και 2532 CONJ τινων 5100 X-GPM λεγοντων 3004 5723 V-PAP-GPM περι 4012 PREP του 3588 T-GSN ιερου 2411 N-GSN οτι 3754 CONJ λιθοις 3037 N-DPM καλοις 2570 A-DPM και 2532 CONJ αναθημασιν 334 N-DPN κεκοσμηται 2885 5769 V-RPI-3S ειπεν 2036 5627 V-2AAI-3S
Vincent's NT Word Studies
5. Stones. See on Mark xiii. 1.Offerings (anaqhmasin). Only here in New Testament. From ajnatiqhmi, to set up. Hence of something set up in the temple as a votive offering. Such were the golden vines presented by Herod the Great, with bunches of grapes as large as a man, and mounted above the entrance to the holy place. The magnificent porch of the temple was adorned with many such dedicated gifts, such as a golden wreath which Sosius offered after he had taken Jerusalem in conjunction with Herod; and rich flagons which Augustus and his wife had given to the sanctuary. Gifts were bestowed by princes friendly to Israel, both on the temple and on provincial synagogues. The word ajnaqema, (Gal. i. 8, Rev.), is the same word, something devoted, and so devoted to evil and accursed. Luke uses the classical form. The other is the common or Hellenistic form. The two forms develop gradually a divergence in meaning; the one signifying devoted in a good, the other in a bad sense. The same process may be observed in other languages. Thus knave, lad, becomes a rascal villian, a farmer, becomes a scoundrel: cunning, skilful, becomes crafty.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
21:5 {As some spake} (tinwn legontwn). Genitive absolute. The disciples we know from #Mr 13:1; Mt 24:1. {How} (hoti). Literally, "that." {It was adorned} (kekosmetai). Perfect passive indicative, state of completion, stands adorned, tense retained in indirect discourse, though English has to change it. kosmew, old and common verb for orderly arrangement and adorning. {With goodly stones and offerings} (liqois kalois kai anaqemasin). Instrumental case. Some of these stones in the substructure were enormous. "The columns of the cloister or portico were monoliths of marble over forty feet high" (Plummer). Cf. Josephus, _War_, V.5. The word anaqema (here only in the N.T.) is not to be confused with anaqema from the same verb anatiqemi, but which came to mean a curse (#Ga 1:8; Ac 23:14). So anaqema came to mean devoted in a bad sense, anaqema in a good sense. "Thus _knave_, lad, becomes a _rascal; villain_, a _farmer_, becomes a _scoundrel; cunning_, _skilful_, becomes _crafty_" (Vincent). These offerings in the temple were very numerous and costly (2Macc. 3:2-7) like the golden vine of Herod with branches as tall as a man (Josephus, _Ant_. XV. ii.3).
