Hollow (R.V., "kab"), occurs only in 2Ki 6:25 a
dry measure, the sixth part of a seah, and the eighteenth part of an ephah,
equal to about two English quarts.
Only in Jer 37:16 (R.V., "cells"), arched
vaults or recesses off a passage or room; cells for the closer confinement of
prisoners.
How little! as nothing.
1. A town on the eastern border of Asher Jos 19:27
probably one of the towns given by Solomon to Hiram; the modern Kabul, some 8
miles east of Accho, on the very borders of Galilee.
2. A district in the north-west of Galilee, near to Tyre,
containing twenty cities given to Hiram by Solomon as a reward for various services
rendered to him in building the temple 1Ki 9:13 and as payment of the six score
talents of gold he had borrowed from him. Hiram gave the cities this name
because he was not pleased with the gift, the name signifying "good for
nothing." Hiram seems afterwards to have restored these cities to Solomon
2Ch 8:2
The title assumed by the Roman emperors after Julius
Caesar. In the New Testament this title is given to various emperors as
sovereigns of Judaea without their accompanying distinctive proper names Joh
19:15 Ac 17:7 The Jews paid tribute to Caesar Mt 22:17 and all Roman citizens
had the right of appeal to him Ac 25:11 The Caesars referred to in the New
Testament are:
1. Augustus Lu 2:1
2. Tiberius Lu 3:1 20:22
3. Claudius Ac 11:28
4. Nero Ac 25:8 Php 4:22
A city on the northeast of the marshy plain of el-Huleh,
120 miles north of Jerusalem, and 20 miles north of the Sea of Galilee, at the
"upper source" of the Jordan, and near the base of Mount Hermon. It
is mentioned in Mt 16:13 Mr 8:27 as the northern limit of our Lord's public
ministry. According to some its original name was Baal-Gad Jos 11:17 or
Baal-Hermon Jud 3:3 1Ch 5:23 when it was a Canaanite sanctuary of Baal. It was
afterwards called Panium or Paneas, from a deep cavern full of water near the
town. This name was given to the cavern
by the Greeks of the Macedonian kingdom of Antioch because of its likeness to
the grottos of Greece, which were always associated with the worship of their
god Pan. Its modern name is Banias. Here Herod built a temple, which he
dedicated to Augustus Caesar. This town was afterwards enlarged and embellished
by Herod Philip, the tetrarch of Trachonitis, of whose territory it formed a
part, and was called by him Caesarea Philippi, partly after his own name, and
partly after that of the emperor Tiberius Caesar. It is thus distinguished from the Caesarea of Palestine.
See JORDAN
A city on the shore of the Mediterranean, on the great
road from Tyre to Egypt, about 70 miles northwest of Jerusalem, at the northern
extremity of the plain of Sharon. It was built by Herod the Great (B.C. 10) who
named it after Caesar Augustus, hence called Caesarea Sebaste (Gr. Sebastos
"Augustus"), on the site of an old town called "Strato's
Tower." It was the capital of the Roman province of Judaea, the seat of
the governors or procurators, and the headquarters of the Roman troops. It was
the great Gentile city of Palestine, with a spacious artificial harbour. It was
adorned with many buildings of great splendour, after the manner of the Roman
cities of the West. Here Cornelius the centurion was converted through the
instrumentality of Peter Ac 10:1,24 and thus for the first time the door of
faith was opened to the Gentiles. Philip the evangelist resided here with his
four daughters Ac 21:8 From this place Saul sailed for his native Tarsus when
forced to flee from Jerusalem Ac 9:30 and here he landed when returning from
his second missionary journey Ac 18:22 He remained as a prisoner here for two
years before his voyage to Rome Ac 24:27 25:1,4,6,13 Here on a "set day,
"when games were celebrated in the theatre in honour of the emperor
Claudius, Herod Agrippa I. appeared among the people in great pomp, and in the
midst of the idolatrous homage paid to him was suddenly smitten by an angel,
and carried out a dying man. He was "eaten of worms" Ac 12:19-23 thus
perishing by the same loathsome disease as his granfather, Herod the Great. It
still retains its ancient name Kaiseriyeh, but is now desolate. "The
present inhabitants of the ruins are snakes, scorpions, lizards, wild boars,
and jackals." It is described as the most desolate city of all Palestine.
(Heb. kelub',)Jer 5:27 marg. "coop; "rendered
"basket" in Am 8:1 a basket of wicker-work in which birds were placed
after being caught. In Re 18:2 it is the rendering of the Greek _phulake_,
properly a prison or place of confinement.
The Jewish high priest (A.D. 27) at the beginning of our
Lord's public ministry, in the reign of Tiberius Lu 3:2 and also at the time of
his condemnation and crucifixion Mt 26:3,57 Joh 11:49 Joh 18:13,14 He held this
office during the whole of Pilate's administration. His wife was the daughter
of Annas, who had formerly been high priest, and was probably the vicar or
deputy (Heb. sagan) of Caiaphas. He was of the sect of the Sadducees Ac 5:17
and was a member of the council when he gave his opinion that Jesus should be
put to death "for the people, and that the whole nation perish not"
Joh 11:50 In these words he unconsciously uttered a prophecy. "Like Saul,
he was a prophet in spite of himself." Caiaphas had no power to inflict
the punishment of death, and therefore Jesus was sent to Pilate, the Roman
governor, that he might duly pronounce the sentence against him Mt 27:2 Joh
18:28 At a later period his hostility to the gospel is still manifest Ac 4:6
See ANNAS
A possession; a spear.
1. The first-born son of Adam and Eve Ge 4:1ff. He became
a tiller of the ground, as his brother Abel followed the pursuits of pastoral
life. He was "a sullen, self-willed, haughty, vindictive man; wanting the
religious element in his character, and defiant even in his attitude towards
God." It came to pass "in process of time" (marg. "at the
end of days"), i.e., probably on the Sabbath, that the two brothers
presented their offerings to the Lord. Abel's offering was of the
"firstlings of his flock and of the fat, "while Cain's was "of
the fruit of the ground." Abel's sacrifice was "more excellent"
Heb 11:4 than Cain's, and was accepted by God. On this account Cain was
"very wroth, "and cherished feelings of murderous hatred against his
brother, and was at length guilty of the desperate outrage of putting him to
death 1Jo 3:12 For this crime he was expelled from Eden, and henceforth led the
life of an exile, bearing upon him some mark which God had set upon him in
answer to his own cry for mercy, so that thereby he might be protected from the
wrath of his fellow-men; or it may be that God only gave him some sign to
assure him that he would not be slain Ge 4:15 Doomed to be a wanderer and a
fugitive in the earth, he went forth into the "land of Nod", i.e.,
the land of "exile", which is said to have been in the "east of
Eden, "and there he built a city, the first we read of, and called it
after his son's name, Enoch. His descendants are enumerated to the sixth generation.
They gradually degenerated in their moral and spiritual condition till they
became wholly corrupt before God. This corruption prevailed, and at length the
Deluge was sent by God to prevent the final triumph of evil. See ABEL 23015
2. A town of the Kenites, a branch of the Midianites Jos
15:57 on the east edge of the mountain above Engedi; probably the "nest in
a rock" mentioned by Balaam Nu 24:21 It is identified with the modern
Yekin, 3 miles south-east of Hebron.
Possession; smith.
1. The fourth antediluvian patriarch, the eldest son of
Enos. He was 70 years old at the birth of his eldest son Mahalaleel, after
which he lived 840 years Ge 5:9-14 and was 910 years old when he died. He is
also called Kenan 1Ch 1:2
2. The son of Arphaxad Lu 3:36 He is nowhere named in the
Old Testament. He is usually called the "second Cainan."
Cakes made of wheat or barley were offered in the temple.
They were salted, but unleavened Ex 29:2 Le 2:4 In idolatrous worship thin
cakes or wafers were offered "to the queen of heaven" Jer 7:18 44:19
Pancakes are described in 2Sa 13:8,9 Cakes mingled with oil and baked in the
oven are mentioned in Le 2:4 and "wafers unleavened anointed with oil,
"in Ex 29:2 Le 8:26 1Ch 23:29 "Cracknels, "a kind of crisp
cakes, were among the things Jeroboam directed his wife to take with her when
she went to consult Ahijah the prophet at Shiloh 1Ki 14:3 Such hard cakes were
carried by the Gibeonites when they came to Joshua Jos 9:5,12 They described
their bread as "mouldy; " but the Hebrew word _nikuddim_, here used,
ought rather to be rendered "hard as biscuit." It is rendered "cracknels"
in 1Ki 14:3 The ordinary bread, when kept for a few days, became dry and
excessively hard. The Gibeonites pointed to this hardness of their bread as an
evidence that they had come a long journey. We read also of honey-cakes Ex
16:31 "cakes of figs" 1Sa 25:18 "cake" as denoting a whole
piece of bread 1Ki 17:12 and "a [round] cake of barley bread" Jud
7:13 In Le 2:1ff. is a list of the different kinds of bread and cakes which
were fit for offerings.
