MOUTH (Matthew 4:4; Matthew 12:34; Matthew 15:11; Matthew 18:16; Matthew 21:16, and Luke 1:70).—In conformity with Oriental usage, ‘mouth,’ considered as the organ of speech, is used in the NT, as in the OT, in the sense of ‘language,’ ‘utterance,’ etc.—a notable instance of the primitive employment of the concrete for the abstract. Indeed, among the ancient Hebrews ‘mouth ‘was even personified, e.g. in such expressions as ‘The mouth of the Lord has spoken it,’ etc.—a usage that helped not a little to prepare the Jewish mind at last to apprehend the meaning of the Word made flesh. Most passages of the Gospels where ‘mouth’ is found are quotations from the OT (LXX Septuagint ), e.g. ‘Every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God’ (διὰ στόματος θεοῦ, Deuteronomy 8:3); ‘in the mouth of two or three witnesses’ (ἐπὶ στόματος, Deuteronomy 17:6; Deuteronomy 19:15); ‘out of the mouth of babes and sucklings’ (ἐκ στόμ., Psalms 8:2 etc.); cf. Zacharias’ words, Luke 1:70 ‘as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets’ (διὰ στόματος); and Jesus’ words to His disciples, ‘I will give you a mouth (στόμα) and wisdom’ (Luke 21:15).
Geo. B. Eager.