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Gaal — loathing, the son of Ebed, in whom the Shechemites “placed their confidence” when they became discontented wit…

Gaash — a shaking, a hill, on the north side of which Joshua was buried (Joshua 24:30; Judges 2:9), in the territory o…

GABBATHA Gab — Baitha, i.e., “the ridge of the house” = “the temple-mound,” on a part of which the fortress of Antonia was bu…

Gabriel — champion of God, used as a proper name to designate the angel who was sent to Daniel (8:16) to explain the vis…

Gad — fortune; luck. (1.) Jacob’s seventh son, by Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid, and the brother of Asher (Genesis 30:11-1…

Gadara — the capital of the Roman province of Peraea. It stood on the summit of a mountain about 6 miles south-east of …

Gadarenes — the inhabitants of Gadara, in Revised Version “Gerasenes” (Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26, 37). In Matthew 8:28 they are …

Gaddi — fortunate, the representative of the tribe of Manasseh among the twelve “spies” sent by Moses to spy the land …

Gaddiel — fortune (i.e., sent) of God, the representative of the tribe of Zebulum among the twelve spies (Numbers 13:10)…

Gahar — lurking-place, one of the chief of the Nethinim, whose descendants returned to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel (Ezr…

GaIUS — (1.) A Macedonian, Paul’s fellow-traveller, and his host at Corinth when he wrote his Epistle to the Romans (1…

Galatia — has been called the “Gallia” of the East, Roman writers calling its inhabitants Galli. They were an intermixtu…

GALBANUM Hebrews — helbenah, (Exodus 30:34), one of the ingredients in the holy incense. It is a gum, probably from the Galbanum …

Galeed — heap of witness, the name of the pile of stones erected by Jacob and Laban to mark the league of friendship in…

Galilean — an inhabitant or native of Galilee. This word was used as a name of contempt as applied to our Lord’s disciple…

Gallery — (l.) Hebrews ‘attik (Ezekiel 41:15, 16), a terrace; a projection; ledge. (2.) Hebrews rahit (Cant. 1:17), tran…

Gallim — heaps, (1 Samuel 25:44; Isaiah 10:30). The native place of Phalti, to whom Michal was given by Saul. It was pr…

GALLOWS Hebrews — ‘ets, meaning “a tree” (Esther 6:4), a post or gibbet. In Genesis 40:19 and Deuteronomy 21:22 the word is rend…

Gamaliel — reward of God. (1.) A chief of the tribe of Manasseh at the census at Sinai (Numbers 1:10; 2:20; 7:54, 59). (2…

Games — (1.) Of children (Zechariah 8:5; Matthew 11:16). The Jewish youth were also apparently instructed in the use o…

Gammadim — (Ezekiel 27:11) brave warriors; R.V. marg., “valorous men;” others interpret this word as meaning “short-sword…

Gamul — weaned the leader of one of the priestly courses (1 Chronicles 24:17).…

Gap — a rent or opening in a wall (Ezekiel 13:5; comp. Amos 4:3). The false prophets did not stand in the gap (Ezeki…

Gardens — mentioned in Scripture, of Eden (Genesis 2:8, 9); Ahab’s garden of herbs (1 Kings 21:2); the royal garden (2 K…

Gareb — scabby; itch. (1.) One of David’s warriors (2 Samuel 23:38), an Ithrite. (2.) A hill near Jerusalem (Jeremiah …

Garlands — (Acts 14:13). In heathen sacrifices the victims were adorned with fillets and garlands made of wool, with leav…

Garlic — (Hebrews shum, from its strong odour), mentioned only once (Numbers 1 1:5). The garlic common in Eastern count…

Garner — (1.) Hebrews ‘otsar, a treasure; a store of goods laid up, and hence also the place where they are deposited (…

Garnish — overlay with stones (2 Chronicles 3:6), adorn (Revelation 21:19), deck with garlands (Matthew 23:29), furnish …

Garrison — (l.) Hebrews matstsab, a station; a place where one stands (1 Samuel 14:12); a military or fortified post (1 S…

Gate — (1.) Of cities, as of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 37:13; Nehemiah 1:3; 2:3; 3:3), of Sodom (Genesis 19:1), of Gaza (Ju…

