ACCUSER
Satan is styled the "accuser of the brethren" (Rev. 12:10. Comp. Job 1:6; Zech. 3:1), as seeking to uphold his influence among men by bringing false charges against Christians, with the view of weakening their influence and injuring the cause with which they are identified. He was regarded by the Jews as the accuser of men before God, laying to their charge the violations of the law of which they ......
ACHAICHUS
(1-Cor 16:17), one of the members of the church of Corinth who, with Fortunatus and Stephanas, visited Paul while he was at Ephesus, for the purpose of consulting him on the affairs of the church. These three probably were the bearers of the letter from Corinth to the apostle to which he alludes in 1-Cor 7:1. ......
AGABUS
a "prophet," probably one of the seventy disciples of Christ. He prophesied at Antioch of an approaching famine (Acts 11:27, Acts 11: 28). Many years afterwards he met Paul at Caesarea, and warned him of the bonds and affliction that awaited him at Jerusalem should he persist in going thither (Acts 21:10).......
AHASUERUS
There are three kings designated by this name in Scripture. (1.) The father of Darius the Mede, mentioned in Dan. 9:1. This was probably the Cyaxares I. known by this name in profane history, the king of Media and the conqueror of Nineveh. (2.) The king mentioned in Ezra 4:6, Ezra 4: probably the Cambyses of profane history, the son and successor of Cyrus (B.C. 529). (3.) The son of Darius Hys......
ALPHAEUS
(1.) The father of James the Less, the apostle and writer of the epistle (Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13), and the husband of Mary (John 19:25). The Hebrew form of this name is Cleopas, or Clopas (q.v.). (2.) The father of Levi, or Matthew (Mark 2:14).......
ALUSH
one of the places, the last before Rephidim, at which the Hebrews rested on their way to Sinai (Num. 33:13, Num. 33: 14). It was probably situated on the shore of the Red Sea.......
AMBUSH
Joshua at the capture of Ai lay in ambush, and so deceived the inhabitants that he gained an easy victory (Josh. 8:4). Shechem was taken in this manner (Judg. 9:30. Comp. Jer. 51:12).......
ANDRONICUS
man-conquering, a Jewish Christian, the kinsman and fellowprisoner of Paul (Rom. 16:7); "of note among the apostles."......
ANTIOCHUS
the name of several Syrian kings from B.C. 280 to B.C. 65. The most notable of these were, (1.) Antiochus the Great, who ascended the throne B.C. 223. He is regarded as the "king of the north" referred to in Dan. 11:13. He was succeeded (B.C. 187) by his son, Seleucus Philopater, spoken of by Daniel (11:20) as "a raiser of taxes", in the Revised Version, "one that shall cause an exactor to pass th......
ARCHELAUS
ruler of the people, son of Herod the Great, by Malthace, a Samaritan woman. He was educated along with his brother Antipas at Rome. He inherited from his father a third part of his kingdom viz., Idumea, Judea, and Samaria, and hence is called "king" (Matt. 2:22). It was for fear of him that Joseph and Mary turned aside on their way back from Egypt. Till a few days before his death Herod had named......
ARCHIPPUS
master of the horse, a "fellow-soldier" of Paul's (Philemon 1:2), whom he exhorts to renewed activity (Col. 4:17). He was a member of Philemon's family, probably his son.......
ARCTURUS
bear-keeper, the name given by the ancients to the brightest star in the constellation Bootes. In the Authorized Version (Job 9:9;38:32) it is the rendering of the Hebrew word _'ash_, which probably designates the constellation the Great Bear. This word ('ash) is supposed to be derived from an Arabic word meaning night-watcher, because the Great Bear always revolves about the pole, and to our noth......
AREOPAGUS
the Latin form of the Greek word rendered "Mars' hill." But it denotes also the council or court of justice which met in the open air on the hill. It was a rocky height to the west of the Acropolis at Athens, on the south-east summit of which the council was held which was constituted by Solon, and consisted of nine archons or chief magistrates who were then in office, and the ex-archons of blamel......
ARISTARCHUS
best ruler, native of Thessalonica (Acts 20:4), a companion of Paul (Acts 19:29;27:2). He was Paul's "fellow-prisoner" at Rome (Col. 4:10; Philemon 1:24).......
ARISTOBULUS
a Roman mentioned in Paul's Epistle to the Romans (16:10), whose "household" is saluated.......
AUGUSTUS
the cognomen of the first Roman emperor, C. Julius Caesar Octavianus, during whose reign Christ was born (Luke 2:1). His decree that "all the world should be taxed" was the divinely ordered occasion of Jesus' being born, according to prophecy (Micah 5:2), in Bethlehem. This name being simply a title meaning "majesty" or "venerable," first given to him by the senate (B.C. 27), was borne by succeedi......
AUGUSTUS BAND
(Acts 27:1.: literally, of Sebaste, the Greek form of Augusta, the name given to Caesarea in honour of Augustus Caesar). Probably this "band" or cohort consisted of Samaritan soldiers belonging to Caesarea.......
AZOTUS
the Grecized form (Acts 8:40, Acts 8: etc.) of Ashdod (q.v.).......
BAR-JESUS
son of Joshua, the patronymic of Elymas the sorcerer (Acts 13:6), who met Paul and Barnabas at Paphos. Elymas is a word of Arabic origin meaning "wise."......
BARTIMAEUS
son of Timaeus, one of the two blind beggars of Jericho (Mark 10:46; Matt. 20:30). His blindness was miraculously cured on the ground of his faith. ......
BLASTUS
chamberlain to king Herod Agrippa I. (Acts 12:20). Such persons generally had great influence with their masters. ......
BULRUSH
(1.) In Isa. 58:5 the rendering of a word which denotes "belonging to a marsh," from the nature of the soil in which it grows (Isa. 18:2). It was sometimes platted into ropes (Job. 41:2; A.V., "hook," R.V., "rope," lit. "cord of rushes"). (2.) In Exo 2:3, Exo 2: Isa. 18:2 (R.V., "papyrus") this word is the translation of the Hebrew _gome_, which designates the plant as absorbing moisture. In Isa......
