Cx. IV.] MATTHEW. 99
one looked down from the summit of the roof, combining the two altitudes in one stretch of vision, he would be giddy, while his sight could not reach to such an immense depth.” This, in comparison with the northern wing, was so emphatically che wing of the temple as to explain the use of the article here, as a well-known locality. The scene of the temptation may have been (for the whole matter is mainly one of conjecture) the roof of this portico, at the southeastern angle, where it joined Solomon’s Porch, and from which the view into the Kedron valley beneath was to the depth of four hundred and fifty feet.
The word temple (iepov, lit., sacred place) signifies the whole compass of the sacred inclosure, with its porticos, courts, and other subordinate buildings; and should be carefully distin- guished from the other word, vaos, also rendered temple, which means the temple itself—the “ Holy Place” and the ‘ Holy of Holies.” When we read, for instance, of Christ teaching in the temple (tepdv) we must refer it to one of the temple-porches. So it is from the éepdv, the court of the Gentiles, that Christ expels the money-changers and cattle-merchants. In Matt. xxvii. 51, it is the veil of the vaos which is rent ; the veil sepa- rating the holy place from the holy of holies. In the account of Zacharias entering into the temple of the Lord to burn in- cense (Luke i. 9), the word is vads, the holy place in which the altar of incense stood. The people were “ without,” in the fore- courts. In John i. 21, the temple of his body, tepov would be obviously inappropriate.
6. In their hands (él). On their hands (so Rev.) is more correct, and gives a different picture from the A. V. én: lifted on their hands, as on a litter or platform.
4. Again (rddw). Emphatic, meaning on the other hand, with reference to Satan’s it is written (ver. 6); as if he had said, “the promise which you quote must be explained by another passage of scripture.” Archbishop Trench aptly remarks, “In that ‘Jt is written again’ of Christ, lies a great lesson, quite independent of that particular scripture which, on this occasion, he quotes, or of the use to which he turns it. There lies in it
30 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Cu. IV.
the secret of our safety and defence against all distorted use of isolated passages in holy scripture. Only as we enter into the unity of scripture, as it balances, completes, and explains itself, are we warned against error and delusion, excess or defect on this side or the other. Thus the retort, ‘Zt is written again,’ must be of continual application; for indeed what very often are heresies but one-sided, exaggerated truths, truths rent away indeed from the body and complex of the truth, without the balance of the counter-truth, which should have kept them in their due place, co-ordinated with other truths or subordinated to them ; and so, because all such checks are wanting, not truth any more, but error.” —
12. Was cast into prison (7rapedd.9n). The verb means, first, to give, or hand over to another. So, to surrender a city or a person, often with the accompanying notion of treachery. The Rev., therefore, rightly renders, was delivered up.
16. The people which sat (6 caSnuevos) ; Wyc., dwelt. The article with the participle (lit., the people, the one sitting) signi- fying something characteristic or habitual: the people whose characteristic it was to sit in darkness. This thought is em- phasized by repetition in a stronger form ; sitting in the region and shadow of Death. Death is personified. This land, whose inhabitants are spiritually dead, belongs to Death as the realm of his government.
17. To preach (xnpiocew). Originally, to discharge the duty of a herald (xnpv€); hence to ery out, proclaim (see on 2 Pet. ii. 5). The standing expression in the New Testament for the proclamation of the Gospel; but confined to the pri- mary announcement of the message and facts of salvation, and not including continuous instruction in the contents and con- nections of the message, which is expressed by duddoxew (to teach). Both words are used in Matt. iv. 23; ix. 85; xi. 1).