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Tel-abib - hill of
corn, a place on the river Chebar, the residence of Ezekiel (Ezek.
3:15). The site is unknown.
Telaim - young
lambs, a place at which Saul gathered his army to fight against
Amalek (1 Sam. 15:4); probably the same as Telem (2).
Telassar - or
Thelasar, (Isa. 37:12; 2 Kings 19:12), a province in the south-east
of Assyria, probably in Babylonia. Some have identified it with Tel
Afer, a place in Mesopotamia, some 30 miles from Sinjar.
Telem -
oppression. (1.) A porter of the temple in the time of Ezra (10:24).
(2.) A town in the southern border of Judah
(Josh. 15:24); probably the same as Telaim.
Tel-haresha -
hill of the wood, a place in Babylon from which some captive Jews
returned to Jerusalem (Ezra 2:59; Neh. 7:61).
Tel-melah -
hill of salt, a place in Babylon from which the Jews returned (id.).
Tema - south;
desert, one of the sons of Ishmael, and father of a tribe so called
(Gen. 25:15; 1 Chr. 1:30; Job 6:19; Isa. 21:14; Jer. 25:23) which
settled at a place to which he gave his name, some 250 miles
south-east of Edom, on the route between Damascus and Mecca, in the
northern part of the Arabian peninsula, toward the Syrian desert;
the modern Teyma'.
Teman - id.
(1.) A grandson of Esau, one of the "dukes of Edom" (Gen. 36:11, 15,
42).
(2.) A place in Southern Idumea, the land of
"the sons of the east," frequently mentioned in the Old Testament.
It was noted for the wisdom of its inhabitants (Amos 1:12; Obad.
1:8; Jer. 49:7; Ezek. 25:13). It was divided from the hills of Paran
by the low plain of Arabah (Hab. 3:3).
Temanite - a
man of Teman, the designation of Eliphaz, one of Job's three friends
(Job 2:11; 22:1).
Temeni - one of
the sons of Ashur, the father of Tekoa (1 Chr. 4:6).
Temple - first
used of the tabernacle, which is called "the temple of the Lord" (1
Sam. 1:9). In the New Testament the word is used figuratively of
Christ's human body (John 2:19, 21). Believers are called "the
temple of God" (1 Cor. 3:16, 17). The Church is designated "an holy
temple in the Lord" (Eph. 2:21). Heaven is also called a temple
(Rev. 7:5). We read also of the heathen "temple of the great goddess
Diana" (Acts 19:27).
This word is generally used in Scripture of
the sacred house erected on the summit of Mount Moriah for the
worship of God. It is called "the temple" (1 Kings 6:17); "the
temple [R.V., 'house'] of the Lord" (2 Kings 11:10); "thy holy
temple" (Ps. 79:1); "the house of the Lord" (2 Chr. 23:5, 12); "the
house of the God of Jacob" (Isa. 2:3); "the house of my glory"
(60:7); an "house of prayer" (56:7; Matt. 21:13); "an house of
sacrifice" (2 Chr. 7:12); "the house of their sanctuary" (2 Chr.
36:17); "the mountain of the Lord's house" (Isa. 2:2); "our holy and
our beautiful house" (64:11); "the holy mount" (27:13); "the palace
for the Lord God" (1 Chr. 29:1); "the tabernacle of witness" (2 Chr.
24:6); "Zion" (Ps. 74:2; 84:7). Christ calls it "my Father's house"
(John 2:16).
Temple, Herod's -
The temple erected by the exiles on their return from Babylon
had stood for about five hundred years, when Herod the Great became
king of Judea. The building had suffered considerably from natural
decay as well as from the assaults of hostile armies, and Herod,
desirous of gaining the favour of the Jews, proposed to rebuild it.
This offer was accepted, and the work was begun (B.C. 18), and
carried out at great labour and expense, and on a scale of
surpassing splendour. The main part of the building was completed in
ten years, but the erection of the outer courts and the
embellishment of the whole were carried on during the entire period
of our Lord's life on earth (John 2:16, 19-21), and the temple was
completed only A.D. 65. But it was not long permitted to exist.
Within forty years after our Lord's crucifixion, his prediction of
its overthrow was accomplished (Luke 19: 41-44). The Roman legions
took the city of Jerusalem by storm, and notwithstanding the
strenuous efforts Titus made to preserve the temple, his soldiers
set fire to it in several places, and it was utterly destroyed (A.D.
70), and was never rebuilt.
Several remains of Herod's stately temple
have by recent explorations been brought to light. It had two
courts, one intended for the Israelites only, and the other, a large
outer court, called "the court of the Gentiles," intended for the
use of strangers of all nations. These two courts were separated by
a low wall, as Josephus states, some 4 1/2 feet high, with thirteen
openings. Along the top of this dividing wall, at regular intervals,
were placed pillars bearing in Greek an inscription to the effect
that no stranger was, on the pain of death, to pass from the court
of the Gentiles into that of the Jews. At the entrance to a
graveyard at the north-western angle of the Haram wall, a stone was
discovered by M. Ganneau in 1871, built into the wall, bearing the
following inscription in Greek capitals: "No stranger is to enter
within the partition wall and enclosure around the sanctuary.
Whoever is caught will be responsible to himself for his death,
which will ensue."
There can be no doubt that the stone thus
discovered was one of those originally placed on the boundary wall
which separated the Jews from the Gentiles, of which Josephus
speaks.
It is of importance to notice that the word
rendered "sanctuary" in the inscription was used in a specific sense
of the inner court, the court of the Israelites, and is the word
rendered "temple" in John 2:15 and Acts 21:28, 29. When Paul speaks
of the middle wall of partition (Eph. 2:14), he probably makes
allusion to this dividing wall. Within this partition wall stood the
temple proper, consisting of, (1) the court of the women, 8 feet
higher than the outer court; (2) 10 feet higher than this court was
the court of Israel; (3) the court of the priests, again 3 feet
higher; and lastly (4) the temple floor, 8 feet above that; thus in
all 29 feet above the level of the outer court.
The summit of Mount Moriah, on which the
temple stood, is now occupied by the Haram esh-Sherif, i.e., "the
sacred enclosure." This enclosure is about 1,500 feet from north to
south, with a breadth of about 1,000 feet, covering in all a space
of about 35 acres. About the centre of the enclosure is a raised
platform, 16 feet above the surrounding space, and paved with large
stone slabs, on which stands the Mohammedan mosque called Kubbet
es-Sahkra i.e., the "Dome of the Rock," or the Mosque of Omar. This
mosque covers the site of Solomon's temple. In the centre of the
dome there is a bare, projecting rock, the highest part of Moriah
(q.v.), measuring 60 feet by 40, standing 6 feet above the floor of
the mosque, called the sahkra, i.e., "rock." Over this rock the
altar of burnt-offerings stood. It was the threshing-floor of
Araunah the Jebusite. The exact position on this "sacred enclosure"
which the temple occupied has not been yet definitely ascertained.
Some affirm that Herod's temple covered the site of Solomon's temple
and palace, and in addition enclosed a square of 300 feet at the
south-western angle. The temple courts thus are supposed to have
occupied the southern portion of the "enclosure," forming in all a
square of more than 900 feet. It is argued by others that Herod's
temple occupied a square of 600 feet at the south-west of the
"enclosure."
Temple, Solomon's -
Before his death David had "with all his might" provided
materials in great abundance for the building of the temple on the
summit of Mount Moriah (1 Chr. 22:14; 29:4; 2 Chr. 3:1), on the east
of the city, on the spot where Abraham had offered up Isaac (Gen.
