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Adramyttium – Anammelech
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Adramyttium
A maritime town of Mysia, in Asia Minor, opposite to the island of Lesbos, . It is now called Adramyt.
Adria
In . The Adriatic Sea. This term now denotes only the Gulf of Venice; but in St. Paul’s time it included the whole sea lying between Italy and Greece, and extending on the south from Crete to Sicily, within which the island of Malta or Melita lies. So Ptolemy and Strabo.
Adriel
A son of Barzillai, married Merab, daughter of Saul, who had been promised to David, . Adriel had five sons by her, who were delivered up to the Gibeonites, to be put to death before the Lord, to avenge the cruelty of Saul their grandfather against the Gibeonites. In , these are said to be the sons of Michal, whom she "brought up" for Adriel; but unless this is a copyist’s error, Michal had adopted the children of her sister Merab, who was perhaps dead; or possibly both sisters may have borne the name Michal. Compare under ABIATHAR.
Adullam
An ancient city in the plain of Judah, southwest of Jerusalem, ; . Its king was slain by Joshua, . It was one of the cities rebuilt and fortified by Rehoboam, ; , and was reoccupied by the Jews after the captivity, .
When David withdrew from Achish, king of Gath, he retired to the "cave of Adullam," ; . The location of this cave, however, is uncertain. Tradition places it in the hill country, about six miles south-east of Bethlehem, the city of David; a large and fine cave, visited by many travellers. It is capable of holding thousands.
Adultery
Is a criminal connection between persons who are engaged, one or both, to keep themselves wholly to others; and thus it exceeds the guilt of fornication, which is the same intercourse between unmarried persons. As the highest sin of its kind, and son including all other sins of the flesh, it is forbidden in the seventh commandment. Where polygamy was allowed, as among the ancient Jews, illicit intercourse between a married man and a woman who was married, nor betrothed, constituted not adultery, but fornication.
Fornication may be, in some sense, covered by a subsequent marriage of the parties; but adultery cannot be so healed. Hence God often compares himself to a husband jealous of his honor, ; and hence the forsaking of the true God is compared to fornication and adultery of the vilest kind, ; .
By the Law of Moses, both the man and the woman who had committed adultery were punished with death, ; ; . A woman suspected of this crime might, in order to clear herself, drink the "water of jealousy," as prescribed in .
Adummim
A border town of Benjamin and Judah, not far from Jericho of the road to Jerusalem. This road ascends through a desolate and rocky region, "the ascent of Adummim," ; ; it furnished many lurking places for robbers, and was the scene of our Savior’s parable, The Good Samaritan, .
Advocate, Or Paraclete
One that pleads the cause of another. In its technical sense, the office was unknown to the Jews till they became subject to the Romans. It is applied to Christ as our intercessor, ; compare ; ; and to the Holy Spirit, as our teacher and comforter, ; .
Aenon
See ENON.
Affinity
; Relationship by marriage; as consanguinity is relationship by blood. The degrees within which relatives were forbidden by the Levitical law to intermarry, may be found in .
Agabus
"A prophet" of the early church, perhaps one of "the seventy" disciples of Christ. He foretold the famine, of which Suetonious and others speak, in the days of Claudius, A. D. 44. It was very severe in Judea; and aid was sent to the church at Jerusalem from Antioch, . Many years after, Agabus predicted the sufferings of Paul at the hands of the Jews, .
Agag
1. A general name of the kings of the Amalekites; apparently like Pharaoh for the Egyptian kings, :13; 24:7; . The last one mentioned in Scripture was "hewed in pieces" by Samuel, before the Lord, because Saul had sinfully spared him and the flocks and herds, when ordered utterly to exterminate them. He seems to have incurred an uncommon punishment by infamous cruelties,
2. Agagite, in ,; , is used to mark the nation whence Haman sprung. Josephus explains the word by Amalekite.
Agate
A precious stone said to take its name from the river Achates in Sicily, where it abounded. Agates, which are several kinds, are likewise procured in India, in various parts of Europe, and at the Cape of Good Hope. They are semi-transparent, and often are beautifully veined and clouded, and present in miniature the picture of many natural objects. The agate was the second stone in the third row of the high priest’s breastplate, ; .
Agrippa
See HEROD 3, 4.
Agur
An inspired Hebrew, author of thirtieth chapter of proverbs, incorporated with those of Solomon.