BUSH
in which Jehovah appeared to Moses in the wilderness (Exo 3:2; Acts 7:30). It is difficult to say what particular kind of plant or bush is here meant. Probably it was the mimosa or acacia. The words "in the bush" in Mark 12:26; Luke 20:37, Luke 20: mean "in the passage or paragraph on the bush;" i.e., in Exo 3.......
CALAMUS
the Latin for cane, Hebrew _Kaneh_, mentioned (Exo 30:23) as one of the ingredients in the holy anointing oil, one of the sweet scents (4:14), and among the articles sold in the markets of Tyre (Ezek. 27:19). The word designates an Oriental plant called the "sweet flag," the Acorus calamus of Linnaeus. It is elsewhere called "sweet cane" (Isa. 43:24; Jer. 6:20). It has an aromatic smell, and when ......
CAUSEWAY
a raised way, an ascent by steps, or a raised slope between Zion and the temple (1-Chr 26:16, 1-Chr 26: 18). In 2-Chr 9:11 the same word is translated "terrace."......
CENSUS
There are five instances of a census of the Jewish people having been taken. (1.) In the fourth month after the Exodus, when the people were encamped at Sinai. The number of men from twenty years old and upward was then 603,550 (Exo 38:26). (2.) Another census was made just before the entrance into Canaan, when the number was found to be 601,730, showing thus a small decrease (Num. 26:51). (3.) Th......
CHRYSOPRASUS
golden leek, a precious stone of the colour of leek's juice, a greenish-golden colour (Rev. 21:20). ......
CHUSHAN-RISHATHAIM
Cush of double wickedness, or governor of two presidencies, the king of Mesopotamia who oppressed Israel in the generation immediately following Joshua (Judg. 3:8). We learn from the Tell-el-Amarna tablets that Palestine had been invaded by the forces of Aram-naharaim (A.V., "Mesopotamia") more than once, long before the Exodus, and that at the time they were written the king of Aram-naharaim was ......
CLAUDIUS
lame. (1.) The fourth Roman emperor. He succeeded Caligula (A.D. 41). Though in general he treated the Jews, especially those in Asia and Egypt, with great indulgence, yet about the middle of his reign (A.D. 49) he banished them all from Rome (Acts 18:2). In this edict the Christians were included, as being, as was supposed, a sect of Jews. The Jews, however soon again returned to Rome. During t......
CNIDUS
a town and harbour on the extreme south-west of the peninsula of Doris in Asia Minor. Paul sailed past it on his voyage to Rome after leaving Myra (Acts 27:7). ......
CORNELIUS
a centurion whose history is narrated in Acts 10. He was a "devout man," and like the centurion of Capernaum, believed in the God of Israel. His residence at Caesrea probably brought him into contact with Jews who communicated to him their expectations regarding the Messiah; and thus he was prepared to welcome the message Peter brought him. He became the first fruit of the Gentile world to Christ.......
COVETOUSNESS
a strong desire after the possession of worldly things (Col. 3:5; Eph. 5:5; Heb. 13:5; 1-Tim 6:9, 1-Tim 6: 10; Matt. 6:20). It assumes sometimes the more aggravated form of avarice, which is the mark of cold-hearted worldliness. ......
CRISPUS
curled, the chief of the synagogue at Corinth (Acts 18:8). He was converted and, with his family, baptized by Paul (1-Cor 1:14). ......
CRUSE
a utensil; a flask or cup for holding water (1-Sam 26:11, 1-Sam 26: 12, 16; 1-Kings 19:6) or oil (1-Kings 17:12, 1-Kings 17: 14, 16). In 1-Kings 14:3 the word there so rendered means properly a bottle, as in Jer. 19:1, Jer. 19: 10, or pitcher. In 2-Kings 2:20, 2-Kings 2: a platter or flat metal saucer is intended. The Hebrew word here used is translated "dish" 21:13; "pans," in 2-Chr 35:13; and "b......
CURIOUS ARTS
(Acts 19:19), magical arts; jugglery practised by the Ephesian conjurers. Ephesus was noted for its wizard and the "Ephesian spells;" i.e., charms or scraps of parchment written over with certain formula, which were worn as a safeguard against all manner of evils. The more important and powerful of these charms were written out in books which circulated among the exorcists, and were sold at a grea......
CUSH
black. (1.) A son, probably the eldest, of Ham, and the father of Nimrod (Gen. 10:8; 1-Chr 1:10). From him the land of Cush seems to have derived its name. The question of the precise locality of the land of Cush has given rise to not a little controversy. The second river of Paradise surrounded the whole land of Cush (Gen. 2:13, Gen. 2: R.V.). The term Cush is in the Old Testament generally appli......
CUSHAN
probably a poetic or prolonged name of the land of Cush, the Arabian Cush (Hab. 3:7). Some have, however, supposed this to be the same as Chushan-rishathaim (Judg. 3:8, Judg. 3: 10), i.e., taking the latter part of the name as a title or local appellation, Chushan "of the two iniquities" (= oppressing Israel, and provoking them to idolatry), a Mesopotamian king, identified by Rawlinson with Asshur......
CUSHITE
(1.) The messenger sent by Joab to David to announce his victory over Absalom (2-Sam 18:32). (2.) The father of Shelemiah (Jer. 36:14). (3.) Son of Gedaliah, and father of the prophet Zephaniah (1:1). (4.) Moses married a Cushite woman (Num. 12:1). From this circumstance some have supposed that Zipporah was meant, and hence that Midian was Cush. ......
CUSTOM
a tax imposed by the Romans. The tax-gatherers were termed publicans (q.v.), who had their stations at the gates of cities, and in the public highways, and at the place set apart for that purpose, called the "receipt of custom" (Matt.9:9; Mark 2:14), where they collected the money that was to be paid on certain goods (7:25). These publicans were tempted to exact more from the people than was lawfu......