22:1-14). In the beginning of his reign Solomon set about giving
effect to the desire that had been so earnestly cherished by his
father, and prepared additional materials for the building. From
subterranean quarries at Jerusalem he obtained huge blocks of stone
for the foundations and walls of the temple. These stones were
prepared for their places in the building under the eye of Tyrian
master-builders. He also entered into a compact with Hiram II., king
of Tyre, for the supply of whatever else was needed for the work,
particularly timber from the forests of Lebanon, which was brought
in great rafts by the sea to Joppa, whence it was dragged to
Jerusalem (1 Kings 5). As the hill on which the temple was to be
built did not afford sufficient level space, a huge wall of solid
masonry of great height, in some places more than 200 feet high, was
raised across the south of the hill, and a similar wall on the
eastern side, and in the spaces between were erected many arches and
pillars, thus raising up the general surface to the required level.
Solomon also provided for a sufficient water supply for the temple
by hewing in the rocky hill vast cisterns, into which water was
conveyed by channels from the "pools" near Bethlehem. One of these
cisterns, the "great sea," was capable of containing three millions
of gallons. The overflow was led off by a conduit to the Kidron.
In all these preparatory undertakings a space
of about three years was occupied; and now the process of the
erection of the great building began, under the direction of skilled
Phoenician builders and workmen, in the fourth year of Solomon's
reign, 480 years after the Exodus (1 Kings 6; 2 Chr. 3). Many
thousands of labourers and skilled artisans were employed in the
work. Stones prepared in the quarries underneath the city (1 Kings
5:17, 18) of huge dimension (see QUARRIES ¯T0003032) were gradually
placed on the massive walls, and closely fitted together without any
mortar between, till the whole structure was completed. No sound of
hammer or axe or any tool of iron was heard as the structure arose
(6:7). "Like some tall palm the noiseless fabric sprang." The
building was 60 cubits long, 20 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high. The
engineers of the Palestine Exploration Fund, in their explorations
around the temple area, discovered what is believed to have been the
"chief corner stone" of the temple, "the most interesting stone in
the world." It lies at the bottom of the south-eastern angle, and is
3 feet 8 inches high by 14 feet long. It rests on the solid rock at
a depth of 79 feet 3 inches below the present surface. (See
PINNACLE.) In examining the walls the engineers were "struck
with admiration at the vastness of the blocks and the general
excellence of the workmanship."
At length, in the autumn of the eleventh year
of his reign, seven and a half years after it had been begun, the
temple was completed in all its architectural magnificence and
beauty. For thirteen years there it stood, on the summit of Moriah,
silent and unused. The reasons for this strange delay in its
consecration are unknown. At the close of these thirteen years
preparations for the dedication of the temple were made on a scale
of the greatest magnificence. The ark was solemnly brought from the
tent in which David had deposited it to the place prepared for it in
the temple, and the glory-cloud, the symbol of the divine presence,
filled the house. Then Solomon ascended a platform which had been
erected for him, in the sight of all the people, and lifting up his
hands to heaven poured out his heart to God in prayer (1 Kings 8; 2
Chr. 6, 7). The feast of dedication, which lasted seven days,
followed by the feast of tabernacles, marked a new era in the
history of Israel. On the eighth day of the feast of tabernacles,
Solomon dismissed the vast assemblage of the people, who returned to
their homes filled with joy and gladness, "Had Solomon done no other
service beyond the building of the temple, he would still have
influenced the religious life of his people down to the latest days.
It was to them a perpetual reminder and visible symbol of God's
presence and protection, a strong bulwark of all the sacred
traditions of the law, a witness to duty, an impulse to historic
study, an inspiration of sacred song."
The temple consisted of, (1.) The oracle or
most holy place (1 Kings 6:19; 8:6), called also the "inner house"
(6:27), and the "holiest of all" (Heb. 9:3). It was 20 cubits in
length, breadth, and height. It was floored and wainscotted with
cedar (1 Kings 6:16), and its walls and floor were overlaid with
gold (6:20, 21, 30). There was a two-leaved door between it and the
holy place overlaid with gold (2 Chr. 4:22); also a veil of blue
purple and crimson and fine linen (2 Chr. 3:14; comp. Ex. 26:33). It
had no windows (1 Kings 8:12). It was indeed the dwelling-place of
God. (2.) The holy place (q.v.), 1 Kings 8:8-10, called also the
"greater house" (2 Chr. 3:5) and the "temple" (1 Kings 6:17). (3.)
The porch or entrance before the temple on the east (1 Kings 6:3; 2
Chr. 3:4; 29:7). In the porch stood the two pillars Jachin and Boaz
(1 Kings 7:21; 2 Kings 11:14; 23:3). (4.) The chambers, which were
built about the temple on the southern, western, and northern sides
(1 Kings 6:5-10). These formed a part of the building.
Round about the building were, (1.) The court
of the priests (2 Chr. 4:9), called the "inner court" (1 Kings
6:36). It contained the altar of burnt-offering (2 Chr. 15:8), the
brazen sea (4:2-5, 10), and ten lavers (1 Kings 7:38, 39). (2.) The
great court, which surrounded the whole temple (2 Chr. 4:9). Here
the people assembled to worship God (Jer. 19:14; 26:2).
This temple erected by Solomon was many times
pillaged during the course of its history, (1) 1 Kings 14:25, 26;
(2) 2 Kings 14:14; (3) 2 Kings 16:8, 17, 18; (4) 2 Kings 18:15, 16.
At last it was pillaged and destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings
24:13; 2 Chr. 36:7). He burned the temple, and carried all its
treasures with him to Babylon (2 Kings 25:9-17; 2 Chr. 36:19; Isa.
64:11). These sacred vessels were at length, at the close of the
Captivity, restored to the Jews by Cyrus (Ezra 1:7-11).
Temple, the Second -
After the return from captivity, under Zerubbabel (q.v.) and the
high priest Jeshua, arrangements were almost immediately made to
reorganize the long-desolated kingdom. The body of pilgrims, forming
a band of 42,360, including children, having completed the long and
dreary journey of some four months, from the banks of the Euphrates
to Jerusalem, were animated in all their proceeding by a strong
religious impulse, and therefore one of their first cares was to
restore their ancient worship by rebuilding the temple. On the
invitation of Zerubbabel, the governor, who showed them a remarkable
example of liberality by contributing personally 1,000 golden darics
(probably about $6,000), besides other gifts, the people with great
enthusiasm poured their gifts into the sacred treasury (Ezra 2).
First they erected and dedicated the altar of Jehovah on the exact
spot where it had formerly stood, and they then cleared away the
charred heaps of debris which occupied the site of the old temple;
and in the second month of the second year (B.C. 535), amid great
public excitement and rejoicing (Ps. 116; 117; 118), the foundations
of the second temple were laid. A wide interest was felt in this
great movement, although it was regarded with mingled feelings by
the spectators (Hag. 2:3; Zech. 4:10). The Samaritans made proposals
for a co-operation in the work. Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the
elders, however, declined all such cooperation: Judah must build the
temple without help. Immediately evil reports were spread regarding
the Jews. The Samaritans sought to "frustrate their purpose" (Ezra
4:5), and sent messengers to Ecbatana and Susa, with the result that
the work was suspended. Seven years after this Cyrus died
ingloriously, having killed himself in Syria when on his way back
from Egypt to the east, and was succeeded by his son Cambyses (B.C.
529-522), on whose death the "false Smerdis," an imposter, occupied
the throne for some seven or eight months, and then Darius Hystaspes
became king (B.C. 522). In the second year of this monarch the work
of rebuilding the temple was resumed and carried forward to its
completion (Ezra 5: 6-17; 6:1-15), under the stimulus of the earnest
counsels and admonitions of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. It
was ready for consecration in the spring of B.C. 516, twenty years
after the return from captivity.
This second temple had not the ark, the Urim
and Thummim, the holy oil, the sacred fire, the tables of stone, the
pot of manna, and Aaron's rod. As in the tabernacle, there was in it
only one golden lamp for the holy place, one table of shewbread, and
the incense altar, with golden censers, and many of the vessels of
gold that had belonged to Solomon's temple that had been carried to
Babylon but restored by Cyrus (Ezra 1:7-11).
