Hobab – Holy Sepulchre

Hobab

In E (Exodus 3:1 4:18 IS’- the father-in-law of Moses is uniformly named Jethro. But Numbers 10:29 (J) speaks of ‘Hobab the son of Beuel the Midianite Moses’ father-in-law’ (hsthin). It is uncertain how this should be punctuated, and whether Hobab or Reuel was Moses’ father-in-law. The former view is found in Judges 4:11 (cf. 1:16). the latter in Exodus 2. The RV in Judges 1:16 4:11 attempts to harmonize the two by rendering hBtKen ‘brother-in-law.’ But this harmonization is doubtful, for (1) though it is true that in Aram, and Arab, the cognate word can be used rather loosely to describe a wife’s relations, there is no evidence that it is ever so used in Heb. ; and it would be strange to find the father and the brother of the same man’s wife described by the same term; (2) Exodus 2 appears to imply that the priest of Midian had no sons. It is probable that the name Reuel was added in v. 18 by one who misunderstood Numbers 10:29. The suggestion that ‘Hobab the son of has accidentally dropped out before Reuel is very improbable. Thus Jethro (E) and Hobab (J) are the names of Moses’ father-in-law, and Reuel is Hobab’s father. A Mohammedan tradition identifies Sho’ alb (perhaps a corruption of Hobab), a prophet sent to the Midianites, with Moses’ father-in-law. On his nationality, and the events connected with him, see Kenites, Midian, Jethro.

A. H. M’Neile.

Hobah

The place to which, ace. to Genesis 14. Abraham pursued the defeated army of Chedorlaomer. It is described as ‘on the left hand (i.e.’ to the north’) of Damascus.* It is identified, with considerable probability, with the modern Hoba, 20 hours N. of Damascus.

Hobaiah

See Haradah.

Hod

(‘majesty’). An Asherite (1 Chronicles 7:37).

Hodaviah

1. A Manassite clan (1 Chronicles 5:24). 2. The name of a Benjamite family (1 Chronicles 9:7). 3. A Levitical family name (Ezra 2:40) called in Nehemiah 7:43 Hodevah. 4. A descendant of David (1 Ch

Hodesh

(‘new moon’). One of the wives of Shaharaim, a Benjamite (1 Chronicles 8:9).

Hodevah

See Hodaviah, No. 3.

Hodiah

1. A man of Judah (1 Chronicles 4:19). AV wrongly takes it as a woman’s name. 2. A Levlte (Nehemiah 8:7 9:5 10:10). 3. Another Levite (Nehemiah 10:13). 4. One of those who sealed the covenant (Nehemiah 10:18).

Hoglah

(‘partridge’). Daughter of Zelophehad, Numbers 26:33 27:1 36:11. jos 17:3 (P).

HOHAIU, king of Hebron, formed an alliance with other four kings against Gibeon, but was defeated by Joshua at Beth-horon, and put to death along with his allies at Makkedah (Joshua 10:3 ff.).

Holiness

I. IN OT.—

The Heb. words connected with the Semitic root qdsh (those connected with the root chrm may be left out of the inquiry: cf. art. Ban), namely, godesk ‘holiness,’ qadosh *holy,’ qiddash, etc. ‘sanctify, the derived noun miqddsh ‘sanctuary,’ qddesh qedeshah ‘whore,*’ harlot’ — occur in about 830 passages in OT, about 350 of which are in the Pentateuch. The Aram, qaddish ‘holy’ is met with 13 times in the Book of Daniel, qddesh&nd qedeshah have almost exclusively heathen associations, qaddish is used in a few passages of the gods, but otherwise the Biblical words from this root refer exclusively to Jehovah, and persons or things connected withHim. Theprimaiymeaning seemsat present indiscoverable, some making it to be_ that of ‘separation’ or ‘cutting off,’ others connecting with chadash ‘new,’ and the Assyr. quddushu ‘pure,’ ‘bright’; but neither brings conclusive evidence* In actual use the word is always a religious term, being, when applied to deity, almost equivalent to ‘divine,’ and meaning, when iised of personsorthings,’ set apartfrom common usefordivineuse.’

