Literati-re. -For nnriciit Jewish cures, see art. 'Medicine' (l.y Ma.ali-t.r) in lla^tiiiL's' DB ; Wunderbar, SiUisc/i-Tal- iinhb.'-rh'' l/.'/M,/i, I ,,.u i,u ; art. ' Krankheiten und Heilkunde .Icr I^^^.IltrIl' Hi Ilr,,,,_.s J'KES. For detailed accounts of mh^v\^^.dr,u-,<^,^■'■.,■_:]a l,y .lesus.^see the Lives of Christ anil
Tr.-
Diet. V J^sijcM. MeiUane; Vr. Ll'oy'.l Ti therapeutics,' ilj. ; Dr. Osgood Mason on ' H gestion,' ift. 1901; and recent popular nu'^li- T. Schoaeld on The Force of itirul, and ( ^eutics (Churchill, London). T.
. W'KIGl
CURSE.— Two widely ditt'erent words are in .^V translated 'curse.' It will be sufficient to trace their meaning, so far as the ideas represented by them are found in the Gospels.
1. Q-in, avadfixa, ' an accursed {W) or devoted (RV) thing.' (a) In its higher application this word signifies a thing devoted— wholly or in part, jier- m.-mently or temporarily, voluntarily or by Divine decree — to a use (or an abstinence) exclusively sacred. This is not a curse at all in the modern sen.se of the word ; it corresponds more nearly to the nature of a vow. With tliis extension of mean- ing we may see a genuitic instance in the special consecration of John the Baptist (Lk 1'^ 7*'), and a corrupt instance in the system of Corban (Mk 7"^). (i) In its darker application it denotes an extreme and punitive ban of extermination. This is of frequent occurrence in OT, but in the Gospels no clear case is found, unless, indeed, under this head we include all the death-penalties of the Jewish law (Jn [?] 8°), especially the punishment attempted (Jn 8'9 lO""-) and finally inflicted upon Christ Him- self on the charge of blasphemy (Jlk H""-, Jn 19"). It is well to notice, in connexion with this kiml
CUSHION
CYRENIUS
405
of anathema, the strong expression used by Christ in addressing the Canaanitish woman, as one de- scended from a ' devoted ' race (Mt 15"*). It may be added that profanity, in the special form of self-cursing, seems to have adopted language de- rived from this ban ; see Mt 26'\ Mk 14" {Kara- eefiaTi^eiv and dfafffiinT/feii'). Ro 9* naturally sug- gests itself as a verbal illustration ; in other respects it is a complete contrast.* (c) The ban of ex- termination gave place, under certain conditions, to the remedial discipline of excommunication ; that is to say, a temporary ' cutting off from the congregation ' ; referred to, as a Jewish institution, in Jn #- 12''^ 16^ and, as a Christian (apparently), in Mt 18". (See also Westcott on 1 Jn 5'«).
2. n^^p, Karapa, 'curse.' — (a) This is the word regularly used to denote a curse in the general sense, as the natural antithesis of a blessing ; it is not charged (as 'anathema' essentially is) with sacred associations ; its quality, whi('h is capable of all degrees, from Divine to devilish, is to be decided by the context. (6) The disappearance of cursing in the NT marks very forcibly the con- trast between the spirit of the New dispensation and that of the Old ; for in the OT its presence is at times painfully prominent. See Lk 9"'-, where even the unauthorized additions of some MSS are undoubtedly a true comment. Such instances as are found or are alleged in the Epistles are judicial in tone, not irresponsible and malevolent. The exceptional case which occurs of a curse uttered by Christ (upon the fig-tree [see art.], Mt 21>ff-, Mk jjiitr.j ig probably to be taken as a sign given to ss His warning of impending judgments (Mt 23"'- 24-"f- '■'■"■ etc. ). It is a reminder that we may not so exaggerate the goodness of God as to leave no place for His severity. Christ applies the words ' ye cursed ' to those who shall be on His left hand at the Last Day (Mt 25-"). (<■) Christ became a 'curse' (Gal 3", see Lightfoot, ad loc). It belongs to the Epistles to unfold the bearing of this truth ; but the fact is implied in the measures taken by the Jews, after the Crucilixion, to avert its consequences (Jn 19^', cf. Dt 21"'). In the Koman view the shame of crucifixion, in the Jewish view its accursed nature, formed the special sting of such a death. Hence in the matter of salva- tion, which ' is from the Jews ' ( Jn 4==), the curse must necessarily be involved in the Death's redemp- tive efficacy. F. S. Kanken.
CUSHION. -In NT only in Mk 4^* RV [AV 'pillow'] for irpo(rKe(pd\ai.ov, a cushion for the head, but also for sitting or reclining upon (see references in Liddell and Scott, s.v.). By irpoaK^poKai.a LXX renders nino? of Ezk 13'* where the Arabic equi- valent is melchadddt. Mckhaddch (sing.) is just the word used by the Sea of Galilee fishermen for the cushion they place in the hinder part of their iishing-boats for the comfort of the passenger to-day. These boats are probably similar to those used by our Lord and His friends, and on just such a cushion the present writer has often rested in crossing the same waters.
The cushions universally used to support the head or the arm in reclining on the diwcin are
' 111 Mt 15« II Mk 710 RV riflitlv substitutes 'he that spelketh evil of for AV 'he that curseth": the Greek ' ' ~