Ear
Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament [1]
EAR. —Of the Greek words translated ‘ear’ in Authorized and Revised Versions, two (ὠτάριον, ὠτίον) refer exclusively to the bodily organ, and occur only in connexion with the case of Malchus ( Mark 14:47, John 18:10; John 18:26, Matthew 26:51, Luke 22:51). In Matthew 28:14 the rendering is simply a paraphrase. In Mark 7:35 (ἀκοαί) ‘his hearing’ would be more exact. In all other instances the word οὗς occurs, and is used: (1) literally , to denote ‘the ear’ ( Matthew 10:27, Mark 7:33; Mark 8:18, Luke 1:44; Luke 12:3; Luke 22:50), or (by transference) ‘the range of hearing’ ( Luke 4:21); but more frequently (2) figuratively , to denote a spiritual faculty symbolized by the natural ear ( Matthew 11:15; Matthew 13:9; Matthew 13:15 ( bis ), Matthew 13:16; Matthew 13:43, Mark 4:9; Mark 4:23, Luke 8:8; Luke 9:44; Luke 14:35). The definitive passages for this use are Matthew 13:3-23, Mark 4:2-20, Luke 8:5-15, where it forms the underlying subject of Christ’s first parable, ‘the Sower,’ a parable concluded in each account by the phrase, ‘He that hath ears (to hear) let him hear.’ Indeed, the general principle of speaking in parables is in these passages connected with ‘ears dull of hearing’ ( Matthew 13:13-15). Christ is speaking in reference to ‘mysteries’ ( Matthew 13:11, Mark 4:11, Luke 8:10), that is, Divine truths not necessarily puzzling in themselves, but undiscoverable by man apart from a revelation of them (see Moule on Ephesians 1:9; Ephesians 3:3-6, cf. also 1 Corinthians 2:7-10). When these have been revealed to him, man has the power to recognize their truth, fitness, and necessity (see Westcott on Hebrews 2:10; Hebrews 7:26), in proportion as he is determined to do the Divine will ( John 7:17; John 8:43-47). This faculty of recognizing the voice of truth and (as it were) vibrating to its utterance is fitly referred to by Christ as a spiritual ‘ear.’
Literature.—Grimm-Thayer, s.v. οὖς; Expositor , i. ii. 472 ff.
F. S. Ranken.
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature [2]
EARRING, an old English agricultural term for ploughing, occurs in Genesis 45:6; Exodus 34:21; 1 Samuel 8:12, as a translation of the term חָרַישׁ (Charish', Ploughing, as it is elsewhere rendered). (See Critica Biblica, in, 210.) The same now obsolete word is used by our translators in Deuteronomy 21:4; Isaiah 30:24, to represent the Hebrews word עָבִד (abad', to Till, as it is often elsewhere rendered). (See Agriculture); (See Egypt). So Shakspeare says "to ear the land that has some hopes to grow" (Richard Ii, 3, 2). It is etymologically connected with the Latin Aro, to plough. It is directly derived from the Anglo-Saxon Erian, " to plough, " and is radically the same with Harrow. What we call Arable land was originally written Ear: Able land. The root Ar is one of wide use in all the Indo-European languages (see Miller, Science Of Language, P. 239). (See Plough).