One of the most ancient cities of Assyria. "Out of
that land he [i.e., Nimrod] went forth into Assyria, and built Nineveh,
Rehoboth-Ir, and Calah, and Resen" Ge 10:11 R.V. Its site is now marked
probably by the Nimrud ruins on the left bank of the Tigris. These cover an
area of about 1,000 acres, and are second only in size and importance to the
mass of ruins opposite Mosul. This city was at one time the capital of the
empire, and was the residence of Sardanapalus and his successors down to the
time of Sargon, who built a new capital, the modern Khorsabad. It has been
conjectured that these four cities mentioned in Ge 10:11 were afterwards all
united into one and called Nineveh (q.v.).
The Latin for cane, Hebrew _Kaneh_, mentioned Ex 30:23 as
one of the ingredients in the holy anointing oil, one of the sweet scents So
4:14 and among the articles sold in the markets of Tyre Eze 27:19 The word
designates an Oriental plant called the "sweet flag, "the ocorus
calamus of Linnaeus. It is elsewhere called "sweet cane" Isa 43:24
Jer 6:20 It has an aromatic smell, and when its knotted stalk is cut and dried
and reduced to powder, it forms an ingredient in the most precious perfumes. It
was not a native of Palestine, but was imported from Arabia Felix or from
India. It was probably that which is now known in India by the name of
"lemon grass" or "ginger grass, "the Andropogon
schoenanthus.
See CANE
1Ch 2:6 sustenance, the same probably as Chalcol 1Ki 4:31
one of the four sages whom Solomon excelled in wisdom; for "he was wiser
than all men."
A dog.
1. One of the three sons of Hezron of the tribe of Judah.
He is also called Chelubai 1Ch 2:9 His descendants are enumerated 1Ch 2:18,42
2. A "son of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah" 1Ch
2:50 Some would read the whole passage thus: "These [i.e., the list in 1Ch
2:42] were the sons of Caleb. The sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah, were
Shobal, etc." Thus Hur would be the name of the son and not the father of
Caleb 1Ch 2:19
3. The son of Jephunneh Nu 13:6 32:12 Jos 14:6,14 He was
one of those whom Moses sent to search the land in the second year after the
Exodus. He was one of the family chiefs of the tribe of Judah. He and Joshua
the son of Nun were the only two of the whole number who encouraged the people
to go up and possess the land, and they alone were spared when a plague broke
out in which the other ten spies perished Nu 13:1-14:1ff. All the people that
had been numbered, from twenty years old and upward, perished in the wilderness
except these two. The last notice we have of Caleb is when (being then
eighty-five years of age) he came to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, after the
people had gained possession of the land, and reminded him of the promise Moses
had made to him, by virtue of which he claimed a certain portion of the land of
Kirjath-arba as his inheritance Jos 14:6-15 15:13-15 21:10-12 1Sa 25:2,3 30:14
He is called a "Kenezite" in Jos 14:6,14 This may simply mean
"son of Kenez" Nu 32:12 Some, however, read "Jephunneh, the son
of Kenez, "who was a descendant of Hezron, the son of Pharez, a grandson
of Judah 1Ch 2:5 This Caleb may possibly be identical with No. 2
4. Caleb gave his name apparently to a part of the south
country 1Sa 30:14 of Judah, the district between Hebron and Carmel, which had
been assigned to him. When he gave up the city of Hebron to the priests as a
city of refuge, he retained possession of the surrounding country Jos 21:11,12
comp. 1Sa 25:3
Calves were commonly made use of in sacrifices, and are
therefore frequently mentioned in Scripture. The "fatted calf" was
regarded as the choicest of animal food; it was frequently also offered as a
special sacrifice 1Sa 28:24 Am 6:4 Lu 15:23 The words used in Jer 34:18,19
"cut the calf in twain, "allude to the custom of dividing a sacrifice
into two parts, between which the parties ratifying a covenant passed Ge
15:9,10,17,18 The sacrifice of the lips, i.e., praise, is called "the
calves of our lips" Ho 14:2 R.V., "as bullocks the offering of our
lips." Comp. Heb 13:15 Ps 116:7 Jer 33:11 The golden calf which Aaron made
Ex 32:4 was probably a copy of the god Moloch rather than of the god Apis, the
sacred ox or calf of Egypt. The Jews showed all through their history a
tendency toward the Babylonian and Canaanitish idolatry rather than toward that
of Egypt. Ages after this, Jeroboam, king of Israel, set up two idol calves,
one at Dan, and the other at Bethel, that he might thus prevent the ten tribes
from resorting to Jerusalem for worship 1Ki 12:28 These calves continued to be
a snare to the people till the time of their captivity. The calf at Dan was
carried away in the reign of Pekah by Tiglath-pileser, and that at Bethel ten
years later, in the reign of Hoshea, by Shalmaneser 2Ki 15:29 17:33 This sin of
Jeroboam is almost always mentioned along with his name 2Ki 15:28 etc.
Workmen skilled in stopping the seams of the deck or
sides of vessels. The inhabitants of Gebel were employed in such work on Tyrian
vessels Eze 27:9,27 marg., "strengtheners" or "stoppers of
chinks").
1. To cry for help, hence to pray Ge 4:26 Thus men are
said to "call upon the name of the Lord" Ac 2:21 7:59 9:14 Ro 10:12
1Co 1:2
2. God calls with respect to men when he designates them
to some special office Ex 31:2 Isa 22:20 Ac 13:2 and when he invites them to
accept his offered grace Mt 9:13 11:28 22:4 In the message of the gospel his
call is addressed to all men, to Jews and Gentiles alike Mt 28:19 Mr 16:15 Ro
9:24,25 But this universal call is not inseparably connected with salvation,
although it leaves all to whom it comes inexcusable if they reject it Joh
3:14-19 Mt 22:14
3. An effectual call is something more than the outward
message of the Word of God to men. It is internal, and is the result of the
enlightening and sanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit Joh 16:14 Ac 26:18
Joh 6:44 effectually drawing men to Christ, and disposing and enabling them to
receive the truth Joh 6:45 Ac 16:14 Eph 1:17
A profession, or as we usually say, a vocation 1Co 7:20
The "hope of your calling" in Eph 4:4 is the hope resulting from your
being called into the kingdom of God.
Fort, one of the four cities founded by Nimrod Ge 10:10
It is the modern Niffer, a lofty mound of earth and rubbish situated in the
marshes on the left, i.e., the east, bank of the Euphrates, but 30 miles
distant from its present course, and about 60 miles south-south-east from
Babylon. It is mentioned as one of the towns with which Tyre carried on trade.
It was finally taken and probably destroyed by one of the Assyrian kings Am 6:2
It is called Calno Isa 10:9 and Canneh Eze 27:23
Only in Lu 23:33 the Latin name Calvaria, which was used
as a translation of the Greek word _Kranion_, by which the Hebrew word
_Gulgoleth_ was interpreted, "the place of a skull." It probably took
this name from its shape, being a hillock or low, rounded, bare elevation
somewhat in the form of a human skull. It is nowhere in Scripture called a
"hill." The crucifixion of our Lord took place outside the city walls
Heb 13:11-13 and near the public thoroughfare. "This thing was not done in
a corner."
See GOLGOTHA
From the Hebrew _gamal_, "to repay" or
"requite, "as the camel does the care of its master. There are two
distinct species of camels, having, however, the common characteristics of
being "ruminants without horns, without muzzle, with nostrils forming
oblique slits, the upper lip divided and separately movable and extensile, the
soles of the feet horny, with two toes covered by claws, the limbs long, the
abdomen drawn up, while the neck, long and slender, is bent up and down, the
reverse of that of a horse, which is arched."
1. The Bactrian camel is distinguished by two humps. It
is a native of the high table-lands of Central Asia.
