Then the next day, Paul took the men, having purified himself along with them, and entered the temple, [hieron / iερoν] announcing the completion of the purification days when the offering for each of them would be made. As the seven days were about to end, the Jews from the province of Asia saw him in the temple complex, [hiero / iερw] stirred up the whole crowd, and seized him, Acts 21:26-27 HCSB
He said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry— how he entered the house of God, and they ate the sacred bread, which is not lawful for him or for those with him to eat, but only for the priests? Or haven’t you read in the Law that on Sabbath days the priests in the temple [hiero /
iερw]
violate the Sabbath and are innocent? But I tell you that something greater than the temple [hierou /
iεροu]
is here! If you had known what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the innocent.
Matthew 12:3-7 HCSB
Then the Devil took Him to the holy city, had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, [herou /
iεροu] [
also see Luke 4:9]
Matthew 4:5 HCSB
But I tell you that something greater than the temple [hierou /
iεροu]
is here!
Matthew 12:6 HCSB
The site where my church meets of has many buildings.
The sanctuary is one building, some might call this “the church”.
Yet when I bring my daughter to youth group [a different building on the site] we still say we are bringing her to “church”, not to the “church complex”, that’s understood in context.
The Greek word,
Hieron is used similarly.
Hieron is a
general term for temple; it’s used in the bible for the main Hebrew Temple, the temple complex and even for various pagan sites.
The only differentiation between the main Temple sanctuary and the temple complex is in the context of its use.
Holman’s CSB has differentiated its meaning using the context.
As I looked at it closer, I like it too!
The Greek word,
naos seems to be a more specific term for the Temple.
Matt 27:5 may be its only use that
might be less than specific.
I’ve been mulling over purchasing Holman’s CSB for use this year.
I really likes its OT translations; I haven’t really examined its NT translation well.
It will be either that or Zondervan’s TNIV
[its new reference bible is due out next month].
Rob