o\j duiott rb peyyos ai/rJjj, the moon shall not give her light) sc. as she is wont to do both when filling and waning. According to the course of nature, the sun and moon are eclipsed at different times : then, however, they will both be eclipsed at once. — «TO ro\j ovpavov, from heaven) It is not said upon the earth ; cf. in Mark xiii. 25. — IxT/Vrovrsc, falling out. They shall be as though they were not, sc. without light. — owd/ms, powers) sc. those firm interchained and subtle powers of heaven1 (distinct from the stars) which are accustomed to influence the earth. They are thus denominated by Matthew, Mark, and Luke. — <raX£y0?j<rox7-a/, shall be shaken) an appropriate metaphor from the waves of the sea.2
30. To ffri^eTov TOU T/ou TOU avdpw-ov, the sign of the Son of Mans} This is a more special sign ; those which are mentioned in Luke xxi. 25 precede it, and are more general. The very appellation, " the Son of Man," agrees with these things (cf. Gnomon on ch. xvi. 13) : for the mourning of the tribes of the earth is joined in Rev. i. 7, with their seeing Him in person. Our Lord means therefore to say, " Do not seek for any previous sign ;" see ver. 27. He Himself will be His own sign, as in Luke ii. 12 ; and so much the more so, because conjointly with His actual appear ance, or a little before it mankind will behold a triumphal pro cession (pompain) in the clouds : unless indeed a thick darkness, a dazzling glory, the form of the cross, or some star, also ap pear. Cf. ch. ii. 2. Before this He had been a sign which was spoken against (see Luke ii. 34) : then He will be a sign mani fest to all. A Sign denotes something very remarkable and striking to the eyes, whether it contain the signification of some thing else, or of itself; see Rev. xii. 1. The sun, moon, and stars, having been extinguished, that sign will be visible in the brightness of the Lord, and thence in that of a cloud, and of the clouds.4 In short, the sign (cf. Mark xiii. 26, 4) is the
1 Prov. viii. 27.— E. B.
2 Rev. vi. 14.— E. B.
3 Herein is contained a reply to the question proposed at ver. 3. — V. g.
4 Bengel's expression, " nubis ac nubium," " of a cloud and of the clouds," evidently refers to Luke xxi. 27, " Then shall they see the Son of Man com ing IN A CLOUD, with power and great glory" and to the words which occur in the present verse, " they shall sec the Son of Man coming IN THE CLOUDS of Heaven with power and great glory ." — (I. B.)