2. The Arabian camel or dromedary, from the Greek
_dromos_, "a runner" Isa 60:6 Jer 2:23 has but one hump, and is a
native of Western Asia or Africa. The camel was early used both for riding and
as a beast of burden Ge 24:64 37:25 and in war 1Sa 30:17 Isa 21:7 Mention is
made of the camel among the cattle given by Pharaoh to Abraham Ge 12:16 Its
flesh was not to be eaten, as it was ranked among unclean animals Le 11:4 De
14:7 Abraham's servant rode on a camel when he went to fetch a wife for Isaac
Ge 24:10,11 Jacob had camels as a portion of his wealth Ge 30:43 as Abraham
also had Ge 24:35 He sent a present of thirty milch camels to his brother Esau
Ge 32:15 It appears to have been little in use among the Jews after the
conquest. It is, however, mentioned in the history of David 1Ch 27:30 and after
the Exile Ezr 2:67 Ne 7:69 Camels were much in use among other nations in the
East. The queen of Sheba came with a caravan of camels when she came to see the
wisdom of Solomon 1Ki 10:2 2Ch 9:1 Benhadad of Damascus also sent a present to
Elisha, "forty camels' burden" 2Ki 8:9 To show the difficulty in the
way of a rich man's entering into the kingdom, our Lord uses the proverbial
expression that it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle Mt
19:24 To strain at (rather, out) a gnat and swallow a camel was also a
proverbial expression Mt 23:24 used with reference to those who were careful to
avoid small faults, and yet did not hesitate to commit the greatest sins. The Jews carefully filtered their wine
before drinking it, for fear of swallowing along with it some insect forbidden
in the law as unclean, and yet they omitted openly the "weightier
matters" of the law. The raiment worn by John the Baptist was made of
camel's hair Mt 3:4 Mr 1:6 by which he was distinguished from those who resided
in royal palaces and wore soft raiment.
This was also the case with Elijah 2Ki 1:8 who is called "a hairy
man, " from his wearing such raiment.
"This is one of the most admirable materials for clothing; it keeps
out the heat, cold, and rain." The "sackcloth" so often alluded
to 2Ki 1:8 Isa 15:3 Zec 13:4 etc.) was probably made of camel's hair.
Full of stalks, a place Jud 10:5 where Jair was buried.
It has usually been supposed to have been a city of Gilead, on the east of
Jordan. It is probably, however, the modern Tell-el-Kaimun, on the southern
slopes of Carmel, the Jokneam of Carmel Jos 12:22 1Ki 4:12 since it is not at
all unlikely that after he became judge, Jair might find it more convenient to
live on the west side of Jordan; and that he was buried where he had lived.
During their journeys across the wilderness, the twelve
tribes formed encampments at the different places where they halted Ex 16:13 Nu
2:3 The diagram here given shows the position of the different tribes and the
form of the encampment during the wanderings, according to Nu 1:53 2:2-31 3:29,35,38
10:13-28 The area of the camp would be in all about 3 square miles. After the
Hebrews entered Palestine, the camps then spoken of were exclusively warlike
Jos 11:5,7 Jud 5:19,21 7:1 1Sa 29:1 30:9 etc.
See ENCAMP
(Heb. copher), mentioned in So 1:14 (R.V.,
"henna-flowers"); So 4:13 (R.V., "henna"), is the al-henna
of the Arabs, a native of Egypt, producing clusters of small white and yellow
odoriferous flowers, whence is made the Oleum Cyprineum. From its leaves is
made the peculiar auburn dye with which Eastern women stain their nails and the
palms of their hands. It is found only at Engedi, on the shore of the Dead Sea.
It is known to botanists by the name Lawsonia alba or inermis, a kind of
privet, which grows 6 or 8 feet high. The margin of the Authorized Version of
the passages above referred to has "or cypress, "not with reference
to the conifer so called, but to the circumstance that one of the most highly
appreciated species of this plant grew in the island of Cyprus.
Reedy, a town of Galilee, near Capernaum. Here our Lord
wrought his first miracle, the turning of water into wine Joh 2:1-11 4:46 It is
also mentioned as the birth-place of Nathanael Joh 21:2 It is not mentioned in
the Old Testament. It has been identified with the modern Kana el-Jelil, also
called Khurbet Kana, a place 8 or 9 miles north of Nazareth. Others have
identified it with Kefr Kenna, which lies on the direct road to the Sea of
Galilee, about 5 miles north-east of Nazareth, and 12 in a direct course from
Tiberias. It is called "Cana of Galilee, "to distinguish it from Cana
of Asher Jos 19:28
1. The fourth son of Ham Ge 10:6 His descendants were
under a curse in consequence of the transgression of his father Ge 9:22-27 His
eldest son, Zidon, was the father of the Sidonians and Phoenicians. He had eleven sons, who were the founders of
as many tribes Ge 10:15-18
2. The country which derived its name from the preceding.
The name as first used by the Phoenicians denoted only the maritime plain on
which Sidon was built. But in the time of Moses and Joshua it denoted the whole
country to the west of the Jordan and the Dead Sea De 11:30. In Jos 5:12 the
LXX. read, "land of the Phoenicians, "instead of "land of
Canaan." The name signifies "the lowlands, "as distinguished
from the land of Gilead on the east of Jordan, which was a mountainous
district. The extent and boundaries of Canaan are fully set forth in different
parts of Scripture Ge 10:19 17:8 Nu 13:29 34:8
See CANAANITES See PALESTINE
A name given to the apostle Simon Mt 10:4 Mr 3:18 The
word here does not, however, mean a descendant of Canaan, but is a translation,
or rather almost a transliteration, of the Syriac word Kanenyeh (R.V. rendered
"Cananaen"), which designates the Jewish sect of the Zealots. Hence
he is called elsewhere Lu 6:15 "Simon Zelotes; "i.e., Simon of the
sect of the Zealots.
See SIMON
The descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham. Migrating from
their original home, they seem to have reached the Persian Gulf, and to have
there sojourned for some time. They thence "spread to the west, across the
mountain chain of Lebanon to the very edge of the Mediterranean Sea, occupying
all the land which later became Palestine, also to the north-west as far as the
mountain chain of Taurus. This group was very numerous, and broken up into a
great many peoples, as we can judge from the list of nations Ge 10:1ff. the
'sons of Canaan.'"Six different tribes are mentioned in Ex 3:8,17 Ex 23:23
33:2 34:11 In Ex 13:5 the "Perizzites" are omitted. The
"Girgashites" are mentioned in addition to the foregoing in De 7:1
Jos 3:10 The "Canaanites, "as distinguished from the Amalekites, the
Anakim, and the Rephaim, were "dwellers in the lowlands" Nu 13:29 the
great plains and valleys, the richest and most important parts of Palestine.
Tyre and Sidon, their famous cities, were the centres of great commercial
activity; and hence the name "Canaanite" came to signify a
"trader" or "merchant" Job 41:6 Pr 31:24 lit.
"Canaanites; "comp. Zep 1:11 Eze 17:4 The name "Canaanite"
is also sometimes used to designate the non-Israelite inhabitants of the land
in general Ge 12:6 Nu 21:3 Jud 1:10 The Israelites, when they were led to the
Promised Land, were commanded utterly to destroy the descendants of Canaan then
possessing it Ex 23:23 Nu 33:52,53 De 20:16,17 This was to be done "by
little and little, "lest the beasts of the field should increase Ex 23:29
De 7:22,23 The history of these wars of conquest is given in the Book of
Joshua. The extermination of these tribes, however, was never fully carried
out. Jerusalem was not taken till the time of David 2Sa 5:6,7 In the days of
Solomon bond-service was exacted from the fragments of the tribes still
remaining in the land 1Ki 9:20,21 Even after the return from captivity
survivors of five of the Canaanitish tribes were still found in the land. In
the Tell-el-Amarna tablets Canaan is found under the forms of Kinakhna and
Kinakhkhi. Under the name of Kanana the Canaanites appear on Egyptian
monuments, wearing a coat of mail and helmet, and distinguished by the use of
spear and javelin and the battle-axe. They were called Phoenicians by the
Greeks and Poeni by the Romans. By race the Canaanites were Semitic. They were
famous as merchants and seamen, as well as for their artistic skill. The chief
object of their worship was the sun-god, who was addressed by the general name
of Baal, "lord." Each locality had its special Baal, and the various
local Baals were summed up under the name of Baalim, "lords."
Mentioned in Isa 19:18 denotes the language spoken by the
Jews resident in Palestine. The language of the Canaanites and of the Hebrews
was substantially the same. This is seen from the fragments of the Phoenician
language which still survive, which show the closest analogy to the Hebrew. Yet
the subject of the language of the "Canaanites" is very obscure. The
cuneiform writing of Babylon, as well as the Babylonian language, was taught in
the Canaanitish schools, and the clay tablets of Babylonian literature were
stored in the Canaanitish libraries. Even the Babylonian divinities were borrowed
by the Canaanites.
The queen of the Ethiopians whose "eunuch" or
chamberlain was converted to Christianity by the instrumentality of Philip the
evangelist Ac 8:27 The country which she ruled was called by the Greeks Meroe,
in Upper Nubia. It was long the centre of commercial intercourse between Africa
and the south of Asia, and hence became famous for its wealth Isa 45:14 It is
somewhat singular that female sovereignty seems to have prevailed in Ethiopia,
the name Candace (compare "Pharaoh, ""Ptolemy,
""Caesar") being a title common to several successive queens. It
is probable that Judaism had taken root in Ethiopia at this time, and hence the
visit of the queen's treasurer to Jerusalem to keep the feast. There is a
tradition that Candace was herself converted to Christianity by her treasurer
on his return, and that he became the apostle of Christianity in that whole
region, carrying it also into Abyssinia. It is said that he also preached the
gospel in Arabia Felix and in Ceylon, where he suffered martyrdom.
