SIDON, ZIDON. See PHENICIA. The very best vines grew near this river, denotes the west of the Euplace, Isa. xvi. 8. It was originally phrates, Ezra v. 3. Neh. iii. 7. the property of the Moabites; but Sihon having taken it from them, it fell to the Reubenites after his overthrow, or castle with an army, in order to Numb. xxxii. 31. Josh. xiii. 19. starve or force the inhabitants to a During the decline of the kingdom surrender. The scriptures mention of Israel, the Moabites seized on it. the sieges of Samaria, Nineveh, BaIt was destroyed or pillaged by the bylon, Jerusalem, and Tyre, as most Assyrians, Isa. xvi. 8. and afterwards noted. The other famed sieges of by the Chaldeans, Jer. xlviii. 32. antiquity, are those of Troy, Ashdod, CHEM. SIBRAIM, a city or place on the Tyre, Alexandria, and Numantium. north-east of Canaan, between Ha-The more noted sieges of modern math and Damascus, Ezek. xlvii. 16. times are those of Constantinople, SICHEM, SYDHAR. See She- Ostend, and Graves, but especially that of Candia in CRETE. The surSICK. A person is sick, when dis- rounding judgments of God, reduceased, Gen. xlviii. 1. A kingdom ing men to great hardships, are callor nation is sick, when corrupted ed a siege, Isa. xxix. 3. by sin, and oppressed, perplexed, SIEVE, an instrument for separatand almost ruined, Isa. i. 15. Mic. ing the finer parts of powder, &c. vi. 13. Hos. v. 13. A soul is sick, from the coarser; or for cleansing when distressed with trouble, or corn from sand, chaff, or light grain. with the want of things hoped for, God sifts his people in a sieve, when Prov. xiii. 12. when conscious of guilt by his judgments he scatters and and corruption, Matt. ix. 12. when tosses them till the hypocritical part pained with ardent love to, and de- be separated from them, Amos ix. 9. sire after fellowship with Christ, He sifted the Assyrians with a sieve Song v. 8. and when overpowered of vanity, that passes every thing, and ravished with the sweet enjoy- when he almost cut off their whole ment of Christ and his fulness, Song army, Isa. xxx. 28. Satan sifts men ii. 5. as wheat, when he tempts and haSICKLE, an instrument for cut-rasses them, studying to shake them ting down corn, Deut. xvi. 9. God's from their steadfastness in religion, judgments, whereby he destroys An- till they are in imminent danger of tichrist and other nations, are likened losing all, Luke xxii. 31. to it, Rev. xiv. 14—17. Joel iii. 13. as that they shall have scarcely time to sigh; and then shall the Jews and other captives cease from their sorrow, and be glad, Isa. xxi. 2. SIGH, to show grief for sin or misery by a kind of groaning, Isa. SIDE, (1.) The margin of a thing, xxxiv. 7. To sigh with the breaking Josh. viii. 33. (2.) Party, Exod. of loins, is to be in extreme grief, xxxii. 26. (3.) The frontiers of a Ezek. xxi. 6. All the sighing therecountry, or gates of its cities, Ezek. of I have made to cease. Babylon's XXV. 9. To know the signification destruction shall come so suddenly, of the phrases, on this side, on that side, or on the other side, we must know where the speaker or writer was at the time; Moses being on the east of Jordan, calls the east side of it, on this side, Numb. xxxii. 19. and xxxv. 14. In Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Isaiah, Chronicles, on this side of Jordan, denotes the west side, Josh. ix. 10, &c. As Ezra and Nehemiah were written on the west of, the Euphrates, on this side of the sion, a king of the Amorites, on the SIGHT. See SEE. SIGNIFY, (1.) To mean, point the Amorites, on the east of Jordan. Paul's second epistle to the CorinAbout A. M. 2540, he invaded the thians, 2 Cor. viii. 18, 19. Being with kingdom of Moab, and seized a con- Paul, he sends his salutations to the siderable part of it about A. M. Thessalonians, in both epistles di2552. He refused a passage to the rectly to them. He wrote the copy Hebrews through his country. Mo-sent to the Romans, and sends his sases therefore attacked him in war, lutation, Rom. vi. 22. By him, Peter took his country from him, and gave wrote his first epistle to the dispersit to the tribe of Reuben, Numb. ed Jews, 1 Pet. v. 12. He is said xxi. and xxxii. Deut. ii. 26–37. to have died in Macedonia; but wheJosh. xiii. Psal. cxxxvi. 