52. The Hebrew word is preserved in all languages.1 — \tyu I//A/II, I say unto you} This formula, frequent and peculiar to the Lord, possesses the highest authority, and denotes frequently a matter declared by Him, which, for special reasons, is neither written expressly in the Old Testament, nor can be clearly proved from any other source, but is first produced by Himself from the secret treasuries of wisdom and knowledge, so that the assent of the hearers may rest on His sole affirmation, and the dull in heart may be deprived of all excuse for the future. The prophets were wont to say in the third person, DS3»2 saith the Lord; the apostles, It is written; but Christ, in the first person, I say unto you ; see ver. 20, 22, 26, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44, ch. vi. 2 ; John iii. 3, xiv. 12, 25, etc. Cf. notes on John iv. 21, andxiv. 25. St Paul, when again and again compelled to speak in the first person, takes especial care not to trench on the Divine pre rogative. See Rom. xii. 3 ; 1 Cor. vii. 6. Faith is the corre lative of this, " / say unto you" and by this formula is, suit ably to that time ( pro rnodo illius temporis\ placed, as it were, as the foundation on the very threshold of the New Testament. Christ seldom quotes passages of Scripture, and not except for some special reason : He befittingly rests on His own authority. — sue &v vap'tXdT), until pass away) The verb, <xapi\dfa leaves un determined the manner of the end of the world. — 6 ovpavbg xai q y/j, Heaven and earth) The whole system of nature. — lura, jot) iota, yod. Yod, the smallest and most elementary letter in the Hebrew alphabet, and one in which Keri and Kethib3 very fre-
1 And it (the Hebr. amen) ought to be retained in translation, as in the end, so also in the beginning of sentences. The same principle holds good of other Hebrew words. — Not. Grit.
2 " ns3 . . to mutter, to murmur, to speak in a low voice; specially used of the voice of God, by which oracles were revealed to the prophets. By far the most frequent use is of the part. pass, constr. in this phrase, ^ OM rrrr aw, n'isas. ' The voice of Jehovah (is) ;' or (so) hath Jehovah revealed. This the prophets themselves were accustomed either to insert in the dis course, like the Lat. ait, inquit Domimts, Am. 6 : 8, 14 ; 9 : 12, 13, or to add at the end of a sentence." — Gesenius. — (I. B.)