Wellspring – Wine-Skins

Wellspring

wel'-spring (maqor): Usually "spring" or "fountain" (figuratively), translated "wellspring" only in two passages: "Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it" (Proverbs 16:22); "The wellspring of wisdom is as a flowing brook" (Proverbs 18:4). See Burroughs, Pepacton, p. 35; WELL.

Wen

Only in Leviticus 22:22, "maimed" or "having a wen (margin "sores"), or scurvy," for (yabbal), "running," hence, "a suppurating sore" (compare the Revised Version margin). A "wen" is a non-inflamed indolent tumor, and so "wen" is about as far as possible from the meaning of the Hebrew.

Wench

wench, wensh (shiphchah): The word "wench" is found only in 2 Samuel 17:17 the King James Version, where the Revised Version (British and American) has "maid-servant." The Hebrew word shiphchah here used is a common term for maid-servant, female slave. the King James Version used the word "wench" to convey the meaning maid-servant, which was a common use of the word at that time, but it is now practically obsolete.

West

(1) Usually (yam), "sea" because the Mediterranean lies to the West of Palestine; not usually in figurative expressions; but compare Hosea 11:10.

(2) Often (ma`arabh); compare Arabic (gharb), and (maghrib), "west" (maghrib-ush-shems), or simply (maghrib), "sunset."

(3) (mebho' ha-chemesh), "entrance of the sun," (mabho', bo'), "to come in." (Just as mizrach, is the rising of the sun, or east, so mabho' (or ma'arabh], is the setting of the sun, or west: "From the rising of the sun (mizrach-shemesh) unto the going down (mabho) thereof" (Psalms 50:1; compare 113:3; Malachi 1:11).)

(4) (dusme, from duo), "to enter," "sink," "set." The Greek usage is parallel to the Hebrew just cited: "Many shall come from the east anatole, "rising") and the west" (dusme, "setting") (Matthew 8:11).

The chief figurative use of the word "west" is in combination with "east" to denote great or infinite distance, as:

"As far as the east is from the west,

So far hath he removed our transgressions

from us" (Psalms 103:12).

Alfred Ely Day

Whale

hwal:

(1) ketos (Sirach 43:25 (the Revised Version (British and American) "sea-monster"); The So of Three Children verse 57 (the Revised Version (British and American) "whale"); Matthew 12:40 (the Revised Version (British and American) "whale," margin "sea-monster"; the King James Version "whale" throughout)).

(2) tannin (Genesis 1:21; Job 7:12), "sea-monster," the King James Version "whale."

(3) tannim (Ezekiel 32:2), "monster," the English Revised Version "dragon" the King James Version "whale" the King James Version margin "dragon."

It will be seen from the above references that the word "whale" does not occur in the Revised Version (British and American) except in The So of Three Children verse 57 and Matthew 12:40. Ketos, the original word in these passages, is, according to Liddell and Scott, used by Aristotle for "whale," Aristotle using also the adjective ketodes, "cetacean"; Homer and Herodotus used ketos for any large fish or sea-monster or for a seal. It is used in Euripides of the monster to which Andromeda was exposed. In the Hebrew, in the Book of Jonah, we find dagh or daghah, the ordinary word for "fish": "And Yahweh prepared great fish to swallow up Jonah" (Jonah 1:17). Whales are found in the Mediterranean and are sometimes cast up on the shore of Palestine, but it is not likely that the ancient Greeks or Hebrews were very familiar with them, and it is by no means certain that whale is referred to, either in the original Jonah story or in the New Testament reference to it. If any particular animal is meant, it is more likely a shark. Sharks are much more familiar objects in the Mediterranean than whales, and some of them are of large size.

See FISH.

In Genesis 1:21, "And God created the great seamonsters" (the King James Version, "whales"), and Job 7:12,

"Am I a sea, or a sea-monster (the King James Version "whale"),

That thou settest a watch over me?"

The Hebrew has tannin, which word occurs 14 times in the Old Testament and in the American Standard Revised Version is translated "monster," "sea-monster," or "serpent," and, exceptionally, in Lamentations 4:3, "jackals." the King James Version renders in several passages "dragon" (compare Ezekiel 29:3 the English Revised Version).