CYPRUS
one of the largest islands of the Mediterranean, about 148 miles long and 40 broad. It is distant about 60 miles from the Syrian coast. It was the "Chittim" of the Old Testament (Num. 24:24). The Greek colonists gave it the name of Kypros, from the cyprus, i.e., the henna (see CAMPHIRE), which grew on this island. It was originally inhabited by Phoenicians. In B.C. 477 it fell under the dominion o......
CYRENIUS
the Grecized form of Quirinus. His full name was Publius Sulpicius Quirinus. Recent historical investigation has proved that Quirinus was governor of Cilicia, which was annexed to Syria at the time of our Lord's birth. Cilicia, which he ruled, being a province of Syria, he is called the governor, which he was de jure, of Syria. Some ten years afterwards he was appointed governor of Syria for the s......
CYRUS
(Heb. Ko'resh), the celebrated "King of Persia" (Elam) who was conqueror of Babylon, and issued the decree of liberation to the Jews (Ezra 1:1, Ezra 1: 2). He was the son of Cambyses, the prince of Persia, and was born about B.C. 599. In the year B.C. 559 he became king of Persia, the kingdom of Media being added to it partly by conquest. Cyrus was a great military leader, bent on universal conque......
DAGON'S HOUSE
(1-Sam 5:2), or Beth-dagon, as elsewhere rendered (5:41;19:27), was the sanctuary or temple of Dagon. The Beth-dagon of Josh. 15:41 was one of the cities of the tribe of Judah, in the lowland or plain which stretches westward. It has not been identified. The Beth-dagon of Josh. 19:27 was one of the border cities of Asher. That of 1-Chr 10:10 was in the western half-tribe of Manasseh, where t......
DAMASCUS
activity, the most ancient of Oriental cities; the capital of Syria (Isa. 7:8;17:3); situated about 133 miles to the north of Jerusalem. Its modern name is Esh-Sham; i.e., "the East." The situation of this city is said to be the most beautiful of all Western Asia. It is mentioned among the conquests of the Egyptian king Thothmes III. (B.C. 1500), and in the Amarna tablets (B.C. 1400). It is fi......
DARIUS
the holder or supporter, the name of several Persian kings. (1.) Darius the Mede (Dan. 11:1), "the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes" (9:1). On the death of Belshazzar the Chaldean he "received the kingdom" of Babylon as viceroy from Cyrus. During his brief reign (B.C. 538-536) Daniel was promoted to the highest dignity (Dan. 6:1, Dan. 6: 2); but on account of the malice of his enemies he......
DEMETRIUS
(1.) A silversmith at Ephesus, whose chief occupation was to make "silver shrines for Diana" (q.v.), Acts 19:24, Acts 19:i.e., models either of the temple of Diana or of the statue of the goddess. This trade brought to him and his fellow-craftsmen "no small gain," for these shrines found a ready sale among the countless thousands who came to this temple from all parts of Asia Minor. This traffic w......
DIDYMUS
(Gr. twin = Heb. Thomas, q.v.), John 11:16;20:24;21:2. ......
DIONYSIUS
the Areopagite, one of Paul's converts at Athens (Acts 17:34). ......
DRAUGHT-HOUSE
(2-Kings 10:27). Jehu ordered the temple of Baal to be destroyed, and the place to be converted to the vile use of receiving offal or ordure. (Comp. Matt. 15:17.)......
DRUSILLA
third and youngest daughter of Herod Agrippa I. (Acts 12:1, Acts 12: 20-23). Felix, the Roman procurator of Judea, induced her to leave her husband, Azizus, the king of Emesa, and become his wife. She was present with Felix when Paul reasoned of "righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come" (Acts 24:24). She and her son perished in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, A.D. 79.......
DUST
Storms of sand and dust sometimes overtake Eastern travellers. They are very dreadful, many perishing under them. Jehovah threatens to bring on the land of Israel, as a punishment for forsaking him, a rain of "powder and dust" (Deut. 28:24). To cast dust on the head was a sign of mourning (Josh. 7:6); and to sit in dust, of extreme affliction (Isa. 47:1). "Dust" is used to denote the grave (Job ......
EMMAUS
hot baths, a village "three-score furlongs" from jerusalem, where our Lord had an interview with two of his disciples on the day of his resurrection (Luke 24:13). This has been identified with the modern el-Kubeibeh, lying over 7 miles north-west of Jerusalem. This name, el-Kubeibeh, meaning "little dome," is derived from the remains of the Crusaders' church yet to be found there. Others have iden......
EPAENETUS
commendable, a Christian at Rome to whom Paul sent his salutation (Rom. 16:5). He is spoken of as "the first fruits of Achaia" (R.V., "of Asia", i.e., of proconsular Asia, which is probably the correct reading). As being the first convert in that region, he was peculiarly dear to the apostle. He calls him his "well beloved."......
EPAPHRODITUS
fair, graceful; belonging to Aphrodite or Venus the messenger who came from Phillipi to the apostle when he was a prisoner at Rome (Phil. 2:25;4:10). Paul mentions him in words of esteem and affection. On his return to Philippi he was the bearer of Paul's letter to the church there.......
EPHESUS
the capital of proconsular Asia, which was the western part of Asia Minor. It was colonized principally from Athens. In the time of the Romans it bore the title of "the first and greatest metropolis of Asia." It was distinguished for the Temple of Diana (q.v.), who there had her chief shrine; and for its theatre, which was the largest in the world, capable of containing 50,000 spectators. It was, ......
ERASTUS
beloved. (1.) The "chamberlain" of the city of Corinth (Rom. 16:23), and one of Paul's disciples. As treasurer of such a city he was a public officer of great dignity, and his conversion to the gospel was accordingly a proof of the wonderful success of the apostle's labours. (2.) A companion of Paul at Ephesus, who was sent by him along with Timothy into Macedonia (Acts 19:22). Corinth was his u......