This second temple also differed from the
first in that, while in the latter there were numerous "trees
planted in the courts of the Lord," there were none in the former.
The second temple also had for the first time a space, being a part
of the outer court, provided for proselytes who were worshippers of
Jehovah, although not subject to the laws of Judaism.
The temple, when completed, was consecrated
amid great rejoicings on the part of all the people (Ezra 6:16),
although there were not wanting outward evidences that the Jews were
no longer an independent people, but were subject to a foreign
power.
Hag. 2:9 is rightly rendered in the Revised
Version, "The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the
former," instead of, "The glory of this latter house," etc., in the
Authorized Version. The temple, during the different periods of its
existence, is regarded as but one house, the one only house of God
(comp. 2:3). The glory here predicted is spiritual glory and not
material splendour. "Christ himself, present bodily in the temple on
Mount Zion during his life on earth, present spiritually in the
Church now, present in the holy city, the heavenly Jerusalem, of
which he is the temple, calling forth spiritual worship and devotion
is the glory here predicted" (Perowne).
Temptation -
(1.) Trial; a being put to the test. Thus God "tempted [Gen. 22: 1;
R.V., 'did prove'] Abraham;" and afflictions are said to tempt,
i.e., to try, men (James 1:2, 12; comp. Deut. 8:2), putting their
faith and patience to the test. (2.) Ordinarily, however, the word
means solicitation to that which is evil, and hence Satan is called
"the tempter" (Matt. 4:3). Our Lord was in this way tempted in the
wilderness. That temptation was not internal, but by a real, active,
subtle being. It was not self-sought. It was submitted to as an act
of obedience on his part. "Christ was led, driven. An unseen
personal force bore him a certain violence is implied in the words"
(Matt. 4:1-11).
The scene of the temptation of our Lord is
generally supposed to have been the mountain of Quarantania (q.v.),
"a high and precipitous wall of rock, 1,200 or 1,500 feet above the
plain west of Jordan, near Jericho."
Temptation is common to all (Dan. 12:10;
Zech. 13:9; Ps. 66:10; Luke 22:31, 40; Heb. 11:17; James 1:12; 1
Pet. 1:7; 4:12). We read of the temptation of Joseph (Gen. 39), of
David (2 Sam. 24; 1 Chr. 21), of Hezekiah (2 Chr. 32:31), of Daniel
(Dan. 6), etc. So long as we are in this world we are exposed to
temptations, and need ever to be on our watch against them.
Tent - (1.)
Heb. 'ohel (Gen. 9:21, 27). This word is used also of a dwelling or
habitation (1 Kings 8:66; Isa. 16:5; Jer. 4:20), and of the temple
(Ezek. 41:1). When used of the tabernacle, as in 1 Kings 1:39, it
denotes the covering of goat's hair which was placed over the
mishcan.
(2.) Heb. mishcan (Cant. 1:8), used also of a
dwelling (Job 18:21; Ps. 87:2), the grave (Isa. 22:16; comp. 14:18),
the temple (Ps. 46:4; 84:2; 132:5), and of the tabernacle (Ex. 25:9;
26:1; 40:9; Num. 1:50, 53; 10:11). When distinguished from 'ohel, it
denotes the twelve interior curtains which lay upon the framework of
the tabernacle (q.v.).
(3.) Heb. kubbah (Num. 25:8), a dome-like
tent devoted to the impure worship of Baal-peor.
(4.) Heb. succah (2 Sam. 11:11), a tent or
booth made of green boughs or branches (see Gen. 33:17; Lev. 23:34,
42; Ps. 18:11; Jonah 4:5; Isa. 4:6; Neh. 8:15-17, where the word is
variously rendered).
Jubal was "the father of such as dwell in
tents" (Gen. 4:20). The patriarchs were "dwellers in tents" (Gen.
9:21, 27; 12:8; 13:12; 26:17); and during their wilderness
wanderings all Israel dwelt in tents (Ex. 16:16; Deut. 33:18; Josh.
7:24). Tents have always occupied a prominent place in Eastern life
(1 Sam. 17:54; 2 Kings 7:7; Ps. 120:5; Cant. 1:5). Paul the
apostle's occupation was that of a tent-maker (Acts 18:3); i.e.,
perhaps a maker of tent cloth.
Tenth deal -
i.e., the tenth part of an ephah (as in the R.V.), equal to an omer
or six pints. The recovered leper, to complete his purification, was
required to bring a trespass, a sin, and a burnt offering, and to
present a meal offering, a tenth deal or an omer of flour for each,
with oil to make it into bread or cakes (Lev. 14:10, 21; comp. Ex.
16:36; 29:40).
Terah - the
wanderer; loiterer, for some unknown reason emigrated with his
family from his native mountains in the north to the plains of
Mesopotamia. He had three sons, Haran, Nahor, and Abraham, and one
daughter, Sarah. He settled in "Ur of the Chaldees," where his son
Haran died, leaving behind him his son Lot. Nahor settled at Haran,
a place on the way to Ur. Terah afterwards migrated with Abraham
(probably his youngest son) and Lot (his grandson), together with
their families, from Ur, intending to go with them to Canaan; but he
tarried at Haran, where he spent the remainder of his days, and died
at the age of two hundred and five years (Gen. 11:24-32; Josh.
24:2). What a wonderful part the descendants of this Chaldean
shepherd have played in the history of the world!
Teraphim -
givers of prosperity, idols in human shape, large or small,
analogous to the images of ancestors which were revered by the
Romans. In order to deceive the guards sent by Saul to seize David,
Michal his wife prepared one of the household teraphim, putting on
it the goat's-hair cap worn by sleepers and invalids, and laid it in
a bed, covering it with a mantle. She pointed it out to the
soldiers, and alleged that David was confined to his bed by a sudden
illness (1 Sam. 19:13-16). Thus she gained time for David's escape.
It seems strange to read of teraphim, images of ancestors, preserved
for superstitious purposes, being in the house of David. Probably
they had been stealthily brought by Michal from her father's house.
"Perhaps," says Bishop Wordsworth, "Saul, forsaken by God and
possessed by the evil spirit, had resorted to teraphim (as he
afterwards resorted to witchcraft); and God overruled evil for good,
and made his very teraphim (by the hand of his own daughter) to be
an instrument for David's escape.", Deane's David, p. 32. Josiah
attempted to suppress this form of idolatry (2 Kings 23:24). The
ephod and teraphim are mentioned together in Hos. 3:4. It has been
supposed by some (Cheyne's Hosea) that the "ephod" here mentioned,
and also in Judg. 8:24-27, was not the part of the sacerdotal dress
so called (Ex. 28:6-14), but an image of Jehovah overlaid with gold
or silver (comp. Judg. 17, 18; 1 Sam. 21:9; 23:6, 9; 30:7, 8), and
is thus associated with the teraphim. (See
THUMMIM.)
Terebinth - (R.V.
marg. of Deut. 11:30, etc.), the Pistacia terebinthus of botanists;
a tree very common in the south and east of Palestine. (See
OAK.)
Teresh - severe, a
eunuch or chamberlain in the palace of Ahasuerus, who conspired with
another to murder him. The plot was detected by Mordecai, and the
conspirators were put to death (Esther 2:21; 6:2).
Tertius - the
third, a Roman Christian whom Paul employed as his amanuensis in
writing his epistle to the Romans (16:22).
Tertullus - a
modification of "Tertius;" a Roman advocate, whom the Jews employed
to state their case against Paul in the presence of Felix (Acts
24:1-9). The charges he adduced against the apostle were, "First,
that he created disturbances among the Romans throughout the empire,
an offence against the Roman government (crimen majestatis).
Secondly, that he was a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes;
disturbed the Jews in the exercise of their religion, guaranteed by
the state; introduced new gods, a thing prohibited by the Romans.
And thirdly, that he attempted to profane the temple, a crime which
the Jews were permitted to punish."
