AIJELETH SHAHAR
hind of the dawn, a name found in the title of Ps. 22. It is probably the name of some song or tune to the measure of which the psalm was to be chanted. Some, however, understand by the name some instrument of music, or an allegorical allusion to the subject of the psalm.......
BRACELET
(1.) Anklets (Num. 31:50; 2-Sam 1:10), and with reference to men. (2.) The rendering of a Hebrew word meaning fasteners, found in Gen. 24:22, Gen. 24: 30, 47. (3.) In Isa. 3:19, Isa. 3: the rendering of a Hebrew word meaning chains, i.e., twisted or chain-like bracelets. (4.) In Exo 35:22 it designates properly a clasp for fastening the dress of females. Some interpret it as a nose-ring. (......
ELIPHALET
God his deliverance, one of David's sons (2-Sam 5:16); called also Eliphelet (1-Chr 3:8).......
ELIPHELET
God his deliverance. (1.) One of David's distinguished warriors (2-Sam 23:34); called also Eliphal in 1-Chr 11:35. (2.) One of the sons of David born at Jerusalem (1-Chr 3:6;14:5); called Elpalet in 1-Chr 14:5. Also another of David's sons (1-Chr 3:8); called Eliphalet in 2-Sam 5:16; 1-Chr 14:7. (3.) A descendant of king Saul through Jonathan (1-Chr 8:39).......
FILLETS
Heb. hashukum, plur., joinings (Exo 27:17;38:17, 38: 28), the rods by which the tops of the columns around the tabernacle court were joined together, and from which the curtains were suspended (Exo 27:10, Exo 27: 11;36:38). In Jer. 52:21 the rendering of a different word, _hut_, meaning a "thread," and designating a measuring-line of 12 cubits in length for the circumference of the copper pillar......
FRONTLETS
occurs only in Exo 13:16; Deut. 6:8, Deut. 6: 11:18. The meaning of the injunction to the Israelites, with regard to the statues and precepts given them, that they should "bind them for a sign upon their hand, and have them as frontlets between their eyes," was that they should keep them distinctly in view and carefully attend to them. But soon after their return from Babylon they began to interpr......
GOBLET
a laver or trough for washing garments. In 7:2, 7: a bowl or drinking vessel, a bowl for mixing wine; in Exo 24:6, Exo 24: a sacrificial basin. (See CUP.) ......
LETTER
in Rom. 2:27, Rom. 2: 29 means the outward form. The "oldness of the letter" (7:6) is a phrase which denotes the old way of literal outward obedience to the law as a system of mere external rules of conduct. In 2-Cor 3:6, 2-Cor 3: "the letter" means the Mosaic law as a written law. (See WRITING.) ......
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.) ......
MILLET
(Heb. dohan; only in Ezek. 4:9), a small grain, the produce of the Panicum miliaceum of botanists. It is universally cultivated in the East as one of the smaller corn-grasses. This seed is the cenchros of the Greeks. It is called in India warree, and by the Arabs dukhan, and is extensively used for food, being often mixed with other grain. In this country it is only used for feeding birds. ......
PELET
deliverance. (1.) A descendant of Judah (1-Chr 2:47). (2.) A Benjamite who joined David at Ziklag (1-Chr 12:3).......
PELETH
swiftness. (1.) A Reubenite whose son was one of the conspirators against Moses and Aaron (Num. 16:1). (2.) One of the sons of Jonathan (1-Chr 2:33).......
PELETHITES
mentioned always along with the Cherethites, and only in the time of David. The word probably means "runners" or "couriers," and may denote that while forming part of David's bodyguard, they were also sometimes employed as couriers (2-Sam 8:18;20:7, 20: 23;1-Kings 1:38, 1-Kings 1: 44; 1-Chr 18:17). Some, however, think that these are the names simply of two Philistine tribes from which David selec......
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].) ......
SCARLET
This dye was obtained by the Egyptians from the shell-fish Carthamus tinctorius; and by the Hebrews from the Coccus ilicis, an insect which infests oak trees, called kermes by the Arabians. This colour was early known (Gen. 38:28). It was one of the colours of the ephod (Exo 28:6), the girdle (8), and the breastplate (15) of the high priest. It is also mentioned in various other connections (Jos......
SHIBBOLETH
river, or an ear of corn. The tribes living on the east of Jordan, separated from their brethren on the west by the deep ravines and the rapid river, gradually came to adopt peculiar customs, and from mixing largely with the Moabites, Ishmaelites, and Ammonites to pronounce certain letters in such a manner as to distinguish them from the other tribes. Thus when the Ephraimites from the west invade......
TABLET
probably a string of beads worn round the neck (Exo 35:22; Num. 31:50). In Isa. 3:20 the Hebrew word means a perfume-box, as it is rendered in the Revised Version. ......