ESPOUSE
(2-Sam 3:14), to betroth. The espousal was a ceremony of betrothing, a formal agreement between the parties then coming under obligation for the purpose of marriage. Espousals are in the East frequently contracted years before the marriage is celebrated. It is referred to as figuratively illustrating the relations between God and his people (Jer. 2:2; Matt. 1:18; 2-Cor 11:2). (See BETROTH.) ......
EUTYCHUS
fortunate, (Acts 20:9), a young man of Troas who fell through drowsiness from the open window of the third floor of the house where Paul was preaching, and was "taken up dead." The lattice-work of the window being open to admit the air, the lad fell out and down to the court below. Paul restored him to life again. (Comp. 1-Kings 17:21; 2-Kings 4:34.) ......
EXODUS
the great deliverance wrought for the children of Isreal when they were brought out of the land of Egypt with "a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm" (Ex 12:51; Deut. 26:8; Ps 114; 136), about B.C. 1490, and four hundred and eighty years (1-Kings 6:1) before the building of Solomon's temple. The time of their sojourning in Egypt was, according to Exo 12:40, Exo 12: the space of four hundred......
EXODUS, BOOK OF
Exodus is the name given in the LXX. to the second book of the Pentateuch (q.v.). It means "departure" or "outgoing." This name was adopted in the Latin translation, and thence passed into other languages. The Hebrews called it by the first words, according to their custom, Ve-eleh shemoth (i.e., "and these are the names"). It contains, (1.) An account of the increase and growth of the Israelite......
FESTIVALS, RELIGIOUS
There were daily (Lev. 23), weekly, monthly, and yearly festivals, and great stress was laid on the regular observance of them in every particular (Num. 28:1; Exo 29:38; Lev. 6:8; Exo 30:7;27:20). (1.) The septenary festivals were, (a) The weekly Sabbath (Lev. 23:1; Exo 19:3;20:8;31:12, 31: etc.). (b) The seventh new moon, or the feast of Trumpets (Num. 28:11;29:1). (c) The Sabbatical year......
FESTUS, PORCIUS
the successor of Felix (A.D. 60) as procurator of Judea (Acts 24:27). A few weeks after he had entered on his office the case of Paul, then a prisoner at Caesarea, was reported to him. The "next day," after he had gone down to Caesarea, he heard Paul defend himself in the presence of Herod Agrippa II. and his sister Bernice, and not finding in him anything worthy of death or of bonds, would have s......
FORTUNATUS
fortunate, a disciple of Corinth who visited Paul at Ephesus, and returned with Stephanas and Achaicus, the bearers of the apostle's first letter to the Corinthians (1-Cor 16:17). ......
GAIUS
(1.) A Macedonian, Paul's fellow-traveller, and his host at Corinth when he wrote his Epistle to the Romans (16:23). He with his household were baptized by Paul (1-Cor 1:14). During a heathen outbreak against Paul at Ephesus the mob seized Gaius and Aristarchus because they could not find Paul, and rushed with them into the theatre. Some have identified this Gaius with No. (2). (2.) A man of Der......
HATTUSH
assembled. (1.) A priest who returned with Zerubbabel (Neh. 12:2). (2.) Ezra 8:2. (3.) Neh. 3:10. (4.) Neh. 10:4. (5.) 1-Chr 3:22.......
HAZAR-SUSAH
village of the horse, the same as Sansannah, one of Solomon's "chariot cities" (Josh. 15:31; 2-Chr 1:14), a depot in the south border of Judah.......
HEROD ARCHELAUS
(Matt. 2:22), the brother of Antipas (q.v.).......
HOUSE
Till their sojourn in Egypt the Hebrews dwelt in tents. They then for the first time inhabited cities (Gen. 47:3; Exo 12:7; Heb. 11:9). From the earliest times the Assyrians and the Canaanites were builders of cities. The Hebrews after the Conquest took possession of the captured cities, and seem to have followed the methods of building that had been pursued by the Canaanites. Reference is made to......
HUSBAND
i.e., the "house-band," connecting and keeping together the whole family. A man when betrothed was esteemed from that time a husband (Matt. 1:16, Matt. 1: 20; Luke 2:5). A recently married man was exempt from going to war for "one year" (Deut. 20:7;24:5). ......
HUSBANDMAN
one whose business it is to cultivate the ground. It was one of the first occupations, and was esteemed most honourable (Gen. 9:20;26:12, 26: 14;37:7, 37: etc.). All the Hebrews, except those engaged in religious services, were husbandmen. (See AGRICULTURE.) ......
HUSHAI
quick, "the Archite," "the king's friend" (1-Chr 27:33). When David fled from Jerusalem, on account of the rebellion of Absalom, and had reached the summit of Olivet, he there met Hushai, whom he sent back to Jerusalem for the purpose of counteracting the influence of Ahithophel, who had joined the ranks of Absalom (2-Sam 15:32, 2-Sam 15: 37;16:16). It was by his advice that Absalom refrained from......
HUSK
In Num. 6:4 (Heb. zag) it means the "skin" of a grape. In 2-Kings 4:42 (Heb. tsiqlon) it means a "sack" for grain, as rendered in the Revised Version. In Luke 15:16, Luke 15: in the parable of the Prodigal Son, it designates the beans of the carob tree, or Ceratonia siliqua. From the supposition, mistaken, however, that it was on the husks of this tree that John the Baptist fed, it is called "St. ......
JAIRUS
a ruler of the synagogue at Capernaum, whose only daughter Jesus restored to life (Mark 5:22; Luke 8:41). Entering into the chamber of death, accompanied by Peter and James and John and the father and mother of the maiden, he went forward to the bed whereon the corpse lay, and said, Talitha cumi, i.e., "Maid, arise," and immediately the spirit of the maiden came to her again, and she arose straigh......
