BIBLES NET. COM
Dictionary]
Easton’s Bible Dictionary
across the wilderness, the twelve tribes formed encampments
at the different places where they halted (Ex. 16:13; Num.
2:3). The diagram here given shows the position of the
different tribes and the form of the encampment during the
wanderings, according to Num. 1:53; 2:2-31; 3:29, 35, 38;
10:13-28.
The area of the camp would be in all about 3 square miles.
After the Hebrews entered Palestine, the camps then spoken
of were exclusively warlike (Josh. 11:5, 7; Judg. 5:19, 21;
7:1; 1 Sam. 29:1; 30:9, etc.).
mentioned in Cant. 1:14 (R.V., “henna-flowers”);
4:13 (R.V., “henna”), is the al-henna of the
Arabs, a native of Egypt, producing clusters of small white
and yellow odoriferous flowers, whence is made the Oleum
Cyprineum. From its leaves is made the peculiar auburn dye
with which Eastern women stain their nails and the palms of
their hands. It is found only at Engedi, on the shore of
the Dead Sea. It is known to botanists by the name Lawsonia
alba or inermis, a kind of privet, which grows 6 or 8 feet
high. The margin of the Authorized Version of the passages
above referred to has “or cypress,” not with
reference to the conifer so called, but to the circumstance
that one of the most highly appreciated species of this
plant grew in the island of Cyprus.
Cana – reedy, a town of Galilee,
near Capernaum. Here our Lord wrought his first miracle,
the turning of water into wine (John 2:1-11; 4:46). It is
also mentioned as the birth-place of Nathanael (21:2). It
is not mentioned in the Old Testament. It has been
identified with the modern Kana el-Jelil, also called
Khurbet Kana, a place 8 or 9 miles north of Nazareth.
Others have identified it with Kefr Kenna, which lies on
the direct road to the Sea of Galilee, about 5 miles
north-east of Nazareth, and 12 in a direct course from
Tiberias. It is called “Cana of Galilee,” to
distinguish it from Cana of Asher (Josh. 19:28).
Canaan – (1.) The fourth son of
Ham (Gen. 10:6). His descendants were under a curse in
consequence of the transgression of his father (9:22-27).
His eldest son, Zidon, was the father of the Sidonians and
Phoenicians. He had eleven sons, who were the founders of
as many tribes (10:15-18).
(2.) The country which derived its name from the preceding.
The name as first used by the Phoenicians denoted only the
maritime plain on which Sidon was built. But in the time of
Moses and Joshua it denoted the whole country to the west
of the Jordan and the Dead Sea (Deut. 11:30). In Josh. 5:12
the LXX. read, “land of the Phoenicians,” instead
of “land of Canaan.”
The name signifies “the lowlands,” as
distinguished from the land of Gilead on the east of
Jordan, which was a mountainous district. The extent and
boundaries of Canaan are fully set forth in different parts
of Scripture (Gen. 10:19; 17:8; Num. 13:29; 34:8). (See
CANAANITES ¯T0000705,.)
Canaanite – a name given to the
apostle Simon (Matt. 10:4; Mark 3:18). The word here does
not, however, mean a descendant of Canaan, but is a
translation, or rather almost a transliteration, of the
Syriac word Kanenyeh (R.V. rendered “Cananaen”),
which designates the Jewish sect of the Zealots. Hence he
is called elsewhere (Luke 6:15) “Simon Zelotes;”
i.e., Simon of the sect of the Zealots.
Canaanites – the descendants of
Canaan, the son of Ham. Migrating from their original home,
they seem to have reached the Persian Gulf, and to have
there sojourned for some time. They thence “spread to
the west, across the mountain chain of Lebanon to the very
edge of the Mediterranean Sea, occupying all the land which
later became Palestine, also to the north-west as far as
the mountain chain of Taurus. This group was very numerous,
and broken up into a great many peoples, as we can judge
from the list of nations (Gen. 10), the ‘sons of
Canaan.'” Six different tribes are mentioned in
Ex. 3:8, 17; 23:23; 33:2; 34:11. In Ex. 13:5 the
“Perizzites” are omitted. The
“Girgashites” are mentioned in addition to the
foregoing in Deut. 7:1; Josh. 3:10.
The “Canaanites,” as distinguished from the
Amalekites, the Anakim, and the Rephaim, were
“dwellers in the lowlands” (Num. 13:29), the
great plains and valleys, the richest and most important
parts of Palestine. Tyre and Sidon, their famous cities,
were the centres of great commercial activity; and hence
the name “Canaanite” came to signify a
“trader” or “merchant” (Job 41:6; Prov.
31:24, lit. “Canaanites;” comp. Zeph. 1:11; Ezek.
17:4). The name “Canaanite” is also sometimes
used to designate the non-Israelite inhabitants of the land
in general (Gen. 12:6; Num. 21:3; Judg. 1:10).
The Israelites, when they were led to the Promised Land,
were commanded utterly to destroy the descendants of Canaan
then possessing it (Ex. 23:23; Num. 33:52, 53; Deut. 20:16,
17). This was to be done “by little and little,”
lest the beasts of the field should increase (Ex. 23:29;
Deut. 7:22, 23). The history of these wars of conquest is
given in the Book of Joshua. The extermination of these
tribes, however, was never fully carried out. Jerusalem was
not taken till the time of David (2 Sam. 5:6, 7). In the
days of Solomon bond-service was exacted from the fragments
of the tribes still remaining in the land (1 Kings 9:20,
21). Even after the return from captivity survivors of five
of the Canaanitish tribes were still found in the land.
In the Tell-el-Amarna tablets Canaan is found under the
forms of Kinakhna and Kinakhkhi. Under the name of Kanana
the Canaanites appear on Egyptian monuments, wearing a coat
of mail and helmet, and distinguished by the use of spear
and javelin and the battle-axe. They were called
Phoenicians by the Greeks and Poeni by the Romans. By race
the Canaanites were Semitic. They were famous as merchants
and seamen, as well as for their artistic skill. The chief
object of their worship was the sun-god, who was addressed
by the general name of Baal, “lord.” Each
locality had its special Baal, and the various local Baals
were summed up under the name of Baalim, “lords.”
mentioned in Isa. 19:18, denotes the language spoken by the
Jews resident in Palestine. The language of the Canaanites
and of the Hebrews was substantially the same. This is seen
from the fragments of the Phoenician language which still
survive, which show the closest analogy to the Hebrew. Yet
the subject of the language of the “Canaanites”
is very obscure. The cuneiform writing of Babylon, as well
as the Babylonian language, was taught in the Canaanitish
schools, and the clay tablets of Babylonian literature were
stored in the Canaanitish libraries. Even the Babylonian
divinities were borrowed by the Canaanites.
Ethiopians whose “eunuch” or chamberlain was
converted to Christianity by the instrumentality of Philip
the evangelist (Acts 8:27). The country which she ruled was
called by the Greeks Meroe, in Upper Nubia. It was long the
centre of commercial intercourse between Africa and the
south of Asia, and hence became famous for its wealth (Isa.
45:14).
It is somewhat singular that female sovereignty seems to
have prevailed in Ethiopia, the name Candace (compare
“Pharaoh,” “Ptolemy,”
“Caesar”) being a title common to several
successive queens. It is probable that Judaism had taken
root in Ethiopia at this time, and hence the visit of the
queen’s treasurer to Jerusalem to keep the feast. There
is a tradition that Candace was herself converted to
Christianity by her treasurer on his return, and that he
became the apostle of Christianity in that whole region,
carrying it also into Abyssinia. It is said that he also
preached the gospel in Arabia Felix and in Ceylon, where he
suffered martyrdom.
29:3; Ps. 18:28; Prov. 24:20, in all which places the
Revised Version and margin of Authorized Version have
“lamp,” by which the word is elsewhere frequently
rendered. The Hebrew word denotes properly any kind of
candle or lamp or torch. It is used as a figure of
conscience (Prov. 20:27), of a Christian example (Matt.
5:14, 15), and of prosperity (Job 21:17; Prov. 13:9).
“candelabrum,” which Moses was commanded to make
for the tabernacle, according to the pattern shown him. Its
form is described in Ex. 25:31-40; 37:17-24, and may be
seen represented on the Arch of Titus at Rome. It was among
the spoils taken by the Romans from the temple of Jerusalem
(A.D. 70). It was made of fine gold, and with the utensils
belonging to it was a talent in weight.
The tabernacle was a tent without windows, and thus
artificial light was needed. This was supplied by the
candlestick, which, however, served also as a symbol of the
church or people of God, who are “the light of the
world.” The light which “symbolizes the knowledge
of God is not the sun or any natural light, but an
artificial light supplied with a specially prepared oil;
for the knowledge of God is in truth not natural nor common
to all men, but furnished over and above nature.”
