ou me. The two negatives when combined lose their
distinctive meanings, and form the strongest and most emphatic
asseveration; but, solemn and strong as it is, whenever it was
used by a human being the result always belied it, and the
speaker never made it good :-
Matthew 16:22.
Peter said, "This shall not be unto Thee".
(But it was)
Matthew 26:35.
Peter said, "I will not deny Thee".
(But he did)
John 11:56.
Some said, "What think ye, that He will not
come to the feast?" (But He did)
John 13:8.
Peter said, "Thou shalt never wash my feet".
(But He did)
John 20:25.
Thomas said, "Except I shall see ... I will not
believe". (But he did)
2.
On the other hand, when the Lord used this solemn asseveration it
was always absolutely true, and was, or will yet be made good. It is
variously rendered, as a simple negative (as above); no, not, by no
means, in no wise, or in no case, &c.
This expression was used by our Lord on forty-six separate
occasions (omitting the parallel passages, which are placed within
brackets), adding three (Matthew 25:9.
Luke 8:17,
and John 16:7),
and omitting two (Matthew 24:2
and Luke 22:34),
with the critical texts. They are as follows, and are all worthy of
the closest attention (see Matthew 5:18;
16:28;
24:34.
John 6:37;
&c.).
Matthew 5:18,
20, 26;
10:23,
42;
13:14,
14;
15:6;
16:28
(Mark 9:1;
Luke 9:27);
18:3
(Luke 18:17);
23:39;
24:2, 2
(omitted by all, but retained in Mark 13:2),
21, 34
(Mark 13:30.
Luke 21:32),
35
(Mark 13:31.
Luke 21:33);
25:9
(added by all); 26:29
(Mark 14:25.
Luke 22:18).
Mark 9:41;
13:2, 2
(omitted in Matthew 24:2,
retained here); 16:18.
Luke 6:37,
37;
8:-17
(added by most); 10:19;
12:59;
13:35;
18:7, 30;
21:18;
22:16,
34
(omitted by all, retained in John 13:38),
67, 68.
John 4:14,
48;
6:35,
35, 37;
8:12,
51, 52;
10:5, 28;
11:26;
13:38
(omitted in Luke 22:34,
but retained here); 16:7
(added by some).
3.
The expression ou me is used once by an angel (Luke 1:15).
4.
Fourteen times by Paul : three in Acts (13:41;
28:26,
26),
and eleven times in his Epistles (Romans 4:8.
1
Corinthians 8:13.
Galatians 4:30;
5:16.
1
Thessalonians 4:15;
5:3.
Hebrews 8:11,
12;
10:17;
13:5, 5).
5.
Twice by Peter (1
Peter 2:6.
2
Peter 1:10).
6.
Sixteen times in the Apocalypse (one being added in all the critical
texts, 9:6)
: Revelation 2:11;
3:3, 5,
12;
9:6;
15:4;
18:7,
14, 21, 22, 22, 22, 23, 23;
21:25,
27.
The occurrences are thus eighty-four in all
(twelve sevens). See Appendix 10.