From Lat. vagabundus, "a wanderer, ""a
fugitive; "not used opprobriously Ge 4:12 R.V., "wanderer; "Ps
109:10 Ac 19:13 R.V., "strolling".
Purity; worthy of honour, one of Haman's sons, whom the
Jews slew in the palace of Shushan Es 9:9
1. Heb. bik'ah, a "cleft" of the mountains De
8:7 11:11 Ps 104:8 Isa 41:18 also a low plain bounded by mountains, as the
plain of Lebanon at the foot of Hermon around the sources of the Jordan Jos
11:17 12:7 and the valley of Megiddo 2Ch 35:22
2. 'Emek, "deep; ""a long, low plain"
Job 39:10,21 Ps 65:13 So 2:1 such as the plain
a. of Esdraelon; the "valley of giants" Jos
15:8 usually translated "valley of Rephaim" 2Sa 5:18
b. of Elah 1Sa 17:2
c. of Berachah 2Ch 20:26
d. the king's "dale" Ge 14:17
e. of Jehoshaphat Joe 3:2,12
f. of Achor Jos 7:24 Isa 65:10
g. Succoth Ps 60:6
h. Ajalon Jos 10:12
i. Jezreel Ho 1:5
3. Ge, "a bursting, "a "flowing together,
"a narrow glen or ravine, such as the valley of
a. the children of Hinnom 2Ki 23:10
b. of Eshcol De 1:24
c. of Sorek Jud 16:4 etc.
The "valley of vision" Isa 22:1 is usually
regarded as denoting Jerusalem, which "may be so called, "says Barnes
(Com. on Isa.), "either
1. because there were several valleys within the city and
adjacent to it, as the vale between Mount Zion and Moriah, the vale between
Mount Moriah and Mount Ophel, between these and Mount Bezetha, and the valley
of Jehoshaphat, the valley of the brook Kidron, etc., without the walls of the
city; or
2. more probably it was called the valley in reference to
its being compassed with hills rising to a considerable elevation above the
city" Ps 125:2 comp. also Jer 21:13 where Jerusalem is called a
"valley".
4. Heb. nahal, a wady or water-course Ge 26:19 So 6:11
Beautiful, the queen of Ahasuerus, who was deposed from
her royal dignity because she refused to obey the king when he desired her to
appear in the banqueting hall of Shushan the palace Es 1:10-12
See ESTHER
Is said to be the oldest extant vellum manuscript. It and
the Codex Sinaiticus are the two oldest uncial manuscripts. They were probably
written in the fourth century. The Vaticanus was placed in the Vatican Library
at Rome by Pope Nicolas V. in 1448 its previous history being unknown. It
originally consisted in all probability of a complete copy of the Septuagint
and of the New Testament. It is now imperfect, and consists of 759 thin,
delicate leaves, of which the New Testament fills 142 Like the Sinaiticus, it
is of the greatest value to Biblical scholars in aiding in the formation of a
correct text of the New Testament. It is referred to by critics as Codex B.
See CODEX SINAITICUS
1. Heb. mitpahath Ru 3:15 marg., "sheet" or
"apron; "R.V., "mantle"). In Isa 3:22 this word is plural,
rendered "wimples; " R.V., "shawls" i.e., wraps.
2. Massekah Isa 25:7 28:20 rendered
"covering"). The word denotes something spread out and covering or
concealing something else (comp.) 2Co 3:13-15
3. Masveh Ex 34:33,35 the veil on the face of Moses. This
verse should be read, "And when Moses had done speaking with them, he put
a veil on his face, "as in the Revised Version. When Moses spoke to them
he was without the veil; only when he ceased speaking he put on the veil
(comp.) 2Co 3:13 etc.
