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).
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.