every where shut in by narrow ravines, except on the north, in which direction we had first approached it. Here there is, as before observed, a valley of some extent, and a small plain, in the midst of which is a rocky hill. These appear to have been the only places in which the Israelites couldhavestood before the mount; because on the fourth [or south] side, though unvisited, we could observe from the summit, were only glens or small rocky valleys, as on the east and west." Such is the most graphic account which the writer has been able to compile, from the accounts of travellers, of that celebrated region of which the summit Djebel Mousa is the centre; and which has now for centuries been supposed to be the Sinai of the Scriptures, and the scene of the awful communications between God and his covenant people of old, in the giving of the law. It must not, however, be denied, that the identity of this mountain rests upon tradition, strengthened indeed by its geographical position and several other circumstances. Compare the article EXODUS. of barley, and another was undergoing the labor of the plough, in which circumstance we have another remarkable instance of the fulfilment of prophecy :"Therefore shall Zion for your sakes be ploughed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps." Mic. 3:12. See JERUSALEM. SIRION, see HERMON. SISERA, a general in the army of Jabin, king of Hazor, was sent by his master against Barak and Deborah, who occupied mount Tabor with an army. Being defeated, he fled on foot, and was ingloriously slain by Jael. Judg. c. 4,5. See JAEL. SISTER. In the style of the Hebrews, sister has equal latitude with brother. It is used, not only for a sister by natural relation, from the same father and mother, but also for a sister by the same father only, or by the same mother only; or for any near female relative. Matt. 13:56. Mark 6:3. See BROTHER. SLAVES. Moses notices two or three sorts of slaves among the Hebrews, who had foreign slaves, obtained by capture, by purchase, or born in the house. Over these, masters had an entire authority; they might sell them, exchange them, punish I. SION, a name given, Deut. 4:48, to one of the elevations of the mountain-ridge called Her-them, judge them, and even put mon, which see. II. SION, the name of the south-westernmost of the hills on which the city of Jerusalem was built, and on which the citadel of the Jebusites stood when Da vid took possession of it, and transferred his court thither from Hebron. Hence it is frequently called "the city of David," and from his having deposited the ark here, it is also frequently called "the holy hill." When Dr. Richardson visited this spot, one part of it supported a crop them to death, without public process. In which the Hebrews followed the rules common to other nations. A Hebrew might fall into slavery in several ways: (1.) If reduced to extreme poverty, he might sell himself. Lev. 25:39. (2.) A father might sell his children as slaves. Exod. 21:7. (3.) Insolvent debtors might be delivered to their creditors as slaves. 2 K. 4:1. (4.) Thieves not able to make restitution for their thefts, or the value, were sold for the ben efit of the sufferers. Exod. 22:3. || it, previous to its being drank, (5.) They might be taken pris- which is esteemed extremely oners in war. (6.) They might refreshing. This removes the be stolen, and afterwards sold for slaves, as Joseph was sold by his brethren. (7.) A Hebrew slave redeemed from a Gentile by one of his brethren, might be sold by him to another Israelite. Compare SERVANT. SLIME, Gen. 11:3, a bituminous production, procured from pits in the earth, out of which it issues, often in considerable quantities. Slime-pits were pits yielding bitumen. SMYRNA, a celebrated Ionian city, situated at the head of a deep gulf on the western coast of Asia Minor. It was one of the richest and most powerful cities of that region, and was frequented by great numbers of Jews. It is still a commercial city, and is called by the Turks Ismir. The population is usually stated at 130,000, as follows: A church was early established in Smyrna, which is addressed as one of the seven churches of Asia. Rev. 1:11. 2:8. SNOW, from its whiteness, forms a frequent object of comparison in Scripture. Exod. 4:6. Num. 12:10. 2 K. 5:27. The expression in Prov. 25:13, " As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to them who send him; for he refresheth the soul of his masters," seems to refer to the cooling effect of snow on the wines drank in the East; or to what in Italy is termed alfresco, that is, snow put into water to cool apparent contradiction of this passage with c. 26:1. As snow, that is, a fall of snow, in summer, is unnatural and ill-timed, so honor is not seemly for a fool; but it is quite out of character, out of season. SO, king of Egypt, made an alliance with Hoshea, king of Israel, and promised him assistance, yet gave none, nor prevented Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, from taking Samaria, and subverting the kingdom. 