Faith (TOT). Rather faithfulness, as in Rom. iii. 3, Rev. Gal. v. 22, Rev.

24. Strain at (Sivrilovтes). diá, thoroughly or through, and ixiw, to filter or strain. Strain at is an old misprint perpetuated. Hence the Rev. correctly, as Tynd., strain out. Insects were ceremonially unclean (Lev. xi. 20, 23, 41, 42), so that the Jews strained their wine in order not to swallow any unclean animal. Moreover, there were certain insects which bred in wine. Aristotle uses the word gnat (kкóνшжа) of a worm or larva found in the sediment of sour wine. "In a ride from Tangier to Tetuan I observed that a Moorish soldier who accompanied me, when he drank, always unfolded the end of his turban and placed it over the mouth of his bota, drinking through the muslin to strain out the gnats, whose larvæ swarm in the water of that country" (cited by Trench, "On the Authorized Version ").

Swallow (καταπίνοντες).

The rendering is feeble. It is drink down (kaτá); gulp. Note that the camel was also un

clean (Lev. xi. 4).

25. Platter (Taporfidos). Tapá, beside, ofov, meat. A sidedish, with the accompanying sense of something dainty; later, as here, the dish itself as distinguished from its contents.

Excess (ȧxpaσias). ȧ, not, κpáтos, power. Hence conduct (ἀκρασίας). κράτος, which shows a want of power over one's self: incontinence or intemperance.

27. Whited sepulchres (Tápois KеKOVIAμÉVOIS). Not the rock-tombs, belonging mostly to the rich, but the graves covered with plastered structures. In general, cemeteries were outside of cities; but any dead body found in the field was to be buried on the spot where it had been discovered. A pilgrim to the Passover, for instance, might easily come upon such a grave in his journey, and contract uncleanness by the contact (Num. xix. 16). It was therefore ordered that all sepulchres

should be whitewashed a month before Passover, in order to make them conspicuous, so that travellers might avoid ceremonial defilement. The fact that this general whitewashing was going on at the time when Jesus administered this rebuke to the Pharisees gave point to the comparison. The word KEKOviaμévois (whitened, from κóvis, dust) carries the idea of whitening with a powder, as powdered lime.

29. Tombs of the prophets. By this name are called four monuments at the base of the Mount of Olives, in the valley of Jehoshaphat; called at present the tombs of Zechariah, Absalom, Jehoshaphat, and St. James. Two of them are monoliths cut out of the solid rock; the others are merely excavations, with ornamental portals. "They appear," says Dr. Thomson, "to be quite extensive, consisting of winding or semicircular galleries, passing under the mountain more than a hundred feet from east to west, and terminating in a rotunda about eighty feet from the entrance. There is no authority for the name which they commonly bear." Possibly they were in sight of our Lord when he spoke, and were pointed to by him. The reference would be all the more telling, if, as has been conjectured, the Pharisees were engaged in constructing the tombs of Zechariah and Absalom at the time that the Lord addressed them, and that the chambered sepulchres of James and Jehoshaphat, lying between those two, were the sepulchres which they were garnishing at their entrances.

35. Temple (vaoû). Rev., rightly, sanctuary. See on Matt. iv. 5. Zechariah was slain between the temple proper and the altar of burnt-offering, in the priests' court.

37. Hen (ŏpvis). Generic: bird or foul; but hen is used generically of the mother-bird of all species.

CHAPTER XXIV.

1. Went out and departed from the temple (ěžeλdàv άπò τоû ieροû èπорEÚето). Rev., better: Went out from the temple and was going on his way. The temple, iepoû, not vaoû: the whole of the buildings connected with the temple, all of which, including the vaós, or sanctuary, and the porches and courts, constituted the iepóv. See on Matt. iv. 5.

3. Coming (πapovolas). Originally, presence, from πapeîvai, to be present. In this sense in Philip. ii. 12; 2 Cor. x. 10. Also arrival, as in 1 Cor. xvi. 17; 2 Cor. vii. 6, 7; 2 Thess. ii. 9; 2 Pet. iii. 12. Of the second coming of Christ: James v. 8; 1 John ii. 28; 2 Pet. iii. 4; 1 Thess. iv. 15.

Of the world (alvos). Rather the existing, current age. They do not ask the signs of the Messiah's coming at the end of all time, to judge the world.