Ahab
1. The sixth king of Israel, succeeded his father Omri B. C. 918, and reigned twenty-two years. His wife was Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal king of Tyre; an ambitious and passionate idolatress, through whose influence the worship of Baal and Ashtoreth was introduced in Israel. Ahab erected in Samaria a house of Baal, and set up images of Baal and Ashtoreth; idolatry and wickedness became fearfully prevalent, and the king "did more to provoke the Lord to anger than all the kings that were before him." In the midst of this great apostasy, God visited the land with three years of drought and famine; and then, at Mount Carmel, reproved idolatry by fire from heaven, and by the destruction of four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal. About six years later, Ben-hadad, king of Syria, invaded Israel with a great army, but was ignominiously defeated; and still more disastrously the year after, when Ahab took him captive, but soon released him, and thus incurred the displeasure of God. In spite of the warnings and mercies of Providence, Ahab went on in sin; and at length, after the murder of Naboth, his crimes and abominable idolatries were such that God sent Elijah to denounce judgments upon him and his seed. These were in part deferred, however, by his apparent humiliation. Soon after, having gone with Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, to regain Ramoth-gilead from the Syrians, and joined battle with them in defiance of Jehovah, he was slain, and dogs licked up his blood at the pool of Samaria, :40.
2. A false prophet, who seduced the Israelites at Babylon, and was denounced by Jeremiah, ,.
Ahasuerus
A royal title, common to several Median and Persian kings named in Scripture.
1. The father of Dares the Mede, . The most probable opinion is that the name here designates Astyages, the grandfather of Cyrus. See below, and DARIUS I.
2. Mentioned , the son and successor of Cyrus; probably Cambyses, who reigned seven and a half years from B. C. 529.
3. The husband of Esther, most probably Xerxes. Commentators have been much divided, and have understood under this name all the Persian kings in succession. But the other kings of Persia are all mentioned in Scripture by their own names, or at least definitely pointed out; while Xerxes is not mentioned, unless under this name. Besides, recent researches show that Hebrew word for Ahasuerus is readily formed from the Persian name of Xerxes, the name Xerxes being only a Greek corruption of the Persian. See ESTHER.
Ahava
A town in Chaldea, which gave name to the stream on the banks of which exiled Jews assembled their second caravan under Ezra, when returning to Jerusalem, ,,. It may be the modern Hib on the Euphrates, in the latitude of Bagdad.
Ahaz
Son of Jotham, and twelfth king of Judah. He ascended the throne at twenty years of age, and reigned sixteen years, ,,. B. C. 738. He was distinguished for his idolatry and contempt of the true God; and against him many of the prophecies of Isaiah are directed, . He made his own children pass through the fire to idols; he introduced the Syrian gods into Jerusalem, altered the temple after the Syrian model, and even closed it altogether. Having thus forfeited the aid of Jehovah, he met various repulses in battle with Pekah and Rezin; the Edomites revolted, and the Philistines harassed his borders. He turned yet more away from God in his distress, and sought aid from Pul, king of Assyria. This fatal step made him tributary to Pul, and to Tig-lath-pileser his successor. Ahaz was reduced to great extremities, in buying off the Assyrians; but became more infatuated still in idolatry, and dying in his impiety at the of thirty-six, was refused a burial with the kings his ancestors, .
Ahaziah
1. Son and successor of Ahab, king of Israel, ; . He reigned two years, alone and with his father, who associated him in the kingdom the year before his death, B. C. 894. Ahaziah imitated Ahab’s impiety, and worshipped Baal and Astarte, whose rites had been introduced into Israel by Jezebel his mother. During his reign the Moabites revolted. Having joined the king Jehoshaphat in a commercial enterprise on the Red Sea, his impiety blasted the whole. After a fall from the gallery of his house, he sent to consult a god of the Philistines as to his recovery. Elijah the prophet foretold his speedy death-first to the messengers, and again to Ahaziah himself, after two companies of fifty had been consumed by fire from heaven.
2. Otherwise Jehoahaz, or Azariah, king of Judah, son of Jehoram and Athaliah; he succeeded his father B. C. 881, ; . He was twenty-two years of age when he ascended the throne, and reigned but one year at Jerusalem. He followed the house of Ahab, to which he was allied by his mother, and did evil. He met his death at the hand of Jehu, while in company with Joram, son of Ahab.