19, 21. ther by martyrdom or not, we are pot certain. SIHOR, SHIHOR. See Nile. SIHOR, or SICHOR, black, trou- SILENCE, (1.) Without speech ble, early in the morning, the Nile is or noise, Job xxix. 21. Jer. viii. 14. sometimes so called in scripture; its (2.) Quietness, submission, abstiwaters are generally troubled or tur- nence from murmuring, Zech. ii. 12. bid, Josh. xiii. 3. See NILE. (2.) (3.) Inactivity, stillness, Prov. xxvi. SIHOR-LIBNATH, a place near Car-† 20. Isa. xxiii, †2. Death, and the mel, Josh. xix. 26. in the west part utter ruin of cities, are called silence, of the tribe of Asher, according to as noise has ceased; and in the grave some. Reland imagines it to be either and ruined city, there is a dreary sithe city or river of Crocodiles, placed lence, Psalm xciv. 17. Jer. viii. 14. by Strabo and Pliny in this country. Isa. xv. 1. Silence in heaven for the But Calmet takes Libnath to be the space of half an hour, is thought to white promontory between Ecdippe denote the calm in the Christian and Tyre, and Sihor to be a rivulet church between A. D. 323 and 338, in this district. Rev. viii. 1. God keeps silence, when SILAS, SYLVANUS, or TERTIUS, he delays to grant his people's reconsidering, marking, or the third. quest, Psalm xxviii. 1. or to punish It is thought that he and Carpus the wicked for their sins, Psal. xxxv. were John's two messengers to Je-22. and i. 21. Men are put to sisus, Matt. xi. 2, 3. He was a chief lence, when they are so baffled, by man among the primitive preachers, the force of argument, or holy conand a faithful companion of Paul. versation, that they have nothing to He was sent with him from Antioch say, Matt. xxii, 34. 1 Pet. ii. 15. to the synod at Jerusalem; and he SILK. Perhaps the ancient Heand Judas were sent by the synod brews knew nothing of silk; for their with Paul and Barnabas, to bear SHESH, which is so rendered, may their decrees to the churches, Acts be rendered collon or fine linen, Gen. XV. 22. He went with Paul to Lyca- xli. 42. Prov. xxxi. 22. Ezek. xvi. onia, Phrygia, Galatia, Macedonia, 10, 13. Silk is a commodity much and at Philippi was his fellow-pri-traded in by the Antichristians, Rev. soner, Acts xv. and xvi. He and Ti-xviii. 12. It is now well known that mothy remained at Berea, instruct- a certain kind of worms spin the silk ing the disciples, after Paul was out of their bowels; and it is only obliged to flee. Nor does it appear twisted and woven by us. There are that they came up with him, till he some very curious mills for winding came to Corinth: and there Silas fer- and twisting it. The Seres, perhaps vently preached the gospel,. Acts the same as the Chinese, were the xvii. 15. and xviii. 5. 2 Cor. i. 19. first improvers of it. Thence the art It is thought, Silas is the brother was introduced into Persia. Nor till whose praise was in all the churches, after the conquests of Alexander, was and was chosen with Paul to bear the silk known in Europe; and even charitable contributions to Jerusa- then, it was valued at its weight in lem, and who with Titus carried gold. Tiberius the emperor prohibitVOL. II. 3 L ed his male subjects to wear any of comely, and useful, than silver, Job it: and about 200 years after, Aure-xxviii. 15. Prov. xvi. 16. and viii. 10, lian obstinately refused his empress 19. and iii. 14. The Jews were like a gown of it, as too costly and luxu- reprobate silver, not able to abide the rious for her high station. Till about trial: they had the appearance of A. D. 555, the art of manufacturing goodness; but when tried by the law it, was kept a close secret in the east. or providence of God, their naughtiAt last, Justinian the emperor got ness and dross became evident, Jer. some of the worms to Constantino- vi. 30. The tongue of the just is as ple. They succeeded so well, that choice silver; their speech is pure, very soon silken manufactures were useful, and edifying, Prov. x. 20. To established there, and at Athens, seek a thing as silver, and dig for it Thebes and Corinth. At present, as hid treasures, is to seek it earnestsilk is so common, both in Asia and ly, and by all proper methods, Prov. Europe, and pride of apparel so ex-ii. 4. They that bear silver are the travagant, that it is hard to say how wealthy, the merchants, the exchanquickly our kitchen-girls may daily gers, Zeph. i. 11. A SILVERLING, Of wear what was once thought too piece of silver, is the same as a SHEgrand for a Roman empress. KEL. Lost sinners, especially the SILLA, an exalting, a treading under foot, a place near the house of Millo in Jerusalem. Some think it was a part or suburb of the city; but I am apt to think it was a terrace, or raised SIMILITUDE. See LIKENESS. way, between the two hills on which SIMEON, hearing, obedient, or is the city was built, 2 Kings xii. 30. hcard, the second son of Jacob, was SILOAM. See SHILOAH. born about A. M. 2247. When he was SILVANUS. See SILAS. about 18 years of age, he and Levi SILVER. We read nothing of it his younger brother, contrary to treabefore the flood, as in use; but in ty, murdered the people of Shechem, Abraham's time traffic was