White.
1. The son of Bethuel, who was the son of Nahor,
Abraham's brother. He lived at Haran in Mesopotamia. His sister Rebekah was
Isaac's wife Ge 24:1ff. Jacob, one of the sons of this marriage, fled to the
house of Laban, whose daughters Leah and Rachel Ge 29:1-13 he eventually
married. See JACOB
2. A city in the Arabian desert in the route of the
Israelites De 1:1 probably identical with Libnah Nu 33:20
Impregnable, a royal Canaanitish city in the Shephelah,
or maritime plain of Palestine Jos 10:3,5 12:11 It was taken and destroyed by
the Israelites Jos 10:31-33 It afterwards became, under Rehoboam, one of the
strongest fortresses of Judah 2Ch 11:9 It was assaulted and probably taken by
Sennacherib 2Ki 18:14,17 19:8 Isa 36:2 An account of this siege is given on
some slabs found in the chambers of the palace of Koyunjik, and now in the
British Museum. The inscription has been deciphered as follows:,
"Sennacherib, the mighty king, king of the country of Assyria, sitting on
the throne of judgment before the city of Lachish: I gave permission for its
slaughter."
See NINEVEH Lachish has been identified with
Tell-el-Hesy, where a cuneiform tablet has been found, containing a letter
supposed to be from Amenophis at Amarna in reply to one of the Amarna tablets
sent by Zimrida from Lachish. This letter is from the chief of Atim(=Etam,) 1Ch
4:32 to the chief of Lachish, in which the writer expresses great alarm at the
approach of marauders from the Hebron hills. "They have entered the land,
"he says, "to lay waste...strong is he who has come down. He lays waste."
This letter shows that "the communication by tablets in cuneiform script
was not only usual in writing to Egypt, but in the internal correspondence of
the country. The letter, though not so important in some ways as the Moabite
stone and the Siloam text, is one of the most valuable discoveries ever made in
Palestine" (Conder's Tell Amarna Tablets, p. 134 Excavations at Lachish are still going on, and among other
discoveries is that of an iron blast-furnace, with slag and ashes, which is
supposed to have existed B.C. 1500 If the theories of experts are correct, the
use of the hot-air blast instead of cold air (an improvement in iron
manufacture patented by Neilson in 1828 was known fifteen hundred years before
Christ.
See FURNACE
Occurs only once, in the account of Jacob's vision Ge
28:12
A lion.
1. A city of the Sidonians, in the extreme north of
Palestine Jud 18:7,14 called also Leshem Jos 19:47 and Dan Jud 18:7,29 Jer 8:16
It lay near the sources of the Jordan, about 4 miles from Paneas. The restless
and warlike tribe of Dan (q.v.), looking out for larger possessions, invaded
this country and took Laish with its territory. It is identified with the ruin
Tell-el-Kady, "the mound of the judge, "to the north of the Waters of
Merom Jos 11:5
2. A place mentioned in Isa 10:30 It has been supposed to
be the modern el-Isawiyeh, about a mile north-east of Jerusalem.
3. The father of Phalti 1Sa 25:44
Mt 27:46 a Hebrew word meaning why, quoted from Ps 22:1
1. Heb. kebes, a male lamb from the first to the third
year. Offered daily
a. At the morning and the evening sacrifice Ex 29:38-42
b. On the Sabbath day Nu 28:9
c. At the feast of the New Moon Nu 28:11
d. At the feast of Trumpets Nu 29:2
e. At the feast of Tabernacles Nu 29:13-40
f. At the feast of Pentecost Le 23:18-20
g. At the feast of the Passover Ex 12:5
h. On many other occasions 1Ch 29:21 2Ch 29:21 Le 9:3
14:10-25
2. Heb. taleh, a young sucking lamb 1Sa 7:9 Isa 65:25 In
the symbolical language of Scripture
a. The lamb is the type of meekness and innocence Isa
11:6 65:25 Lu 10:3 Joh 21:15
b. The lamb was a symbol of Christ Ge 4:4 Ex 12:3 29:38
Isa 16:1 53:7 Joh 1:36 Re 13:8
c. Christ is called the Lamb of God Joh 1:29,36
d. As the great sacrifice of which the former sacrifices
were only types Nu 6:12 Le 14:12-17 Isa 53:7 1Co 5:7
The strikerdown; the wild man.
1. The fifth in descent from Cain. He was the first to violate
the primeval ordinance of marriage Ge 4:18-24 His address to his two wives,
Adah and Zillah Ge 4:23,24 is the only extant example of antediluvian poetry.
It has been called "Lamech's sword-song." He was "rude and
ruffianly, "fearing neither God nor man. With him the curtain falls on the
race of Cain. We know nothing of his descendants.
2. The seventh in descent from Seth, being the only son
of Methuselah. Noah was the oldest of his several sons Ge 5:25-31 Lu 3:36
(Heb. qinah), an elegy or dirge. The first example of
this form of poetry is the lament of David over Saul and Jonathan 2Sa 1:17-27
It was a frequent accompaniment of mourning Am 8:10 In 2Sa 3:33,34 is recorded
David's lament over Abner. Prophecy sometimes took the form of a lament when it
predicted calamity Eze 27:2,32 28:12 32:2,16
1. Called in the Hebrew canon_'Ekhah_, meaning "How,
"being the formula for the commencement of a song of wailing. It is the
first word of the book (see) 2Sa 1:19-27 The LXX. adopted the name rendered
"Lamentations" (Gr. threnoi Heb. qinoth) now in common use, to denote
the character of the book, in which the prophet mourns over the desolations
brought on the city and the holy land by Chaldeans. In the Hebrew Bible it is placed among the Khethubim. See BIBLE
2. As to its authorship, there is no room for hesitancy
in following the LXX. and the Targum in ascribing it to Jeremiah. The spirit,
tone, language, and subject-matter are in accord with the testimony of
tradition in assigning it to him. According to tradition, he retired after the
destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar to a cavern outside the Damascus
gate, where he wrote this book. That cavern is still pointed out. "In the
face of a rocky hill, on the western side of the city, the local belief has
placed 'the grotto of Jeremiah.' There, in that fixed attitude of grief which
Michael Angelo has immortalized, the prophet may well be supposed to have
mourned the fall of his country" (Stanley, Jewish Church).
3. The book consists of five separate poems.
a. In chapter 1 the prophet dwells on the manifold
miseries oppressed by which the city sits as a solitary widow weeping sorely.
b. In chapter 2 these miseries are described in
connection with the national sins that had caused them.
c. Chapter 3 speaks of hope for the people of God. The
chastisement would only be for their good; a better day would dawn for them.
d. Chapter 4 laments the ruin and desolation that had
come upon the city and temple, but traces it only to the people's sins.
e. Chapter 5 is a prayer that Zion's reproach may be
taken away in the repentance and recovery of the people.
4. The first four poems (chapters) are acrostics, like
some of the Psalms (25, 34, 37, 119) i.e., each verse begins with a letter of
the Hebrew alphabet taken in order. The first, second, and fourth have each
twenty-two verses, the number of the letters in the Hebrew alphabet. The third has sixty-six verses, in which
each three successive verses begin with the same letter. The fifth is not
acrostic. Speaking of the "Wailing-place (q.v.) of the Jews" at Jerusalem,
a portion of the old wall of the temple of Solomon, Schaff says: "There
the Jews assemble every Friday afternoon to bewail the downfall of the holy
city, kissing the stone wall and watering it with their tears. They repeat from
their well-worn Hebrew Bibles and prayer-books the Lamentations of Jeremiah and
suitable Psalms."
1. That part of the candle-sticks of the tabernacle and
the temple which bore the light Ex 25:37 1Ki 7:49 2Ch 4:20 13:11 Zec 4:2 Their
form is not described. Olive oil was generally burned in them Ex 27:20
2. A torch carried by the soliders of Gideon Jud 7:16,20
(R.V., "torches.")
3. Domestic lamps (A.V., "candles") were in
common use among the Hebrews Mt 5:15 Mr 4:21 etc.
4. Lamps or torches were used in connection with marriage
ceremonies Mt 25:1 This word is also frequently metaphorically used to denote
life, welfare, guidance, etc. 2Sa 21:17 Ps 119:105 Pr 6:23 13:9
A boundary line indicated by a stone, stake, etc. De
19:14 27:17 Pr 22:28 23:10 Job 24:2 Landmarks could not be removed without
incurring the severe displeasure of God.