See PHILIP
Heb. ner, Job 18:6 29:3 Ps 18:28 Pr 24:20 in all which
places the Revised Version and margin of Authorized Version have "lamp,
"by which the word is elsewhere frequently rendered. The Hebrew word
denotes properly any kind of candle or lamp or torch. It is used as a figure of
conscience Pr 20:27 of a Christian example Mt 5:14,15 and of prosperity Job
21:17 Pr 13:9
The lamp-stand, "candelabrum, "which Moses was
commanded to make for the tabernacle, according to the pattern shown him. Its form
is described in Ex 25:31-40 37:17-24 and may be seen represented on the Arch of
Titus at Rome. It was among the spoils taken by the Romans from the temple of
Jerusalem (A.D. 70) It was made of fine gold, and with the utensils belonging
to it was a talent in weight. The tabernacle was a tent without windows, and
thus artificial light was needed. This was supplied by the candlestick, which,
however, served also as a symbol of the church or people of God, who are
"the light of the world." The light which "symbolizes the
knowledge of God is not the sun or any natural light, but an artificial light
supplied with a specially prepared oil; for the knowledge of God is in truth
not natural nor common to all men, but furnished over and above nature." This
candlestick was placed on the south side of the Holy Place, opposite the table
of shewbread Ex 27:21 30:7,8 Le 24:3 1Sa 3:3 It was lighted every evening, and
was extinguished in the morning. In the morning the priests trimmed the seven
lamps, borne by the seven branches, with golden snuffers, carrying away the
ashes in golden dishes Ex 25:38 and supplying the lamps at the same time with
fresh oil. What ultimately became of the candlestick is unknown. In Solomon's
temple there were ten separate candlesticks of pure gold, five on the right and
five on the left of the Holy Place 1Ki 7:49 2Ch 4:7 Their structure is not
mentioned. They were carried away to Babylon Jer 52:19 In the temple erected
after the Exile there was again but one candlestick, and like the first, with
seven branches. It was this which was afterwards carried away by Titus to Rome,
where it was deposited in the Temple of Peace. When Genseric plundered Rome, he
is said to have carried it to Carthage (A.D. 455) It was recaptured by
Belisarius (A.D. 533) and carried to Constantinople and thence to Jerusalem,
where it finally disappeared.
A tall sedgy plant with a hollow stem, growing in moist
places. In Isa 43:24 Jer 6:20 the Hebrew word _kaneh_ is thus rendered, giving
its name to the plant. It is rendered "reed" in 1Ki 14:15 Job 40:21
Isa 19:6 35:7. In Ps 68:30 the expression "company of spearmen" is in
the margin and the Revised Version "beasts of the reeds, "referring
probably to the crocodile or the hippopotamus as a symbol of Egypt. In 2Ki
18:21 Isa 36:6 Eze 29:6,7 the reference is to the weak, fragile nature of the
reed.
See CALAMUS
A gangrene or mortification which gradually spreads over
the whole body 2Ti 2:17. In Jas 5:3 "cankered" means
"rusted" (R.V.) or tarnished.
(Heb. yelek), "the licking locust, "which licks
up the grass of the field; probably the locust at a certain stage of its
growth, just as it emerges from the caterpillar state Joe 1:4 2:25 The word is
rendered "caterpillar" in Ps 105:34 Jer 51:14-17 (but R.V.
"canker-worm"). "It spoileth and fleeth away" Na 3:16 or as
some read the passage, "The cankerworm putteth off [i.e., the envelope of
its wings], and fleeth away."
Mentioned only in Eze 27:23
See CALNEH
This word is derived from a Hebrew and Greek word
denoting a reed or cane. Hence it means something straight, or something to
keep straight; and hence also a rule, or something ruled or measured. It came
to be applied to the Scriptures, to denote that they contained the
authoritative rule of faith and practice, the standard of doctrine and duty. A
book is said to be of canonical authority when it has a right to take a place
with the other books which contain a revelation of the Divine will. Such a
right does not arise from any ecclesiastical authority, but from the evidence
of the inspired authorship of the book. The canonical (i.e., the inspired)
books of the Old and New Testaments, are a complete rule, and the only rule, of
faith and practice. They contain the whole supernatural revelation of God to
men. The New Testament Canon was formed gradually under divine guidance. The
different books as they were written came into the possession of the Christian associations
which began to be formed soon after the day of Pentecost; and thus slowly the
canon increased till all the books were gathered together into one collection
containing the whole of the twenty-seven New Testament inspired books.
Historical evidence shows that from about the middle of the second century this
New Testament collection was substantially such as we now possess. Each book
contained in it is proved to have, on its own ground, a right to its place; and
thus the whole is of divine authority. The Old Testament Canon is witnessed to
by the New Testament writers. Their evidence is conclusive. The quotations in
the New from the Old are very numerous, and the references are much more
numerous. These quotations and references by our Lord and the apostles most
clearly imply the existence at that time of a well-known and publicly
acknowledged collection of Hebrew writings under the designation of "The
Scriptures; ""The Law and the Prophets and the Psalms;
""Moses and the Prophets, "etc. The appeals to these books,
moreover, show that they were regarded as of divine authority, finally deciding
all questions of which they treat; and that the whole collection so recognized
consisted only of the thirty-nine books which we now posses. Thus they endorse
as genuine and authentic the canon of the Jewish Scriptures. The Septuagint
Version (q.v.) also contained every book we now have in the Old Testament
Scriptures. As to the time at which the Old Testament canon was closed, there
are many considerations which point to that of Ezra and Nehemiah, immediately
after the return from Babylonian exile.
See BIBLE See EZRA See QUOTATIONS
Nahum's town, a Galilean city frequently mentioned in the
history of our Lord. It is not mentioned in the Old Testament. After our Lord's
expulsion from Nazareth Mt 4:13-16 Lu 4:16-31 Capernaum became his "own
city." It was the scene of many acts and incidents of his life Mt
8:5,14,15 9:2-6,10-17 15:1-20 Mr 1:32-34 etc. The impenitence and unbelief of
its inhabitants after the many evidences our Lord gave among them of the truth
of his mission, brought down upon them a heavy denunciation of judgement Mt 11:23
It stood on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. The "land of
Gennesaret, "near, if not in, which it was situated, was one of the most
prosperous and crowded districts of Palestine. This city lay on the great
highway from Damascus to Acco and Tyre. It has been identified with Tell Hum,
about two miles south-west of where the Jordan flows into the lake. Here are
extensive ruins of walls and foundations, and also the remains of what must
have been a beautiful synagogue, which it is conjectured may have been the one
built by the centurion Lu 7:5 in which our Lord frequently taught Joh 6:59 Mr
1:21 Lu 4:33 Others have conjectured that the ruins of the city are to be found
at Khan Minyeh, some three miles further to the south on the shore of the lake.
"If Tell Hum be Capernaum, the remains spoken of are without doubt the
ruins of the synagogue built by the Roman centurion, and one of the most sacred
places on earth. It was in this building that our Lord gave the well-known
discourse in Joh 6:1ff. and it was not without a certain strange feeling that
on turning over a large block we found the pot of manna engraved on its face,
and remembered the words, 'I am that bread of life: your fathers did eat manna
in the wilderness, and are dead.'",(The Recovery of Jerusalem.)
A chaplet, the original seat of the Philistines De 2:23
Jer 47:4 Am 9:7 The name is found written in hieroglyphics in the temple of Kom
Ombos in Upper Egypt. But the exact situation of Caphtor is unknown, though it
is supposed to be Crete, since the Philistines seem to be meant by the
"Cherethites" in 1Sa 30:14 see also 2Sa 8:18 It may, however, have
been a part of Egypt, the Caphtur in the north Delta, since the Caphtorim were
of the same race as the Mizraite people Ge 10:14 1Ch 1:12
The easternmost and the largest province of Asia Minor.
Christianity very early penetrated into this country 1Pe 1:1 On the day of
Pentecost there were Cappadocians at Jerusalem Ac 2:9
1. Heb. sar 1Sa 22:2 2Sa 23:19 Rendered "chief,
"Ge 40:2 41:9 rendered also "prince, "Da 1:7 "ruler,
"Jud 9:30 "governor, ' 1Ki 22:26 This same Hebrew word denotes a
military captain Ex 18:21 2Ki 1:9 De 1:15 1Sa 18:13 etc., the "captain of
the body-guard" Ge 37:36 39:1 41:10 Jer 40:1 or, as the word may be
rendered, "chief of the executioners" (marg.). The officers of the
king's body-guard frequently acted as executioners. Nebuzar-adan Jer 39:13 and
Arioch Da 2:14 held this office in Babylon. The "captain of the
guard" mentioned in Ac 28:16 was the Praetorian prefect, the commander of
the Praetorian troops.
