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Wafers — thin cakes (Exodus 16:31; 29:2, 23; Leviticus 2:4; 7:12; 8:26; Numbers 6:15, 19) used in various offerings.…

WAGES Rate — of (mention only in Matthew 20:2); to be punctually paid (Leviticus 19:13; Deuteronomy 24:14, 15); judgements …

WAGON Hebrews — aghalah; so rendered in Genesis 45:19, 21, 27; 46:5; Numbers 7:3, 7,8, but elsewhere rendered “cart” (1 Samuel…

Wailing- — PLACE, JEWS’ a section of the western wall of the temple area, where the Jews assemble every Lriday afternoon …

WALL Cities — were surrounded by walls, as distinguished from “unwalled villages” (Ezekiel 38:11; Leviticus 25:29-34). They …

Wandering — of the Israelites in the wilderness in consequence of their rebellious fears to enter the Promised Land (Numbe…

War The Israelites — had to take possession of the Promised Land by conquest. They had to engage in a long and bloody war before th…

Ward — a prison (Genesis 40:3, 4); a watch-station (Isaiah 21:8); a guard (Nehemiah 13:30).…

Wars — of the Lord, The Book of the (Numbers 21 : 14 , 15 ), some unknown book so called (comp. Genesis 14:14-16; Exo…

Washing — (Mark 7:1-9). The Jews, like other Orientals, used their fingers when taking food, and therefore washed their …

Watches — the periods into which the time between sunset and sunrise was divided. They are so called because watchmen re…

Watchings — (2 Corinthians 6:5), lit. “sleeplessnesses,” the result of “manual labour, teaching, travelling, meditating, p…

Water Of Jealousy — a phrase employed (not, however, in Scripture) to denote the water used in the solemn ordeal prescribed by the…

Water Of Purification — used in cases of ceremonial cleansings at the consecration of the Levites (Numbers 8:7). It signified, figurat…

Water Of Separation — used along with the ashes of a red heifer for the ceremonial cleansing of persons defiled by contact with a de…

Waterspouts — (Psalm 42:7; marg. R.V., “cataracts”). If we regard this psalm as descriptive of David’s feelings when banishe…

Wave Offerings — parts of peace-offerings were so called, because they were waved by the priests (Exodus 29:24, 26, 27; Levitic…

WAX Made — by melting the combs of bees. Mentioned (Psalm 22:14; 68:2; 97:5; Micah 1:4) in illustration.…

WEAN Among — the Hebrews children (whom it was customary for the mothers to nurse, Exodus 2:7-9; 1 Samuel 1:23; Cant. 8:1) …

Weasel — (Hebrews holedh), enumerated among unclean a ni mals (Leviticus 11:29). Some think that this Hebrew word rathe…

WEEK From — the beginning, time was divided into weeks, each consisting of six days of working and one of rest (Genesis 2:…

Weights Reduced — to English troy-weight, the Hebrew weights were: (1.) The gerah (Leviticus 27:25; Numbers 3:47), a Hebrew word…

Westward — sea-ward, i.e., toward the Mediterranean (Deuteronomy 3:27).…

WHALE The Hebrew — word tan (plural, tannin) is so rendered in Job 7:12 (A.V.; but R.V., “sea- monster”). It is rendered by “drag…

Wheel — (Hebrews galgal; rendered “wheel” in Psalm 83:13, and “a rolling thing” in Isaiah 17:13; R.V. in both, “whirli…

White — a symbol of purity (2 Chronicles 5:12; Psalm 51:7; Isaiah 1:18; Revelation 3:18; 7:14). Our Lord, at his trans…

Widows — to be treated with kindness (Exodus 22:22; Deuteronomy 14:29; 16:11, 14; 24:17, 19-21; 26:12; 27:19, etc.). In…

WIFE The — ordinance of marriage was sanctioned in Paradise (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6). Monogamy was the original law…

Wilderness — (1.) Hebrews midhbar, denoting not a barren desert but a district or region suitable for pasturing sheep and c…

Willows — (1.) Hebrews ‘arabim (Leviticus 23:40; Job 40:22; Isaiah 15:7; 44:3, 4; Psalm 137:1, 2). This was supposed to …

WlMPLE Isaiah — 3:22, (R.V., “shawls”), a wrap or veil. The same Hebrew word is rendered “vail” (R.V., “mantle”) in Ruth 3:15.…

Window — properly only an opening in a house for the admission of light and air, covered with lattice-work, which might…

Winds — blowing from the four quarters of heaven (Jeremiah 49:36; Ezekiel 37:9; Daniel 8:8; Zechariah 2:6). The east w…

WlNE The — common Hebrew word for wine is yayin, from a root meaning “to boil up,” “to be in a ferment.” Others derive it…

WlNEFAT — (Mark 12:1). The original word (hypolenion) so rendered occurs only here in the New Testament. It properly den…

WlNE-PRESS Consisted — of two vats or receptacles, (1) a trough (Hebrews gath, Gr. lenos) into which the grapes were thrown and where…

WINNOW Corn — was winnowed, (1.) By being thrown up by a shovel against the wind. As a rule this was done in the evening or …

Wise Me N — mentioned in Daniel 2:12 included three classes, (1) astrologers, (2) Chaldeans, and (3) soothsayers. The word…

Witch Occurs — only in Exodus 22:18, as the rendering of mekhashshepheh , the feminine form of the word, meaning “enchantress…

Witchcraft — (1 Samuel 15:23; 2 Kings 9:22; 2 Chronicles 33:6; Micah 5:12; Nahum 3:4; Galatians 5:20). In the popular sense…

Witness More — than one witness was required in criminal cases (Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15). They were the first to execute the …

Witness Of The Spirit — (Romans 8:16), the consciousness of the gracious operation of the Spirit on the mind, “a certitude of the Spir…

Wizard — a pretender to supernatural knowledge and power, “a knowing one,” as the original Hebrew word signifies. Such …

Wolf Hebrews — zeeb, frequently referred to in Scripture as an emblem of treachery and cruelty. Jacob’s prophecy, “Benjamin s…

Woman — was “taken out of man” (Genesis 2:23), and therefore the man has the preeminence. “The head of the woman is th…

Wood — -OFFERING (Nehemiah 10:34; 13:31). It would seem that in the time of Nehemiah arrangements were made, probably…

Wool — one of the first material used for making woven cloth (Leviticus 13:47, 48, 52, 59; 19:19). The first-fruit of…

WORD OF God — (Hebrews 4:12, etc.). The Bible so called because the writers of its several books were God’s organs in commun…

Worm — (1.) Hebrews sas (Isaiah 51:8), denotes the caterpillar of the clothes-moth. (2.) The manna bred worms (tola’i…

WORMWOOD Hebrews — la’anah, the Artemisia absinthium of botanists. It is noted for its intense bitterness (Deuteronomy 29:18; Pro…

Worship — homage rendered to God which it is sinful (idolatry) to render to any created being (Exodus 34:14; Isaiah 2:8)…

Worshipper — (Gr. neocoros = temple-sweeper (Acts 19:35) of the great goddess Diana). This name neocoros appears on most of…

WRITING The — art of writing must have been known in the time of the early Pharaohs. Moses is commanded “to write for a memo…