This candlestick was placed on the south side of the Holy
Place, opposite the table of shewbread (Ex. 27:21; 30:7, 8;
Lev. 24:3; 1 Sam. 3:3). It was lighted every evening, and
was extinguished in the morning. In the morning the priests
trimmed the seven lamps, borne by the seven branches, with
golden snuffers, carrying away the ashes in golden dishes
(Ex. 25:38), and supplying the lamps at the same time with
fresh oil. What ultimately became of the candlestick is
unknown.
In Solomon’s temple there were ten separate
candlesticks of pure gold, five on the right and five on
the left of the Holy Place (1 Kings 7:49; 2 Chr. 4:7).
Their structure is not mentioned. They were carried away to
Babylon (Jer. 52:19).
In the temple erected after the Exile there was again but
one candlestick, and like the first, with seven branches.
It was this which was afterwards carried away by Titus to
Rome, where it was deposited in the Temple of Peace. When
Genseric plundered Rome, he is said to have carried it to
Carthage (A.D. 455). It was recaptured by Belisarius (A.D.
533), and carried to Constantinople and thence to
Jerusalem, where it finally disappeared.
Cane – a tall sedgy plant with a
hollow stem, growing in moist places. In Isa. 43:24; Jer.
6:20, the Hebrew word kaneh is thus rendered, giving
its name to the plant. It is rendered “reed” in 1
Kings 14:15; Job 40:21; Isa. 19:6; 35:7. In Ps. 68:30 the
expression “company of spearmen” is in the margin
and the Revised Version “beasts of the reeds,”
referring probably to the crocodile or the hippopotamus as
a symbol of Egypt. In 2 Kings 18:21; Isa. 36:6; Ezek. 29:6,
7, the reference is to the weak, fragile nature of the
reed.
mortification which gradually spreads over the whole body
(2 Tim. 2:17). In James 5:3 “cankered” means
“rusted” (R.V.) or tarnished.
“the licking locust,” which licks up the grass of
the field; probably the locust at a certain stage of its
growth, just as it emerges from the caterpillar state (Joel
1:4; 2:25). The word is rendered “caterpillar” in
Ps. 105:34; Jer. 51:14, 17 (but R.V.
“canker-worm”). “It spoileth and fleeth
away” (Nah. 3:16), or as some read the passage,
“The cankerworm putteth off [i.e., the envelope of its
wings], and fleeth away.”
Canneh – Mentioned only in Ezek.
27:23.
Canon – This word is derived from
a Hebrew and Greek word denoting a reed or cane. Hence it
means something straight, or something to keep straight;
and hence also a rule, or something ruled or measured. It
came to be applied to the Scriptures, to denote that they
contained the authoritative rule of faith and practice, the
standard of doctrine and duty. A book is said to be of
canonical authority when it has a right to take a place
with the other books which contain a revelation of the
Divine will. Such a right does not arise from any
ecclesiastical authority, but from the evidence of the
inspired authorship of the book. The canonical (i.e., the
inspired) books of the Old and New Testaments, are a
complete rule, and the only rule, of faith and practice.
They contain the whole supernatural revelation of God to
men. The New Testament Canon was formed gradually under
divine guidance. The different books as they were written
came into the possession of the Christian associations
which began to be formed soon after the day of Pentecost;
and thus slowly the canon increased till all the books were
gathered together into one collection containing the whole
of the twenty-seven New Testament inspired books.
Historical evidence shows that from about the middle of the
second century this New Testament collection was
substantially such as we now possess. Each book contained
in it is proved to have, on its own ground, a right to its
place; and thus the whole is of divine authority.
The Old Testament Canon is witnessed to by the New
Testament writers. Their evidence is conclusive. The
quotations in the New from the Old are very numerous, and
the references are much more numerous. These quotations and
references by our Lord and the apostles most clearly imply
the existence at that time of a well-known and publicly
acknowledged collection of Hebrew writings under the
designation of “The Scriptures;” “The Law
and the Prophets and the Psalms;” “Moses and the
Prophets,” etc. The appeals to these books, moreover,
show that they were regarded as of divine authority,
finally deciding all questions of which they treat; and
that the whole collection so recognized consisted only of
the thirty-nine books which we now posses. Thus they
endorse as genuine and authentic the canon of the Jewish
Scriptures. The Septuagint Version (q.v.) also contained
every book we now have in the Old Testament Scriptures. As
to the time at which the Old Testament canon was closed,
there are many considerations which point to that of Ezra
and Nehemiah, immediately after the return from Babylonian
exile.
Galilean city frequently mentioned in the history of our
Lord. It is not mentioned in the Old Testament. After our
Lord’s expulsion from Nazareth (Matt. 4:13-16; Luke
4:16-31), Capernaum became his “own city.” It was
the scene of many acts and incidents of his life (Matt.
8:5, 14, 15; 9:2-6, 10-17; 15:1-20; Mark 1:32-34, etc.).
The impenitence and unbelief of its inhabitants after the
many evidences our Lord gave among them of the truth of his
mission, brought down upon them a heavy denunciation of
judgement (Matt. 11:23).
It stood on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. The
“land of Gennesaret,” near, if not in, which it
was situated, was one of the most prosperous and crowded
districts of Palestine. This city lay on the great highway
from Damascus to Acco and Tyre. It has been identified with
Tell Hum, about two miles south-west of where the Jordan
flows into the lake. Here are extensive ruins of walls and
foundations, and also the remains of what must have been a
beautiful synagogue, which it is conjectured may have been
the one built by the centurion (Luke 7:5), in which our
Lord frequently taught (John 6:59; Mark 1:21; Luke 4:33).
Others have conjectured that the ruins of the city are to
be found at Khan Minyeh, some three miles further to the
south on the shore of the lake. “If Tell Hum be
Capernaum, the remains spoken of are without doubt the
ruins of the synagogue built by the Roman centurion, and
one of the most sacred places on earth. It was in this
building that our Lord gave the well-known discourse in
John 6; and it was not without a certain strange feeling
that on turning over a large block we found the pot of
manna engraved on its face, and remembered the words,
‘I am that bread of life: your fathers did eat manna in
the wilderness, and are dead.'”, (The Recovery of
Jerusalem.)
Caphtor – a chaplet, the original
seat of the Philistines (Deut. 2:23; Jer. 47:4; Amos 9:7).
The name is found written in hieroglyphics in the temple of
Kom Ombos in Upper Egypt. But the exact situation of
Caphtor is unknown, though it is supposed to be Crete,
since the Philistines seem to be meant by the
“Cherethites” in 1 Sam. 30:14 (see also 2 Sam.
8:18). It may, however, have been a part of Egypt, the
Caphtur in the north Delta, since the Caphtorim were of the
same race as the Mizraite people (Gen. 10:14; 1 Chr.
1:12).
Cappadocia – the easternmost and
the largest province of Asia Minor. Christianity very early
penetrated into this country (1 Pet. 1:1). On the day of
Pentecost there were Cappadocians at Jerusalem (Acts
2:9).
Captain – (1.) Heb. sar (1 Sam.
22:2; 2 Sam. 23:19). Rendered “chief,” Gen. 40:2;
41:9; rendered also “prince,” Dan. 1:7;
“ruler,” Judg. 9:30; “governor,’ 1 Kings
22:26. This same Hebrew word denotes a military captain
(Ex. 18:21; 2 Kings 1:9; Deut. 1:15; 1 Sam. 18:13, etc.),
the “captain of the body-guard” (Gen. 37:36;
39:1; 41:10; Jer. 40:1), or, as the word may be rendered,
“chief of the executioners” (marg.). The officers
of the king’s body-guard frequently acted as
executioners. Nebuzar-adan (Jer. 39:13) and Arioch (Dan.
2:14) held this office in Babylon.
The “captain of the guard” mentioned in Acts
28:16 was the Praetorian prefect, the commander of the
Praetorian troops.
(2.) Another word (Heb. katsin) so translated denotes
sometimes a military (Josh. 10:24; Judg. 11:6, 11; Isa.
22:3 “rulers;” Dan. 11:18) and sometimes a civil
command, a judge, magistrate, Arab. kady, (Isa.
1:10; 3:6; Micah 3:1, 9).
(3.) It is also the rendering of a Hebrew word (shalish)
meaning “a third man,” or “one of
three.” The LXX. render in plural by tristatai;
i.e., “soldiers fighting from chariots,” so
called because each war-chariot contained three men, one of
whom acted as charioteer while the other two fought (Ex.
14:7; 15:4; 1 Kings 9:22; comp. 2 Kings 9:25). This word is
used also to denote the king’s body-guard (2 Kings
10:25; 1 Chr. 12:18; 2 Chr. 11:11) or aides-de-camp.
(4.) The “captain of the temple” mentioned in
Acts 4:1 and 5:24 was not a military officer, but
superintendent of the guard of priests and Levites who kept
watch in the temple by night. (Comp. “the ruler of the
house of God,” 1 Chr. 9:11; 2 Chr. 31:13; Neh. 11:11.)
