Hearth - Heb. ah
(Jer. 36:22, 23; R.V., "brazier"), meaning a large pot like a brazier, a portable
furnace in which fire was kept in the king's winter apartment. Heb. kiyor (Zech.
12:6; R.V., "pan"), a fire-pan.
Heb. moqed (Ps. 102:3; R.V., "fire-brand"),
properly a fagot.
Heb. yaqud (Isa. 30:14), a burning mass on a hearth.
He-ass
- Heb. hamor, (Gen. 12:16), the general designation of the donkey used for
carrying burdens (Gen. 42:26) and for ploughing (Isa. 30:24). It is described
in Gen. 49:14, 2 Sam. 19:26. (See ASS.)
Heath
- Heb. 'arar, (Jer. 17:6; 48:6), a species of juniper called by the Arabs
by the same name ('arar), the Juniperus sabina or savin. "Its gloomy, stunted
appearance, with its scale-like leaves pressed close to its gnarled stem, and
cropped close by the wild goats, as it clings to the rocks about Petra, gives
great force to the contrast suggested by the prophet, between him that trusteth
in man, naked and destitute, and the man that trusteth in the Lord, flourishing
as a tree planted by the waters" (Tristram, Natural History of the Bible).
Heathen
- (Heb. plural goyum). At first the word goyim denoted generally all
the nations of the world (Gen. 18:18; comp. Gal. 3:8). The Jews afterwards became
a people distinguished in a marked manner from the other goyim. They were
a separate people (Lev. 20:23; 26:14-45; Deut. 28), and the other nations, the
Amorites, Hittites, etc., were the goyim, the heathen, with whom the Jews
were forbidden to be associated in any way (Josh. 23:7; 1 Kings 11:2). The practice
of idolatry was the characteristic of these nations, and hence the word came to
designate idolaters (Ps. 106:47; Jer. 46:28; Lam. 1:3; Isa. 36:18), the wicked
(Ps. 9:5, 15, 17).
The corresponding Greek word in the New Testament, ethne,
has similar shades of meaning. In Acts 22:21, Gal. 3:14, it denotes the people
of the earth generally; and in Matt. 6:7, an idolater. In modern usage the word
denotes all nations that are strangers to revealed religion.
Heaven
- (1.) Definitions. The phrase "heaven and earth" is used to indicate the
whole universe (Gen. 1:1; Jer. 23:24; Acts 17:24). According to the Jewish notion
there were three heavens,
(a) The firmament, as "fowls of the heaven" (Gen.
2:19; 7:3, 23; Ps. 8:8, etc.), "the eagles of heaven" (Lam. 4:19), etc.
(b)
The starry heavens (Deut. 17:3; Jer. 8:2; Matt. 24:29).
(c) "The heaven of
heavens," or "the third heaven" (Deut. 10:14; 1 Kings 8:27; Ps. 115:16; 148:4;
2 Cor. 12:2).
(2.) Meaning of words in the original,
(a) The usual Hebrew
word for "heavens" is shamayim, a plural form meaning "heights," "elevations"
(Gen. 1:1; 2:1).
(b) The Hebrew word marom is also used (Ps. 68:18;
93:4; 102:19, etc.) as equivalent to shamayim, "high places," "heights."
(c) Heb. galgal, literally a "wheel," is rendered "heaven" in Ps. 77:18 (R.V.,
"whirlwind").
(d) Heb. shahak, rendered "sky" (Deut. 33:26; Job 37:18; Ps.
18:11), plural "clouds" (Job 35:5; 36:28; Ps. 68:34, marg. "heavens"), means probably
the firmament.
(e) Heb. rakia is closely connected with (d), and is rendered
"firmamentum" in the Vulgate, whence our "firmament" (Gen. 1:6; Deut. 33:26, etc.),
regarded as a solid expanse.
(3.) Metaphorical meaning of term. Isa. 14:13,
14; "doors of heaven" (Ps. 78:23); heaven "shut" (1 Kings 8:35); "opened" (Ezek.
1:1). (See 1 Chr. 21:16.)
(4.) Spiritual meaning. The place of the everlasting
blessedness of the righteous; the abode of departed spirits.
(a) Christ calls
it his "Father's house" (John 14:2).
(b) It is called "paradise" (Luke 23:43;
2 Cor. 12:4; Rev. 2:7).
(c) "The heavenly Jerusalem" (Gal. 4: 26; Heb. 12:22;
Rev. 3:12).
(d) The "kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 25:1; James 2:5).
(e) The
"eternal kingdom" (2 Pet. 1:11).
(f) The "eternal inheritance" (1 Pet. 1:4;
Heb. 9:15).
(g) The "better country" (Heb. 11:14, 16).
(h) The blessed are
said to "sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," and to be "in Abraham's bosom"
(Luke 16:22; Matt. 8:11); to "reign with Christ" (2 Tim. 2:12); and to enjoy "rest"
(Heb. 4:10, 11).
In heaven the blessedness of the righteous consists in the
possession of "life everlasting," "an eternal weight of glory" (2 Cor. 4:17),
an exemption from all sufferings for ever, a deliverance from all evils (2 Cor.
5:1, 2) and from the society of the wicked (2 Tim. 4:18), bliss without termination,
the "fulness of joy" for ever (Luke 20:36; 2 Cor. 4:16, 18; 1 Pet. 1:4; 5:10;
1 John 3:2). The believer's heaven is not only a state of everlasting blessedness,
but also a "place", a place "prepared" for them (John 14:2).
Heave
offering - Heb. terumah, (Ex. 29:27) means simply an offering, a present,
including all the offerings made by the Israelites as a present. This Hebrew word
is frequently employed. Some of the rabbis attach to the word the meaning of elevation,
and refer it to the heave offering, which consisted in presenting the offering
by a motion up and down, distinguished from the wave offering, which consisted
in a repeated movement in a horizontal direction, a "wave offering to the Lord
as ruler of earth, a heave offering to the Lord as ruler of heaven." The right
shoulder, which fell to the priests in presenting thank offerings, was called
the heave shoulder (Lev. 7:34; Num. 6:20). The first fruits offered in harvest-time
(Num. 15:20, 21) were heave offerings.
Heber - passing
over. (1.) Son of Beriah and grandson of Asher (Gen. 46:17; 1 Chr. 7:31, 32).
(2.) The Kenite (Judg. 4:11, 17; 5:24), a descendant of Hobab. His wife Jael
received Sisera (q.v.) into her tent and then killed him.
(3.) 1 Chr. 4:18.
(4.) A Benjamite (1 Chr. 8:17).
(5.) A Gadite (5:13). (See EBER.)
Hebrew
- a name applied to the Israelites in Scripture only by one who is a foreigner
(Gen. 39:14, 17; 41:12, etc.), or by the Israelites when they speak of themselves
to foreigners (40:15; Ex. 1:19), or when spoken of an contrasted with other peoples
(Gen. 43:32; Ex. 1:3, 7, 15; Deut. 15:12). In the New Testament there is the same
contrast between Hebrews and foreigners (Acts 6:1; Phil. 3:5).