Tannim in Ezekiel 29:3 and 32:2 is believed to stand for tannin. the American Standard Revised Version has "monster," the English Revised Version "dragon," the King James Version "whale," the King James Version margin "dragon," in Ezekiel 32:2, and "dragon" in 29:3. Tannim occurs in 11 other passages, where it is considered to be the plural of tan, and in the Revised Version (British and American) is translated "jackals," in the King James Version "dragons" (Job 30:29; Psalms 44:19; Isaiah 13:22; Isaiah 34:13; Isaiah 35:7; Isaiah 43:20; Jeremiah 9:11; Jeremiah 10:22; Jeremiah 14:6; Jeremiah 49:33; Jeremiah 51:37). In Malachi 1:3 we find the feminine plural tannoth.

See DRAGON; JACKAL.

Alfred Ely Day

Wheat

hwet

((1) chiTTah, the specific word for wheat (Genesis 30:14; Exodus 34:22, etc.), with puros (Judith 3:3; Sirach 39:26);

(2) bar, or bar (Jeremiah 23:28; Joel 2:24; Amos 5:11; Amos 8:6); in other passages translated "grain" or "corn";

(3) sitos (Matthew 3:12; Matthew 13:25,Matthew 13:29,Matthew 13:30; Luke 3:17; Luke 16:7; Luke 22:31, etc.) (for other words translated occasionally "wheat" in the King James Version see CORN; FOOD)): Wheat, usually the bearded variety, is cultivated all over Palestine, though less so than barley. The great plain of the Hauran is a vast expanse of wheat fields in the spring; considerable quantities are exported via Beirut, Haifa, and Gaza. The "wheat harvest" was in olden times one of the regular divisions of the year (Exodus 34:22; Judges 15:1; 1 Samuel 12:17); it follows the barley harvest (Exodus 9:31,Exodus 9:32), occurring in April, May or June, according to the altitude.

E. W. G. Masterman

Wheel

hwel:

(1) 'ophan, is the usual word (Exodus 14:25, etc.). In Proverbs 20:26; Isaiah 28:27 the rollers of a threshing wagon are meant (see AGRICULTURE).

(2) galgal, "rolling thing," generally in the sense of "wheel" (Isaiah 5:28, etc.), but the Revised Version (British and American) in Ezekiel 10:2,Ezekiel 10:6,Ezekiel 10:13 has "whirling wheels," an advantageous change. The "wheel .... broken at the cistern" in Ecclesiastes 12:6 is the windlass for drawing the water, and by the figure the breakdown of the old man's breathing apparatus is probably meant. In Psalms 83:13, the King James Version has "wheel," but this translation (that of the Septuagint) is quite impossible; the Revised Version (British and American) "whirling dust" (sucked up by a miniature whirlwind) is perhaps right, but the translations proposed are end-less.

(3) gilgal, Isaiah 28:28, the roller of a threshing wagon.

(4) 'obhnayim, Jeremiah 18:3. See POTTER.

(5) pa`am, Judges 5:28, literally, "step" (so the Revised Version margin), and the sound of horses' hoofs is intended.

(6) trochos, Sirach 33:5; James 3:6 (the King James Version "course"). In the former passage, "The heart of a fool is as a cart-wheel," the changeableness of a light disposition is satirized. In James the figure is of a wheel in rotation, so that a flame starting at any point is quickly communicated to the whole. Just so an apparently insignificant sin of the tongue produces an incalculably destructive effect.

The phrase "wheel of nature" (trochos tes geneseos) is used here for "the world in progress." It is not a very natural figure and has given rise to much discussion. the King James Version accents trochos ("course") instead of trochos (" wheel"). but the language throughout is metaphorical and "course" is not a sufficiently metaphorical word. The translation "birth" for geneseos (so the Revised Version margin). i.e. "a wheel set in motion by birth." is out of the question. as the argument turns on results wider than any individual's existence. "Wheel of nature" is certainly right. But a comparison of life to a wheel in some sense or other (chiefly that of "Fortune's wheel") is common enough in Greek and Latin writers, and, indeed the exact combination trochos geneseos is found in at least one (Orphic) writer (full references in the commentaries of Mayor and W. Bauer). It would seem, then, that James had heard the phrase, and he used it as a striking figure, with entire indifference to any technical significance it might have. This supposition is preferable to that of an awkward translation from the Aramaic.