JEALOUSY
suspicion of a wife's purity, one of the strongest passions (Num. 5:14; Prov. 6:34; 8:6); also an intense interest for another's honour or prosperity (Psa 79:5; 1-Cor 10:22; Zech. 1:14). ......
JEALOUSY OFFERING
the name of the offering the husband was to bring when he charged his wife with adultery (Num. 5:11). ......
JEALOUSY, IMAGE OF
an idolatrous object, seen in vision by Ezekiel (Ezek. 8:3, Ezek. 8: 5), which stood in the priests' or inner court of the temple. Probably identical with the statue of Astarte (2-Kings 21:7). ......
JEALOUSY, WATERS OF
water which the suspected wife was required to drink, so that the result might prove her guilt or innocence (Num. 5:12, Num. 5: 27). We have no record of this form of trial having been actually resorted to. ......
JEBUS
trodden hard, or fastness, or "the waterless hill", the name of the Canaanitish city which stood on Mount Zion (Josh. 15:8;18:16, 18: 28). It is identified with Jerusalem (q.v.) in Judg. 19:10, Judg. 19: and with the castle or city of David (1-Chr 11:4, 1-Chr 11:5). It was a place of great natural strength, and its capture was one of David's most brilliant achievements (2-Sam 5:8). ......
JEBUSITES
the name of the original inhabitants of Jebus, mentioned frequently among the seven nations doomed to destruction (Gen. 10:16;15:21; Exo 3:8, Exo 3: 17;13:5, 13: etc.). At the time of the arrival of the Israelites in Palestine they were ruled by Adonizedek (Josh. 10:1, Josh. 10: 23). They were defeated by Joshua, and their king was slain; but they were not entirely driven out of Jebus till the tim......
JERUSALEM
called also Salem, Ariel, Jebus, the "city of God," the "holy city;" by the modern Arabs el-Khuds, meaning "the holy;" once "the city of Judah" (2-Chr 25:28). This name is in the original in the dual form, and means "possession of peace," or "foundation of peace." The dual form probably refers to the two mountains on which it was built, viz., Zion and Moriah; or, as some suppose, to the two parts ......
JERUSHA
possession, or possessed; i.e., "by a husband", the wife of Uzziah, and mother of king Jotham (2-Kings 15:33). ......
JESUS
(1.) Joshua, the son of Nun (Acts 7:45; Heb. 4:8; R.V., "Joshua"). (2.) A Jewish Christian surnamed Justus (Col. 4:11). Je'sus, the proper, as Christ is the official, name of our Lord. To distinguish him from others so called, he is spoken of as "Jesus of Nazareth" (John 18:7), and "Jesus the son of Joseph" (John 6:42). This is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua, which was originally H......
JEUSH
assembler. (1.) The oldest of Esau's three sons by Aholibamah (Gen. 36:5, Gen. 36: 14, 18). (2.) A son of Bilhan, grandson of Benjamin (1-Chr 7:10). (3.) A Levite, one of the sons of Shimei (1-Chr 23:10, 1-Chr 23: 11). (4.) One of the three sons of Rehoboam (2-Chr 11:19). (5.) 1-Chr 8:39. ......
JULIUS
the centurion of the Augustan cohort, or the emperor's body-guard, in whose charge Paul was sent prisoner to Rome (Acts 27:1, Acts 27: 3, 43). He entreated Paul "courteously," showing in many ways a friendly regard for him.......
JUSTICE
is rendering to every one that which is his due. It has been distinguished from equity in this respect, that while justice means merely the doing what positive law demands, equity means the doing of what is fair and right in every separate case.......
JUSTICE OF GOD
that perfection of his nature whereby he is infinitely righteous in himself and in all he does, the righteousness of the divine nature exercised in his moral government. At first God imposes righteous laws on his creatures and executes them righteously. Justice is not an optional product of his will, but an unchangeable principle of his very nature. His legislative justice is his requiring of his ......
JUSTIFICATION
a forensic term, opposed to condemnation. As regards its nature, it is the judicial act of God, by which he pardons all the sins of those who believe in Christ, and accounts, accepts, and treats them as righteous in the eye of the law, i.e., as conformed to all its demands. In addition to the pardon (q.v.) of sin, justification declares that all the claims of the law are satisfied in respect of th......
JUSTUS
(1.) Another name for Joseph, surnamed Barsabas. He and Matthias are mentioned only in Acts 1:23. "They must have been among the earliest disciples of Jesus, and must have been faithful to the end; they must have been well known and esteemed among the brethren. What became of them afterwards, and what work they did, are entirely unknown" (Lindsay's Acts of the Apostles). (2.) A Jewish proselyte ......
LAZARUS
an abbreviation of Eleazar, whom God helps. (1.) The brother of Mary and Martha of Bethany. He was raised from the dead after he had lain four days in the tomb (John 11:1). This miracle so excited the wrath of the Jews that they sought to put both Jesus and Lazarus to death. (2.) A beggar named in the parable recorded Luke 16:19. ......
LEBBAEUS
courageous, a surname of Judas (Jude), one of the twelve (Matt. 10:3), called also Thaddaeus, not to be confounded with the Judas who was the brother of our Lord. ......
LEVITICUS
the third book of the Pentateuch; so called in the Vulgate, after the LXX., because it treats chiefly of the Levitical service. In the first section of the book (1-17), which exhibits the worship itself, there is, (1.) A series of laws (1-7) regarding sacrifices, burnt-offerings, meat-offerings, and thank-offerings (1-3), sin-offerings and trespass-offerings (4; 5), followed by the law of the pr......
LOCUST
There are ten Hebrew words used in Scripture to signify locust. In the New Testament locusts are mentioned as forming part of the food of John the Baptist (Matt. 3:4; Mark 1:6). By the Mosaic law they were reckoned "clean," so that he could lawfully eat them. The name also occurs in Rev. 9:3, Rev. 9: 7, in allusion to this Oriental devastating insect. Locusts belong to the class of Orthoptera, i......