Gath — a wine-vat, one of the five royal cities of the Philistines (Joshua 13:3) on which the ark brought calamity (1…

Gath-Hepher — wine-press of the well, a town of Lower Galilee, about 5 miles from Nazareth; the birthplace of Jonah (2 Kings…

Gath-Rimmon — press of the pomegranate. (1.) A Levitical city in the tribe of Dan (Joshua 19:45; 21:24; 1 Chronicles 6:69). …

Gaulanitis — a name derived from “Golan” (q.v.), one of the cities of refuge in the territory of Manasseh (Joshua 20:8; 21:…

Gaza — called also Azzah, which is its Hebrew name (Deuteronomy 2:23; 1 Kings 4:24; Jeremiah 25:20), strong, a city o…

GEBAthe — hill, (2 Samuel 5:25 [1 Chronicles 14:16, “Gibeon”]; 2 Kings 23:8; Nehemiah 1 1:31), a Levitical city of Benja…

Gebal — a line (or natural boundary, as a mountain range). (1.) A tract in the land of Edom south of the Dead Sea (Psa…

Gebalites — (1 Kings 5:18 R.V., in A.V. incorrectly rendered, after the Targum, “stone-squarers,” but marg. “Giblites”), t…

Geber — a valiant man, (1 Kings 4:19), one of Solomon’s purveyors, having jurisdiction over a part of Gilead, comprisi…

Gebim — cisterns, (rendered “pits,” Jeremiah 14:3; “locusts,” Isaiah 33:4), a small place north of Jerusalem, whose in…

Gedaliah — made great by Jehovah. (1.) the son of Jeduthum (1 Chronicles 25:3, 9). (2.) The grandfather of the prophet Ze…

Geder — a walled place, (Joshua 12:13), perhaps the same as Gederah or Gedor (15:58).…

Gederah — the fortress; a fortified place, a town in the plain (shephelah) of Judah (Joshua 15:36). This is a very commo…

GeDERATHUE — an epithet applied to Josabad, one of David’s warriors at Ziklag (1 Chronicles 12:4), a native of Gederah.…

Gedor — a wall. (1.) A city in the mountains or hill country of Judah (Joshua 15:58), identified with Jedar, between J…

Gehazi — valley of vision, Elisha’s trusted servant (2 Kings 4:31; 5:25; 8:4, 5). He appears in connection with the his…

Gehenna — (originally Ge bene Hinnom; i.e., “the valley of the sons of Hinnom”), a deep, narrow glen to the south of Jer…

Geliloth — circles; regions, a place in the border of Benjamin (Joshua 18:17); called Gilgalin 15:7.…

GEMARIAH Jehovah — has made perfect. (1.) The son of Shaphan, and one of the Levites of the temple in the time of Jehoiakim (Jere…

GENERATION Genesis — 2:4, “These are the generations,” means the “history.” 5:1, “The book of the generations,” means a family regi…

GENESIS The — five books of Moses were collectively called the Pentateuch, a word of Greek origin meaning “the five-fold boo…

Gennesaret — a garden of riches. (1.) A town of Naphtali, called Chinnereth (Joshua 19:35), sometimes in the plural form Ch…

Gentiles — (Hebrews , usually in plural, goyim), meaning in general all nations except the Jews. In course of time, as th…

Genubath — theft, the son of Hadad, of the Edomitish royal family. He was brought up in Pharaoh’s household. His mother w…

Gera — grain. (1.) The son of Bela and grandson of Benjamin (1 Chronicles 8:3, 5,7). (2.) The father of Ehud the judg…

Gerah — a bean, probably of the carob tree, the smallest weight, and also the smallest piece of money, among the Hebre…

Gerar — a region; lodging-place, a very ancient town and district in the south border of Palestine, which was ruled ov…

Gergesa — =Gerasa, identified with the modem Khersa, “over against Galilee,” close to the lake. This was probably the sc…

Ge RIZIM — a mountain of Samaria, about 3,000 feet above the Mediterranean. It was on the left of the valley containing t…

Gershom — expulsion. (1.) The eldest son of Levi (1 Chronicles 6:16, 17, 20, 43, 62, 71; 15:7)=GERSHON (q.v.). (2.) The …