Ahiah
Son of Ahitub, and high priest in the reign of Saul, . He was probably the brother of his successor Ahimelech, slain by Saul, .
Ahijah
A prophet and chronicler of the times of Solomon and Jeroboam, ; . He is thought to be the person who spoke in God’s name to Solomon while building the temple, ; and again after he fell into sin, . He notified Jeroboam of the separation of Israel from Judah, and of the foundation of his house-the ruin of which he afterwards foretold, .
Ahikam
Sent by Josiah to Huldah the prophetess, when the book of the law was found in the temple, . He afterwards nobly befriended the prophet Jeremiah, ; .
Ahimaaz
The son and successor of Zadok became high priest in the reign of Solomon. During the reign of David, he revealed to him the counsels of Absalom and his advisers in rebellion, ; and conveyed to him also the tidings of Absalom’s defeat and death, .
Ahimelech
1. Son of Ahitub, and brother of Ahiah, whom he succeeded in the high priesthood. Some think, however, that both names belong to the same person. During his priesthood the tabernacle was at Nob, where Ahimelech dwelt, with many priests. Here he received David when fleeing from Saul, and gave him the showbread and Goliath’s sword. This act, as reported by Doeg the Edomite, Saul viewed as treasonous; and by the hand of this idolatrous and malignant foreigner, he put Ahimelech and eighty-five other priests of Jehovah to death, —a crime sufficient of itself to forfeit the throne and the favor of God.
2. Also called Abimelech, , probably the same as Abiathar, which see, ,,.
Ahinoam
1. Daughter of Ahimaaz and wife of Saul, .
2. A woman of Jezreel, wife of David and mother Amnon. She was taken captive by the Amalekites, at Ziklag, ; but was recovered by David, and accompanied him to Hebron, ; .
Ahio
A son of Abinadab, who went before the ark of God on its way to Jerusalem from his father’s house; thus escaping the fate of Uzzah his brother, .
Ahithophel
A native of Giloh, originally one of David’s most intimate and valued friends; but upon the defection and rebellion of Absalom, he espoused the cause of that prince, and became one of David’s bitterest enemies. Being disappointed that Absalom did not follow his sagacious advice, and foreseeing the issue of the rebellion, he hanged himself, ; ; . Ahithophel seems to have been the grandfather of Bathsheba. , compared with .
Ahitub
1. Grandson of Eli, and son of Phinehas, in whose place he succeeded to the high priesthood on the death of Eli, Phinehas having perished in battle, B. C. 1141, .
2. Son of Amariah, and father of Zadok, ; .
Aholah And Aholibah
Two symbolical names, adopted by Ezekiel, , to denote the two kingdoms of Judah and Samaria. They are represented as sisters, and of Egyptian extraction. Aholah stands for Samaria, and Aholibah for Jerusalem. The allegory is a history of the Jewish church.
Ahram
The father of Aaron, Miriam, and Moses. He died in Egypt, aged one hundred and thirty-seven, ,.
Ai
Called also Hai, ; Aija, ; and Aiath, . A royal city of the Canaanites, east of Bethel, near which Abraham once sojourned and built an altar, ; . It is memorable for Joshua’s defeat on account of Achan, and his subsequent victory, ; . It was rebuilt, and is mentioned by Isaiah. Its ruins are spoken of by Eusebius and Jerome, but the exact site cannot now be fixed with certainty.
Ain
Fountain, spelt EN in the English Sisle, in compound words, as En- rogel. It is the name of a city of Judah, afterwards assigned to Simeon, ; . Also of a place in the north of Canaan, .
Air
1. The air or atmosphere surrounding the earth is often denoted by the word heaven; so "the fowls of heaven" means the birds of the air.
2. To "beat the air," and to "speak in the air," ; , are modes of expression used in most languages, signifying to speak or act without judgment or understanding, or to no purpose. "The powers of the air," , probably means devils.
Ajalon Or Aijalon
1. A town in the tribe of Dan, assigned to the Levites, sons of Kohath, . It was not far from Timnath, and was taken by the Philistines from Ahaz, . It lay in or near a valley, not far from the valley of Gibeon, and is recognized in the modern village of Yalo. The valley lies towards the north, and is the place where Joshua commanded the sun and moon to stand still, and they obeyed him,
2. A town in Benjamin, some three miles east of Bethel. It was fortified by Rehoboam, 3. In the tribe of Zebulun, the place of Elon’s burial, .
