Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Luke: Chapter 2]
2:34 {Is set for the falling and the rising up of many in Israel}
(\Keitai eis pt•sin kai anastasin poll•n en t•i Isra•l\). Present
indicative of the old defective verb appearing only in present
and imperfect in the N.T. Sometimes it is used as the passive of
\tith•mi\ as here. The falling of some and the rising up of
others is what is meant. He will be a stumbling-block to some
(Isa 8:14; Mt 21:42,44; Ro 9:33; 1Pe 2:16f.) who love darkness
rather than light (Joh 3:19), he will be the cause of rising
for others (Ro 6:4,9; Eph 2:6). "Judas despairs, Peter repents:
one robber blasphemes, the other confesses" (Plummer). Jesus is
the magnet of the ages. He draws some, he repels others. This is
true of all epoch-making men to some extent. {Spoken against}
(\antilegomenon\). Present passive participle, continuous action.
It is going on today. Nietzsche regarded Jesus Christ as the
curse of the race because he spared the weak.
2:35 {A sword} (\rhomphaia\). A large sword, properly a long
Thracian javelin. It occurs in the LXX of Goliath's sword (1Sa
17:51). How little Mary understood the meaning of Simeon's words
that seemed so out of place in the midst of the glorious things
already spoken, a sharp thorn in their roses, a veritable
bitter-sweet. But one day Mary will stand by the Cross of Christ
with this Thracian javelin clean through her soul, \stabat Mater
Dolorosa\ (Joh 19:25). It is only a parenthesis here, and a
passing cloud perhaps passed over Mary's heart already puzzled
with rapture and ecstasy. {May be revealed} (\apokaluphth•sin\).
Unveiled. First aorist passive subjunctive after \hop•s an\ and
expresses God's purpose in the mission of the Messiah. He is to
test men's thoughts (\dialogismoi\) and purposes. They will be
compelled to take a stand for Christ or against him. That is true
today.
2:36 {One Anna a prophetess} (\Hanna proph•tis\). The word
\proph•tis\ occurs in the N.T. only here and Re 2:20. In old
Greek writers it means a woman who interprets oracles. The long
parenthesis into verse 37 tells of her great age. Montefiore
makes it 106 as she was 15 when married, married 7 years, a widow
84.
2:37 {Which departed not} (\h• ouk aphistato\). Imperfect
indicative middle. She kept on not leaving. The Spirit kept her
in the temple as he led Simon to the temple (Plummer). The case
of "the temple" (\tou hierou\) is ablative. {Night and day}
(\nukta kai h•meran\). Accusative of duration of time, all night
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