See COURSE.

Burton Scott Easton

Whelp

hwelp (gur, or gor; either absol. (Eze 19:2,3,5; Nab 2:12); or constr. with 'aryeh, "lion" (Genesis 49:9; Deuteronomy 33:22; Jeremiah 51:38; Nahum 2:11); also benelabhi', literally, "sons of a lioness," translated "the whelps of the lioness" (Job 4:11). In Job 28:8, the King James Version has "lion's whelps" for bene shachats, which the Revised Version (British and American) renders "proud beasts," margin "sons of pride." In Lamentations 4:3 gur is used of the young of tannin the Revised Version (British and American) "jackal," the King James Version "sea-monsters," the King James Version margin "sea-calves"; it may possibly mean "wolves"; skumnos, the technical word for "lion's whelp" (1 Macc 3:4)): These references are all figurative: "Judah is a lion's whelp" (Genesis 49:9); "Da is a lion's whelp" (Deuteronomy 33:22); it is said of the Babylonians, "They shall roar together like young lions; they shall growl as lions' whelps" (Jeremiah 51:38); of the Assyrians, "Where is the den of the lions, and the feeding-place of the young lions, where the lion and the lioness walked, the lion's whelp, and none made them afraid? The lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his caves with prey, and his dens with ravin" (Nahum 2:11,Nahum 2:12). In Ezekiel 19:2–9, the princes of Israel are compared to lions' whelps.

See DRAGON; LION.

Alfred Ely Day

Whirlwind

hwurl'-wind (cuphah (Pr 1:27; 10:25; Isa 5:28; 17:13; 66:15; Ho 8:7; Am 1:14; Nab 1:3), ca`ar (Habakkuk 3:14; Zechariah 7:14; Hosea 13:3; Psalms 58:9; Daniel 11:40), ce`arah (2 Kings 2:1; Job 38:1; Job 40:6; Isaiah 40:24; Isaiah 41:16; Zechariah 9:14)): When two currents from opposite directions meet, a circular motion results called a whirlwind. On the sea this takes up small particles of water from the sea and condenses some of the moisture in the clouds above, forming a great funnel-shaped column. They are quite common off the coast of Syria. Considerable damage might be done to a small ship overtaken by them. In the desert sand is taken up in the same way, causing terrible sandstorms which are greatly dreaded by caravans. Most of the references in the Bible do not necessarily imply a circular motion, and the word "tempest" might be used in translation.

Storms usually come from the Southwest. "Out of the .... south cometh the storm" (Job 37:9); yet in Ezekiel's vision he saw a whirlwind coming out of the north (Ezekiel 1:4). Elijah "went up by a whirlwind into heaven" (2 Kings 2:11). The whirlwind indicates the power and might of Yahweh: "Yahweh hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm" (Nahum 1:3); He "answered Job out of the whirlwind" (Job 38:1).

Most of the Scriptural uses are figurative; of destruction: "He will take them away with a whirlwind" (Psalms 58:9; Proverbs 1:27; Proverbs 10:25; Hosea 13:3; Daniel 11:40; Amos 1:14; Habakkuk 3:14; Zechariah 7:14); of quickness: "wheels as a whirlwind" (Isaiah 5:28; Isaiah 66:15; Jeremiah 4:13); of the anger of God: "A whirlwind of the Lord is gone forth in fury" (Jeremiah 23:19 the King James Version); of punishment to the wicked: "A continuing whirlwind .... shall fall .... on the wicked" (Jeremiah 30:23 the King James Version).

Alfred H. Joy

White

hwit.

See COLORS.

White Horse

See HORSE, WHITE.

Whitewash

hwit'wosh: the American Revised Version margin gives "whitewash" for "untempered mortar" in Ezekiel 13:10 and 22:28. `Her prophets have daubed for them,' i.e. seconded them, "with whitewash," thus giving "a slight wall" (13:10 margin) a specious appearance of strength.

See MORTAR; UNTEMPERED.