carried while they were at the sorest, by on with it, though it was not coined their circumcision, Gen. xxxiv. Aftill long after. See MONEY. Its ore ter Joseph had kept all his brethren is considerably impure, and it must in prison for three days, he liberated be often purged to render it fine. the rest, but retained Simeon, perPsalm xii. 7. It is found mingled haps because he was of a violent temwith lead, tin, &c. The fine silver per, or because he had been most of the ancients was found in the mines inhuman to him, Gen. xlii. 17-24. of Tarshish, Jer. x. 9. Great quan- On his death-bed, Jacob cursed not fities of it were used in the building the persons, but the rage and murof the Jewish temple by Solomon, der of Simeon and Levi, in the case 1 Chron. xxix. 4. It is put for all of the Shechemites; and prophesied. temporal wealth, Hos. ix. 6. As an that their combination in sin should emblem, it denotes what is useful, issue in their perpetual dispersion precious, pure, and glorious. Rulers among the rest of the Hebrew tribes, of church and state are likened to Gen. xlix. 5, 6. The sons of Simeon silver, to show how precious and were Jemuel or Nemuel, Jamin, useful they ought to be, Isa. i. 22, Ohad, Jachin, Zoar or Zerah, and 23. Saints are like tried silver, to Shaul. Ohad seems to have died note their true excellency; and they childless; but by the rest he had a are proved in the fire of manifold numerous issue. When this tribe tribulations, Isa. Ixvi. 10. Zech. xiii. came out of Egypt, they amounted 9. Wisdom, and her revenue, or to 59,300 men capable of war, unmerchandize, that is, Christ and his der the command of Shelumiel the graces, are more pure, precious, son of Zurishaddi, and marched the 5th in order of the tribes. Shaphat desire of immediate death, as he had the son of Hori was their spy to view seen the Saviour, the light to lighten the promised land, and Shemuel the the Gentiles, and the glory of Israel: son of Ammihud was their agent to he blessed Joseph and Mary, and told divide it, Gen. xlvi. 10. Exod. vi. them that their child was set up as an 15. Numb, xxvi. 12-14. and ii. 12. occasion of the ruin and as the author 13. and xiii. 5. and xxxiv. 20. It of the salvation, of many Israelites, seems they had been signally guilty and as a sign to be every-where in the affair of Peor, as well as Zimri spoken against: he assured Mary, their chief prince; and that the 24 that her heart should be pierced with thousand cut off in that affair, were grief at the sight of the mal-treatment mostly of this tribe: for at the reck- and death of her Son, and that strange oning immediately after, it was de- discoveries should by the gospel be creased to 22,200, Numb. xxv. and made of men's hearts, Luke ii. 25— xxvi. 14, 15. This their recent wick- 35. It has been said, that this Siedness was perhaps the reason why meon was the son of the famed Hil Moses did not expressly bless them lel, and the teacher of Gamaliel. when he did the other tribes, Deut. SIMON, that hears or obeys, the xxxiii. They got their portion out Cyrenian, and father of Alexander of the inheritance of Judah; and they and Rufus, who it seems, were afand the tribe of Judah assisted one terwards noted Christians. He is another in the clearing their lot thought by some to be the same as of the Canaanites, Josh. xix. 1-8. Niger, the teacher at Antioch, Acts Judges i. 1-20. The Simeonites xiii. 1. We know not whether he never made any distinguished figure. was a Jew or a Gentile; but it is We scarcely find a noted person certain that the Jews who led Jesus among them: but, it is said that the to be crucified, finding him ready to narrow limits of their inheritance sink under his cross, and meeting obliged many of them to become with Simon as he came in from the scribes, and disperse themselves country, compelled him to assist in among the other tribes. At David's bearing one end of it, Matt. xxvii. coronation to be king of Israel, 7,100 32. It is said that he was afterwards of thern were present, 1 Chron. xii. bishop of Bostra, or Bezer, and died 25. They revolted to Jeroboam with a martyr for the faith. the other nine tribes; but many of SIMON ZELOTES, or the Canaanthem afterwards submitted to Asa, ite; one of Christ's apostles. Why king of Judah, 2 Chron. xi. and xv. he was called ZELOTES, is not hard 9. When Canaan was ravaged by to guess. It seems he had been one the Assyrians, it seems a body of the of those Galileans, or furious bigots Simeonites retired southward, and who obstinately refused to pay tri seized on the country of the Ama- bute to the Romans. Perhaps his lekites, about the west end of mount name Canaanite, signifies no more Seir, 1 Chron. iv. 39-43. Josiah than that he was such a zealot, or purged their country from idols, 2 that he was of Cana in Galilee, Luke Chron. xxxiv. 