Gershon — =Ger’ shorn expulsion, the eldest of Levi’s three sons (Genesis 46:11; Exodus 6:16). In the wilderness the son…

Geshem — or Gashmu, firmness, probably chief of the Arabs south of Palestine, one of the enemies of the Jews after the …

Geshur — bridge, the name of a district or principality of Syria near Gilead, between Mount Hermon and the Lake of Tibe…

Geshurites — (1.) The inhabitants of Geshur. They maintained friendly relations with the Israelites on the east of Jordan (…

Gethsemane — oil-press, the name of an olive-yard at the foot of the Mount of Olives, to which Jesus was wont to retire (Lu…

Gezer — a precipice, an ancient royal Canaanitish city (Joshua 10:33; 12:12). It was allotted with its suburbs to the …

Ghost — an old Saxon word equivalent to soul or spirit. It is the translation of the Hebrew nephesh and the Greek pneu…

Giants — (1.) Hebrews nephilim, meaning “violent” or “causing to fall” (Genesis 6:4). These were the violent tyrants of…

GlBBETHON — a height, a city of the Philistines in the territory of Dan, given to the Kohathites (Joshua 19:44; 21:23). Na…

GlBEAH — a hill or hill-town, “of Benjamin” (1 Samuel 13:15), better known as “Gibeah of Saul” (11:4; Isaiah 10:29). It…

GlBEAH-HAARALOTH — (Joshua 5:3, marg.), hill of the foreskins, a place at Gilgal where those who had been born in the wilderness …

GlBEAH OF Judah — (Joshua 15:57), a city in the mountains of Judah, the modern Jeba, on a hill in the Wady Musurr, about 7 1/2 m…

GlBEAH OF PHINEHAS — (Joshua 15:57, R.V. marg.), a city on Mount Ephraim which had been given to Phinehas (24:33 “hill,” A.V.; R.V.…

GlBEON — hill-city, “one of the royal cities, greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty” (Joshua 10:2). Its …

Gideon — called also Jerubbaal (Judges 6:29, 32), was the first of the judges whose history is circumstantially narrate…

GlER EAGLE Hebrews — raham = “parental affection,” Leviticus 11:18; Deuteronomy 14:17; R.V., “vulture”), a species of vulture livin…

Gift — (l.) An gratuity (Proverbs 19:6) to secure favour (18:16; 21:14), a thank-offering (Numbers 18:11), or a dowry…

GlHON — a stream. (1.) One of the four rivers of Eden (Genesis 2:13). It has been identified with the Nile. Others reg…

GlLBOA — boiling spring, a mountain range, now Jebel Fukua’, memorable as the scene of Saul’s disastrous defeat by the …

GlLEAD — hill of testimony, (Genesis 31:21), a mountainous region east of Jordan. From its mountainous character it is …

GlLGAL — rolling. (1.) Lrom the solemn transaction of the reading of the law in the valley of Shechem between Ebal and …

GlLOH — exile, a city in the south-west part of the hill-country of Judah (Joshua 15:51). It was the native place or r…

GlMZO — a place fertile in sycamores, a city in the plain of Judah, the villages of which were seized by the Philistin…

GlN — a trap. (1.) Psalm 140:5, 141:9, Amos 3:5, the Hebrew word used, mokesh, means a noose or “snare,” as it is el…

Girdle — (1.) Hebrews hagor, a girdle of any kind worn by soldiers (1 Samuel 18:4; 2 Samuel 20:8; 1 Kings 2:5; 2 Kings …

GlRGASHITE — dwelling in clayey soil, the descendants of the fifth son of Canaan (Genesis 10:16), one of the original tribe…

GlTTAH-HEPHER — (Joshua 19:13). See GATH-HEPHER.…

GlTTAIM — two wine-presses, (2 Samuel 4:3; Nehemiah 11:33), a town probably in Benjamin to which the Beerothites fled.…

Gottie — a native of the Philistine city of Gath (Joshua 13:3). Obed-edom, in whose house the ark was placed, is so des…

GmiTH — a stringed instrument of music. This word is found in the titles of Psalm 8, 81, 84. In these places the LXX. …

