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114 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Cu. XXI.
5. Daughter of Sion. Jerusalem. Compare daughter of Babylon for the city of Babylon (Ps. exxxvil. 8; Isa. xlvii. 1) ; daughter of Tyre for the city or people of Tyre (Ps. xlv. 12) ; daughter of my people (Isa. xxii. 4).
Sitting (é7uBeRnxas). Lit., having gone upon, or mounted. Rev., riding.
Foal of an ass (viov trroguyiov). Lit., son of a beast-of burden. ‘Protiyov, from t70, beneath, Guryds, a yoke. Wyc., son of a beast-under-yoke. The phrase emphasizes the humble state of Jesus. He is mounted, not ona stately charger with embroid- ered and jewelled housings, nor even on an ass for the saddle, the Eastern ass being often of great beauty and spirit, and in demand for this purpose. He rides on a common beast-of-bur- den, furnished with the every-day garments of his disciples.
Garments (iuatia). Outer garments. See on Matt. v. 40.
7. Set him thereon. But the preferable reading is érreKa- Sucev, he took his seat upon.
A very great multitude (6 weiotos xN0). The A. V. is wrong. The reference is not to the szze, but to the propor- tionate part of the multitude which followed him. Hence Rev., correctly, The most part of the m ultetude.
Their garments (éavrav). Lit., “ their own garments.” The disciples spread their garments on the beasts; the multitude strewed their own garments in the way. Dr. Edward Robin- son, cited by Dr. Morison, speaking of the inhabitants of Beth- lehem who had participated in the rebellion of 1834, says: “ At that time, when some of the inhabitants were already im- prisoned, and all were in deep distress, Mr. Farrar, then Eng- lish consul at Damascus, was on a visit to Jerusalem, and had rode out with Mr. Nicolayson to Solomon’s Pools. On their return, as they rose the ascent to enter Bethlehem, hundreds of people, male and female, met them, imploring the consul to in-
Cu. XXL] MATTHEW. 115
terfere in their behalf, and afford them his protection; and all at once, by a sort of simultaneous movement, they spread their garments in the way before the horses.”
The variation of tenses is not preserved in the English ver- sions. Spread their garments, aorist tense, denoting one defi- nite act. Cut down, spread in the way, imperfects, denoting continued action. As Jesus advanced, they kept cutting branches and spreading them, and the multitude kept crying.
9. Hosanna. O save!
10. Was moved (écelcSn). Moved is hardly strong enough. It is shaken as by an earthquake. Rev., sterred. As Morison happily observes, “‘ a profounder ground-swell of feeling.”
12. The money-changers (xoddvficTtdv). From KodrvBos, the rate of exchange. These changers sat in the temple, in the court of the Gentiles, to change the foreign coins of pilgrims into the shekel of the sanctuary for payment of the annual tribute. See on Matt. xvii. 24.
13. Thieves (AjorHv). Rev., correctly, robbers. See on Matt. xxvi. 55; Luke x. 30.
16. Say (Aéyovow). The Rev. is more graphic, are saying. While the songs and shouts are rising, the priests turn angrily to Christ with the question, “ Hearest thou what these are saying ?”
Thou hast perfected (catnpticw). The same word as at Matt. iv. 21, where it is used of adjusting or mending nets. Its secondary meaning is to furnish completely, equip ; hence to perfect. Thou hast provided the perfection of praise. The quo- tation from Ps. viii. 2, follows the Septuagint, and not the Hebrew, which is, “Thou hast fownded strength.”
19. A fig-tree (cveqy wiav). Lit., one single fig-tree. Rev., in margin.
116 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. ([Cu. XXL
Presently (zapaypjua). Presently, in popular speech, has acquired something of a future force. I will do such a thing presently means, I will do it, not immediately, but soon. The rendering here was correct in the older English sense of a- stantly. So constantly in Shakspeare: