Pleasantness, one of the three sons of Caleb, the son of
Jephunneh 1Ch 4:15
The beautiful.
1. The daughter of Lamech and Zillah Ge 4:22
2. The daughter of the king of Ammon, one of the wives of
Solomon, the only one who appears to have borne him a son, viz., Rehoboam 1Ki
14:21,31
3. A city in the plain of Judah Jos 15:41 supposed by some
to be identified with Na'aneh, some 5 miles south-east of Makkedah.
Pleasantness, a Syrian, the commander of the armies of
Benhadad II. in the time of Joram, king of Israel. He was afflicted with
leprosy; and when the little Hebrew slave-girl that waited on his wife told her
of a prophet in Samaria who could cure her master, he obtained a letter from
Benhadad and proceeded with it to Joram. The king of Israel suspected in this
some evil design against him, and rent his clothes. Elisha the prophet hearing
of this, sent for Naaman, and the strange interview which took place is
recorded in 2Ki 5:1ff. The narrative contains all that is known of the Syrian
commander. He was cured of his leprosy by dipping himself seven times in the
Jordan, according to the word of Elisha. His cure is alluded to by our Lord Lu
4:27
The designation of Zophar, one of Job's three friends Job
2:11 11:1 so called from some place in Arabia, called Naamah probably.
A girl, the second of Ashur's two wives, of the tribe of
Judah 1Ch 4:5,6
Youthful, a military chief in David's army 1Ch 11:37
called also Paarai 2Sa 23:35
Boyish, juvenile, a town in Ephraim between Bethel and
Jericho 1Ch 7:28
Girl, a town on the boundary between Ephraim and Benjamin
Jos 16:7 not far probably from Jericho, to the north 1Ch 7:28
Foolish, a descendant of Caleb who dwelt at Maon 1Sa
25:1ff. the modern Main, 7 miles south-east of Hebron. He was "very great,
and he had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats...but the man was churlish and evil in
his doings." During his wanderings David came into that district, and
hearing that Nabal was about to shear his sheep, he sent ten of his young men
to ask "whatsoever cometh unto thy hand for thy servants." Nabal insultingly
resented the demand, saying, "Who is David, and who is the son of
Jesse?" 1Sa 25:10,11 One of the shepherds that stood by and saw the
reception David's messengers had met with, informed Abigail, Nabal's wife, who
at once realized the danger that threatened her household. She forthwith
proceeded to the camp of David, bringing with her ample stores of provisions
1Sa 25:18 She so courteously and persuasively pled her cause that David's anger
was appeased, and he said to her, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which
sent thee this day to meet me." On her return she found her husband
incapable from drunkenness of understanding the state of matters, and not till
the following day did she explain to him what had happened. He was stunned by a
sense of the danger to which his conduct had exposed him. "His heart died
within him, and he became as a stone." and about ten days after "the
Lord smote Nabal that he died" 1Sa 25:37,38 Not long after David married
Abigail (q.v.).
Fruits, "the Jezreelite, "was the owner of a
portion of ground on the eastern slope of the hill of Jezreel 2Ki 9:25,26 This
small "plat of ground" seems to have been all he possessed. It was a
vineyard, and lay "hard by the palace of Ahab" 1Ki 21:1,2 who greatly
coveted it. Naboth, however, refused on any terms to part with it to the king.
He had inherited it from his fathers, and no Israelite could lawfully sell his
property Le 25:23 Jezebel, Ahab's wife, was grievously offended at Naboth's
refusal to part with his vineyard. By a crafty and cruel plot she compassed his
death. His sons also shared his fate 2Ki 9:26 1Ki 21:19 She then came to Ahab
and said, "Arise, take possession of the vineyard; for Naboth is not
alive, but dead." Ahab arose and went forth into the garden which had so
treacherously and cruelly been acquired, seemingly enjoying his new possession,
when, lo, Elijah suddenly appeared before him and pronounced against him a
fearful doom 1Ki 21:17-24 Jehu and Bidcar were with Ahab at this time, and so
deeply were the words of Elijah imprinted on Jehu's memory that many years
afterwards he refers to them 2Ki 9:26 and he was the chief instrument in
inflicting this sentence on Ahab and Jezebel and all their house 2Ki 9:30-37
The house of Ahab was extinguished by him. Not one of all his great men and his
kinsfolk and his priests did Jehu spare 2Ki 10:11 Ahab humbled himself at
Elijah's words 1Ki 21:28,29 and therefore the prophecy was fulfilled not in his
fate but in that of his son Joram 2Ki 9:25 The history of Naboth, compared with
that of Ahab and Jezebel, furnishes a remarkable illustration of the law of a
retributive providence, a law which runs through all history (comp.) Ps
109:17,18
Prepared, the owner of a thrashing-floor near which Uzzah
was slain 2Sa 6:6 called also Chidon 1Ch 13:9
Liberal, generous.
1. The eldest of Aaron's four sons Ex 6:23 Nu 3:2 He with
his brothers and their father were consecrated as priests of Jehovah Ex 28:1 He
afterwards perished with Abihu for the sin of offering strange fire on the
altar of burnt-offering Le 10:1,2 Nu 3:4 26:60
2. The son and successor of Jeroboam, the king of Israel
1Ki 14:20 While engaged with all Israel in laying siege to Gibbethon, a town of
southern Dan Jos 19:44 a conspiracy broke out in his army, and he was slain by
Baasha 1Ki 15:25-28 after a reign of two years (B.C. 955) The assassination of
Nadab was followed by that of his whole house, and thus this great Ephraimite
family became extinct 1Ki 15:29
3. One of the sons of Shammai in the tribe of Judah 1Ch
2:28,30
Illuminating, one of the ancestors of Christ in the
maternal line Lu 3:25
Possession, or valley of God, one of the encampments of
the Israelites in the wilderness Nu 21:19 on the confines of Moab. This is
identified with the ravine of the Zerka M'ain, the ancient Callirhoe, the hot
springs on the east of the Jordan, not far from the Dead Sea.
Pasture, a city in Zebulun on the border of Issachar Jos
19:15 the same as Nahalol Jud 1:30 It was given to the Levites. It has been by
some identified with Malul in the plain of Esdraelon, 4 miles from Nazareth.
Snorer, a Berothite, one of David's heroes, and
armour-bearer of Joab 1Ch 11:39
Serpent.
1. King of the Ammonites in the time of Saul. The
inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead having been exposed to great danger from Nahash,
sent messengers to Gibeah to inform Saul of their extremity. He promptly
responded to the call, and gathering together an army he marched against
Nahash. "And it came to pass that they which remained were scattered, so
that two of them [the Ammonites] were not left together" 1Sa 11:1-11
2. Another king of the Ammonites of the same name is
mentioned, who showed kindness to David during his wanderings 2Sa 10:2 On his
death David sent an embassy of sympathy to Hanun, his son and successor, at
Rabbah Ammon, his capital. The grievous insult which was put upon these
ambassadors led to a war against the Ammonites, who, with their allies the
Syrians, were completely routed in a battle fought at "the entering in of
the gate, " probably of Medeba 2Sa 10:6-14 Again Hadarezer rallied the
Syrian host, which was totally destroyed by the Israelite army under Joab in a
decisive battle fought at Helam 2Sa 10:17 near to Hamath 1Ch 18:3 "So the
Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more" 2Sa 10:19
3. The father of Amasa, who was commander-in-chief of
Abasolom's army 2Sa 17:25 Jesse's wife had apparently been first married to
this man, to whom she bore Abigail and Zeruiah, who were thus David's sisters,
but only on the mother's side 1Ch 2:16
Rest.
1. One of the four sons of Reuel, the son of Esau Ge
36:13,17
2. A Kohathite Levite 1Ch 6:26
3. A Levite, one of the overseers of the sacred offerings
of the temple 2Ch 31:13
Hidden, one of the twelve spies sent out to explore the
land of Canaan Nu 13:14
Snorting.
1. The father of Terah, who was the father of Abraham Ge
11:22-25 Lu 3:34
2. A son of Terah, and elder brother of Abraham Ge 11:26,27
Jos 24:2 R.V. He married Milcah, the daughter of his brother Haran, and
remained in the land of his nativity on the east of the river Euphrates at
Haran Ge 11:27-32 A correspondence was maintained between the family of Abraham
in Canaan and the relatives in the old ancestral home at Haran till the time of
Jacob. When Jacob fled from Haran all intercourse between the two branches of
the family came to an end Ge 31:55 His grand-daughter Rebekah became Isaac's
wife Ge 24:67
Sorcerer, the son of Aminadab, and prince of the children
of Judah at the time of the first numbering of the tribes in the wilderness Ex 6:23
His sister Elisheba was the wife of Aaron. He died in the wilderness Nu
26:64,65 His name occurs in the Greek form Naasson in the genealogy of Christ
Mt 1:4 Lu 3:32
Consolation, the seventh of the so-called minor prophets,
an Elkoshite. All we know of him is recorded in the book of his prophecies. He
was probably a native of Galilee, and after the deportation of the ten tribes
took up his residence in Jerusalem. Others think that Elkosh was the name of a
place on the east bank of the Tigris, and that Nahum dwelt there.