GlZONITE — a name given to Hashem, an inhabitant of Gizoh, a place somewhere in the mountains of Judah (1 Chronicles 11:3…

Glass — was known to the Egyptians at a very early period of their national history, at least B.C. 1500. Various artic…

GLEAN The — corners of fields were not to be reaped, and the sheaf accidentally left behind was not to be fetched away, ac…

Glede — an Old English name for the common kite, mentioned only in Deuteronomy 14:13 (Hebrews ra’ah), the Milvus ater …

Glorify — (1.) To make glorious, or cause so to appear (John 12:28; 13:31,32; 17:4,5). (2.) Spoken of God to “shew forth…

Glory — (Hebrews kabhod; Gr. doxa). (1.) Abundance, wealth, treasure, and hence honour (Psalm 49:12); glory (Genesis 3…

Glutton — (Deuteronomy 21:20), Hebrews zolel, from a word meaning “to shake out,” “to squander;” and hence one who is pr…

GNASH Hebrews — harak, meaning “to grate the teeth”, (Job 16:9; Psalm 112:10; Lamentations 2:16), denotes rage or sorrow. (See…

Gnat — only in Matthew 23:24, a small two- winged stinging fly of the genus Culex, which includes mosquitoes. Our Lor…

Goad — (Hebrews malmad, only in Judges 3: 31), an instrument used by ploughmen for guiding their oxen. Shamgar slew s…

Goat — (l.) Hebrews ‘ez, the she-goat (Genesis 15:9; 30:35; 31:38). This Hebrew word is also used for the he-goat (Ex…

Goath — a lowing, a place near Jerusalem, mentioned only in Jeremiah 31:39.…

Gob — a pit, a place mentioned in 2 Samuel 21:18, 19; called also Gezer, in 1 Chronicles 20:4.…

Goblet — a laver or trough for washing garments. In Cant. 7:2, a bowl or drinking vessel, a bowl for mixing wine; in Ex…

God — (A.S. and Dutch God; Daniel Gud; Ger. Gott), the name of the Divine Being. It is the rendering (1) of the Hebr…

Godhead — (Acts 17:29; Romans 1:20; Colossians 2:9), the essential being or the nature of God.…

Godliness — the whole of practical piety (1 Timothy 4:8; 2 Peter 1:6). “It supposes knowledge, veneration, affection, depe…

Goel — in Hebrew the participle of the verb gaal, “to redeem.” It is rendered in the Authorized Version “kinsman,” Nu…

Gog — (1.) A Reubenite (1 Chronicles 5:4), the father of Shimei. (2.) The name of the leader of the hostile party de…

Golan — exile, a city of Bashan (Deuteronomy 4:43), one of the three cities of refuge east of Jordan, about 12 miles n…

Gold — (1.) Hebrews zahab, so called from its yellow colour (Exodus 25:11; 1 Chronicles 28:18; 2 Chronicles 3:5). (2.…

Golden Calf — (Exodus 32:4,8; Deuteronomy 9:16; Nehemiah 9:18). This was a molten image of a calf which the idolatrous Israe…

Goldsmith — (Nehemiah 3:8,32; Isaiah 40:19; 41:7; 46:6). The word so rendered means properly a founder or finer.…

Golgotha — the common name of the spot where Jesus was crucified. It is interpreted by the evangelists as meaning “the pl…

Goliath — great. (1.) A famous giant of Gath, who for forty days openly defied the armies of Israel, but was at length s…

Gomer — complete; vanishing. (1.) The daughter of Diblaim, who (probably in vision only) became the wife of Hosea (1:3…

Gomorrah — submersion, one of the five cities of the plain of Siddim (q.v.) which were destroyed by fire (Genesis 10:19; …

Goodly Trees — boughs of, were to be carried in festive procession on the first day of the feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23…

Goodness — in man is not a mere passive quality, but the deliberate preference of right to wrong, the firm and persistent…

GOODNESS OF God — a perfection of his character which he exercises towards his creatures according to their various circumstance…

Gopher — a tree from the wood of which Noah was directed to build the ark (Genesis 6:14). It is mentioned only there. T…