The city of this name mentioned in Scripture lay on the
confines of Phrygia and Lydia, about 40 miles east of Ephesus Re 3:14 on the
banks of the Lycus. It was originally called Diospolis and then Rhoas, but
afterwards Laodicea, from Laodice, the wife of Antiochus II., king of Syria,
who rebuilt it. It was one of the most important and flourishing cities of Asia
Minor. At a very early period it became one of the chief seats of Christianity
Col 2:1 4:15 Re 1:11 etc. It is now a deserted place, called by the Turks
Eski-hissar or "old castle."
Col 4:16 was probably the Epistle to the Ephesians, as designed
for general circulation. It would reach the Colossians by way of Laodicea.
Torches. Deborah is called "the wife of
Lapidoth" Jud 4:4 Some have rendered the expression "a woman of a
fiery spirit, "under the supposition that Lapidoth is not a proper name, a
woman of a torch-like spirit.
Like a dog, i.e., by putting the hand filled with water
to the mouth. The dog drinks by shaping the end of his long thin tongue into
the form of a spoon, thus rapidly lifting up water, which he throws into his
mouth. The three hundred men that went with Gideon thus employed their hands
and lapped the water out of their hands Jud 7:7
The name of an unclean bird, mentioned only in Le 11:19
De 14:18 The Hebrew name of this bird, _dukiphath_, has been generally regarded
as denoting the hoope (Upupa epops), an onomatopoetic word derived from the cry
of the bird, which resembles the word "hoop; "a bird not uncommon in
Palestine. Others identify it with the English peewit.
A city in the island of Crete Ac 27:8 Its ruins are still
found near Cape Leonda, about 5 miles east of "Fair Havens."
Fissure, a place apparently east of the Dead Sea Ge 10:19
It was afterwards known as Callirhoe, a place famous for its hot springs.
A thong Ac 22:25 cord, or strap fastening the sandal on
the foot Isa 5:27 Mr 1:7 Lu 3:16
The vernacular language of the ancient Romans Joh 19:20
1. Heb. 'eshnabh, a latticed opening through which the
cool breeze passes Jud 5:28 The flat roofs of the houses were sometimes
enclosed with a parapet of lattice-work on wooden frames, to screen the women
of the house from the gaze of the neighbourhood.
2. Heb. harakim, the network or lattice of a window So
2:9
3. Heb. sebakhah, the latticed balustrade before a window
or balcony 2Ki 1:2 The lattice window is frequently used in Eastern countries.
(Heb. kiyor), a "basin" for boiling in, a
"pan" for cooking 1Sa 2:14 a "fire-pan" or hearth Zec 12:6
the sacred wash-bowl of the tabernacle and temple Ex 30:18,28 31:9 35:16 38:8
39:39 40:7,11,30 etc. a basin for the water used by the priests in their
ablutions. That which was originally used in the tabernacle was of brass
(rather copper; Heb. nihsheth), made from the metal mirrors the women brought
out of Egypt Ex 38:8 It contained water wherewith the priests washed their
hands and feet when they entered the tabernacle Ex 40:32 It stood in the court
between the altar and the door of the tabernacle Ex 30:19,21 In the temple
there were ten lavers used for the sacrifices, and the molten sea for the
ablutions of the priests 2Ch 4:6 The position and uses of these are described
1Ki 7:23-39 2Ch 4:6 The "molten sea" was made of copper, taken from
Tibhath and Chun, cities of Hadarezer, king of Zobah 1Ch 18:8 1Ki 7:23-26 No
lavers are mentioned in the second temple.
A rule of action.
1. The Law of Nature is the will of God as to human
conduct, founded on the moral difference of things, and discoverable by natural
light Ro 1:20 2:14,15 This law binds all men at all times. It is generally
designated by the term conscience, or the capacity of being influenced by the
moral relations of things.
2. The Ceremonial Law prescribes under the Old Testament
the rites and ceremonies of worship. This law was obligatory only till Christ,
of whom these rites were typical, had finished his work Heb 7:9,11 10:1 Eph
2:16 It was fulfilled rather than abrogated by the gospel.
3. The Judicial Law, the law which directed the civil
policy of the Hebrew nation.
4. The Moral Law is the revealed will of God as to human
conduct, binding on all men to the end of time.
a. It was promulgated at Sinai.
b. It is perfect Ps 19:7
c. Perpetual Mt 5:17,18
d. Holy, just, good Ro 7:12
e. Spiritual Ro 7:14
f. Exceeding broad Ps 119:96
g. Although binding on all, we are not under it as a
covenant of works Ga 3:17 See COMMANDMENTS, THE TEN
5. Positive Laws are precepts founded only on the will of
God. They are right because God commands them.
6. Moral positive laws are commanded by God because they
are right.
Is the whole body of the Mosaic legislation 1Ki 2:3 2Ki
23:25 Ezr 3:2 It is called by way of eminence simply "the Law" (Heb.
Torah,)De 1:5 4:8,44 17:18,19 27:3,8 As a written code it is called the
"book of the law of Moses" 2Ki 14:6 Isa 8:20 the "book of the
law of God" Jos 24:26 The great leading principle of the Mosaic law is
that it is essentially theocratic; i.e., it refers at once to the commandment of
God as the foundation of all human duty.
Among the Jews, was one versed in the laws of Moses,
which he expounded in the schools and synagogues Mt 22:35 Lu 10:25 The
functions of the "lawyer" and "scribe" were identical.
See DOCTOR
An abbreviation of Eleazar, whom God helps.
1. The brother of Mary and Martha of Bethany. He was
raised from the dead after he had lain four days in the tomb Joh 11:1-44 This
miracle so excited the wrath of the Jews that they sought to put both Jesus and
Lazarus to death.
2. A beggar named in the parable recorded Lu 16:19-31
1. Of a tree
a. The olive-leaf mentioned Ge 8:11
b. The barren fig-tree had nothing but leaves Mt 21:19 Mr
11:13 See FIG 24329
c. The oak-leaf is mentioned Isa 1:30 6:13
d. There are numerous allusions to leaves, their
flourishing, their decay, and their restoration Le 26:36 Isa 34:4 Jer 8:13 Da
4:12,14,21 Mr 11:13 13:28
e. The fresh leaf is a symbol of prosperity Ps 1:3 Jer
17:8 Eze 47:12
f. The faded leaf is a symbol of decay Job 13:25 Isa 1:30
64:6 Jer 8:13
2. Leaf of a door 1Ki 6:34 the valve of a folding door.
3. Leaf of a book Jer 36:23 perhaps a fold of a roll.
A treaty or confederacy. The Jews were forbidden to enter
into an alliance of any kind
1. with the Canaanites Ex 23:32,33 34:12-16
2. with the Amalekites Ex 17:8,14 De 25:17-19
3. with the Moabites and Ammonites De 2:9,19 Treaties
were permitted to be entered into with all other nations. Thus David maintained
friendly intercourse with the kings of Tyre and Hamath, and Solomon with the
kings of Tyre and Egypt.
Weary, the eldest daughter of Laban, and sister of Rachel
Ge 29:16
1. Jacob took her to wife through a deceit of her father
Ge 29:23
2. She was "tender-eyed" Ge 29:17
3. She bore to Jacob six sons Ge 29:32-35 also one
daughter, Dinah Ge 30:21
4. She accompanied Jacob into Canaan, and died there
before the time of the going down into Egypt Ge 31:1ff. and was buried in the
cave of Machpelah Ge 49:31
For answering; i.e., in singing, occurs in the title to
Ps 88:1 The title "Mahalath (q.v.) Leannoth" may be rendered
"concerning sickness, to be sung" i.e., perhaps, to be sung in
sickness.
Ps 4:2 5:6 an Old English word meaning lies, or lying, as
the Hebrew word _kazabh_ is generally rendered.
Worn by Elijah 2Ki 1:8 and John the Baptist Mt 3:4
Leather was employed both for clothing Nu 31:20 Heb 11:37 and for writing upon.
The trade of a tanner is mentioned Ac 9:43 10:6,32 It was probably learned in
Egypt.
1. Heb. seor Ex 12:15,19 13:7 Le 2:11 the remnant of
dough from the preceding baking which had fermented and become acid.
