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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadJames Hastings Dictionary of the NT: Murmur, Murmuring
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MURMUR, MURMURING (Lat. murmur, a reduplication of an imitative syllable mur; cf. Gr. ìïñìýñù ).—A low continuous sound, as of a stream or of bees, hence a whispering, something said in a low muttering voice. The verb represents:—
(1) ãïããýæὠ , to murmur, say in a low tone; according to Pollux and Phavorinus, it was used of the cooing of doves, like ôïíèñýæù and ôïíèïñýæù of the more elegant Greek writers. It is found in the Gospels with the accusative of the thing said (Joh_7:32), with ðåñß ôéíïò (Joh_6:41; Joh_6:61; Joh_7:32), êáôÜ ôéíïò (Mat_20:11), óñüò ôéíá (Luk_5:30), and ìåô ʼ ἀëëÞëùí (Joh_6:43). (2) äéáãïããýæù only in Lk. (Luk_15:2; Luk_19:7), where äéÜ seems to give the idea of a general pervasive murmuring through the whole assembly, or perhaps it means alternative murmuring ‘among one another,’ certandi significationem addit’ (Hermann). (3) ἐìâñéìᾶóèáé is used in one passage (Mar_14:5) of the disciples murmuring against Mary; it implies that they were moved with indignation. The noun ãïããõóìüò occurs only once in the Gospels (Joh_7:12); it as well as ãïããýæù and äéáãïããýæù are frequently used in LXX Septuagint of Israel in the wilderness.
The word ‘murmur’ appears in itself to have a neutral meaning, the context deciding whether it expresses favour, doubt, or hostility; hence in several cases ‘muttering’ or ‘whispering’ might be a better rendering. For its use in a friendly sense see Joh_7:31-32, where the murmuring was that of persons who believed on Jesus, and who said, ‘When the Christ shall come, will he do more signs than those which this man hath done?’—a dangerous omen to the Pharisees. The noun ãïããõóìüò , as used in Joh_7:12, includes both favour and hostility: ‘There was much murnmring among the’ multitudes concerning him; some said, He is a good man; others said, Not so, but he leadeth the multitude astray.’ It implies a discussion low and whispered, not free and open; it was hardly safe to speak out plainly, for they feared the Jews (cf. Joh_7:40-41) The development of such differences of opinion is recorded in Joh_6:52 ‘they strove ( ἐìÜ÷ïíôï ) one with another’; Joh_7:43 ‘there arose a division ( ó÷ßóìá ) in the multitude because of him’; cf. also Joh_9:16, Joh_10:19, Joh_11:45-46. The sense of doubt and dissatisfaction predominates in Joh_6:41; Joh_6:43, as also in Joh_6:61 ‘his disciples murmured at this,’ namely, at the ‘hard saying.’ There is some uncertainty as to what precisely is here meant: whether the new teaching of life through death (Westcott); the paradoxical nature of the words just spoken by Jesus, the need of eating His flesh and drinking His blood (Godet); His claim to have come down from heaven (Lampe and others); the apparent pride with which He connected the salvation of the world with His own Person (Tholuck, Hengstenberg); or the bloody death of the Messiah (de Wette, Meyer). Dissatisfaction is seen highly intensified in Luk_5:30; Luk_15:2, where the Pharisees and the scribes murmured because He ate with publicans and sinners. Compare also Luk_19:7, where all, apparently even the Twelve, shared in it with a sense of outrage done to propriety; Edersheim calls it a murmur of disappointment and anger; but perhaps Bengel is more correct, ‘ex haesitatione potius quod ad majoreni partem attinet quam cum indignatione.’ Hostile murmuring is found in the parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard (Mat_20:11), and in the story of the Anointing in the house of Simon the leper (Mar_14:5).
W. H. Dundas.