2. Another word (Heb. katsin) so translated denotes
sometimes a military Jos 10:24 Jud 11:6,11 Isa 22:3 "rulers; "Da
11:18 and sometimes a civil command, a judge, magistrate, Arab. _kady_, Isa
1:10 3:6 Mic 3:1,9
3. It is also the rendering of a Hebrew word (shalish)
meaning "a third man, "or "one of three." The LXX. render
in plural by _tristatai_; i.e., "soldiers fighting from chariots, "so
called because each war-chariot contained three men, one of whom acted as
charioteer while the other two fought Ex 14:7 15:4 1Ki 9:22 comp. 2Ki 9:25 This
word is used also to denote the king's body-guard 2Ki 10:25 1Ch 12:18 2Ch 11:11
or aides-de-camp.
4. The "captain of the temple" mentioned in Ac
4:1 5:24 was not a military officer, but superintendent of the guard of priests
and Levites who kept watch in the temple by night. (Comp. "the ruler of
the house of God, ")1Ch 9:11 2Ch 31:13 Ne 11:11
5. The Captain of our salvation is a name given to our
Lord Heb 2:10 because he is the author and source of our salvation, the head of
his people, whom he is conducting to glory. The "captain of the Lord's
host" Jos 5:14,15 is the name given to that mysterious person who
manifested himself to Abraham Ge 12:7 and to Moses in the bush Ex 3:2,6 etc.
the Angel of the covenant.
See ANGEL
One taken in war. Captives were often treated with great
cruelty and indignity 1Ki 20:32 Jos 10:24 Jud 1:7 2Sa 4:12 Jud 8:7 2Sa 12:31
1Ch 20:3 When a city was taken by assault, all the men were slain, and the
women and children carried away captive and sold as slaves Isa 20:1 47:3 2Ch
28:9-15 Ps 44:12 Joe 3:3 and exposed to the most cruel treatment Na 3:10 Zec
14:2 Es 3:13 2Ki 8:12 Isa 13:16,18 Captives were sometimes carried away into
foreign countries, as was the case with the Jews Jer 20:5 39:9,10 40:7
1. Of Israel. The kingdom of the ten tribes was successively
invaded by several Assyrian kings. Pul (q.v.) imposed a tribute on Menahem of a
thousand talents of silver 2Ki 15:19,20 1Ch 5:26 (B.C. 762) and
Tiglath-pileser, in the days of Pekah (B.C. 738) carried away the
trans-Jordanic tribes and the inhabitants of Galilee into Assyria 2Ki 15:29 Isa
9:1 Subsequently Shalmaneser invaded Israel and laid siege to Samaria, the
capital of the kingdom. During the siege he died, and was succeeded by Sargon,
who took the city, and transported the great mass of the people into Assyria
(B.C. 721) placing them in Halah and in Habor, and in the cities of the Medes
2Ki 17:3,5 Samaria was never again inhabited by the Israelites. The families thus removed were carried to
distant cities, many of them not far from the Caspian Sea, and their place was
supplied by colonists from Babylon and Cuthah, etc. 2Ki 17:24 Thus terminated the kingdom of the ten tribes, after a
separate duration of two hundred and fifty-five years (B.C. 975) Many
speculations have been indulged in with reference to these ten tribes. But we
believe that all, except the number that probably allied themselves with Judah
and shared in their restoration under Cyrus, are finally lost. "Like the
dew on the mountain, Like the foam on the river, Like the bubble on the
fountain, They are gone, and for ever."
2. Of Judah. In the third year of Jehoiachim, the
eighteenth king of Judah (B.C. 605) Nebuchadnezzar having overcome the
Egyptians at Carchemish, advanced to Jerusalem with a great army. After a brief
siege he took that city, and carried away the vessels of the sanctuary to
Babylon, and dedicated them in the Temple of Belus 2Ki 24:1 2Ch 36:6,7 Da 1:1,2
He also carried away the treasures of the king, whom he made his vassal. At
this time, from which is dated the "seventy years" of captivity Jer
25:1ff. Da 9:1,2 Daniel and his companions were carried to Babylon, there to be
brought up at the court and trained in all the learning of the Chaldeans. After
this, in the fifth year of Jehoiakim, a great national fast was appointed Jer
36:9 during which the king, to show his defiance, cut up the leaves of the book
of Jeremiah's prophecies as they were read to him in his winter palace, and
threw them into the fire. In the same spirit he rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar
2Ki 24:1 who again a second time (B.C. 598) marched against Jerusalem, and put
Jehoiachim to death, placing his son Jehoiachin on the throne in his stead. But
Jehoiachin's counsellors displeasing Nebuchadnezzar, he again a third time
turned his army against Jerusalem, and carried away to Babylon a second
detachment of Jews as captives, to the number of 10,000 2Ki 24:13 Jer 24:1 2Ch
36:10 among whom were the king, with his mother and all his princes and
officers, also Ezekiel, who with many of his companions were settled on the
banks of the river Chebar (q.v.). He also carried away all the remaining
treasures of the temple and the palace, and the golden vessels of the
sanctuary. Mattaniah, the uncle of Jehoiachin, was now made king over what
remained of the kingdom of Judah, under the name of Zedekiah 2Ki 24:17 2Ch
36:10 After a troubled reign of eleven years his kingdom came to an end 2Ch
36:11 Nebuchadnezzar, with a powerful army, besieged Jerusalem, and Zedekiah
became a prisoner in Babylon. His eyes were put out, and he was kept in close
confinement till his death 2Ki 25:7 The city was spoiled of all that was of
value, and then given up to the flames. The temple and palaces were consumed,
and the walls of the city were levelled with the ground (B.C. 586) and all that
remained of the people, except a number of the poorest class who were left to
till the ground and dress the vineyards, were carried away captives to Babylon.
This was the third and last deportation of Jewish captives. The land was now
utterly desolate, and was abondoned to anarchy. In the first year of his reign
as king of Babylon (B.C. 536) Cyrus issued a decree liberating the Jewish
captives, and permitting them to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the city and
the temple 2Ch 36:22,23 Ezr 1:1-2:1ff. The number of the people forming the
first caravan, under Zerubbabel, amounted in all to 42,360 Ezr 2:64,65 besides
7,337 men-servants and maid-servants. A considerable number, 12,000 probably,
from the ten tribes who had been carried away into Assyria no doubt combined
with this band of liberated captives. At a later period other bands of the Jews
returned
a. under Ezr 7:7 (B.C. 458) and
b. Nehemiah Ne 7:66 (B.C. 445) But the great mass of the
people remained still in the land to which they had been carried, and became a
portion of the Jews of the "dispersion" Joh 7:35 1Pe 1:1 The whole
number of the exiles that chose to remain was probably about six times the
number of those who returned.
See EXILE
Ex 28:17 39:10 Eze 28:13 Heb. barkath; LXX. smaragdos;
Vulgate, smaragdus; Revised Version, marg., "emerald." The Hebrew
word is from a root meaning "to glitter, ""lighten,
""flash." When held up to the sun, this gem shines like a
burning coal, a dark-red glowing coal, and hence is called
"carbunculus", i.e., a little coal. It was one of the jewels in the
first row of the high priest's breastplate. It has been conjectured by some
that the garnet is meant. In Isa 54:12 the Hebrew word is_'ekdah_, used in the
prophetic description of the glory and beauty of the mansions above. Next to
the diamond it is the hardest and most costly of all precious stones.
Contact with a, made an Israelite ceremonially unclean,
and made whatever he touched also unclean, according to the Mosaic law Hag 2:13
comp. Nu 19:16,22 Le 11:39
Fortress of Chemosh, a city on the west bank of the
Euphrates Jer 46:2 2Ch 35:20 not, as was once supposed, the Circesium at the
confluence of the Chebar and the Euphrates, but a city considerably higher up
the river, and commanding the ordinary passage of the Euphrates; probably
identical with Hierapolis. It was the capital of the kingdom of the northern
Hittites. The Babylonian army, under Nebuchadnezzar, the son of Nabopolassar,
here met and conquered the army of Pharaoh-necho, king of Egypt (B.C. 607) It
is mentioned in monuments in B.C. 1600 and down to B.C. 717
A park; generally with the article, "the park."