1. Holiness of God. — For all the Ancient East, Phoenicians and Babylonians as well as Hebrews, a god was a holy being, and anything specially appropriated to one, for example an ear-ring or nose-ring regarded as an amulet, was also holy. The conception of holiness was consequently determined by the current conception of God. If the latter for any people at any time was low, the former was low also, and vice versa. In the heathen world of the Ancient East the Divine holiness had no necessary connexion with character. The ethical element was largely or altogether absent. So a holy man, a man specially intimate with a god, need not be a moral man, as in Palestine at the present day, where holy men are anything but saints in the Western sense of the term (Curtiss, Primitive Semitic Religion To-day, p. 149 f.). In ancient Israel the holiness of Jehovah may in the first instance have been ceremonial rather than ethical, but this cannot be proved. In the so-called Law of Holiness (H, contained chiefly in Lv 17-26) — a document which, though compiled about the time of Ezekiel, probably contains very ancient elements — the ceremonial and the ethical are inextricably blended. The holiness which Jehovah requires, and which is evidently to be thought of as to some extent of the same nature as His own: ‘Ye shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy’ (Leviticus 19:2). includes not only honesty (19:11, 36). truthfulness (v. 11). respect for parents (v. 3. 20:9). fair dealing with servants (19:13). kindness to strangers (v. 34). the weak and helpless(vv."‘32), and the poor (v. 9 f.), social purity (2011S. 18"), and love of neighbours (IQi"), but also abstinence from blood as an article of food (l?""- 19:26). from mixtures of animals, seeds, and stuffs (19:19). and from the fruit of newly planted trees for the first four years (v. 23 ff.) and, for priests, compliance with special niles about mourning and marriage (21:1–15). In other words, this holiness was partly ceremonial, partly moral, without any apparent distinction between the two, and this double aspect of holiness is characteristic of P (in which H was incorporated) as a whole, stress being naturally laid by the priestly compiler or compilers on externals. In the prophets, on the other hand, the ethical element greatly preponderates. The vision of the Holy Jehovah in Isaiah, which wrung from the seer the cry’ Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean Ups’ (Isaiah 6). leaves the ceremonial aspect almost completely out of sight. The holiness of Jehovah there is His absolute separation from moral evil. His perfect moral purity. But there is another element clearly brought out in this vision — the majesty of the Divine holiness: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory’ (v. 3). This aspect also comes out very distinctly in the great psalm of the Divine holiness, perhaps from the early Greek period, where the holy Jehovah is declared to have ‘a great and terrible name’ (Psalms 99:3) and to be ‘high above all peoples’ (v. 2). and in one of the later portions of the Book of Isaiah, where He is described as ‘the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy’ (Isaiah 7:15). The holiness of God in OT is characterized by stainless purity and awful majesty.

2. Holy persons and things. — In ancient Israel all connected with God was holy, either permanently or during the time of connexion. He dwelt in a holy heaven (Psalms 20:6). sat on a holy throne (Psalms 47:8). and was surrounded by holy attendants (Psalms 89:7). His Spirit was holy (Psalms 51:11, Isaiah 63:10 f.). His name was holy (Leviticus 20:3 etc.). His arm was holy (Psalms 98:1). and His way was holy (Isaiah 35:8). His chosen people Israel was holy (Leviticus 19:2 Deuteronomy 7:6 etc.), their land was holy (Zee 2:12). the Temple was holy (Psalms 11:4 etc.), and the city of the Temple (Isaiah 52:1. Nehemiah 11:1). Every part of the Temple (or Tabernacle) was holy, and all its utensils and appurtenances (1 Kings 8:4) the altars of incense and burnt-offering (Exodus 30:27 f.), the flesh of a sacrifice (Haggai 2:12). the incense (Exodus 30:36), the table (Exodus 30:27), the shew-bread (1 Samuel 21:6). the candlestick(Ex 30:27). the ark (v. 26. 2 Chronicles 35:3). and the anointing oil (Exodus 30:25). Those attached more closely to the service of Jehovah— priests (Leviticus 21:6. h), Levites (Numbers 8:17 f.). and perhaps to some extent prophets (2 Kings 4:9). — were holy (with ceremonial holiness) in a higher degree than others. ■The combination of merdy external and ethical holiness as the requirement of Jehovah lasted until the advent of Christianity, the proportion of the elements varying with the varying conception of God.