(5.) The Captain of our salvation is a name given to our
Lord (Heb. 2:10), because he is the author and source of
our salvation, the head of his people, whom he is
conducting to glory. The “captain of the Lord’s
host” (Josh. 5:14, 15) is the name given to that
mysterious person who manifested himself to Abraham (Gen.
12:7), and to Moses in the bush (Ex. 3:2, 6, etc.) the
Angel of the covenant.
Captives were often treated with great cruelty and
indignity (1 Kings 20:32; Josh. 10:24; Judg. 1:7; 2 Sam.
4:12; Judg. 8:7; 2 Sam. 12:31; 1 Chr. 20:3). When a city
was taken by assault, all the men were slain, and the women
and children carried away captive and sold as slaves (Isa.
20; 47:3; 2 Chr. 28:9-15; Ps. 44:12; Joel 3:3), and exposed
to the most cruel treatment (Nah. 3:10; Zech. 14:2; Esther
3:13; 2 Kings 8:12; Isa. 13:16, 18). Captives were
sometimes carried away into foreign countries, as was the
case with the Jews (Jer. 20:5; 39:9, 10; 40:7).
Captivity – (1.) Of Israel. The
kingdom of the ten tribes was successively invaded by
several Assyrian kings. Pul (q.v.) imposed a tribute on
Menahem of a thousand talents of silver (2 Kings 15:19, 20;
1 Chr. 5:26) (B.C. 762), and Tiglath-pileser, in the days
of Pekah (B.C. 738), carried away the trans-Jordanic tribes
and the inhabitants of Galilee into Assyria (2 Kings 15:29;
Isa. 9:1). Subsequently Shalmaneser invaded Israel and laid
siege to Samaria, the capital of the kingdom. During the
siege he died, and was succeeded by Sargon, who took the
city, and transported the great mass of the people into
Assyria (B.C. 721), placing them in Halah and in Habor, and
in the cities of the Medes (2 Kings 17:3, 5). Samaria was
never again inhabited by the Israelites. The families thus
removed were carried to distant cities, many of them not
far from the Caspian Sea, and their place was supplied by
colonists from Babylon and Cuthah, etc. (2 Kings 17:24).
Thus terminated the kingdom of the ten tribes, after a
separate duration of two hundred and fifty-five years (B.C.
975-721).
Many speculations have been indulged in with reference to
these ten tribes. But we believe that all, except the
number that probably allied themselves with Judah and
shared in their restoration under Cyrus, are finally lost.
“Like the dew on the mountain, Like the foam on the
river, Like the bubble on the fountain, They are gone, and
for ever.”
(2.) Of Judah. In the third year of Jehoiachim, the
eighteenth king of Judah (B.C. 605), Nebuchadnezzar having
overcome the Egyptians at Carchemish, advanced to Jerusalem
with a great army. After a brief siege he took that city,
and carried away the vessels of the sanctuary to Babylon,
and dedicated them in the Temple of Belus (2 Kings 24:1; 2
Chr. 36:6, 7; Dan. 1:1, 2). He also carried away the
treasures of the king, whom he made his vassal. At this
time, from which is dated the “seventy years” of
captivity (Jer. 25; Dan. 9:1, 2), Daniel and his companions
were carried to Babylon, there to be brought up at the
court and trained in all the learning of the Chaldeans.
After this, in the fifth year of Jehoiakim, a great
national fast was appointed (Jer. 36:9), during which the
king, to show his defiance, cut up the leaves of the book
of Jeremiah’s prophecies as they were read to him in
his winter palace, and threw them into the fire. In the
same spirit he rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings
24:1), who again a second time (B.C. 598) marched against
Jerusalem, and put Jehoiachim to death, placing his son
Jehoiachin on the throne in his stead. But Jehoiachin’s
counsellors displeasing Nebuchadnezzar, he again a third
time turned his army against Jerusalem, and carried away to
Babylon a second detachment of Jews as captives, to the
number of 10,000 (2 Kings 24:13; Jer. 24:1; 2 Chr. 36:10),
among whom were the king, with his mother and all his
princes and officers, also Ezekiel, who with many of his
companions were settled on the banks of the river Chebar
(q.v.). He also carried away all the remaining treasures of
the temple and the palace, and the golden vessels of the
sanctuary.
Mattaniah, the uncle of Jehoiachin, was now made king over
what remained of the kingdom of Judah, under the name of
Zedekiah (2 Kings 24:17; 2 Chr. 36:10). After a troubled
reign of eleven years his kingdom came to an end (2 Chr.
36:11). Nebuchadnezzar, with a powerful army, besieged
Jerusalem, and Zedekiah became a prisoner in Babylon. His
eyes were put out, and he was kept in close confinement
till his death (2 Kings 25:7). The city was spoiled of all
that was of value, and then given up to the flames. The
temple and palaces were consumed, and the walls of the city
were levelled with the ground (B.C. 586), and all that
remained of the people, except a number of the poorest
class who were left to till the ground and dress the
vineyards, were carried away captives to Babylon. This was
the third and last deportation of Jewish captives. The land
was now utterly desolate, and was abondoned to anarchy.
In the first year of his reign as king of Babylon (B.C.
536), Cyrus issued a decree liberating the Jewish captives,
and permitting them to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the
city and the temple (2 Chr. 36:22, 23; Ezra 1; 2). The
number of the people forming the first caravan, under
Zerubbabel, amounted in all to 42,360 (Ezra 2:64, 65),
besides 7,337 men-servants and maid-servants. A
considerable number, 12,000 probably, from the ten tribes
who had been carried away into Assyria no doubt combined
with this band of liberated captives.
At a later period other bands of the Jews returned (1)
under Ezra (7:7) (B.C. 458), and (2) Nehemiah (7:66) (B.C.
445). But the great mass of the people remained still in
the land to which they had been carried, and became a
portion of the Jews of the “dispersion” (John
7:35; 1 Pet. 1:1). The whole number of the exiles that
chose to remain was probably about six times the number of
those who returned.
Carbuncle – (Ex. 28:17; 39:10;
Ezek. 28:13). Heb. barkath; LXX. smaragdos; Vulgate,
smaragdus; Revised Version, marg., “emerald.” The
Hebrew word is from a root meaning “to glitter,”
“lighten,” “flash.” When held up to the
sun, this gem shines like a burning coal, a dark-red
glowing coal, and hence is called “carbunculus”,
i.e., a little coal. It was one of the jewels in the first
row of the high priest’s breastplate. It has been
conjectured by some that the garnet is meant. In Isa. 54:12
the Hebrew word is ‘ekdah, used in the prophetic
description of the glory and beauty of the mansions above.
Next to the diamond it is the hardest and most costly of
all precious stones.
Carcase – contact with a, made an
Israelite ceremonially unclean, and made whatever he
touched also unclean, according to the Mosaic law (Hag.
2:13; comp. Num. 19:16, 22; Lev. 11:39).
Carchemish – fortress of Chemosh,
a city on the west bank of the Euphrates (Jer. 46:2; 2 Chr.
35:20), not, as was once supposed, the Circesium at the
confluence of the Chebar and the Euphrates, but a city
considerably higher up the river, and commanding the
ordinary passage of the Euphrates; probably identical with
Hierapolis. It was the capital of the kingdom of the
northern Hittites. The Babylonian army, under
Nebuchadnezzar, the son of Nabopolassar, here met and
conquered the army of Pharaoh-necho, king of Egypt (B.C.
607). It is mentioned in monuments in B.C. 1600 and down to
B.C. 717.
Carmel – a park; generally with
the article, “the park.” (1.) A prominent
headland of Central Palestine, consisting of several
connected hills extending from the plain of Esdraelon to
the sea, a distance of some 12 miles or more. At the east
end, in its highest part, it is 1,728 feet high, and at the
west end it forms a promontory to the bay of Acre about 600
feet above the sea. It lay within the tribe of Asher. It
was here, at the east end of the ridge, at a place called
el-Mukhrakah (i.e., the place of burning), that Elijah
brought back the people to their allegiance to God, and
slew the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18). Here were consumed
the “fifties” of the royal guard; and here also
Elisha received the visit of the bereaved mother whose son
was restored by him to life (2 Kings 4:25-37). “No
mountain in or around Palestine retains its ancient beauty
so much as Carmel. Two or three villages and some scattered
cottages are found on it; its groves are few but luxuriant;
it is no place for crags and precipices or rocks of wild
goats; but its surface is covered with a rich and constant
verdure.” “The whole mountain-side is dressed
with blossom, and flowering shrubs, and fragrant
herbs.” The western extremity of the ridge is,
however, more rocky and bleak than the eastern. The head of
the bride in Cant. 7:5 is compared to Carmel. It is ranked
with Bashan on account of its rich pastures (Isa. 33:9;
Jer. 50:19; Amos 1:2). The whole ridge is deeply furrowed
with rocky ravines filled with dense jungle. There are many
caves in its sides, which at one time were inhabited by
swarms of monks. These caves are referred to in Amos 9:3.