Testament -
occurs twelve times in the New Testament (Heb. 9:15, etc.) as the
rendering of the Gr. diatheke, which is twenty times rendered
"covenant" in the Authorized Version, and always so in the Revised
Version. The Vulgate translates incorrectly by testamentum, whence
the names "Old" and "New Testament," by which we now designate the
two sections into which the Bible is divided. (See
BIBLE.)
Testimony - (1.)
Witness or evidence (2 Thess. 1:10).
(2.) The Scriptures, as the revelation of
God's will (2 Kings 11:12; Ps. 19:7; 119:88; Isa. 8:16, 20).
(3.) The altar raised by the Gadites and
Reubenites (Josh. 22:10).
Testimony,
Tabernacle of - the tabernacle, the great glory of which was
that it contained "the testimony", i.e., the "two tables" (Ex.
38:21). The ark in which these tables were deposited was called the
"ark of the testimony" (40:3), and also simply the "testimony"
(27:21; 30:6).
Tetrarch -
strictly the ruler over the fourth part of a province; but the word
denotes a ruler of a province generally (Matt. 14:1; Luke 3:1, 19;
9:7; Acts 13:1). Herod and Phasael, the sons of Antipater, were the
first tetrarchs in Palestine. Herod the tetrarch had the title of
king (Matt. 14:9).
Thaddaeus -
breast, the name of one of the apostles (Mark 3:18), called "Lebbaeus"
in Matt. 10:3, and in Luke 6:16, "Judas the brother of James;" while
John (14:22), probably referring to the same person, speaks of
"Judas, not Iscariot." These different names all designate the same
person, viz., Jude or Judas, the author of the epistle.
Thahash - a
badger, a son of Nahor, Abraham's brother (Gen. 22:24).
Tharshish - (1
Kings 10:22; 22:48). See
TARSHISH.
Theatre - only
mentioned in Acts 19:29, 31. The ruins of this theatre at Ephesus
still exist, and they show that it was a magnificent structure,
capable of accommodating some 56,700 persons. It was the largest
structure of the kind that ever existed. Theatres, as places of
amusement, were unknown to the Jews.
Thebez -
brightness, a place some 11 miles north-east of Shechem, on the road
to Scythopolis, the modern Tabas. Abimelech led his army against
this place, because of its participation in the conspiracy of the
men of Shechem; but as he drew near to the strong tower to which its
inhabitants had fled for safety, and was about to set fire to it, a
woman cast a fragment of millstone at him, and "all to brake his
skull" i.e., "altogether brake," etc. His armourbearer thereupon
"thrust him through, and he died" (Judg. 9:50-55).
Theft -
Punished by restitution, the proportions of which are noted in 2
Sam. 12:6. If the thief could not pay the fine, he was to be sold to
a Hebrew master till he could pay (Ex. 22:1-4). A night-thief might
be smitten till he died, and there would be no blood-guiltiness for
him (22:2). A man-stealer was to be put to death (21:16). All theft
is forbidden (Ex. 20:15; 21:16; Lev. 19:11; Deut. 5:19; 24:7; Ps.
50:18; Zech. 5:3; Matt. 19:18; Rom. 13:9; Eph. 4:28; 1 Pet. 4:15).
Theocracy - a
word first used by Josephus to denote that the Jews were under the
direct government of God himself. The nation was in all things
subject to the will of their invisible King. All the people were the
servants of Jehovah, who ruled over their public and private
affairs, communicating to them his will through the medium of the
prophets. They were the subjects of a heavenly, not of an earthly,
king. They were Jehovah's own subjects, ruled directly by him (comp.
1 Sam. 8:6-9).
Theophilus -
lover of God, a Christian, probably a Roman, to whom Luke dedicated
both his Gospel (Luke 1:3) and the Acts of the Apostles (1:1).
Nothing beyond this is known of him. From the fact that Luke applies
to him the title "most excellent", the same title Paul uses in
addressing Felix (Acts 23:26; 24:3) and Festus (26:25), it has been
concluded that Theophilus was a person of rank, perhaps a Roman
officer.
Thessalonians,
Epistles to the - The first epistle to the Thessalonians was the
first of all Paul's epistles. It was in all probability written from
Corinth, where he abode a "long time" (Acts 18:11, 18), early in the
period of his residence there, about the end of A.D. 52.
The occasion of its being written was the
return of Timotheus from Macedonia, bearing tidings from
Thessalonica regarding the state of the church there (Acts 18:1-5; 1
Thess. 3:6). While, on the whole, the report of Timothy was
encouraging, it also showed that divers errors and misunderstandings
regarding the tenor of Paul's teaching had crept in amongst them. He
addresses them in this letter with the view of correcting these
errors, and especially for the purpose of exhorting them to purity
of life, reminding them that their sanctification was the great end
desired by God regarding them.
The subscription erroneously states that this
epistle was written from Athens.
The second epistle to the Thessalonians was
probably also written from Corinth, and not many months after the
first.
The occasion of the writing of this epistle
was the arrival of tidings that the tenor of the first epistle had
been misunderstood, especially with reference to the second advent
of Christ. The Thessalonians had embraced the idea that Paul had
taught that "the day of Christ was at hand", that Christ's coming
was just about to happen. This error is corrected (2:1-12), and the
apostle prophetically announces what first must take place. "The
apostasy" was first to arise. Various explanations of this
expression have been given, but that which is most satisfactory
refers it to the Church of Rome.
Thessalonica -
a large and populous city on the Thermaic bay. It was the capital of
one of the four Roman districts of Macedonia, and was ruled by a
praetor. It was named after Thessalonica, the wife of Cassander, who
built the city. She was so called by her father, Philip, because he
first heard of her birth on the day of his gaining a victory over
the Thessalians. On his second missionary journey, Paul preached in
the synagogue here, the chief synagogue of the Jews in that part of
Macedonia, and laid the foundations of a church (Acts 17:1-4; 1 Thes.
1:9). The violence of the Jews drove him from the city, when he fled
to Berea (Acts 17:5-10). The "rulers of the city" before whom the
Jews "drew Jason," with whom Paul and Silas lodged, are in the
original called politarchai, an unusual word, which was found,
however, inscribed on an arch in Thessalonica. This discovery
confirms the accuracy of the historian. Paul visited the church here
on a subsequent occasion (20:1-3). This city long retained its
importance. It is the most important town of European Turkey, under
the name of Saloniki, with a mixed population of about 85,000.
Theudas -
thanksgiving, referred to by Gamaliel in his speech before the
council at Jerusalem (Acts 5:36). He headed an insurrection against
the Roman authority. Beyond this nothing is known of him.
Thick clay - (Hab.
2:6) is correctly rendered in the Revised Version "pledges." The
Chaldean power is here represented as a rapacious usurer,
accumulating the wealth that belonged to others.
Thieves, The two -
(Luke 23:32, 39-43), robbers, rather brigands, probably
followers of Barabbas. Our Lord's cross was placed between those of
the "malefactors," to add to the ignominy of his position. According
to tradition, Demas or Dismas was the name of the penitent thief
hanging on the right, and Gestas of the impenitent on the left.
Thistle - (1.)
Heb. hoah (2 Kings 14:9; Job 31:40). In Job 41:2 the Hebrew word is
rendered "thorn," but in the Revised Version "hook." It is also
rendered "thorn" in 2 Chr. 33:11; Prov. 26:9; Cant. 2:2; "brambles"
in Isa. 34:13. It is supposed to be a variety of the wild plum-tree,
but by some it is regarded as the common thistle, of which there are
many varieties in Palestine.
(2.) Heb. dardar, meaning "a plant growing
luxuriantly" (Gen. 3:18; Hos. 10:8); Gr. tribolos, "a triple point"
(Matt. 7:16; Heb. 6:8, "brier," R.V. "thistle"). This was probably
the star-thistle, called by botanists Centaurea calcitropa, or
"caltrops," a weed common in corn-fields. (See
THORNS.)