LUCIUS
of Cyrene, a Christian teacher at Antioch (Acts 13:1), and Paul's kinsman (Rom. 16:21). His name is Latin, but his birthplace seems to indicate that he was one of the Jews of Cyrene, in North Africa. ......
LUST
sinful longing; the inward sin which leads to the falling away from God (Rom. 1:21). "Lust, the origin of sin, has its place in the heart, not of necessity, but because it is the centre of all moral forces and impulses and of spiritual activity." In Mark 4:19 "lusts" are objects of desire. ......
LYSIAS, CLAUDIUS
the chief captain (chiliarch) who commanded the Roman troops in Jerusalem, and sent Paul under guard to the procurator Felix at Caesarea (Acts 21:31;22:24). His letter to his superior officer is an interesting specimen of Roman military correspondence (23:26). He obtained his Roman citizenship by purchase, and was therefore probably a Greek. (See CLAUDIUS.) ......
MACHAERUS
the Black Fortress, was built by Herod the Great in the gorge of Callirhoe, one of the wadies 9 miles east of the Dead Sea, as a frontier rampart against Arab marauders. John the Baptist was probably cast into the prison connected with this castle by Herod Antipas, whom he had reproved for his adulterous marriage with Herodias. Here Herod "made a supper" on his birthday. He was at this time marchi......
MALCHUS
reigning, the personal servant or slave of the high priest Caiaphas. He is mentioned only by John. Peter cut off his right ear in the garden of Gethsemane (John 18:10). But our Lord cured it with a touch (Matt. 26:51; Mark 14:47; Luke 22:51). This was the last miracle of bodily cure wrought by our Lord. It is not mentioned by John. ......
MARCUS
Col. 4:10; Philemon 1:24; 1-Pet 5:13; R.V., "Mark" (q.v.). ......
MERCURIUS
the Hermes (i.e., "the speaker") of the Greeks (Acts 14:12), a heathen God represented as the constant attendant of Jupiter, and the god of eloquence. The inhabitants of Lystra took Paul for this god because he was the "chief speaker." ......
METHUSAEL
champion of El; man of God, a descendant of Cain (Gen. 4:18), so called, perhaps, to denote that even among the descendants of Cain God had not left himself without a witness. ......
METHUSELAH
man of the dart, the son of Enoch, and grandfather of Noah. He was the oldest man of whom we have any record, dying at the age of nine hundred and sixty-nine years, in the year of the Flood (Gen. 5:21; 1-Chr 1:3). ......
MILETUS
(Miletum, 2-Tim 4:20), a seaport town and the ancient capital of Ionia, about 36 miles south of Ephesus. On his voyage from Greece to Syria, Paul touched at this port, and delivered that noble and pathetic address to the elders ("presbyters," ver. 28) of Ephesus recorded in Acts 20:15. The site of Miletus is now some 10 miles from the coast. (See EPHESIANS,+EPISTLE+TO.) ......
MOUSE
Heb. 'akhbar, "swift digger"), properly the dormouse, the field-mouse (1-Sam 6:4). In Lev. 11:29, Lev. 11: Isa. 66:17 this word is used generically, and includes the jerboa (Mus jaculus), rat, hamster (Cricetus), which, though declared to be unclean animals, were eaten by the Arabs, and are still eaten by the Bedouins. It is said that no fewer than twenty-three species of this group ('akhbar=Arab.......
MUSHI
receding, the second of the two sons of Merari (Exo 6:19; Num. 3:20). His sons were called Mushites (Num. 3:33;26:58). ......
MUSIC
Jubal was the inventor of musical instruments (Gen. 4:21). The Hebrews were much given to the cultivation of music. Their whole history and literature afford abundant evidence of this. After the Deluge, the first mention of music is in the account of Laban's interview with Jacob (Gen. 31:27). After their triumphal passage of the Red Sea, Moses and the children of Israel sang their song of delivera......
MUSIC, INSTRUMENTAL
Among instruments of music used by the Hebrews a principal place is given to stringed instruments. These were, (1.) The kinnor, the "harp." (2.) The nebel, "a skin bottle," rendered "psaltery." (3.) The sabbeka, or "sackbut," a lute or lyre. (4.) The gittith, occurring in the title of Ps. 8; 8; 84. (5.) Minnim (Psa 150:4), rendered "stringed instruments;" in Psa 45:8, Psa 45: in the form _minni_, ......
MUSICIAN, CHIEF
(Heb. menatstseah), the precentor of the Levitical choir or orchestra in the temple, mentioned in the titles of fifty-five psalms, and in Hab. 3:19, Hab. 3: Revised Version. The first who held this office was Jeduthun (1-Chr 16:41), and the office appears to have been hereditary. Heman and Asaph were his two colleagues (2-Chr 35:15). ......
MUSTARD
a plant of the genus sinapis, a pod-bearing, shrub-like plant, growing wild, and also cultivated in gardens. The little round seeds were an emblem of any small insignificant object. It is not mentioned in the Old Testament; and in each of the three instances of its occurrence in the New Testament (Matt. 13:31, Matt. 13: 32; Mark 4:31, Mark 4: 32; Luke 13:18, Luke 13: 19) it is spoken of only with ......
NARCISSUS
daffodil, a Roman whom Paul salutes (Rom. 16:11). He is supposed to have been the private secretary of the emperor Claudius. This is, however, quite uncertain.......
NEBUSHASBAN
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).......
NEHUSHTA
copper, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem, and the wife of Jehoiakin (2-Kings 24:8), king of Judah.......
NEHUSHTAN
of copper; a brazen thing a name of contempt given to the serpent Moses had made in the wilderness (Num. 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 ......
NEREUS
a Christian at Rome to whom Paul sent his salutation (Rom. 16:15). ......
NICODEMUS
the people is victor, a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin. He is first noticed as visiting Jesus by night (John 3:1) 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 (7:50), where he protested against the course they were taking in plotting against Christ. Once......