1. A prominent headland of Central Palestine, consisting
of several connected hills extending from the plain of Esdraelon to the sea, a
distance of some 12 miles or more. At the east end, in its highest part, it is
1,728 feet high, and at the west end it forms a promontory to the bay of Acre
about 600 feet above the sea. It lay within the tribe of Asher. It was here, at
the east end of the ridge, at a place called el-Mukhrakah (i.e., the place of
burning), that Elijah brought back the people to their allegiance to God, and
slew the prophets of Baal 1Ki 18:1ff. Here were consumed the "fifties"
of the royal guard; and here also Elisha received the visit of the bereaved
mother whose son was restored by him to life 2Ki 4:25-37 "No mountain in
or around Palestine retains its ancient beauty so much as Carmel. Two or three
villages and some scattered cottages are found on it; its groves are few but
luxuriant; it is no place for crags and precipices or rocks of wild goats; but
its surface is covered with a rich and constant verdure." "The whole
mountain-side is dressed with blossom, and flowering shrubs, and fragrant
herbs." The western extremity of the ridge is, however, more rocky and
bleak than the eastern. The head of the bride in So 7:5 is compared to Carmel.
It is ranked with Bashan on account of its rich pastures Isa 33:9 Jer 50:19 Am
1:2 The whole ridge is deeply furrowed with rocky ravines filled with dense
jungle. There are many caves in its sides, which at one time were inhabited by
swarms of monks. These caves are referred to in Am 9:3 To them Elijah and
Elisha often resorted 1Ki 18:19,42 2Ki 2:25 On its north-west summit there is
an ancient establishment of Carmelite monks. Vineyards have recently been
planted on the mount by the German colonists of Haifa. The modern Arabic name
of the mount is Kurmul, but more commonly Jebel Mar Elyas, i.e., Mount St.
Elias, from the Convent of Elias.
2. A town in the hill country of Judah Jos 15:55 the
residence of Nabal 1Sa 25:2,5,7,40 and the native place of Abigail, who became
David's wife 1Sa 27:3 Here king Uzziah had his vineyards 2Ch 26:10 The ruins of
this town still remain under the name of Kurmul, about 10 miles
south-south-east of Hebron, close to those of Maon.
Vine-dresser.
1. The last named of the four sons of Reuben Ge 46:9
2. A descendant of Judah 1Ch 4:1 He is elsewhere 1Ch 2:18
called Caleb (q.v.).
3. The son of Zimri, and the father of Achan Jos 7:1
"the troubler of Israel."
Unconverted men are so called 1Co 3:3 They are
represented as of a "carnal mind, which is enmity against God" Ro
8:6,7 Enjoyments that minister to the wants and desires of man's animal nature
are so called Ro 15:27 1Co 9:11 The ceremonial of the Mosaic law is spoken of
as "carnal, "because it related to things outward, the bodies of men
and of animals, and the purification of the flesh Heb 7:16 9:10 The weapons of
Christian warfare are "not carnal", that is, they are not of man's
device, nor are wielded by human power 2Co 10:4
An artificer in stone, iron, and copper, as well as in
wood 2Sa 5:11 1Ch 14:1 Mr 6:3 The tools used by carpenters are mentioned in 1Sa
13:19,20 Jud 4:21 Isa 10:15 44:13 It was said of our Lord, "Is not this
the carpenter's son?" Mt 13:55 also, "Is not this the
carpenter?" Mr 6:3 Every Jew, even the rabbis, learned some handicraft:
Paul was a tentmaker. "In the cities the carpenters would be Greeks, and
skilled workmen; the carpenter of a provincial village could only have held a
very humble position, and secured a very moderate competence."
In the Authorized Version this word is found as the
rendering of many different words. In Jud 18:21 it means valuables, wealth, or
booty. In Isa 46:1 (R.V., "the things that ye carried about") the
word means a load for a beast of burden. In 1Sa 17:22 Isa 10:28 it is the
rendering of a word ("stuff" in) 1Sa 10:22 meaning implements,
equipments, baggage. The phrase in Ac 21:15 "We took up our carriages,
"means properly, "We packed up our baggage, "as in the Revised
Version.
A vehicle moving on wheels, and usually drawn by oxen 2Sa
6:3 The Hebrew word thus rendered, _'agalah_ 1Sa 6:7,8 is also rendered
"wagon" Ge 45:19 It is used also to denote a war-chariot Ps 46:9
Carts were used for the removal of the ark and its sacred utensils Nu 7:3,6
After retaining the ark amongst them for seven months, the Philistines sent it
back to the Israelites. On this occasion they set it in a new cart, probably a
rude construction, with solid wooden wheels like that still used in Western
Asia, which was drawn by two milch cows, which conveyed it straight to
Beth-shemesh. A "cart rope, "for the purpose of fastening loads on
carts, is used Isa 5:18 as a symbol of the power of sinful pleasures or habits
over him who indulges them.
See CORD In Syria and Palestine wheel-carriages for any
other purpose than the conveyance of agricultural produce are almost unknown.
The arts of engraving and carving were much practised
among the Jews. They were practised in connection with the construction of the
tabernacle and the temple Ex 31:2,5 35:33 1Ki 6:18,35 Ps 74:6 as well as in the
ornamentation of the priestly dresses Ex 28:9-36 Zec 3:9 2Ch 2:7,14. Isaiah Isa
44:13-17 gives a minute description of the process of carving idols of wood.
A barrier of open-work placed before windows Pr 7:6 In
Jud 5:28 the Hebrew word is rendered "lattice, "in the LXX.
"network, "an opening through which cool air is admitted.
Silver, a place between Babylon and Jerusalem, where Iddo
resided Ezr 8:17 otherwise unknown.
Fortified, a people descended from Mizraim Ge 10:14 1Ch
1:12 Their original seat was probably somewhere in Lower Egypt, along the
sea-coast to the south border of Palestine.
1. Hebrew _kiddah'_,i.e., "split." One of the
principal spices of the holy anointing oil Ex 30:24 and an article of commerce
Eze 27:19 It is the inner bark of a tree resembling the cinnamon (q.v.), the
Cinnamomum cassia of botanists, and was probably imported from India.
2. Hebrew pl. _ketzi'oth_ Ps 45:8 Mentioned in connection
with myrrh and aloes as being used to scent garments. It was probably prepared
from the peeled bark, as the Hebrew word suggests, of some kind of cinnamon.
Gr. adokimos, 1Co 9:27 one regarded as unworthy (R.V.,
"rejected"); elsewhere rendered "reprobate" 2Ti 3:8 etc.;
"rejected" Heb 6:8 etc.
A military fortress 1Ch 11:7 also probably a kind of
tower used by the priests for making known anything discovered at a distance
1Ch 6:54 Castles are also mentioned Ge 25:16 as a kind of watch-tower, from
which shepherds kept watch over their flocks by night. The "castle"
into which the chief captain commanded Paul to be brought was the quarters of
the Roman soldiers in the fortress of Antonia (so called by Herod after his patron
Mark Antony), which was close to the north-west corner of the temple Ac 21:34
which it commanded.
The "Dioscuri", two heroes of Greek and Roman
mythology. Their figures were probably
painted or sculptured on the prow of the ship which Luke refers to Ac 28:11
They were regarded as the tutelary divinities of sailors. They appeared in the
heavens as the constellation Gemini.
The consumer. Used in the Old Testament 1Ki 8:37 2Ch 6:28
Ps 78:46 Isa 33:4 as the translation of a word (hasil) the root of which means
"to devour" or "consume, "and which is used also with
reference to the locust in De 28:38 It may have been a species of locust, or
the name of one of the transformations through which the locust passes,
locust-grub. It is also found Ps 105:34 Jer 51:14,27 (R.V.,
"cankerworm") as the rendering of a different Hebrew word, _yelek_, a
word elsewhere rendered "cankerworm" (q.v.), Joe 1:4 2:25
See LOCUST
The epistles of James, Peter, John, and Jude; so called because
they are addressed to Christians in general, and not to any church or person in
particular.
Abounded in the Holy Land. To the rearing and management
of them the inhabitants chiefly devoted themselves De 8:13 12:21 1Sa 11:5 12:3
Ps 144:14 Jer 3:24 They may be classified as,
1. Meat cattle. Many hundreds of these were yearly
consumed in sacrifices or used for food. The finest herds were found in Bashan,
beyond Jordan Nu 32:4 Large herds also pastured on the wide fertile plains of
Sharon. They were yoked to the plough 1Ki 19:19 and were employed for carrying
burdens 1Ch 12:40 They were driven with a pointed rod Jud 3:31 or goad (q.v.).