Whole; Wholesome

hol, hol'-sum: "Whole," originally "hale" (a word still in poetic use), had at first the meaning now expressed by its derivative "healthy." In this sense "whole" is fairly common (Job 5:18, etc.) in English Versions of the Bible, although much more common in the New Testament than in the Old Testament. From this meaning "healthy," the transition to the modern force. "complete," "perfect," "entire" (Exodus 12:6, ere) was not unnatural, and it is in this later sense alone that the adverb "wholly" (Leviticus 6:22, etc.) is used. "Wholesome," however, is derived from the earlier meaning of "whole." It occurs in Proverbs 15:4, the King James Version, the English Revised Version, "a wholesome tongue" (rapha', "heal," the Revised Version margin "the healing of the tongue," the American Standard Revised Version "a gentle tongue"), and in 1 Timothy 6:3, the King James Version "wholesome words" (hugiaino, "be healthy," the Revised Version margin "healthful," the Revised Version (British and American) "sound").

Burton Scott Easton

Whore; Whoredom

hor, hor'-dum.

See CRIMES; HARLOT; PUNISHMENTS.

Wickedness

wik'-ed-nes:

1. In the Old Testament:

The state of being wicked; a mental disregard for justice, righteousness, truth, honor, virtue; evil in thought and life; depravity; sinfulness; criminality. See SIN. Many words are rendered "wickedness." There are many synonyms for wickedness in English and also in the Hebrew. Pride and vanity lead to it: "All the proud, and all that work wickedness (rish`ah) shall be stubble" (Malachi 4:1). Akin to this is the word `awen, "iniquity," "vanity": "She eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness" (Proverbs 30:20). Then we have the word hawwah, meaning "mischief," "calamity," coming from inward intent upon evil: "Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness" (Psalms 52:7); zimmah, "wickedness" in thought, carnality or lust harbored: "And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness" (Leviticus 20:14); `awlah, "perverseness," "Neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as at the first" (2 Samuel 7:10). The word for evil ra`) is many times employed to represent wickedness: "Remember all their wickedness" (Hosea 7:2). Wickedness like all forms and thoughts of wrong, kept warm in mind, seems to be a thing of growth; it begins with a thought, then a deed, then a character, and finally a destiny. Even in this life men increase in wickedness till they have lost all desire for that which is good in the sight of God and good men; the men in the vision of Isaiah seem to be in a condition beyond which the human heart cannot go: "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness" (Isaiah 5:20). Shades of thought are added by such words as roa`, "evil," "badness": "Give them according to their work, and according to the wickedness of their doings" (Psalms 28:4). And resha` or rish`ah, also gives the common thought of wrong, wickedness. The prophets were strong in denunciations of all iniquity, perverseness, and in announcing the curse of God which would certainly follow.

2. In the New Testament:

Wickedness, malignity, evil in thought and purpose is presented by the word poneria: "But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why make ye trial of me, ye hypocrites?" (Matthew 22:18). Jesus points out the origin of all wrong: "For from within, out of the heart of men, evil thoughts proceed .... wickednesses, deceit, lasciviousness .... all these evil things proceed from within, and defile the man" (Mark 7:21–23). See Imitation of Christ, xiii, 5.

David Roberts Dungan

Widow

wid'-o ('almanah; chera): In the Old Testament widows are considered to be under the special care of Yahweh (Psalms 68:5; Psalms 146:9; Proverbs 15:25). Sympathetic regard for them comes to be viewed as a mark of true religion (Job 31:16; James 1:27). Deuteronomy is rich in counsel in their behalf (24:17, etc.).

The word is first mentioned in the New Testament in Acts 6:1: "There arose a murmuring of the Grecian Jews against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration." Paul charges that they be particularly cared for, especially those that are "widows indeed," i.e. poor, without support and old (1 Timothy 5:2–16). Some try to find proof in this passage of that ecclesiastical order of widows mentioned in post-apostolic writings.

See LITERATURE, SUB-APOSTOLIC; WOMAN, IV, 5.

George B. Eager

Wife

wif.

See MARRIAGE; RELATIONSHIPS, FAMILY.

Wife, Brother's

See MARRIAGE; RELATIONSHIPS, FAMILY.

Wild Beast

wild best:

(1) ziz, only with sadhay, "field," in the expression, ziz sadhay, translated "wild beasts of the field" (Psalms 50:11; Psalms 80:13); compare Targum to Psalms 80:13, ziza', "worm" (BDB); Arabic ziz, "worm."