Derivation.
(1.) The name is derived, according to some, from Eber (Gen. 10:24), the ancestor
of Abraham. The Hebrews are "sons of Eber" (10:21).
(2.) Others trace the name
of a Hebrew root-word signifying "to pass over," and hence regard it as meaning
"the man who passed over," viz., the Euphrates; or to the Hebrew word meaning
"the region" or "country beyond," viz., the land of Chaldea. This latter view
is preferred. It is the more probable origin of the designation given to Abraham
coming among the Canaanites as a man from beyond the Euphrates (Gen. 14:13).
(3.)
A third derivation of the word has been suggested, viz., that it is from the Hebrew
word 'abhar, "to pass over," whence 'ebher, in the sense of a "sojourner"
or "passer through" as distinct from a "settler" in the land, and thus applies
to the condition of Abraham (Heb. 11:13).
Hebrew language
- the language of the Hebrew nation, and that in which the Old Testament is
written, with the exception of a few portions in Chaldee. In the Old Testament
it is only spoken of as "Jewish" (2 Kings 18:26, 28; Isa. 36:11, 13; 2 Chr 32:18).
This name is first used by the Jews in times subsequent to the close of the Old
Testament.
It is one of the class of languages called Semitic, because they
were chiefly spoken among the descendants of Shem.
When Abraham entered Canaan
it is obvious that he found the language of its inhabitants closely allied to
his own. Isaiah (19:18) calls it "the language of Canaan." Whether this language,
as seen in the earliest books of the Old Testament, was the very dialect which
Abraham brought with him into Canaan, or whether it was the common tongue of the
Canaanitish nations which he only adopted, is uncertain; probably the latter opinion
is the correct one. For the thousand years between Moses and the Babylonian exile
the Hebrew language underwent little or no modification. It preserves all through
a remarkable uniformity of structure. From the first it appears in its full maturity
of development. But through intercourse with Damascus, Assyria, and Babylon, from
the time of David, and more particularly from the period of the Exile, it comes
under the influence of the Aramaic idiom, and this is seen in the writings which
date from this period. It was never spoken in its purity by the Jews after their
return from Babylon. They now spoke Hebrew with a large admixture of Aramaic or
Chaldee, which latterly became the predominant element in the national language.
The Hebrew of the Old Testament has only about six thousand words, all derived
from about five hundred roots. Hence the same word has sometimes a great variety
of meanings. So long as it was a living language, and for ages after, only the
consonants of the words were written. This also has been a source of difficulty
in interpreting certain words, for the meaning varies according to the vowels
which may be supplied. The Hebrew is one of the oldest languages of which we have
any knowledge. It is essentially identical with the Phoenician language. (See
MOABITE STONE.) The
Semitic languages, to which class the Hebrew and Phoenician belonged, were spoken
over a very wide area: in Babylonia, Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine and Arabia,
in all the countries from the Mediterranean to the borders of Assyria, and from
the mountains of Armenia to the Indian Ocean. The rounded form of the letters,
as seen in the Moabite stone, was probably that in which the ancient Hebrew was
written down to the time of the Exile, when the present square or Chaldean form
was adopted.
Hebrew of the Hebrews - one whose
parents are both Hebrews (Phil. 3:5; 2 Cor. 11:22); a genuine Hebrew.
Hebrews
- (Acts 6:1) were the Hebrew-speaking Jews, as distinguished from those who
spoke Greek. (See GREEKS.)
Hebrews,
Epistle to - (1.) Its canonicity. All the results of critical and historical
research to which this epistle has been specially subjected abundantly vindicate
its right to a place in the New Testament canon among the other inspired books.
(2.) Its authorship. A considerable variety of opinions on this subject has
at different times been advanced. Some have maintained that its author was Silas,
Paul's companion. Others have attributed it to Clement of Rome, or Luke, or Barnabas,
or some unknown Alexandrian Christian, or Apollos; but the conclusion which we
think is best supported, both from internal and external evidence, is that Paul
was its author. There are, no doubt, many difficulties in the way of accepting
it as Paul's; but we may at least argue with Calvin that there can be no difficulty
in the way of "embracing it without controversy as one of the apostolical epistles."
(3.) Date and place of writing. It was in all probability written at Rome,
near the close of Paul's two years' imprisonment (Heb. 13:19,24). It was certainly
written before the destruction of Jerusalem (13:10).
(4.) To whom addressed.
Plainly it was intended for Jewish converts to the faith of the gospel, probably
for the church at Jerusalem. The subscription of this epistle is, of course, without
authority. In this case it is incorrect, for obviously Timothy could not be the
bearer of it (13:23).
(5.) Its design was to show the true end and meaning
of the Mosaic system, and its symbolical and transient character. It proves that
the Levitical priesthood was a "shadow" of that of Christ, and that the legal
sacrifices prefigured the great and all-perfect sacrifice he offered for us. It
explains that the gospel was designed, not to modify the law of Moses, but to
supersede and abolish it. Its teaching was fitted, as it was designed, to check
that tendency to apostatize from Christianity and to return to Judaism which now
showed itself among certain Jewish Christians. The supreme authority and the transcendent
glory of the gospel are clearly set forth, and in such a way as to strengthen
and confirm their allegiance to Christ.
(6.) It consists of two parts: (a)
doctrinal (1-10:18), (b) and practical (10:19-ch. 13). There are found in it many
references to portions of the Old Testament. It may be regarded as a treatise
supplementary to the Epistles to the Romans and Galatians, and as an inspired
commentary on the book of Leviticus.
Hebron - a
community; alliance. (1.) A city in the south end of the valley of Eshcol, about
midway between Jerusalem and Beersheba, from which it is distant about 20 miles
in a straight line. It was built "seven years before Zoan in Egypt" (Gen. 13:18;
Num. 13:22). It still exists under the same name, and is one of the most ancient
cities in the world. Its earlier name was Kirjath-arba (Gen. 23:2; Josh. 14:15;
15:3). But "Hebron would appear to have been the original name of the city, and
it was not till after Abraham's stay there that it received the name Kirjath-arba,
who [i.e., Arba] was not the founder but the conqueror of the city, having led
thither the tribe of the Anakim, to which he belonged. It retained this name till
it came into the possession of Caleb, when the Israelites restored the original
name Hebron" (Keil, Com.). The name of this city does not occur in any of the
prophets or in the New Testament. It is found about forty times in the Old. It
was the favorite home of Abraham. Here he pitched his tent under the oaks of Mamre,
by which name it came afterwards to be known; and here Sarah died, and was buried
in the cave of Machpelah (Gen. 23:17-20), which he bought from Ephron the Hittite.
From this place the patriarch departed for Egypt by way of Beersheba (37:14; 46:1).