4. Paroheth Ex 26:31-35 the veil of the tabernacle and
the temple, which hung between the holy place and the most holy 2Ch 3:14 In the
temple a partition wall separated these two places. In it were two
folding-doors, which are supposed to have been always open, the entrance being
concealed by the veil which the high priest lifted when he entered into the
sanctuary on the day of Atonement. This veil was rent when Christ died on the
cross Mt 27:51 Mr 15:38 Lu 23:45
5. Tza'iph Ge 24:65 Rebekah "took a vail and covered
herself." (See also) Ge 38:14,19 Hebrew women generally appeared in public
without veils Ge 12:14 24:16 29:10 1Sa 1:12
6. Radhidh So 5:7 R.V. "mantle; "Isa 3:23 The
word probably denotes some kind of cloak or wrapper.
7. Masak, the veil which hung before the entrance to the
holy place Ex 26:36,37
A translation of the holy Scriptures. This word is not
found in the Bible, nevertheless, as frequent references are made in this work
to various ancient as well as modern versions, it is fitting that some brief
account should be given of the most important of these. These versions are
important helps to the right interpretation of the Word.
See SAMARITAN PENTATEUCH
1. The Targums. After the return from the Captivity, the Jews,
no longer familiar with the old Hebrew, required that their Scriptures should
be translated for them into the Chaldaic or Aramaic language and interpreted.
These translations and paraphrases were at first oral, but they were afterwards
reduced to writing, and thus targums, i.e., "versions" or
"translations", have come down to us. The chief of these are,
a. The Onkelos Targum, i.e., the targum of Akelas=Aquila,
a targum so called to give it greater popularity by comparing it with the Greek
translation of Aquila mentioned below. This targum originated about the second
century after Christ.
b. The targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel comes next to that
of Onkelos in respect of age and value. It is more a paraphrase on the
Prophets, however, than a translation. Both of these targums issued from the
Jewish school which then flourished at Babylon.
2. The Greek Versions.
a. The oldest of these is the Septuagint, usually quoted
as the LXX. The origin of this the most important of all the versions is
involved in much obscurity. It derives its name from the popular notion that
seventy-two translators were employed on it by the direction of Ptolemy
Philadelphus, king of Egypt, and that it was accomplished in seventy-two days,
for the use of the Jews residing in that country. There is no historical
warrant for this notion. It is, however, an established fact that this version
was made at Alexandria; that it was begun about 280 B.C., and finished about
200 or 150 B.C.; that it was the work of a number of translators who differed
greatly both in their knowledge of Hebrew and of Greek; and that from the
earliest times it has borne the name of "The Septuagint", i.e., The
Seventy. "This version, with all its defects, must be of the greatest
interest,
1. as preserving evidence for the text far more ancient
than the oldest Hebrew manuscripts;
2. as the means by which the Greek Language was wedded to
Hebrew thought;
3. as the source of the great majority of quotations from
the Old Testament by writers of the New Testament.
b. The New Testament manuscripts fall into two divisions,
Uncials, written in Greek capitals, with no distinction at all between the
different words, and very little even between the different lines; and
Cursives, in small Greek letters, and with divisions of words and lines. The
change between the two kinds of Greek writing took place about the tenth
century. Only five manuscripts of the New Testament approaching to completeness
are more ancient than this dividing date.
1. The first, numbered A, is the Alexandrian manuscript.
Though brought to this country by Cyril Lucar, patriarch of Constantinople, as
a present to Charles I., it is believed that it was written, not in that
capital, but in Alexandria; whence its title. It is now dated in the fifth
century A.D.
2. The second, known as B, is the Vatican manuscript. See
VATICANUS
3. The Third, C, or the Ephraem manuscript, was so called
because it was written over the writings of Ephraem, a Syrian theological
author, a practice very common in the days when writing materials were scarce
and dear. It is believed that it belongs to the fifth century, and perhaps a
slightly earlier period of it than the manuscript A.
4. The fourth, D, or the manuscript of Beza, was so
called because it belonged to the reformer Beza, who found it in the monastery
of St. Irenaeus at Lyons in 1562 A.D. It is imperfect, and is dated in the
sixth century.