Thomas - twin, one
of the twelve (Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18, etc.). He was also called
Didymus (John 11:16; 20:24), which is the Greek equivalent of the
Hebrew name. All we know regarding him is recorded in the fourth
Gospel (John 11:15, 16; 14:4, 5; 20:24, 25, 26-29). From the
circumstance that in the lists of the apostles he is always
mentioned along with Matthew, who was the son of Alphaeus (Mark
3:18), and that these two are always followed by James, who was also
the son of Alphaeus, it has been supposed that these three, Matthew,
Thomas, and James, were brothers.
Thorn - (1.)
Heb. hedek (Prov. 15:19), rendered "brier" in Micah 7:4. Some thorny
plant, of the Solanum family, suitable for hedges. This is probably
the so-called "apple of Sodom," which grows very abundantly in the
Jordan valley. "It is a shrubby plant, from 3 to 5 feet high, with
very branching stems, thickly clad with spines, like those of the
English brier, with leaves very large and woolly on the under side,
and thorny on the midriff."
(2.) Heb. kotz (Gen. 3:18; Hos. 10:8),
rendered akantha by the LXX. In the New Testament this word
akantha is also rendered "thorns" (Matt. 7:16; 13:7; Heb.
6:8). The word seems to denote any thorny or prickly plant (Jer.
12:13). It has been identified with the Ononis spinosa by some.
(3.) Heb. na'atzutz (Isa. 7:19; 55:13). This
word has been interpreted as denoting the Zizyphus spina Christi, or
the jujube-tree. It is supposed by some that the crown of thorns
placed in wanton cruelty by the Roman soldiers on our Saviour's brow
before his crucifixion was plaited of branches of this tree. It
overruns a great part of the Jordan valley. It is sometimes called
the lotus-tree. "The thorns are long and sharp and recurved, and
often create a festering wound." It often grows to a great size.
(See CROWN OF
THORNS.)
(4.) Heb. atad (Ps. 58:9) is rendered in the
LXX. and Vulgate by Rhamnus, or Lycium Europoeum, a thorny shrub,
which is common all over Palestine. From its resemblance to the box
it is frequently called the box-thorn.
Return
To Dictionary
Thorn in the flesh -
(2 Cor. 12:7-10). Many interpretations have been given of this
passage. (1.) Roman Catholic writers think that it denotes
suggestions to impiety.
(2.) Luther, Calvin, and other Reformers
interpret the expression as denoting temptation to unbelief.
(3.) Others suppose the expression refers to
"a pain in the ear or head," epileptic fits, or, in general, to some
severe physical infirmity, which was a hindrance to the apostle in
his work (comp. 1 Cor. 2:3; 2 Cor. 10:10; 11:30; Gal. 4:13, 14;
6:17). With a great amount of probability, it has been alleged that
his malady was defect of sight, consequent on the dazzling light
which shone around him at his conversion, acute opthalmia. This
would account for the statements in Gal. 4:14; 2 Cor. 10:10; also
Acts 23:5, and for his generally making use of the help of an
amanuensis (comp. Rom. 16:22, etc.).
(4.) Another view which has been maintained
is that this "thorn" consisted in an infirmity of temper, to which
he occasionally gave way, and which interfered with his success
(comp. Acts 15:39; 23:2-5). If we consider the fact, "which the
experience of God's saints in all ages has conclusively established,
of the difficulty of subduing an infirmity of temper, as well as the
pain, remorse, and humiliation such an infirmity is wont to cause to
those who groan under it, we may be inclined to believe that not the
least probable hypothesis concerning the 'thorn' or 'stake' in the
flesh is that the loving heart of the apostle bewailed as his sorest
trial the misfortune that, by impatience in word, he had often
wounded those for whom he would willingly have given his life" (Lias's
Second Cor., Introd.).
Thousands -
(Micah 5:2), another name for "families" or "clans" (see Num. 1:16;
10:4; Josh. 22:14, 21). Several "thousands" or "families" made up a
"tribe."
Threshing - See
AGRICULTURE.
Threshold - (1.)
Heb. miphtan, probably a projecting beam at a higher point than the
threshold proper (1 Sam. 5:4,5; Ezek. 9:3; 10:4,18; 46:2; 47:1);
also rendered "door" and "door-post."
(2.) 'Asuppim, pl. (Neh. 12:25), rendered
correctly "storehouses" in the Revised Version. In 1 Chr. 26:15, 17
the Authorized Version retains the word as a proper name, while in
the Revised Version it is translated "storehouses."
Throne - (Heb.
kiss'e), a royal chair or seat of dignity (Deut. 17:18; 2 Sam. 7:13;
Ps. 45:6); an elevated seat with a canopy and hangings, which cover
it. It denotes the seat of the high priest in 1 Sam. 1:9; 4:13, and
of a provincial governor in Neh. 3:7 and Ps. 122:5. The throne of
Solomon is described at length in 1 Kings 10:18-20.
Thummim -
perfection (LXX., "truth;" Vulg., "veritas"), Ex. 28:30; Deut. 33:8;
Judg. 1:1; 20:18; 1 Sam. 14:3,18; 23:9; 2 Sam. 21:1. What the "Urim
and Thummim" were cannot be determined with any certainty. All we
certainly know is that they were a certain divinely-given means by
which God imparted, through the high priest, direction and counsel
to Israel when these were needed. The method by which this was done
can be only a matter of mere conjecture. They were apparently
material objects, quite distinct from the breastplate, but something
added to it after all the stones had been set in it, something in
addition to the breastplate and its jewels. They may have been, as
some suppose, two small images, like the teraphim (comp. Judg. 17:5;
18:14, 17, 20; Hos. 3:4), which were kept in the bag of the
breastplate, by which, in some unknown way, the high priest could
give forth his divinely imparted decision when consulted. They were
probably lost at the destruction of the temple by Nebuchadnezzar.
They were never seen after the return from captivity.
Thunder - often
referred to in Scripture (Job 40:9; Ps. 77:18; 104:7). James and
John were called by our Lord "sons of thunder" (Mark 3:17). In Job
39:19, instead of "thunder," as in the Authorized Version, the
Revised Version translates (ra'amah) by "quivering main" (marg.,
"shaking"). Thunder accompanied the giving of the law at Sinai (Ex.
19:16). It was regarded as the voice of God (Job 37:2; Ps. 18:13;
81:7; comp. John 12:29). In answer to Samuel's prayer (1 Sam. 12:17,
18), God sent thunder, and "all the people greatly feared," for at
such a season (the wheat-harvest) thunder and rain were almost
unknown in Palestine.
Thyatira - a
city of Asia Minor, on the borders of Lydia and Mysia. Its modern
name is Ak-hissar, i.e., "white castle." Here was one of the seven
churches (Rev. 1:11; 2:18-28). Lydia, the seller of purple, or
rather of cloth dyed with this colour, was from this city (Acts
16:14). It was and still is famous for its dyeing. Among the ruins,
inscriptions have been found relating to the guild of dyers in that
city in ancient times.
Thyine wood -
mentioned only in Rev. 18:12 among the articles which would cease to
be purchased when Babylon fell. It was called citrus, citron wood,
by the Romans. It was the Callitris quadrivalvis of botanists, of
the cone-bearing order of trees, and of the cypress tribe of this
order. The name of this wood is derived from the Greek word
thuein, "to sacrifice," and it was so called because it was
burnt in sacrifices, on account of its fragrance. The wood of this
tree was reckoned very valuable, and was used for making articles of
furniture by the Greeks and Romans. Like the cedars of Lebanon, it
is disappearing from the forests of Palestine.
Tiberias - a
city, the modern Tubarich, on the western shore of the Sea of
Tiberias. It is said to have been founded by Herod Antipas (A.D.
16), on the site of the ruins of an older city called Rakkath, and
to have been thus named by him after the Emperor Tiberius. It is
mentioned only three times in the history of our Lord (John 6:1,23;
21:1).