1. Nahum prophesied, according to some, in the beginning
of the reign of Ahaz (B.C. 743) Others, however, think that his prophecies are
to be referred to the latter half of the reign of Hezekiah (about B.C. 709)
This is the more probable opinion, internal evidences leading to that
conclusion. Probably the book was written in Jerusalem (soon after B.C. 709) where he witnessed the invasion of
Sennacherib and the destruction of his host 2Ki 19:35
2. The subject of this prophecy is the approaching
complete and final destruction of Nineveh, the capital of the great and at that
time flourishing Assyrian empire. Assur-bani-pal was at the height of his
glory. Nineveh was a city of vast
extent, and was then the centre of the civilzation and commerce of the world, a
"bloody city all full of lies and robbery" Na 3:1 for it had robbed
and plundered all the neighbouring nations. It was strongly fortified on every
side, bidding defiance to every enemy; yet it was to be utterly destroyed as a
punishment for the great wickedness of its inhabitants. Jonah had already uttered his message of
warning, and Nahum was followed by Zephaniah, who also predicted Zep 2:4-15 the
destruction of the city, predictions which were remarkably fulfilled (B.C. 625)
when Nineveh was destroyed apparently by fire, and the Assyrian empire came to
an end, an event which changed the face of Asia.
See NINEVEH
For fastening.
1. Hebrew yathed, "piercing, "a peg or nail of
any material Eze 15:3 more especially a tent-peg Ex 27:19 35:18 38:20 with one of
which Jael (q.v.) pierced the temples of Sisera Jud 4:21,22 This word is also
used metaphorically Zec 10:4 for a prince or counsellor, just as "the
battle-bow" represents a warrior.
2. Masmer, a "point, "the usual word for a
nail. The words of the wise are compared to "nails fastened by the masters
of assemblies" Ec 12:11 A.V. The Revised Version reads, "as nails
well fastened are the words of the masters, "etc. Others (as Plumptre)
read, "as nails fastened are the masters of assemblies" (comp.) Isa
22:23 Ezr 9:8 David prepared nails for the temple 1Ch 22:3 2Ch 3:9
3. The nails by which our Lord was fixed to the cross are
mentioned Joh 20:25 Col 2:14
4. Nail of the finger (Heb. tsipporen,
"scraping"). To "pare the nails" is in De 21:12 (marg.,
"make, "or "dress, "or "suffer to grow") one of
the signs of purification, separation from former heathenism (comp.) Le 14:8 Nu
8:7 In Jer 17:1 this word is rendered "point."
(from Heb. nain, "green pastures,
""lovely"), the name of a town near the gate of which Jesus
raised to life a widow's son Lu 7:11-17 It is identified with the village
called Nein, standing on the north-western slope of Jebel ed-Duhy(=the
"hill Moreh" "Little hermon"), about 4 miles from Tabor and
25 southwest of Capernaum. At the foot of the slope on which it stands is the
great plain of Esdraelon. This was the first miracle of raising the dead our
Lord had wrought, and it excited great awe and astonishment among the people.
Dwellings, the name given to the prophetical college
established by Samuel near Ramah. It consisted of a cluster of separate
dwellings, and hence its name. David took refuge here when he fled from Saul
1Sa 19:18,19,22,23 and here he passed a few weeks in peace (comp.) Ps 11:1ff.
It was probably the common residence of the "sons of the prophets."
This word denotes
1. absolute nakedness Ge 2:25 Job 1:21 Ec 5:15 Mic 1:8 Am
2:16
2. being poorly clad Isa 58:7 Jas 2:15 It denotes also
3. the state of one who has laid aside his loose outer
garment (Lat. nudus), and appears clothed only in a long tunic or under robe
worn next the skin 1Sa 19:24 Isa 47:3 comp. Mr 14:52 Joh 21:7 It is used
figuratively, meaning "being discovered" or "made manifest"
Job 26:6 Heb 4:13 In Ex 32:25 the expression "the people were naked"
(A.V.) is more correctly rendered in the Revised Version "the people were
broken loose", i.e., had fallen into a state of lawlessness and
insubordination. In 2Ch 28:19 the words "he made Judah naked" (A.V.),
but Revised Version "he had dealt wantonly in Judah, "mean "he
had permitted Judah to break loose from all the restraints of religion."
The lovable; my delight, the wife of Elimelech, and
mother of Mahlon and Chilion, and mother-in-law of Ruth Ru 1:2,20,21 2:1 Elimelech
and his wife left the district of Bethlehem-Judah, and found a new home in the
uplands of Moab. In course of time he died, as also his two sons Mahlon and
Chilion, who had married women of Moab, and three widows were left mourning the
loss of their husbands. Naomi longs to return now to her own land, to
Bethlehem. One of her widowed daughters-in-law, Ruth, accompanies her, and is
at length married to Boaz (q.v.).
Refresher, one of the sons of Ishmael Ge 25:15 1Ch 1:31
He was the father of an Arab tribe.
My wrestling, the fifth son of Jacob. His mother was
Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid Ge 30:8 When Jacob went down into Egypt, Naphtali had
four sons Ge 46:24 Little is known of him as an individual.
The mountainous district of Naphtali Jos 20:7
On this tribe Jacob pronounced the patriarchal blessing,
"Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words" Ge 49:21 It
was intended thus to set forth under poetic imagery the future character and
history of the tribe. At the time of the Exodus this tribe numbered 53,400
adult males Nu 1:43 but at the close of the wanderings they numbered only
45,400 Nu 26:48-50 Along with Dan and Asher they formed "the camp of Dan,
"under a common standard Nu 2:25-31 occupying a place during the march on
the north side of the tabernacle. The possession assigned to this tribe is set
forth in Jos 19:32-39 It lay in the north-eastern corner of the land, bounded
on the east by the Jordan and the lakes of Merom and Galilee, and on the north
it extended far into Coele-Syria, the valley between the two Lebanon ranges. It
comprehended a greater variety of rich and beautiful scenery and of soil and
climate than fell to the lot of any other tribe. The territory of Naphtali
extended to about 800 square miles, being the double of that of Issachar. The
region around Kedesh, one of its towns, was originally called Galil, a name
afterwards given to the whole northern division of Canaan. A large number of
foreigners settled here among the mountains, and hence it was called
"Galilee of the Gentiles" (q.v.), Mt 4:15,16 The southern portion of
Naphtali has been called the "Garden of Palestine." It was of
unrivalled fertility. It was the principal scene of our Lord's public ministry.
Here most of his parables were spoken and his miracles wrought. This tribe was
the first to suffer from the invasion of Benhadad, king of Syria, in the reigns
of Baasha, king of Israel, and Asa, king of Judah 1Ki 15:20 2Ch 16:4 In the
reign of Pekah, king of Israel, the Assyrians under Tiglath-pileser swept over
the whole north of Israel, and carried the people into captivity 2Ki 15:29 Thus
the kingdom of Israel came to an end (B.C. 722) Naphtali is now almost wholly a
desert, the towns of Tiberias, on the shore of the Lake of Galilee, and Safed
being the only places in it of any importance.
A Hamitic tribe descended from Mizraim Ge 10:13 Others identify
this word with Napata, the name of the city and territory on the southern
frontier of Mizraim, the modern Meroe, at the great bend of the Nile at Soudan.
This city was the royal residence, it is said, of Queen Candace Ac 8:27 Here
there are extensive and splendid ruins.
(Gr. soudarion, Joh 11:44 20:7 Lat. sudarium, a
"sweat-cloth"), a cloth for wiping the sweat from the face. But the
word is used of a wrapper to fold money in Lu 19:20 and as an article of dress,
a "handkerchief" worn on the head Ac 19:12
Daffodil, a Roman whom Paul salutes Ro 16:11 He is supposed
to have been the private secretary of the emperor Claudius. This is, however,
quite uncertain.
Given.
1. A prophet in the reigns of David and Solomon 2Ch 9:29
He is first spoken of in connection with the arrangements David made for the
building of the temple 2Sa 7:2,3,17 and next appears as the reprover of David
on account of his sin with Bathsheba 2Sa 12:1-14 He was charged with the
education of Solomon 2Sa 12:25 at whose inauguration to the throne he took a
prominent part 1Ki 1:8,10,11,22-45 His two sons, Zabad 1Ch 2:36 and Azariah 1Ki
4:5 occupied places of honour at the king's court. He last appears in assisting
David in reorganizing the public worship 2Ch 29:25 He seems to have written a
life of David, and also a life of Solomon 1Ch 29:29 2Ch 9:29
2. A son of David, by Bathsheba 2Sa 5:14 whose name
appears in the genealogy of Mary, the mother of our Lord Lu 3:31
3. Ezr 8:16
Given or gift of God, one of our Lord's disciples,
"of Cana in Galilee" Joh 21:2 He was "an Israelite indeed, in
whom was no guile" Joh 1:47,48 His name occurs only in the Gospel of John,
who in his list of the disciples never mentions Bartholomew, with whom he has
consequently been identified. He was one of those to whom the Lord showed
himself alive after his resurrection, at the Sea of Tiberias.
The birth of our Lord took place at the time and place
predicted by the prophets Ge 49:10 Isa 7:14 Jer 31:15 Mic 5:2 Hag 2:6-9 Da
9:24,25 Joseph and Mary were providentially led to go up to Bethlehem at this
period, and there Christ was born Mt 2:1,6 Lu 2:1,7 The exact year or month or
day of his birth cannot, however, now be exactly ascertained. We know, however,
that it took place in the "fulness of the time" Ga 4:4 i.e., at the
fittest time in the world's history. Chronologists are now generally agreed
that the year 4 before the Christian era was the year of Christ's nativity, and
consequently that he was about four years old in the year 1 A.D.