Akrabbim
Scorpions, A point in the frontier line of the promised land, , and in a region infested with serpents and scorpions, . It is to be found probably in the mountains near the Dead Sea, on its southwest side. In , it is translated Maalehakrabbim, the ascent of Akrabbim.
Alabaster
A sort of stone, of fine texture, either the white gypsum, a sulphate of lime, or the onyx-alabaster, a hard carbonate of lime, having the color of the human nail, and nearly allied to marble. This material being very generally used to fabricate vessels for holding unguents and perfumed liquids, many vessels were called alabaster though made of a different substance, as gold, silver, glass, etc. In ,, we read that Mary, sister of Lazarus, , poured as alabaster box of precious ointment on Christ’s head. Mark says "she brake the box," signifying probably, that the seal upon the box, or upon the neck of the vase of bottle, which kept the perfume from evaporating, had never been removed; it was on this occasion first opened. See SPIKENARD.
Alamoth
A musical term, indicating probably music for female voices, ; .
Alexander
1. The Great, the famous son and successor of Philip, king of Macedon. He is alluded to in ; , under the figures of a leopard with four wings, and a one-horned he-goat, representing the swiftness of his conquests and his great strength. He was appointed by God to destroy the Persian Empire and substitute the Grecian. In the statue seen by Nebuchadnezzar in his dream, , the belly of brass was the emblem of Alexander. He succeeded his father B. C. 336, and within twelve years overran Syria, Palestine, and Egypt, founded Alexandria, conquered the Persians, and penetrated far into the Indies. He died at the age of thirty-two, from the effects of intemperance, and left his vast empire to be divided among his four generals.
2. Son of Simon the Cyrenian, , apparently one of the more prominent early Christians.
3. One of the council who condemned Peter and John,
4. A Jew of Ephesus, who sought in vain to quiet the popular commotion respecting Paul,
5. A coppersmith, and apostate from Christianity, ; .
Alexandria
A celebrated city in Lower Egypt, situated between the Mediterranean Sea and the lake Mareotis, not far from the most westerly mouth of the Nile. It was founded by Alexander the Great, B. C. 332, and peopled by colonies of Greeks and Jews. Alexandria rose rapidly to a state of prosperity, becoming the center of commercial intercourse between the East and the West, and in process of time was, in point both magnitude and wealth, second only to Rome itself. The ancient city was about fifteen miles in circuit, peopled by 300,000 free citizens and as many slaves. From the gate of the sea ran one magnificent street, 2,000 feet broad, through the entire length of the city, to the gate of Canopus, affording a view of the shipping in the port, whether north in the Mediterranean, or south in the noble basin of the Mareotic lake. Another street of equal width intersected this at right angles, in a square half a league in circumference.
Upon the death of Alexander, whose body was deposited in this new city, Alexandria became the regal capital of Egypt, under the Ptolemies, and rose to its highest splendor. During the reign of the first three princes of this name, its glory was at the highest. The most celebrated philosophers from the East, as well as from Greece and Rome, resorted thither for instruction; and eminent men, in every department of knowledge, were found within its walls. Ptolemy Soter, the first of that line of kings, formed the museum, the library of 700,000 volumes, and several other splendid works. At the death of Cleopatra, B. C. 26, Alexandria passed into the hands of the Romans; and after having enjoyed the highest fame for upwards of a thousand years, it submitted to the arms of the caliph Pmar, A. D. 646.
The present Alexandria, or according to the pronunciation of the inhabitants, Skanderia, occupies only about the eighth part of the site of the ancient city. The splendid temples have been exchanged for wretched mosques and miserable churches, and the magnificent palaces for mean and ill-built dwellings. The city, which was of old so celebrated for its commerce and navigation, is now merely part of Cairo, a place where ships may touch, and where wares may be exchanged. The modern city is built with the ruins of the ancient. The streets are so narrow, that the inhabitants can lay mats of reeds from one roof to the opposite, to protect them from the scorching sun. The population consists of Turks, Arabs, Copts, Jews, and Armenians. Many Europeans have counting houses here, where the factors exchange European for oriental merchandise.