It was taken by Joshua and given to Caleb (Josh. 10:36, 37; 12:10; 14:13). It
became a Levitical city and a city of refuge (20:7; 21:11). When David became
king of Judah this was his royal residence, and he resided here for seven and
a half years (2 Sam. 5:5); and here he was anointed as king over all Israel (2
Sam. 2:1-4, 11; 1 Kings 2:11). It became the residence also of the rebellious
Absalom (2 Sam. 15:10), who probably expected to find his chief support in the
tribe of Judah, now called el-Khulil.
In one part of the modern city is a great
mosque, which is built over the grave of Machpelah. The first European who was
permitted to enter this mosque was the Prince of Wales in 1862. It was also visited
by the Marquis of Bute in 1866, and by the late Emperor Frederick of Germany (then
Crown-Prince of Prussia) in 1869.
One of the largest oaks in Palestine is found
in the valley of Eshcol, about 3 miles north of the town. It is supposed by some
to be the tree under which Abraham pitched his tent, and is called "Abraham's
oak." (See OAK.)
(2.)
The third son of Kohath the Levite (Ex. 6:18; 1 Chr. 6:2, 18).
(3.) 1 Chr.
2:42, 43.
(4.) A town in the north border of Asher (Josh. 19:28).
Hegai
- eunuch, had charge of the harem of Ahasuerus (Esther 2:8).
Heifer
- Heb. 'eglah, (Deut. 21:4, 6; Jer. 46:20). Untrained to the yoke (Hos. 10:11);
giving milk (Isa. 7:21); ploughing (Judg. 14:18); treading out grain (Jer. 50:11);
unsubdued to the yoke an emblem of Judah (Isa. 15:5; Jer. 48:34).
Heb. parah
(Gen. 41:2; Num. 19:2). Bearing the yoke (Hos. 4:16); "heifers of Bashan" (Amos
4:1), metaphorical for the voluptuous females of Samaria. The ordinance of sacrifice
of the "red heifer" described in Num. 19:1-10; comp. Heb. 9:13.
Heir
- Under the patriarchs the property of a father was divided among the sons
of his legitimate wives (Gen. 21:10; 24:36; 25:5), the eldest son getting a larger
portion than the rest. The Mosaic law made specific regulations regarding the
transmission of real property, which are given in detail in Deut. 21:17; Num.
27:8; 36:6; 27:9-11. Succession to property was a matter of right and not of favour.
Christ is the "heir of all things" (Heb. 1:2; Col. 1:15). Believers are heirs
of the "promise," "of righteousness," "of the kingdom," "of the world," "of God,"
"joint heirs" with Christ (Gal 3:29; Heb. 6:17; 11:7; James 2:5; Rom. 4:13; 8:17).
Helah - rust, (1 Chr. 4:5, 7), one of the wives
of Ashur.
Helam - place of abundance, a place on
the east of Jordan and west of the Euphrates where David gained a great victory
over the Syrian army (2 Sam. 10:16), which was under the command of Shobach. Some
would identify it with Alamatta, near Nicephorium.
Helbah
- fatness, a town of the tribe of Asher (Judg. 1:31), in the plain of Phoenicia.
Helbon - fat; i.e., "fertile", (Ezek. 27: 18 only),
a place whence wine was brought to the great market of Tyre. It has been usually
identified with the modern Aleppo, called Haleb by the native Arabs, but is more
probably to be found in one of the villages in the Wady Helbon, which is celebrated
for its grapes, on the east slope of Anti-Lebanon, north of the river Barada (Abana).
Heldai - wordly. (1.) 1 Chr. 27:15; called also
Heleb (2 Sam. 23:29); one of David's captains.
(2.) Zech. 6:10, one who returned
from Babylon.
Heleb - fatness, one of David's warriors
(2 Sam. 23:29).
Heled - this world, (1 Chr. 11:30);
called Heleb (2 Sam. 23:29).
Helek - a portion,
(Josh. 17:2), descended from Manasseh.
Helem - a
stroke, great-grandson of Asher (1 Chr. 7:35).
Heleph
- exchange, a city on the north border of Naphtali (Josh. 19:33).
Helez
- strong, or loin (?) (1.) One of Judah's posterity (1 Chr. 2:39).
(2.)
One of David's warriors (2 Sam. 23:26).
Heli - elevation,
father of Joseph in the line of our Lord's ancestry (Luke 3:23).
Helkai
- smooth-tongued, one of the chief priests in the time of Joiakim (Neh. 12:15).
Helkath - smoothness, a town of Asher, on the east
border (Josh. 19:25; 21:31); called also Hukok (1 Chr. 6:75).
Helkath-hazzurim
- plot of the sharp blades, or the field of heroes, (2 Sam. 2:16). After the
battle of Gilboa, so fatal to Saul and his house, David, as divinely directed,
took up his residence in Hebron, and was there anointed king over Judah. Among
the fugitives from Gilboa was Ish-bosheth, the only surviving son of Saul, whom
Abner, Saul's uncle, took across the Jordan to Mahanaim, and there had him proclaimed
king. Abner gathered all the forces at his command and marched to Gibeon, with
the object of wresting Judah from David. Joab had the command of David's army
of trained men, who encamped on the south of the pool, which was on the east of
the hill on which the town of Gibeon was built, while Abner's army lay on the
north of the pool. Abner proposed that the conflict should be decided by twelve
young men engaging in personal combat on either side. So fiercely did they encounter
each other that "they caught every man his fellow by the head, and thrust his
sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together: wherefore that place was
called Helkath-hazzurim." The combat of the champions was thus indecisive, and
there followed a severe general engagement between the two armies, ending in the
total rout of the Israelites under Abner. The general result of this battle was
that "David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and
weaker" (2 Sam. 3:1). (See GIBEON.)
Hell
- derived from the Saxon helan, to cover; hence the covered or the invisible
place. In Scripture there are three words so rendered:
(1.) Sheol, occurring
in the Old Testament sixty-five times. This word sheol is derived from a root-word
meaning "to ask," "demand;" hence insatiableness (Prov. 30:15, 16). It is rendered
"grave" thirty-one times (Gen. 37:35; 42:38; 44:29, 31; 1 Sam. 2:6, etc.). The
Revisers have retained this rendering in the historical books with the original
word in the margin, while in the poetical books they have reversed this rule.
In thirty-one cases in the Authorized Version this word is rendered "hell,"
the place of disembodied spirits. The inhabitants of sheol are "the congregation
of the dead" (Prov. 21:16). It is (a) the abode of the wicked (Num. 16:33; Job
24:19; Ps. 9:17; 31:17, etc.); (b) of the good (Ps. 16:10; 30:3; 49:15; 86:13,
etc.).
Sheol is described as deep (Job 11:8), dark (10:21, 22), with bars (17:16).
The dead "go down" to it (Num. 16:30, 33; Ezek. 31:15, 16, 17).
(2.) The Greek
word hades of the New Testament has the same scope of signification as sheol of
the Old Testament. It is a prison (1 Pet. 3:19), with gates and bars and locks
(Matt. 16:18; Rev. 1:18), and it is downward (Matt. 11:23; Luke 10:15).
