ARTIFICER
a person engaged in any kind of manual occupation (Gen. 4:22; Isa. 3:3).......
BEAUTIFUL GATE
the name of one of the gates of the temple (Acts 3:2). It is supposed to have been the door which led from the court of the Gentiles to the court of the women. It was of massive structure, and covered with plates of Corinthian brass. ......
CRUCIFIXION
a common mode of punishment among heathen nations in early times. It is not certain whether it was known among the ancient Jews; probably it was not. The modes of capital punishment according to the Mosaic law were, by the sword (Exo 21), strangling, fire (Lev. 20), and stoning (Deut. 21). This was regarded as the most horrible form of death, and to a Jew it would acquire greater horror from the......
DAILY SACRIFICE
(Dan. 8:12;11:31;12:11), a burnt offering of two lambs of a year old, which were daily sacrificed in the name of the whole Israelitish people upon the great altar, the first at dawn of day, and the second at evening (Dan. 9:21), or more correctly, "between the two evenings." (See SACRIFICE.) ......
ETERNAL LIFE
This expression occurs in the Old Testament only in Dan. 12:2 (R.V., "everlasting life"). It occurs frequently in the New Testament (Matt. 7:14;18:8, 18: 9; Luke 10:28; 18:18). It comprises the whole future of the redeemed (Luke 16:9), and is opposed to "eternal punishment" (Matt. 19:29;25:46). It is the final reward and glory into which the children of God enter (1-Tim 6:12, 1-Tim 6: 19; Rom. 6......
FIRST-BORN, SANCTIFICATION OF THE
A peculiar sanctity was attached to the first-born both of man and of cattle. God claimed that the first-born males of man and of animals should be consecrated to him, the one as a priest (Exo 19:22, Exo 19: 24), representing the family to which he belonged, and the other to be offered up in sacrifice (Gen. 4:4). ......
GIFT
(1.) An gratuity (Prov. 19:6) to secure favour (18:16;21:14), a thank-offering (Num. 18:11), or a dowry (Gen. 34:12). (2.) An oblation or proppitatory gift (2Sa 8:2, 2Sa 8:6; 1Ch 18:2, 1Ch 18:6; 2Ch 26:8; Psa 45:12;72:10). (3.) A bribe to a judge to obtain a favourable verdict (Exo 23:8; Deut. 16:19). (4.) Simply a thing given (Matt. 7:11; Luke 11:13; Eph. 4:8); sacrifical (Matt. 5:23, Matt.......
GIFTS, SPIRITUAL
(Gr. charismata), gifts supernaturally bestowed on the early Christians, each having his own proper gift or gifts for the edification of the body of Christ. These were the result of the extraordinary operation of the Spirit, as on the day of Pentecost. They were the gifts of speaking with tongues, casting out devils, healing, etc. (Mark 16:17, Mark 16: 18), usually communicated by the medium of th......
GLORIFY
(1.) To make glorious, or cause so to appear (John 12:28;13:31, 13: 32;17:4, 17:5). (2.) Spoken of God to "shew forth his praise" (1-Cor 6:20;10:31). ......
HEIFER
Heb. 'eglah, (Deut. 21:4, Deut. 21: 6; Jer. 46:20). Untrained to the yoke (Hos. 10:11); giving milk (Isa. 7:21); ploughing (Judg. 14:18); treading out grain (Jer. 50:11); unsubdued to the yoke an emblem of Judah (Isa. 15:5; Jer. 48:34). Heb. parah (Gen. 41:2; Num. 19:2). Bearing the yoke (Hos. 4:16); "heifers of Bashan" (Amos 4:1), metaphorical for the voluptuous females of Samaria. The ordinanc......
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......