2. Heb. hamets, properly "ferment." In Nu 6:3
"vinegar of wine" is more correctly "fermented wine." In Ex
13:7 the proper rendering would be, "Unfermented things [Heb. matstsoth]
shall be consumed during the seven days; and there shall not be seen with thee
fermented things [hamets], and there shall not be seen with thee leavened mass
[seor] in all thy borders." The chemical definition of ferment or yeast is
"a substance in a state of putrefaction, the atoms of which are in a
continual motion." The use of leaven was strictly forbidden in all
offerings made to the Lord by fire Le 2:11 7:12 8:2 Nu 6:15 Its secretly
penetrating and diffusive power is referred to in 1Co 5:6 In this respect it is
used to illustrate the growth of the kingdom of heaven both in the individual
heart and in the world Mt 13:33 It is a figure also of corruptness and of
perverseness of heart and life Mt 16:6,11 Mr 8:15 1Co 5:7,8
White, "the white mountain of Syria, "is the
loftiest and most celebrated mountain range in Syria. It is a branch running
southward from the Caucasus, and at its lower end forking into two parallel
ranges, the eastern or Anti-Lebanon, and the western or Lebanon proper. They
enclose a long valley Jos 11:17 of from 5 to 8 miles in width, called by Roman
writers Coele-Syria, now called el-Buka'a, "the valley, "a
prolongation of the valley of the Jordan. Lebanon proper, Jebel es-Sharki,
commences at its southern extremity in the gorge of the Leontes, the ancient
Litany, and extends north-east, parallel to the Mediterranean coast, as far as
the river Eleutherus, at the plain of Emesa, "the entering of Hamath"
Nu 34:8 1Ki 8:65 in all about 90 geographical miles in extent. The average
height of this range is from 6,000 to 8,000 feet; the peak of Jebel Mukhmel is
about 10,200 feet, and the Sannin about 9,000 The highest peaks are covered
with perpetual snow and ice. In the recesses of the range wild beasts as of old
still abound 2Ki 14:9 So 4:8 The scenes of the Lebanon are remarkable for their
grandeur and beauty, and supplied the sacred writers with many expressive
similes Ps 29:5,6 Ps 72:16 104:16-18 So 4:15 Isa 2:13 35:2 60:13 Ho 14:5 It is
famous for its cedars So 5:15 its wines Ho 14:7 and its cool waters Jer 18:14 The
ancient inhabitants were Giblites and Hivites Jos 13:5 Jud 3:3 It was part of
the Phoenician kingdom 1Ki 5:2-6 The eastern range, or Anti-Lebanon, or
"Lebanon towards the sunrising, "runs nearly parallel with the
western from the plain of Emesa till it connects with the hills of Galilee in
the south. The height of this range is about 5,000 feet. Its highest peak is
Hermon (q.v.), from which a number of lesser ranges radiate. Lebanon is first
mentioned in the description of the boundary of Palestine De 1:7 De 11:24 It
was assigned to Israel, but was never conquered Jos 13:2-6 Jud 3:1-3 The
Lebanon range is now inhabited by a population of about 300,000 Christians,
Maronites, and Druses, and is ruled by a Christian governor. The Anti-Lebanon
is inhabited by Muslims, and is under a Turkish ruler.
Courageous, a surname of Judas (Jude), one of the twelve
Mt 10:3 called also Thaddaeus, not to be confounded with the Judas who was the
brother of our Lord.
Frankincense, a town near Shiloh, on the north side of
Bethel Jud 21:19 It has been identified with el-Lubban, to the south of Nablus.
(Heb. hatsir; the Allium porrum), rendered
1. "grass" in 1Ki 18:5 2Ki 19:26 Job 40:15
etc.;
2. "herb" in Job 8:12
3. "hay" in Pr 27:25 Isa 15:6
4. "leeks" only in Nu 11:5
This Hebrew word seems to denote in this last passage
simply herbs, such as lettuce or savoury herbs cooked as kitchen vegetables,
and not necessarily what are now called leeks. The leek was a favourite
vegetable in Egypt, and is still largely cultivated there and in Palestine.
(Heb. shemarim), from a word meaning to keep or preserve.
It was applied to:
1. "lees" from the custom of allowing wine to
stand on the lees that it might thereby be better preserved Isa 25:6
2. "Men settled on their lees" Zep 1:12 are men
"hardened or crusted." The image is derived from the crust formed at
the bottom of wines long left undisturbed Jer 48:11 The effect of wealthy undisturbed
ease on the ungodly is hardening. They become stupidly secure (comp.) Ps 55:19
Am 6:1
3. To drink the lees Ps 75:8 denotes severe suffering.
Among the Hebrews, denoted the north Job 23:9 Ge 14:15
the face of the person being supposed to be toward the east.
Jud 3:15 20:16 one unable to use the right hand
skilfully, and who therefore uses the left; and also one who uses the left as
well as the right, ambidexter. Such a condition of the hands is due to physical
causes. This quality was common apparently in the tribe of Benjamin.
A regiment of the Roman army, the number of men composing
which differed at different times. It originally consisted of three thousand
men, but in the time of Christ consisted of six thousand, exclusive of
horsemen, who were in number a tenth of the foot-men. The word is used Mt 26:53
Mr 5:9 to express simply a great multitude.
A jawbone, a place in the tribe of Judah where Samson
achieved a victory over the Philistines Jud 15:9,14,16 slaying a thousand of
them with the jawbone of an ass. The words in Jud 15:19, "a hollow place
that was in the jaw" (A.V.), should be, as in Revised Version, "the
hollow place that is in Lehi."
Dedicated to God, a king whom his mother instructed Pr
31:1-9 Nothing is certainly known concerning him. The rabbis identified him
with Solomon.
(Heb. 'adashim), a species of vetch Ge 25:34 2Sa 23:11
common in Syria under the name addas. The red pottage made by Jacob was of lentils
Ge 25:29-34 They were among the provisions brought to David when he fled from
Absalom 2Sa 17:28 It is the Ervum lens of Linnaeus, a leguminous plant which
produces a fruit resembling a bean.
(Heb. namer, so called because spotted,)So 4:8 was that
great spotted feline which anciently infested the mountains of Syria, more appropriately
called a panther (Felis pardus). Its fierceness Isa 11:6 its watching for its
prey Jer 5:6 its swiftness Hab 1:8 and the spots of its skin Jer 13:23 are
noticed. This word is used symbolically Da 7:6 Re 13:2
(Heb. tsara'ath, a "smiting, "a "stroke,
"because the disease was regarded as a direct providential infliction).
This name is from the Greek lepra, by which the Greek physicians designated the
disease from its scaliness. We have the description of the disease, as well as
the regulations connected with it, in Le 13:1-14:1ff. Nu 12:10-15 etc. There
were reckoned six different circumstances under which it might develop itself,
1. without any apparent cause Le 13:2-8
2. its reappearance Le 13:9-17
3. from an inflammation Le 13:18-28
4. on the head or chin Le 13:29-37
5. in white polished spots Le 13:38,39
6. at the back or in the front of the head Le 13:40-44
Lepers were required to live outside the camp or city Nu
5:1-4 Nu 12:10-15 etc. This disease was regarded as an awful punishment from
the Lord 2Ki 5:7 2Ch 26:20
See MIRIAM See GEHAZI See UZZIAH
This disease "begins with specks on the eyelids and
on the palms, gradually spreading over the body, bleaching the hair white
wherever they appear, crusting the affected parts with white scales, and
causing terrible sores and swellings. From the skin the disease eats inward to
the bones, rotting the whole body piecemeal." "In Christ's day no
leper could live in a walled town, though he might in an open village. But wherever he was he was required to have
his outer garment rent as a sign of deep grief, to go bareheaded, and to cover
his beard with his mantle, as if in lamentation at his own virtual death. He
had further to warn passers-by to keep away from him, by calling out, 'Unclean!
unclean!' nor could he speak to any one, or receive or return a salutation,
since in the East this involves an embrace." That the disease was not
contagious is evident from the regulations regarding it Le 13:12,13,36 2Ki 5:1
Leprosy was "the outward and visible sign of the innermost spiritual
corruption; a meet emblem in its small beginnings, its gradual spread, its
internal disfigurement, its dissolution little by little of the whole body, of
that which corrupts, degrades, and defiles man's inner nature, and renders him
unmeet to enter the presence of a pure and holy God" (Maclear's Handbook
O.T). Our Lord cured lepers Mt 8:2,3 Mr 1:40-42 This divine power so manifested
illustrates his gracious dealings with men in curing the leprosy of the soul,
the fatal taint of sin.
In Ro 2:27,29 means the outward form. The "oldness
of the letter" Ro 7:6 is a phrase which denotes the old way of literal
outward obedience to the law as a system of mere external rules of conduct. In
2Co 3:6 "the letter" means the Mosaic law as a written law.
See WRITING
Peoples; nations, the last mentioned of the three sons of
Dedan, and head of an Arabian tribe Ge 25:3
Adhesion.
