KJV: And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
YLT: and lo, the vail of the sanctuary was rent in two from top unto bottom, and the earth did quake, and the rocks were rent,
Darby: And lo, the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom, and the earth was shaken, and the rocks were rent,
ASV: And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake; and the rocks were rent;
| ἰδοὺ | behold |
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Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular Root: ἰδού Sense: behold, see, lo. |
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| καταπέτασμα | veil |
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Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular Root: καταπέτασμα Sense: a veil spread out, a curtain. |
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| τοῦ | of the |
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Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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| ναοῦ | temple |
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Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular Root: ναός Sense: used of the temple at Jerusalem, but only of the sacred edifice (or sanctuary) itself, consisting of the Holy place and the Holy of Holies (in classical Greek it is used of the sanctuary or cell of the temple, where the image of gold was placed which is distinguished from the whole enclosure). |
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| ἐσχίσθη | was torn |
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Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular Root: σχίζω Sense: to cleave, cleave asunder, rend. |
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| ἄνωθεν | top |
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Parse: Adverb Root: ἄνωθεν Sense: from above, from a higher place. |
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| κάτω | bottom |
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Parse: Adverb Root: κάτω Sense: down, downwards. |
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| εἰς | into |
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Parse: Preposition Root: εἰς Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among. |
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| δύο | two |
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Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Plural Root: δύο Sense: the two, the twain. |
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| γῆ | earth |
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Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular Root: γῆ Sense: arable land. |
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| ἐσείσθη | was shaken |
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Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular Root: σείω Sense: to shake, agitate, cause to tremble. |
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| πέτραι | rocks |
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Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Plural Root: πέτρα Sense: a rock, cliff or ledge. |
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| ἐσχίσθησαν | were split |
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Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Plural Root: σχίζω Sense: to cleave, cleave asunder, rend. |
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Greek Commentary for Matthew 27:51
Both Mark (Mark 15:38) and Luke (Luke 23:45) mention also this fact. Matthew connects it with the earthquake, “the earth did quake” Josephus (War VI. 299) tells of a quaking in the temple before the destruction and the Talmud tells of a quaking forty years before the destruction of the temple. Allen suggests that “a cleavage in the masonry of the porch, which rent the outer veil and left the Holy Place open to view, would account for the language of the Gospels, of Josephus, and of the Talmud.” This veil was a most elaborately woven fabric of seventy-two twisted plaits of twenty-four threads each and the veil was sixty feet long and thirty wide. The rending of the veil signified the removal of the separation between God and the people (Gould). [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 27:51