To them Elijah and Elisha often resorted (1 Kings 18:19,
42; 2 Kings 2:25). On its north-west summit there is an
ancient establishment of Carmelite monks. Vineyards have
recently been planted on the mount by the German colonists
of Haifa. The modern Arabic name of the mount is Kurmul,
but more commonly Jebel Mar Elyas, i.e., Mount St. Elias,
from the Convent of Elias.
(2.) A town in the hill country of Judah (Josh. 15:55), the
residence of Nabal (1 Sam. 25:2, 5, 7, 40), and the native
place of Abigail, who became David’s wife (1 Sam.
27:3). Here king Uzziah had his vineyards (2 Chr. 26:10).
The ruins of this town still remain under the name of
Kurmul, about 10 miles south-south-east of Hebron, close to
those of Maon.
Carmi – vine-dresser. (1.) The
last named of the four sons of Reuben (Gen. 46:9).
(2.) A descendant of Judah (1 Chr. 4:1). He is elsewhere
(2:18) called Caleb (q.v.).
(3.) The son of Zimri, and the father of Achan (Josh. 7:1),
“the troubler of Israel.”
Carnal – Unconverted men are so
called (1 Cor. 3:3). They are represented as of a
“carnal mind, which is enmity against God” (Rom.
8:6, 7). Enjoyments that minister to the wants and desires
of man’s animal nature are so called (Rom. 15:27; 1
Cor. 9:11). The ceremonial of the Mosaic law is spoken of
as “carnal,” because it related to things
outward, the bodies of men and of animals, and the
purification of the flesh (Heb. 7:16; 9:10). The weapons of
Christian warfare are “not carnal”, that is, they
are not of man’s device, nor are wielded by human power
(2 Cor. 10:4).
stone, iron, and copper, as well as in wood (2 Sam. 5:11; 1
Chr. 14:1; Mark 6:3). The tools used by carpenters are
mentioned in 1 Sam. 13:19, 20; Judg. 4:21; Isa. 10:15;
44:13. It was said of our Lord, “Is not this the
carpenter’s son?” (Matt. 13:55); also, “Is
not this the carpenter?” (Mark 6:3). Every Jew, even
the rabbis, learned some handicraft: Paul was a tentmaker.
“In the cities the carpenters would be Greeks, and
skilled workmen; the carpenter of a provincial village
could only have held a very humble position, and secured a
very moderate competence.”
Version this word is found as the rendering of many
different words. In Judg. 18:21 it means valuables, wealth,
or booty. In Isa. 46:1 (R.V., “the things that ye
carried about”) the word means a load for a beast of
burden. In 1 Sam. 17:22 and Isa. 10:28 it is the rendering
of a word (“stuff” in 1 Sam. 10:22) meaning
implements, equipments, baggage. The phrase in Acts 21:15,
“We took up our carriages,” means properly,
“We packed up our baggage,” as in the Revised
Version.
wheels, and usually drawn by oxen (2 Sam. 6:3). The Hebrew
word thus rendered, ‘agalah (1 Sam. 6:7, 8), is
also rendered “wagon” (Gen. 45:19). It is used
also to denote a war-chariot (Ps. 46:9). Carts were used
for the removal of the ark and its sacred utensils (Num.
7:3, 6). After retaining the ark amongst them for seven
months, the Philistines sent it back to the Israelites. On
this occasion they set it in a new cart, probably a rude
construction, with solid wooden wheels like that still used
in Western Asia, which was drawn by two milch cows, which
conveyed it straight to Beth-shemesh.
A “cart rope,” for the purpose of fastening loads
on carts, is used (Isa. 5:18) as a symbol of the power of
sinful pleasures or habits over him who indulges them. In Syria and Palestine wheel-carriages for any
other purpose than the conveyance of agricultural produce
are almost unknown.
Carve – The arts of engraving and
carving were much practised among the Jews. They were
practised in connection with the construction of the
tabernacle and the temple (Ex. 31:2, 5; 35:33; 1 Kings
6:18, 35; Ps. 74:6), as well as in the ornamentation of the
priestly dresses (Ex. 28:9-36; Zech. 3:9; 2 Chr. 2:7, 14).
Isaiah (44:13-17) gives a minute description of the process
of carving idols of wood.
Casement – a barrier of open-work
placed before windows (Prov. 7:6). In Judg. 5:28 the Hebrew
word is rendered “lattice,” in the LXX.
“network,” an opening through which cool air is
admitted.
between Babylon and Jerusalem, where Iddo resided (Ezra
8:17); otherwise unknown.
Casluhim – fortified, a people
descended from Mizraim (Gen. 10:14; 1 Chr. 1:12). Their
original seat was probably somewhere in Lower Egypt, along
the sea-coast to the south border of Palestine.
kiddah’, i.e., “split.” One of the
principal spices of the holy anointing oil (Ex. 30:24), and
an article of commerce (Ezek. 27:19). It is the inner bark
of a tree resembling the cinnamon (q.v.), the Cinnamomum
cassia of botanists, and was probably imported from
India.
(2.) Hebrew pl. ketzi’oth (Ps. 45:8). Mentioned
in connection with myrrh and aloes as being used to scent
garments. It was probably prepared from the peeled bark, as
the Hebrew word suggests, of some kind of cinnamon.
Castaway – Gr. adokimos, (1 Cor.
9:27), one regarded as unworthy (R.V.,
“rejected”); elsewhere rendered
“reprobate” (2 Tim. 3:8, etc.);
“rejected” (Heb. 6:8, etc.).
Castle – a military fortress (1
Chr. 11:7), also probably a kind of tower used by the
priests for making known anything discovered at a distance
(1 Chr. 6:54). Castles are also mentioned (Gen. 25:16) as a
kind of watch-tower, from which shepherds kept watch over
their flocks by night. The “castle” into which
the chief captain commanded Paul to be brought was the
quarters of the Roman soldiers in the fortress of Antonia
(so called by Herod after his patron Mark Antony), which
was close to the north-west corner of the temple (Acts
21:34), which it commanded.
“Dioscuri”, two heroes of Greek and Roman
mythology. Their figures were probably painted or
sculptured on the prow of the ship which Luke refers to
(Acts 28:11). They were regarded as the tutelary divinities
of sailors. They appeared in the heavens as the
constellation Gemini.
Caterpillar – the consumer. Used
in the Old Testament (1 Kings 8:37; 2 Chr. 6:28; Ps. 78:46;
Isa. 33:4) as the translation of a word (hasil) the root of
which means “to devour” or “consume,”
and which is used also with reference to the locust in
Deut. 28:38. It may have been a species of locust, or the
name of one of the transformations through which the locust
passes, locust-grub. It is also found (Ps. 105:34; Jer.
51:14, 27; R.V., “cankerworm”) as the rendering
of a different Hebrew word, yelek, a word elsewhere
rendered “cankerworm” (q.v.), Joel 1:4; 2:25.
Catholic epistles – the epistles
of James, Peter, John, and Jude; so called because they are
addressed to Christians in general, and not to any church
or person in particular.
Land. To the rearing and management of them the inhabitants
chiefly devoted themselves (Deut. 8:13; 12:21; 1 Sam. 11:5;
12:3; Ps. 144:14; Jer. 3:24). They may be classified
as,
(1.) Neat cattle. Many hundreds of these were yearly
consumed in sacrifices or used for food. The finest herds
were found in Bashan, beyond Jordan (Num. 32:4). Large
herds also pastured on the wide fertile plains of Sharon.
They were yoked to the plough (1 Kings 19:19), and were
employed for carrying burdens (1 Chr. 12:40). They were
driven with a pointed rod (Judg. 3:31) or goad (q.v.).
According to the Mosaic law, the mouths of cattle employed
for the threshing-floor were not to be muzzled, so as to
prevent them from eating of the provender over which they
trampled (Deut. 25:4). Whosoever stole and sold or
slaughtered an ox must give five in satisfaction (Ex.
22:1); but if it was found alive in the possession of him
who stole it, he was required to make double restitution
only (22:4). If an ox went astray, whoever found it was
required to bring it back to its owner (23:4; Deut. 22:1,
4). An ox and an ass could not be yoked together in the
plough (Deut. 22:10).
(2.) Small cattle. Next to herds of neat cattle, sheep
formed the most important of the possessions of the
inhabitants of Palestine (Gen. 12:16; 13:5; 26:14; 21:27;
29:2, 3). They are frequently mentioned among the booty
taken in war (Num. 31:32; Josh. 6:21; 1 Sam. 14:32; 15:3).
There were many who were owners of large flocks (1 Sam.
25:2; 2 Sam. 12:2, comp. Job 1:3). Kings also had shepherds
“over their flocks” (1 Chr. 27:31), from which
they derived a large portion of their revenue (2 Sam.
17:29; 1 Chr. 12:40). The districts most famous for their
flocks of sheep were the plain of Sharon (Isa. 65: 10),
Mount Carmel (Micah 7:14), Bashan and Gilead (Micah 7:14).