1. The third son of Jacob by Leah. The origin of the name
is found in Leah's words Ge 29:34 "This time will my husband be joined
[Heb. yillaveh] unto me." He is mentioned as taking a prominent part in
avenging his sister Dinah Ge 34:25-31 He and his three sons went down with
Jacob Ge 46:11 into Egypt, where he died at the age of one hundred and
thirty-seven years Ex 6:16
2. The father of Matthat, and son of Simeon, of the
ancestors of Christ Lu 3:29
3. The father of Matthat, and son of Melchi, of the ancestors
of Christ Lu 3:24
4. One of the apostles, the son of Alphaeus Mr 2:14 Lu
5:27,29 called also Matthew Mt 9:9
A transliterated Hebrew word (livyathan), meaning
"twisted, ""coiled." In Job 3:8 Revised Version
("mourning" A.V.), and marg. of Authorized Version, it denotes the
dragon which, according to Eastern tradition, is an enemy of light; in Job 41:1
the crocodile is meant; in Ps 104:26 it "denotes any large animal that
moves by writhing or wriggling the body, the whale, the monsters of the
deep." This word is also used figuratively for a cruel enemy, as some
think "the Egyptian host, crushed by the divine power, and cast on the
shores of the Red Sea" Ps 74:14 As used in Isa 27:1 "leviathan the
piercing [R.V. 'swift']serpent, even
leviathan that crooked [R.V. marg. 'winding']serpent, "the word may probably
denote the two empires, the Assyrian and the Babylonian.
From Latin levir, "a husband's brother, "the
name of an ancient custom ordained by Moses, by which, when an Israelite died
without issue, his surviving brother was required to marry the widow, so as to
continue his brother's family through the son that might be born of that
marriage Ge 38:8 De 25:5-10 comp. Ru 3:1 4:10 Its object was "to raise up
seed to the departed brother."
A descendant of the tribe of Levi Ex 6:25 Le 25:32 Nu
35:2 Jos 21:3,41 This name is, however, generally used as the title of that
portion of the tribe which was set apart for the subordinate offices of the
sanctuary service 1Ki 8:4 Ezr 2:70 as assistants to the priests. When the
Israelites left Egypt, the ancient manner of worship was still observed by
them, the eldest son of each house inheriting the priest's office. At Sinai the
first change in this ancient practice was made. A hereditary priesthood in the
family of Aaron was then instituted Ex 28:1 But it was not till that terrible
scene in connection with the sin of the golden calf that the tribe of Levi
stood apart and began to occupy a distinct position Ex 32:1ff. The religious
primogeniture was then conferred on this tribe, which henceforth was devoted to
the service of the sanctuary Nu 3:11-13 They were selected for this purpose
because of their zeal for the glory of God Ex 32:26 and because, as the tribe
to which Moses and Aaron belonged, they would naturally stand by the lawgiver
in his work. The Levitical order consisted of all the descendants of Levi's
three sons, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari; whilst Aaron, Amram's son (Amram, son
of Kohat), and his issue constituted the priestly order. The age and qualification for Levitical
service are specified in Nu 4:3,23,30,39,43,47 They were not included among the
armies of Israel Nu 1:47 2:33 26:62 but were reckoned by themselves. They were
the special guardians of the tabernacle Nu 1:51 18:22-24 The Gershonites
pitched their tents on the west of the tabernacle Nu 3:23 the Kohathites on the
south Nu 3:29 the Merarites on the north Nu 3:35 and the priests on the east Nu
3:38 It was their duty to move the tent and carry the parts of the sacred
structure from place to place. They
were given to Aaron and his sons the priests to wait upon them and do work for
them at the sanctuary services Nu 8:19 18:2-6 As being wholly consecrated to
the service of the Lord, they had no territorial possessions. Jehovah was their
inheritance Nu 18:20 26:62 De 10:9 De 18:1,2 and for their support it was
ordained that they should receive from the other tribes the tithes of the
produce of the land. Forty-eight cities also were assigned to them, thirteen of
which were for the priests "to dwell in", i.e., along with their
other inhabitants. Along with their dwellings they had "suburbs",
i.e., "commons", for their herds and flocks, and also fields and
vineyards Nu 35:2-5 Nine of these cities were in Judah, three in Naphtali, and
four in each of the other tribes Jos 21:1ff. Six of the Levitical cities were set
apart as "cities of refuge" (q.v.).
Thus the Levites were scattered among the tribes to keep alive among
them the knowledge and service of God.
See PRIEST
The third book of the Pentateuch; so called in the
Vulgate, after the LXX., because it treats chiefly of the Levitical service. In
the first section of the book (1-17) which exhibits the worship itself, there
is,
1. A series of laws (1-7)
a. regarding sacrifices, burnt-offerings, meat-offerings,
and thank-offerings (1-3)
b. sin-offerings and trespass-offerings (4, 5)
c. followed by the law of the priestly duties in
connection with the offering of sacrifices (6, 7)
2. An historical section (8-10) giving an account of
a. the consecration of Aaron and his sons (8)
b. Aaron's first offering for himself and the people (9)
c. Nadab and Abihu's presumption in offering
"strange fire before Jehovah, "and their punishment (10).
3. Laws concerning purity, and the sacrifices and
ordinances for putting away impurity (11-16). An interesting fact may be noted
here. Canon Tristram, speaking of the remarkable discoveries regarding the
flora and fauna of the Holy Land by the Palestine Exploration officers, makes
the following statement:, "Take these two catalogues of the clean and
unclean animals in the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy There are eleven in
Deuteronomy which do not occur in Leviticus, and these are nearly all animals
and birds which are not found in Egypt or the Holy Land, but which are numerous
in the Arabian desert. They are not named in Leviticus a few weeks after the
departure from Egypt; but after the people were thirty-nine years in the desert
they are named, a strong proof that the list in Deuteronomy was written at the
end of the journey, and the list in Leviticus at the beginning. It fixes the
writing of that catalogue to one time and period only, viz., that when the
children of Israel were familiar with the fauna and the flora of the
desert" (Palest. Expl. Quart., Jan. 1887)
4. Laws marking the separation between Israel and the
heathen (17-20)
5. Laws about the personal purity of the priests, and
their eating of the holy things (20, 21)
6. Laws about the offerings of Israel, that they were to
be without blemish Le 22:17-33
7. Laws about the due celebration of the great festivals
(23, 25)
8. Then follow promises and warnings to the people
regarding obedience to these commandments, closing with a section on vows.
The various ordinances contained in this book were all
delivered in the space of a month (comp.) Ex 40:17 Nu 1:1 the first month of
the second year after the Exodus. It is the third book of Moses. No book
contains more of the very words of God. He is almost throughout the whole of it
the direct speaker. This book is a prophecy of things to come, a shadow whereof
the substance is Christ and his kingdom. The principles on which it is to be
interpreted are laid down in the Epistle to the Hebrews. It contains in its
complicated ceremonial the gospel of the grace of God.
1Ki 4:6 R.V.; 1Ki 5:13 forced service. The service of
tributaries was often thus exacted by kings. Solomon raised a "great
levy" of 30,000 men, about two per cent. of the population, to work for
him by courses on Lebanon. Adoram 1Ki 12:18 presided over this forced labour
service (Ger. Frohndienst; Fr. corvee).
Ac 18:14 villany or wickedness, not lewdness in the modern
sense of the word. The word "lewd" is from the Saxon, and means
properly "ignorant, ""unlearned, "and hence low, vicious Ac
17:5
Found only Ac 6:9 one who once had been a slave, but who
had been set at liberty, or the child of such a person. In this case the name
probably denotes those descendants of Jews who had been carried captives to
Rome as prisoners of war by Pompey and other Roman generals in the Syrian wars,
and had afterwards been liberated. In A.D. 19 these manumitted Jews were
banished from Rome. Many of them found their way to Jerusalem, and there
established a synagogue.
Transparency; whiteness.
1. One of the stations of the Israelites in the
wilderness Nu 33:20,21
2. One of the royal cities of the Canaanites taken by
Joshua Jos 10:29-32 12:15 It became one of the Levitical towns in the tribe of
Judah Jos 21:13 and was strongly fortified. Sennacherib laid siege to it 2Ki
19:8 Isa 37:8 It was the native place of Hamutal, the queen of Josiah 2Ki 23:31
It stood near Lachish, and has been identified with the modern Arak
el-Menshiyeh.
White, one of the two sons of Gershon, the son of Levi Ex
6:17 Nu 3:18,21
The country of the Ludim Ge 10:13 Northern Africa, a
large tract lying along the Mediterranean, to the west of Egypt Ac 2:10 Cyrene
was one of its five cities.
(Heb. kinnim), the creatures employed in the third plague
sent upon Egypt Ex 8:16-18 They were miraculously produced from the dust of the
land. "The entomologists Kirby and Spence place these minute but
disgusting insects in the very front rank of those which inflict injury upon
man. A terrible list of examples they have collected of the ravages of this and
closely allied parasitic pests." The plague of lice is referred to in Ps
105:31 Some have supposed that the word denotes not lice properly, but gnats.