5. The fifth (called Aleph) is the Sinaitic manuscript.
See SINAITICUS
3. The Syriac Versions. See SYRIAC
4. The Latin Versions. A Latin version of the Scriptures, called the "Old Latin,
"which originated in North Africa, was in common use in the time of
Tertullian (A.D. 150) Of this there appear to have been various copies or recensions
made. That made in Italy, and called the Itala, was reckoned the most accurate.
This translation of the Old Testament seems to have been made not from the
original Hebrew but from the LXX. This version became greatly corrupted by
repeated transcription, and to remedy the evil Jerome (A.D. 329) was requested by Damasus, the bishop of
Rome, to undertake a complete revision of it. It met with opposition at first,
but was at length, in the seventh century, recognized as the
"Vulgate" version. It appeared in a printed from about A.D. 1455 the first book that ever issued from
the press. The Council of Trent (1546) declared it "authentic." It
subsequently underwent various revisions, but that which was executed (1592)
under the sanction of Pope Clement VIII. was adopted as the basis of all subsequent
editions. It is regarded as the sacred original in the Roman Catholic Church.
All modern European versions have been more or less influenced by the Vulgate.
This version reads _ipsa_ instead of _ipse_ in Ge 3:15 "She shall bruise
thy head."
5. There are several other ancient versions which are of
importance for Biblical critics, but which we need not mention particularly,
such as
a. the Ethiopic, in the fourth century, from the LXX.;
b. two Egyptian versions, about the fourth century,
1. the Memphitic, circulated in Lower Egypt
2. the Thebaic, designed for Upper Egypt, both from the
Greek;
c. the Gothic, written in the German language, but with
the Greek alphabet, by Ulphilas (died A.D. 388) of which only fragments of the
Old Testament remain;
d. the Armenian, about A.D. 400
e. the Slavonic, in the ninth century, for ancient
Moravia. Other ancient versions, as the Arabic, the Persian, and the
Anglo-Saxon, may be mentioned.
6. The history of the English versions begins properly
with Wyckliffe. Portions, however, of the Scriptures were rendered into Saxon
(as the Gospel according to John, by Bede, A.D. 735 and also into English (by
Orme, called the "Ormulum, "a portion of the Gospels and of the Acts
in the form of a metrical paraphrase, toward the close of the seventh century),
long before Wyckliffe;
a. but it is to him that the honour belongs of having
first rendered the whole Bible into English (A.D. 1380) This version was made
from the Vulgate, and renders Ge 3:15 after that Version, "She shall trede
thy head."
b. This was followed by Tyndale's translation (1525-1531)
c. Miles Coverdale's (1535-1553)
d. Thomas Matthew's (1537) really, however, the work of
John Rogers, the first martyr under the reign of Queen Mary. This was properly the
first Authorized Version, Henry VIII. having ordered a copy of it to be got for
every church. This took place in less than a year after Tyndale was martyred
for the crime of translating the Scriptures.
e. In 1539 Richard Taverner published a revised edition
of Matthew's Bible.
f. The Great Bible, so called from its great size, called
also Cranmer's Bible, was published in 1539 and 1568 In the strict sense, the
"Great Bible" is "the only authorized version; for the Bishops'
Bible and the present Bible [the A.V.] never had the formal sanction of royal
authority."
g. Next in order was the Geneva version (1557-1560)
h. The Bishops' Bible (1568)
i. The Rheims and Douai versions, under Roman Catholic
auspices (1582, 1609)
j. The Authorized Version (1611)
k. The Revised Version of the New Testament in 1880 and
of the Old Testament in 1884
Jud 5:7,11 The Hebrew word thus rendered (perazon) means
habitations in the open country, unwalled villages De 3:5 1Sa 6:18 Others,
however, following the LXX. and the Vulgate versions, render the word
"rulers."