In patriarchal times the flocks of sheep were sometimes
tended by the daughters of the owners. Thus Rachel, the
daughter of Laban, kept her father’s sheep (Gen. 29:9);
as also Zipporah and her six sisters had charge of their
father Jethro’s flocks (Ex. 2:16). Sometimes they were
kept by hired shepherds (John 10:12), and sometimes by the
sons of the family (1 Sam. 16:11; 17:15). The keepers so
familiarized their sheep with their voices that they knew
them, and followed them at their call. Sheep, but more
especially rams and lambs, were frequently offered in
sacrifice. The shearing of sheep was a great festive
occasion (1 Sam. 25:4; 2 Sam. 13:23). They were folded at
night, and guarded by their keepers against the attacks of
the lion (Micah 5:8), the bear (1 Sam. 17:34), and the wolf
(Matt. 10:16; John 10:12). They were liable to wander over
the wide pastures and go astray (Ps. 119:176; Isa. 53:6;
Hos. 4:16; Matt. 18:12).
Goats also formed a part of the pastoral wealth of
Palestine (Gen. 15:9; 32:14; 37:31). They were used both
for sacrifice and for food (Deut. 14:4), especially the
young males (Gen. 27:9, 14, 17; Judg. 6:19; 13:15; 1 Sam.
16:20). Goat’s hair was used for making tent cloth (Ex.
26:7; 36:14), and for mattresses and bedding (1 Sam. 19:13,
16).
i.e., “something redundant”), the membrane which
covers the upper part of the liver (Ex. 29:13, 22; Lev.
3:4, 10, 15; 4:9; 7:4; marg., “midriff”). In Hos.
13:8 (Heb. seghor; i.e., “an enclosure”) the
pericardium, or parts about the heart, is meant.
Cauls – In Isa. 3:18 this word
(Heb. shebisim), in the marg. “networks,” denotes
network caps to contain the hair, worn by females. Others
explain it as meaning “wreaths worn round the
forehead, reaching from one ear to the other.”
ascent by steps, or a raised slope between Zion and the
temple (1 Chr. 26:16, 18). In 2 Chr. 9:11 the same word is
translated “terrace.”
Cave – There are numerous natural
caves among the limestone rocks of Syria, many of which
have been artificially enlarged for various purposes.
The first notice of a cave occurs in the history of Lot
(Gen. 19:30).
The next we read of is the cave of Machpelah (q.v.), which
Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth (Gen. 25:9, 10). It
was the burying-place of Sarah and of Abraham himself, also
of Isaac, Rebekah, Leah, and Jacob (Gen. 49:31; 50:13).
The cave of Makkedah, into which the five Amorite kings
retired after their defeat by Joshua (10:16, 27).
The cave of Adullam (q.v.), an immense natural cavern,
where David hid himself from Saul (1 Sam. 22:1, 2).
The cave of Engedi (q.v.), now called ‘Ain Jidy, i.e.,
the “Fountain of the Kid”, where David cut off
the skirt of Saul’s robe (24:4). Here he also found a
shelter for himself and his followers to the number of 600
(23:29; 24:1). “On all sides the country is full of
caverns which might serve as lurking-places for David and
his men, as they do for outlaws at the present day.”
The cave in which Obadiah hid the prophets (1 Kings 18:4)
was probably in the north, but it cannot be identified.
The cave of Elijah (1 Kings 19:9), and the
“cleft” of Moses on Horeb (Ex. 33:22), cannot be
determined.
In the time of Gideon the Israelites took refuge from the
Midianites in dens and caves, such as abounded in the
mountain regions of Manasseh (Judg. 6:2).
Caves were frequently used as dwelling-places (Num. 24:21;
Cant. 2:14; Jer. 49:16; Obad. 1:3). “The excavations
at Deir Dubban, on the south side of the wady leading to
Santa Hanneh, are probably the dwellings of the
Horites,” the ancient inhabitants of Idumea Proper.
The pits or cavities in rocks were also sometimes used as
prisons (Isa. 24:22; 51:14; Zech. 9:11). Those which had
niches in their sides were occupied as burying-places
(Ezek. 32:23; John 11:38).
kedros, Lat. cedrus), a tree very frequently mentioned in
Scripture. It was stately (Ezek. 31:3-5), long-branched
(Ps. 80:10; 92:12; Ezek. 31:6-9), odoriferous (Cant. 4:11;
Hos. 14:6), durable, and therefore much used for boards,
pillars, and ceilings (1 Kings 6:9, 10; 7:2; Jer. 22:14),
for masts (Ezek. 27:5), and for carved images (Isa.
44:14).
It grew very abundantly in Palestine, and particularly on
Lebanon, of which it was “the glory” (Isa. 35:2;
60:13). Hiram supplied Solomon with cedar trees from
Lebanon for various purposes connected with the
construction of the temple and the king’s palace (2
Sam. 5:11; 7:2, 7; 1 Kings 5:6, 8,10; 6:9, 10, 15, 16, 18,
20; 7:2, 3, 7, 11, 12; 9:11, etc.). Cedars were used also
in the building of the second temple under Zerubbabel (Ezra
3:7).
Of the ancient cedars of Lebanon there remain now only some
seven or eight. They are not standing together. But beside
them there are found between three hundred and four hundred
of younger growth. They stand in an amphitheatre fronting
the west, about 6,400 feet above the level of the sea.
The cedar is often figuratively alluded to in the sacred
Scriptures. “The mighty conquerors of olden days, the
despots of Assyria and the Pharaohs of Egypt, the proud and
idolatrous monarchs of Judah, the Hebrew commonwealth
itself, the war-like Ammonites of patriarchal times, and
the moral majesty of the Messianic age, are all compared to
the towering cedar, in its royal loftiness and supremacy
(Isa. 2:13; Ezek. 17:3, 22, 23, 31:3-9; Amos 2:9; Zech.
11:1, 2; Job 40:17; Ps. 29:5; 80:10; 92:12, etc).”,
Groser’s Scrip. Nat. Hist. (See BOX-TREE
¯T0000636.)
Cedron – the black torrent, the
brook flowing through the ravine below the eastern wall of
Jerusalem (John 18:1).
Ceiling – the covering (1 Kings
7:3,7) of the inside roof and walls of a house with planks
of wood (2 Chr. 3:5; Jer. 22:14). Ceilings were sometimes
adorned with various ornaments in stucco, gold, silver,
gems, and ivory. The ceilings of the temple and of
Solomon’s palace are described 1 Kings 6:9, 15; 7:3; 2
Chr. 3:5,9.
Cellar – a subterranean vault (1
Chr. 27:28), a storehouse. The word is also used to denote
the treasury of the temple (1 Kings 7:51) and of the king
(14:26). The Hebrew word is rendered “garner” in
Joel 1:17, and “armoury” in Jer. 50:25.
Cenchrea – millet, the eastern
harbour of Corinth, from which it was distant about 9 miles
east, and the outlet for its trade with the Asiatic shores
of the Mediterranean. When Paul returned from his second
missionary journey to Syria, he sailed from this port (Acts
18:18). In Rom. 16:1 he speaks as if there were at the time
of his writing that epistle an organized church there. The
western harbour of Corinth was Lechaeum, about a mile and a
half from the city. It was the channel of its trade with
Italy and the west.
incense was presented on “the golden altar”
before the Lord in the temple (Ex. 30:1-9). The priest
filled the censer with live coal from the sacred fire on
the altar of burnt-offering, and having carried it into the
sanctuary, there threw upon the burning coals the sweet
incense (Lev. 16:12, 13), which sent up a cloud of smoke,
filling the apartment with fragrance. The censers in daily
use were of brass (Num. 16:39), and were designated by a
different Hebrew name, miktereth (2 Chr. 26:19;
Ezek. 8:11): while those used on the day of Atonement were
of gold, and were denoted by a word (mahtah) meaning
“something to take fire with;” LXX. pureion = a
fire-pan. Solomon prepared for the temple censers of pure
gold (1 Kings 7:50; 2 Chr. 4:22). The angel in the
Apocalypse is represented with a golden censer (Rev. 8:3,
5). Paul speaks of the golden censer as belonging to the
tabernacle (Heb. 9:4). The Greek word thumiaterion, here
rendered “censer,” may more appropriately denote,
as in the margin of Revised Version, “the altar of
incense.” Paul does not here say that the thumiaterion
was in the holiest, for it was in the holy place, but that
the holiest had it, i.e., that it belonged to the holiest
(1 Kings 6:22). It was intimately connected with the high
priest’s service in the holiest.
The manner in which the censer is to be used is described
in Num. 4:14; Lev. 16:12.
