a certain fact. In
short, the proverb implies the same meaning which our Lord's answer to the
Pharisees expressed, viz., "If these should hold their peace, the stones
would immediately cry out" (Luke xix. 40.). I have myself heard the words
under note used as a proverb, in this manner, amongst the Jews of Europe,
Asia, and Africa. I am, moreover, inclined to believe that it was already
one of the national proverbs in the days of our Lord.

All this may appear irrelevant to the critical exposition of this verse;
but the consideration may help to clear up an apparently obscure passage in
the New Testament, namely, Matt. xvi. 16-19. When Simon made the
declaration in verse 16., "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,"
he might have thought of or expressed the inspired proverb:

[Hebrew: KY 'BN MQYR TZ`Q]
[Hebrew: WKPYS M`TS Y`NNH:]
"For the [_Ebhen_] stone shall cry out of the wall,
And the [_Caphis_] fastening shall testify out of the timber."

Thinking, or expressing, that concealment of the Messiahship of Jesus was
impracticable.

"And Jesus [to whom word, thought, and deed were alike patent] answered
and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona; for flesh and blood
hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I
say also unto thee, That thou art _Caphis_; and upon the _Ebhen_ I will
build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and
whatsoever thou shalt _bind_ on earth, shall be _bound_ in heaven," &c.

The play (if so common an expression might be used in so sacred a theme) is
not on the word _Peter_, but on the word [Hebrew: KPYS] (_Caphis_), which
signifies a rafter, a cross beam, a _binder_; or, as the margin (on Habak.
ii. 11.) has it, "a fastener," from the verb [Hebrew: KPS] (_Caphas_), to
_bind_, to connect, to join.

That our Lord never used the Greek word [Greek: su ei Petros] all must
admit; that [Greek: Kephas] is not the Syriac word for stone is well known
to every Oriental scholar. The proper Syriac word for stone is [Syriac:
K'P']. However, there is a resemblance between the respective words, which
may have been the origin of Simon's second surname--I mean to that of
Cephas--Peter.

The import of Matt. xvi. 16-19. seems to me to be this: Christ acknowledges
Simon to be part and parcel of the house, the Church; nay, mo