Lexical Summary charax: Palisade, rampart, stake Original Word: χάραξ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance trench. From charasso (to sharpen to a point; akin to grapho through the idea of scratching); a stake, i.e. (by implication) a palisade or rampart (military mound for circumvallation in a siege) -- trench. see GREEK grapho NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as charagma Definition a pointed stake, a rampart NASB Translation barricade (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 5482: χάραξχάραξ, χαρακος, ὁ (χαράσσω); 1. a pale or stake, a palisade ((Aristophanes, Demosthenes, others)). 2. a palisade or rampart (i. e. pales between which earth, stones, trees and timbers are heaped and packed together): Luke 19:43 (Isaiah 37:33; Ezekiel 4:2; Ezekiel 26:8; Polybius; Josephus, Vita43; Arrian exp. Alex. 2, 19, 9; Plutarch, others). Luke 19:43 stands alone in the Greek New Testament for this term: “For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you, surround you, and hem you in on every side” (Berean Standard Bible). Spoken by Jesus during His triumphal entry week, the single appearance is therefore concentrated, prophetic, and solemn. First-Century Siege Warfare Roman legions customarily enclosed walled cities by driving sharpened wooden stakes into the ground, lashing them together with transverse beams, and piling earth against the inner side. This produced a continuous earthen-and-wood barrier high enough to shelter archers and obstruct escape. Josephus (Jewish War 5.11.1) records exactly such a circumvallation around Jerusalem in A.D. 70: a nearly five-mile perimeter completed in three days by Titus’s troops. Contemporary readers of Luke immediately associated the Lord’s warning with this well-known military practice. Old Testament Precursors in the Septuagint While the term surfaces only once in the Greek New Testament, the Septuagint employs it frequently. Notable examples include: • 2 Samuel 20:15—Joab’s forces “raised a siege mound” against Abel Beth Maacah. These antecedents frame Jesus’ words as standing firmly within the prophetic tradition of covenant chastisement through foreign armies. Prophetic Fulfillment The prediction in Luke 19:43 received literal fulfillment about four decades later. Titus’s construction of a continuous rampart cut off food, water, and escape routes, precipitating the famine, internal strife, and eventual destruction described by Josephus. The specificity of Jesus’ language—“hem you in on every side”—matches the historical method employed, confirming the accuracy of divine foreknowledge and validating Christ’s office as Prophet. Theological Significance 1. Covenant Accountability: Jerusalem’s fate demonstrates that privileged access to revelation does not exempt from judgment when covenant obligations are ignored (compare Deuteronomy 28:52). Practical Ministry Applications • Preaching: The detail of the siege embankment provides a vivid historical anchor when calling believers to heed Christ’s warnings about complacency. Intertextual Echoes and Literary Imagery Luke 19:43 resonates with Psalm 125:2, “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people.” Ironically, the protective encirclement promised to the faithful is inverted into a hostile encirclement for the faithless. This reversal heightens the rhetorical power of Jesus’ words and invites reflection on where one stands in relationship to the covenant-keeping God. Conclusion Though the term occurs only once in the Greek New Testament, its rich Old Testament background, precise historical fulfillment, and layered theological implications make it a significant element in understanding divine judgment, prophetic accuracy, and Christ’s compassionate heart. The single stone of Luke 19:43 fits perfectly in the larger biblical edifice, testifying to the unity of Scripture and the certainty of God’s redemptive purposes. |
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