Others, with greater probability, take it to mean the "tick" which is
much larger than lice.
An intentional violation of the truth.
1. Lies are emphatically condemned in Scripture Joh 8:44
1Ti 1:9,10 Re 21:27 22:15
2. Mention is made of the lies told by good men
a. Abraham Ge 12:12,13 20:2
b. Isaac Ge 26:7
c. Jacob Ge 27:24
d. The Hebrew midwives Ex 1:15-19
e. Michal 1Sa 19:14
f. David 1Sa 20:6
See ANANIAS
(only in A.V.) Es 3:12 8:9 9:3 Ezr 8:36 a governor or viceroy
of a Persian province having both military and civil power. Correctly rendered
in the Revised Version "satrap."
Generally of physical life Ge 2:7 Lu 16:25 etc.; also
used figuratively
1. For immortality Heb 7:16
2. Conduct or manner of life Ro 6:4
3. Spiritual life or salvation Joh 3:16,17,18,36
4. Eternal life Mt 19:16,17 Joh 3:15
5. Of God and Christ as the absolute source and cause of
all life Joh 1:4 5:26,39 11:25 12:50
1. The offspring of the divine command Ge 1:3
2. "All the more joyous emotions of the mind, all
the pleasing sensations of the frame, all the happy hours of domestic
intercourse were habitually described among the Hebrews under imagery derived
from light" 1Ki 11:36 Isa 58:8 Es 8:16 Ps 97:11
3. Light came also naturally to typify true religion and
the felicity it imparts Ps 119:105 Isa 8:20 Mt 4:16 etc., and the glorious
inheritance of the redeemed Col 1:12 Re 21:23-25
4. God is said to dwell in light inaccessible 1Ti 6:16
5. It frequently signifies instruction Mt 5:16 Joh 5:35
6. In its highest sense it is applied to Christ as the
"Sun of righteousness" Mal 4:2 Lu 2:32 Joh 1:7-9
7. God is styled "the Father of lights" Jas
1:17
8. It is used of angels 2Co 11:14
9. It is used of John the Baptist, who was a
"burning and a shining light" Joh 5:35
10. It is used of all true disciples, who are styled
"the light of the world" Mt 5:14
Frequently referred to by the sacred writers Na 1:3-6
1. Thunder and lightning are spoken of as tokens of God's
wrath 2Sa 22:15 Job 28:26 37:4 Ps 135:7 144:6 Zec 9:14
2. They represent God's glorious and awful majesty Re 4:5
3. or some judgment of God on the world Re 20:9
(only in pl., Heb. 'ahalim), a perfume derived from some Oriental
tree Nu 24:6 probably the agallochum or aloe-wood.
See ALOES
(Heb. leshem) occurs only in Ex 28:19 39:12 as the name
of a stone in the third row on the high priest's breastplate. Some have
supposed that this stone was the same as the jacinth (q.v.), others that it was
the opal. There is now no mineral bearing this name. The "ligurite"
is so named from Liguria in Italy, where it was found.
1. The Hebrew name shushan or shoshan, i.e.,
"whiteness", was used as the general name of several plants common to
Syria, such as the tulip, iris, anemone, gladiolus, ranunculus, etc. Some
interpret it, with much probability, as denoting in the Old Testament the
water-lily (Nymphoea lotus of Linn.), or lotus So 2:1,2 2:16 4:5 So 5:13 6:2,3
7:2 "Its flowers are large, and they are of a white colour, with streaks
of pink. They supplied models for the ornaments of the pillars and the molten
sea" 1Ki 7:19,22,26 2Ch 4:5 In the Canticles its beauty and fragrance
shadow forth the preciousness of Christ to the Church. Groser, however (Scrip. Nat. Hist.), strongly argues that the word, both
in the Old and New Testaments, denotes liliaceous plants in general, or if one
genus is to be selected, that it must be the genus Iris, which is "large,
vigorous, elegant in form, and gorgeous in colouring."
2. The lilies (Gr. krinia) spoken of in the New Testament
Mt 6:28 Lu 12:27 were probably the scarlet martagon (Lilium Chalcedonicum) or
"red Turk's-cap lily", which "comes into flower at the season of
the year when our Lord's sermon on the mount is supposed to have been
delivered. It is abundant in the district of Galilee; and its fine scarlet
flowers render it a very conspicous and showy object, which would naturally
attract the attention of the hearers" (Balfour's Plants of the Bible). Of
the true "floral glories of Palestine" the pheasant's eye (Adonis
Palestina), the ranunuculus (R. Asiaticus), and the anemone (A coronaria), the
last named is however, with the greatest probability regarded as the "lily
of the field" to which our Lord refers. "Certainly, "says
Tristram (Nat. Hist. of the Bible), "if, in the wondrous richness of bloom
which characterizes the land of Israel in spring, any one plant can claim
pre-eminence, it is the anemone, the most natural flower for our Lord to pluck
and seize upon as an illustration, whether walking in the fields or sitting on
the hill-side." "The white water-lily (Nymphcea alba) and the yellow
water-lily (Nuphar lutea) are both abundant in the marshes of the Upper Jordan,
but have no connection with the lily of Scripture."
The Hebrew word so rendered means "boiling" or
"effervescing." From Isa 33:12 it appears that lime was made in a
kiln lighted by thorn-bushes. In Am 2:1 it is recorded that the king of Moab
"burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime." The same Hebrew
word is used in De 27:2-4 and is there rendered "plaster." Limestone
is the chief constituent of the mountains of Syria.
1. Heb., pishet, pishtah,
a. denotes
1. "flax, "of which linen is made Isa 19:9
2. wrought flax, i.e., "linen cloth", Le
13:47,48,52,59 De 22:11
b. Flax was early cultivated in
1. Egypt Ex 9:31
2. Palestine Jos 2:6 Ho 2:9
c. Various articles were made of it:
1. garments 2Sa 6:14
2. girdles Jer 13:1
3. ropes and thread Eze 40:3
4. napkins Lu 24:12 Joh 20:7
5. turbans Eze 44:18
6. lamp-wicks Isa 42:3
2. Heb. buts, "whiteness; "rendered "fine
linen" in 1Ch 4:21 1Ch 15:27 2Ch 2:14 3:14 Es 1:6 8:15 and "white
linen" 2Ch 5:12 It is not certain whether this word means cotton or linen.
3. Heb. bad; rendered "linen" Ex 28:42 39:28 Le
6:10 16:4,23,32 1Sa 2:18 2Sa 6:14 etc. It is uniformly used of the sacred
vestments worn by the priests. The word is from a root signifying
"separation."
4. Heb. shesh; rendered "fine linen" Ex 25:4
26:1,31,36 etc. In Pr 31:22 it is rendered in Authorized Version "silk,
"and in Revised Version "fine linen." The word denotes Egyptian
linen of peculiar whiteness and fineness (byssus). The finest Indian linen, the
finest now made, has in an inch one hundred threads of warp and eighty-four of
woof; while the Egyptian had sometimes one hundred and forty in the warp and
sixty-four in the woof. This was the usual dress of the Egyptian priest.
Pharaoh arrayed Joseph in a dress of linen Ge 41:42
5. Heb. 'etun. Pr 7:16 "fine linen of Egypt;
"in Revised Version, "the yarn of Egypt."
6. Heb. sadin. Pr 31:24 "fine linen; "in
Revised Version, "linen garments" Jud 14:12,13 Isa 3:23 From this
Hebrew word is probably derived the Greek word sindon, rendered
"linen" in Mr 14:51,52 15:46 Mt 27:59 The word "linen" is
used as an emblem of moral purity Re 15:6 In Lu 16:19 it is mentioned as a mark
of luxury.
See YARN
Were used for measuring and dividing land; and hence the
word came to denote a portion or inheritance measured out; a possession Ps 16:6
1. Heb. mashkoph, a projecting cover Ex 12:22,23,7
"upper door post, "but R.V. "lintel"); the head-piece of a
door, which the Israelites were commanded to mark with the blood of the paschal
lamb.
2. Heb. kaphtar. Am 9:1 Zep 2:14 (R.V. correctly
"chapiters, "as in A.V. marg.).
The most powerful of all carnivorous animals. Although
not now found in Palestine, they must have been in ancient times very numerous there.
They had their lairs in the forests Jer 5:6 12:8 Am 3:4 in the caves of the
mountains So 4:8 Na 2:12 and in the canebrakes on the banks of the Jordan Jer
49:19 50:44 Zec 11:3 No fewer than at least six different words are used in the
Old Testament for the lion.
1. _Gor_ (i.e., a "suckling"), the lion's whelp
Ge 49:9 Jer 51:38 etc.