(2) tsiyim (Isaiah 13:21; Isaiah 34:14; Jeremiah 50:39).

(3) 'iyim (Isaiah 13:21; Isaiah 34:14; Jeremiah 50:39).

(4) chay, "living thing," often translated "wild beast" in English Versions of the Bible (1 Samuel 17:46, etc.).

(5) In Apocrypha (Additions to Esther 16:24, etc.) and the New Testament (Mark 1:13), therion.

(6) Acts 10:12 the King James Version; Acts 11:6, tetrapodon, the Revised Version (British and American) "four-rooted beast."

(1), (2) and (3) are of doubtful etymology, but the context makes it clear in each case that wild beasts of some sort are meant. The Targum ziza', "worm," is possible in Psalms 80:13, though not probable in view of the parallel "boar": "The boar out of the wood doth ravage it, and the wild beasts of the field feed on it," i.e. on the vine (figurative) brought out of Egypt. In Psalms 50:11, however, such an interpretation is out of the question. All the references from 50:8 to 50:13 are to large animals, bullocks, goats, cattle and birds. Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) and the Septuagint have in 80:13 "wild beast" and in 50:11 "beauty of the field" (translated)!

Tsiyim, doubtfully referred to tsiydh, "drought," occurs in prophecies of the desolation of Babylon in Isaiah 13:21 ("wild beasts of the desert") and Jeremiah 50:39, of Edom in Isaiah 34:14, of Assyria in Isaiah 23:13 ("them that dwell in the wilderness"). It is associated in these passages with names of wild beasts and birds, some of them of very doubtful meaning, such as tannim, 'ochim, 'iyim, se`irim, benoth ya`anah. Wild beasts of some sort are clearly meant, though the kind can only be conjectured. The word occurs in Psalms 74:14 ("the people inhabiting the wilderness") where it is possible to understand "beasts" instead of people. It occurs also in Psalms 72:9 ("they that dwell in the wilderness"), where it seems necessary to understand "men." If the reading stands, it is not easy to reconcile this passage with the others.

'Iyim occurs in Isaiah 13:21 and 34:14 and in Jeremiah 50:39, three of the passages cited for tsiyim. the King James Version referring to 'i, "island," renders "wild beasts of the islands" (Isaiah 13:22). the Revised Version (British and American) has "wolves," margin "howling creatures"; compare Arabic `anwa', "to howl," and ibn-'awa' or wawi, "jackal."

See JACKAL.

Alfred Ely

Wild Ox

(re'em): The word "unicorn" occurs in the King James Version in Numbers 23:22; Numbers 24:8; Deuteronomy 33:17; Job 39:9,Job 39:10; Psalms 22:21; Psalms 29:6; Psalms 92:10; Isaiah 34:7 (the King James Version margin "rhinoceros"). the Revised Version (British and American) has everywhere "wild-ox" (margin "ox-antelope," Numbers 23:22). The Septuagint has monokeros, "one-horned," except in Isaiah 34:7, where we find hoi hadroi, "the large ones," "the bulky ones." In this passage also the Septuagint has hoi krioi, "the rams," instead of English Versions of the Bible "bullocks." Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) has rhinoceros in Numbers 23:22; Numbers 24:8; Deuteronomy 33:17; Job 39:9,Job 39:10; and unicornis in Psalms 22:21 (21:22); 29:6 (28:6); 92:10 (91:11); Isaiah 34:7.