Jer 24:2 "The bad figs may have been such either
from having decayed, and thus been reduced to a rotten condition, or as being
the fruit of the sycamore, which contains a bitter juice" (Tristram,
Nat. Hist.). The inferiority of the
fruit is here referred to as an emblem of the rejected Zedekiah and his people.
This epithet (Gr. Nazaraios) is applied to Christ only
once Mt 2:23 In all other cases the word is rendered "of Nazareth" Mr
1:24 10:47 14:67 etc. When this Greek designation was at first applied to our
Lord, it was meant simply to denote the place of his residence. In course of
time the word became a term of reproach. Thus the word "Nazarene"
carries with it an allusion to those prophecies which speak of Christ as
"despised of men" Isa 53:3 Some, however, think that in this name
there is an allusion to the Hebrew _netser_, which signifies a branch or
sprout. It is so applied to the Messiah Isa 11:1 i.e., he whom the prophets called
the _Netse_, the "Branch." The followers of Christ were called
"the sect of Nazarenes" Ac 24:5 All over Palestine and Syria this
name is still given to Christians.
See NAZARETH
Separated, generally supposed to be the Greek form of the
Hebrew _netser_, a "shoot" or "sprout." Some, however,
think that the name of the city must be connected with the name of the hill
behind it, from which one of the finest prospects in Palestine is obtained, and
accordingly they derive it from the Hebrew _notserah_, i.e., one guarding or
watching, thus designating the hill which overlooks and thus guards an
extensive region. This city is not mentioned in the Old Testament. It was the
home of Joseph and Mary Lu 2:39 and here the angel announced to the Virgin the
birth of the Messiah Lu 1:26-28 Here Jesus grew up from his infancy to manhood
Lu 4:16 and here he began his public ministry in the synagogue Mt 13:54 at
which the people were so offended that they sought to cast him down from the
precipice whereon their city was built Lu 4:29 Twice they expelled him from
their borders Lu 4:16-29 Mt 13:54-58 and he finally retired from the city,
where he did not many mighty works because of their unbelief Mt 13:58 and took
up his residence in Capernaum. Nazareth is situated among the southern ridges
of Lebanon, on the steep slope of a hill, about 14 miles from the Sea of
Galilee and about 6 west from Mount Tabor. It is identified with the modern
village en-Nazirah, of six or ten thousand inhabitants. It lies "as in a
hollow cup" lower down upon the hill than the ancient city. The main road
for traffic between Egypt and the interior of Asia passed by Nazareth near the
foot of Tabor, and thence northward to Damascus. It is supposed from the words
of Nathanael in Joh 1:46 that the city of Nazareth was held in great disrepute,
either because, it is said, the people of Galilee were a rude and less
cultivated class, and were largely influenced by the Gentiles who mingled with
them, or because of their lower type of moral and religious character. But
there seems to be no sufficient reason for these suppositions. The Jews
believed that, according to Mic 5:2 the birth of the Messiah would take place
at Bethlehem, and nowhere else.
Nathanael held the same opinion as his countrymen, and believed that the
great "good" which they were all expecting could not come from
Nazareth. This is probably what Nathanael meant. Moreover, there does not seem
to be any evidence that the inhabitants of Galilee were in any respect
inferior, or that a Galilean was held in contempt, in the time of our Lord.
(See Dr. Merrill's Galilee in the Time of Christ.) The population of this city
(now about 10,000) in the time of Christ probably amounted to 15,000 or 20,000
souls. "The so-called 'Holy House' is a cave under the Latin church, which
appears to have been originally a tank. The 'brow of the hill',site of the
attempted precipitation, is probably the northern cliff: the traditional site has
been shown since the middle ages at some distance to the south. None of the
traditional sites are traceable very early, and they have no authority. The
name Nazareth perhaps means 'a watch tower' (now en-Nasrah), but is connected
in the New Testament with Netzer, 'a branch' Isa 4:2 Jer 23:5 Zec 3:8 6:12 Mt
2:23 Nazarene being quite a different word from Nazarite."
(Heb. form Nazirite), the name of such Israelites as took
on them the vow prescribed in Nu 6:2-21 The word denotes generally one who is
separated from others and consecrated to God. Although there is no mention of
any Nazarite before Samson, yet it is evident that they existed before the time
of Moses. The vow of a Nazarite involved these three things,
1. abstinence from wine and strong drink,
2. refraining from cutting the hair off the head during
the whole period of the continuance of the vow, and
3. the avoidance of contact with the dead.
When the period of the continuance of the vow came to an
end, the Nazarite had to present himself at the door of the sanctuary with
1. a he lamb of the first year for a burnt-offering,
2. a ewe lamb of the first year for a sin-offering, and
3. a ram for a peace-offering.
After these sacrifices were offered by the priest, the
Nazarite cut off his hair at the door and threw it into the fire under the
peace-offering. For some reason, probably in the midst of his work at Corinth,
Paul took on himself the Nazarite vow. This could only be terminated by his
going up to Jerusalem to offer up the hair which till then was to be left
uncut. But it seems to have been allowable for persons at a distance to cut the
hair, which was to be brought up to Jerusalem, where the ceremony was completed.
This Paul did at Cenchrea just before setting out on his voyage into Syria Ac
18:18 On another occasion Ac 21:23-26 at the feast of Pentecost, Paul took on
himself again the Nazarite vow. "The ceremonies involved took a longer
time than Paul had at his disposal, but the law permitted a man to share the
vow if he could find companions who had gone through the prescribed ceremonies,
and who permitted him to join their company. This permission was commonly
granted if the new comer paid all the fees required from the whole company (fee
to the Levite for cutting the hair and fees for sacrifices), and finished the
vow along with the others. Four Jewish Christians were performing the vow, and
would admit Paul to their company, provided he paid their expenses. Paul
consented, paid the charges, and when the last seven days of the vow began he
went with them to live in the temple, giving the usual notice to the priests
that he had joined in regular fashion, was a sharer with the four men, and that
his vow would end with theirs. Nazarites retired to the temple during the last
period of seven days, because they could be secure there against any accidental
defilement" (Lindsay's Acts). As to the duration of a Nazarite's vow,
every one was left at liberty to fix his own time. There is mention made in
Scripture of only three who were Nazarites for life, Samson, Samuel, and John
the Baptist Jud 13:4,5 1Sa 1:11 Lu 1:15 In its ordinary form, however, the
Nazarite's vow lasted only thirty, and at most one hundred, days. This institution
was a symbol of a life devoted to God and separated from all sin, a holy life.
See RECHABITES
Shaking, or settlement, or descent, a town on the east side
of Zebulun, not far from Rimmon Jos 19:13
New city, a town in Thrace at which Paul first landed in
Europe Ac 16:11 It was the sea-port of the inland town of Philippi, which was
distant about 10 miles. From this port Paul embarked on his last journey to
Jerusalem Ac 20:6 It is identified with the modern Turco-Grecian Kavalla.
Height.
1. Ishmael's eldest son Ge 25:13 and the prince of an
Israelitish tribe Ge 25:16 He had a sister, Mahalath, who was one of Esau's
wives Ge 28:9 36:3
2. The name of the Ishmaelite tribe descended from the
above Ge 25:13,18 The "rams of Nebaioth" Isa 60:7 are the gifts which
these wandering tribes of the desert would consecrate to God.
Wickedness in secret, Ne 11:34 probably the village of
Beit Nebala, about 4 miles north of Lydda.
Sight; aspect, the father of Jeroboam, the king of Israel
1Ki 11:26 etc.
Proclaimer; prophet.
1. A Chaldean god whose worship was introduced into
Assyria by Pul Isa 46:1 Jer 48:1 To this idol was dedicated the great temple
whose ruins are still seen at Birs Nimrud. A statue of Nebo found at Calah,
where it was set up by Pul, king of Assyria, is now in the British Museum.
2. A mountain in the land of Moab from which Moses looked
for the first and the last time on the Promised Land De 32:49 34:1 It has been
identified with Jebel Nebah, on the eastern shore of the Dead Sea, near its
northern end, and about 5 miles south-west of Heshbon. It was the summit of the
ridge of Pisgah (q.v.), which was a part of the range of the "mountains of
Abarim." It is about 2,643 feet in height, but from its position it
commands a view of Western Palestine. Close below it are the plains of Moab,
where Balaam, and afterwards Moses, saw the tents of Israel spread along.
3. A town on the east of Jordan which was taken
possession of and rebuilt by the tribe of Reuben Nu 32:3,38 1Ch 5:8 It was
about 8 miles south of Heshbon.
4. The "children of Nebo" Ezr 2:29 Ne 7:33 were
of those who returned from Babylon. It was a town in Benjamin, probably the
modern Beit Nubah, about 7 miles north-west of Hebron.
In the Babylonian orthography Nabu-kudur-uzur, which
means "Nebo, protect the crown!" or the "frontiers." In an
inscription he styles himself "Nebo's favourite." He was the son and
successor of Nabopolassar, who delivered Babylon from its dependence on Assyria
and laid Nineveh in ruins. He was the greatest and most powerful of all the
Babylonian kings. He married the daughter of Cyaxares, and thus the Median and
Babylonian dynasties were united. Necho II., the king of Egypt, gained a
victory over the Assyrians at Carchemish.
