Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Luke: Chapter 21].
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21:1 {And he looked up} (\Anablepsas de\). He had taken his seat,
after the debate was over and the Sanhedrin had slunk away in
sheer defeat, "over against the treasury" (Mr 12:41). The word
for "treasury" (\gazophulakion\) is a compound of \gaza\ (Persian
word for royal treasury) and \phulak•\ guard or protection. It is
common in the LXX, but in the N.T. only here and Mr 12:41,43;
Joh 8:20. Jesus was watching (Mr 12:41) the rich put in their
gifts as a slight diversion from the intense strain of the hours
before.
21:2 {Poor} (\penichran\). A rare word from \pen•s\ (\penomai\,
to work for one's living). Latin _penuria_ and Greek \peina•\, to
be hungry are kin to it. Here only in the N.T. Mr 12:42 has
\pt•ch•\, a more common word from \pt•ss•\, to be frightened, to
strike and hide from fear, to be in beggary. And Luke uses this
adjective also of her in verse 3.
21:3 {More than they all} (\pleion pant•n\). Ablative case after
the comparative \pleion\.
21:4 {All these did cast} (\pantes houtoi ebalon\). Constative
second aorist active indicative covering the whole crowd except
the widow. {Living} (\bion\). Livelihood as in Mr 12:44, not
\z••n\, principle of life.
21:5 {As some spake} (\tin•n legont•n\). Genitive absolute. The
disciples we know from Mr 13:1; Mt 24:1. {How} (\hoti\).
Literally, "that." {It was adorned} (\kekosm•tai\). Perfect
passive indicative, state of completion, stands adorned, tense
retained in indirect discourse, though English has to change it.
\Kosme•\, old and common verb for orderly arrangement and
adorning. {With goodly stones and offerings} (\lithois kalois kai
anath•masin\). Instrumental case. Some of these stones in the
substructure were enormous. "The columns of the cloister or
portico were monoliths of marble over forty feet high" (Plummer).
Cf. Josephus, _War_, V.5. The word \anath•ma\ (here only in the
N.T.) is not to be confused with \anathema\ from the same verb
\anatith•mi\, but which came to mean a curse (Ga 1:8; Ac
http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/LU21.RWP.html (1 of 7) [28/08/2004 09:05:53 a.m.]
Word Pictures in the New Testament
(Luke: Chapter 21)