Watchings
(2 Cor. 6:5), lit. “sleeplessnesses,” the result of “manual labour, teaching, travelling, meditating, praying, cares, and the like” (Meyer’s Com.).
Watchman
WATCH'MAN. Song 5:7; Isa 21:11. In Persia the watchmen were required to indemnify those who were robbed in the streets, and hence they were extremely vigilant to give the alarm and protect the city a…
Water
WA'TER. The scarcity of water is one of the calamities of the Eastern world, and the distress which is often experienced by man and beast for want of it, is indescribable. Thus the gathering of water…
Water Of Jealousy.
WATER OF JEAL'OUSY. Num 5:11-31. See Adultery.
Water Of Purification
Used in cases of ceremonial cleansings at the consecration of the Levites (Num. 8:7). It signified, figuratively, that purifying of the heart which must characterize the servants of God.
Water Of Separation
Used along with the ashes of a red heifer for the ceremonial cleansing of persons defiled by contact with a dead body (Num. 19).
Water-pot
WA'TER-POT. The custom of washing the feet necessitated the use of a large amount of water on festive occasions. Hence, in John 2:6 there is mention made of six stone water-pots which held about 25 g…
Waterspouts
(Ps. 42:7; marg. R.V., “cataracts”). If we regard this psalm as descriptive of David’s feelings when banished from Jerusalem by the revolt of Absalom, this word may denote “waterfalls,” inasmuch as M…
Wave Offerings
Parts of peace-offerings were so called, because they were waved by the priests (Ex. 29:24, 26, 27; Lev. 7:20-34; 8:27; 9:21; 10:14, 15, etc.), in token of a solemn special presentation to God. They …
Wave-offering
WAVE-OF'FERING, a peculiar feature of the rite of peace-offering, the right shoulder of the victim, considered the choicest piece, being "heaved," and eaten only by the priests, while the breast was …
Wax,
WAX, a well-known substance made from the combs of bees, easily softened and dissolved by heat, is often used in Scripture as a means of illustration. Ps 68:2; Ps 97:5; Mic 1:4.
Wean.
WEAN. As a daily portion was not allotted to Levite children until they reached the age of three years, 2 Chr 31:16, it has been inferred that among the Jews children continued to suckle up to that t…
Weapons.
WEAP'ONS. Neh 4:17. See Arms.
Weasel,
WEA'SEL, generally agreed to mean the mole. See Mole. Lev 11:29.
Weave
WEAVE. Various woven fabrics are spoken of as having been produced by the Israelites during their wanderings - such as curtains of goats' hair, Ex 26:7; woollen garments, Lev 13:47; twined linen, Ex …
Weaving
The art of weaving appears to be coeval with the first dawning of civilization. We find it practiced with great skill by the Egyptians at a very early period; The vestures of fine linen” such as Jose…
Weaving, Weavers
Weaving was an art practised in very early times (Ex. 35:35). The Egyptians were specially skilled in it (Isa. 19:9; Ezek. 27:7), and some have regarded them as its inventors. In the wilderness, the …
Wedding
[Marriage]
Wedding-garment
WED'DING-GAR'MENT. The wedding-garments were furnished by the host, and were required to be worn by those who were admitted as guests at marriage-suppers. Matt 22:11.
Week.
WEEK. The division of time into portions of seven days found among many different nations which cannot have adopted it from one another - such as the Chinese. Peruvians, etc. - is by some referred ba…
Weeks
WEEKS, FEAST OF. See Pentecost.
Weeks, Feast Of.
WEEKS, FEAST OF. See Pentecost.
Weights And Measures
A. WEIGHTS.—The general principle of the present inquiry is to give the evidence of the monuments the preference on all doubtful points. All ancient Greek systems of weight were derived, either direc…
Weights.
WEIGHTS. See Measures.
Well
(Heb. beer), to be distinguished from a fountain (Heb. ‘ain). A “beer” was a deep shaft, bored far under the rocky surface by the art of man, which contained water which percolated through the strata…
Wells
WELLS were very essential in a dry and hot country like Palestine, and were generally provided at each place of pasturage with a great outlay of labor. They were deep, John 4:11, and difficult both t…
Westward
Sea-ward, i.e., toward the Mediterranean (Deut. 3:27).
Whale.
WHALE. In the Mosaic account of the creation, when we are told that on the fifth day God created great whales, sea-monsters in general are doubtless meant. Gen 1:21. The original of "whale" is often …
Wheat.
WHEAT. In Palestine this most important of all grains was sown after barley, late in the fall. It was not only scattered broadcast and then ploughed, harrowed, or trodden in, Isa 32:20, but it seems,…
Wheel
(Heb. galgal; rendered “wheel” in Ps. 83:13, and “a rolling thing” in Isa. 17:13; R.V. in both, “whirling dust”). This word has been supposed to mean the wild artichoke, which assumes the form of a g…