Census – There are five instances
of a census of the Jewish people having been taken. (1.) In
the fourth month after the Exodus, when the people were
encamped at Sinai. The number of men from twenty years old
and upward was then 603,550 (Ex. 38:26). (2.) Another
census was made just before the entrance into Canaan, when
the number was found to be 601,730, showing thus a small
decrease (Num. 26:51). (3.) The next census was in the time
of David, when the number, exclusive of the tribes of Levi
and Benjamin, was found to be 1,300,000 (2 Sam. 24:9; 1
Chr. 21:5). (4.) Solomon made a census of the foreigners in
the land, and found 153,600 able-bodied workmen (2 Chr.
2:17, 18). (5.) After the return from Exile the whole
congregation of Israel was numbered, and found to amount to
42,360 (Ezra 2:64). A census was made by the Roman
government in the time of our Lord (Luke 2:1).
Centurion – a Roman officer in
command of a hundred men (Mark 15:39, 44, 45). Cornelius,
the first Gentile convert, was a centurion (Acts 10:1, 22).
Other centurions are mentioned in Matt. 8:5, 8, 13; Luke
7:2, 6; Acts 21:32; 22:25, 26; 23:17, 23; 24:23; 27:1, 6,
11, 31, 43; 28:16. A centurion watched the crucifixion of
our Lord (Matt. 27:54; Luke 23:47), and when he saw the
wonders attending it, exclaimed, “Truly this man was
the Son of God.” “The centurions mentioned in the
New Testament are uniformly spoken of in terms of praise,
whether in the Gospels or in the Acts. It is interesting to
compare this with the statement of Polybius (vi. 24), that
the centurions were chosen by merit, and so were men
remarkable not so much for their daring courage as for
their deliberation, constancy, and strength of mind.”,
Dr. Maclear’s N. T. Hist.
Cephas – a Syriac surname given
by Christ to Simon (John 1:42), meaning “rock.”
The Greeks translated it by Petros, and the Latins by
Petrus.
Chaff – the refuse of winnowed
corn. It was usually burned (Ex. 15:7; Isa. 5:24; Matt.
3:12). This word sometimes, however, means dried grass or
hay (Isa. 5:24; 33:11). Chaff is used as a figure of
abortive wickedness (Ps. 1:4; Matt. 3:12). False doctrines
are also called chaff (Jer. 23:28), or more correctly
rendered “chopped straw.” The destruction of the
wicked, and their powerlessness, are likened to the
carrying away of chaff by the wind (Isa. 17:13; Hos. 13:3;
Zeph. 2:2).
insignia of office. A chain of gold was placed about
Joseph’s neck (Gen. 41:42); and one was promised to
Daniel (5:7). It is used as a symbol of sovereignty (Ezek.
16:11). The breast-plate of the high-priest was fastened to
the ephod by golden chains (Ex. 39:17, 21).
(2.) It was used as an ornament (Prov. 1:9; Cant. 1:10).
The Midianites adorned the necks of their camels with
chains (Judg. 8:21, 26).
(3.) Chains were also used as fetters wherewith prisoners
were bound (Judg. 16:21; 2 Sam. 3:34; 2 Kings 25:7; Jer.
39:7). Paul was in this manner bound to a Roman soldier
(Acts 28:20; Eph. 6:20; 2 Tim. 1:16). Sometimes, for the
sake of greater security, the prisoner was attached by two
chains to two soldiers, as in the case of Peter (Acts
12:6).
Chalcedony – Mentioned only in
Rev. 21:19, as one of the precious stones in the foundation
of the New Jerusalem. The name of this stone is derived
from Chalcedon, where it is said to have been first
discovered. In modern mineralogy this is the name of an
agate-like quartz of a bluish colour. Pliny so names the
Indian ruby. The mineral intended in Revelation is probably
the Hebrew nophekh, translated “emerald”
(Ex. 28:18; 39:11; Ezek. 27:16; 28:13). It is rendered
“anthrax” in the LXX., and
“carbunculus” in the Vulgate.
Chaldea – The southern portion of
Babylonia, Lower Mesopotamia, lying chiefly on the right
bank of the Euphrates, but commonly used of the whole of
the Mesopotamian plain. The Hebrew name is Kasdim, which is
usually rendered “Chaldeans” (Jer. 50:10;
51:24,35).
The country so named is a vast plain formed by the deposits
of the Euphrates and the Tigris, extending to about 400
miles along the course of these rivers, and about 100 miles
in average breadth. “In former days the vast plains of
Babylon were nourished by a complicated system of canals
and water-courses, which spread over the surface of the
country like a network. The wants of a teeming population
were supplied by a rich soil, not less bountiful than that
on the banks of the Egyptian Nile. Like islands rising from
a golden sea of waving corn stood frequent groves of
palm-trees and pleasant gardens, affording to the idler or
traveller their grateful and highly-valued shade. Crowds of
passengers hurried along the dusty roads to and from the
busy city. The land was rich in corn and wine.”
Recent discoveries, more especially in Babylonia, have
thrown much light on the history of the Hebrew patriarchs,
and have illustrated or confirmed the Biblical narrative in
many points. The ancestor of the Hebrew people, Abram, was,
we are told, born at “Ur of the Chaldees.”
“Chaldees” is a mistranslation of the Hebrew
Kasdim, Kasdim being the Old Testament name of the
Babylonians, while the Chaldees were a tribe who lived on
the shores of the Persian Gulf, and did not become a part
of the Babylonian population till the time of Hezekiah. Ur
was one of the oldest and most famous of the Babylonian
cities. Its site is now called Mugheir, or Mugayyar, on the
western bank of the Euphrates, in Southern Babylonia. About
a century before the birth of Abram it was ruled by a
powerful dynasty of kings. Their conquests extended to Elam
on the one side, and to the Lebanon on the other. They were
followed by a dynasty of princes whose capital was Babylon,
and who seem to have been of South Arabian origin. The
founder of the dynasty was Sumu-abi (“Shem is my
father”). But soon afterwards Babylonia fell under
Elamite dominion. The kings of Babylon were compelled to
acknowledge the supremacy of Elam, and a rival kingdom to
that of Babylon, and governed by Elamites, sprang up at
Larsa, not far from Ur, but on the opposite bank of the
river. In the time of Abram the king of Larsa was Eri-Aku,
the son of an Elamite prince, and Eri-Aku, as has long been
recognized, is the Biblical “Arioch king of
Ellasar” (Gen. 14:1). The contemporaneous king of
Babylon in the north, in the country termed Shinar in
Scripture, was Khammu-rabi. (See BABYLON.)
Chaldee language – employed by
the sacred writers in certain portions of the Old
Testament, viz., Dan. 2:4-7, 28; Ezra 4:8-6:18; 7:12-26;
Gen. 31:46; Jer. 10:11. It is the Aramaic dialect, as it is
sometimes called, as distinguished from the Hebrew dialect.
It was the language of commerce and of social intercourse
in Western Asia, and after the Exile gradually came to be
the popular language of Palestine. It is called
“Syrian” in 2 Kings 18:26. Some isolated words in
this language are preserved in the New Testament (Matt.
5:22; 6:24; 16:17; 27:46; Mark 3:17; 5:41; 7:34; 14:36;
Acts 1:19; 1 Cor. 16:22). These are specimens of the
vernacular language of Palestine at that period. The term
“Hebrew” was also sometimes applied to the
Chaldee because it had become the language of the Hebrews
(John 5:2; 19:20).
inhabitants of the country of which Babylon was the
capital. They were so called till the time of the Captivity
(2 Kings 25; Isa. 13:19; 23:13), when, particularly in the
Book of Daniel (5:30; 9:1), the name began to be used with
special reference to a class of learned men ranked with the
magicians and astronomers. These men cultivated the ancient
Cushite language of the original inhabitants of the land,
for they had a “learning” and a
“tongue” (1:4) of their own. The common language
of the country at that time had become assimilated to the
Semitic dialect, especially through the influence of the
Assyrians, and was the language that was used for all civil
purposes. The Chaldeans were the learned class, interesting
themselves in science and religion, which consisted, like
that of the ancient Arabians and Syrians, in the worship of
the heavenly bodies. There are representations of this
priestly class, of magi and diviners, on the walls of the
Assyrian palaces.
wall,” which the Shunammite prepared for the prophet
Elisha (2 Kings 4:10), was an upper chamber over the porch
through the hall toward the street. This was the
“guest chamber” where entertainments were
prepared (Mark 14:14). There were also “chambers
within chambers” (1 Kings 22:25; 2 Kings 9:2). To
enter into a chamber is used metaphorically of prayer and
communion with God (Isa. 26:20). The “chambers of the
south” (Job 9:9) are probably the constelations of the
southern hemisphere. The “chambers of imagery”,
i.e., chambers painted with images, as used by Ezekiel
(8:12), is an expression denoting the vision the prophet
had of the abominations practised by the Jews in
Jerusalem.
wantonness, impurity.
servant of the king (Gen. 37:36; 39:1). In Rom. 16:23
mention is made of “Erastus the chamberlain.”