As stated in the articles on ANTELOPE and CATTLE, re'em and te'o (Deuteronomy 14:5; Isaiah 51:20) may both be the Arabian oryx (Oryx beatrix), of which the common vernacular name means "wild-ox." It may be presumed that "ox-antelope" of Numbers 23:22 the Revised Version margin is meant to indicate this animal, which is swift and fierce, and has a pair of very long, sharp and nearly straight horns. The writer feels, however, that more consideration should be given to the view of Tristram (Natural History of the Bible) that re'em is the urus or aurochs, the primitive Bos taurus, which seems to be depicted in Assyrian monuments and referred to as remu (BDB). The etymology of re'em is uncertain, but the word may be from a root signifying "to rise" or "to be high." At any rate, there is no etymological warrant for the assumption that it was a one-horned creature. The Arabic raim, is used of a light-colored gazelle. The great strength and fierceness implied in most of the references suit the wild-ox better than the oryx. On the other hand, Edom (Isaiah 34:7) was adjacent to the present home of the oryx, while there is no reason to suppose that the wild-ox came nearer than Northern Assyria. There is possibly a reference to the long horns of the oryx in "But my horn hast thou exalted like the horn of the wild-ox" (Psalms 92:10). For te'o, The Septuagint has orux, in Deuteronomy 14:5 (but seutlion hemiephthon, "half-boiled beet" (!) in Isaiah 51:20). Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) has oryx in both passages. While we admit that both re'em and te'o may be the oryx, it is perhaps best to follow the Revised Version margin, rendering re'em "wild-ox." The rendering of "antelope" (Revised Version) for te'o is defensible, but "oryx" would be better, because the oryx is the only antelope that could possibly be meant, it and the gazelle (tsebhi), already mentioned in Deuteronomy 14:5, being the only antelopes known to occur in Palestine and Arabia. In Isaiah 34:7 it seems to be implied that the re'em might be used in sacrifice.

Figurative: The wild-ox is used as a symbol of the strength of Israel: "He hath as it were the strength of the wild-ox". (Numbers 23:22; Numbers 24:8). In the blessing of the children of Israel by Moses it is said of Joseph:

"And his horns are the horns of the wild-ox:

With them he shall push the peoples all of them,

even the ends of the earth" (Deuteronomy 33:17).

The Psalmist (Psalms 29:5,Psalms 29:6) in describing the power of Yahweh says:

"Yea, Yahweh breaketh in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

He maketh them also to skip like a calf;

Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild-ox."

Again, in praise for Yahweh's goodness (Psalms 92:10): "But my horn hast thou exalted like the horn of the wildox."

In Job 39:9–12 the subduing and training of the wild-ox are cited among the things beyond man's power and understanding.

See ANTELOPE; CATTLE.

Alfred Ely Day

Wilderness

wil'-der-nes.

See DESERT; JUDAEA, WILDERNESS OF; WANDERINGS OF ISRAEL.

Will

See TESTAMENT.

Will, Volition

vo-lish'-un ('abhah, ratson; thelo) boulomai, thelema: "Will" as noun and verb, transitive and intrans, carries in it the idea of "wish," "purpose," "volition." "Will" is also used as an auxiliary of the future tense of other words, but the independent verb is frequent, and it is often important to distinguish between it and the mere auxiliary, especially in the New Testament.

In the Old Testament the word chiefly rendered "to will" is 'abhah, "to breathe after," "to long for." With the exception of Job 39:9; Isaiah 1:19, it is accompanied by a negation, and is used of both man and God. Several other words are employed, but only sparsely. "Will" as noun is the translation chiefly of ratson, "good-will," "willfulness" (Genesis 49:6), with emphasis on the voluntariness of action (Leviticus 1:3; Leviticus 19:5; Leviticus 22:19,Leviticus 22:29, etc.); also of nephesh, and a few other words. In the New Testament "will" is chiefly the translation of thelo and boulomai, the difference between the two being that thelo expresses an active choice or purpose, boulomai, "passive inclination or willingness, or the inward predisposition from which the active choice proceeds" (compare Mark 15:9,Mark 15:12 with 15:15). "Will," noun, is thelema. With the exception of a few passages, it is used of the will of God (over all, Matthew 18:14; in all things to be done, Matthew 6:10; Matthew 26:42 parallel, etc.; ordering all things, Ephesians 1:11, etc.); human will, however, may oppose itself to the will of God (Luke 23:25; John 1:13; Romans 7:18; here the capacity to will is distinguished from the power to do, etc.). Boulema is properly counsel or purpose. While it is possible to oppose the will of God, His counsel or purpose cannot be frustrated (Acts 2:23; Acts 4:28; Romans 9:19; Ephesians 1:11; Hebrews 6:17); it may, however, be resisted for a time (Luke 7:30).

