Notes on Former Queries: Vol. 2, 283, 224

Narrator: Chris Genthree
 •  1 min. read  •  grade level: 8
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Q. 283. (page 267). The " hold " mentioned here refers to the fortress or strong hold of Zion mentioned in verse 7. In 2 Sam. 23:14,14And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. (2 Samuel 23:14) it refers to the cave of Adullam, which David used as a strong hold, and in Judg. 9:46,46And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they entered into an hold of the house of the god Berith. (Judges 9:46) " hold " means a deep place in the house. The following is an extract from Lever's Sermons, page 88.
" The Scots assault castles, towers, and such manner of holds," which shews it was commonly used at the period of the Authorized Version.
B. W.M.
Q. 224. The Greek word used in Matt. 11:12,12And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. (Matthew 11:12) and also Luke 16:1616The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. (Luke 16:16) has many meanings: to attack violently-to ravage-to resist-to push from you-to press against: as " hold the truth " in Rom. 1:18,18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; (Romans 1:18) means to resist it-to push it away. As a matter of fact all men did not, in your sense, press into the kingdom, but in my sense, they violently opposed it, and it culminated in the cry representative of the nation, "We have no king but Caesar." "Therefore the kingdom of God shall be taken from you " is the formal sentence of their king.
J. L.
We shall be glad of further remarks on this passage, but we must add that we entirely dissent from our correspondent's interpretation of Rom. 1:1818For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; (Romans 1:18). (Ed).