Gourd – Gurbaal

Gourd

1. Kikayan only in (Jonah 4:6-10) The plant which is intended by this word, and which afforded shade to the prophet Jonah before Nineveh, is the Ricinus commnunis , or castor-oil plant, which, a native of Asia, is now naturalized in America, Africa and the south of Europe. This plant varies considerably n size, being in India a tree, but in England seldom attaining a greater height than three or four feet. The leaves are large and palmate, with serrated lobes, and would form un excellent shelter for the sun-stroken prophet. The seeds contain the oil so well known under the name of "castor oil," which has for ages been in high repute as a medicine. It is now thought by many that the plant meant is a vine of the cucumber family, a gemline gourd, which is much used for shade in the East.

2. The wild gourd of (2 Kings 4:39) which one of "the sons of the prophets" gathered ignorantly, supposing them to be good for food, is a poisonous gourd, supposed to be the colocynth, which bears a fruit of the color and size of an orange, with a hard, woody shell. As several varieties of the same family, such as melons, pumpkins, etc., are favorite articles of refreshing food amongst the Orientals, we can easily understand the cause of the mistake.

Governor

In the Authorized Version this one English word is the representative of no less than ten Hebrew and four Greek words.

1. The chief of a tribe or family.

2. A ruler in his capacity of lawgiver and dispenser of justice.

3. A ruler consider especially as having power over the property and persons of his subjects. (Genesis 24:2; Joshua 12:2; Psalms 100:20) The "governors of the people," in (2 Chronicles 23:20) appear to have been the king’s body-guard; cf. (2 Kings 11:19)

4. A prominent personage, whatever his capacity. It is applied to a king as the military and civil chief of his people, (2 Samuel 5:2; 6:21; 1 Chronicles 29:22) to the general of an army, (2 Chronicles 32:21) and to the head of a tribe. (2 Chronicles 19:11) It denotes an officer of high rank in the palace, the lord high chamberlain. (2 Chronicles 28:7) It is applied in (1 Kings 10:15) to the petty chieftains who were tributary to Solomon, (2 Chronicles 9:14) to the military commander of the Syrians, (1 Kings 20:24) the Assyrians, (2 Kings 18:24; 23:8) the Chaldeans, (Jeremiah 51:23) and the Medes. (Jeremiah 51:38) Under the Persian viceroys, during the Babylonian captivity, the land of the Hebrews appears to have been portioned out among "governors" (pachoth) inferior in rank to the satraps, (Ezra 8:30) like the other provinces which were under the dominion of the Persian king. (Nehemiah 2:7,9) It is impossible to determine the precise limits of their authority or the functions which they had to perform. It appears from (Ezra 6:8) that these governors were intrusted with the collection of the king’s taxes; and from (Nehemiah 5:18; 12:26) that they were supported by a contribution levied upon the people, which was technically termed "the bread of the governor" comp. (Ezra 4:14) They were probably assisted in discharging their official duties by A council. (Ezra 4:7; 6:6) The "governor" beyond the river had a judgment-seat beyond Jerusalem, from which probably he administered justice when making a progress through his province. (Nehemiah 3:7) At the time of Christ Judea was a Roman province, governed by a procurator (governor) appointed by Rome.

Gozan

seems in the Authorized Version of (1 Chronicles 5:26) to be the name of a river, but in (2 Kings 17:6) and 2Kin 18:11 It is evidently applied not to a river but a country. Gozan was the tract to which the Israelites were carried away captive by Pul, Tiglathpileser and Shalmaneser, or possibly Sargon. It is probably identical with the Gauzanitis of Ptolemy, and I may be regarded as represented by the Mygdonia of other writers. It was the tract watered by the Habor, the modern Khabour , the great Mesopotamian affluent of the Euphrates.

Grape

[VINE]

Grasshopper

[LOCUST]

Grave

[BURIAL, SEPULCHRES]

Greaves

a piece of defensive armor which reached from the foot to the knee and thus protected the shin of the wearer. It was made of leather or brass.