In Apocrypha, for "will" we have thelema (1 Esdras 9:9 (of God); Ecclesiasticus 43:16; 1 Macc 3:60; Ecclesiasticus 8:15, "his own will"); boule (The Wisdom of Solomon 9:13, the Revised Version (British and American) "counsel); boulema (2 Macc 15:5, "wicked will," the Revised Version (British and American) "cruel purpose"); "willful" (Ecclesiasticus 30:8) is proales, the Revised Version (British and American) "headstrong"; "willing" (The Wisdom of Solomon 14:19), boulomai, the Revised Version (British and American) "wishing"; thelo (Ecclesiasticus 6:35); "wilt" (The Wisdom of Solomon 12:18), thelo, the Revised Version (British and American) "hast the will" (compare 2 Macc 7:16).

The Revised Version (British and American) has many changes, several of them of note as bringing out the distinction between the auxiliary and the independent verb. Thus, Matthew 11:27, "willeth to"; John 7:17, "if any man willeth to do his will"; 1 Timothy 6:9, the American Standard Revised Version "they that are minded to be rich," the English Revised Version "desire," etc.

The words employed and passages cited show clearly that man is always regarded as a responsible being, free to will in harmony with the divine will or contrary to it. This is further shown by the various words denoting refusal. "Ye will not come to me, that ye may have life" (John 5:40). So with respect to temptation. We may even choose and act deliberately in opposition to the will of God. Yet God's counsel, His will in its completeness, ever prevails, and man, in resisting it, deprives himself of the good it seeks to confer upon him.

In modern psychology the tendency is to make will primary and distinctive of personality.

W. L. Walker

Will-Worship

In Colossians 2:23, "a show of wisdom in will-worship," for ethelothreskia), a word found nowhere else but formed exactly like "will-worship": worship originating in the human will as opposed to the divine, arbitrary religious acts, worthless despite their difficulty of performance.

Willow Tree

wil'-o-tre (tsaphtsaphah): Comparison with the Arabic cafcaf, "the willow," makes it very probable that thc translation of Ezekiel 17:5 is correct.

Willows

wil'-oz (`arabhim); itea (Leviticus 23:40; Job 40:22; Psalms 137:2; Isaiah 15:7; Isaiah 44:4)): In all references this tree is mentioned as beside running water. They may all refer to the willow, two varieties of which, Salix fragilis and S. alba, occur commonly in Palestine, or to the closely allied Populus euphratus (also Natural Order Salicaceae), which is even more plentiful, especially on the Jordan and its tributaries. The Brook of the Willows (Isaiah 15:7) must have been some stream running from Moab to the Jordan or Dead Sea. Popular fancy has associated the willows of Psalms 137:2 with the so-called "weeping willow" (Salix babylonica), but though this tree is found today in Palestine, it is an introduction from Japan and cannot have existed "by the waters of Babylon" at the time of the captivity.

E. W. G. Masterman

Willows, The Brook Of The

Evidently mentioned as the boundary of Moab (Isaiah 15:7) and generally identified with the brook Zered.

See BROOK; ZERED.

Wimple

wim'-p'l: the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "shawls" for the King James Version "wimples" in Isaiah 3:22. The precise article of dress intended is unknown.

See DRESS.

Wind

wind (anemos:

1. Causes:

Unequal distribution of heat in the atmosphere causes currents of air or wind. The heated air rises and the air from around rushes in. The direction from which a current comes determines its name, as west wind coming from the West but blowing toward the East. When two currents of air of different directions meet, a spiral motion sometimes results.

See WHIRLWIND.

2. West Wind:

In Palestine the west wind is the most common. It comes from the sea and carries the moisture which condenses to form clouds, as it is turned upward by the mountains, to the cooler layers of the atmosphere. If the temperature reached is cool enough the cloud condenses and rain falls. Elijah looked toward the West for the "small cloud," and soon "the heavens grew black with clouds and wind" (1 Kings 18:44 f). "When ye see a cloud rising in the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it cometh to pass" (Luke 12:54).

3. South Wind:

The south wind is frequent in Palestine. If it is slightly Southwest, it may bring rain, but if it is due South or Southeast, there is no rain. It is a warm wind bringing good weather. "When ye see a south wind blowing, ye say, There will be a scorching heat; and it cometh to pass" (Luke 12:55). In the cooler months it is a gentle, balmy wind, so that the "earth is still by reason of the south wind" (Job 37:17; compare Song of Songs 4:16).