Here the word denotes the treasurer of the city, or the
quaestor, as the Romans styled him. He is almost the only
convert from the higher ranks of whom mention is made
(comp. Acts 17:34). Blastus, Herod’s
“chamberlain” (Acts 12:20), was his personal
attendant or valet-de-chambre. The Hebrew word
saris, thus translated in Esther 1:10, 15; 2:3, 14, 21,
etc., properly means an eunuch (as in the marg.), as it is
rendered in Isa. 39:7; 56:3.
Chameleon – a species of lizard
which has the faculty of changing the colour of its skin.
It is ranked among the unclean animals in Lev. 11:30, where
the Hebrew word so translated is coah (R.V.,
“land crocodile”). In the same verse the Hebrew
tanshemeth, rendered in Authorized Version
“mole,” is in Revised Version
“chameleon,” which is the correct rendering. This
animal is very common in Egypt and in the Holy Land,
especially in the Jordan valley.
(Heb. zemer), an animal of the deer or gazelle species. It
bears this Hebrew name from its leaping or springing. The
animal intended is probably the wild sheep (Ovis
tragelephus), which is still found in Sinai and in the
broken ridges of Stony Arabia. The LXX. and Vulgate render
the word by camelopardus, i.e., the giraffe; but this is an
animal of Central Africa, and is not at all known in
Syria.
properly “the man between the two,” denoting the
position of Goliath between the two camps. Single combats
of this kind at the head of armies were common in ancient
times. In ver. 51 this word is the rendering of a different
Hebrew word, and properly denotes “a mighty
man.”
was not by chance that the priest came down by that road at
that time, but by a specific arrangement and in exact
fulfilment of a plan; not the plan of the priest, nor the
plan of the wounded traveller, but the plan of God. By
coincidence (Gr. sungkuria) the priest came down, that is,
by the conjunction of two things, in fact, which were
previously constituted a pair in the providence of God. In
the result they fell together according to the omniscient
Designer’s plan. This is the true theory of the divine
government.” Compare the meeting of Philip with the
Ethiopian (Acts 8:26, 27). There is no “chance”
in God’s empire. “Chance” is only another
word for our want of knowledge as to the way in which one
event falls in with another (1 Sam. 6:9; Eccl. 9:11).
Chancellor – one who has judicial
authority, literally, a “lord of judgement;” a
title given to the Persian governor of Samaria (Ezra 4:8,
9, 17).
reckoned among the treasures of rich men (Gen. 45:22; Judg.
14:12, 13; 2 Kings 5:22, 23).
Channel – (1.) The bed of the sea
or of a river (Ps. 18:15; Isa. 8:7).
(2.) The “chanelbone” (Job 31:22 marg.), properly
“tube” or “shaft,” an old term for the
collar-bone.
sanctuary, occurs only in Amos 7:13, where one of the idol
priests calls Bethel “the king’s chapel.”
Chapiter – the ornamental head or
capital of a pillar. Three Hebrew words are so rendered.
(1.) Cothereth (1 Kings 7:16; 2 Kings 25:17; 2 Chr.
4:12), meaning a “diadem” or “crown.”
(2.) Tzepheth (2 Chr. 3:15). (3.) Rosh (Ex.
36:38; 38:17, 19, 28), properly a “head” or
“top.”
Chapter – The several books of
the Old and New Testaments were from an early time divided
into chapters. The Pentateuch was divided by the ancient
Hebrews into 54 parshioth or sections, one of which
was read in the synagogue every Sabbath day (Acts. 13:15).
These sections were afterwards divided into 669
sidrim or orders of unequal length. The Prophets were
divided in somewhat the same manner into haphtaroth
or passages.
In the early Latin and Greek versions of the Bible, similar
divisions of the several books were made. The New Testament
books were also divided into portions of various lengths
under different names, such as titles and heads or
chapters.
In modern times this ancient example was imitated, and many
attempts of the kind were made before the existing division
into chapters was fixed. The Latin Bible published by
Cardinal Hugo of St. Cher in A.D. 1240 is generally
regarded as the first Bible that was divided into our
present chapters, although it appears that some of the
chapters were fixed as early as A.D. 1059. This division
into chapters came gradually to be adopted in the published
editions of the Hebrew, with some few variations, and of
the Greek Scriptures, and hence of other versions.
Charashim – craftsmen, a valley
named in 1 Chr. 4:14. In Neh. 11:35 the Hebrew word is
rendered “valley of craftsmen” (R.V. marg.,
Geha-rashim). Nothing is known of it.
Charger – a bowl or deep dish.
The silver vessels given by the heads of the tribes for the
services of the tabernacle are so named (Num. 7:13, etc.).
The “charger” in which the Baptist’s head was
presented was a platter or flat wooden trencher (Matt.
14:8, 11; Mark 6:25, 28). The chargers of gold and silver
of Ezra 1:9 were probably basins for receiving the blood of
sacrifices.
used for warlike purposes. Sometimes, though but rarely, it
is spoken of as used for peaceful purposes.
The first mention of the chariot is when Joseph, as a mark
of distinction, was placed in Pharaoh’s second state
chariot (Gen. 41:43); and the next, when he went out in his
own chariot to meet his father Jacob (46:29). Chariots
formed part of the funeral procession of Jacob (50:9). When
Pharaoh pursued the Israelites he took 600 war-chariots
with him (Ex. 14:7). The Canaanites in the valleys of
Palestine had chariots of iron (Josh. 17:18; Judg. 1:19).
Jabin, the king of Canaan, had 900 chariots (Judg. 4:3);
and in Saul’s time the Philistines had 30,000. In his
wars with the king of Zobah and with the Syrians, David
took many chariots among the spoils (2 Sam. 8:4; 10:18).
Solomon maintained as part of his army 1,400 chariots (1
Kings 10:26), which were chiefly imported from Egypt (29).
From this time forward they formed part of the armies of
Israel (1 Kings 22:34; 2 Kings 9:16, 21; 13:7, 14; 18:24;
23:30).
In the New Testament we have only one historical reference
to the use of chariots, in the case of the Ethiopian eunuch
(Acts. 8:28, 29, 38).
This word is sometimes used figuratively for hosts (Ps.
68:17; 2 Kings 6:17). Elijah, by his prayers and his
counsel, was “the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen
thereof.” The rapid agency of God in the phenomena of
nature is also spoken of under the similitude of a chariot
(Ps. 104:3; Isa. 66:15; Hab. 3:8).
Chariot of the cherubim (1 Chr. 28:18), the chariot formed
by the two cherubs on the mercy-seat on which the Lord
rides.
Chariot cities were set apart for storing the war-chariots
in time of peace (2 Chr. 1:14).
Chariot horses were such as were peculiarly fitted for
service in chariots (2 Kings 7:14).
Chariots of war are described in Ex. 14:7; 1 Sam. 13:5; 2
Sam. 8:4; 1 Chr. 18:4; Josh. 11:4; Judg. 4:3, 13. They were
not used by the Israelites till the time of David. Elijah
was translated in a “chariot of fire” (2 Kings
2:11). Comp. 2 Kings 6:17. This vision would be to Elisha a
source of strength and encouragement, for now he could say,
“They that be with us are more than they that be with
them.”
rendering in the Authorized Version of the word which
properly denotes love, and is frequently so rendered
(always so in the Revised Version). It is spoken of as the
greatest of the three Christian graces (1 Cor.
12:31-13:13).
serpent-charming (Ps. 58:5; Jer. 8:17; Eccl. 10:11). It was
an early and universal opinion that the most venomous
reptiles could be made harmless by certain charms or by
sweet sounds. It is well known that there are jugglers in
India and in other Eastern lands who practise this art at
the present day.
In Isa. 19:3 the word “charmers” is the rendering
of the Hebrew ‘ittim, meaning, properly,
necromancers (R.V. marg., “whisperers”). In Deut.
18:11 the word “charmer” means a dealer in
spells, especially one who, by binding certain knots, was
supposed thereby to bind a curse or a blessing on its
object. In Isa. 3:3 the words “eloquent orator”
should be, as in the Revised Version, “skilful
enchanter.”
Charran – another form (Acts 7:2,
4) of Haran (q.v.).
Chebar – length, a river in the
“land of the Chaldeans” (Ezek. 1:3), on the banks
of which were located some of the Jews of the Captivity
(Ezek. 1:1; 3:15, 23; 10:15, 20, 22). It has been supposed
to be identical with the river Habor, the Chaboras, or
modern Khabour, which falls into the Euphrates at
Circesium. To the banks of this river some of the
Israelites were removed by the Assyrians (2 Kings 17:6). An
opinion that has much to support it is that the
“Chebar” was the royal canal of Nebuchadnezzar,
the Nahr Malcha, the greatest in Mesopotamia, which
connected the Tigris with the Euphrates, in the excavation
of which the Jewish captives were probably employed.