4. Deceive (Tλavnon).) Lit., lead astray, as Rev.

5. In my name (èπì tô óvóμaтí μov). Lit., on my name, i.e., on the strength of; resting their claims on the name Messiah.

12. Shall abound (πλŋIvvIñva). Lit., shall be multiplied. See Acts vi. 1, 7; vii. 17; ix. 31; Heb. vi. 14.

Of many (TV TOMλv). The A. V. in omitting the definite article, misses the force of Christ's saying. It is not the love of many people only that shall be chilled, but of the many, the majority, the great body.

Wax cold (uneral). The verb means originally to breathe or blow; and the picture is that of spiritual energy blighted or chilled by a malign or poisonous wind.

14. World (Toikovμévy). Lit., the inhabited. The whole. habitable globe. Rev., in margin, inhabited earth.

15. Abomination of desolation (Bdéλvyμa tŷs épnμwσews). The cognate verb, ßdeλúσooμai, means to feel a nausea or loathing for food: hence used of disgust generally. In a moral sense it denotes an object of moral or religious repugnance. See 2 Chron. xv. 8; Jer. xiii. 27; Ezek. xi. 21; Dan. ix. 27; xi. 31. It is used as equivalent to idol in 1 Kings xi. 17; Deut. vii. 26; 2 Kings xxiii. 13. It denotes anything in which estrangement from God manifests itself; as the eating of unclean beasts, Lev. xi. 11; Deut. xiv. 3; and, generally, all forms of heathenism. This moral sense must be emphasized in the New Testament use of the word. Compare Luke xvi. 15; Apoc. xvii. 4, 5; xxi. 27. It does not denote mere physical or æsthetic disgust. The reference here is probably to the occupation of the temple precincts by the idolatrous Romans under Titus, with their standards and ensigns. Josephus says that, after the burning of the temple the Romans brought their ensigns and set them over against the eastern gate, and there they offered sacrifices to them, and declared Titus, with acclamations, to be

emperor.

17. Him which is on the house.top (ó éπì тоû Súμатоs). From roof to roof there might be a regular communication, called by the Rabbies "the road of the roofs." Thus a person

could make his escape passing from roof to roof, till, at the last house, he would descend the stairs on the outside of the house, but within the exterior court. The urgency of the flight is enhanced by the fact that the stairs lead into this court. "Though you must pass by the very door of your room, do not enter to take anything out. Escape for your life."

22. Should be shortened (exoxoßwnoav). Rev., had been shortened. A very picturesque word. The verb is, literally, to dock, to cut off, leaving a stump, as a limb. Wyc., abridged. As a fact, various causes did combine to shorten the siege. Herod Agrippa was stopped in his work of strengthening

the walls by orders from the emperor; the Jews, absorbed in their party strifes, had totally neglected preparations to stand a siege; the magazines of corn and provisions were burnt before the arrival of Titus. Titus arrived suddenly, and the Jews voluntarily abandoned parts of the fortification. Titus himself confessed that God was against the Jews, since otherwise neither his armies nor his engines would have availed against their defences.

24. Signs and wonders (onueîa Kai тéρaтa). See on Matt. xi. 20. The two words often joined in the New Testament. See John iv. 48; Acts ii. 22; iv. 30; 2 Cor. xii. 12. The words do not denote different classes of supernatural manifestations, but these manifestations regarded from different points of view. The same miracle may be a mighty work, or a glorious work, regarded with reference to its power and grandeur; or a sign of the doer's supernatural power; or a wonder, as it appeals to the spectator. Tépas (derivation uncertain) is a miracle regarded as a portent or prodigy, awakening amazement. It most nearly corresponds, therefore, to the etymological sense of the word miracle (Lat., miraculum, a wonderful thing, from mirari, to wonder).

26. In the desert-Secret chambers. Rev., wilderness— inner chambers. Both retired places, indicating that the false Messiahs will avoid public scrutiny.

27. Shineth (paíverai). Rev., better, is seen. The coming of the Lord will be a plain, unmistakable fact, like the lightning which lightens both ends of the heaven at once, and is seen of all. It will not be connected with some particular place, but will manifest itself and be recognized over the whole world. Compare Apoc. i, 7: "Every eye shall see him."

28. Carcase (TTŵμа). From TÍTтw, to fall. Originally a fall, and thence a fallen body; a corpse. Compare Lat. cadaver, from cado, to fall. See Mark vi. 29; Apoc. xi. 8. On the saying itself, compare Job xxxix. 30.