See JOSIAH See MEGIDDO
This secured to Egypt the possession of the Syrian
provinces of Assyria, including Palestine. The remaining provinces of the
Assyrian empire were divided between Babylonia and Media. But Nabopolassar was
ambitious of reconquering from Necho the western provinces of Syria, and for
this purpose he sent his son with a powerful army westward Da 1:1 The Egyptians
met him at Carchemish, where a furious battle was fought, resulting in the
complete rout of the Egyptians, who were driven back Jer 46:2-12 and Syria and
Phoenicia brought under the sway of Babylon (B.C. 606) From that time "the
king of Egypt came not again any more out of his land" 2Ki 24:7
Nebuchadnezzar also subdued the whole of Palestine, and took Jerusalem,
carrying away captive a great multitude of the Jews, among whom were Daniel and
his companions Da 1:1,2 Jer 27:19 40:1 Three years after this, Jehoiakim, who
had reigned in Jerusalem as a Babylonian vassal, rebelled against the
oppressor, trusting to help from Egypt 2Ki 24:1 This led Nebuchadnezzar to
march an army again to the conquest of Jerusalem, which at once yielded to him
(B.C. 598) A third time he came against it, and deposed Jehoiachin, whom he
carried into Babylon, with a large portion of the population of the city, and
the sacred vessels of the temple, placing Zedekiah on the throne of Judah in
his stead. He also, heedless of the warnings of the prophet, entered into an
alliance with Egypt, and rebelled against Babylon. This brought about the final siege of the city, which was at
length taken and utterly destroyed (B.C. 586) Zedekiah was taken captive, and
had his eyes put out by order of the king of Babylon, who made him a prisoner
for the remainder of his life. An onyx cameo, now in the museum of Florence,
bears on it an arrow-headed inscription, which is certainly ancient and
genuine. The helmeted profile is said (Schrader) to be genuine also, but it is
more probable that it is the portrait of a usurper in the time of Darius
(Hystaspes), called Nidinta-Bel, who took the name of
"Nebuchadrezzar." The inscription has been thus translated:, "In
honour of Merodach, his lord, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, in his lifetime
had this made." A clay tablet, now in the British Museum, bears the
following inscription, the only one as yet found which refers to his wars:
"In the thirty-seventh year of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the country of
Babylon, he went to Egypt [Misr] to make war.
Amasis, king of Egypt, collected [his army], and marched and spread abroad."
Thus were fulfilled the words of the prophet Jer 46:13-26 Eze 29:2-20 Having
completed the subjugation of Phoenicia, and inflicted chastisement on Egypt,
Nebuchadnezzar now set himself to rebuild and adorn the city of Babylon Da 4:30
and to add to the greatness and prosperity of his kingdom by constructing
canals and aqueducts and reservoirs surpassing in grandeur and magnificence
everything of the kind mentioned in history Da 2:37 He is represented as a
"king of kings, "ruling over a vast kingdom of many provinces, with a
long list of officers and rulers under him, "princes, governors, captains,
"etc. Da 3:2,3,27 He may, indeed,
be said to have created the mighty empire over which he ruled. "Modern
research has shown that Nebuchadnezzar was the greatest monarch that Babylon,
or perhaps the East generally, ever produced. He must have possessed an
enormous command of human labour, nine-tenths of Babylon itself, and
nineteen-twentieths of all the other ruins that in almost countless profusion
cover the land, are composed of bricks stamped with his name. He appears to
have built or restored almost every city and temple in the whole country. His
inscriptions give an elaborate account of the immense works which he
constructed in and about Babylon itself, abundantly illustrating the boast, 'Is
not this great Babylon which I have build?'"Rawlinson, Hist.
Illustrations. After the incident of the "burning fiery furnace" Da
3:1ff. into which the three Hebrew confessors were cast, Nebuchadnezzar was
afflicted with some peculiar mental aberration as a punishment for his pride
and vanity, probably the form of madness known as lycanthropy (i.e, "the
change of a man into a wolf"). A remarkable confirmation of the Scripture
narrative is afforded by the recent discovery of a bronze door-step, which
bears an inscription to the effect that it was presented by Nebuchadnezzar to
the great temple at Borsippa as a votive offering on account of his recovery
from a terrible illness.
See DANIEL He survived his recovery for some years, and
died B.C. 562 in the eighty-third or eighty-fourth year of his age, after a
reign of forty-three years, and was succeeded by his son Evil-merodach, who,
after a reign of two years, was succeeded by Neriglissar (559-555) who was
succeeded by Nabonadius (555-538) at the close of whose reign (less than a
quarter of a century after the death of Nebuchadnezzar) Babylon fell under
Cyrus at the head of the combined armies of Media and Persia. "I have
examined, "says Sir H. Rawlinson,
"the bricks belonging perhaps to a hundred different towns and cities in
the neighbourhood of Baghdad, and I never found any other legend than that of
Nebuchadnezzar, son of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon." Nine-tenths of all
the bricks amid the ruins of Babylon are stamped with his name.
=Nebuchadnezzar Jer 21:2,7 22:25 24:1 etc., a nearer
approach to the correct spelling of the word.
Adorer of Nebo, or Nebo saves me, the "Rabsaris,
"or chief chamberlain, of the court of Babylon. He was one of those whom
the king sent to release Jeremiah from prison in Jerusalem Jer 39:13
"the captain of the guard, "in rank next to the
king, who appears prominent in directing affairs at the capture of Jerusalem
2Ki 25:8-20 Jer 39:11 40:2-5 He showed kindness toward Jeremiah, as commanded
by Nebuchadnezzar Jer 40:1 Five years after this he again came to Jerusalem and
carried captive seven hundred and forty-five more Jews.
An Egyptian king, the son and successor of Psammetichus
(B.C. 610) the contemporary of Josiah, king of Judah. For some reason he
proclaimed war against the king of Assyria. He led forth a powerful army and
marched northward, but was met by the king of Judah at Megiddo, who refused him
a passage through his territory. Here a fierce battle was fought and Josiah was
slain 2Ch 35:20-24 Possibly, as some suppose, Necho may have brought his army
by sea to some port to the north of Dor (comp.) Jos 11:2 12:23 a Phoenician
town at no great distance from Megiddo. After this battle Necho marched on to
Carchemish (q.v.), where he met and conquered the Assyrian army, and thus all
the Syrian provinces, including Palestine, came under his dominion. On his
return march he deposed Jehoahaz, who had succeeded his father Josiah, and made
Eliakim, Josiah's eldest son, whose name he changed into Jehoiakim, king.
Jehoahaz he carried down into Egypt, where he died 2Ki 23:31 2Ch 36:1-4 Four
years after this conquest Necho again marched to the Euphrates; but here he was
met and his army routed by the Chaldeans (B.C. 606) under Nebuchadnezzar, who
drove the Egyptians back, and took from them all the territory they had
conquered, from the Euphrates unto the "river of Egypt" Jer 46:2 2Ki
24:7,8 Soon after this Necho died, and was succeeded by his son, Psammetichus
II.
See NEBUCHADNEZZAR
Used sometimes figuratively.
1. To "lay down the neck" Ro 16:4 is to hazard
one's life.
2. Threatenings of coming judgments are represented by
the prophets by their laying bands upon the people's necks De 28:48 Isa 10:27
Jer 27:2
3. Conquerors put their feet on the necks of their
enemies as a sign of their subjection Jos 10:24 2Sa 22:41
De 18:11 i.e., "one who interrogates the dead,
"as the word literally means, with the view of discovering the secrets of
futurity (comp.) 1Sa 28:7
See DIVINATION
Moved of Jehovah, one of the sons of Jeconiah 1Ch 3:18
Used only in the proverb, "to pass through a
needle's eye" Mt 19:24 Mr 10:25 Lu 18:25 Some interpret the expression as
referring to the side gate, close to the principal gate, usually called the
"eye of a needle" in the East; but it is rather to be taken
literally. The Hebrew females were skilled in the use of the needle Ex 28:39
26:36 Jud 5:30
In the title of Ps 61:1 denotes the music of stringed
instruments 1Sa 16:16 Isa 38:20 It is the singular form of Neginoth.
i.e., songs with instrumental accompaniment, found in the
titles of Ps 4:1 6:1 54:1 55:1 67:1 76:1 rendered "stringed instruments,
" Hab 3:19 A.V. It denotes all kinds of stringed instruments, as the
"harp, ""psaltery, ""viol, "etc. The "chief
musician on Neginoth" is the leader of that part of the temple choir which
played on stringed instruments.
The name given to a false prophet Shemaiah, who went with
the captives to Babylon Jer 29:24,31,32 The origin of the name is unknown. It
is rendered in the marg, "dreamer."
Comforted by Jehovah.
1. Ezr 2:2 Ne 7:7
2. Ne 3:16
3. The son of Hachaliah Ne 1:1 and probably of the tribe
of Judah. His family must have belonged to Jerusalem Ne 2:3 He was one of the
"Jews of the dispersion, "and in his youth was appointed to the
important office of royal cup-bearer at the palace of Shushan. The king,
Artaxerxes Longimanus, seems to have been on terms of friendly familiarity with
his attendant. Through his brother Hanani, and perhaps from other sources Ne
1:2 2:3 he heard of the mournful and desolate condition of the Holy City, and
was filled with sadness of heart. For many days he fasted and mourned and
prayed for the place of his fathers' sepulchres. At length the king observed
his sadness of countenance and asked the reason of it. Nehemiah explained it all
to the king, and obtained his permission to go up to Jerusalem and there to act
as _tirshatha_, or governor of Judea. He went up in the spring of B.C. 446
(eleven years after Ezra), with a strong escort supplied by the king, and with
letters to all the pashas of the provinces through which he had to pass, as
also to Asaph, keeper of the royal forests, directing him to assist Nehemiah.