6. vi. 15. Matt. x. 4. It is said that he 2 SIMEON, an old saint at Jerusa- preached the gospel in Egypt, CyreIem, who earnestly waited for the in- niaca, Lybia, and Mauritania, if not carnation of the Messiah. God, by also in Britain. Others will have his Spirit, assured him that he should him to have been murdered at Lunir not die till he had seen him. Moved in Persia, along with Jude. by a supernatural impulse, he came to SIMON, the brother or cousin of the temple, just as Mary and Joseph our Saviour, and the son of Cleophas. presented the infant Saviour. He He is said to have been bishop of clasped him in his arms, and blessed Jerusalem, after the death of his broGod for his coming: he declared his ther Janes the Less; and that when Trajan made strict inquiry for all who believed men would be saved those of the family of David, he was by their knowledge, be their lives for some days terribly tortured, and as vicious as they would; and held then crucified, A. D. 107, after he a vast number of Eons, or inferior had for above 40 years governed the gods. It is said that he gave out Church at Jerusalem: but as most of himself to be a divine person, and the that time, that city lay in mere rub-Messiah sent to the Samaritans, as bish, there was very little occasion Jesus of Nazareth was to the Jews; for a bishop in it. and that Helena his kept mistress was SIMON the Pharisee, who having the Holy Ghost, and the Pagan Miinvited our Saviour to an entertain- nerva, Helena, &c. His followers ment, though he scarcely showed pretended to be a sort of Christians, him due civility when he came, yet and yet worshipped him and ber took offence at his suffering Mary under the notion of Jupiter and MiMagdalene to wash and anoint his nerva. Nay, Justin Martyr says, feet but Jesus, by the parable of that about A. D. 150 almost all the the two debtors, convinced him of Samaritans worshipped him as their his mistake, Luke vii. 36-50. Whe- god. The senseless fable of his conther it was he whom Jesus healed of flict with, and overthrow by the a leprosy, and in whose house at Be- apostle Peter at Rome, is unworthy thany Jesus supped a few days be- of a place here. fore his death, and had his head anointed by Mary the sister of Lazarus, is not certain, Mark xxvi. 6. John xii. 3-5. SIMPLE, (1.) Harmless, free from deceit and to be simple concerning evil, is to have little knowledge of the art of committing it, and SIMON MAGUS, or the sorcerer. to be ready to shun the least appearBy his enchantments he acquired ance of it, Rom. xvi. 19. The sim himself a great fame in his country plicity that is in Christ, is either the of Samaria, as some very extraordi- plain self-consistent truths of the gosnary person. He was so affected pel which centre in Christ; or an with the doctrine and miracles of the unfeigned faith in, and obedience apostles Peter and John, that he pro-to these truths, 2 Cor. xi. 3. Men fessed himself à Christian, and was live in godly simplicity, when with baptized. Observing how they con- a single view to the glory of God, ferred the singular, gift of the they live in a fair, open, and candid Holy Spirit, by the laying on of manner of profession and practice of hands, he offered them money for a gospel-truths, 2 Cor. i. 12. (2.) Ig. share of their power. Peter bid his norant, credulous, and easily cheatmoney perish with him, because he led by men, by Satan, and by their had thought to purchase the free lusts, Prov. xiv. 15. and ii. 23. and gif of God with money; and told ix. 4. and so this simplicity lies in him, he had need to ask the forgive- a silly easiness to be deceived, 2 Sam. ness of such wicked thoughts, as they xv. 11. Prov. i. 22. shrewdly marked him to be still in SIN, is that conduct whereby we an unregenerated state. Struck with miss the mark of God's law, and our terror at this reply, Simon begged own happiness; it is called INIQUITY, he would intercede with God for or UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, as it implies him, that the evils threatened him a withholding of what is due to God might be averted, Acts viii. 5-24. or men. It is called WICKEDNESS It seems, that afterwards he did what and UNGODLINESS, as it implies an he could to oppose the gospel, and obstinate opposition to the nature, the preachers of it. He appears to worship, and service of God. It is have abandoned himself to the vilest called TRESPASS and TRANSGRESwhoredonis, and is said to have sION, as it is a contrariety to the founded the sect of the Guostics, precepts of the divine law. Sin, |