2. _Kephir_ (i.e., "shaggy"), the young lion
Jud 14:5 Job 4:10 Ps 91:13 104:21 a term which is also used figuratively of
cruel enemies Ps 34:10 35:17 58:6 Jer 2:15
3. _'Ari_ (i.e., the "puller" in pieces),
denoting the lion in general, without reference to age or sex Nu 23:24 2Sa
17:10 etc.
4. _Shahal_ (the "roarer"), the mature lion Job
4:10 Ps 91:13 Pr 26:13 Ho 5:14
5. _Laish_, so called from its strength and bravery Job
4:11 Pr 30:30 Isa 30:6 The capital of Northern Dan received its name from this
word.
6. _Labi_, from a root meaning "to roar, "a
grown lion or lioness Ge 49:9 Nu 23:24 24:9 Eze 19:2 Na 2:11
The lion of Palestine was properly of the Asiatic variety,
distinguished from the African variety, which is larger. Yet it not only
attacked flocks in the presence of the shepherd, but also:
1. Laid waste towns and villages 2Ki 17:25,26
2. Devoured men 1Ki 13:24,25
3. Shepherds sometimes, single-handed, encountered lions
and slew them 1Sa 17:34,35 Am 3:12
4. Samson seized a young lion with his hands and
"rent him as he would have rent a kid" Jud 14:5,6
The strength Jud 14:18 courage 2Sa 17:10 and ferocity Ge
49:9 of the lion were proverbial.
Besides its literal sense Isa 37:29 etc., is used in the
original (saphah) metaphorically for an edge or border:
1. As of a cup 1Ki 7:26
2. A garment Ex 28:32
3. A curtain Ex 26:4
4. The sea Ge 22:17
5. The Jordan 2Ki 2:13
6. To "open the lips" is to begin to speak Job
11:5
7. To "refrain the lips" is to keep silence Ps
40:9 1Pe 3:10
8. The "fruit of the lips" Heb 13:15 is praise
9. The "calves of the lips" thank-offerings Ho
14:2
10. To "shoot out the lip" is to manifest scorn
and defiance Ps 22:7
Many similar forms of expression are found in Scripture.
(Heb. tsab, as being lightly and gently borne), a sedan or
palanquin for the conveyance of persons of rank Isa 66:20 In Nu 7:3 the words
"covered wagons" are more literally "carts of the litter
kind." There they denote large and commodious vehicles drawn by oxen, and
fitted for transporting the furniture of the temple.
(Heb. kabhed, "heavy; "hence the liver, as
being the heaviest of the viscera,)Ex 29:13,22 Le 3:4,1,10,15 was burnt upon
the altar, and not used as sacrificial food. In Eze 21:21 there is allusion, in
the statement that the king of Babylon "looked upon the liver, "to
one of the most ancient of all modes of divination. The first recorded instance
of divination (q.v.) is that of the teraphim of Laban. By the teraphim the LXX.
and Josephus understood "the liver of goats." By the "caul above
the liver, "in Le 4:9 7:4 etc., some understand the great lobe of the
liver itself.
As represented by Ezekiel (1-10) and John (Re 4 etc.),
are the cherubim. They are distinguished from angels Re 15:7 they join the
elders in the "new song" Re 5:8,9 they warn of danger from divine
justice Isa 6:3-5 and deliver the commission to those who execute it Eze 10:2,7
they associate with the elders in their sympathy with the hundred and
forty-four thousand who sing the new song Re 14:3 and with the Church in the
overthrow of her enemies Re 19:4 They are supposed to represent mercy, as
distinguished from justice, mercy in its various instrumentalities, and
especially as connected with the throne of God, the "throne of
grace."
Only in Le 11:30 as rendering of Hebrew _letaah_, so
called from its "hiding." Supposed to be the Lacerta gecko or
fan-foot lizard, from the toes of which poison exudes.
See CHAMELEON
Not my people, a symbolical name given by God's command
to Hosea's second son in token of Jehovah's rejection of his people Ho 1:9,10
his treatment of them as a foreign people. This Hebrew word is rendered by
"not my people" in Ho 1:10 2:23.
The Mosaic law required that when an Israelite needed to
borrow, what he asked was to be freely lent to him, and no interest was to be
charged, although interest might be taken of a foreigner Ex 22:25 De 23:19,20
Le 25:35-38 At the end of seven years all debts were remitted. Of a foreigner
the loan might, however, be exacted. At a later period of the Hebrew
commonwealth, when commerce increased, the practice of exacting usury or
interest on loans, and of suretiship in the commercial sense, grew up. Yet the exaction
of it from a Hebrew was regarded as discreditable Ps 15:5 Pr 6:1,4 11:15 17:18
20:16 Ps 27:13 Jer 15:10 Limitations are prescribed by the law to the taking of
a pledge from the borrower. The outer garment in which a man slept at night, if
taken in pledge, was to be returned before sunset Ex 22:26,27 De 24:12,13 A
widow's garment De 24:17 and a millstone De 24:6 could not be taken. A creditor
could not enter the house to reclaim a pledge, but must remain outside till the
borrower brought it De 24:10,11 The Hebrew debtor could not be retained in
bondage longer than the seventh year, or at farthest the year of jubilee Ex
21:2 Le 25:39,42 but foreign sojourners were to be "bondmen for ever"
Le 25:44-54
1. The Hebrews usually secured their doors by bars of
wood or iron Isa 45:2 These were the locks originally used, and were opened and
shut by large keys applied through an opening in the outside Jud 3:24
2. Lock of hair Jud 16:13,19 Eze 8:3 Nu 6:5 etc.
See KEY
There are ten Hebrew words used in Scripture to signify
locust. In the New Testament locusts are mentioned as forming part of the food
of John the Baptist Mt 3:4 Mr 1:6 By the Mosaic law they were reckoned
"clean, "so that he could lawfully eat them. The name also occurs in
Re 9:3,7 in allusion to this Oriental devastating insect. Locusts belong to the
class of Orthoptera, i.e., straight-winged. They are of many species. The
ordinary Syrian locust resembles the grasshopper, but is larger and more
destructive. "The legs and thighs of these insects are so powerful that
they can leap to a height of two hundred times the length of their bodies. When
so raised they spread their wings and fly so close together as to appear like
one compact moving mass." Locusts are prepared as food in various ways.
Sometimes they are pounded, and then mixed with flour and water, and baked into
cakes; "sometimes boiled, roasted, or stewed in butter, and then
eaten." They were eaten in a preserved state by the ancient Assyrians. The
devastations they make in Eastern lands are often very appalling. The invasions
of locusts are the heaviest calamites that can befall a country. "Their
numbers exceed computation: the hebrews called them 'the countless, 'and the
Arabs knew them as 'the darkeners of the sun.' Unable to guide their own
flight, though capable of crossing large spaces, they are at the mercy of the
wind, which bears them as blind instruments of Providence to the doomed region
given over to them for the time. Innumerable as the drops of water or the sands
of the seashore, their flight obscures the sun and casts a thick shadow on the
earth Ex 10:15 Jud 6:5 7:12 Jer 46:23 Joe 2:10 It seems indeed as if a great
aerial mountain, many miles in breadth, were advancing with a slow, unresting
progress. Woe to the countries beneath them if the wind fall and let them
alight! They descend unnumbered as flakes of snow and hide the ground. It may
be 'like the garden of Eden before them, but behind them is a desolate
wilderness. At their approach the people are in anguish; all faces lose their
colour' Joe 2:6 No walls can stop them; no ditches arrest them; fires kindled
in their path are forthwith extinguished by the myriads of their dead, and the
countless armies march on Joe 2:8,9 If a door or a window be open, they enter
and destroy everything of wood in the house. Every terrace, court, and inner
chamber is filled with them in a moment. Such an awful visitation swept over
Egypt Ex 10:1-19 consuming before it every green thing, and stripping the
trees, till the land was bared of all signs of vegetation. A strong north-west
wind from the Mediterranean swept the locusts into the Red Sea.", Geikie's
Hours, etc., ii., 149)
No pasture, 2Sa 17:27 a town in Gilead not far from
Mahanaim, north of the Jabbok 2Sa 9:4,5 It is probably identical with Debir Jos
13:26
A shed for a watchman in a garden Isa 1:8 The Hebrew name
_melunah_ is rendered "cottage" (q.v.) in Isa 24:20 It also denotes a
hammock or hanging-bed.
The smallest measure for liquids used by the Hebrews Le
14:10,12,15,21,24 called in the Vulgate sextarius. It is the Hebrew unit of measure
of capacity, and is equal to the contents of six ordinary hen's eggs=the
twelfth part of a him, or nearly a pint.
