(1) Christ has the kej's of death and of Hades (Rev 1'^, RV). This power is Imperial, exercised fi'om without and from above. There are inter- esting parallels to this, apart from Scripture, in VOL. I. — i.T,
literature, both earlier and later. When Istar de- scended to the land of no-return she called imperi- ously to the porter to open the door, and threatened in case of refusal to shatter the door and break the bolt. Here the power is primitively conceived, and remains largely with the one within. For later and more advanced conceptions see Dante, Piirg. ix. 65 tt"., and Milton, Paradise Lost, ii. 774 tt'., 850 tt'. In both these instances the pow'er, although great, is still limited.
(2) Angelic authority is evident in Rev 9^ 20^, where the key of the ' pit ' or ' well ' of the abyss, or of the abyss simply, is spoken of. This power was delegated ('was given,' 9^). That some symbol of power was bestowed seems clear from 20\ where the key and a great chain for binding are seen in the angel's hand (or attached to his person). The figure of the key here directs our thought to the pits or wells of ancient times, whose opening was safeguarded against illegiti- mate use by a covering of some kind. The prinu- tive setting of such coverings would naturally be horizontal, but here the imagery, extending to key, points rather to a door set upright and se- cured by bolt or lock. The stone doors of tombs may be compared.
(3) Upon earth itself Christ's unlimited author- ity is exercised over the churches, including that in Philadelphia (Rev 3^). The 'key of David' here mentioned is reminiscent of Is 22-*, where some sort of investiture is in the writer's mind (HDB V. 172). In this instance power is exhibited in the most absolute form, and made over to the Church in the sense of a 'door opened,' for the enjoyment rather than for the extension of the gospel (see R. W. Pounder, Hist. Notes on the Book of Revelation, 1912, p. 140). It is not sur- prising that the reading of this verse should have been attracted to \^-, as appears in some inferior MSS (Hbov for Aai'etS).
See further DCG, art. ' Keys.' For specimens of actual keys discovered in the course of excava- tion see R. A. S. Macalister, The Excavation of Gezer, 1912, i. 187 and ii. 271. Further illustra- tions in A. Rich, Diet, of Rotnan and Greek Antiquities^, 1873, s.v. 'Clavis.'
W. Cruickshank.
KINDNESS. — In its substantival, adjectival, verbal, and adverbial form this term occurs in the
674
KINDNESS
KING
English NT in the following passages : Lk 6^, Ac 27* 282, 1 Co 13^ 2 Co 6", Gal 5-^ (RV only), Eph 27 4^2^ Col 312, Tit 2^ (RV only), 3*, 2 P F (AV only; RV 'love of the brethren'). In all these passages (except Ac 27* 28^, where it renders <pi\- avOpwiruf, ipikavdpu-wla. Tit 2^ where it renders ayaObs, and 2 P V, where 'brotherly kindness' renders <j>L\aSe\<pla) the original has xP'?o"''<5s, XPW- T&rrjs, xpW'''^'^^^^- These Greek words, however, occur in several other places, where the English NT does not employ the term 'kindness,' viz. Mt IP" ('easy'), Lk 5=*^ (AV xpv<^T6Tepos, 'better,' RV XPV<^t6%, '.good'), Ro 2^ *" ('goodness'), S'^Cgood'), 1P2 ('goodness'), 1 Co 15** ('good'), Gal 5" (AV 'gentleness,' RV 'kindness'), 1 P 2* (' gracious'). These passages will have to be taken into account in determining the precise meaning of the con- ception.
X/)77crT6s is the verbal adjective of XP"-'^) * use.' Its primary meaning, therefore, is ' usable,' ' service- able,' 'good,' 'adequate,' 'efficient' (of persons as well as of things). This utilitarian sense of ' good- ness' passes over into the ethical sense in which it becomes the opposite to such words as irov-qphs, /MoxOrjpos, al(xxp6s. It further passes over into the more specialized ethical meaning of ' kind,' ' mild.' The process of the latter transition may perhaps still be observed in the phrase rd XPW'<^=' good services,' ' benefits,' ' kindnesses.'
In the NT there is only one instance where it has the sub-ethical meaning 'good for use,' viz. Lk 5*^ ; here the old wine is said to be ' good ' or 'better.' According to Trench (Synonyms of the NT^, 1901, p. 233), even here the thought is coloured by the ethical employment of the word in other connexions, xP'?<'"''6s = ' mellowed with age.' This is certainly true of Mt 1 1*", where Christ's yoke is called xpw^os because it is a figure for de- mands that are kind and mild. In all other in- stances the ethical application is explicit. The precise shade of meaning, however, attaching to the word in this sense is not easy to determine. In certain instances it may designate moral good- ness in general. This seems to be the case in Ro 3^2 (TTotwy xPV<^'''^''">]^°'< a quotation from Ps 14'^, where xPV<^'''6v is the LXX rendering for aia). In 1 Co 15** the proverbial saying <}>6elpovcnv ijdr] Xpv<^Ta ofuXiai /ca/cat, 'evil companionships corrupt good morals' (or 'characters'), has xpV'^Ti's in the same general sense, the opposite here being KaK6s. In all other cases there are indications that some specific quality of moral goodness is intended. Most clearly this is apparent in Gal 5^^ for here Xpi70't6t7;s Stands among a number of Christian graces and is even distinguished from dyadwaOvrj, 'goodness.' A similar co-ordination is found in Col 3'-, where XPV<^'''<^'''V^ occurs side by side with Trpairris. Various attempts have been made at defining that conception. Jerome in his exposi- tion of Gal 522 renders xp'')'^'^^''"'!^ by benignitas (cf. the rendering by Wyclif and in the Rheims Ver- sion), and quotes the Stoic definition : ' benignitas est virtus sponte ad benefaciendum exposita.' The difference between XP''1<^'''^^V^ ^nd ayadwffivq he finds in this, that the latter can go together with a degree of severity, whilst it is inherent in XPV'^- TOTr]^ to be sweet and inviting in its association with others. This, however, does not quite hit the centre of the biblical idea. Most shrewdly, it seems to us, tlie latter has been pointed out by Tittraann (de Synonymis in NT, 1829-32, i. 141) as consisting in the trait of beneficence towards those who are evil and ungrateful : ' xpncrrds bene cupit, neque bonis tantum sed etiam malis.'