2 K. 17:4. See PHARAOH. SOAP, or FULLER'S SOAP, named, in Hebrew, borith, signifying the cleanser, is by some supposed to be a salt, extracted from the earth, called by the Arabs bora. Others suppose it rather to be a vegetable. The ancients certainly employed vegetables, and the salt extracted from them, for the purpose of washing linen. The kali, or barilla, is called, in the London Pharmacopoeia, natron; and there seems to be sufficient reason to consider it as the borith-plant of Jeremiah, 2:22; at least, it is the best known to us of those plants which possess the property of cleansing, either by themselves or their salts. In its wild state, it rises about a foot in height; the leaves are long, narrow and prickly, the flowers whitish or rose-colored. It found on the sea-shore, and is considered as a sea-weed. The best, burned into a hard mass of salt, comes from Alicant in Spain. Combined with fat, it forms soap. Jer. 2:22. Mal. 3:2. SODOM, one of the cities of the plain, and for some time the dwelling-place of Lot. Gen. 13:10,12,13. Its crimes, how ever, were so enormous, that God destroyed it by fire from heaven, with three neighboring cities, Gomorrha, Zeboim and Admah, which were as wicked as itself. Gen. c. 19. The plain in which they stood was pleasant and fruitful, like an earthly paradise, but it was first burned, and afterwards overflowed by the waters of the Jordan, which formed the present Dead sea, or lake of Sodom. The prophets, in denouncing woes upon other countries, mention the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha, or allude to it, and intimate that these places shall be desert, and dried up, and uninhabited, Jer. 49:18. 50:40; that they shall be covered with briers and brambles, a land of salt and sulphur, where can be neither planting nor sowing, Deut. 29: 23. Amos 4:11. Throughout Scripture, the ruin of Sodom and Gomorrha is represented as most signal effect of God's anger. See SEA, Dead, and JORDAN. a SOLOMON, the son and successor of David, celebrated for his immense riches and for the extent of his kingdom, but still more for his wisdom and sagacity. He executed David's plan for building a temple, which he erected with the utmost magnificence. In his old age, he fell away into idolatry. His history is found in 1 K. c. 1-11. 2 Chr. c. 1-9. The Writings of Solomon are generally understood to include the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Canticles, though it is by no means certain that he was the author of them all. See these articles. For the Song of Solomon, see CANTICLES. SOOTHSAYER, see SOR CERER. SOPATER, see SOSIPATER. SORCERER, one who practised sorcery, and nearly or quite synonymous with magician, soothsayer, wizard, &c. This was a class of persons who dealt in incantations and divinations, and boasted of a power, in consequence of their deep science and by means of certain rites, to evoke the spirits of the dead from their gloomy abodes, and compel them to disclose information on subjects beyond the reach of the human powers. They pretended also, that, by means of certain herbs and incantations, they were able to expel evil demons. Acts 13:6,8. Those persons also who devoted themselves to the general studies above mentioned, often abused their knowledge and deceived the common people, by pretending to foretell the destinies of men from the motions and appearances of the planets and stars, and to cure certain diseases by repeating certain phrases, &c. Of this class appears to have been Simon the sorcerer, mentioned Acts 8:9,11. Females who practised such arts were called sorceresses, witches, &c. See DIVINATION, INCHANTMENTS, and MAGIC. SOSIPATER, or, contracted, SOPATER, a disciple of Berea, whom Paul calls his kinsman. Acts 20:4. Rom. 16:21. SOSTHENES, the chief of the synagogue of Corinth, who was beaten by the Gentiles, when the Jews carried Paul before Gallio, the proconsul. Acts 18:17. 1 Cor. 1:1. SOUL. The ancients supposed the soul, or rather the animating principle of life, to reside in the breath, and that it departed from the body with the breath. Hence the Hebrew and Greek words which, when they refer to man, in our Bibles are translated soul, are usually rendered life or breath, when they refer to animals. Sometimes, however, the word soul refers also to the life of man, as Gen. 2:7. the whole Spanish peninsula. In the time of Paul, it was subject to the Romans, and was frequented by many Jews. In Rom. 15:24,28, Paul expresses his intention of visiting Spain; but there is no good evidence that he was ever permitted to fulfil his purpose. SPARROW, a small bird, the passer domesticus, or fringilla domestica, of the naturalists, with quill and tail feathers brown, and its body gray and black, resembling the small chirping-bird of America. It is a general inhabitant of Europe, Asia and Africa; is bold and familiar in its habits; and frequents populous places. It builds under the eaves of houses, and in similar situations; feeds on seeds, fruits and insects; and lays five or six eggs of a pale ash color, with brown spots. A sparrow is, of course, a thing of comparatively little value; and it is, therefore, a But, beside this spirit, which is the principle of animal life, common to men and brutes, and which is dispersed after death, there is in man a spiritual, reasonable and immortal