ONESIMUS
useful, a slave who, after robbing his master Philemon (q.v.) at Colosse, fled to Rome, where he was converted by the apostle Paul, who sent him back to his master with the epistle which bears his name. In it he beseeches Philemon to receive his slave as a "faithful and beloved brother." Paul offers to pay to Philemon anything his slave had taken, and to bear the wrong he had done him. He was acco......
ONESIPHORUS
bringing profit, an Ephesian Christian who showed great kindness to Paul at Rome. He served him in many things, and had oft refreshed him. Paul expresses a warm interest in him and his household (2-Tim 1:16;4:19). ......
PHILETUS
amiable, with Hymenaeus, at Ephesus, said that the "resurrection was past already" (2-Tim 2:17, 2-Tim 2: 18). This was a Gnostic heresy held by the Nicolaitanes. (See ALEXANDER [4].) ......
PHYGELLUS
fugitive, a Christian of Asia, who "turned away" from Paul during his second imprisonment at Rome (2-Tim 1:15). Nothing more is known of him. ......
PILATE, PONTIUS
probably connected with the Roman family of the Pontii, and called "Pilate" from the Latin pileatus, i.e., "wearing the pileus", which was the "cap or badge of a manumitted slave," as indicating that he was a "freedman," or the descendant of one. He was the sixth in the order of the Roman procurators of Judea (A.D. 26-36). His headquarters were at Caesarea, but he frequently went up to Jerusalem. ......
PONTIUS PILATE
See PILATE. ......
PONTUS
a province of Asia Minor, stretching along the southern coast of the Euxine Sea, corresponding nearly to the modern province of Trebizond. In the time of the apostles it was a Roman province. Strangers from this province were at Jerusalem at Pentecost (Acts 2:9), and to "strangers scattered throughout Pontus," among others, Peter addresses his first epistle (1-Pet 1:1). It was evidently the resort......
PORCIUS FESTUS
See FESTUS. ......
PUBLIUS
"the chief man of the island" of Malta (Acts 28:7), who courteously entertained Paul and his shipwrecked companions for three days, till they found a more permanent place of residence; for they remained on the island for three months, till the stormy season had passed. The word here rendered "chief man" (protos) is supposed by some to be properly a Maltese term, the official title of the governor.......
QUARTUS
fourth, a Corinthian Christian who sent by Paul his salutations to friends at Rome (Rom. 16:23).......
RIGHTEOUSNESS
See JUSTIFICATION. ......
RIVERS OF DAMASCUS
the Abana and Pharpar (2-Kings 5:12). ......
RUFUS
red, the son of Simon the Cyrenian (Mark 15:21), whom the Roman soldiers compelled to carry the cross on which our Lord was crucified. Probably it is the same person who is again mentioned in Rom. 16:13 as a disciple at Rome, whose mother also was a Christian held in esteem by the apostle. Mark mentions him along with his brother Alexander as persons well known to his readers (Mark 15:21). ......
RUSH
the papyrus (Job 8:11). (See BULRUSH.) The expression "branch and rush" in Isa. 9:14;19:15 means "utterly." ......
SECUNDUS
second, a Christian of Thessalonica who accompanied Paul into Asia (Acts 20:4). ......
SERGIUS PAULUS
a "prudent man" (R.V., "man of understanding"), the deputy (R.V., "proconsul") of Cyprus (Acts 13:6). He became a convert to Christianity under Paul, who visited this island on his first mission to the heathen. A remarkable memorial of this proconsul was recently (1887) discovered at Rome. On a boundary stone of Claudius his name is found, among others, as having been appointed (A.D. 47) one of ......
SHEARING-HOUSE
(2-Kings 10:12, 2-Kings 10: 14; marg., "house of shepherds binding sheep." R.V., "the shearing-house of the shepherds;" marg., "house of gathering"), some place between Samaria and Jezreel, where Jehu slew "two and forty men" of the royal family of Judah. The Heb. word Beth-eked so rendered is supposed by some to be a proper name.......
SHUSHAN
a lily, the Susa of Greek and Roman writers, once the capital of Elam. It lay in the uplands of Susiana, on the east of the Tigris, about 150 miles to the north of the head of the Persian Gulf. It is the modern Shush, on the northwest of Shuster. Once a magnificent city, it is now an immense mass of ruins. Here Daniel saw one of his visions (Dan. 8); and here also Nehemiah (Neh. 1) began his publi......
SHUSHAN-EDUTH
lily of the testimony, the title of Ps. 60. (See SHOSHANNIM.) ......
SINAITICUS CODEX
usually designated by the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, is one of the most valuable of ancient MSS. of the Greek New Testament. On the occasion of a third visit to the convent of St. Catherine, on Mount Sinai, in 1859, it was discovered by Dr. Tischendorf. He had on a previous visit in 1844 obtained forty-three parchment leaves of the LXX., which he deposited in the university library of Le......
SPOUSE
(4:8; Hos. 4:13, Hos. 4: 14) may denote either husband or wife, but in the Scriptures it denotes only the latter. ......
STONES, PRECIOUS
Frequently referred to (1-Kings 10:2; 2-Chr 3:6;9:10; Rev. 18:16;21:19). There are about twenty different names of such stones in the Bible. They are figuratively introduced to denote value, beauty, durability (5:14; Isa 54:11, Isa 54: 12; Lam. 4:7). ......
SUSANCHITES
the inhabitants of Shushan, who joined the other adversaries of the Jews in the attempt to prevent the rebuilding of the temple (Ezra 4:9). ......
SUSANNA
lily, with other pious women, ministered to Jesus (Luke 8:3). ......
SUSI
the father of Gaddi, who was one of the twelve spies (Num. 13:11). ......
SYRACUSE
a city on the south-east coast of Sicily, where Paul landed and remained three days when on his way to Rome (Acts 28:12). It was distinguished for its magnitude and splendour. It is now a small town of some 13,000 inhabitants. ......