According to the Mosaic law, the mouths of cattle employed for the
threshing-floor were not to be muzzled, so as to prevent them from eating of
the provender over which they trampled De 25:4 Whosoever stole and sold or
slaughtered an ox must give five in satisfaction Ex 22:1 but if it was found alive
in the possession of him who stole it, he was required to make double
restitution only Ex 22:4 If an ox went astray, whoever found it was required to
bring it back to its owner Ex 23:4 De 22:1,4 An ox and an ass could not be
yoked together in the plough De 22:10
2. Small cattle. Next to herds of neat cattle, sheep
formed the most important of the possessions of the inhabitants of Palestine Ge
12:16 13:5 26:14 21:27 29:2,3 They are frequently mentioned among the booty
taken in war Nu 31:32 Jos 6:21 1Sa 14:32 15:3 There were many who were owners
of large flocks 1Sa 25:2 2Sa 12:2 comp. Job 1:3 Kings also had shepherds
"over their flocks" 1Ch 27:31 from which they derived a large portion
of their revenue 2Sa 17:29 1Ch 12:40 The districts most famous for their flocks
of sheep were the plain of Sharon Isa 65:10 Mount Carmel Mic 7:14 Bashan and
Gilead Mic 7:14 In patriarchal times the flocks of sheep were sometimes tended
by the daughters of the owners. Thus Rachel, the daughter of Laban, kept her
father's sheep Ge 29:9 as also Zipporah and her six sisters had charge of their
father Jethro's flocks Ex 2:16 Sometimes they were kept by hired shepherds Joh
10:12 and sometimes by the sons of the family 1Sa 16:11 17:15 The keepers so
familiarized their sheep with their voices that they knew them, and followed
them at their call. Sheep, but more especially rams and lambs, were frequently
offered in sacrifice. The shearing of
sheep was a great festive occasion 1Sa 25:4 2Sa 13:23 They were folded at
night, and guarded by their keepers against the attacks of the lion Mic 5:8 the
bear 1Sa 17:34 and the wolf Mt 10:16 Joh 10:12 They were liable to wander over
the wide pastures and go astray Ps 119:176 Isa 53:6 Ho 4:16 Mt 18:12 Goats also
formed a part of the pastoral wealth of Palestine Ge 15:9 32:14 37:31 They were
used both for sacrifice and for food De 14:4 especially the young males Ge
27:9,14,17 Jud 6:19 13:15 1Sa 16:20 Goat's hair was used for making tent cloth
Ex 26:7 36:14 and for mattresses and bedding 1Sa 19:13,16
See GOAT
(Heb. yothe'reth; i.e., "something redundant"),
the membrane which covers the upper part of the liver Ex 29:13,22 Le 3:4,10,15
4:9 7:4 marg., "midriff"). In Ho 13:8 (Heb. seghor; i.e., "an
enclosure") the pericardium, or parts about the heart, is meant.
In Isa 3:18 this word (Heb. shebisim), in the marg.
"networks, " denotes network caps to contain the hair, worn by
females. Others explain it as meaning "wreaths worn round the forehead,
reaching from one ear to the other."
A raised way, an ascent by steps, or a raised slope
between Zion and the temple 1Ch 26:16,18 In 2Ch 9:11 the same word is
translated "terrace."
There are numerous natural caves among the limestone rocks
of Syria, many of which have been artificially enlarged for various purposes.
The first notice of a cave occurs in the history of Lot Ge 19:30 The next we
read of is the cave of Machpelah (q.v.), which Abraham purchased from the sons
of Heth Ge 25:9,10 It was the burying-place of Sarah and of Abraham himself,
also of Isaac, Rebekah, Leah, and Jacob Ge 49:31 50:13 The cave of Makkedah,
into which the five Amorite kings retired after their defeat by Joshua Jos
10:16,27 The cave of Adullam (q.v.), an immense natural cavern, where David hid
himself from Saul 1Sa 22:1,2 The cave of Engedi (q.v.), now called 'Ain Jidy,
i.e., the "Fountain of the Kid", where David cut off the skirt of
Saul's robe 1Sa 24:4 Here he also found a shelter for himself and his followers
to the number of 600 1Sa 23:29 24:1 "On all sides the country is full of
caverns which might serve as lurking-places for David and his men, as they do
for outlaws at the present day." The cave in which Obadiah hid the
prophets 1Ki 18:4 was probably in the north, but it cannot be identified. The
cave of Elijah 1Ki 19:9 and the "cleft" of Moses on Horeb Ex 33:22
cannot be determined. In the time of Gideon the Israelites took refuge from the
Midianites in dens and caves, such as abounded in the mountain regions of
Manasseh Jud 6:2 Caves were frequently used as dwelling-places Nu 24:21 So 2:14
Jer 49:16 Ob 1:3 "The excavations at Deir Dubban, on the south side of the
wady leading to Santa Hanneh, are probably the dwellings of the Horites,
"the ancient inhabitants of Idumea Proper. The pits or cavities in rocks
were also sometimes used as prisons Isa 24:22 51:14 Zec 9:11 Those which had
niches in their sides were occupied as burying-places Eze 32:23 Joh 11:38
(Heb. e'rez, Gr. kedros, Lat. cedrus), a tree very
frequently mentioned in Scripture. It was stately Eze 31:3-5 long-branched Ps
80:10 92:12 Eze 31:6-9 odoriferous So 4:11 Ho 14:6 durable, and therefore much
used for boards, pillars, and ceilings 1Ki 6:9,10 7:2 Jer 22:14 for masts Eze
27:5 and for carved images Isa 44:14 It grew very abundantly in Palestine, and
particularly on Lebanon, of which it was "the glory" Isa 35:2 60:13
Hiram supplied Solomon with cedar trees from Lebanon for various purposes
connected with the construction of the temple and the king's palace 2Sa 5:11
7:2,7 1Ki 5:6,8,10 6:9,10,15,16,18,20 7:2,3,7,11,12 9:11 etc. Cedars were used
also in the building of the second temple under Zerubbabel Ezr 3:7 Of the ancient
cedars of Lebanon there remain now only some seven or eight. They are not
standing together. But beside them there are found between three hundred and
four hundred of younger growth. They stand in an amphitheatre fronting the
west, about 6,400 feet above the level of the sea. The cedar is often
figuratively alluded to in the sacred Scriptures. "The mighty conquerors
of olden days, the despots of Assyria and the Pharaohs of Egypt, the proud and
idolatrous monarchs of Judah, the Hebrew commonwealth itself, the war-like
Ammonites of patriarchal times, and the moral majesty of the Messianic age, are
all compared to the towering cedar, in its royal loftiness and supremacy Isa
2:13 Eze 17:3,22,23 31:3-9 Am 2:9 Zec 11:1,2 Job 40:17 Ps 29:5 80:10 92:12 etc.",
Groser's Scrip. Nat. Hist.
See BOX-TREE
The black torrent, the brook flowing through the ravine
below the eastern wall of Jerusalem Joh 18:1
See KIDRON
The covering 1Ki 7:3,7 of the inside roof and walls of a
house with planks of wood 2Ch 3:5 Jer 22:14 Ceilings were sometimes adorned
with various ornaments in stucco, gold, silver, gems, and ivory. The ceilings
of the temple and of Solomon's palace are described 1Ki 6:9,15 7:3 2Ch 3:5,9
A subterranean vault 1Ch 27:28 a storehouse. The word is
also used to denote the treasury of the temple 1Ki 7:51 and of the king 1Ki
14:26 The Hebrew word is rendered "garner" in Joe 1:17 and
"armoury" in Jer 50:25
Millet, the eastern harbour of Corinth, from which it was
distant about 9 miles east, and the outlet for its trade with the Asiatic
shores of the Mediterranean. When Paul returned from his second missionary
journey to Syria, he sailed from this port Ac 18:18. In Ro 16:1 he speaks as if
there were at the time of his writing that epistle an organized church there.
The western harbour of Corinth was Lechaeum, about a mile and a half from the
city. It was the channel of its trade with Italy and the west.
The vessel in which incense was presented on "the
golden altar" before the Lord in the temple Ex 30:1-9 The priest filled
the censer with live coal from the sacred fire on the altar of burnt-offering,
and having carried it into the sanctuary, there threw upon the burning coals
the sweet incense Le 16:12,13 which sent up a cloud of smoke, filling the
apartment with fragrance. The censers in daily use were of brass Nu 16:39 and
were designated by a different Hebrew name, _miktereth_ 2Ch 26:19 Eze 8:11
while those used on the day of Atonement were of gold, and were denoted by a
word (mahtah) meaning "something to take fire with; "LXX. pureion a
fire-pan. Solomon prepared for the temple censers of pure gold 1Ki 7:50 2Ch
4:22 The angel in the Apocalypse is represented with a golden censer Re 8:3,5
Paul speaks of the golden censer as belonging to the tabernacle Heb 9:4 The
Greek word thumiaterion, here rendered "censer, "may more
appropriately denote, as in the margin of Revised Version, "the altar of
incense." Paul does not here say that the thumiaterion was in the holiest,
for it was in the holy place, but that the holiest had it, i.e., that it
belonged to the holiest 1Ki 6:22 It was intimately connected with the high
priest's service in the holiest. The manner in which the censer is to be used
is described in Nu 4:14 Le 16:12
There are five instances of a census of the Jewish people
having been taken.