ZOHELETH
the serpent-stone, a rocky plateau near the centre of the village of Siloam, and near the fountain of En-rogel, to which the women of the village resort for water (1-Kings 1:5). Here Adonijah (q.v.) feasted all the royal princess except Solomon and the men who took part with him in his effort to succeed to the throne. While they were assembled here Solomon was proclaimed king, through the interven......
ADRAMYTTIUM
a city of Asia Minor on the coast of Mysia, which in early times was called AEolis. The ship in which Paul embarked at Caesarea belonged to this city (Acts 27:2). He was conveyed in it only to Myra, in Lycia, whence he sailed in an Alexandrian ship to Italy. It was a rare thing for a ship to sail from any port of Palestine direct for Italy. It still bears the name Adramyti, and is a place of some ......
ARMY
The Israelites marched out of Egypt in military order (Exo 13:18, Exo 13: "harnessed;" marg., "five in a rank"). Each tribe formed a battalion, with its own banner and leader (Num. 2:2;10:14). In war the army was divided into thousands and hundreds under their several captains (Num. 31:14), and also into families (Num. 2:34; 2-Chr 25:5;26:12). From the time of their entering the land of Canaan to ......
ASTRONOMY
The Hebrews were devout students of the wonders of the starry firmanent (Amos 5:8; Ps. 19). In the Book of Job, which is the oldest book of the Bible in all probability, the constellations are distinguished and named. Mention is made of the "morning star" (Rev. 2:28; comp. Isa. 14:12), the "seven stars" and "Pleiades," "Orion," "Arcturus," the "Great Bear" (Amos 5:8; Job 9:9;38:31), "the crooked s......
BLASPHEMY
In the sense of speaking evil of God this word is found in Psa 74:18; Isa. 52:5; Rom. 2:24; Rev. 13:1, Rev. 13: 6;16:9, 16: 11, 21. It denotes also any kind of calumny, or evil-speaking, or abuse (1-Kings 21:10; Acts 13:45;18:6, 18: etc.). Our Lord was accused of blasphemy when he claimed to be the Son of God (Matt. 26:65; comp. Matt. 9:3; Mark 2:7). They who deny his Messiahship blaspheme Jesus (......
DEUTERONOMY
In all the Hebrew manuscripts the Pentateuch (q.v.) forms one roll or volume divided into larger and smaller sections called _parshioth_ and _sedarim_. It is not easy to say when it was divided into five books. This was probably first done by the Greek translators of the book, whom the Vulgate follows. The fifth of these books was called by the Greeks Deuteronomion, i.e., the second law, hence our......
MYRA
one of the chief towns of Lycia, in Asia Minor, about 2 1/2 miles from the coast (Acts 27:5). Here Paul removed from the Adramyttian ship in which he had sailed from Caesarea, and entered into the Alexandrian ship, which was afterwards wrecked at Melita (27:39). ......
MYRRH
Heb. mor. (1.) First mentioned as a principal ingredient in the holy anointing oil (Exo 30:23). It formed part of the gifts brought by the wise men from the east, who came to worship the infant Jesus (Matt. 2:11). It was used in embalming (John 19:39), also as a perfume (Esther 2:12; Psa 45:8; Prov. 7:17). It was a custom of the Jews to give those who were condemned to death by crucifixion "wine m......
MYRTLE
(Isa. 41:19; Neh. 8:15; Zech. 1:8), Hebrew hadas, known in the East by the name _as_, the Myrtus communis of the botanist. "Although no myrtles are now found on the mount (of Olives), excepting in the gardens, yet they still exist in many of the glens about Jerusalem, where we have often seen its dark shining leaves and white flowers. There are many near Bethlehem and about Hebron, especially near......
MYSIA
a province in the north-west of Asia Minor. On his first voyage to Europe (Acts 16:7, Acts 16: 8) Paul passed through this province and embarked at its chief port Troas. ......
MYSTERY
the calling of the Gentiles into the Christian Church, so designated (Eph. 1:9, Eph. 1: 10;3:8; Col. 1:25); a truth undiscoverable except by revelation, long hid, now made manifest. The resurrection of the dead (1-Cor 15:51), and other doctrines which need to be explained but which cannot be fully understood by finite intelligence (Matt. 13:11; Rom. 11:25; 1-Cor 13:2); the union between Christ and......
SMYRNA
myrrh, an ancient city of Ionia, on the western coast of Asia Minor, about 40 miles to the north of Ephesus. It is now the chief city of Anatolia, having a mixed population of about 200,000, of whom about one-third are professed Christians. The church founded here was one of the seven addressed by our Lord (Rev. 2:8). The celebrated Polycarp, a pupil of the apostle John, was in the second century ......
NUMBERING OF THE PEOPLE
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 (1-Chr 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 spir......