TARSUS
the chief city of Cilicia. It was distinguished for its wealth and for its schools of learning, in which it rivalled, nay, excelled even Athens and Alexandria, and hence was spoken of as "no mean city." It was the native place of the Apostle Paul (Acts 21:39). It stood on the banks of the river Cydnus, about 12 miles north of the Mediterranean. It is said to have been founded by Sardanapalus, king......
TERTIUS
the third, a Roman Christian whom Paul employed as his amanuensis in writing his epistle to the Romans (16:22). ......
TERTULLUS
a modification of "Tertius;" a Roman advocate, whom the Jews employed to state their case against Paul in the presence of Felix (Acts 24:1). The charges he adduced against the apostle were, "First, that he created disturbances among the Romans throughout the empire, an offence against the Roman government (crimen majestatis). Secondly, that he was a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes; disturb......
THADDAEUS
breast, the name of one of the apostles (Mark 3:18), called "Lebbaeus" in Matt. 10:3, Matt. 10: and in Luke 6:16, Luke 6: "Judas the brother of James;" while John (14:22), probably referring to the same person, speaks of "Judas, not Iscariot." These different names all designate the same person, viz., Jude or Judas, the author of the epistle. ......
THEOPHILUS
lover of God, a Christian, probably a Roman, to whom Luke dedicated both his Gospel (Luke 1:3) and the Acts of the Apostles (1:1). Nothing beyond this is known of him. From the fact that Luke applies to him the title "most excellent", the same title Paul uses in addressing Felix (Acts 23:26;24:3) and Festus (26:25), it has been concluded that Theophilus was a person of rank, perhaps a Roman office......
THOUSANDS
(Micah 5:2), another name for "families" or "clans" (see Num. 1:16;10:4; Josh. 22:14, Josh. 22: 21). Several "thousands" or "families" made up a "tribe." ......
TIBERIUS CAESAR
i.e., as known in Roman history, Tiberius Claudius Nero, only mentioned in Luke 3:1. He was the stepson of Augustus, whom he succeeded on the throne, A.D. 14. He was noted for his vicious and infamous life. In the fifteenth year of his reign John the Baptist entered on his public ministry, and under him also our Lord taught and suffered. He died A.D. 37. He is frequently referred to simply as "Cae......
TIMAEUS
defiled, the father of blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46). ......
TIMOTHEUS
the Greek form of the name of Timothy (Acts 16:1, Acts 16: etc.; the R.V. always "Timothy"). ......
TITUS
honourable, was with Paul and Barnabas at Antioch, and accompanied them to the council at Jerusalem (Gal. 2:1; Acts 15:2), although his name nowhere occurs in the Acts of the Apostles. He appears to have been a Gentile, and to have been chiefly engaged in ministering to Gentiles; for Paul sternly refused to have him circumcised, inasmuch as in his case the cause of gospel liberty was at stake. We ......
TITUS, EPISTLE TO
was probably written about the same time as the first epistle to Timothy, with which it has many affinities. "Both letters were addressed to persons left by the writer to preside in their respective churches during his absence. Both letters are principally occupied in describing the qualifications to be sought for in those whom they should appoint to offices in the church; and the ingredients of t......
TONGUES, CONFUSION OF
at Babel, the cause of the early separation of mankind and their division into nations. The descendants of Noah built a tower to prevent their dispersion; but God "confounded their language" (Gen. 11:1), and they were scattered over the whole earth. Till this time "the whole earth was of one language and of one speech." (See SHINAR.) ......
TREASURE HOUSES
the houses or magazines built for the safe keeping of treasure and valuable articles of any kind (Ezra 5:17;7:20; Neh. 10:38; Dan. 1:2). ......
TROPHIMUS
a foster-child, an Ephesian who accompanied Paul during a part of his third missionary journey (Acts 20:4;21:29). He was with Paul in Jerusalem, and the Jews, supposing that the apostle had brought him with him into the temple, raised a tumult which resulted in Paul's imprisonment. (See TEMPLE,+HEROD'S.) In writing to Timothy, the apostle says, "Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick" (2-Tim 4:20).......
TYCHICUS
chance, an Asiatic Christian, a "faithful minister in the Lord" (Eph. 6:21, Eph. 6: 22), who, with Trophimus, accompanied Paul on a part of his journey from Macedonia to Jerusalem (Acts 20:4). He is alluded to also in Col. 4:7, Col. 4: Titus 3:12, Titus 3: and 2-Tim 4:12 as having been with Paul at Rome, whence he sent him to Ephesus, probably for the purpose of building up and encouraging the chu......
TYRANNUS
prince, a Greek rhetorician, in whose "school" at Ephesus Paul disputed daily for the space of two years with those who came to him (Acts 19:9). Some have supposed that he was a Jew, and that his "school" was a private synagogue. ......
USURY
the sum paid for the use of money, hence interest; not, as in the modern sense, exorbitant interest. The Jews were forbidden to exact usury (Lev. 25:36, Lev. 25: 37), only, however, in their dealings with each other (Deut. 23:19, Deut. 23: 20). The violation of this law was viewed as a great crime (Psa 15:5; Prov. 28:8; Jer. 15:10). After the Return, and later, this law was much neglected (Neh. 5:......
VATICANUS, CODEX
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 ......
WATER OF JEALOUSY
a phrase employed (not, however, in Scripture) to denote the water used in the solemn ordeal prescribed by the law of Moses (Num. 5:11) in cases of "jealousy." ......
ZACCHAEUS
pure, a superintendant of customs; a chief tax-gather (publicanus) at Jericho (Luke 19:1). "The collection of customs at Jericho, which at this time produced and exported a considerable quantity of balsam, was undoubtedly an important post, and would account for Zacchaeus being a rich man." Being short of stature, he hastened on before the multitude who were thronging about Christ as he passed thr......