Lexical Summary edaphizó: To raze to the ground, to demolish, to level Original Word: ἐδαφίζω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance lay even with the ground, razeFrom edaphos; to raze -- lay even with the ground. see GREEK edaphos NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom edaphos Definition to raze NASB Translation level...to the ground (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1474: ἐδαφιζοἐδαφιζο: Attic future ἐδαφιω (Buttmann, 37 (32); Winers Grammar, § 13, 1 c.); (see ἔδαφος); to throw to the ground — both of cities, buildings, to raze, level with the earth, and of men; in both applications in Luke 19:44 (by zeugma (?) cf. Winer's Grammar, § 66, 2 e.). (Psalm 136:9 Topical Lexicon Usage in the New Testament The verb occurs once, in Luke 19:44, within Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem: “They will level you to the ground—you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God” (Luke 19:44). The single use underscores its solemnity, conveying utter razing without remainder. Historical Background Jesus spoke these words during His final approach to Jerusalem, a city swollen with Passover pilgrims and national expectations. Roughly forty years later, Titus and the Roman legions besieged the city (A.D. 70). Contemporary historians such as Josephus record streets choked with rubble, the Temple dismantled stone by stone, and survivors scattered or slain—precisely the leveling Jesus foretold. The verb captures both the physical demolition and the shattering of covenantal pride that had rejected Messiah. Prophetic Fulfillment Luke presents the prophecy as both warning and validation of Jesus’ messianic authority. Its literal fulfillment vindicated His words, illustrating the surety of every promise and judgment proceeding from Him (compare Matthew 24:2). Believers see in this fulfillment a pattern: divine patience yields to decisive judgment when grace is persistently spurned. Theological Significance 1. Divine Visitation: “You did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.” The context links physical destruction to spiritual blindness. Refusal to embrace Christ results in forfeited protection. Old Testament Echoes • Lamentations 2:2,9 – Zion’s walls cast down. Such passages foreshadow the fate embodied in Jesus’ single but potent use of the term. Application for Ministry Today • Preaching: Proclaim both the tenderness and the severity of Christ. His tears (Luke 19:41) accompany His warnings. Related New Testament Themes Matthew 23:37-39 – Christ’s longing for Jerusalem. Romans 11:22 – “Consider therefore the kindness and severity of God.” 1 Peter 2:6-8 – Christ as cornerstone; rejection turns a foundation into a stone of stumbling. Summary The lone occurrence of this verb in Luke 19:44 concentrates the gravity of Jesus’ prophetic role, the certainty of historical fulfillment, and the abiding call to recognize God’s gracious visitation. The leveled stones of Jerusalem stand as silent testimony that every word of the Lord is steadfast. Forms and Transliterations εδαφιεί εδαφιούσί εδαφιουσιν εδαφιούσιν ἐδαφιοῦσίν εδαφισθήσεται εδαφισθήση ηδάφισαν edaphiousin edaphioûsínLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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