Literature. —Hastings' DB, art. 'Gabbatha'; EBi, art. •Pavement.' r, ^y. MOSS.
PEACE. — 1. The Avord frequently occurs in the Gos^jels in the idiomatic phrase ' to hold one's peace,' i.e. to keep silence, representing (both in RV and AV) no feAver than four different verbs in the original — •:7cri'xdfw, cnydw, utoiTrdco, and (pifj.6(i}. Tjavxa^u (Lk 14^) is the mo.st general term (fr. ijavxoi, 'at rest'), denoting a state of restfulness in Avhich silence is included (cf. Lk 23^*" t6 /mev ad^^arov rjcrvxaaav, ' and on the sabbath they rested '). o-Lydw (Lk 20"^'') has been distinguished from o-icoTrdco (Mt 20^^ 26^^ Mk 34 934 1048 14", Lk 183" 19")— the former as referring to a silence induced by mental conditions (fear, gi'ief, aAve, etc.), tlie latter as a more physical term denoting simply an abstinence from vocal utterance (so Schmidt in his Synon. d. gr. Sprache, quoted by Grimm-Thayer, Lex. p. 28 i). But in classical Gi". such a distinction between aiydu} and crtwTrdw can hardly be said to be ordinarily observed (cf. Liddell and Scott, Lex. s.vv.), and in the NT Tjavxd^w, aiydii}, and (riwTrdw, Avhen used in the sense of holding one's peace, appear to be employed Avitliout any real discrimination.
On the other hand, <pc/j.6o} is a stronger and rougher Avord, Avhich properly means ' to muzzle ' (fr. (pifjids, ' a muzzle '). It is noticeable that our Lord addresses it only to an unclean spirit (Mk 1-^ = Lk 4^^) or to the raging sea (Mk 4^^, Avhere EV gives 'Be still!'). Once Mt. uses it to describe hoAv Jesus put the Sadducees to silence (22**) ; and in the parable of the Wedding Garment it is used (v. '2) iq express the speechless condition to which the intruder Avas reduced when challenged by the king (cf. Twent. Cent. NT^, 'the man Avas dumb- founded ').
2. In the ordinary sense of rest or tranquillity, in antithesis to strife and Avar, ' peace ' {eipvvr]) is found, e.g., in Mt 10=*^= Lk 125i (note the contrast Avith fidxai-pa), Lk 14^^. Generally, hoAvever, elp-qvyj in the NT means more than this, and clearly in- herits the larger suggestions of the Heb. oiS^, Avhich primarily denoted a state of Avellbeing, safety, and blessedness, of Avhich, hoAvever, peace in the common acceptation of the term would be one of the most important conditions. It is in this Avay that Ave are to understand expressions like ' NoAv lettest thou thy servant depart in peace ' (Lk 2"^^), ' his goods are in peace ' ( 1 1-'), ' the things Avhich iielong unto thy peace' (19'*'^). This also is tlie connotation of ' Peace ! ' Avhen used as a form of salutation (Mt lO'^-is^Lk lO'-e 243«, Jn 20'»- ^^- ^^) ; though, as employed by our Lord, and by His disciples according to His instructions, the salutation is weighted Avith the larger Messianic meaning (see beloAv).
3. But in its predominating and characteristic use in the NT, dpyjvr) is distinctively a Christian loord, being employed especially to describe the mission, the character, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
(1) Peace was « distinctive feature of Christ's mission. — In prophetic anticipation the coming of the Messiah Avas to inaugurate a reign of peace (Is 9^ Ps 723- •?), and He Himself Avas to be ' the Prince of Peace' (Is 9^). In the Gospel story of His birth, the promise of peace heralds His ad- vent (Lk 1'^), and 'on earth peace' is sung by the angels on the night in which He is born (2^^) jjjg earthly ministry Avas a ministry and message of peace. ' Have peace one with another ' was one of His injunctions (Mk 9^"), Avhile of those Avho not merely live in peace, but are peace-»iaA;ers {eipyjvo- TToioi), He said that they shall be called sons of God (Mt 5^). 'Peace' Avas the salutation Avhich botii the Twelve and the Seventy Avere bidden to use Avhen sent forth on their respective missions (Mt lO^^'-, Lk 10^^-) ; it Avas the Avord spoken by Jesus Himself in dismissing those Avhom He had healed of their physical or moral plagues (Mk 5^*, Lk 7^°
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8**) ; and again the greeting with which He met His disciples after He was risen from the dead (Lk 243«, Jn 20i»- -i- -«). And in all these cases it seems evident that ' Peace be unto you ! ' and ' Go in peace ! ' are not merely conventional forms of salutation or farewell, but refer to the blessings guaranteed by Jesus as the Christ of God.
And yet there is a sense in which Jesus came 'not to send peace, but a sword' (Mt 10", cf. Lk 12'^). For there is a false peace (Jer 6^^ 8") ; and with that He could have nothing to do. Jesus would never compromise, or permit His followers to compromise, with falsehood or error or sin ; and so, in a world where these things abound, His coming inevitably meant di^-ision and struggle and suli'er- ing (cf. Lk 2**- ^). Yet, for all that, peace was the purpose of His mission, even though it had to be attained by sending forth a sword — sharp and two- edged, as the seer saw it (Rev 1^^) — a sword which will ultimately secure the victory of the good in the conflict with evil, and bring in the peace that rests on righteousness (cf. Ps 72" 85"^).