Darkon
(scatterer). Children of Darkon were among the “servants of Solomon” who returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel. (Ezra 2:56; Nehemiah 7:58) (B.C. before 536).
Darling
Ps. 22:20; 35:17) means an “only one.”
Dart
An instrument of war; a light spear. “Fiery darts” (Eph. 6:16) are so called in allusion to the habit of discharging darts from the bow while they are on fire or armed with some combustible material.…
Date
The fruit of a species of palm (q.v.), the Phoenix dactilifera. This was a common tree in Palestine (Joel 1:12; Neh. 8:15). Palm branches were carried by the Jews on festive occasions, and especially…
Dates
(2 Chronicles 31:5) marg. [Palm Tree TREE]
Dathan
Welled; belonging to a fountain, a son of Eliab, a Reubenite, who joined Korah (q.v.) in his conspiracy, and with his accomplices was swallowed up by an earthquake (Num. 16:1; 26:9; Deut. 11:6; Ps. 1…
Daughter
This word, besides its natural and proper sense, is used to designate, (1.) A niece or any female descendant (Gen. 20:12; 24:48; 28:6). (2.) Women as natives of a place, or as professing the religion…
David
Beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother’s name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam. 1…
David, City Of
(1.) David took from the Jebusites the fortress of Mount Zion. He “dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David” (1 Chr. 11:7). This was the name afterwards given to the castle and royal palace…
Day.
DAY. The natural day consists of 24 hours, or one revolution of the earth upon its axis. The artificial day is the time during which the sun is above the horizon. The civil day is reckoned differentl…
Daysman
An umpire or arbiter or judge (Job 9:33). This word is formed from the Latin diem dicere, i.e., to fix a day for hearing a cause. Such an one is empowered by mutual consent to decide the cause, and t…
Dayspring
(Job 38:12; Luke 1:78), the dawn of the morning; daybreak. (Comp. Isa. 60:1, 2; Mal. 4:2; Rev. 22:16.)
Daystar
Which precedes and accompanies the sun-rising. It is found only in 2 Pet. 1:19, where it denotes the manifestation of Christ to the soul, imparting spiritual light and comfort. He is the “bright and …
Day’s Journey
The usual length of a day’s journey in the East, on camel or horseback, in six or eight hours, is about 25 or 30 miles. The “three days’ journey” mentioned in Ex. 3:18 is simply a journey which would…
Deacon
Anglicized form of the Greek word diaconos, meaning a “runner,” “messenger,” “servant.” For a long period a feeling of mutual jealousy had existed between the “Hebrews,” or Jews proper, who spoke the…
Deaconess.
DEA'CONESS. Such was Phoebe, and in all probability Tryphena, Tryphosa, and Persis occupied the same office in the church in Rome. Rom 16:1, Jud 4:12. It is therefore probable that there was in the d…
Dead
DEAD, DEATH. Death is the destruction or extinction of life. By the transgression of God's commandment our first parents became liable to death. The threatening was, "In the day that thou eatest ther…
Dead Sea,
DEAD SEA, a name not found in Scripture. See Salt Sea.
Dead, Death.
DEAD, DEATH. Death is the destruction or extinction of life. By the transgression of God's commandment our first parents became liable to death. The threatening was, "In the day that thou eatest ther…
Deal, Tenth
See OMER.
Dearth
A scarcity of provisions (1 Kings 17). There were frequent dearths in Palestine. In the days of Abram there was a “famine in the land” (Gen. 12:10), so also in the days of Jacob (47:4, 13). We read a…
Death
May be simply defined as the termination of life. It is represented under a variety of aspects in Scripture: (1.) “The dust shall return to the earth as it was” (Eccl. 12:7). (2.) “Thou takest away t…
Debir,
DE'BIR, king of Eglon, one of the five kings who warred against Gibeon. He, with his companions, was slain by Joshua and hanged on a tree. Josh 10:3, Heb 12:23, Acts 11:26.
Deborah
A bee. (1.) Rebekah’s nurse. She accompanied her mistress when she left her father’s house in Padan-aram to become the wife of Isaac (Gen. 24:59). Many years afterwards she died at Bethel, and was bu…
Debt
The Mosaic law encouraged the practice of lending (Deut. 15:7; Ps. 37:26; Matt. 5:42); but it forbade the exaction of interest except from foreigners. Usury was strongly condemned (Prov. 28:8; Ezek. …
Debtor.
DEBTOR. See Loan.
Decalogue
The name given by the Greek fathers to the ten commandments; “the ten words,” as the original is more literally rendered (Ex. 20:3-17). These commandments were at first written on two stone slabs (31…
Decapolis
Ten cities=deka, ten, and polis, a city, a district on the east and south-east of the Sea of Galilee containing “ten cities,” which were chiefly inhabited by Greeks. It included a portion of Bashan a…
Decision
DECISION, VALLEY OF. Joel 3:14. See Jehoshaphat.
Decision, Valley Of.
DECISION, VALLEY OF. Joel 3:14. See Jehoshaphat.