4. North Wind:

The north wind is usually a strong, continuous wind blowing down from the northern hills, and while it is cool it always "drives away rain," as correctly stated in Proverbs 25:23, the King James Version; yet it is a disagreeable wind, and often causes headache and fever. 5. East Wind:

The east wind or sirocco (from Arabic shark= "east") is the "scorching wind" (James 1:11) from the desert. It is a hot, gusty wind laden with sand and dust and occurs most frequently in May and October. The temperature in a given place often rises 15 or 20 degrees within a few hours, bringing thermometer to the highest readings of the year. It is customary for the people to close up the houses tightly to keep out the dust and heat. The heat and dryness wither all vegetation (Genesis 41:6). Happily the wind seldom lasts for more than three days at a time. It is the destructive "wind of the wilderness" (Job 1:19; Jeremiah 4:11; Jeremiah 13:24): "Yahweh caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all the night" (Exodus 14:21) for the children of Israel to pass; the "rough blast in the day of the east wind" (Isaiah 27:8). The strength of the wind makes it dangerous for ships at sea: "With the east wind thou breakest the ships of Tarshish" (Psalms 48:7). Euraquilo or Euroclydon (Acts 27:14 the King James Version), which caused Paul's shipwreck, was an East-Northeast wind, which was especially dangerous in that region.

6. Practical Use:

The wind is directly of great use to the farmer in Palestine in winnowing the grain after it is threshed by treading out (Psalms 1:4; Psalms 35:5; Isaiah 17:13). It was used as a sign of the weather (Ecclesiastes 11:4). It was a necessity for traveling on the sea in ancient times (Acts 28:13; James 3:4), but too strong a wind caused shipwreck (Jonah 1:4; Matthew 8:24; Luke 8:23).

7. Scripture References:

The Scriptural references to wind show many illustrative and figurative uses:

(1) Power of God (1 Kings 19:11; Job 27:21; Job 38:24; Psalms 107:25; Psalms 135:7; Psalms 147:18; Psalms 148:8; Proverbs 30:4; Jeremiah 10:13; Hosea 4:19; Luke 8:25): "He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens; and by his power he guided the south wind" (Psalms 78:26).

(2) Scattering and destruction: "A stormy wind shall rend it" (Ezekiel 13:11; compare 5:2; 12:14; 17:21; Hosea 4:19; Hosea 8:7; Jeremiah 49:36; Matthew 7:25).

(3) Uncertainty: "tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine" (Ephesians 4:14; compare Proverbs 27:16; Ecclesiastes 1:6; John 3:8; James 1:6).

(4) Various directions: "toward the four winds of heaven" (Daniel 11:4; compare 8:8; Zechariah 2:6; Matthew 24:31; Mark 13:27).

(5) Brevity: "a wind that passeth away" (Psalms 78:39; compare 1:4; 35:5; 103:16).

(6) Nothingness: "Molten images are wind" (Isaiah 41:29; compare Jeremiah 5:13).

Alfred H. Joy

Window

win'-do.

See HOUSE, II, 1, (9).

Windows Of Heaven

See ASTRONOMY, sec. III, 4.

Wine-Skins

(chemeth (Genesis 21:14 margin), n'odh (Judges 4:19 "'bottle") nebhel, nebhel (1 Samuel 10:3 margin), ('obh) (Job 32:19); askos (Matthew 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37; compare askoputine, Judith 10:5, the Revised Version (British and American) "leathern bottle")): These words are all used to designate skins for the containing of liquids, nebhel, however, being the most common in the case of wine. The Israelite, like the modern Arabic and Syrian, used mainly the skin of the goat and the sheep, but the skins of the ox and the camel have also been put to this purpose. The skin is removed from the animal by drawing it over the body from the neck downward, half the skin on each of the limbs being also retained. It is then tanned, the hair cut close, turned inside out, and has all the openings save one closed with cords, when it is ready for use. The reference to "a wineskin in the smoke" in Psalms 119:83 is generally explained on the supposition of its being hung there for mellowing purposes, but this can scarcely be accepted, for wine is never left for any length of time in the skin on account of its imparting a disagreeable flavor to the contents. The explanation of the New Testament passages is that the new wine, still liable to continue fermenting to a small extent at least, was put into new, still expansible skins, a condition that had ceased in the older ones.

See WINE.

W. M. Christie