KNIFE
(1.) Heb. hereb, "the waster," a sharp instrument for circumcision (Josh. 5:2, Josh. 5: 3, lit. "knives of flint;" comp. Exo 4:25); a razor (Ezek. 5:1); a graving tool (Exo 20:25); an axe (Ezek. 26:9). (2.) Heb. maakeleth, a large knife for slaughtering and cutting up food (Gen. 22:6, Gen. 22: 10; Prov. 30:14). (3.) Heb. sakkin, a knife for any purpose, a table knife (Prov. 23:2). (4.) Heb. ......
LIFE
generally of physical life (Gen. 2:7; Luke 16:25, Luke 16: etc.); also used figuratively (1) for immortality (Heb. 7:16); (2) conduct or manner of life (Rom. 6:4); (3) spiritual life or salvation (John 3:16, John 3: 17, 18, 36); (4) eternal life (Matt. 19:16, Matt. 19: 17; John 3:15); of God and Christ as the absolute source and cause of all life (John 1:4;5:26, 5: 39;11:25;12:50). ......
LUCIFER
brilliant star, a title given to the king of Babylon (Isa. 14:12) to denote his glory. ......
MIDWIFE
The two midwives mentioned in Exo 1:15 were probably the superintendents of the whole class. ......
OSSIFRAGE
Heb. peres = to "break" or "crush", the lammer-geier, or bearded vulture, the largest of the whole vulture tribe. It was an unclean bird (Lev. 11:13; Deut. 14:12). It is not a gregarious bird, and is found but rarely in Palestine. "When the other vultures have picked the flesh off any animal, he comes in at the end of the feast, and swallows the bones, or breaks them, and swallows the pieces if he......
PURIFICATION
the process by which a person unclean, according to the Levitical law, and thereby cut off from the sanctuary and the festivals, was restored to the enjoyment of all these privileges. The great annual purification of the people was on the Day of Atonement (q.v.). But in the details of daily life there were special causes of cermonial uncleanness which were severally provided for by ceremonial ......
SACRIFICE
The offering up of sacrifices is to be regarded as a divine institution. It did not originate with man. God himself appointed it as the mode in which acceptable worship was to be offered to him by guilty man. The language and the idea of sacrifice pervade the whole Bible. Sacrifices were offered in the ante-diluvian age. The Lord clothed Adam and Eve with the skins of animals, which in all proba......
SANCTIFICATION
involves more than a mere moral reformation of character, brought about by the power of the truth: it is the work of the Holy Spirit bringing the whole nature more and more under the influences of the new gracious principles implanted in the soul in regeneration. In other words, sanctification is the carrying on to perfection the work begun in regeneration, and it extends to the whole man (Rom. 6:......
SHERIFFS
(Dan. 3:2), Babylonian officers.......
TONGUES, GIFT OF
granted on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4), in fulfilment of a promise Christ had made to his disciples (Mark 16:17). What this gift actually was has been a subject of much discussion. Some have argued that it was merely an outward sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit among the disciples, typifying his manifold gifts, and showing that salvation was to be extended to all nations. But the words o......
TREE OF LIFE
stood also in the midst of the garden of Eden (Gen. 2:9;3:22). Some writers have advanced the opinion that this tree had some secret virtue, which was fitted to preserve life. Probably the lesson conveyed was that life was to be sought by man, not in himself or in his own power, but from without, from Him who is emphatically the Life (John 1:4;14:6). Wisdom is compared to the tree of life (Prov. 3......
WATER OF PURIFICATION
used in cases of ceremonial cleansings at the consecration of the Levites (Num. 8:7). It signified, figuratively, that purifying of the heart which must characterize the servants of God. ......
WIFE
The ordinance of marriage was sanctioned in Paradise (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:4). Monogamy was the original law under which man lived, but polygamy early commenced (Gen. 4:19), and continued to prevail all down through Jewish history. The law of Moses regulated but did not prohibit polygamy. A man might have a plurality of wives, but a wife could have only one husband. A wife's legal rights (Exo 21:10......
ZIF
brightness; splendour; i.e., "the flower month," mentioned only in 1-Kings 6:1, 1-Kings 6: 37, as the "second month." It was called Iyar by the later Jews. (See MONTH.)......