Goshen — (1.) a district in Egypt where Jacob and his family settled, and in which they remained till the Exodus (Genes…

Gospel — a word of Anglo-Saxon origin, and meaning “God’s spell”, i.e., word of God, or rather, according to others, “g…

GOSPELS The — central fact of Christian preaching was the intelligence that the Saviour had come into the world (Matthew 4:2…

Gourd — (1.) Jonah’s gourd (Jonah 4:6-10), bearing the Hebrew name kikayon (found only here), was probably the kiki of…

Governments — (1 Corinthians 12:28), the powers which fit a man for a place of influence in the church; “the steersman’s art…

Governor — (l.) Hebrews nagid, a prominent, conspicuous person, whatever his capacity: as, chief of the royal palace (2 C…

Gozan — a region in Central Asia to which the Israelites were carried away captive (2 Kings 17:6; 1 Chronicles 5:26; 2…

Grace — (1.) Of form or person (Proverbs 1 :9; 3:22; Psalm 45:2). (2.) Favour, kindness, friendship (Genesis 6:8; 18:3…

Graft — the process of inoculating fruit-trees (Romans 11:17-24). It is peculiarly appropriate to olive-trees. The uni…

Grain — used, in Amos 9:9, of a small stone or kernel; in Matthew 13:31, of an individual seed of mustard; in John 12:…

Grape — the fruit of the vine, which was extensively cultivated in Palestine. Grapes are spoken of as “tender” (Cant. …

Grass — (l.) Hebrews hatsir, ripe grass fit for mowing (1 Kings 18:5; Job 40:15; Psalm 104:14). As the herbage rapidly…

Grasshopper — belongs to the class of neuropterous insects called Gryllidae. This insect is not unknown in Palestine. In Jud…

Grate — a network of brass for the bottom of the great altar of sacrifice (Exodus 27:4; 35:16; 38:4, 5, 30).…

GRAVE Among — the ancient Hebrews graves were outside of cities in the open field (Luke 7:12; John 11:30). Kings (1 Kings 2:…

GRAVEN IMAGE Deuteronomy — 27:15; Psalm 97:7 (Hebrews pesel), refers to the household gods of idolaters. “Every nation and city had its o…

Graving — (1.) Hebrews hatsabh. Job 19:24, rendered “graven,” but generally means hewn stone or wood, in quarry or fores…

Greaves — only in 1 Samuel 17:6, a piece of defensive armour (q.v.) reaching from the foot to the knee; from French grev…

Grecians — Hellenists, Greek-Jews; Jews born in a foreign country, and thus did not speak Hebrew (Acts 6:1; 9:29), nor jo…

Greece — orginally consisted of the four provinces of Macedonia, Epirus, Achaia, and Peleponnesus. In Acts 20:2 it desi…

G REE K Found — only in the New Testament, where a distinction is observed between “Greek” and “Grecian” (q.v.). The former is…

Greyhound — (Proverbs 30:3 1), the rendering of the Hebrew zarzir mothnayim, meaning literally “girded as to the lions.” S…

Grind — (Exodus 32:20; Deuteronomy 9:21; Judges 16:21), to crush small (Hebrews tahan); to oppress the poor (Isaiah 3:…

Grizzled — party-coloured, as goats (Genesis 31:10, 12), horses (Zechariah 6:3, 6).…

Grove — (1.) Hebrews ‘asherah, properly a wooden image, or a pillar representing Ashtoreth, a sensual Canaanitish godd…

Guard — (1.) Hebrews tabbah (properly a “cook,” and in a secondary sense “executioner,” because this office fell to th…

Guest-Chamber — the spare room on the upper floor of an Eastern dwelling (Mark 14:14; Luke 22:11). In Luke 2:7 the word is tra…

Gur — a whelp, a place near Ibleam where Jehu’s servants overtook and mortally wounded king Ahaziah (2 Kings 9:27); …

Gur-Baal — sojourn of Baal, a place in Arabia (2 Chronicles 26:7) where there was probably a temple of Baal.…

GUITER Hebrews — tsinnor, (2 Samuel 5:8). This Hebrew word occurs only elsewhere in Psalm 42:7 in the plural, where it is rende…