soul, the origin of our thoughts, desires and reasonings, which distinguishes us from the brute creation, and in which chiefly consists our resemblance to God. Gen. 1:26. This must be spiritual, because it thinks; it must be immortal, because it is spiritual. And though Scripture ascribes both to man and beast a spirit or life, it allows to man alone the privilege of understanding, the knowledge of God, wisdom, immortality, hope of future happiness, and of eternal life. It threatens men, only, with punish-striking exemplification of God's ment in another life, and with the pains of hell. The immortality of the soul is a fundamental doctrine of revealed religion. The ancient patriarchs lived and died persuaded of this truth; and it was in the hope of another life that they received the promises. But it is only under the gospel, that "life and immortality" are fully brought to light, and that the worth of immortal souls can be fully appreciated. To save the souls of men, Christ has freely devoted himself to death. How then does it become us to labor, and toil, and strive, in our respective spheres, to promote the great work for which a Saviour bled and died! providence, to say that he watches even over the sparrow's fall. Matt. 10:29. SPIDER, a well-known insect, remarkable for the thread which it spins, and with which it forms a web of curious texture, but so frail that it is exposed to be broken and destroyed by the slightest accident. To the slenderness of this filmy workmanship Job compares the hope of the wicked, 8:14. In Prov. 30:28, it is said in our version, that "the spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces." But the Hebrew employs here a different word, which signifies, according to the best interpreters, a species of poisonous newt, or lizard. SPIKENARD, the andropo SPAIN comprehended, in ancient usage, the modern king-gon nardus of Linnæus, is a doms of Spain and Portugal, i. e. plant belonging to the order of gramina or grasses, and is of different species. In India, whence the best sort comes, grows as common grass, in large tufts close to each other, in general from three to four feet in length. So strong is its aroma, which resides principally in the husky roots, that, when trodden upon, or otherwise bruised, the air is filled with its fragrance. Dr. Blane, who planted some of the roots in his garden, at Lucknow, states, that in the rainy season it shot up spikes about six feet high. This plant was highly valued among the ancients, both as an article of luxury, and as a medicine. The unguentum nardinum, or ointment of nard, was the favorite perfume used at the ancient baths and feasts; and it appears from a passage in Horace, that it was so valuable, that so much of it as could be contained in a small box of precious stone was considered a sort of equivalent for a large vessel of wine; and as a handsome quota for a guest to contribute to an entertainment, according to the custom of antiquity. This leads us to notice the narrative of the evangelist, of "a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard, very precious; and she brake the box and poured it on his [Christ's] head." Mark 14:3. In verse 5, this is said to have been worth more than three hundred pence; (denarii, see PENNY ;) and John mentions "a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly the house was filled with the odor of the ointment;-it was worth three hundred pence. John 12:3. As this evangelist has determined the quantity, a pound, and the lowest value (for Mark says more) was nearly forty dollars, we may safely suppose that this was not a Syrian production, or made from any fragrant grass growing in the neighboring districts; but was of the true Indian spikenard, " very costly." See ALABASTER. SPIRIT is a word employed in various senses in Scripture. (1.) For the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Holy Trinity, who inspired the prophets, who animates good men, pours his unction into our hearts, imparts to us life and comfort; and in whose name we are baptized, as well as in that of the Father and the Son. When the adjective holy is applied to the term spirit, we should always understand it as here explained; but there are many places where it must be taken in this sense, although the term holy is omitted. (2.) Breath, respiration, animal life, common to men and animals: this God has given, and this he recalls when he takes away life. Ecc. 3:21. (3.) The rational soul which animates us, and preserves its being after the death of the body. That spiritual, reasoning and choosing substance, which is capable of eternal happiness. See SOUL. (4.) An angel, a demon, a soul separate from the body. It is said, Acts 23:8, that the Sadducees denied the existence of angels and spirits. Christ, appearing to his disciples, said to them, Luke 24: 39, "Handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." (5.) Spirit is sometimes taken for the disposition of the mind or intellect. So, a spirit of jealousy, a spirit of fornication, a spirit of prayer, a spirit of infirmity, a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of fear of the Lord, &c. Hos. 4:12. Zech. 12:10. Luke 13:11. Isa. 11:2. |