ἱερόνhierón

a sacred place, temple: of the temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Acts xix. 27; of the temple at Jerusalem twice in the Sept., Ezek. xlv. 19; 1 Chr. xxix. 4; more freq. in the O. T. Apoer.; in the N. T. often in the Gospels and Acts; once elsewhere, viz. 1 Co. ix. 13. τὸ ἱερόν and ὁ ναός differ, in that the former designates the whole compass of the sacred enclosure, embracing the entire aggregate of buildings, balconies, porticos, courts (viz. that of the men or Israelites, that of the women, that of the priests), belonging to the temple; the latter designates the sacred edifice properly so called, consisting of two parts, the 'sanctuary' or 'Holy place' (which no one except the priests was allowed to enter), and the 'Holy of holies' or 'most holy place' (see ἅγος, 1 a.) (which was entered only on the great day of atonement by the high priest alone); [cf. Trench, Syn. § iii.]. ἱερόν is employed in the N. T. either explicitly of the whole temple, Mt. xii. 6; xxiv. 1; Mk. xiii. 3; Lk. xxi. 5; xxii. 52; Acts iv. 1; xxiv. 6; xxv. 8; 1 Co. ix. 13, etc.; or so that certain definite parts of it must be thought of, as the courts, esp. where Jesus or the apostles are said to have gone up, or entered, 'into the temple, ' to have taught or encountered adversaries, and the like, 'in the temple, ' Mt. xxi. 12, 14; xxvi. 55; Mk. xiv. 49; Lk. xix. 47; xxi. 37; xxii. 53; xxiv. 53; Jn. v. 14; vii. 14, 28; viii. 20; xviii. 20; Acts iii. 2; v. 20; xxi. 26, etc.; of the courts and sanctuary, Mt. …