Pinnacle, from the Latin pinnaculum, a diminutive of pinna or penna (awing )is a literal translation of πτερύγιον , which is also a diminutive (a little wing or winglet )Nothing in the word compels us to infer that Christ was placed on the top of a tower or spire, which is the popular meaning of pinnacle. The word may be used in the familiar English sense of the wing of a building. Herod's temple had two wings, the northern and southern, of which the southern was the higher and grander; that being the direction in which the chief enlargement of the temple area made by Herod was practicable. That enlargement, according to Josephus, was effected by building up walls of solid masonry from the valley below. At the extremity of the southern side of the area, was erected the “royal portico,” a magnificent colonnade, consisting of a nave and two aisles, running across the entire space from the eastern to the western wall. Josephus further says, that “while the valley of itself was very deep, and its bottom could scarcely be seen when one looked down from above, the additional vastly high elevation of the portico was placed on that height, insomuch that, if any one looked down from the summit of the roof, combining the two altitudes in one stretch of vision, he would be giddy, while his sight could not reach to such an immense depth.” This, in comparison with the northern wing, was so emphatically the wing of the temple as to explain the use of the article here, as a well-known locality. The scene of the temptation may have been (for the whole matter is mainly one of conjecture) the roof of this portico, at the southeastern angle, where it joined Solomon's Porch, and from which the view into the Kedron valley beneath was to the depth of four hundred and fifty feet. The word temple ( ἱερόν , lit., sacred place )-DIVIDER- signifies the whole compass of the sacred inclosure, with its porticos, courts, and other subordinate buildings; and should be carefully distinguished from the other word, ναός , also rendered temple, which means the temple itself - the “Holy-DIVIDER- Place” and the “Holy of Holies.” When we read, for instance, of Christ teaching in the temple ( ἱερόν )we must refer it to one of the temple-porches. So it is from the ἰερόν , the court of the Gentiles, that Christ expels the money-changers and cattle-merchants. In Matthew 27:51, it is the veil of the ναός which is rent; the veil separating the holy place from the holy of holies. In the account of Zacharias entering into the temple of the Lord to burn incense (Luke 1:9), the word is ναός , the holy place in which the altar of incense stood. The people were “without,” in the fore-courts. In John 2:21, the temple of his body, ἱερόν , would be obviously inappropriate. -DIVIDER- -DIVIDER- [source]
Clearly not the earthquake of Matthew 27:51. The precise time of this earthquake is not given. It was before sunrise on the first day of the week when the women made the next visit. Matthew alone relates the coming of the angel of the Lord who rolled away the stone and was sitting upon it If one is querulous about these supernatural phenomena, he should reflect that the Resurrection of Jesus is one of the great supernatural events of all time. Cornelius Lapide dares to say: “The earth, which trembled with sorrow at the Death of Christ as it were leaped for joy at His Resurrection.” The Angel of the Lord announced the Incarnation of the Son of God and also His Resurrection from the grave. There are apparent inconsistencies in the various narratives of the Resurrection and the appearances of the Risen Christ. We do not know enough of the details to be able to reconcile them. But the very variations strengthen the independent witness to the essential fact that Jesus rose from the grave. Let each writer give his own account in his own way. The stone was rolled away not to let the Lord out, but to let the women in to prove the fact of the empty tomb (McNeile). [source]
See on Matthew 27:51. [source]
See on Matthew 27:51. [source]
In the middle. Mark 15:38; Matthew 27:51 have “in two” (εις δυο eis duo). [source]
This in Luke alone. Common verb. Used of splitting rocks (Matthew 27:51). Our word schism comes from it.Putteth it (επιβαλλει epiballei). So Matthew 9:16 when Mark 2:21 has επιραπτει epiraptei (sews on). The word for “piece” or “patch” (επιβλημα epiblēma) in all the three Gospels is from the verb επιβαλλω epiballō to clap on, and is in Plutarch, Arrian, lxx, though the verb is as old as Homer. See Matthew 9:16 and Mark 2:21 for distinction between καινος kainos (fresh), νεος neos (new), and παλαιος palaios (old).He will rend the new Future active indicative. So the best MSS.Will not agree (ου συμπωνησει ou sumphōnēsei). Future active indicative. So the best manuscripts again.With the old Associative instrumental case. Instead of this phrase in Luke, Mark 2:21; Matthew 9:16 have “a worse rent” (χειρον σχισμα cheiron schisma). [source]