II. IN NT.—

The word ‘holiness’ in EV stands for kosiotes (Luke 1:75. Ephesians 4:24). , hagiotes (2 Co !’■‘RV.’AV having another reading; Hebrews 12:10). hagiosyne (Romans 1:4., 2 Corinthians 7:1. 1 Thessalonians 3:13), hagiasmos (in AV, Romans 6:19, 22. 1 Thessalonians 4:7. 1 Timothy 2. Hebrews 12:14. but m the other 6 passages in which the word occurs we find ‘sanctification’ ; RV has ‘sanctification’ throughout) , and for part of hieroprepes CTit 2:3). ‘as becometh holiness,’ RV ‘reverent in demeanour.’ The idea of holiness, however, is conveyed mainly by the adjective hagios’ holy’ (about 230 times) and the verb hagiazo (27 times, in 24of which it is rendered in EV ‘sanctify’), also by hodos (Acts 2:27 13:34 f.: 1 Timothy 2:8. Titus 1:8. Hebrews 7. Revelation 15:4 16:5. in the textof AV) and hierosh Co 9:13. 2 Timothy 3:15; RV has in both passages ‘sacred’). Of these words by far the most important is the group which has hagios for its centre, and which is the real equivalent of goaes^,gado5A,etc.,7izerosreferringrathertoextemaIhoUness and hosios to reverence, piety, hagios, which is freely used in LXX, but is very rare in classical Greek and not frequent incominonGreek,neveroccurring(outsideof Christian texts) in the seven volumes of papyri issued by the Egypt Exploration Society, is scarcely ever used in NT in the ceremonial sense (cf . 1 Corinthians 7:14, 2 Peter 1:18) except in quotations from OT or references to Jewish ritual (He O^- 3. a. 10 etc.), and in current Jewish expressions, e.g, ‘the holy city,’ Matthew 4:5 etc. Otherwise it is purely ethical and spiritual.

Three uses demand special notice. 1 . The term ‘holy is seldom applied directly to God (Luke 1, John 17:11. 1 Peter 1:15 f.; Revelation 4:8), but it is very often used of the Spirit of God (‘the Holy Spirit’ 94 times, 56 of which are in the writings of Luke: cf. art. Holy Spirit). 2. The epithet is used in 10 passages of Christ (‘the Holy One of God,’ Mark 1:24. Luke 4:34. John 6; also Luke 1, Acts 3:14 4:27, 30. Hebrews 7:26. 1 John 2:20. Revelation 3:7). 3. It is very often used of Christians. They are called ‘saints’ or ‘holy ones’ ihagioi) 60 times, 39 in the Pauline Epistles. The expression is no doubt of OT origin, and means ‘consecrated to God,’ with the thought that this consecration involves effort after moral purity (cf. Lightfoot on Philippians 1:1). In this use the ethical element is always in the foreground. So we find hagios associated with amSmos ‘without blemish,’ RV Ephesians 1:4 5:27, Colossians 1:22; and with dikaios ‘righteous,’ RV Mlc 6, Acts 3:14. The three words hagioBs, hagiBsyriS, and hagiasmos designate respectively the quality of holiness, the state of holiness, and the process or result. For the sphere and source of holiness, ct. Sanctification.

W. Taylor Smith.

Holm Tree

See Cypress.

Holofernes

According to the Book of Judith, Holof ernes was the general entrusted by Nebuchadnezzar, ‘king of Nineveh," with the task of wreaking vengeance on’ all the earth’ (2’«). Before his vast army nation after nation submitted and acknowledged Nebuchadnezzar as a god. The Jews alone would not yield; and Holofernes accordingly blockaded their city of Bethulia. For the subsequent story and the death of Holofernes at the hands of Judith, see art. Judith.

Holofernes has been variously identified with Ashurbanipal, Cambyses, Orophernes of Cappadocia (a friend of Demetrius Soter, the enemy of the Jews), Nicanor (the Syrian general conquered by Judas Maccabseus), Scaurus (Pompey’s lieutenant in Syria), and Severus (Hadrian’s general). W. M. Nesbit.

Holon

1. A city of Judah in the Hebron hills, given to the Levites (Joshua 15:51 21). In the parallel passage 1 Chronicles 6:58 it Is called Hilen. The ruin Beit Aula, in the lower hills west of Hebron, would be a suitable site. 2. A city of Moab near Heshbon (Jeremiah 48:21). Its site has not been recovered.

Holy of Holies, Holy Place

See Tabernacle, and Temple.

Holy One of Israel

A title of God used with especiaJ frequency by Isaiah to express His transcendence and majesty. The idea of God’s holiness is, of course, much older than Isaiah, but to him, as to no one before, it was the central and most essential attribute of God, far more so than His power or majesty. We can trace this idea from the very moment of his call in the Temple. As he felt himself on that day standing in God’s presence, his first thought was of his own uncleanness, and this wrung from him a cry of anguish (Isaiah 6; cf. St. Peter’s cry in Luke 5:8). When this passed away, he heard the angelic choir chanting the refrain, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts.’ From henceforth he thought of God most often as a pure, unique, spiritual Being removed from all the imperfections of earth — an idea found also in some of the Psahns (e.g. 71 78 89). It was in a special sense against the Assyrian invaders that God vindicated His claim to this title (2 Kings 19:22), by showing that the might of man was powerless against His own people when protected by Him. In this sense the holiness and the omnipotence of God are nearly allied, though never synonymous.

H. C. O. Lanches’teb.

Holy Sepulchre

See Jerusalem, § 7.