On his arrival he set himself to survey the city, and to form a plan for its
restoration; a plan which he carried out with great skill and energy, so that
the whole was completed in about six months. He remained in Judea for thirteen
years as governor, carrying out many reforms, notwithstanding much opposition
that he encountered Ne 13:11 He built up the state on the old lines,
"supplementing and completing the work of Ezra, "and making all
arrangements for the safety and good government of the city. At the close of
this important period of his public life, he returned to Persia to the service
of his royal master at Shushan or Ecbatana. Very soon after this the old
corrupt state of things returned, showing the worthlessness to a large extent
of the professions that had been made at the feast of the dedication of the
walls of the city Ne 12:1ff. See EZRA 24294 Malachi now appeared among the
people with words of stern reproof and solemn warning; and Nehemiah again
returned from Persia (after an absence of some two years), and was grieved to
see the widespread moral degeneracy that had taken place during his absence. He
set himself with vigour to rectify the flagrant abuses that had sprung up, and
restored the orderly administration of public worship and the outward
observance of the law of Moses. Of his subsequent history we know nothing.
Probably he remained at his post as governor till his death (about B.C. 413) in
a good old age. The place of his death and burial is, however, unknown.
"He resembled Ezra in his fiery zeal, in his active spirit of enterprise,
and in the piety of his life: but he was of a bluffer and a fiercer mood; he
had less patience with transgressors; he was a man of action rather than a man
of thought, and more inclined to use force than persuasion. His practical
sagacity and high courage were very markedly shown in the arrangement with
which he carried through the rebuilding of the wall and balked the cunning
plans of the 'adversaries.' The piety of his heart, his deeply religious spirit
and constant sense of communion with and absolute dependence upon God, are
strikingly exhibited, first in the long prayer recorded in ch. Neh 1:5-11 and
secondly and most remarkably in what have been called his 'interjectional
prayers',those short but moving addresses to Almighty God which occur so
frequently in his writings, the instinctive outpouring of a heart deeply moved,
but ever resting itself upon God, and looking to God alone for aid in trouble,
for the frustration of evil designs, and for final reward and acceptance"
(Rawlinson). Nehemiah was the last of the governors sent from the Persian
court. Judea after this was annexed to the satrapy of Coele-Syria, and was
governed by the high priest under the jurisdiction of the governor of Syria,
and the internal government of the country became more and more a hierarchy.
1. The author of this book was no doubt Nehemiah himself.
There are portions of the book written in the first person Ne 1:1-11 Ne
12:27-47 13:1-31 But there are also portions of it in which Nehemiah is spoken
of in the third person Ne 8:1-10:39 It is supposed that these portions may have
been written by Ezra; of this, however, there is no distinct evidence. These
portions had their place assigned them in the book, there can be no doubt, by
Nehemiah. He was the responsible author of the whole book, with the exception
of Ne 12:11,22,23.
2. The date at which the book was written was probably
about B.C. 431 when Nehemiah had returned the second time to Jerusalem after
his visit to Persia.
3. The book, which may historically be regarded as a
continuation of the book of Ezra, consists of four parts.
a. An account of the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem,
and of the register Nehemiah had found of those who had returned from Babylon
(ch. 1-7)
b. An account of the state of religion among the Jews
during this time (8-10).
c. Increase of the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the census
of the adult male population, and names of the chiefs, together with lists of
priests and Levites (11:1-12:1-26).
d. Dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the arrangement
of the temple officers, and the reforms carried out by Nehemiah Neh 12:27-13:31
This book closes the history of the Old Testament. Malachi the prophet was
contemporary with Nehemiah.
Only in the title of Ps 5:1 It is probably derived from a
root meaning "to bore, ""perforate, "and hence denotes
perforated wind instruments of all kinds. The psalm may be thus regarded as
addressed to the conductor of the temple choir which played on flutes and
such-like instruments.
Copper, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem, and the
wife of Jehoiakin 2Ki 24:8 king of Judah.
Of copper; a brazen thing a name of contempt given to the
serpent Moses had made in the wilderness Nu 21:8 and which Hezekiah destroyed
because the children of Israel began to regard it as an idol and "burn incense
to it." The lapse of nearly one thousand years had invested the
"brazen serpent" with a mysterious sanctity; and in order to deliver
the people from their infatuation, and impress them with the idea of its
worthlessness, Hezekiah called it, in contempt, "Nehushtan, "a brazen
thing, a mere piece of brass 2Ki 18:4
Dwelling-place of God, a town in the territory of Asher, near
its southern border Jos 19:27 It has been identified with the ruin Y'anin, near
the outlet of the Wady esh Sha-ghur, less than 2 miles north of Kabul, and 16
miles east of Caesarea.
Cavern, a town on the boundary of Naphtali Jos 19:33 It
has with probability, been identified with Seiyadeh, nearly 2 miles east of
Bessum, a ruin half way between Tiberias and Mount Tabor.
Day of God.
1. One of Simeon's five sons 1Ch 4:24 called also Jemuel
Ge 46:10
2. A Reubenite, a son of Eliab, and brother of Dathan and
Abiram Nu 26:9
Ge 6:4 Nu 13:33 (R.V.), giants, the Hebrew word left
untranslated by the Revisers, the name of one of the Canaanitish tribes. The
Revisers have, however, translated the Hebrew gibborim, in Ge 6:4 "mighty
men."
Opened, a fountain and a stream issuing from it on the
border between Judah and Benjamin Jos 15:8,9 18:15 It has been identified with
'Ain Lifta, a spring about 2 1/2 miles north-west of Jerusalem. Others,
however, have identified it with 'Ain' Atan, on the south-west of Bethlehem,
whence water is conveyed through "Pilate's aqueduct" to the Haram
area at Jerusalem.
Light, the father of Kish 1Ch 8:33 1Sa 14:51 should be
read, "Kish, the father of Saul, and Ner, the father of Abner, were the
sons of Abiel." And hence this Kish and Ner were brothers, and Saul and
Abner were first cousins (comp.) 1Ch 9:36
A Christian at Rome to whom Paul sent his salutation Ro
16:15
The great dog; that is, lion, one of the chief gods of the
Assyrians and Babylonians 2Ki 17:30 the god of war and hunting. He is connected
with Cutha as its tutelary deity.
Nergal, protect the king!
1. One of the "princes of the king of Babylon who
accompanied him in his last expedition against Jerusalem" Jer 39:3,13
2. Another of the "princes, "who bore the title
of "Rabmag." He was one of those who were sent to release Jeremiah
from prison Jer 39:13 by "the captain of the guard." He was a
Babylonian grandee of high rank. From profane history and the inscriptions, we
are led to conclude that he was the Neriglissar who murdered Evil-merodach, the
son of Nebuchadnezzar, and succeeded him on the throne of Babylon (B.C. 559) He
was married to a daughter of Nebuchadnezzar. The ruins of a palace, the only
one on the right bank of the Euphrates, bear inscriptions denoting that it was
built by this king. He was succeeded by his son, a mere boy, who was murdered
after a reign of some nine months by a conspiracy of the nobles, one of whom,
Nabonadius, ascended the vacant throne, and reigned for a period of seventeen
years (B.C. 555) at the close of which
period Babylon was taken by Cyrus.
Belshazzar, who comes into notice in connection with the taking of
Babylon, was by some supposed to have been the same as Nabonadius, who was
called Nebuchadnezzar's son Da 5:11,18,22 because he had married his daughter.
But it is known from the inscriptions that Nabonadius had a son called Belshazzar,
who may have been his father's associate on the throne at the time of the fall
of Babylon, and who therefore would be the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar. The Jews
had only one word, usually rendered "father, "to represent also such
a relationship as that of "grandfather" or
"great-grandfather."
Occurs only in the superscription (which is probably
spurious, and is altogether omitted in the R.V.) to the Second Epistle to
Timothy. He became emperor of Rome when he was about seventeen years of age
(A.D. 54 and soon began to exhibit the character of a cruel tyrant and heathen
debauchee. In May A.D. 64 a terrible conflagration broke out in Rome, which
raged for six days and seven nights, and totally destroyed a great part of the
city. The guilt of this fire was attached to him at the time, and the general
verdict of history accuses him of the crime. "Hence, to suppress the
rumour, "says Tacitus (Annals, xv. 44) "he falsely charged with the
guilt, and punished with the most exquisite tortures, the persons commonly
called Christians, who are hated for their enormities. Christus, the founder of
that name, was put to death as a criminal by Pontius Pilate, procurator of
Judea, in the reign of Tiberius; but the pernicious superstition, repressed for
a time, broke out again, not only throughout Judea, where the mischief
originated, but through the city of Rome also, whither all things horrible and
disgraceful flow, from all quarters, as to a common receptacle, and where they
are encouraged. Accordingly, first three were seized, who confessed they were
Christians. Next, on their information, a vast multitude were convicted, not so
much on the charge of burning the city as of hating the human race. And in
their deaths they were also made the subjects of sport; for they were covered
with the hides of wild beasts and worried to death by dogs, or nailed to
crosses, or set fire to, and, when day declined, burned to serve for nocturnal
lights. Nero offered his own gardens for that spectacle, and exhibited a
Circensian game, indiscriminately mingling with the common people in the habit
of a charioteer, or else standing in his chariot; whence a feeling of
compassion arose toward the sufferers, though guilty and deserving to be made
examples of by capital punishment, because they seemed not to be cut off for
the public good, but victims to the ferocity of one man." Another Roman
historian, Suetonius (Nero, xvi.), says of him: "He likewise inflicted
punishments on the Christians, a sort of people who hold a new and impious
superstition" (Forbes's Footsteps of St. Paul, p. 60) Nero was the emperor
before whom Paul was brought on his first imprisonment at Rome, and the apostle
is supposed to have suffered martyrdom during this persecution. He is
repeatedly alluded to in Scripture Ac 25:11 Php 1:12,13 4:22 He died A.D. 68
In use among the Hebrews for fishing, hunting, and
fowling. The fishing-net was probably constructed after the form of that used
by the Egyptians Isa 19:8 There were three kinds of nets.