The maternal grandmother of Timothy. She is commended by
Paul for her faith 2Ti 1:5
A knotted "eye" of cord, corresponding to the
"taches" or knobs in the edges of the curtains of the tabernacle, for
joining them into a continuous circuit, fifty to a curtain Ex 26:4,5,10,11
There are various Hebrew and Greek words so rendered.
1. Heb. Jehovah, has been rendered in the English Bible LORD,
printed in small capitals. This is the proper name of the God of the Hebrews.
The form "Jehovah" is retained only in Ex 6:3 Ps 83:18 Isa 12:2 26:4
both in the Authorized and the Revised Version.
2. Heb. 'adon, means one possessed of absolute control.
It denotes a master, as of slaves Ge 24:14,27 or a ruler of his subjects Ge
45:8 or a husband, as lord of his wife Ge 18:12 The old plural form of this
Hebrew word is_'adonai_. From a superstitious reverence for the name
"Jehovah, "the Jews, in reading their Scriptures, whenever that name
occurred, always pronounced it_'Adonai_.
3. Greek kurios, a supreme master, etc. In the LXX. this
is invariably used for "Jehovah" and"'Adonai."
4. Heb. ba'al, a master, as having domination. This word
is applied to human relations, as that of husband, to persons skilled in some
art or profession, and to heathen deities. "The men of Shechem,
"literally "the baals of Shechem" Jud 9:2,3 These were the
Israelite inhabitants who had reduced the Canaanites to a condition of vassalage
Jos 16:10 17:13
5. Heb. seren, applied exclusively to the "lords of
the Philistines" Jud 3:3 The LXX. render it by satrapies. At this period
the Philistines were not, as at a later period 1Sa 21:10 under a kingly
government. (See) Jos 13:3 1Sa 6:18 There were five such lordships, viz., Gath,
Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron.
Only once, in Re 1:10 was in the early Christian ages
used to denote the first day of the week, which commemorated the Lord's
resurrection. There is every reason to conclude that John thus used the name.
See SABBATH
The name given to the only form of prayer Christ taught
his disciples Mt 6:9-13 The closing doxology of the prayer is omitted by Luke
Lu 11:2-4 also in the R.V. of Mt 6:13 This prayer contains no allusion to the
atonement of Christ, nor to the offices of the Holy Spirit. "All Christian
prayer is based on the Lord's Prayer, but its spirit is also guided by that of
His prayer in Gethsemane and of the prayer recorded Joh 17:1ff. The Lord's
Prayer is the comprehensive type of the simplest and most universal
prayer."
1Co 11:20 called also:
1. "the Lord's table" 1Co 10:21
2. "communion, ""cup of blessing" 1Co
10:16
3. "breaking of bread" Ac 2:42 4.In the early
Church it was called also "eucharist, "or giving of thanks (comp.) Mt
26:27 and generally by the Latin Church "mass, "a name derived from
the formula of dismission, Ite, missa est, i.e., "Go, it is
discharged."
The account of the institution of this ordinance is given
in Mt 26:26-29 Mr 14:22-25 Lu 22:19,20 1Co 11:24-26 It is not mentioned by
John. It was designed,
1. To commemorate the death of Christ: "This do in
remembrance of me."
2. To signify, seal, and apply to believers all the
benefits of the new covenant. In this ordinance Christ ratifies his promises to
his people, and they on their part solemnly consecrate themselves to him and to
his entire service.
3. To be a badge of the Christian profession.
4. To indicate and to promote the communion of believers
with Christ.
5. To represent the mutual communion of believers with
each other. The elements used to represent Christ's body and blood are bread
and wine. The kind of bread, whether leavened or unleavened, is not specified.
Christ used unleavened bread simply because it was at that moment on the
paschal table. Believers "feed" on Christ,
a. not with the mouth in any manner, but
b. by the soul alone, and
c. by faith, which is the mouth or hand of the soul. This
they do
d. by the power of the Holy Ghost. This "feeding"
on Christ, however, takes place not in the Lord's Supper alone, but whenever
faith in him is exercised. This is a permanent ordinance in the Church of
Christ, and is to be observed "till he come" again.
Not pitied, the name of the prophet Hosea's first
daughter, a type of Jehovah's temporary rejection of his people Ho 1:6 2:23
(Heb. goral, a "pebble"), a small stone used in
casting lots
1. Nu 33:54 Jon 1:7 The lot was always resorted to by the
Hebrews with strictest reference to the interposition of God, and as a method
of ascertaining the divine will Pr 16:33 and in serious cases of doubt Es 3:7
Thus the lot was used:
a. At the division of the land of Canaan among the
serveral tribes Nu 26:55 34:13
b. At the detection of Achan Jos 7:14,18
c. The election of Saul to be king 1Sa 10:20,21
d. The distribution of the priestly offices of the temple
service 1Ch 24:3,5,19 Lu 1:9
e. Over the two goats at the feast of Atonement Le 16:8
f. Matthias, who was "numbered with the eleven"
Ac 1:24-26 was chosen by lot.
2. This word also denotes a portion or an inheritance Jos
15:1 Ps 125:3 Isa 17:4 and a destiny, as assigned by God Ps 16:5 Da 12:13
3. Lot, (Heb. lot), a covering; veil, the son of Haran,
and nephew of Abraham Ge 11:27 On the death of his father, he was left in
charge of his grandfather Terah Ge 11:31 after whose death he accompanied his
uncle Abraham into Canaan Ge 12:5 thence into Egypt Ge 12:10 and back again to
Canaan Ge 13:1 After this he separated from him and settled in Sodom Ge 13:5-13
There his righteous soul was "vexed" from day to day 2Pe 2:7 and he
had great cause to regret this act. Not many years after the separation he was
taken captive by Chedorlaomer, and was rescued by Abraham Ge 14:1ff. At length,
when the judgment of God descended on the guilty cities of the plain Ge 19:1-20
Lot was miraculously delivered. When fleeing from the doomed city his wife
"looked back from behind him, and became a pillar of salt." There is
to this day a peculiar crag at the south end of the Dead Sea, near Kumran,
which the Arabs call Bint Sheik Lot, i.e., Lot's wife. It is "a tall, isolated needle of rock,
which really does bear a curious resemblance to an Arab woman with a child upon
her shoulder." See SALT Lot and his daughters sought refuge first in Zoar,
and then, fearing to remain there longer, retired to a cave in the neighbouring
mountains Ge 19:30 Lot has recently been connected with the people called on
the Egyptian monuments Rotanu or Lotanu, who is supposed to have been the hero
of the Edomite tribe Lotan.
Coverer, one of the sons of Seir, the Horite Ge 36:20,29
In 1Co 13:1ff. the apostle sets forth the excellency of
love, as the word "charity" there is rendered in the Revised Version.
Charity better captures the biblical idea of love, for charity is love in
action for the glory of God not a mere warm mushy feeling as we use the word
today.
The inhabitants of a thirsty or scorched land; the
Lybians, an African nation under tribute to Egypt 2Ch 12:3 16:8 Their territory
was apparently near Egypt. They were probably the Mizraite Lehabim.
A friend and companion of Paul during his imprisonment at
Rome; Luke (q.v.), the beloved physician Phm 1:24 Col 4:14
Brilliant star, a title given to the king of Babylon Isa
14:12 to denote his glory.
Of Cyrene, a Christian teacher at Antioch Ac 13:1 and
Paul's kinsman Ro 16:21 His name is Latin, but his birthplace seems to indicate
that he was one of the Jews of Cyrene, in North Africa.
From the Lat. lucrum, "gain." 1Ti 3:3 "not
given to filthy lucre." Some MSS. have not the word so rendered, and the
expression has been omitted in the Revised Version.
1. The fourth son of Shem Ge 10:22 1Ch 1:17 ancestor of
the Lydians probably.
2. One of the Hamitic tribes descended from Mizraim Ge 10:13
a people of Africa Eze 27:10 30:5 on the west of Egypt. The people called Lud
were noted archers Isa 66:19 comp. Jer 46:9
See LUDIM
Probably the same as Lud (2.) (comp.) Ge 10:13 1Ch 1:11
They are associated Jer 46:9 with African nations as mercenaries of the king of
Egypt.