In 1837 about one-half of the inhabitants
perished by an earthquake. The population of the city is now about
six thousand, nearly the one-half being Jews. "We do not read that
our Lord ever entered this city. The reason of this is probably to
be found in the fact that it was practically a heathen city, though
standing upon Jewish soil. Herod, its founder, had brought together
the arts of Greece, the idolatry of Rome, and the gross lewdness of
Asia. There were in it a theatre for the performance of comedies, a
forum, a stadium, a palace roofed with gold in imitation of those in
Italy, statues of the Roman gods, and busts of the deified emperors.
He who was not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel
might well hold himself aloof from such scenes as these" (Manning's
Those Holy Fields).
After the fall of Jerusalem (A.D. 70),
Tiberias became one of the chief residences of the Jews in
Palestine. It was for more than three hundred years their
metropolis. From about A.D. 150 the Sanhedrin settled here, and
established rabbinical schools, which rose to great celebrity. Here
the Jerusalem (or Palestinian) Talmud was compiled about the
beginning of the fifth century. To this same rabbinical school also
we are indebted for the Masora, a "body of traditions which
transmitted the readings of the Hebrew text of the Old Testament,
and preserved, by means of the vowel-system, the pronunciation of
the Hebrew." In its original form, and in all manuscripts, the
Hebrew is written without vowels; hence, when it ceased to be a
spoken language, the importance of knowing what vowels to insert
between the consonants. This is supplied by the Masora, and hence
these vowels are called the "Masoretic vowel-points."
Tiberias, Sea of -
called also the Sea of Galilee (q.v.) and of Gennesaret. In the
Old Testament it is called the Sea of Chinnereth or Chinneroth. John
(21:1) is the only evangelist who so designates this lake. His doing
so incidentally confirms the opinion that he wrote after the other
evangelists, and at a period subsequent to the taking of Jerusalem
(A.D. 70). Tiberias had by this time become an important city,
having been spared by the Romans, and made the capital of the
province when Jerusalem was destroyed. It thus naturally gave its
name to the lake.
Tiberius Caesar -
i.e., as known in Roman history, Tiberius Claudius Nero, only
mentioned in Luke 3:1. He was the stepson of Augustus, whom he
succeeded on the throne, A.D. 14. He was noted for his vicious and
infamous life. In the fifteenth year of his reign John the Baptist
entered on his public ministry, and under him also our Lord taught
and suffered. He died A.D. 37. He is frequently referred to simply
as "Caesar" (Matt. 22:17, 21; Mark 12:14, 16, 17; Luke 20:22, 24,
25; 23:2; John 19:12, 15).
Tibni -
building of Jehovah, the son of Ginath, a man of some position, whom
a considerable number of the people chose as monarch. For the period
of four years he contended for the throne with Omri (1 Kings 16:21,
22), who at length gained the mastery, and became sole monarch of
Israel.
Tidal - (in the
LXX. called "Thorgal"), styled the "king of nations" (Gen.14:1-9).
Mentioned as Tudkhula on Arioch's brick (see facing page 139).
Goyyim, translated "nations," is the country called Gutium, east
of Tigris and north of Elam.
Tiglath-Pileser I.
- (not mentioned in Scripture) was the most famous of the
monarchs of the first Assyrian empire (about B.C. 1110). After his
death, for two hundred years the empire fell into decay. The history
of David and Solomon falls within this period. He was succeeded by
his son, Shalmaneser II.
Tiglath-Pileser
III. - or Tilgath-Pil-neser, the Assyrian throne-name of Pul
(q.v.). He appears in the Assyrian records as gaining, in the fifth
year of his reign (about B.C. 741), a victory over Azariah (= Uzziah
in 2 Chr.26:1), king of Judah, whose achievements are described in 2
Chr. 26:6-15. He is first mentioned in Scripture, however, as
gaining a victory over Pekah, king of Israel, and Rezin of Damascus,
who were confederates. He put Rezin to death, and punished Pekah by
taking a considerable portion of his kingdom, and carrying off (B.C.
734) a vast number of its inhabitants into captivity (2 Kings 15:29;
16:5-9; 1 Chr. 5:6, 26), the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the
tribe of Manasseh whom he settled in Gozan. In the Assyrian annals
it is further related that, before he returned from Syria, he held a
court at Damascus, and received submission and tribute from the
neighbouring kings, among whom were Pekah of Samaria and "Yahu-khazi
[i.e., Ahaz], king of Judah" (comp. 2 Kings 16:10-16).
He was the founder of what is called "the
second Assyrian empire," an empire meant to embrace the whole world,
the centre of which should be Nineveh. He died B.C. 728, and was
succeeded by a general of his army, Ulula, who assumed the name
Shalmaneser IV.
Timaeus -
defiled, the father of blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46).
Timbrel - (Heb.
toph), a small drum or tambourine; a tabret (q.v.). The antiquity of
this musical instrument appears from the scriptural allusions to it
(Gen. 31:27; Ex. 15:20; Judg. 11:34, etc.) (See MUSIC.)
Timnah - a portion.
(1.) A town of Judah (Josh. 15:10). The Philistines took possession
of it in the days of Ahaz (2 Chr. 28:18). It was about 20 miles west
of Jerusalem. It has been identified with Timnatha of Dan (Josh.
19:43), and also with Timnath (Judg. 14:1,5).
(2.) A city in the mountains of Judah
(Josh.15:57)= Tibna near Jeba'.
(3.) A "duke" or sheik of Edom (Gen. 36:40).
Timnath - Gen.
38:12,14. (1.) Heb. Timnathah, which is appropriately rendered in
the Revised Version, Timnah, a town in Judah.
(2.) The town where Samson sojourned,
probably identical with "Timnah" (1) (Judg. 14:1-18).
Timnath-heres -
portion of the sun, where Joshua was buried (Judg. 2:9). It was "in
the mount of Ephraim, in the north side of the hill Gaash," 10 miles
south-west of Shechem. The same as the following.
Timnath-serah -
remaining portion, the city of Joshua in the hill country of
Ephraim, the same as Timnath-heres (Josh. 19:50; 24:30). "Of all
sites I have seen," says Lieut. Col. Conder, "none is so striking as
that of Joshua's home, surrounded as it is with deep valleys and
wild, rugged hills." Opposite the town is a hill, on the northern
side of which there are many excavated sepulchres. Among these is
the supposed tomb of Joshua, which is said to be "the most striking
monument in the country." It is a "square chamber with five
excavations in three of its sides, the central one forming a passage
leading into a second chamber beyond. A great number of lamp-niches
cover the walls of the porch, upwards of two hundred, arranged in
vertical rows. A single cavity with a niche for a lamp has been
thought to be the resting-place of the warrior-chief of Israel." The
modern Kefr Haris, 10 miles south-west of Shechem.
Timnite - a man
of Timnah. Samson's father-in-law is so styled (Judg. 15:6).
Timon -
honouring, one of the seven deacons at Jerusalem (Acts 6:5). Nothing
further is known of him.
Timotheus - the
Greek form of the name of Timothy (Acts 16:1, etc.; the R.V. always
"Timothy").
Timothy -
honouring God, a young disciple who was Paul's companion in many of
his journeyings. His mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois, are
mentioned as eminent for their piety (2 Tim. 1:5). We know nothing
of his father but that he was a Greek (Acts 16:1). He is first
brought into notice at the time of Paul's second visit to Lystra
(16:2), where he probably resided, and where it seems he was
converted during Paul's first visit to that place (1 Tim. 1:2; 2
Tim. 3:11). The apostle having formed a high opinion of his "own son
in the faith," arranged that he should become his companion (Acts
16:3), and took and circumcised him, so that he might conciliate the
Jews. He was designated to the office of an evangelist (1 Tim.