See on Luke 1:3. Literally, from the top (Matthew 27:51). Expositors are divided on the rendering of ἄνωθεν , some translating, from above, and others, again or anew. The word is used in the following senses in the New Testament, where it occurs thirteen times: 1. From the top: Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; John 19:23. -DIVIDER- -DIVIDER- 2. From above: John 3:31; John 19:11; James 1:17; James 3:15, James 3:17. -DIVIDER- -DIVIDER- 3. From the beginning: Luke 1:3; Acts 26:5. -DIVIDER- -DIVIDER- 4. Again: Galatians 4:9, but accompanied by πάλιν , again. In favor of the rendering from above, it is urged that it corresponds to John's habitual method of describing the work of spiritual regeneration as a birth from God (John 1:13; 1 John 3:9; 1 John 4:7; 1 John 5:1, 1 John 5:4, 1 John 5:8); and further, that it is Paul, and not John, who describes it as a new birth. In favor of the other rendering, again, it may be said: 1. that from above does not describe the fact but the nature of the new birth, which in the logical order would be stated after the fact, but which is first announced if we render from above. If we translate anew or again, the logical order is preserved, the nature of the birth being described in John 3:5. 2. That Nicodemus clearly understood the word as meaning again, since, in John 3:4, he translated it into a second time. 3. That it seems strange that Nicodemus should have been startled by the idea of a birth from heaven. -DIVIDER- -DIVIDER- Canon Westcott calls attention to the traditional form of the saying in which the word ἀναγεννᾶσθαι , which can only mean reborn, is used as its equivalent. Again, however, does not give the exact force of the word, which is rather as Rev., anew, or afresh. Render, therefore, as Rev., except a man be born anew. The phrase occurs only in John's Gospel. [source]
Effective first aorist active imperative of γεμιζω gemizō to fill full. With water Genitive case of material. Up to the brim “Up to the top.” See εως κατω heōs katō (Matthew 27:51) for “down to the bottom.” No room left in the waterpots now full of water. [source]
Old word, from above (ανω anō) as in Matthew 27:51, from the first (Luke 1:3), then “over again” as here, back to where they were before (in slavery to rites and rules). [source]
First aorist passive participle of the same verb. He quickly turns it round to the standpoint of God‘s elective grace reaching them (Galatians 4:6). How (πως pōs). “A question full of wonder” (Bengel). See note on Galatians 1:6. Turn ye back again? Present active indicative, “Are ye turning again?” See μετατιτεστε metatithesthe in Galatians 1:6. The weak and beggarly rudiments (τα αστενη και πτωχα στοιχεια ta asthenē kai ptōcha stoicheia). The same στοιχεια stoicheia in Galatians 4:3 from which they had been delivered, “weak and beggarly,” still in their utter impotence from the Pharisaic legalism and the philosophical and religious legalism and the philosophical and religious quests of the heathen as shown by Angus‘s The Religious Quests of the Graeco-Roman World. These were eagerly pursued by many, but they were shadows when caught. It is pitiful today to see some men and women leave Christ for will o‘the wisps of false philosophy. Over again Old word, from above (ανω anō) as in Matthew 27:51, from the first (Luke 1:3), then “over again” as here, back to where they were before (in slavery to rites and rules). [source]
Present active indicative, “Are ye turning again?” See μετατιτεστε metatithesthe in Galatians 1:6. The weak and beggarly rudiments (τα αστενη και πτωχα στοιχεια ta asthenē kai ptōcha stoicheia). The same στοιχεια stoicheia in Galatians 4:3 from which they had been delivered, “weak and beggarly,” still in their utter impotence from the Pharisaic legalism and the philosophical and religious legalism and the philosophical and religious quests of the heathen as shown by Angus‘s The Religious Quests of the Graeco-Roman World. These were eagerly pursued by many, but they were shadows when caught. It is pitiful today to see some men and women leave Christ for will o‘the wisps of false philosophy. Over again Old word, from above (ανω anō) as in Matthew 27:51, from the first (Luke 1:3), then “over again” as here, back to where they were before (in slavery to rites and rules). [source]
The first veil opened from outside into the Holy Place, the second veil opened from the Holy Place into the Holy of Holies The word καταπετασμα katapetasma is from καταπεταννυμι katapetannumi to spread down, and we have already had it in Hebrews 6:19. Cf. also Matthew 27:51. [source]
Const. the participle εἰσερχομένην enteringwith anchor. Ἐσώτερον only here and Acts 16:24. Comparative, of something farther within. So ἐσωτέραν φυλακήν “the inner prison,” Acts 16:24. Καταπέτασμα veiloClass. Commonly in N.T. of the veil of the temple or tabernacle. See Matthew 27:51; Hebrews 9:3. That within the veil is the unseen, eternal reality of the heavenly world. Two figures are combined: (a) the world a sea; the soul a ship; the hidden bottom of the deep the hidden reality of the heavenly world. (b) The present life the forecourt of the temple; the future blessedness the shrine within the veil. The soul, as a tempest-tossed ship, is held by the anchor: the soul in the outer court of the temple is fastened by faith to the blessed reality within the shrine. [source]