1. The drag-net or hauling-net (Gr. sagene), of great
size, and requiring many men to work it. It was usually let down from the
fishing-boat, and then drawn to the shore or into the boat, as circumstances
might require Mt 13:47,48
2. The hand-net or casting-net (Gr. amphiblestron), which
was thrown from a rock or a boat at any fish that might be seen Mt 4:18 Mr 1:16
It was called by the Latins funda. It was of circular form, "like the top
of a tent."
3. The bag-net (Gr. diktyon), used for enclosing fish in
deep water Lu 5:4-9
The fowling-nets were
1. the trap, consisting of a net spread over a frame, and
supported by a stick in such a way that it fell with the slightest touch Am 3:5
"gin; "Ps 69:22 Job 18:9 Ec 9:12
2. The snare, consisting of a cord to catch birds by the
leg Job 18:10 Ps 18:5 116:3 140:5
3. The decoy, a cage filled with birds as decoys Jer
5:26,27 Hunting-nets were much in use among the Hebrews.
Given of God.
1. The son of Zuar, chief of the tribe of Issachar at the
Exodus Nu 1:8 2:5
2. One of David's brothers 1Ch 2:14
3. A priest who blew the trumpet before the ark when it
was brought up to Jerusalem 1Ch 15:24
4. A Levite 1Ch 24:6
5. A temple porter, of the family of the Korhites 1Ch
26:4
6. One of the "princes" appointed by
Jehoshaphat to teach the law through the cities of Judah 2Ch 17:7
7. A chief Levite in the time of Josiah 2Ch 35:9
8. Ezr 10:22
9. Ne 12:21
10. A priest's son who bore a trumpet at the dedication
of the walls of Jerusalem Ne 12:36
Given of Jehovah.
1. One of Asaph's sons, appointed by David to minister in
the temple 1Ch 25:2,12
2. A Levite sent by Jehoshaphat to teach the law 2Ch 17:8
3. Jer 36:14
4. 2Ki 25:23,25
The name given to the hereditary temple servants in all
the post-Exilian books of Scripture. The word means given, i.e., "those
set apart", viz., to the menial work of the sanctuary for the Levites. The
name occurs seventeen times, and in each case in the Authorized Version
incorrectly terminates in "s", "Nethinims; "in the Revised
Version, correctly without the "s" Ezr 2:70 7:7,24 8:20 etc. The
tradition is that the Gibeonites Jos 9:27 were the original caste, afterwards
called Nethinim. Their numbers were added to afterwards from captives taken in
battle; and they were formally given by David to the Levites Ezr 8:20 and so
were called Nethinim, i.e., the given ones, given to the Levites to be their
servants. Only 612 Nethinim returned from Babylon Ezr 2:58 8:20 They were under
the control of a chief from among themselves Ezr 2:43 Ne 7:46 No reference to
them appears in the New Testament, because it is probable that they became
merged in the general body of the Jewish people.
Distillation; dropping, a town in Judah, in the
neighbourhood, probably, of Bethlehem Ne 7:26 1Ch 2:54 Two of David's guards
were Netophathites 1Ch 27:13,15 It has been identified with the ruins of
Metoba, or Um Toba, to the north-east of Bethlehem.
1. Heb. haral, "pricking" or "burning,
"Pr 24:30,31 (R.V. marg., "wild vetches"); Job 30:7 Zep 2:9 Many
have supposed that some thorny or prickly plant is intended by this word, such
as the bramble, the thistle, the wild plum, the cactus or prickly pear,
etc. It may probably be a species of
mustard, the Sinapis arvensis, which is a pernicious weed abounding in
corn-fields. Tristram thinks that this word "designates the prickly
acanthus (Acanthus spinosus), a very common and troublesome weed in the plains
of Palestine."
2. Heb. qimmosh, Isa 34:13 Ho 9:6 Pr 24:31 (in both
versions, "thorns"). This word has been regarded as denoting thorns,
thistles, wild camomile; but probably it is correctly rendered "nettle,
"the Urtica pilulifera, "a tall and vigorous plant, often 6 feet
high, the sting of which is much more severe and irritating than that of our
common nettle."
Special services were appointed for the commencement of a
month Nu 28:11-15 10:10
See FESTIVALS
Lu 22:20 rather "New Covenant, "in contrast to
the old covenant of works, which is superseded. "The covenant of grace is
called new; it succeeds to the old broken covenant of works. It is ever fresh,
flourishing, and excellent; and under the gospel it is dispensed in a more
clear, spiritual, extensive, and powerful manner than of old" (Brown of
Haddington). Hence is derived the name given to the latter portion of the
Bible.
See TESTAMENT
Victory; pure, Ezr 2:54 Ne 7:56
A town in the "plain" of Judah. It has been
identified with Beit Nuzib, about 14 miles south-west of Jerusalem, in the Wady
Sur Jos 15:43
Barker, the name of an idol, supposed to be an evil demon
of the Zabians. It was set up in Samaria by the Avites 2Ki 17:31 probably in
the form of a dog.
Fertile; light soil, a city somewhere "in the
wilderness" of Judah Jos 15:62 probably near Engedi.
Conqueror, one of the seven deacons appointed in the
apostolic Church Ac 6:1-6 Nothing further is known of him.
The people is victor, a Pharisee and a member of the
Sanhedrin. He is first noticed as visiting Jesus by night Joh 3:1-21 for the
purpose of learning more of his doctrines, which our Lord then unfolded to him,
giving prominence to the necessity of being "born again." He is next
met with in the Sanhedrin Joh 7:50-52 where he protested against the course
they were taking in plotting against Christ. Once more he is mentioned as
taking part in the preparation for the anointing and burial of the body of
Christ Joh 19:39 We hear nothing more of him. There can be little doubt that he
became a true disciple.
The church at Ephesus Re 2:6 is commended for hating the
"deeds" of the Nicolaitanes, and the church of Pergamos is blamed for
having them who hold their "doctrines" Re 2:15. They were seemingly a
class of professing Christians, who sought to introduce into the church a false
freedom or licentiousness, thus abusing Paul's doctrine of grace (comp.) 2Pe
2:15,16,19 and were probably identical with those who held the doctrine of
Baalam (q.v.), Re 2:14
The victory of the people, a proselyte of Antioch, one of
the seven deacons Ac 6:5
City of victory, where Paul intended to winter Ti 3:12
There were several cities of this name. The one here referred to was most
probably that in Epirus, which was built by Augustus Caesar to commemorate his
victory at the battle of Actium (B.C. 31) It is the modern Paleoprevesa, i.e.,
"Old Prevesa." The subscription to the epistle to Titus calls it
"Nicopolis of Macedonia", i.e., of Thrace. This is, however, probably
incorrect.
Black, a surname of Simeon Ac 13:1 He was probably so
called from his dark complexion.
(Heb. tahmas) occurs only in the list of unclean birds Le
11:16 De 14:15 This was supposed to be the night-jar (Caprimulgus), allied to
the swifts. The Hebrew word is derived from a root meaning "to scratch or
tear the face, "and may be best rendered, in accordance with the ancient
versions, "an owl" (Strix flammea). The Revised Version renders
"night-hawk."
Dark; blue, not found in Scripture, but frequently
referred to in the Old Testament under the name of Sihor, i.e., "the black
stream" Isa 23:3 Jer 2:18 or simply "the river" Ge 41:1 Ex 1:22
etc. and the "flood of Egypt" Am 8:8 It consists of two rivers, the
White Nile, which takes its rise in the Victoria Nyanza, and the Blue Nile,
which rises in the Abyssinian Mountains. These unite at the town of Khartoum,
whence it pursues its course for 1,800 miles, and falls into the Mediterranean
through its two branches, into which it is divided a few miles north of Cairo,
the Rosetta and the Damietta branch.
See EGYPT
Pure, a city on the east of Jordan Nu 32:3 probably the
same as Beth-nimrah Jos 13:27 It has been identified with the Nahr Nimrin, at
one of the fords of Jordan, not far from Jericho.
The stream of the leopards, a stream in Moab Isa 15:6 Jer
48:34 probably the modern Wady en-Nemeirah, a rich, verdant spot at the
south-eastern end of the Dead Sea.
Firm, a descendant of Cush, the son of Ham. He was the
first who claimed to be a "mighty one in the earth." Babel was the
beginning of his kingdom, which he gradually enlarged Ge 10:8-10 The "land
of Nimrod" Mic 5:6 is a designation of Assyria or of Shinar, which is a
part of it.