4:14), and went with Paul in his journey through Phrygia, Galatia,
and Mysia; also to Troas and Philippi and Berea (Acts 17:14). Thence
he followed Paul to Athens, and was sent by him with Silas on a
mission to Thessalonica (17:15; 1 Thess. 3:2). We next find him at
Corinth (1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1) with Paul. He passes now out of
sight for a few years, and is again noticed as with the apostle at
Ephesus (Acts 19:22), whence he is sent on a mission into Macedonia.
He accompanied Paul afterwards into Asia (20:4), where he was with
him for some time. When the apostle was a prisoner at Rome, Timothy
joined him (Phil. 1:1), where it appears he also suffered
imprisonment (Heb. 13:23). During the apostle's second imprisonment
he wrote to Timothy, asking him to rejoin him as soon as possible,
and to bring with him certain things which he had left at Troas, his
cloak and parchments (2 Tim. 4:13). According to tradition, after
the apostle's death he settled in Ephesus as his sphere of labour,
and there found a martyr's grave.
Timothy, First
Epistle to - Paul in this epistle speaks of himself as having
left Ephesus for Macedonia (1:3), and hence not Laodicea, as
mentioned in the subscription; but probably Philippi, or some other
city in that region, was the place where this epistle was written.
During the interval between his first and second imprisonments he
probably visited the scenes of his former labours in Greece and
Asia, and then found his way into Macedonia, whence he wrote this
letter to Timothy, whom he had left behind in Ephesus.
It was probably written about A.D. 66 or 67.
The epistle consists mainly, (1) of counsels
to Timothy regarding the worship and organization of the Church, and
the responsibilities resting on its several members; and (2) of
exhortation to faithfulness in maintaining the truth amid
surrounding errors.
Timothy, Second
Epistle to - was probably written a year or so after the first,
and from Rome, where Paul was for a second time a prisoner, and was
sent to Timothy by the hands of Tychicus. In it he entreats Timothy
to come to him before winter, and to bring Mark with him (comp.
Phil. 2:22). He was anticipating that "the time of his departure was
at hand" (2 Tim. 4:6), and he exhorts his "son Timothy" to all
diligence and steadfastness, and to patience under persecution
(1:6-15), and to a faithful discharge of all the duties of his
office (4:1-5), with all the solemnity of one who was about to
appear before the Judge of quick and dead.
Tin - Heb.
bedil (Num. 31:22; Ezek. 22:18, 20), a metal well known in ancient
times. It is the general opinion that the Phoenicians of Tyre and
Sidon obtained their supplies of tin from the British Isles. In
Ezek. 27:12 it is said to have been brought from Tarshish, which was
probably a commercial emporium supplied with commodities from other
places. In Isa. 1:25 the word so rendered is generally understood of
lead, the alloy with which the silver had become mixed (ver. 22).
The fire of the Babylonish Captivity would be the means of purging
out the idolatrous alloy that had corrupted the people.
Tinkling ornaments
- (Isa. 3:18), anklets of silver or gold, etc., such as are
still used by women in Syria and the East.
Tiphsah -
passing over; ford, one of the boundaries of Solomon's dominions (1
Kings 4:24), probably "Thapsacus, a great and wealthy town on the
western bank of the Euphrates," about 100 miles north-east of Tadmor.
All the land traffic between the east and the west passed through
it. Menahem undertook an expedition against this city, and "smote
Tiphsah and all that were therein" (2 Kings 15:16). This expedition
implied a march of some 300 miles from Tirzah if by way of Tadmor,
and about 400 if by way of Aleppo; and its success showed the
strength of the Israelite kingdom, for it was practically a defiance
to Assyria. Conder, however, identifies this place with Khurbet
Tafsah, some 6 miles west of Shechem.
Tiras - the
youngest of the sons of Japheth (Gen. 10:2; 1 Chr. 1:5).
Tires - "To
tire" the head is to adorn it (2 Kings 9:30). As a noun the word is
derived from "tiara," and is the rendering of the Heb. p'er, a
"turban" or an ornament for the head (Ezek. 24:17; R.V., "headtire;"
24:23). In Isa. 3:18 the word saharonim is rendered "round
tires like the moon," and in Judg. 8:21, 26 "ornaments," but in both
cases "crescents" in the Revised Version.
Tirhakah - the
last king of Egypt of the Ethiopian (the fifteenth) dynasty. He was
the brother-in-law of So (q.v.). He probably ascended the throne
about B.C. 692, having been previously king of Ethiopia (2 Kings
19:9; Isa. 37:9), which with Egypt now formed one nation. He was a
great warrior, and but little is known of him. The Assyrian armies
under Esarhaddon, and again under Assur-bani-pal, invaded Egypt and
defeated Tirhakah, who afterwards retired into Ethiopia, where he
died, after reigning twenty-six years.
Tirshatha - a
word probably of Persian origin, meaning "severity," denoting a high
civil dignity. The Persian governor of Judea is so called (Ezra
2:63; Neh. 7:65, 70). Nehemiah is called by this name in Neh. 8:9;
10:1, and the "governor" (pehah) in 5:18. Probably, therefore,
tirshatha=pehah=the modern pasha.
Tirza -
pleasantness. (1.) An old royal city of the Canaanites, which was
destroyed by Joshua (Josh. 12:24). Jeroboam chose it for his
residence, and he removed to it from Shechem, which at first he made
the capital of his kingdom. It remained the chief residence of the
kings of Israel till Omri took Samaria (1 Kings 14:17; 15:21; 16:6,
8, etc.). Here Zimri perished amid the flames of the palace to which
in his despair he had set fire (1 Kings 16:18), and here Menahem
smote Shallum (2 Kings 15:14, 16). Solomon refers to its beauty
(Cant. 6:4). It has been identified with the modern mud hamlet
Teiasir, 11 miles north of Shechem. Others, however, would identify
it with Telluza, a village about 6 miles east of Samaria.
(2.) The youngest of Zelophehad's five
daughters (Num. 26:33; Josh. 17:3).
Tishbite -
Elijah the prophet was thus named (1 Kings 17:1; 21:17, 28, etc.).
In 1 Kings 17:1 the word rendered "inhabitants" is in the original
the same as that rendered "Tishbite," hence that verse may be read
as in the LXX., "Elijah the Tishbite of Tishbi in Gilead." Some
interpret this word as meaning "stranger," and read the verse,
"Elijah the stranger from among the strangers in Gilead." This
designation is probably given to the prophet as denoting that his
birthplace was Tishbi, a place in Upper Galilee (mentioned in the
apocryphal book of Tobit), from which for some reason he migrated
into Gilead. Josephus, the Jewish historian (Ant. 8:13, 2), however,
supposes that Tishbi was some place in the land of Gilead. It has
been identified by some with el-Ishtib, a some place 22 miles due
south of the Sea of Galilee, among the mountains of Gilead.
Tisri - the
first month of the civil year, and the seventh of the ecclesiastical
year. See ETHANIM ¯T0001261 (1 Kings 8:2). Called in the Assyrian
inscriptions Tasaritu, i.e. "beginning."
Tithe - a tenth
of the produce of the earth consecrated and set apart for special
purposes. The dedication of a tenth to God was recognized as a duty
before the time of Moses. Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek (Gen.
14:20; Heb. 7:6); and Jacob vowed unto the Lord and said, "Of all
that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee."
The first Mosaic law on this subject is
recorded in Lev. 27:30-32. Subsequent legislation regulated the
destination of the tithes (Num. 18:21-24, 26-28; Deut. 12:5, 6, 11,
17; 14:22, 23). The paying of the tithes was an important part of
the Jewish religious worship. In the days of Hezekiah one of the
first results of the reformation of religion was the eagerness with
which the people brought in their tithes (2 Chr. 31:5, 6). The
neglect of this duty was sternly rebuked by the prophets (Amos 4:4;
Mal. 3:8-10). It cannot be affirmed that the Old Testament law of
tithes is binding on the Christian Church, nevertheless the
principle of this law remains, and is incorporated in the gospel (1
Cor. 9:13, 14); and if, as is the case, the motive that ought to
prompt to liberality in the cause of religion and of the service of
God be greater now than in Old Testament times, then Christians
outght to go beyond the ancient Hebrew in consecrating both
themselves and their substance to God.
