Streets
American Tract Society Bible Dictionary [1]
In the towns and cities of Palestine, are supposed to have been comparatively narrow and ill graded, on account of the unevenness of their sites, and the little use of wheel-carriages. They were wider, however, than in many modern cities, Luke 14:21 , and terminated in large public areas around the gates, Nehemiah 8:1 . Josephus says that those of Jerusalem were paved. They were named, like our own streets, Acts 9:11 , and often resembled the bazaars of modern eastern cities, the shops of the same kind being in the same street and giving it its name, as the bakers' street, Nehemiah 3:31,32; Jeremiah 37:21 , and the valley of the cheesemongers. Here, and especially at the prominent points and corners, men loved, as the Turks do now, to spread their piece of carpet and sit, 1 Samuel 4:13; Job 29:7; and here at the hours of prayer they performed their devotions, Matthew 6:5 .
Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary [2]
Corners Of Our Lord reproves the Pharisees for praying in the corners of the streets, that is, choosing public places for what ought to have been private devotion. The Hindoos, Mohammedans, and others still have this practice. "Both Hindoos and Mussulmans offer their devotions in the most public places; as, at the landing places of rivers, in the public streets, and on the roofs of boats, without the least modesty or attempt at concealment." "An aged Turk," observes Richardson, "is particularly proud of a long flowing white beard, a well shaved cheek and head, and a clean turban. It is a common thing to see such characters, far past the bloom of life, mounted on stone seats, with a bit of Persian carpet, at the corner of the streets, or in front of their bazaars, combing their beards, smoking their pipes, or drinking their coffee, with a pitcher of water standing beside them, or saying their prayers, or reading the Koran."
Holman Bible Dictionary [3]
David Maltsberger
Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature [4]
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