ACHISH
angry, perhaps only a general title of royalty applicable to the Philistine kings. (1.) The king with whom David sought refuge when he fled from Saul (1-Sam 21:10). He is called Abimelech in the superscription of Ps. 34. It was probably this same king to whom David a second time repaired at the head of a band of 600 warriors, and who assigned him Ziklag, whence he carried on war against the surrou......
AHISHAR
brother of song = singer, the officer who was "over the household" of Solomon (1-Kings 4:6).......
CHISLEU
the name adopted from the Babylonians by the Jews after the Captivity for the third civil, or ninth ecclesiastical, month (Neh. 1:1; Zech. 7:1). It corresponds nearly with the moon in November. ......
HISS
to express contempt (Job 27:23). The destruction of the temple is thus spoken of (1-Kings 9:8). Zechariah (10:8) speaks of the Lord gathering the house of Judah as it were with a hiss: "I will hiss for them." This expression may be "derived from the noise made to attract bees in hiving, or from the sound naturally made to attract a person's attention."......
LACHISH
impregnable, a royal Canaanitish city in the Shephelah, or maritime plain of Palestine (Josh. 10:3, Josh. 10: 5;12:11). It was taken and destroyed by the Israelites (Josh. 10:31). It afterwards became, under Rehoboam, one of the strongest fortresses of Judah (2-Chr 10:9). It was assaulted and probably taken by Sennacherib (2-Kings 18:14, 2-Kings 18: 17;19:8; Isa. 36:2). An account of this siege is......
MEMPHIS
only in Hos. 9:6, Hos. 9: Hebrew Moph. In Isa. 19:13; Jer. 2:16;46:14, 46: 19; Ezek. 30:13, Ezek. 30: 16, it is mentioned under the name Noph. It was the capital of Lower, i.e., of Northern Egypt. From certain remains found half buried in the sand, the site of this ancient city has been discovered near the modern village of Minyet Rahinch, or Mitraheny, about 16 miles above the ancient head of the......
NAPHISH
refresher, one of the sons of Ishmael (Gen. 25:15; 1-Chr 1:31). He was the father of an Arab tribe.......
SCHISM
a separation, an alienation causing divisions among Christians, who ought to be united (1-Cor 12:25). ......
SHISHAK I
=Sheshonk I., king of Egypt. His reign was one of great national success, and a record of his wars and conquests adorns the portico of what are called the "Bubastite kings" at Karnak, the ancient Thebes. Among these conquests is a record of that of Judea. In the fifth year of Rehoboam's reign Shishak came up against the kingdom of Judah with a powerful army. He took the fenced cities and came to J......
TARSHISH
a Sanscrit or Aryan word, meaning "the sea coast." (1.) One of the "sons" of Javan (Gen. 10:4; 1-Chr 1:7). (2.) The name of a place which first comes into notice in the days of Solomon. The question as to the locality of Tarshish has given rise to not a little discussion. Some think there was a Tarshish in the East, on the Indian coast, seeing that "ships of Tarshish" sailed from Eziongeber, on ......
THARSHISH
(1-Kings 10:22;22:48). See TARSHISH. ......
THISTLE
(1.) Heb. hoah (2-Kings 14:9; Job 31:40). In Job 41:2 the Hebrew word is rendered "thorn," but in the Revised Version "hook." It is also rendered "thorn" in 2-Chr 33:11; Prov. 26:9; 2:2; "brambles" in Isa. 34:13. It is supposed to be a variety of the wild plum-tree, but by some it is regarded as the common thistle, of which there are many varieties in Palestine. (2.) Heb. dardar, meaning "a plan......
BURNT OFFERING
Hebrew _olah_; i.e., "ascending," the whole being consumed by fire, and regarded as ascending to God while being consumed. Part of every offering was burnt in the sacred fire, but this was wholly burnt, a "whole burnt offering." It was the most frequent form of sacrifice, and apparently the only one mentioned in the book of Genesis. Such were the sacrifices offered by Abel (Gen. 4:3, Gen. 4: 4, he......