The Greek or Alexandrine version of the Scriptures was made here by learned Jews, seventy-two in number, and hence it is called the Septuagint, or version of the Seventy. The Jews established themselves in great numbers in this city very soon after it was founded. Josephus says that Alexander himself assigned to them a particular quarter of the city, and allowed them equal rights and privileges with the Greeks. Philo, who himself lived there in the time of Christ, affirms that, of five parts of the city, the Jews inhabit two. According to his statements, also, there dwelt in his time, in Alexandria and the other Egyptian cities, not less than a million Jews; but this would seem exaggerated.
Algum
The same as ALMUG, which see.
Allegory
A figurative mode of discourse, which employs terms literally belonging to one thing, in order to express another. It is strictly a prolonged metaphor. Such are Nathan’s address to David, ; , and our Lord’s parable of the sower, . The expression, "which things are an allegory," , means that the events in the life of Isaac and Ishmael, mentioned in previous verses, have been allegorically applied.
Alleluia
See HALLELUJAH.
Allon-Bachuth
Oak of weeping; the spot where Rebekah’s nurse was buried, .
Almon-Diblathaim
One of the encampments of the Israelites on their way from Mount Hor to the plains of Moab; location unknown, .
Almond-Tree
This tree resembles a peach-tree, but is larger. In Palestine, it blossoms in January, and in March has fruit. Its blossoms are white. Its Hebrew name signifies a watcher, and to this there is an allusion in . In , the hoary head is beautifully compared with the almond-tree, both on account of its snowy whiteness and its winter blossoming.
Almug
A kind of tree or wood, which Hiram brought from Ophir for the use of Solomon in making pillars for the temple and his own house, and also musical instruments, ; . The rabbins call it coral; but it could not be this. It was more probably the tree, which furnishes what is now commonly called Brazil wood, which is also a native of the East Indies, Siam, the Molucca islands, and Japan, and has several species. Its wood is very durable, and is used in fine cabinet work. It yields also a dye of a beautiful red color, for which it is much used. Its resemblance in color to coral may have given occasion for the name almug, which in rabbinic still signifies coral; and thus the meaning of the name would be coral-wood.
Aloes
Or more properly, ALOE, and East Indian tree, that grows about eight or ten feet high, and yields a rich perfume, ; ; . This tree or wood was called by the Greeks Agallochon, and has been known to moderns by the names of Lign-aloe, aloe-wood, paradise-wood, eagle-wood, etc. Modern botanists distinguish two kinds: the one grows in Cochin China, Siam, and China, is never exported, and is of so great rarity in India, as to be worth its weight in gold. The tree is represented as large, with an erect trunk and lofty branches. The other or more common species is called garo in the East Indies, and is the wood of a tree growing in the Moluccas, the Excoecaria Agallocha of Linnaeus. The leaves are like those of a pear-tree; and it has a milky juice, which, as the tree grows old, hardens into a fragrant resin. The trunk is knotty, crooked, and usually hollow. Aloe-wood is said by Herodotus to have been used by the Egyptians for embalming dead bodies, and Nicodemus brought it, mingled with myrrh, to embalm the body of our Lord, . This perfume, it will be seen, is something altogether different from the aloes of the apothecaries, which is a bitter resin, extracted from a low herb.
Alpha
See the letter A.
Alphaeus
1. Father of James the Less, ; , and husband of the Mary usually regarded as sister to the mother of Christ, . See MARY, 1 and 3. By comparing with and , it is evident that Alphaeus is the same as Cleophas; Alphaeus being his Greek name, and Cleophas his Hebrew or Syriac name.
2. Father of Matthew, or Levi, the evangelist, .
Altar
A table-like structure, on which sacrifices and incense were offered, built of various materials, usually of stone, but sometimes of brass, etc. It is evident that sacrifices were offered long before the flood; but the first mention of an altar in Scripture is when Noah left the ark. Mention is made of altars reared by Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. The latter was commanded to build an altar of earth, . If stone was employed, it must be rough and unhewn, probably lest the practice of sculpture should lead them to violate the second commandment. It was not to be furnished with steps, .
The altars in the Jewish tabernacle, and in the temple at Jerusalem, were the following: 1. The altar of burnt offerings. 2. The altar of incense. 3. The table of showbread, for which see BREAD.