See LUD
Made of boards, a Moabitish place between Zoar and
Horonaim Isa 15:5 Jer 48:5
The evangelist, was a Gentile. The date and circumstances
of his conversion are unknown. According to his own statement Lu 1:2 he was not
an "eye-witness and minister of the word from the beginning." It is
probable that he was a physician in Troas, and was there converted by Paul, to
whom he attached himself. He accompanied him to Philippi, but did not there
share his imprisonment, nor did he accompany him further after his release in
his missionary journey at this time Ac 17:1 On Paul's third visit to Philippi
Ac 20:5,6 we again meet with Luke, who probably had spent all the intervening
time in that city, a period of seven or eight years. From this time Luke was
Paul's constant companion during his journey to Jerusalem Ac 20:6-38, 21:1-18
He again disappears from view during Paul's imprisonment at Jerusalem and
Caesarea, and only reappears when Paul sets out for Rome Ac 27:1 whither he
accompanies him Ac 28:2,12-16 and where he remains with him till the close of
his first imprisonment Phm 1:24 Col 4:14 The last notice of the "beloved
physician" is in 2Ti 4:11 There are many passages in Paul's epistles, as
well as in the writings of Luke, which show the extent and accuracy of his
medical knowledge.
Was written by Luke. He does not claim to have been an
eye-witness of our Lord's ministry, but to have gone to the best sources of
information within his reach, and to have written an orderly narrative of the
facts Lu 1:1-4 The authors of the first three Gospels, the synoptics, wrote
independently of each other. Each wrote his independent narrative under the
guidance of the Holy Spirit. Each writer has some things, both in matter and
style, peculiar to himself, yet all the three have much in common. Luke's
Gospel has been called:
1. "the Gospel of the nations, full of mercy and
hope, assured to the world by the love of a suffering Saviour; "
2. "the Gospel of the saintly life; "
3. "the Gospel for the Greeks;
4. the Gospel of the future;
5. the Gospel of progressive Christianity, of the
universality and gratuitousness of the gospel;
6. the historic Gospel;
7. the Gospel of Jesus as the good Physician and the
Saviour of mankind;
8. "the "Gospel of the Fatherhood of God and
the brotherhood of man; "
9. "the Gospel of womanhood; "
10. "the Gospel of the outcast, of the Samaritan,
the publican, the harlot, and the prodigal; "
11. "the Gospel of tolerance."
The main characteristic of this Gospel, as Farrar
(Cambridge Bible, Luke, Introd.) remarks, is fitly expressed in the motto,
"Who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the
devil" Ac 10:38 comp. Lu 4:18 Luke wrote for the "Hellenic
world." This Gospel is indeed "rich and precious." "Out of
a total of 1151 verses, Luke has:
1. 389 in common with Matthew and Mark,
2. 176 in common with Matthew alone,
3. 41 in common with Mark alone,
4. leaving 544 peculiar to himself.
5. In many instances all three use identical
language." See MATTHEW See MARK See GOSPELS
6. There are seventeen of our Lord's parables peculiar to
this Gospel
7. Luke also records seven of our Lord's miracles which
are omitted by Matthew and Mark.
The synoptical Gospels are related to each other after
the following scheme. If the contents of each Gospel be represented by 100 then
when compared this result is obtained:
Mark has 7
peculiarities, 93 coincidences.
Matthew 42
peculiarities, 58 coincidences.
Luke 59
peculiarities, 41 coincidences.
That is, thirteen-fourteenths of Mark, four-sevenths of
Matthew, and two-fifths of Luke are taken up in describing the same things in
very similar language. Luke's style is more finished and classical than that of
Matthew and Mark. There is less in it of the Hebrew idiom. He uses a few Latin
words Lu 12:6 7:41 8:30 11:33 19:20 but no Syriac or Hebrew words except
sikera, an exciting drink of the nature of wine, but not made of grapes (from
Heb. shakar, "he is intoxicated",)Le 10:9 probably palm wine. This
Gospel contains twenty-eight distinct references to the Old Testament. The date
of its composition is uncertain. It must have been written before the Acts, the
date of the composition of which is generally fixed at about 63 or 64 A.D. This
Gospel was written, therefore, probably about 60 or 63 when Luke may have been
at Caesarea in attendance on Paul, who was then a prisoner. Others have
conjectured that it was written at Rome during Paul's imprisonment there. But
on this point no positive certainty can be attained. It is commonly supposed
that Luke wrote under the direction, if not at the dictation of Paul. Many
words and phrases are common to both; e.g., compare:
Lu 4:22 with
Col 4:6
Lu 4:32 with
1Co 2:4
Lu 6:36 with
2Co 1:3
Lu 6:39 with
Ro 2:19
Lu 9:56 with
2Co 10:8
Lu 10:8 with
1Co 10:27
Lu 11:41 with
Ti 1:15
Lu 18:1 with
2Th 1:11
Lu 21:36 with
Eph 6:18
Lu
22:19,20 with 1Co 11:23-29
Lu 24:46 with
Ac 17:3
Lu 24:34 with
1Co 15:5
Probably the same as epileptic, the symptoms of which
disease were supposed to be more aggravated as the moon increased. In Mt 4:24
"lunatics" are distinguished from demoniacs. In Mt 17:15 the name
"lunatic" is applied to one who is declared to have been possessed.
See DAEMONIAC
Sinful longing; the inward sin which leads to the falling
away from God Ro 1:21 "Lust, the origin of sin, has its place in the
heart, not of necessity, but because it is the centre of all moral forces and
impulses and of spiritual activity." In Mr 4:19 "lusts" are
objects of desire.
A nut-bearing tree, the almond.
1. The ancient name of a royal Canaanitish city near the
site of Bethel Ge 28:19 35:6 on the border of Benjamin Jos 18:13 Here Jacob
halted, and had a prophetic vision. See BETHEL
2. A place in the land of the Hittites, founded Jud 1:26
by "a man who came forth out of the city of Luz." It is identified
with Luweiziyeh, 4 miles north-west of Banias.
An inland province of Asia Minor, on the west of
Cappadocia and the south of Galatia. It was a Roman province, and its chief
towns were Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. The "speech of Lycaonia" Ac
14:11 was probably the ancient Assyrian language, or perhaps, as others think,
a corrupt Greek intermingled with Syriac words. Paul preached in this region,
and revisited it Ac 16:1-6 18:23 19:1
A wolf, a province in the south-west of Asia Minor,
opposite the island of Rhodes. It forms part of the region now called Tekeh. It
was a province of the Roman empire when visited by Paul Ac 21:1 27:5 Two of its
towns are mentioned, Patara Ac 21:1,2 and Myra Ac 27:5
A town in the tribe of Ephraim, mentioned only in the New
Testament Ac 9:32,35,38 as the scene of Peter's miracle in healing the
paralytic AEneas. It lay about 9 miles east of Joppa, on the road from the
sea-port to Jerusalem. In the Old Testament 1Ch 8:12 it is called Lod. It was
burned by the Romans, but was afterwards rebuilt, and was known by the name of
Diospolis. Its modern name is Ludd. The so-called patron saint of England, St.
George, is said to have been born here.
1. Eze 30:5 (Heb. Lud), a province in the west of Asia
Minor, which derived its name from the fourth son of Shem Ge 10:22 It was
bounded on the east by the greater Phrygia, and on the west by Ionia and the
AEgean Sea.
2. A woman of Thyatira, a "seller of purple,
"who dwelt in Philippi Ac 16:14,15 She was not a Jewess but a proselyte.
The Lord opened her heart as she heard the gospel from the lips of Paul Ac
16:13 She thus became the first in Europe who embraced Christianity. She was a
person apparently of considerable wealth, for she could afford to give a home
to Paul and his companions.
See THYATIRA
Tetrarch of Abilene Lu 3:1 on the eastern slope of
Anti-Lebanon, near the city of Damascus.
The chief captain (chiliarch) who commanded the Roman
troops in Jerusalem, and sent Paul under guard to the procurator Felix at
Caesarea Ac 21:31-38 22:24-30 His letter to his superior officer is an interesting
specimen of Roman military correspondence Ac 23:26-30 He obtained his Roman
citizenship by purchase, and was therefore probably a Greek.
See CLAUDIUS
A town of Lycaonia, in Asia Minor, in a wild district and
among a rude population. Here Paul preached the gospel after he had been driven
by persecution from Iconium Ac 14:2-7 Here also he healed a lame man Ac 14:8
and thus so impressed the ignorant and superstitious people that they took him
for Mercury, because he was the "chief speaker, " and his companion
Barnabas for Jupiter, probably in consequence of his stately, venerable
appearance; and were proceeding to offer sacrifices to them Ac 14:13 when Paul
earnestly addressed them and turned their attention to the true source of all
blessings. But soon after, through the influence of the Jews from Antioch in
Pisidia and Iconium, they stoned Paul and left him for dead Ac 14:19 On
recovering, Paul left for Derbe; but soon returned again, through Lystra,
encouraging the disciples there to steadfastness. He in all likelihood visited
this city again on his third missionary tour Ac 18:23 Timothy, who was probably
born here 2Ti 3:10,11 was no doubt one of those who were on this occasion
witnesses of Paul's persecution and his courage in Lystra.