Every Jew was required by the Levitical law
to pay three tithes of his property (1) one tithe for the Levites;
(2) one for the use of the temple and the great feasts; and (3) one
for the poor of the land.
Tittle - a
point, (Matt. 5:18; Luke 16:17), the minute point or stroke added to
some letters of the Hebrew alphabet to distinguish them from others
which they resemble; hence, the very least point.
Titus -
honourable, was with Paul and Barnabas at Antioch, and accompanied
them to the council at Jerusalem (Gal. 2:1-3; Acts 15:2), although
his name nowhere occurs in the Acts of the Apostles. He appears to
have been a Gentile, and to have been chiefly engaged in ministering
to Gentiles; for Paul sternly refused to have him circumcised,
inasmuch as in his case the cause of gospel liberty was at stake. We
find him, at a later period, with Paul and Timothy at Ephesus,
whence he was sent by Paul to Corinth for the purpose of getting the
contributions of the church there in behalf of the poor saints at
Jerusalem sent forward (2 Cor. 8:6; 12:18). He rejoined the apostle
when he was in Macedonia, and cheered him with the tidings he
brought from Corinth (7:6-15). After this his name is not mentioned
till after Paul's first imprisonment, when we find him engaged in
the organization of the church in Crete, where the apostle had left
him for this purpose (Titus 1:5). The last notice of him is in 2
Tim. 4:10, where we find him with Paul at Rome during his second
imprisonment. From Rome he was sent into Dalmatia, no doubt on some
important missionary errand. We have no record of his death. He is
not mentioned in the Acts.
Titus, Epistle to -
was probably written about the same time as the first epistle to
Timothy, with which it has many affinities. "Both letters were
addressed to persons left by the writer to preside in their
respective churches during his absence. Both letters are principally
occupied in describing the qualifications to be sought for in those
whom they should appoint to offices in the church; and the
ingredients of this description are in both letters nearly the same.
Timothy and Titus are likewise cautioned against the same prevailing
corruptions, and in particular against the same misdirection of
their cares and studies. This affinity obtains not only in the
subject of the letters, which from the similarity of situation in
the persons to whom they were addressed might be expected to be
somewhat alike, but extends in a great variety of instances to the
phrases and expressions. The writer accosts his two friends with the
same salutation, and passes on to the business of his letter by the
same transition (comp. 1 Tim. 1:2, 3 with Titus 1:4, 5; 1 Tim.1:4
with Titus 1:13, 14; 3:9; 1 Tim. 4:12 with Titus 2:7, 15).", Paley's
Horae Paulinae.
The date of its composition may be concluded
from the circumstance that it was written after Paul's visit to
Crete (Titus 1:5). That visit could not be the one referred to in
Acts 27:7, when Paul was on his voyage to Rome as a prisoner, and
where he continued a prisoner for two years. We may warrantably
suppose that after his release Paul sailed from Rome into Asia and
took Crete by the way, and that there he left Titus "to set in order
the things that were wanting." Thence he went to Ephesus, where he
left Timothy, and from Ephesus to Macedonia, where he wrote First
Timothy, and thence to Nicopolis in Epirus, from which place he
wrote to Titus, about A.D. 66 or 67.
In the subscription to the epistle it is said
to have been written from "Nicopolis of Macedonia," but no such
place is known. The subscriptions to the epistles are of no
authority, as they are not authentic.
Tob-adonijah -
good is Jehovah, my Lord, a Levite sent out by Jehoshaphat to
instruct the people of Judah in the law (2 Chr. 17:8).
Tobiah -
pleasing to Jehovah, the "servant," the "Ammonite," who joined with
those who opposed the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the Exile (Neh.
2:10). He was a man of great influence, which he exerted in
opposition to the Jews, and "sent letters" to Nehemiah "to put him
in fear" (Neh. 6:17-19). "Eliashib the priest" prepared for him
during Nehemiah's absence "a chamber in the courts of the house of
God," which on his return grieved Nehemiah sore, and therefore he
"cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber"
(13:7, 8).
Tobijah - id.,
a Levite sent out through Judah by Jehoshaphat to teach the people
(2 Chr. 17:8).
Tob, The land of -
a district on the east of Jodan, about 13 miles south-east of
the Sea of Galilee, to which Jephthah fled from his brethren (Judg.
11:3, 5). It was on the northern boundary of Perea, between Syria
and the land of Ammon (2 Sam. 10:6, 8). Its modern name is Taiyibeh.
Tochen -
measured, a town of Simeon (1 Chr. 4:32).
Togarmah - (1.)
A son of Gomer, and grandson of Japheth (Gen. 10:3).
(2.) A nation which traded in horses and
mules at the fairs of Tyre (Ezek. 27:14; 38:6); probably an Armenian
or a Scythian race; descendants of (1).
Tohu - one of
Samuel's ancestors (1 Sam. 1:1).
Toi - a king of
Hamath, who sent "Joram his son unto King David to salute him," when
he "heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer" (2 Sam.
8:9, 10). Called Tou (1 Chr. 18:9, 10).
Tola - a
scarlet worm. (1.) Eldest son of Issachar (Gen. 46:13).
(2.) A judge of the tribe of Issachar who
"judged" Israel twenty-three years (Judg. 10:1, 2), when he died,
and was buried in Shamir. He was succeeded by Jair.
Tolad -
productive, a town of Simeon, in the south of Judah (1 Chr. 4:29).
Tolaites -
descendants of Tola (Num. 26:23; 1 Chr. 7:1, 2).
Toll - one of
the branches of the king of Persia's revenues (Ezra 4:13; 7:24),
probably a tax levied from those who used the bridges and fords and
highways.
Tombs - of the
Hebrews were generally excavated in the solid rock, or were natural
caves. Mention is made of such tombs in Judg. 8:32; 2 Sam. 2:32; 2
Kings 9:28; 23:30. They were sometimes made in gardens (2 Kings
21:26; 23:16; Matt. 27:60). They are found in great numbers in and
around Jerusalem and all over the land. They were sometimes
whitewashed (Matt. 23:27, 29). The body of Jesus was laid in
Joseph's new rock-hewn tomb, in a garden near to Calvary. All
evidence is in favour of the opinion that this tomb was somewhere
near the Damascus gate, and outside the city, and cannot be
identified with the so-called "holy sepulchre." The mouth of such
rocky tombs was usually closed by a large stone (Heb. golal), which
could only be removed by the united efforts of several men (Matt.
28:2; comp. John 11:39). (See GOLGOTHA.)
Tongues, Confusion of -
at Babel, the cause of the early separation of mankind and their
division into nations. The descendants of Noah built a tower to
prevent their dispersion; but God "confounded their language" (Gen.
11:1-8), and they were scattered over the whole earth. Till this
time "the whole earth was of one language and of one speech." (See
SHINAR.)
Tongues, Gift of -
granted on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4), in fulfilment of a
promise Christ had made to his disciples (Mark 16:17). What this
gift actually was has been a subject of much discussion. Some have
argued that it was merely an outward sign of the presence of the
Holy Spirit among the disciples, typifying his manifold gifts, and
showing that salvation was to be extended to all nations. But the
words of Luke (Acts 2:9) clearly show that the various peoples in
Jerusalem at the time of Pentecost did really hear themselves
addressed in their own special language with which they were
naturally acquainted (comp. Joel 2:28, 29).
Among the gifts of the Spirit the apostle
enumerates in 1 Cor. 12:10-14:30, "divers kinds of tongues" and the
"interpretation of tongues." This "gift" was a different
manifestation of the Spirit from that on Pentecost, although it
resembled it in many particulars. Tongues were to be "a sign to them
that believe not."
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