called by the Jews תפלין, are little scrolls of parchment,
in which are written certain sentences of the law, enclosed in leather
cases, and bound with thongs on the forehead and on the left arm. They
are called in Greek φυλακτήρια, from φυλάττω, _custodio_, either because
they were supposed to preserve the law in memory, or rather because they
were looked upon as a kind of amulets or charms to keep them from
danger. The making and wearing these phylacteries, as the Jews still do
in their private devotions, is owing to a misinterpretation of those
texts, on which they ground the practice, namely, God’s commanding them
to bind the law for a sign on their hands, and to let it be as frontlets
between their eyes,” &c, Deut. vi, 8. The command ought doubtless to be
understood metaphorically, as a charge to remember it, to meditate upon
it, to have it as it were continually before their eyes, and to conduct
their lives by it; as when Solomon says, concerning the commandments of
God in general, Bind them about thy neck, write them upon the table of
thy heart,” Prov. iii, 1, 3; vi, 21. However, the Jews understanding the
precept literally, wrote out the several passages wherever it occurs,
and to which it seems to refer, and bound them upon their foreheads and
upon their arms. It seems the Pharisees used to make broad their
phylacteries.” This some understand of the knots of the thongs by which
they were fastened, which were tied very artificially in the form of
Hebrew letters; and that the pride of the Pharisees induced them to have
these knots larger than ordinary, as a peculiar ornament. The Pharisees
are farther said to enlarge the borders of their garments,” τὰ κράσπεδα
τῶν ἱματίων, Matt. xxiii, 5. These κράσπεδα were the ציצית, the fringes
which the Jews are commanded to wear upon the borders of their garments,
Num. xv, 38, 39. The Targum of Onkelos calls them כרספדין, which has so
near an affinity with the Greek word κράσπεδον, that there is no doubt
but it signifies the same thing; which is, therefore, an evidence that
the κράσπεδα were the ציצית. These were worn by our Saviour, as appears
from the following passage: Behold, a woman, which was diseased with an
issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his
garment,” κράσπεδον του ἱματιου, Matt. ix, 20. Again: the inhabitants of
Gennesaret are said to have brought unto him their diseased, and to have
besought him, that they might only touch the hem of his garment,”
κρασπεδον τοῦ ἱματίου, Matt. xiv, 36. Κράσπεδον τοῦ ἱματίου is, in both
these passages, very improperly translated the hem of his garment.” It
should have been rendered the fringe.” The Pharisees are censured by our
Saviour for enlarging these fringes of their garments, which we may
suppose they did partly from pride, and partly from hypocrisy, as
pretending thereby an extraordinary regard for the precepts of the law.
It is reported by Jerom, as quoted by Godwin, that they used to have
fringes extravagantly long; sticking thorns in them, that, by pricking
their legs as they walked, they might put them in mind of the law. See
FRONTLETS.
in which are written certain sentences of the law, enclosed in leather
cases, and bound with thongs on the forehead and on the left arm. They
are called in Greek φυλακτήρια, from φυλάττω, _custodio_, either because
they were supposed to preserve the law in memory, or rather because they
were looked upon as a kind of amulets or charms to keep them from
danger. The making and wearing these phylacteries, as the Jews still do
in their private devotions, is owing to a misinterpretation of those
texts, on which they ground the practice, namely, God’s commanding them
to bind the law for a sign on their hands, and to let it be as frontlets
between their eyes,” &c, Deut. vi, 8. The command ought doubtless to be
understood metaphorically, as a charge to remember it, to meditate upon
it, to have it as it were continually before their eyes, and to conduct
their lives by it; as when Solomon says, concerning the commandments of
God in general, Bind them about thy neck, write them upon the table of
thy heart,” Prov. iii, 1, 3; vi, 21. However, the Jews understanding the
precept literally, wrote out the several passages wherever it occurs,
and to which it seems to refer, and bound them upon their foreheads and
upon their arms. It seems the Pharisees used to make broad their
phylacteries.” This some understand of the knots of the thongs by which
they were fastened, which were tied very artificially in the form of
Hebrew letters; and that the pride of the Pharisees induced them to have
these knots larger than ordinary, as a peculiar ornament. The Pharisees
are farther said to enlarge the borders of their garments,” τὰ κράσπεδα
τῶν ἱματίων, Matt. xxiii, 5. These κράσπεδα were the ציצית, the fringes
which the Jews are commanded to wear upon the borders of their garments,
Num. xv, 38, 39. The Targum of Onkelos calls them כרספדין, which has so
near an affinity with the Greek word κράσπεδον, that there is no doubt
but it signifies the same thing; which is, therefore, an evidence that
the κράσπεδα were the ציצית. These were worn by our Saviour, as appears
from the following passage: Behold, a woman, which was diseased with an
issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his
garment,” κράσπεδον του ἱματιου, Matt. ix, 20. Again: the inhabitants of
Gennesaret are said to have brought unto him their diseased, and to have
besought him, that they might only touch the hem of his garment,”
κρασπεδον τοῦ ἱματίου, Matt. xiv, 36. Κράσπεδον τοῦ ἱματίου is, in both
these passages, very improperly translated the hem of his garment.” It
should have been rendered the fringe.” The Pharisees are censured by our
Saviour for enlarging these fringes of their garments, which we may
suppose they did partly from pride, and partly from hypocrisy, as
pretending thereby an extraordinary regard for the precepts of the law.
It is reported by Jerom, as quoted by Godwin, that they used to have
fringes extravagantly long; sticking thorns in them, that, by pricking
their legs as they walked, they might put them in mind of the law. See
FRONTLETS.