Saved. Jehu was "the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of
Nimshi" 2Ki 9:2 comp. 1Ki 19:16
First mentioned in Ge 10:11 which is rendered in the
Revised Version, "He [i.e., Nimrod] went forth into Assyria and builded
Nineveh." It is not again noticed till the days of Jonah, when it is
described Jon 3:3 4:11 as a great and populous city, the flourishing capital of
the Assyrian empire 2Ki 19:36 Isa 37:37 The book of the prophet Nahum is almost
exclusively taken up with prophetic denunciations against this city. Its ruin
and utter desolation are foretold Na 1:14 3:19 etc. Zephaniah also Zep 2:13-15
predicts its destruction along with the fall of the empire of which it was the
capital. From this time there is no mention of it in Scripture till it is named
in gospel history Mt 12:41 Lu 11:32 This "exceeding great city" lay
on the eastern or left bank of the river Tigris, along which it stretched for
some 30 miles, having an average breadth of 10 miles or more from the river
back toward the eastern hills. This whole extensive space is now one immense
area of ruins. Occupying a central position on the great highway between the
Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, thus uniting the East and the West, wealth
flowed into it from many sources, so that it became the greatest of all ancient
cities. About B.C. 633 the Assyrian empire began to show signs of weakness, and
Nineveh was attacked by the Medes, who subsequently, about B.C. 625 being
joined by the Babylonians and Susianians, again attacked it, when it fell, and
was razed to the ground. The Assyrian empire then came to an end, the Medes and
Babylonians dividing its provinces between them. "After having ruled for
more than six hundred years with hideous tyranny and violence, from the
Caucasus and the Caspian to the Persian Gulf, and from beyond the Tigris to
Asia Minor and Egypt, it vanished like a dream" Na 2:6-11 Its end was
strange, sudden, tragic. It was God's doing, his judgement on Assyria's pride
Isa 10:5-19 Forty years ago our knowledge of the great Assyrian empire and of its
magnificent capital was almost wholly a blank. Vague memories had indeed
survived of its power and greatness, but very little was definitely known about
it. Other cities which had perished, as
Palmyra, Persepolis, and Thebes, had left ruins to mark their sites and tell of
their former greatness; but of this city, imperial Nineveh, not a single
vestige seemed to remain, and the very place on which it had stood was only
matter of conjecture. In fulfilment of prophecy, God made "an utter end of
the place." It became a "desolation." In the days of the Greek
historian Herodotus, B.C. 400 it had become a thing of the past; and when
Xenophon the historian passed the place in the "Retreat of the Ten
Thousand, "the very memory of its name had been lost. It was buried out of
sight, and no one knew its grave. It is never again to rise from its ruins. At
length, after being lost for more than two thousand years, the city was
disentombed. A little more than forty years ago the French consul at Mosul
began to search the vast mounds that lay along the opposite bank of the river.
The Arabs whom he employed in these excavations, to their great surprise, came
upon the ruins of a building at the mound of Khorsabad, which, on further
exploration, turned out to be the royal palace of Sargon, one of the Assyrian
kings. They found their way into its extensive courts and chambers, and brought
forth form its hidded depths many wonderful sculptures and other relics of
those ancient times. The work of exploration has been carried on almost
continuously by M. Botta, Sir Henry Layard, George Smith, and others, in the
mounds of Nebi-Yunus, Nimrud, Koyunjik, and Khorsabad, and a vast treasury of
specimens of old Assyrian art has been exhumed. Palace after palace has been
discovered, with their decorations and their sculptured slabs, revealing the
life and manners of this ancient people, their arts of war and peace, the forms
of their religion, the style of their architecture, and the magnificence of
their monarchs. The streets of the city have been explored, the inscriptions on
the bricks and tablets and sculptured figures have been read, and now the
secrets of their history have been brought to light. One of the most remarkable
of recent discoveries is that of the library of King Assur-bani-pal, or, as the
Greek historians call him, Sardanapalos, the grandson of Sennacherib (q.v.).
See ASNAPPER This library consists of about ten thousand
flat bricks or tablets, all written over with Assyrian characters. They contain
a record of the history, the laws, and the religion of Assyria, of the greatest
value. These strange clay leaves found in the royal library form the most
valuable of all the treasuries of the literature of the old world. The library
contains also old Accadian documents, which are the oldest extant documents in
the world, dating as far back as probably about the time of Abraham.
See SARGON "The Assyrian royalty is, perhaps, the
most luxurious of our century [reign of Assur-bani-pa]...Its victories and
conquests, uninterrupted for one hundred years, have enriched it with the spoil
of twenty peoples. Sargon has taken what remained to the Hittites; Sennacherib
overcame Chaldea, and the treasures of Babylon were transferred to his coffers;
Esarhaddon and Assur-bani-pal himself have pillaged Egypt and her great cities,
Sais, Memphis, and Thebes of the hundred gates...Now foreign merchants flock
into Nineveh, bringing with them the most valuable productions from all
countries, gold and perfume from South Arabia and the Chaldean Sea, Egyptian linen
and glass-work, carved enamels, goldsmiths' work, tin, silver, Phoenician
purple; cedar wood from Lebanon, unassailable by worms; furs and iron from Asia
Minor and Armenia" (Ancient Egypt and Assyria, by G. Maspero, page 271 The
bas-reliefs, alabaster slabs, and sculptured monuments found in these recovered
palaces serve in a remarkable manner to confirm the Old Testament history of
the kings of Israel. The appearance of the ruins shows that the destruction of
the city was due not only to the assailing foe but also to the flood and the
fire, thus confirming the ancient prophecies concerning it. "The recent excavations, "says
Rawlinson, "have shown that fire was a great instrument in the destruction
of the Nineveh palaces. Calcined alabaster, charred wood, and charcoal,
colossal statues split through with heat, are met with in parts of the Nineveh
mounds, and attest the veracity of prophecy." Nineveh in its glory was Jon
3:4 an "exceeding great city of three days' journey", i.e., probably
in circuit. This would give a circumference of about 60 miles. At the four
corners of an irregular quadrangle are the ruins of Kouyunjik, Nimrud,
Karamless and Khorsabad. These four great masses of ruins, with the whole area
included within the parallelogram they form by lines drawn from the one to the
other, are generally regarded as composing the whole ruins of Nineveh.
Month of Flowers, Ne 2:1 the first month of the Jewish sacred
year. Assyrian nisannu, "beginning."
See ABIB
Probably connected with the Hebrew word _nesher_, an
eagle. An Assyrian god, supposed to be that represented with the head of an
eagle. Sennacherib was killed in the temple of this idol 2Ki 19:37 Isa 37:38
Pr 25:20 R.V. marg., "soda", properly
"natron, "a substance so called because, rising from the bottom of
the Lake Natron in Egypt, it becomes dry and hard in the sun, and is the soda
which effervesces when vinegar is poured on it. It is a carbonate of soda, not
saltpetre, which the word generally denotes Jer 2:22 R.V. "lye".
Or No-A'mon, the home of Amon, the name of Thebes, the
ancient capital of what is called the Middle Empire, in Upper or Southern
Egypt. "The multitude of No" Jer 46:25 is more correctly rendered, as
in the Revised Version, "Amon of No", i.e., No, where Jupiter Amon
had his temple. In Eze 30:14,16 it is simply called "No; "but in Eze
30:15 the name has the Hebrew Hamon prefixed to it, "Hamon No." This
prefix is probably the name simply of the god usually styled Amon or
Ammon. In Na 3:8 the "populous
No" of the Authorized Version is in the Revised Version correctly rendered
"No-Amon." It was the Diospolis or Thebes of the Greeks, celebrated
for its hundred gates and its vast population. It stood on both sides of the
Nile, and is by some supposed to have included Karnak and Luxor. In grandeur
and extent it can only be compared to Nineveh. It is mentioned only in the
prophecies referred to, which point to its total destruction. It was first
taken by the Assyrians in the time of Sargon Isa 20:1ff. It was afterwards
"delivered into the hand" of Nebuchadnezzar and Assurbani-pal Jer
46:25,26 Cambyses, king of the Persians (B.C. 525) further laid it waste by
fire. Its ruin was completed (B.C. 81)
by Ptolemy Lathyrus. The ruins of this city are still among the most notable in
the valley of the Nile. They have formed a great storehouse of interesting
historic remains for more than two thousand years. "As I wandered day
after day with ever-growing amazement amongst these relics of ancient
magnificence, I felt that if all the ruins in Europe, classical, Celtic, and
medieval, were brought together into one centre, they would fall far short both
in extent and grandeur of those of this single Egyptian city." Manning,
The Land of the Pharaohs.
Meeting with the Lord.
1. A Levite who returned from Babylon Ezr 8:33
2. A false prophetess who assisted Tobiah and Sanballat
against the Jews Ne 6:14 Being bribed by them, she tried to stir up discontent
among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and so to embarrass Nehemiah in his great
work of rebuilding the ruined walls of the city.