The
righteous and the wicked are separated. The blessed dead are in that part of hades
called paradise (Luke 23:43). They are also said to be in Abraham's bosom (Luke
16:22).
(3.) Gehenna, in most of its occurrences in the Greek New Testament,
designates the place of the lost (Matt. 23:33). The fearful nature of their condition
there is described in various figurative expressions (Matt. 8:12; 13:42; 22:13;
25:30; Luke 16:24, etc.). (See HINNOM.)
Helmet
- (Heb. kob'a), a cap for the defence of the head (1 Sam. 17:5, 38). In the
New Testament the Greek equivalent is used (Eph. 6:17; 1 Thess. 5:8). (See ARMS.)
Helon
- strong, father of Eliab, who was "captain of the children of Zebulun" (Num.
1:9; 2:7).
Help-meet - (Heb. 'ezer ke-negdo; i.e.,
"a help as his counterpart" = a help suitable to him), a wife (Gen. 2:18-20).
Helps - (1 Cor. 12:28) may refer to help (i.e.,
by interpretation) given to him who speaks with tongues, or more probably simply
help which Christians can render to one another, such as caring for the poor and
needy, etc.
Hem - of a garment, the fringe of a
garment. The Jews attached much importance to these, because of the regulations
in Num. 15:38, 39. These borders or fringes were in process of time enlarged so
as to attract special notice (Matt. 23:5). The hem of Christ's garment touched
(9:20; 14:36; Luke 8:44).
Heman - faithful. (1.)
1 Kings 4:31; 1 Chr. 2:6, a son of Zerah, noted for his wisdom. (2.) Grandson
of Samuel (1 Chr. 6:33; 15:17), to whom the 88th Psalm probably was inscribed.
He was one of the "seers" named in 2 Chr. 29:14, 30, and took a leading part in
the administration of the sacred services.
Hemath -
a Kenite (1 Chr. 2:55), the father of the house of Rechab.
Hemlock
- (1.) Heb. rosh (Hos. 10:4; rendered "gall" in Deut. 29:18; 32:32; Ps. 69:21;
Jer. 9:15; 23:15; "poison," Job 20:16; "venom," Deut. 32:33). "Rosh is the name
of some poisonous plant which grows quickly and luxuriantly; of a bitter taste,
and therefore coupled with wormwood (Deut. 29:18; Lam. 3:19). Hence it would seem
to be not the hemlock cicuta, nor the colocynth or wild gourd, nor lolium darnel,
but the poppy so called from its heads" (Gesenius, Lex.).
(2.) Heb. la'anah,
generally rendered "wormwood" (q.v.), Deut. 29:18, Text 17; Prov. 5:4; Jer. 9:15;
23:15. Once it is rendered "hemlock" (Amos 6:12; R.V., "wormwood"). This Hebrew
word is from a root meaning "to curse," hence the accursed.
Hen
- common in later times among the Jews in Palestine (Matt. 23:37; Luke 13:34).
It is noticeable that this familiar bird is only mentioned in these passages in
connection with our Lord's lamentation over the impenitence of Jerusalem.
Hena
- one of the cities of Mesopotamia destroyed by sennacherib (2 Kings 18:34;
19:13). It is identified with the modern Anah, lying on the right bank of the
Euphrates, not far from Sepharvaim.
Henadad - favour
of Hadad, the name of a Levite after the Captivity (Ezra 3:9).
Henoch
- See ENOCH.
Hepher
- a well or stream. (1.) A royal city of the Canaanites taken by Joshua (12:17).
(2.) The youngest son of Gilead (Num. 26:32; 27:1).
(3.) The second son
of Asher (1 Chr. 4:6).
(4.) One of David's heroes (1 Chr. 11:36).
Hephzibah
- my delight is in her. (1.) The wife of Hezekiah and mother of king Manasseh
(2 Kings 21:1).
(2.) A symbolical name of Zion, as representing the Lord's
favour toward her (Isa. 62:4).
Herb - (1.) Heb.
'eseb, any green plant; herbage (Gen. 1:11, 12, 29, 30; 2:5; 3:18, etc.); comprehending
vegetables and all green herbage (Amos 7:1, 2).
(2.) Yarak, green; any
green thing; foliage of trees (2 Kings 19:26; Ps. 37:2); a plant; herb (Deut.
11:10).
(3.) Or, meaning "light" In Isa. 26:19 it means "green herbs;"
in 2 Kings 4:39 probably the fruit of some plant.
(4.) Merorim, plural,
"bitter herbs," eaten by the Israelites at the Passover (Ex. 12:8; Num. 9:11).
They were bitter plants of various sorts, and referred symbolically to the oppression
in Egypt.
Herd - Gen. 13:5; Deut. 7:14. (See CATTLE.)
Herdsman
- In Egypt herdsmen were probably of the lowest caste. Some of Joseph's brethren
were made rulers over Pharaoh's cattle (Gen. 47:6, 17). The Israelites were known
in Egypt as "keepers of cattle;" and when they left it they took their flocks
and herds with them (Ex. 12:38). Both David and Saul came from "following the
herd" to occupy the throne (1 Sam. 9; 11:5; Ps. 78:70). David's herd-masters were
among his chief officers of state. The daughters also of wealthy chiefs were wont
to tend the flocks of the family (Gen. 29:9; Ex. 2:16). The "chief of the herdsmen"
was in the time of the monarchy an officer of high rank (1 Sam. 21:7; comp. 1
Chr. 27:29). The herdsmen lived in tents (Isa. 38:12; Jer. 6:3); and there were
folds for the cattle (Num. 32:16), and watch-towers for the herdsmen, that he
might therefrom observe any coming danger (Micah 4:8; Nah. 3:8).
Heres
- sun. (1.) "Mount Heres" (Judg. 1:35), Heb. Har-heres, i.e., "sun-mountain;"
probably identical with Irshemesh in Josh. 19:41.
(2.) Isa. 19:18, marg. (See
ON.)
Heresy
- from a Greek word signifying (1) a choice, (2) the opinion chosen, and (3)
the sect holding the opinion. In the Acts of the Apostles (5:17; 15:5; 24:5, 14;
26:5) it denotes a sect, without reference to its character. Elsewhere, however,
in the New Testament it has a different meaning attached to it. Paul ranks "heresies"
with crimes and seditions (Gal. 5:20). This word also denotes divisions or schisms
in the church (1 Cor. 11:19). In Titus 3:10 a "heretical person" is one who follows
his own self-willed "questions," and who is to be avoided. Heresies thus came
to signify self-chosen doctrines not emanating from God (2 Pet. 2:1).
Hermas
- Mercury, a Roman Christian to whom Paul sends greetings (Rom. 16: 14). Some
suppose him to have been the author of the celebrated religious romance called
The Shepherd, but it is very probable that that work is the production of a later
generation.
Hermes - Mercury, a Roman Christian
(Rom. 16:14).