1. THE ALTAR OF BURNT-OFFERINGS was a kind of coffer of shittim- wood covered with brass plates, about seven feet six inches square, and four feet six inches in height. At the four corners were four horns, or elevations. It was portable, and had rings and staves for bearing in, :43. It was placed in the court before the tabernacle, towards the east. The furniture of the altar was of brass, and consisted of a pan, to receive the ashes that fell through the grating; shovels; basins, to contain the blood with which the altar was sprinkled; and forks, to turn and remove the pieces of flesh upon the coals. The fire was a perpetual one, kindled miraculously, and carefully cherished. Upon this altar the lamb of the daily morning and evening sacrifice was offered, and the other stated and voluntary blood-sacrifices and meat and drink-offerings. To this also certain fugitives were allowed to flee and find protection. The altar in Solomon’s temple was larger, being about thirty feet square and fifteen feet high, . It is said to have been covered with thick plates of brass and filled with stones, with an ascent on the east side. It is often called "the brazen altar."
2. THE ALTAR OF INCENSE was a small table of shittim-wood, covered with plates of gold; it was eighteen inches square, and three feet high, ; , etc. At the four corners were four horns, and all around its top was a little border or crown. On each side were two rings, into which staves might be inserted for the purpose of carrying it. It stood in the Holy place; not in the Holy of Holies, but before it, between the golden candlestick and the table of showbread, and the priests burned incense upon it every morning and evening. So Zacharias, ,. See TEMPLE.
3. ALTAR AT ATHENS, inscribed "to the unknown God," . It is certain. Both from Paul’s assertion and the testimony of Greek writers, that altars to an unknown or gods existed at Athens. But the attempt to ascertain definitely whom the Athenians worshipped under this appellation must ever remain fruitless for want of sufficient data. The inscription afforded to Paul a happy occasion of proclaiming the gospel; and those who embraced it found it indeed that the Being whom they had thus ignorantly worshipped was the one only living and true God.
Amalek
Son of Eliphaz, and grandson of Esau, . It is not certain that any distinct mention is made in the Bible of his posterity, people called Amalekites being in existence long before, ; .
Amalekites
A powerful people, who dwelt in Arabia Petraea, between the Dead Sea and the Red Sea, perhaps in moving troops. We cannot assign the place of their habitation, except in general it is apparent that they dwelt south of Palestine, between Mount Seir and the border of Egypt; and it does not appear that they possessed many cities, though one is mentioned in . They lived generally in migrating parties, in caves or in tents, like the Bedaween Arabs of the present day. The Israelites had scarcely passed the Red sea, when the Amelikites attacked them in the desert of Rephidim, and slew those who, through fatigue or weakness, lagged behind; and for this unprovoked assault on the people of God, the doom of extermination was passed upon them, . They came again into conflict with a part of the Israelites on the border of the promised land, ; and after 400 years, Saul attacked and destroyed them at the command of the Lord, . A remnant, however, escaped and subsided afterwards; David defeated them on several occasions, ; ; ; and they were finally blotted out by the Simeonites, in the time of Hezekiah, , thus fulfilling the prediction of Balaam, . Haman, the last of the race mentioned in Scripture, perished like his fathers, in conflict with the Jews. See the book of Esther.
Amana
The southern part or summit of Anti-Lebanon, adjacent to and north of Hermon, from which the river Amana or Abana poured down towards Damascus, .
Amariah
1. Son of Meraioth, a descendant of Aaron in the line of Eleazar. He was the father of Ahitub, (See AHITUB 2.) and grandfather of Zadok, in whose person the high priesthood was restored to that line,
2. High priest at a later period, a son of Azariah, and father of another Ahitub, . In like manner, in the same list there are three persons named Azariah.
Amasa
1. David’s nephew, the son of Abigail, David’s sister, and Jether an Ishmaelite. His percentage may have led David to show him less favor than his other nephews, and this may have disposed him to join in the rebellion of Absalom. He was the general of Absalom’s army, and was defeated by his cousin Joab, :33. David afterwards offered him a pardon and the command of his troops in the place of Joab, whose overbearing conduct he could no longer endure, . But in the confusion of Sheba’s rebellion, Amasa was treacherously murdered by his powerful rival, . B. C. 1022.
2. A chief of Ephraim, who opposed retaining as bondsmen the men of Judah taken captive in a war with Pekah king of Israel, .