1. In the fourth month after the Exodus, when the people
were encamped at Sinai. The number of men from twenty years old and upward was
then 603,550 Ex 38:26
2. Another census was made just before the entrance into
Canaan, when the number was found to be 601,000 showing thus a small decrease
Nu 26:51
3. The next census was in the time of David, when the
number, exclusive of the tribes of Levi and Benjamin, was found to be 1,300,000
2Sa 24:9 1Ch 21:5
4. Solomon made a census of the foreigners in the land,
and found 153,600 able-bodied workmen 2Ch 2:17,18
5. After the return from Exile the whole congregation of
Israel was numbered, and found to amount to 42,360 Ezr 2:64 A census was made
by the Roman government in the time of our Lord Lu 2:1
See TAXING
A Roman officer in command of a hundred men Mr
15:39,44,45 Cornelius, the first Gentile convert, was a centurion Ac 10:1,22
Other centurions are mentioned in Mt 8:5,8,13 Lu 7:2,6 Ac 21:32 22:25,26 Ac
23:17,23 24:23 27:1,6,11,31,43 28:16 A centurion watched the crucifixion of our
Lord Mt 27:54 Lu 23:47 and when he saw the wonders attending it, exclaimed,
"Truly this man was the Son of God." "The centurions mentioned
in the New Testament are uniformly spoken of in terms of praise, whether in the
Gospels or in the Acts. It is interesting to compare this with the statement of
Polybius (vi. 24) that the centurions were chosen by merit, and so were men
remarkable not so much for their daring courage as for their deliberation,
constancy, and strength of mind.", Dr. Maclear's N. T. Hist.
A Syriac surname given by Christ to Simon Joh 1:42
meaning "rock." The Greeks translated it by Petros, and the Latins by
Petrus.
See CAESAREA
The refuse of winnowed corn. It was usually burned Ex
15:7 Isa 5:24 Mt 3:12 This word sometimes, however, means dried grass or hay
Isa 5:24 33:11 Chaff is used as a figure of abortive wickedness Ps 1:4 Mt 3:12
False doctrines are also called chaff Jer 23:28 or more correctly rendered
"chopped straw." The destruction of the wicked, and their
powerlessness, are likened to the carrying away of chaff by the wind Isa 17:13
Ho 13:3 Zep 2:2
1. A part of the insignia of office. A chain of gold was
placed about Joseph's neck Ge 41:42 and one was promised to Daniel Da 5:7 It is
used as a symbol of sovereignty Eze 16:11 The breast-plate of the high-priest
was fastened to the ephod by golden chains Ex 39:17,21
2. It was used as an ornament Pr 1:9 So 1:10 The
Midianites adorned the necks of their camels with chains Jud 8:21,26
3. Chains were also used as fetters wherewith prisoners
were bound Jud 16:21 2Sa 3:34 2Ki 25:7 Jer 39:7 Paul was in this manner bound
to a Roman soldier Ac 28:20 Eph 6:20 2Ti 1:16 Sometimes, for the sake of
greater security, the prisoner was attached by two chains to two soldiers, as
in the case of Peter Ac 12:6
Mentioned only in Re 21:19 as one of the precious stones
in the foundation of the New Jerusalem. The name of this stone is derived from
Chalcedon, where it is said to have been first discovered. In modern mineralogy
this is the name of an agate-like quartz of a bluish colour. Pliny so names the
Indian ruby. The mineral intended in Revelation is probably the Hebrew
_nophekh_, translated "emerald" Ex 28:18 39:11 Eze 27:16 28:13 It is
rendered "anthrax" in the LXX., and "carbunculus" in the Vulgate.
See CARBUNCLE
The southern portion of Babylonia, Lower Mesopotamia,
lying chiefly on the right bank of the Euphrates, but commonly used of the
whole of the Mesopotamian plain. The Hebrew name is Kasdim, which is usually
rendered "Chaldeans" Jer 50:10 51:24,35 The country so named is a
vast plain formed by the deposits of the Euphrates and the Tigris, extending to
about 400 miles along the course of these rivers, and about 100 miles in
average breadth. "In former days the vast plains of Babylon were nourished
by a complicated system of canals and water-courses, which spread over the
surface of the country like a network. The wants of a teeming population were
supplied by a rich soil, not less bountiful than that on the banks of the
Egyptian Nile. Like islands rising from a golden sea of waving corn stood
frequent groves of palm-trees and pleasant gardens, affording to the idler or
traveller their grateful and highly-valued shade. Crowds of passengers hurried
along the dusty roads to and from the busy city. The land was rich in corn and
wine." Recent discoveries, more especially in Babylonia, have thrown much
light on the history of the Hebrew patriarchs, and have illustrated or
confirmed the Biblical narrative in many points. The ancestor of the Hebrew
people, Abram, was, we are told, born at "Ur of the Chaldees."
"Chaldees" is a mistranslation of the Hebrew _Kasdim_, Kasdim being
the Old Testament name of the Babylonians, while the Chaldees were a tribe who
lived on the shores of the Persian Gulf, and did not become a part of the
Babylonian population till the time of Hezekiah. Ur was one of the oldest and
most famous of the Babylonian cities. Its site is now called Mugheir, or
Mugayyar, on the western bank of the Euphrates, in Southern Babylonia. About a
century before the birth of Abram it was ruled by a powerful dynasty of kings.
Their conquests extended to Elam on the one side, and to the Lebanon on the
other. They were followed by a dynasty of princes whose capital was Babylon,
and who seem to have been of South Arabian origin. The founder of the dynasty
was Sumu-abi ("Shem is my father"). But soon afterwards Babylonia
fell under Elamite dominion. The kings of Babylon were compelled to acknowledge
the supremacy of Elam, and a rival kingdom to that of Babylon, and governed by
Elamites, sprang up at Larsa, not far from Ur, but on the opposite bank of the
river. In the time of Abram the king of Larsa was Eri-Aku, the son of an Elamite
prince, and Eri-Aku, as has long been recognized, is the Biblical "Arioch
king of Ellasar" Ge 14:1 The contemporaneous king of Babylon in the north,
in the country termed Shinar in Scripture, was Khammu-rabi.
See BABYLON See ABRAHAM See AMRAPHEL
Employed by the sacred writers in certain portions of the
Old Testament, viz., Da 2:4-7,28 Ezr 4:8-Ezr 6:18 7:12-26 Ge 31:46 Jer 10:11 It
is the Aramaic dialect, as it is sometimes called, as distinguished from the
Hebrew dialect. It was the language of commerce and of social intercourse in
Western Asia, and after the Exile gradually came to be the popular language of
Palestine. It is called "Syrian" in 2Ki 18:26 Some isolated words in
this language are preserved in the New Testament Mt 5:22 6:24 16:17 27:46 Mr
3:17 5:41 7:34 14:36 Ac 1:19 1Co 16:22 These are specimens of the vernacular
language of Palestine at that period. The term "Hebrew" was also
sometimes applied to the Chaldee because it had become the language of the
Hebrews Joh 5:2 19:20
Or Chaldeans, the inhabitants of the country of which
Babylon was the capital. They were so called till the time of the Captivity 2Ki
25:1 Isa 13:19 23:13 when, particularly in the Book of Daniel Da 5:30 9:1 the
name began to be used with special reference to a class of learned men ranked
with the magicians and astronomers. These men cultivated the ancient Cushite
language of the original inhabitants of the land, for they had a
"learning" and a "tongue" Da 1:4 of their own. The common
language of the country at that time had become assimilated to the Semitic
dialect, especially through the influence of the Assyrians, and was the
language that was used for all civil purposes. The Chaldeans were the learned
class, interesting themselves in science and religion, which consisted, like
that of the ancient Arabians and Syrians, in the worship of the heavenly bodies. There are representations of this priestly
class, of magi and diviners, on the walls of the Assyrian palaces.
"on the wall, "which the Shunammite prepared
for the prophet Elisha 2Ki 4:10 was an upper chamber over the porch through the
hall toward the street. This was the "guest chamber" where
entertainments were prepared Mr 14:14 There were also "chambers within
chambers" 1Ki 22:25 2Ki 9:2 To enter into a chamber is used metaphorically
of prayer and communion with God Isa 26:20 The "chambers of the
south" Job 9:9 are probably the constelations of the southern hemisphere.
The "chambers of imagery", i.e., chambers painted with images, as
used by Ezekiel Eze 8:12 is an expression denoting the vision the prophet had
of the abominations practised by the Jews in Jerusalem.
Ro 13:13 wantonness, impurity.