1. Rest, (Heb. Noah) the grandson of Methuselah Ge
5:25-29 who was for two hundred and fifty years contemporary with Adam, and the
son of Lamech, who was about fifty years old at the time of Adam's death. This patriarch is rightly regarded as the
connecting link between the old and the new world. He is the second great
progenitor of the human family. The words of his father Lamech at his birth Ge
5:29 have been regarded as in a sense prophetical, designating Noah as a type
of Him who is the true "rest and comfort" of men under the burden of
life Mt 11:28 He lived five hundred years, and then there were born unto him
three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth Ge 5:32 He was a "just man and perfect
in his generation, "and "walked with God" (comp.) Eze 14:14,20
But now the descendants of Cain and of Seth began to intermarry, and then there
sprang up a race distinguished for their ungodliness. Men became more and more
corrupt, and God determined to sweep the earth of its wicked population Ge 6:7
But with Noah God entered into a covenant, with a promise of deliverance from
the threatened deluge Ge 6:18. He was accordingly commanded to build an ark Ge
6:14-16 for the saving of himself and his house. An interval of one hundred and
twenty years elapsed while the ark was being built Ge 6:3 during which Noah
bore constant testimony against the unbelief and wickedness of that generation
1Pe 3:18-20 2Pe 2:5 When the ark of "gopher-wood" (mentioned only
here) was at length completed according to the command of the Lord, the living
creatures that were to be preserved entered into it; and then Noah and his wife
and sons and daughters-in-law entered it, and the "Lord shut him in"
Ge 7:16 The judgment-threatened now fell on the guilty world, "the world
that then was, being overflowed with water, perished" 2Pe 3:6 The ark
floated on the waters for one hundred and fifty days, and then rested on the
mountains of Ararat Ge 8:3,4 but not for a considerable time after this was
divine permission given him to leave the ark, so that he and his family were a
whole year shut up within it Ge 7:11 8:13-14 On leaving the ark Noah's first
act was to erect an altar, the first of which there is any mention, and offer
the sacrifices of adoring thanks and praise to God, who entered into a covenant
with him, the first covenant between God and man, granting him possession of
the earth by a new and special charter, which remains in force to the present
time Ge 8:21-22 9:1-17 As a sign and witness of this covenant, the rainbow was
adopted and set apart by God, as a sure pledge that never again would the earth
be destroyed by a flood. But, alas! Noah after this fell into grievous sin Ge
9:21 and the conduct of Ham on this sad occasion led to the memorable
prediction regarding his three sons and their descendants. Noah "lived
after the flood three hundred and fifty years, and he died" Ge 9:29 See
DELUGE
2. Noah, motion, (Heb. No'ah) one of the five daughters
of Zelophehad Nu 26:33 27:1 36:11 Jos 17:3
High place, a city of the priests, first mentioned in the
history of David's wanderings 1Sa 21:1 Here the tabernacle was then standing,
and here Ahimelech the priest resided.
See AHIMELECH From Isa 10:28-32 it seems to have been
near Jerusalem. It has been identified by some with el-Isawiyeh, one mile and a
half to the north-east of Jerusalem. But according to Isa 10:28-32 it was on
the south of Geba, on the road to Jerusalem, and within sight of the city. This
identification does not meet these conditions, and hence others (as Dean
Stanley) think that it was the northern summit of Mount Olivet, the place where
David "worshipped God" when fleeing from Absalom 2Sa 15:32 or more
probably (Conder) that it was the same as Mizpeh (q.v.), Jud 20:1 Jos 18:26 1Sa
7:16 at Nebi Samwil, about 5 miles north-west of Jerusalem. After being
supplied with the sacred loaves of showbread, and girding on the sword of
Goliath, which was brought forth from behind the ephod, David fled from Nob and
sought refuge at the court of Achish, the king of Gath, where he was cast into
prison. (Comp. titles of Ps 34:1 56:1)
Howling.
1. Nu 32:42
2. The name given to Kenath (q.v.) by Nobah when he
conquered it. It was on the east of Gilead Jud 8:11
(Gr. basilikos, i.e., "king's man"), an officer
of state Joh 4:49 in the service of Herod Antipas. He is supposed to have been
the Chuza, Herod's steward, whose wife was one of those women who
"ministered unto the Lord of their substance" Lu 8:3 This officer
came to Jesus at Cana and besought him to go down to Capernaum and heal his
son, who lay there at the point of death. Our Lord sent him away with the
joyful assurance that his son was alive.
Exile; wandering; unrest, a name given to the country to
which Cain fled Ge 4:16 It lay on the east of Eden.
Noble, probably a tribe descended from one of the sons of
Ishmael, with whom the trans-Jordanic tribes made war 1Ch 5:19
Splendour, one of David's sons, born at Jerusalem 1Ch 3:7
The Hebrew name of an Egyptian city Isa 19:13 Jer 2:16 44:1
46:14,19 Eze 30:13,16 In Ho 9:6 the Hebrew name is Moph, and is translated
"Memphis, "which is its Greek and Latin form. It was one of the most
ancient and important cities of Egypt, and stood a little to the south of the
modern Cairo, on the western bank of the Nile. It was the capital of Lower
Egypt. Among the ruins found at this place is a colossal statue of Rameses the
Great.
See MEMPHIS
Blast, a city of Moab which was occupied by the Amorites
Nu 21:30
A general name for the countries that lay north of
Palestine. Most of the invading armies entered Palestine from the north Isa 41:25
Jer 1:14,15 50:3,9,41 51:48 Eze 26:7
(Heb. tsaphon), a "hidden" or "dark place,
"as opposed to the sunny south De 3:27 A Hebrew in speaking of the points
of the compass was considered as always having his face to the east, and hence
"the left hand" Ge 14:15 Job 23:9 denotes the north. The
"kingdoms of the north" are Chaldea, Assyria, Media, etc.
Only mentioned in Isa 3:21 although refered to in Ge
24:47 Pr 11:22 Ho 2:13 They were among the most valued of ancient female
ornaments. They "were made of
ivory or metal, and occasionally jewelled. They were more than an inch in
diameter, and hung upon the mouth. Eliezer gave one to Rebekah which was of
gold and weighed half a shekel...At the present day the women in the country
and in the desert wear these ornaments in one of the sides of the nostrils,
which droop like the ears in consequence."
Besides the numbering of the tribes mentioned in the
history of the wanderings in the wilderness, we have an account of a general
census of the whole nation from Dan to Beersheba, which David gave directions
to Joab to make 1Ch 21:1 Joab very reluctantly began to carry out the king's
command. This act of David in ordering a numbering of the people arose from
pride and a self-glorifying spirit. It indicated a reliance on his part on an
arm of flesh, an estimating of his power not by the divine favour but by the
material resources of his kingdom. He thought of military achievement and of
conquest, and forgot that he was God's vicegerent. In all this he sinned
against God. While Joab was engaged in the census, David's heart smote him, and
he became deeply conscious of his fault; and in profound humiliation he
confessed, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done." The prophet
Gad was sent to him to put before him three dreadful alternatives 2Sa 24:13 for
"seven years" in this verse, the LXX. and 1Ch 21:12 have "three
years"), three of Jehovah's four sore judgments Eze 14:21 Two of these
David had already experienced. He had fled for some months before Absalom, and
had suffered three years' famine on account of the slaughter of the Gibeonites.
In his "strait" David said, "Let me fall into the hands of the
Lord." A pestilence broke out among the people, and in three days swept
away 70,000 At David's intercession the plague was stayed, and at the
threshing-floor of Araunah (q.v.), where the destroying angel was arrested in
his progress, David erected an altar, and there offered up sacrifies to God 2Ch
3:1 The census, so far as completed, showed that there were at least 1,300,000 fighting
men in the kingdom, indicating at that time a population of about six or seven
millions in all.
See CENSUS
The fourth of the books of the Pentateuch, called in the
Hebrew be-midbar, i.e., "in the wilderness." In the LXX. version it
is called "Numbers, "and this name is now the usual title of the
book. It is so called because it contains a record of the numbering of the
people in the wilderness of Sinai Nu 1:1-4:49
and of their numbering afterwards on the plain of Moab Nu 26:1-2. This
book is of special historical interest as furnishing us with details as to the
route of the Israelites in the wilderness and their principal encampments. It
may be divided into three parts:
1. The numbering of the people at Sinai, and preparations
for their resuming their march Nu 1:1-10:10. The sixth chapter gives an account
of the vow of a Nazarite.
2. An account of the journey from Sinai to Moab, the
sending out of the spies and the report they brought back, and the murmurings
(eight times) of the people at the hardships by the way Nu 10:11-21:20.
3. The transactions in the plain of Moab before crossing
the Jordan Nu 21:21-36:13 The period comprehended in the history extends from
the second month of the second year after the Exodus to the beginning of the
eleventh month of the fortieth year, in all about thirty-eight years and ten
months; a dreary period of wanderings, during which that disobedient generation
all died in the wilderness. They were fewer in number at the end of their
wanderings than when they left the land of Egypt. We see in this history, on
the one hand, the unceasing care of the Almighty over his chosen people during
their wanderings; and, on the other hand, the murmurings and rebellions by
which they offended their heavenly Protector, drew down repeated marks of his
displeasure, and provoked him to say that they should "not enter into his
rest" because of their unbelief Heb 3:19 This, like the other books of the
Pentateuch, bears evidence of having been written by Moses. The expression
"the book of the wars of the Lord, "occurring in Nu 21:14 has given
rise to much discussion. But, after all, "what this book was is uncertain,
whether some writing of Israel not now extant, or some writing of the Amorites
which contained songs and triumphs of their king Sihon's victories, out of
which Moses may cite this testimony, as Paul sometimes does out of heathen
poets" Ac 17:28 Tit 1:12
Beyond the fact that he was the father of Joshua nothing
more is known of him Ex 33:11
Were among the presents Jacob sent into Egypt for the
purpose of conciliating Joseph Ge 43:11 This was the fruit of the pistachio
tree, which resembles the sumac. It is of the size of an olive. In So 6:11 a
different Hebrew word('egoz), which means "walnuts, "is used.
Nymph, saluted by Paul in his Epistle to the Colossians
as a member of the church of Laodicea Col 4:15