Ἱεροσόλυμα (
WH Ιεροσόλυμα, see their Introductory § 408),
Ἱεροσολύμων,
τά (the invariable form in Mark and John, almost everywhere in Matt. and
Josephus (c. Apion 1, 22, 13, etc.;
Philo, leg. ad Gaium § 36; (cf.
Polybius 16, 39, 4); others)), and
Ἱερουσαλήμ (
WH Ἰερουσαλήμ (see reference as above)),
ἡ, indeclinable (the invariable form in the
Sept. (
Joshua 10:1, etc.;
Philo de somn. 2:39 at the beginning; so
Aristotle, in
Josephus, contra Apion 1, 22, 7 (where see Müller)); in the N. T. where a certain sacred emphasis, so to speak, resides in the very name, as
Galatians 4:25f (see
Lightfoot at the passage);
Hebrews 12:22;
Revelation 3:12;
Revelation 21:2,
10; thus in direct address:
Matthew 23:37;
Luke 13:34; both forms are used promiscuously (yet with a marked preference for the indeclinable form) in the O. T. Apocrypha, and in the writings of Luke and of Paul; (cf.
Tdf. Proleg., p. 119;
WH's Appendix, p. 160). Whether there is also a third and unusual form
Ἱεροσόλυμα,
ἱεροσολυμης,
ἡ, in
Matthew 2:3;
Matthew 3:5, is extremely doubtful; for in the phrase
ἐξεπορεύετο...
Ἱεροσόλυμα,
Matthew 3:5, the noun can be taken as a neuter plural with a singular verb, cf.
Winer's Grammar, § 58, 3 a.; and in the former passage,
Matthew 2:3, the unusual coupling of the feminine
πᾶσα with the neuter plural
Ἱεροσόλυμα is easily explained by the supposition that the appellative idea,
ἡ πόλις, was in the writer's mind; see Fritzsche and Bleek at the passage; cf.
Buttmann, 18 (16); (yet see
Pape, Eigennamen, under the word). Hebrew
יְרוּשָׁלִַם and
יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, Chaldean
יְרוּשְׁלֶם, Syriac
mLSrw) []. Many suppose that the Hebrew name is composed of
יְרוּשׁ possession, and
שָׁלֵם, so that it signifies
tranquil possessions, habitation of peace; but the matter is very uncertain and conjectures vary; cf. Gesenius, Thesaurus, ii., p. 628f; (
B. D. under the word); on the earlier name of the city see below in
Σαλήμ; Latin
Hierosolyma,
Hierosolymorum, also (
Vulg. e. g. manuscripts Amiat. and Fuld.
Matthew 23:37; but especially) in the church fathers
Hierusalem, but the form
Hierosolyma,
Hierosolymae, is uncertain (yet see even Old Latin manuscripts in
Matthew 2:1,
3)), —
Jerusalem (
A. V. Hierusalem and
Ierusalem), the capital of Palestine, situated nearly in the center of the country, on the confines of the tribes of Benjamin and Judah, in a region so elevated that
ἀναβαίνειν,
עָלָה,
to go up, fitly describes the approach to it from any quarter. The name is used in the N. T.:
1. to denote, either the city itself,
Matthew 2:1;
Mark 3:8;
John 1:19, etc.; or its inhabitants,
Matthew 2:3;
Matthew 3:5;
Matthew 23:37;
Luke 13:34.
2. ἡ νῦν Ἱερουσαλήμ (
the Jerusalem that now is), with its present religious institutions, i. e. the Mosaic system, so designated from its primary external location,
Galatians 4:25, with which is contrasted
ἡ ἄνω Ἱερουσαλήμ (after the rabbinical phrase
מעלה שׁל ירושׁלים,
Jerusalem that is above, i. e. existing in heaven, according to the pattern of which the earthly Jerusalem
מטה שׁל ירושׁלים was supposed to be built (cf.
Schöttgen, Horae Hebrew i., 1207ff)), i. e. metaphorically,
the City of God founded by Christ, now wearing the form of the church, but after Christ's return to put on the form of the perfected Messianic kingdom,
Galatians 4:26;
Ἱερουσαλήμ ἐπουράνιος,
the heavenly Jerusalem, i. e. the heavenly abode of God, Christ, the angels, beatified men (as well the saints of the O. T. as Christians), and as citizens of which true Christians are to be regarded while still living on earth,
Hebrews 12:22;
ἡ καινή Ἱερουσαλήμ in the visions of John 'the Revelator,'
the new Jerusalem, a splendid visible city to be let down from heaven after the renovation of the world, the future abode of the blessed:
Revelation 3:12;
Revelation 21:2,
10.
THAYER’S GREEK LEXICON, Electronic Database.
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2006, 2011 by Biblesoft, Inc.
All rights reserved. Used by permission. BibleSoft.com
BLB Scripture Index of Thayer's