying, *Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.' Jesus seems unwilling at first to grant their request, as we are told that it was not till they had entered the house with Him that He turned a favourable ear to their entreaty. Satisfied of their faith, and of the spirit in which they approache…
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Jesus, the Light of the world, can appeal only to those who have the faculty of sight. Where the faculty of sight is impaired or destroyetl, how- ever clearly the light may shine, there is no vision. This obscuration of the spiritual orb is what is called ' judicial blindness.' The phrase implies that there never can b…
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4. A further use of the word is seen in Mt 16", where the expression "flesh and blood' occurs. § In this passage the use of ■ blood ' is somewhat modified from what has been found hitherto ; tlie phrase adpj xai alii.a denotes what is human, ab- stractly considered ; ' the antithesis is between knowledge resulting from…
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11 Cmn. on Luke, ii. 30G (T. & T. Clark). There is certainly one other mstance on record of a like mysterious flow of blood, 'that, namely, of Charles ix. of France, it is said of him that on his deathbed his bitterness of sorrow and qualms of conscience, oil account of the massacre on St. Bartholomew's Eve, were 8o in…
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BLOOD AND WATER (Jn 193i-3')._When the soldier, whom tradition names Longinus,* to make sure that He was really dead, drove his spear into the side of Jesus on the cross (see Crucifixion), a strange thing happened. On being withdrawn the spear was followed by a gush of blood and water. It was a singular phenomenon. The…
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VH marg. .,,. : WH The word 'ship' is rightly expelled from the Gospels by the Revisers. It corresponds to vaus, which occurs nowhere in the Gospels, and in the NT only in Ac 27^'. Being a small lake, the Sea of Galilee had no ' ships ' ; but it had numerous ' boats ' mostly employed in fishing (termed irXoXa in the G…
937 wordsSource & rights
Public-domain historical reference work (1906–1908); OCR text from Internet Archive. Historical scholarship and terminology reflect its era; OCR may contain errors. Verify quotations and current scholarly claims independently.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.