One of the most important products of Palestine. The
first mention of it is in the history of Noah Ge 9:20 It is afterwards
frequently noticed both in the Old and New Testaments, and in the ruins of
terraced vineyards there are evidences that it was extensively cultivated by
the Jews. It was cultivated in Palestine before the Israelites took possession
of it. The men sent out by Moses brought with them from the Valley of Eshcol a
cluster of grapes so large that "they bare it between two upon a
staff" Nu 13:23 The vineyards of En-gedi So 1:14 Heshbon, Sibmah, Jazer,
Elealeh Isa 16:8-10 Jer 48:32,34 and Helbon Eze 27:18 as well as of Eshcol,
were celebrated. The Church is compared
to a vine Ps 80:8 and Christ says of himself, "I am the vine" Joh
15:1 In one of his parables also Mt 21:33 our Lord compares his Church to a
vineyard which "a certain householder planted, and hedged round about,
"etc. Ho 10:1 is rendered in the Revised Version, "Israel is a
luxuriant vine, which putteth forth his fruit, "instead of "Israel is
an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself, "of the Authorized
Version.
See GRAPE
Heb. hometz, Gr. oxos, Fr. vin aigre; i.e., "sour
wine." The Hebrew word is rendered vinegar in Ps 69:21 a prophecy
fulfilled in the history of the crucifixion Mt 27:34 This was the common sour
wine (posea) daily made use of by the Roman soldiers. They gave it to Christ,
not in derision, but from compassion, to assuage his thirst. Pr 10:26 shows
that there was also a stronger vinegar, which was not fit for drinking. The
comparison, "vinegar upon nitre, "probably means "vinegar upon
soda" (as in the marg. of the R.V.), which then effervesces.
Referred to only in De 32:32 Among the many conjectures
as to this tree, the most probable is that it is the 'osher of the Arabs, which
abounds in the region of the Dead Sea. Its fruit are the so-called "apples
of Sodom, "which, though beautiful to the eye, are exceedingly bitter to
the taste.
See EN-GEDI The people of Israel are referred to here by
Moses as being utterly corrupt, bringing forth only bitter fruit.
Heb. nebel Isa 5:12 R.V., "lute; "Isa 14:11 a
musical instrument, usually rendered "psaltery" (q.v.)
1. In Job 20:16 Isa 30:6 59:5 the Heb. word eph'eh is
thus rendered. The Hebrew word,
however, probably denotes a species of poisonous serpents known by the Arabic
name of 'el ephah. Tristram has identified it with the sand viper, a species of
small size common in sandy regions, and frequently found under stones by the
shores of the Dead Sea. It is rapid in its movements, and highly poisonous.
2. In the New Testament _echidne_ is used Mt 3:7 12:34
23:33 for any poisonous snake. The viper mentioned in Ac 28:3 was probably the
vipera aspis, or the Mediterranean viper.
See ADDER See SERPENT
In a prophecy concerning our Lord, Isaiah Isa 7:14 says,
"A virgin [R.V. marg., 'the virgin']shall conceive, and bear a son"
(comp. Lu 1:31-35 The people of the land of Zidon are thus referred to by
Isaiah Isa 23:12 "O thou oppressed virgin, daughter of Zidon; " and
of the people of Israel, Jeremiah Jer 18:13 says, "The virgin of Israel
hath done a very horrible thing."
Lu 1:22 a vivid apparition, not a dream (comp.) Lu 24:23
Ac 26:19 2Co 12:1
Voluntary promises which, when once made, were to be kept
if the thing vowed was right. They were made under a great variety of
circumstances Ge 28:18-22 Le 7:16 Nu 30:2-13 De 23:18 Jud 11:30,39 1Sa 1:11 Jon
1:16 Ac 18:18 21:23
1. Heb. da'ah Le 11:14 In the parallel passage De 14:13
the Hebrew word used is _ra'ah_, rendered "glede; "LXX., "gups;
" Vulg., "milvus." A species of ravenous bird, distinguished for
its rapid flight. "When used without the epithet 'red, 'the name is
commonly confined to the black kite. The habits of the bird bear out the
allusion in Isa 34:15 for it is, excepting during the winter three months, so
numerous everywhere in Palestine as to be almost gregarious." See EAGLE
24101
2. In Job 28:7 the Heb. 'ayyah is thus rendered. The word
denotes a clamorous and a keen-sighted bird of prey. In Le 11:14 De 14:13 it is
rendered "kite" (q.v.).