Amasai
A Levite, who joined David with thirty gallant men, while in the desert flying from Saul, ; .
Amaziah
1. Eighth king of Judah, son of Joash, began to reign B. C. 835, and reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. He did well in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart. Having established himself in his throne and slain the murderers of his father, he mustered a host of 300,000 men of Judah, and hired 100,000 men of Israel, for a war upon Edom. These hired forces he reluctantly dismissed at the command of God, who gave him the victory without their aid. But this did not prevent him from carrying home with him the idols of Edom, and setting them up to be his gods. For this defiance of Jehovah, he was threatened with destruction by a prophet of the Lord; and soon after, went headlong into war with Israel, in which he was defeated and humbled. Fifteen years after, he was slain by conspirators, after flying to Lachish to escape them, ;
2. A priest of the golden calf at Bethel, who denounced the prophet Amos to Jeroboam, and sought to banish him into Judah for his fidelity, .
Amber
Is a yellow or straw-colored gummy substance, originally a vegetable production, but reckoned in the mineral kingdom. It is found in lumps in the sea and on the shores of Prussia, Sicily, Turkey, etc. Externally it is rough; it is very transparent, and on being rubbed, yields a fragrant odor. It was formerly supposed to be medicinal, but is now employed only in the manufacture of trinkets, ornaments, etc.
The Hebrew word chasmil is translated by the Septuagint and Vulgate electrum, that is, amber, because the Hebrew denotes a very brilliant amber-like metal, composed of silver and gold, which was much prized in antiquity, ,; . Others, as Bochart, refer here to the mixture of gold and brass, of which the ancients had several kinds, some of which exhibited a high degree of luster. Something similar to this was probably also the "fine brass," in ; .
Amen
Strictly an adjective, signifying firm, and by a metaphor, faithful. So in , our Lord is called "the Amen, the faithful and true Witness," where the last words explain the preceding appellation. In its adverbial use it means certainly, truly, surely. It is used at the beginning of a sentence by way of emphasis, frequently by our Savior, and is there commonly translated Verily. In John’s gospel alone, it is often used by him in this way double, Verily, verily. At the end of a sentence it is often used, singly or repeated, especially at the end of hymns and prayers; as "Amen and Amen," ; ; . The proper signification of it here is, to confirm the words which have preceded, assert the sincerity and invoke the fulfilment of them: so it is, so be it, let it be done. Hence, in oaths, after the priest has repeated the words of the covenant or imprecation, all those who pronounce the Amen, bind themselves by the oath, ; ; ; ; . Compare .
Amethyst
A precious stone of a violet blue color, verging towards a bluish or reddish white. It is seldom uniform in color, and is generally cloudy and spotted with zigzag stripes. The most beautiful specimens come from Ceylon, the East Indies, Siberia, and Saxony. It is very highly prized, ; .
Amminadab
1. A son of Aram, of the tribe of Judah, and father of Naashon. He was one of the ancestors of Christ; and his daughter Elisheba was the wife of Aaron, ; ; . "The Chariots of Amminadib," , were very light and swift, in allusion perhaps to some noted charioteer of that day.
2. A son of Kohath, .
Ammon, Or No-Ammon, Or No
A city of Egypt. The name of the city is properly No-Ammon, that is, the seat or dwelling of the god Ammon, , in the Hebrew. Similar is its Greek name Diospolis, the city of Jupiter-Ammon. In , it is called simply No; and in ; , the English version has also only No. In the latter passage, "the multitude of No" would be better "Ammon of No." The name designates, beyond all reasonable doubt, the city of Thebes, the ancient and renowned capital of Upper Egypt. Homer describes her as "The world’s great empress on the Egyptian plains, That spreads her conquests o’er a thousand states, And pours her heroes through a hundred gates." The vast ruins of the temples of Luxor and Carnac still proclaim the grandeur and magnificence with which the worship of Jupiter-Ammon was conducted. The ruins of the ancient city of Thebes are the wonder and delight of modern travellers, for their extent, their vastness, and their sad and solitary grandeur. They are covered with ancient hieroglyphics and historical sculptures, among which one interesting scene is thought to record the exploits of Shishak against Jerusalem in the fifth year of Rehoboam, . See Wilkinson, Robinson, and Olin. Also Missionary Herald, 1823, and Shishak.
