Literature. — Grimm-Thayer, Lex. s.vv. ; EGT, ad locc. cit. ; Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture, ' Matthew ' ; Tholuck, Com. on Sermon on the Mount ; Goebel, Parables ; Sandaj- Headlam, Roinans ; Moule, Romaiis ; Stevens, Teaching of Jesus ; Wendt, I'eaching of Jesus ; Hastings' DB, artt. ' Anger (Wrath) of God,' 'Avenge,' 'Ethics,' 'Forgiveness,' 'Goel' ; JE, artt. 'Forgiveness,' 'Goel,' 'Retaliation.'
Charles S. Macalpine. VERILY. — A formula of asseveration or corro- boration.
The Hebrew is |px, and, while it is translated in the OT by the LXX into yitoiro (cf. Ps 7219) or aXtjSi;? (cf. Jer 28[35]6), and by Aquila into TiTio-Tuif^iva; , it is simply transliterated by the NT writers, except St. Luke, who, in deference to his Gentile readers, gives ciXviHii; in three instances where the parallels have <ia/i» (Lk927 = Mt 1628 = Mk 91 ; Lk 12-l-l=Mt 2447 ; Lk 213 = Mk 12«).
According to R. Judah ben Sinia, the formula had three uses : (1) in swearing (cf. Nu 522), (2) in accepting (cf. Dt 2715), and (3) in expressing confidence (cf. 1 K 136).* when a Rabbi would add impressiveness to a doctrine, he prefaced it with Amen, ' Verilj',' signifying that it was a tradition received by Moses on Sinai. t The congregation responded Amen to the prayers in the s}'nagogue, a usage which passed into the Christian ecclesia ; J and the Talmud warns against ' an orphan Amen,' meaning one uttered without consideration, or in ignorance whereto the response is being made.§
It is somewhat unfortunate that, where it is an asseverative preface, our versions have translated i^vjv by ' verily,' and, where it is a liturgical response, have simply transliterated it. Let it be understood that the word is the same in both cases. See art. Amen.
Jesus, like the Rabbis, was accustomed, by way of bespeaking His hearers' attention, to preface important declarations with Amen, ' Verily.' f| All our Evangelists represent Him as doing so ; but wliereas the Synoptists put on His lips a single ' Verily,' St. John makes Him in every instance reduplicate the formula, saying ' Verily, verily.' What is the explanation of this divergence ? It is out of the question to suppose that, since the Johannine and the Synoptic logia are in no case identical, Jesus may have spoken after both fashions, employing now the single, now the double 'Verily.' It does not apjiear that the latter was in use among the Jews, and it may be assumed that Jesus always spoke according to the Synoptic representation. Lightfoot makes a shrewd and far-reaching comment on Mk 5^^. Talitha, hum means merely "Maiden, arise!" And this is all that Jesus actually said ; ' but in His pronunciation and utterance of tliese words there flashed forth such authority and command- ing energy, that they sounded no less than if He
* Wetstein on Mt 613.
t Lightfoot on Mt 518.
t 1 Co 14ifi ; Aug. de Cateeh. liud. § 13.
§ Lightfoot on 1 Co 14i6.
II Aug. m Joan. Ev. Tract, xli. § 3 : ' Multum commendat quod ita pronuntiat ; quodammodo, si dici fas est, juratio ejus est. Amen, amen dico vobis.'
VICARIOUS SACRIFICE
VICARIOUS SACRIFICE
793
had said: "Maiden, I tell thee, arise."' (Cf. Mt 9« with Mk 2" = Lk 5-^^). May not this be the explanation of St. John's reduplicated ' Verily ' ? Jesus actually used the single formula ; but such was the autliority of His tone that St. John, reproducing not merely His language but His spirit, reiterated the asseveration, very much as a modern writer might underline the word, or as the Hebrew idiom expressed jdnralitij or magnitude by repetition ; e.g. Gn 14^" ' full of pits of asphalt,' literally 'pits, pits of asphalt.' The beloved disciple held every tone, look, and gesture of the Master in reverent remembrance ; and when he limned His picture, he was in nowise careful to reproduce details with slavish and pedantic accuracy, but, with the artist's in- stinct, sought to catch those subtle and elusive expressions which reveal the true personality. When he reduplicated ' Verily,' he designed to make his readers realize the majesty wherewith the Lord spoke and the authority which His words carried.*
Literature. — Bruder, Concord., and Grimm-Thayer, Lex. s.v. <i,a.r,v; Hastings, DB, art. 'Amen'; ExpT viii. [1896] lOOff., 190 f., xiii. [1902] 503 ff. ; Dalman, Words of Jesus, 226 fif.
David Smith.
VICARIOUS SACRIFICE.— The word ' vicarious ' (vicarius from vicis, 'change,' 'alteration') means acting, or suffering, for another, or in the place of another. The idea of change, transfer, or substi- tution pertains to the term. It has the same root as 'vice' in 'vicegerent,' 'viceroy' or 'vicar,' and other words which signify that one person has assumed the place, position, or office of another. It may mean 'instead of (a-vri), or 'in behalf of {hirip). The word 'sacrifice' (from sacer, 'sacred,' 'holy,' and facerc, 'to make') means something devoted, or offered at a cost ; and in the stricter religious sense means something con- secrated, or offered to a divinity as an acknow- ledgment of benefits received, or as a propitiation for favours to be extended. Sacrifice (wh. see) is a somewhat different act in different cults and in different stages of religious development, but has in it the idea of a means of approach to Deity through a material oblation for the purpose of securing His favour. When the service is volun- tarily undertaken, or when it is assumed at a cost to the individual and for the sake of another, no personal benefit being expected in return, we have sacrifice Avhich is vicarious. Vicai'ious sacrifice, therefore, has been appropriately defined as ' volun- tarily assuming the place and entering into the condition of some one for his benefit.' The two words, ' vicarious ' and ' sacrifice,' add to each other, and together well define a phenomenon which we find occuiTing in the more advanced religions, and especially in the religion of Christ.