DRINK-OFFERING
consisted of wine (Num. 15:5; Hos. 9:4) poured around the altar (Exo 30:9). Joined with meat-offerings (Num. 6:15, Num. 6: 17; 2-Kings 16:13; Joel 1:9, Joel 1: 13;2:14), presented daily (Exo 29:40), on the Sabbath (Num. 28:9), and on feast-days (28:14). One-fourth of an hin of wine was required for one lamb, one-third for a ram, and one-half for a bullock (Num. 15:5;28:7, 28: 14). "Drink offerings......
FREE-WILL OFFERING
a spontaneous gift (Exo 35:29), a voluntary sacrifice (Lev. 22:23; Ezra 3:5), as opposed to one in consequence of a vow, or in expiation of some offence. ......
HEAVE OFFERING
Heb. terumah, (Exo 29:27) means simply an offering, a present, including all the offerings made by the Israelites as a present. This Hebrew word is frequently employed. Some of the rabbis attach to the word the meaning of elevation, and refer it to the heave offering, which consisted in presenting the offering by a motion up and down, distinguished from the wave offering, which consisted in a repe......
JEALOUSY OFFERING
the name of the offering the husband was to bring when he charged his wife with adultery (Num. 5:11). ......
MEAT-OFFERING
(Heb. minhah), originally a gift of any kind. This Hebrew word came latterly to denote an "unbloody" sacrifice, as opposed to a "bloody" sacrifice. A "drink-offering" generally accompanied it. The law regarding it is given in Lev. 2, 6:14. It was a recognition of the sovereignty of God and of his bounty in giving all earthly blessings (1-Chr 29:10; Deut. 26:5). It was an offering which took for gr......
OFFERING
an oblation, dedicated to God. Thus Cain consecrated to God of the first-fruits of the earth, and Abel of the firstlings of the flock (Gen. 4:3, Gen. 4: 4). Under the Levitical system different kinds of offerings are specified, and laws laid down as to their presentation. These are described under their distinctive names. ......
PEACE OFFERINGS
(Heb. shelamim), detailed regulations regarding given in Lev. 3;7:11, 7: 29-34. They were of three kinds, (1) eucharistic or thanksgiving offerings, expressive of gratitude for blessings received; (2) in fulfilment of a vow, but expressive also of thanks for benefits recieved; and (3) free-will offerings, something spontaneously devoted to God.......
SIN-OFFERING
(Heb. hattath), the law of, is given in detail in Lev. 6:13;9:7, 9: 22-24;12:6;15:2, 15: 14, 25-30;14:19, 14: 31; Num. 6:10. On the day of Atonement it was made with special solemnity (Lev. 16:5, Lev. 16: 11, 15). The blood was then carried into the holy of holies and sprinkled on the mercy-seat. Sin-offerings were also presented at the five annual festivals (Num. 28, 29), and on the occasion of t......
TRESPASS OFFERING
(Heb. 'asham, "debt"), the law concerning, given in Lev. 5:14:7; also in Num. 5:5. The idea of sin as a "debt" pervades this legislation. The _asham_, which was always a ram, was offered in cases where sins were more private. (See OFFERING.) ......
WAVE OFFERINGS
parts of peace-offerings were so called, because they were waved by the priests (Exo 29:24, Exo 29: 26, 27; Lev. 7:20;8:27;9:21;10:14, 10: 15, etc.), in token of a solemn special presentation to God. They then became the property of the priests. The first-fruits, a sheaf of barley, offered at the feast of Pentecost (Lev. 23:17), and wheat-bread, the first-fruits of the second harvest, offered at t......
WOOD-OFFERING
(Neh. 10:34;13:31). It would seem that in the time of Nehemiah arrangements were made, probably on account of the comparative scarcity of wood, by which certain districts were required, as chosen by lot, to furnish wood to keep the altar fire perpetually burning (Lev. 6:13). ......