Hermogenes - Mercury-born, at one
time Paul's fellow-labourer in Asia Minor, who, however, afterwards abandoned
him, along with one Phygellus, probably on account of the perils by which they
were beset (2 Tim. 1:15).
Hermon - a peak, the
eastern prolongation of the Anti-Lebanon range, reaching to the height of about
9,200 feet above the Mediterranean. It marks the north boundary of Palestine (Deut.
3:8, 4:48; Josh. 11:3, 17; 13:11; 12:1), and is seen from a great distance. It
is about 40 miles north of the Sea of Galilee. It is called "the Hermonites" (Ps.
42:6) because it has more than one summit. The Sidonians called it Sirion, and
the Amorites Shenir (Deut. 3:9; Cant. 4:8). It is also called Baal-hermon (Judg.
3:3; 1 Chr. 5:23) and Sion (Deut. 4:48). There is every probability that one of
its three summits was the scene of the transfiguration (q.v.). The "dew of Hermon"
is referred to (Ps. 89: 12). Its modern name is Jebel-esh-Sheikh, "the chief mountain."
It is one of the most conspicuous mountains in Palestine or Syria. "In whatever
part of Palestine the Israelite turned his eye northward, Hermon was there, terminating
the view. From the plain along the coast, from the Jordan valley, from the heights
of Moab and Gilead, from the plateau of Bashan, the pale, blue, snow-capped cone
forms the one feature in the northern horizon."
Our Lord and his disciples
climbed this "high mountain apart" one day, and remained on its summit all night,
"weary after their long and toilsome ascent." During the night "he was transfigured
before them; and his face did shine as the sun." The next day they descended to
Caesarea Philippi.
Hermonites, the - (Ps. 42:6,
7) = "the Hermons", i.e., the three peaks or summits of Hermon, which are about
a quarter of a mile apart.
Herod Agrippa I. - son
of Aristobulus and Bernice, and grandson of Herod the Great. He was made tetrarch
of the provinces formerly held by Lysanias II., and ultimately possessed the entire
kingdom of his grandfather, Herod the Great, with the title of king. He put the
apostle James the elder to death, and cast Peter into prison (Luke 3:1; Acts 12:1-19).
On the second day of a festival held in honour of the emperor Claudius, he appeared
in the great theatre of Caesarea. "The king came in clothed in magnificent robes,
of which silver was the costly brilliant material. It was early in the day, and
the sun's rays fell on the king, so that the eyes of the beholders were dazzled
with the brightness which surrounded him. Voices here and there from the crowd
exclaimed that it was the apparition of something divine. And when he spoke and
made an oration to them, they gave a shout, saying, 'It is the voice of a god,
and not of a man.' But in the midst of this idolatrous ostentation an angel of
God suddenly smote him. He was carried out of the theatre a dying man." He died
(A.D. 44) of the same loathsome malady which slew his grandfather (Acts. 12:21-23),
in the fifty-fourth year of his age, having reigned four years as tetrarch and
three as king over the whole of Palestine. After his death his kingdom came under
the control of the prefect of Syria, and Palestine was now fully incorporated
with the empire.
Herod Antipas - Herod's son by
Malthace (Matt. 14:1; Luke 3:1, 19; 9:7; Acts 13:1). (See ANTIPAS.)
Herod
Archelaus - (Matt. 2:22), the brother of Antipas (q.v.).
Herod
Arippa II. - the son of Herod Agrippa I. and Cypros. The emperor Claudius
made him tetrarch of the provinces of Philip and Lysanias, with the title of king
(Acts 25:13; 26:2, 7). He enlarged the city of Caesarea Philippi, and called it
Neronias, in honour of Nero. It was before him and his sister that Paul made his
defence at Caesarea (Acts 25:12-27). He died at Rome A.D. 100, in the third year
of the emperor Trajan.
Herodians - a Jewish political
party who sympathized with (Mark 3:6; 12:13; Matt, 22:16; Luke 20:20) the Herodian
rulers in their general policy of government, and in the social customs which
they introduced from Rome. They were at one with the Sadducees in holding the
duty of submission to Rome, and of supporting the Herods on the throne. (Comp.
Mark 8:15; Matt. 16:6.)
Herodias - (Matt. 14:3-11;
Mark 6:17-28; Luke 3:19), the daughter of Aristobulus and Bernice. While residing
at Rome with her husband Herod Philip I. and her daughter, Herod Antipas fell
in with her during one of his journeys to that city. She consented to leave her
husband and become his wife. Some time after, Herod met John the Baptist, who
boldly declared the marriage to be unlawful. For this he was "cast into prison,"
in the castle probably of Machaerus (q.v.), and was there subsequently beheaded.
Herodion - a Christian at Rome whom Paul salutes
and calls his "kinsman" (Rom. 16:11).
Herod Philip
I. - (Mark 6:17), the son of Herod the Great by Mariamne, the daughter of
Simon, the high priest. He is distinguished from another Philip called "the tetrarch."
He lived at Rome as a private person with his wife Herodias and his daughter Salome.
Herod Philip II. - the son of Herod the Great and
Cleopatra of Jerusalem. He was "tetrarch" of Batanea, Iturea, Trachonitis, and
Auranitis. He rebuilt the city of Caesarea Philippi, calling it by his own name
to distinguish it from the Caesarea on the sea-coast which was the seat of the
Roman government. He married Salome, the daughter of Herodias (Matt. 16:13; Mark
8:27; Luke 3:1).
Herod the Great - (Matt. 2:1-22;
Luke 1:5; Acts 23:35), the son of Antipater, an Idumaean, and Cypros, an Arabian
of noble descent. In the year B.C. 47 Julius Caesar made Antipater, a "wily Idumaean,"
procurator of Judea, who divided his territories between his four sons, Galilee
falling to the lot of Herod, who was afterwards appointed tetrarch of Judea by
Mark Antony (B.C. 40), and also king of Judea by the Roman senate.
He was of
a stern and cruel disposition. "He was brutish and a stranger to all humanity."
Alarmed by the tidings of one "born King of the Jews," he sent forth and "slew
all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two
years old and under" (Matt. 2:16). He was fond of splendour, and lavished great
sums in rebuilding and adorning the cities of his empire. He rebuilt the city
of Caesarea (q.v.) on the coast, and also the city of Samaria (q.v.), which he
called Sebaste, in honour of Augustus. He restored the ruined temple of Jerusalem,
a work which was begun B.C. 20, but was not finished till after Herod's death,
probably not till about A.D. 50 (John 2:20). After a troubled reign of thirty-seven
years, he died at Jericho amid great agonies both of body and mind, B.C. 4, i.e.,
according to the common chronology, in the year in which Jesus was born.
After
his death his kingdom was divided among three of his sons. Of these, Philip had
the land east of Jordan, between Caesarea Philippi and Bethabara, Antipas had
Galilee and Peraea, while Archelaus had Judea and Samaria.
Heron
- (Lev. 11:19; Deut. 14:18), ranked among the unclean birds. The Hebrew name
is 'anaphah, and indicates that the bird so named is remarkable for its
angry disposition. "The herons are wading-birds, peculiarly irritable, remarkable
for their voracity, frequenting marshes and oozy rivers, and spread over the regions
of the East." The Ardea russeta, or little golden egret, is the commonest species
in Asia.
Heshbon - intelligence, a city ruled over
by Sihon, king of the Amorites (Josh. 3:10; 13:17). It was taken by Moses (Num.
21:23-26), and became afterwards a Levitical city (Josh. 21:39) in the tribe of
Reuben (Num. 32:37). After the Exile it was taken possession of by the Moabites
(Isa. 15:4; Jer. 48:2, 34, 45). The ruins of this town are still seen about 20
miles east of Jordan from the north end of the Dead Sea. There are reservoirs
in this district, which are probably the "fishpools" referred to in Cant. 7:4.
Heshmon - fatness, a town in the south of Judah
(Josh. 15:27).
Heth - dread, a descendant of Canaan,
and the ancestor of the Hittites (Gen. 10:18; Deut. 7:1), who dwelt in the vicinity
of Hebron (Gen. 23:3, 7). The Hittites were a Hamitic race. They are called "the
sons of Heth" (Gen. 23:3, 5, 7, 10, 16, 18, 20).
Hethlon
- wrapped up, a place on the north border of Palestine. The "way of Hethlon"
(Ezek. 47:15; 48:1) is probably the pass at the end of Lebanon from the Mediterranean
to the great plain of Hamath (q.v.), or the "entrance of Hamath."
Hezekiah
- whom Jehovah has strengthened. (1.) Son of Ahaz (2 Kings 18:1; 2 Chr. 29:1),
whom he succeeded on the throne of the kingdom of Judah. He reigned twenty-nine
years (B.C. 726-697). The history of this king is contained in 2 Kings 18:20,
Isa. 36-39, and 2 Chr. 29-32. He is spoken of as a great and good king. In public
life he followed the example of his great-granfather Uzziah. He set himself to
abolish idolatry from his kingdom, and among other things which he did for this
end, he destroyed the "brazen serpent," which had been removed to Jerusalem, and
had become an object of idolatrous worship (Num. 21:9). A great reformation was
wrought in the kingdom of Judah in his day (2 Kings 18:4; 2 Chr. 29:3-36).
On
the death of Sargon and the accession of his son Sennacherib to the throne of
Assyria, Hezekiah refused to pay the tribute which his father had paid, and "rebelled
against the king of Assyria, and served him not," but entered into a league with
Egypt (Isa. 30; 31; 36:6-9). This led to the invasion of Judah by Sennacherib
(2 Kings 18:13-16), who took forty cities, and besieged Jerusalem with mounds.
Hezekiah yielded to the demands of the Assyrian king, and agreed to pay him three
hundred talents of silver and thirty of gold (18:14).
But Sennacherib dealt
treacherously with Hezekiah (Isa. 33:1), and a second time within two years invaded
his kingdom (2 Kings 18:17; 2 Chr. 32:9; Isa. 36). This invasion issued in the
destruction of Sennacherib's army. Hezekiah prayed to God, and "that night the
angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians 185,000 men."
Sennacherib fled with the shattered remnant of his forces to Nineveh, where, seventeen
years after, he was assassinated by his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer (2 Kings
19:37). (See SENNACHERIB.)
The narrative of Hezekiah's sickness and miraculous recovery is found in 2
Kings 20:1, 2 Chr. 32:24, Isa. 38:1. Various ambassadors came to congratulate
him on his recovery, and among them Merodach-baladan, the viceroy of Babylon (2
Chr. 32:23; 2 Kings 20:12). He closed his days in peace and prosperity, and was
succeeded by his son Manasseh. He was buried in the "chiefest of the sepulchres
of the sons of David" (2 Chr. 32:27-33). He had "after him none like him among
all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him" (2 Kings 18:5). (See ISAIAH.)
Hezion
- vision, the father of Tabrimon, and grandfather of Ben-hadad, king of Syria
(1 Kings 15:18).
Hezir - swine or strong. (1.)
The head of the seventeenth course of the priests (1 Chr. 24:15). (2.) Neh. 10:20,
one who sealed Nehemiah's covenant.
Hezro - a Carmelite,
one of David's warriors (1 Chr. 11:37).
Hezron - enclosed.
(1.) One of the sons of Reuben (Gen. 46:9; Ex. 6:14). (2.) The older of the two
sons of Pharez (Gen. 46:12). (3.) A plain in the south of Judah, west of Kadesh-barnea
(Josh. 15:3).
Hiddai - rejoicing of Jehovah, one
of David's thirty-seven guards (2 Sam. 23:30).
Hiddekel
- called by the Accadians id Idikla; i.e., "the river of Idikla", the third
of the four rivers of Paradise (Gen. 2:14). Gesenius interprets the word as meaning
"the rapid Tigris." The Tigris rises in the mountains of Armenia, 15 miles south
of the source of the Euphrates, which, after pursuing a south-east course, it
joins at Kurnah, about 50 miles above Bassorah. Its whole length is about 1,150
miles.
Hiel - life of (i.e., from) God, a native
of Bethel, who built (i.e., fortified) Jericho some seven hundred years after
its destruction by the Israelites. There fell on him for such an act the imprecation
of Joshua (6:26). He laid the foundation in his first-born, and set up the gates
in his youngest son (1 Kings 16:34), i.e., during the progress of the work all
his children died.
Hierapolis - sacred city, a
city of Phrygia, where was a Christian church under the care of Epaphras (Col.
4:12, 13). This church was founded at the same time as that of Colosse. It now
bears the name of Pambuk-Kalek, i.e., "Cotton Castle", from the white appearance
of the cliffs at the base of which the ruins are found.
Higgaion
- in Ps. 92:3 means the murmuring tone of the harp. In Ps. 9:16 it is a musical
sign, denoting probably a pause in the instrumental interlude. In Ps. 19:14 the
word is rendered "meditation;" and in Lam. 3:62, "device" (R.V., "imagination").
High place - an eminence, natural or artificial,
where worship by sacrifice or offerings was made (1 Kings 13:32; 2 Kings 17:29).
The first altar after the Flood was built on a mountain (Gen. 8:20). Abraham also
built an altar on a mountain (12:7, 8). It was on a mountain in Gilead that Laban
and Jacob offered sacrifices (31:54). After the Israelites entered the Promised
Land they were strictly enjoined to overthrow the high places of the Canaanites
(Ex. 34:13; Deut. 7:5; 12:2, 3), and they were forbidden to worship the Lord on
high places (Deut. 12:11-14), and were enjoined to use but one altar for sacrifices
(Lev. 17:3, 4; Deut. 12; 16:21). The injunction against high places was, however,
very imperfectly obeyed, and we find again and again mention made of them (2 Kings
14:4; 15:4, 35:2 Chr. 15:17, etc.).
High priest - Aaron
was the first who was solemnly set apart to this office (Ex. 29:7; 30:23; Lev.
8:12). He wore a peculiar dress, which on his death passed to his successor in
office (Ex. 29:29, 30). Besides those garments which he wore in common with all
priests, there were four that were peculiar to himself as high priest:
(1.)
The "robe" of the ephod, all of blue, of "woven work," worn immediately under
the ephod. It was without seam or sleeves. The hem or skirt was ornamented with
pomegranates and golden bells, seventy-two of each in alternate order. The sounding
of the bells intimated to the people in the outer court the time when the high
priest entered into the holy place to burn incense before the Lord (Ex. 28).
(2.)
The "ephod" consisted of two parts, one of which covered the back and the other
the breast, which were united by the "curious girdle." It was made of fine twined
linen, and ornamented with gold and purple. Each of the shoulder-straps was adorned
with a precious stone, on which the names of the twelve tribes were engraved.
This was the high priest's distinctive vestment (1 Sam. 2:28; 14:3; 21:9; 23:6,
9; 30:7).
(3.) The "breastplate of judgment" (Ex. 28:6-12, 25-28; 39:2-7) of
"cunning work." It was a piece of cloth doubled, of one span square. It bore twelve
precious stones, set in four rows of three in a row, which constituted the Urim
and Thummim (q.v.). These stones had the names of the twelve tribes engraved on
them. When the high priest, clothed with the ephod and the breastplate, inquired
of the Lord, answers were given in some mysterious way by the Urim and Thummim
(1 Sam. 14:3, 18, 19; 23:2, 4, 9, 11,12; 28:6; 2 Sam. 5:23).
(4.) The "mitre,"
or upper turban, a twisted band of eight yards of fine linen coiled into a cap,
with a gold plate in front, engraved with "Holiness to the Lord," fastened to
it by a ribbon of blue.
To the high priest alone it was permitted to enter
the holy of holies, which he did only once a year, on the great Day of Atonement,
for "the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest" (Heb. 9; 10).
Wearing his gorgeous priestly vestments, he entered the temple before all the
people, and then, laying them aside and assuming only his linen garments in secret,
he entered the holy of holies alone, and made expiation, sprinkling the blood
of the sin offering on the mercy seat, and offering up incense. Then resuming
his splendid robes, he reappeared before the people (Lev. 16). Thus the wearing
of these robes came to be identified with the Day of Atonement.
The office,
dress, and ministration of the high priest were typical of the priesthood of our
Lord (Heb. 4:14; 7:25; 9:12, etc.).
It is supposed that there were in all eighty-three
high priests, beginning with Aaron (B.C. 1657) and ending with Phannias (A.D.
70). At its first institution the office of high priest was held for life (but
comp. 1 Kings 2:27), and was hereditary in the family of Aaron (Num. 3:10). The
office continued in the line of Eleazar, Aaron's eldest son, for two hundred and
ninety-six years, when it passed to Eli, the first of the line of Ithamar, who
was the fourth son of Aaron. In this line it continued to Abiathar, whom Solomon
deposed, and appointed Zadok, of the family of Eleazar, in his stead (1 Kings
2:35), in which it remained till the time of the Captivity. After the Return,
Joshua, the son of Josedek, of the family of Eleazar, was appointed to this office.
After him the succession was changed from time to time under priestly or political
influences.
Highway - a raised road for public
use. Such roads were not found in Palestine; hence the force of the language used
to describe the return of the captives and the advent of the Messiah (Isa. 11:16;
35:8; 40:3; 62:10) under the figure of the preparation of a grand thoroughfare
for their march.
During their possession of Palestine the Romans constructed
several important highways, as they did in all countries which they ruled.
Hilkiah
- portion of Jehovah. (1.) 1 Chr. 6:54. (2.) 1 Chr. 26:11. (3.) The father
of Eliakim (2 Kings 18:18, 26, 37). (4.) The father of Gemariah (Jer. 29:3). (5.)
The father of the prophet Jeremiah (1:1).
(6.) The high priest in the reign
of Josiah (1 Chr. 6:13; Ezra 7:1). To him and his deputy (2 Kings 23:5), along
with the ordinary priests and the Levites who had charge of the gates, was entrusted
the purification of the temple in Jerusalem. While this was in progress, he discovered
in some hidden corner of the building a book called the "book of the law" (2 Kings
22:8) and the "book of the covenant" (23:2). Some have supposed that this "book"
was nothing else than the original autograph copy of the Pentateuch written by
Moses (Deut. 31:9-26). This remarkable discovery occurred in the eighteenth year
of Josiah's reign (B.C. 624), a discovery which permanently affected the whole
subsequent history of Israel. (See JOSIAH ¯T0002116; SHAPHAN.)
(7.)
Neh. 12:7. (8.) Neh. 8:4.
Hill - (1.) Heb. gib'eah,
a curved or rounded hill, such as are common to Palestine (Ps. 65:12; 72:3; 114:4,
6).
(2.) Heb. har, properly a mountain range rather than an individual eminence
(Ex. 24:4, 12, 13, 18; Num. 14:40, 44, 45). In Deut. 1:7, Josh. 9:1; 10:40; 11:16,
it denotes the elevated district of Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim, which forms
the watershed between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea.
(3.) Heb. ma'aleh
in 1 Sam. 9:11. Authorized Version "hill" is correctly rendered in the Revised
Version "ascent."
(4.) In Luke 9:37 the "hill" is the Mount of Transfiguration.
Hillel - praising, a Pirathonite, father of the
judge Abdon (Judg. 12:13, 15).
Hill of Evil Counsel
- on the south of the Valley of Hinnom. It is so called from a tradition that
the house of the high priest Caiaphas, when the rulers of the Jews resolved to
put Christ to death, stood here.
Hind - Heb. 'ayalah
(2 Sam. 22:34; Ps. 18:33, etc.) and 'ayeleth (Ps. 22, title), the female of the
hart or stag. It is referred to as an emblem of activity (Gen. 49:21), gentleness
(Prov. 5:19), feminine modesty (Cant. 2:7; 3:5), earnest longing (Ps. 42:1), timidity
(Ps. 29:9). In the title of Ps. 22, the word probably refers to some tune bearing
that name.
Hinge - (Heb. tsir), that on which a
door revolves. "Doors in the East turn rather on pivots than on what we term hinges.
In Syria, and especially in the Hauran, there are many ancient doors, consisting
of stone slabs with pivots carved out of the same piece inserted in sockets above
and below, and fixed during the building of the house" (Prov. 26:14).
Hinnom
- a deep, narrow ravine separating Mount Zion from the so-called "Hill of
Evil Counsel." It took its name from "some ancient hero, the son of Hinnom." It
is first mentioned in Josh. 15:8. It had been the place where the idolatrous Jews
burned their children alive to Moloch and Baal. A particular part of the valley
was called Tophet, or the "fire-stove," where the children were burned. After
the Exile, in order to show their abhorrence of the locality, the Jews made this
valley the receptacle of the offal of the city, for the destruction of which a
fire was, as is supposed, kept constantly burning there.
The Jews associated
with this valley these two ideas, (1) that of the sufferings of the victims that
had there been sacrificed; and (2) that of filth and corruption. It became thus
to the popular mind a symbol of the abode of the wicked hereafter. It came to
signify hell as the place of the wicked. "It might be shown by infinite examples
that the Jews expressed hell, or the place of the damned, by this word. The word
Gehenna [the Greek contraction of Hinnom] was never used in the time of Christ
in any other sense than to denote the place of future punishment." About this
fact there can be no question. In this sense the word is used eleven times in
our Lord's discourses (Matt. 23:33; Luke 12:5; Matt. 5:22, etc.).
Hiram
- high-born. (1.) Generally "Huram," one of the sons of Bela (1 Chr. 8:5).
(2.) Also "Huram" and "Horam," king of Tyre. He entered into an alliance with
David, and assisted him in building his palace by sending him able workmen, and
also cedar-trees and fir-trees from Lebanon (2 Sam. 5:11; 1 Chr. 14:1). After
the death of David he entered into a similar alliance with Solomon, and assisted
him greatly in building the temple (1 Kings 5:1; 9:11; 2 Chr. 2:3). He also took
part in Solomon's traffic to the Eastern Seas (1 Kings 9:27; 10:11; 2 Chr. 8:18;
9:10).
(3.) The "master workman" whom Hiram sent to Solomon. He was the son
of a widow of Dan, and of a Tyrian father. In 2 Chr. 2:13 "Huram my father" should
be Huram Abi, the word "Abi" (rendered here "my father") being regarded as a proper
name, or it may perhaps be a title of distinction given to Huram, and equivalent
to "master." (Comp. 1 Kings 7:14; 2 Chr. 4:16.) He cast the magnificent brazen
works for Solomon's temple in clay-beds in the valley of Jordan, between Succoth
and Zarthan.
Hireling - a labourer employed on
hire for a limited time (Job 7:1; 14:6; Mark 1:20). His wages were paid as soon
as his work was over (Lev. 19:13). In the time of our Lord a day's wage was a
"penny" (q.v.) i.e., a Roman denarius (Matt. 20:1-14).
Hiss
- to express contempt (Job 27:23). The destruction of the temple is thus spoken
of (1 Kings 9:8). Zechariah (10:8) speaks of the Lord gathering the house of Judah
as it were with a hiss: "I will hiss for them." This expression may be "derived
from the noise made to attract bees in hiving, or from the sound naturally made
to attract a person's attention."
Hittites - Palestine
and Syria appear to have been originally inhabited by three different tribes.
(1.) The Semites, living on the east of the isthmus of Suez. They were nomadic
and pastoral tribes. (2.) The Phoenicians, who were merchants and traders; and
(3.) the Hittites, who were the warlike element of this confederation of tribes.
They inhabited the whole region between the Euphrates and Damascus, their chief
cities being Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Kadesh, now Tell Neby Mendeh, in
the Orontes valley, about six miles south of the Lake of Homs. These Hittites
seem to have risen to great power as a nation, as for a long time they were formidable
rivals of the Egyptian and Assyrian empires. In the book of Joshua they always
appear as the dominant race to the north of Galilee.
Somewhere about the twenty-third
century B.C. the Syrian confederation, led probably by the Hittites, arched against
Lower Egypt, which they took possession of, making Zoan their capital. Their rulers
were the Hyksos, or shepherd kings. They were at length finally driven out of
Egypt. Rameses II. sought vengeance against the "vile Kheta," as he called them,
and encountered and defeated them in the great battle of Kadesh, four centuries
after Abraham. (See JOSHUA.)
They
are first referred to in Scripture in the history of Abraham, who bought from
Ephron the Hittite the field and the cave of Machpelah (Gen. 15:20: 23:3-18).
They were then settled at Kirjath-arba. From this tribe Esau took his first two
wives (26:34; 36:2).
They are afterwards mentioned in the usual way among the
inhabitants of the Promised Land (Ex. 23:28). They were closely allied to the
Amorites, and are frequently mentioned along with them as inhabiting the mountains
of Palestine. When the spies entered the land they seem to have occupied with
the Amorites the mountain region of Judah (Num. 13:29). They took part with the
other Canaanites against the Israelites (Josh. 9:1; 11:3).
After this there
are few references to them in Scripture. Mention is made of "Ahimelech the Hittite"
(1 Sam. 26:6), and of "Uriah the Hittite," one of David's chief officers (2 Sam.
23:39; 1 Chr. 11:41). In the days of Solomon they were a powerful confederation
in the north of Syria, and were ruled by "kings." They are met with after the
Exile still a distinct people (Ezra 9:1; comp. Neh. 13:23-28).
The Hebrew merchants
exported horses from Egypt not only for the kings of Israel, but also for the
Hittites (1 Kings 10:28, 29). From the Egyptian monuments we learn that "the Hittites
were a people with yellow skins and 'Mongoloid' features, whose receding foreheads,
oblique eyes, and protruding upper jaws are represented as faithfully on their
own monuments as they are on those of Egypt, so that we cannot accuse the Egyptian
artists of caricaturing their enemies. The Amorites, on the contrary, were a tall
and handsome people. They are depicted with white skins, blue eyes, and reddish
hair, all the characteristics, in fact, of the white race" (Sayce's The Hittites).
The original seat of the Hittite tribes was the mountain ranges of Taurus. They
belonged to Asia Minor, and not to Syria.
Hivites -
one of the original tribes scattered over Palestine, from Hermon to Gibeon
in the south. The name is interpreted as "midlanders" or "villagers" (Gen. 10:17;
1 Chr. 1:15). They were probably a branch of the Hittites. At the time of Jacob's
return to Canaan, Hamor the Hivite was the "prince of the land" (Gen. 24:2-28).
They are next mentioned during the Conquest (Josh. 9:7; 11:19). They principally
inhabited the northern confines of Western Palestine (Josh. 11:3; Judg. 3:3).
A remnant of them still existed in the time of Solomon (1 Kings 9:20).
Hizkiah
- an ancestor of the prophet Zephaniah (1:1).
Hizkijah
- (Neh. 10:17), one who sealed the covenant.
Hobab
- beloved, the Kenite, has been usually identified with Jethro (q.v.), Ex.
18:5, 27; comp. Num. 10:29, 30. In Judg. 4:11, the word rendered "father-in-law"
means properly any male relative by marriage (comp. Gen. 19:14, "son-in-law,"
A.V.), and should be rendered "brother-in-law," as in the R.V. His descendants
followed Israel to Canaan (Num. 10:29), and at first pitched their tents near
Jericho, but afterwards settled in the south in the borders of Arad (Judg. 1:8-11,
16).
Hobah - hiding-place, a place to the north of
Damascus, to which Abraham pursued Chedorlaomer and his confederates (Gen. 14:15).