Ammonites
The descendants of Ammon, or Ben-Ammi, a son of Lot. They destroyed an ancient race of giants called Zamzummim, and seized their country, which lay east of Judea, . Their territory extended from the Arnon to the Jabbok, and from the Jordan a considerable distance into Arabia. Their capital city was Rabbah, (also called Rabbath Ammon, and afterwards Philadelphia,) which stood on the Jabbok. Yet in the time of Moses they had been driven out of this region, towards the east, by the Amorites, ; . Moses was forbidden to assail them, . They were gross idolaters; their chief idol being Moloch, supposed to be the same with Saturn, ; . They oppressed Israel in the time of Jephthah, and were defeated by him with great slaughter, . The children of Ammon afterwards, at various times, troubled the Israelites, for which the prophets threatened them with divine judgments, ; .
Amnon
The eldest son of David, by Ahimoam of Jezreel. He is known only by his guilt in violating his sister; for which Absalom, two years after, caused him to be assassinated, .
Amon
The fourteenth king of Judah, son of Manasseh, began to reign B. C. 639, at the age of twenty-two, and reigned only two years at Jerusalem. He did evil in the sight of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done, by forsaking Jehovah and worshipping idols. His servants conspired against him, and slew him in his own house; but the people killed all the conspirators, and established his son Josiah on the throne. He was buried in the garden of Uzzah, ; .
Amorites
A people descended from Emer, the fourth son of Canaan, . They first peopled the mountains west of the Dead sea, near Hebron; but afterwards extended their limits, and took possession of the finest provinces of Moab and Ammon, on the east between the brooks Jabbok and Arnon, ; ; ; . Moses took this country from their king, Sihon. The lands which the Amorites possessed on this side Jordan were given to the tribe of Judah, and those beyond the Jordan to the tribes of Reuben and Gad. The name Amorite is often taken in Scripture for Canaanite in general, ; . See CANAANITES.
By the expression, "Thy father was an Amorite and thy mother a Hittite." , God reminds the Jews that they were naturally no more worthy of divine favor than the worst of the heathen Canaanites.
Amos
1. The fourth of the minor prophets, was a herdsman of Tekoah, a small town of Judah, about twelve miles south of Jerusalem. He prophesied, however, concerning Israel, at Bethel, in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and Jeroboam II, king of Israel, about B. C. 787, and was thus a contemporary of Hosea, Joel, and Isaiah. The first two chapters contain predictions against the surrounding nations, enemies of the people of God. But the ten tribes of Israel were the chief subjects of his prophecies. Their temporary prosperity under Jeroboam led to gross idolatry, injustice, and corruption; for which sins he denounces the judgments of God upon them: but he closes with cheering words of consolation. His holy boldness in reproving sin drew on him the wrath of the priests, who labored to procure his banishment, . In regard to style, Amos takes a high rank among the prophets. He is full of imagery, concise, and yet simple and perspicuous.
2. One of the ancestors of our Lord, .
Amoz
The father of Isaiah, ; .
Amphipolis
A city of Macedonia, situated not far from the mouth of the river Strymon, which flowed "around the city," and thus occasioned its name. The village which now stands upon the site of the ancient city is called Empoli of Yamboli, a corruption of Amphipolis. It was visited by Paul and Silas, .
Amraphel
King of Shinar in the time of Abraham. With three other petty kings, he made war upon the tribes around the Dead Sea, and the cities of the plain, .
Anah
The father of Aholibamah, one of Esau’s wives. While feeding his father’s asses in the desert, he is said to have found the "mules" . But the Hebrew word is suppose to mean rather "warm springs;" and such springs are found on the eastern coast of the Dead sea, which was not far from the dwellings of the Seirites, to whom Anah belonged. In this region was a place afterwards celebrated among the Greeks and Romans for its warm springs, and called by them Callirrhoe.
Anak, Plural Anakim
Famous giants in Palestine, descended from Arba, founder of the city Hebron. They spread themselves over the south of Judah, the hill country, and several cities of the Philistines. The Hebrew spies were terrified at their sight, ; but in the conquest of Canaan they were destroyed or expelled, ; ; .
Anammelech
See ADRAMMELECH.
William W. Rand (ed.), A Dictionary of the Holy Bible, for General Use in the Study of the Scriptures (American Tract Society, 1859). Public domain. Text from the CrossWire Bible Society.