Grecian

The term Grecian, or Hellenist, denotes a Jew by birth or religion who spoke Greek. It is used chiefly of foreign Jews and proselytes in contrast with the Hebrews speaking the vernacular Hebrew or Aramaean. --Bible Dictionary of Tract Society .

Greece, Greeks, Grecians

The histories of Greece and Palestine are little connected with each other. In (Genesis 10:2-5) Moses mentions the descendants of Javan as peopling the isles of the Gentiles; and when the Hebrews came into contact with the Ionians of Asia Minor, and recognized them as the long-lost islanders of the western migration, it was natural that they should mark the similarity of sound between Javan and Iones. Accordingly the Old Testament word which is Grecia , in Authorized Versions Greece, Greeks , etc., is in Javan (Daniel 8:21; Joel 3:6) the Hebrew, however, is sometimes regained. (Isaiah 66:19; Ezekiel 27;13) The Greeks and Hebrews met for the first time in the slave-market. The medium of communication seems to have been the Tyrian slave-merchants. About B.C. 800 Joel speaks of the Tyrians as, selling the children of Judah tot he Grecians, (Joel 3:6) and in Ezek 27:13 The Greeks are mentioned as bartering their brazen vessels for slaves. Prophetical notice of Greece occurs in (Daniel 8:21) etc., where the history of Alexander and his successors is rapidly sketched. Zechariah, (Zechariah 9:13) foretells the triumphs of the Maccabees against the Greco-Syrian empire, while Isaiah looks forward to the conversion of the Greeks, amongst other Gentiles, through the instrumentality of Jewish missionaries. (Isaiah 66:19) The name of the country, Greece occurs once in the New Testament, (Acts 20:2) as opposed to Macedonia. [GENTILES]

Greyhound

the translation in the text of the Authorized Version, (Proverbs 30:31) of the Hebrew word zarzir mothnayin ; i.e. "one girt about the loins." Various are the opinions as to what animal "comely in going" is here intended Some think "a leopard," others "an eagle," or "a man girt with armor," or "a zebra," or "a war-horse girt with trappings." But perhaps the word means "a wrestler," when girt about the loins for a contest.

Grinding

[MILL]

Grove

1. A word used in the Authorized Version, with two exceptions, to translate the mysterious Hebrew term Asherah , which is not a grove, but probably an idol or image of some kind. [ASHERAH] It is also probable that there was a connection between this symbol or image, whatever it was, and the sacred symbolic tree, the representation of which occurs so frequently on Assyrian sculptures.

2. The two exceptions noticed above are (Genesis 21:33) and 1Sam 22:6 (margin). In the religions of the ancient heathen world groves play a prominent part. In the old times altars only were erected to the gods. It was thought wrong to shut up the gods within walls, and hence trees were the first temples; and from the earliest times groves are mentioned in connection with religious worship. (Genesis 12:6,7; 11:30) Authorized Version "plain." the groves were generally found connected with temples, and often had the right of affording an asylum.

Gudgodah

(10:7) [See HORHAGIDGAD]

Guest

[HOSPITALITY]

Guni

(painted).

1. A son of Naphtali, (Genesis 46:24; 1 Chronicles 7:13) the founder of the family of the Gunites. (Numbers 26:48)

2. A descendant of Gad. (1 Chronicles 5:15)

Gunites, The

the descendants of Guni, son of Naphtali. (Numbers 26:48)

Gur

(abode), The going up to, an ascent or rising ground, at which Ahaziah received his death-blow while flying from jehu after the slaughter of Joram. (2 Kings 9:27)

Gurbaal

(abode of Baal), a place or district in which dwelt Arabians, as recorded in (2 Chronicles 26:7) It appears from the context to have been in the country lying between Palestine and the Arabian peninsula; but this, although probable, cannot be proved.