Chedorlaomer – (= Khudur-Lagamar
of the inscriptions), king of Elam. Many centuries before
the age of Abraham, Canaan and even the Sinaitic peninsula
had been conquered by Babylonian kings, and in the time of
Abraham himself Babylonia was ruled by a dynasty which
claimed sovereignity over Syria and Palestine. The kings of
the dynasty bore names which were not Babylonian, but at
once South Arabic and Hebrew. The most famous king of the
dynasty was Khammu-rabi, who united Babylonia under one
rule, and made Babylon its capital. When he ascended the
throne, the country was under the suzerainty of the
Elamites, and was divided into two kingdoms, that of
Babylon (the Biblical Shinar) and that of Larsa (the
Biblical Ellasar). The king of Larsa was Eri-Aku (“the
servant of the moon-god”), the son of an Elamite
prince, Kudur-Mabug, who is entitled “the father of
the land of the Amorites.” A recently discovered
tablet enumerates among the enemies of Khammu-rabi,
Kudur-Lagamar (“the servant of the goddess
Lagamar”) or Chedorlaomer, Eri-Aku or Arioch, and
Tudkhula or Tidal. Khammu-rabi, whose name is also read
Ammi-rapaltu or Amraphel by some scholars, succeeded in
overcoming Eri-Aku and driving the Elamites out of
Babylonia. Assur-bani-pal, the last of the Assyrian
conquerors, mentions in two inscriptions that he took Susa
1635 years after Kedor-nakhunta, king of Elam, had
conquered Babylonia. It was in the year B.C. 660 that
Assur-bani-pal took Susa.
Cheek – Smiting on the cheek was
accounted a grievous injury and insult (Job 16:10; Lam.
3:30; Micah 5:1). The admonition (Luke 6:29), “Unto
him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the
other,” means simply, “Resist not evil”
(Matt. 5:39; 1 Pet. 2:19-23). Ps. 3:7 = that God had
deprived his enemies of the power of doing him injury.
Cheese – (A.S. cese). This word
occurs three times in the Authorized Version as the
translation of three different Hebrew words: (1.) 1 Sam.
17:18, “ten cheeses;” i.e., ten sections of curd.
(2.) 2 Sam. 17:29, “cheese of kine” = perhaps
curdled milk of kine. The Vulgate version reads “fat
calves.” (3.) Job 10:10, curdled milk is meant by the
word.
rendered “idolatrous priests” in 2 Kings 23:5,
and “priests” in Hos. 10:5). Some derive this
word from the Assyrian Kamaru, meaning “to throw
down,” and interpret it as describing the idolatrous
priests who prostrate themselves before the idols. Others
regard it as meaning “those who go about in
black,” or “ascetics.”
Chemosh – the destroyer, subduer,
or fish-god, the god of the Moabites (Num. 21:29; Jer.
48:7, 13, 46). The worship of this god, “the
abomination of Moab,” was introduced at Jerusalem by
Solomon (1 Kings 11:7), but was abolished by Josiah (2
Kings 23:13). On the “Moabite Stone” (q.v.),
Mesha (2 Kings 3:5) ascribes his victories over the king of
Israel to this god, “And Chemosh drove him before my
sight.”
Benjamite (1 Chr. 7:10). (2.) The father of Zedekiah (1
Kings 22:11, 24).
made. “Chief of the Levites,” probably a
Kohathite (1 Chr. 15:22), and therefore not the same as
mentioned in 26:29.
Chephirah – village, one of the
four cities of the Gibeonitish Hivites with whom Joshua
made a league (9:17). It belonged to Benjamin. It has been
identified with the modern Kefireh, on the west confines of
Benjamin, about 2 miles west of Ajalon and 11 from
Jerusalem.
Cherethim – (Ezek. 25:16), more
frequently Cherethites, the inhabitants of Southern
Philistia, the Philistines (Zeph. 2:5). The Cherethites and
the Pelethites were David’s life-guards (1 Sam. 30:14;
2 Sam. 8:18; 20:7, 23; 23:23). This name is by some
interpreted as meaning “Cretans,” and by others
“executioners,” who were ready to execute the
king’s sentence of death (Gen. 37:36, marg.; 1 Kings
2:25).
Cherith – a cutting; separation;
a gorge, a torrent-bed or winter-stream, a
“brook,” in whose banks the prophet Elijah hid
himself during the early part of the three years’
drought (1 Kings 17:3, 5). It has by some been identified
as the Wady el-Kelt behind Jericho, which is formed by the
junction of many streams flowing from the mountains west of
Jericho. It is dry in summer. Travellers have described it
as one of the wildest ravines of this wild region, and
peculiarly fitted to afford a secure asylum to the
persecuted. But if the prophet’s interview with Ahab
was in Samaria, and he thence journeyed toward the east, it
is probable that he crossed Jordan and found refuge in some
of the ravines of Gilead. The “brook” is said to
have been “before Jordan,” which probably means
that it opened toward that river, into which it flowed.
This description would apply to the east as well as to the
west of Jordan. Thus Elijah’s hiding-place may have
been the Jermuk, in the territory of the half-tribe of
Manasseh.
name of certain symbolical figures frequently mentioned in
Scripture. They are first mentioned in connection with the
expulsion of our first parents from Eden (Gen. 3:24). There
is no intimation given of their shape or form. They are
next mentioned when Moses was commanded to provide
furniture for the tabernacle (Ex. 25:17-20; 26:1, 31). God
promised to commune with Moses “from between the
cherubim” (25:22). This expression was afterwards used
to denote the Divine abode and presence (Num. 7:89; 1 Sam.
4:4; Isa. 37:16; Ps. 80:1; 99:1). In Ezekiel’s vision
(10:1-20) they appear as living creatures supporting the
throne of God. From Ezekiel’s description of them
(1;10; 41:18, 19), they appear to have been compound
figures, unlike any real object in nature; artificial
images possessing the features and properties of several
animals. Two cherubim were placed on the mercy-seat of the
ark; two of colossal size overshadowed it in Solomon’s
temple. Ezekiel (1:4-14) speaks of four; and this number of
“living creatures” is mentioned in Rev. 4:6.
Those on the ark are called the “cherubim of
glory” (Heb. 9:5), i.e., of the Shechinah, or cloud of
glory, for on them the visible glory of God rested. They
were placed one at each end of the mercy-seat, with wings
stretched upward, and their faces “toward each other
and toward the mercy-seat.” They were anointed with
holy oil, like the ark itself and the other sacred
furniture.
The cherubim were symbolical. They were intended to
represent spiritual existences in immediate contact with
Jehovah. Some have regarded them as symbolical of the chief
ruling power by which God carries on his operations in
providence (Ps. 18:10). Others interpret them as having
reference to the redemption of men, and as symbolizing the
great rulers or ministers of the church. Many other
opinions have been held regarding them which need not be
referred to here. On the whole, it seems to be most
satisfactory to regard the interpretation of the symbol to
be variable, as is the symbol itself.
Their office was, (1) on the expulsion of our first parents
from Eden, to prevent all access to the tree of life; and
(2) to form the throne and chariot of Jehovah in his
manifestation of himself on earth. He dwelleth between and
sitteth on the cherubim (1 Sam. 4:4; Ps. 80:1; Ezek. 1:26,
28).
Chesalon – strength; confidence,
a place on the border of Judah, on the side of Mount Jearim
(Josh. 15:10); probably identified with the modern village
of Kesla, on the western mountains of Judah.
Chesed – gain, the son of Nahor
(Gen. 22:22).
Chesil – ungodly, a town in the
south of Judah (Josh. 15:30); probably the same as Bethul
(19:4) and Bethuel (1 Chr. 4:30); now Khelasa.
generally rendered “ark”), the coffer into which
the contributions for the repair of the temple were put (2
Kings 12:9, 10; 2 Chr. 24:8, 10, 11). In Gen. 50:26 it is
rendered “coffin.” In Ezek. 27:24 a different
Hebrew word, genazim (plur.), is used. It there
means “treasure-chests.”
‘armon; i.e., “naked”), mentioned in
connection with Jacob’s artifice regarding the cattle
(Gen. 30:37). It is one of the trees of which, because of
its strength and beauty, the Assyrian empire is likened
(Ezek. 31:8; R.V., “plane trees”). It is probably
the Oriental plane tree (Platanus orientalis) that is
intended. It is a characteristic of this tree that it
annually sheds its outer bark, becomes “naked.”
The chestnut tree proper is not a native of Palestine.
Chesulloth – fertile places; the
loins, a town of Issachar, on the slopes of some mountain
between Jezreel and Shunem (Josh. 19:18). It has been
identified with Chisloth-tabor, 2 1/2 miles to the west of
Mount Tabor, and north of Jezreel; now Iksal.
Chezib – deceitful, a town where
Shelah, the son of Judah, was born (Gen. 38:5). Probably
the same as Achzib (q.v.).
Chidon – dart, the name of the
threshing-floor at which the death of Uzzah took place (1
Chr. 13:9). In the parallel passage in Samuel (2 Sam. 6:6)
it is called “Nachon’s threshing-floor.” It
was a place not far north-west from Jerusalem.
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