$ 66. PACHATH, лe, 'a hollow'; used in 2 Sam. xvii. 9, and xviii. 17; and also figuratively in Isaiah, xxiv. 17, 18; Jer. xlviii. 43, 44. In these passages it is rendered "pit; " in Jer. xlviii. 28, "hole"; and in Lam. iii. 47, "snare," which indeed seems to be the idea at the root of the word. SHUCHAH or SHACHATH, § 67. or л, a 'pitfall'; i.e. a trap: used frequently, but only in the poetical books, and figuratively; e.g. Psalm ix. 15; Prov. xxvi. 27; Jer. ii. 6; xviii. 20. It is variously rendered pit, ditch, destruction, corruption, and grave. § 68. GOOMMATZ, Y, 'a sunk pit'; from y, to dig: only used once, viz., in Eccl. x. 8. LXX, Bólpov. $ 69. MAHAMOROTH, i, 'gulfs' or 'whirlpools'; only in Psalm cxl. 10, where it is rendered " deep pits." M'ARAH, V. CAVES. $ 70. 7, a cave'; from, to excavate. Arabic, Meghara. The caves of Palestine are, 1. The cave of Adullam, in which David lived with his followers; 1 Sam. xxii. 1 ; 2 Sam. xxiii. 13. 2. The cave of Makkedah, in which the five kings of the Amorites took refuge from Joshua; Josh. x. 16, &c. 3. The cave in the wilderness of Engedi, in the 'thighs' of which David and his men remained undiscovered by Saul; 1 Sam. xxiv. 3. 4. The cave in which Obadiah hid fifty prophets of Jehovah from the vengeance of Jezebel; 1 Kings xviii. 4. Besides the above, are the cave above Zoar, Gen. xix. 30; of Machpelah, Gen. xxiii. xxv. xlix.; "the' cave" in Horeb-the scene of the vision of Elijah-1 Kings xix. 9; and a cave in the north of Palestine, near Sidon, literally rendered "Mearah," Josh. xiii. 4. The word is rendered "holes" in Isai. ii. 19; and "den" in Isai. xxxii. 14, and Jer. vii. 11. $ 71. CHOR,, or and CHUR,, hole': from, to bore (see 2 Kings xii. 9). Hence, a hole in the rock or earth, as in 1 Sam. xiv. 11, and Job xxx. 6, ("caves"),-a passage containing a remarkable description of the wretched fate of an early people who must have been similar to the Chorim (Horim, Hori, Horites, of the E. V.-the troglodytes, or dwellers in holes and caverns LXX, Xoppaio)-apparently (Gen. xxxvi. 20) the original inhabitants of Palestine, and who lived in the cavities of the sandstone rocks of Petra until “the children of Esau destroyed them before them, and dwelt in their stead," to be in their turn dispossessed by Israel; Deut. ii. 12. The district of Chauran (Hauran, Auran, 'Avparîris) Ezek. xlvii. 16, northeast of Hermon, derived its name from similar caves, many of which are found to the present day in use as habitations. (See Burckhardt, Syria, i. 110.) The word is found in the following names of places :— Beth-horon, the house of holes,' Josh. x. 10, xvi. 3, 5, &c. horonaim, 'two holes,' Isai. xv. 5; Jer. xlviii. 3, 34; whence Choronite Nehem. ii. 10, &c. hor-ha-gidgad, the hole of much water,' a station in the Desert. xxxiii. 32. § 72. Num. M'CHILLOTH, лin, fissures' or caverns: from, to dig open. Only used once, Isai. ii. 19, and there in contrast with Mearah; "go into the caves' of the rocks, and into the 'fissures' of the earth." § 73. MIN'HAROTH, in, only occurs once, viz., in Judges vi. 2, to describe the hiding-places, or burrows,' in which the Israelites took refuge from Midian,--at least such is the meaning given to it in the Targum. LXX, τρυμαλίαι. For the remainder of the words for caves or clefts, see Tzur § 28, Sela § 29; also § 66, 67, 68, 97, 98. VI. FORESTS AND TREES. $ 74. CHORESH,, a wood;' indeed a thick growth of vegetation, whether in a single tree or in a copse. Thus in Ezek. xxxi. 3, it is used for the thick foliage -the "shadowing shroud "—of the cedar. Elsewhere the word is employed for a wood, though apparently never like Ja-ar (§ 75) for a tract of any extent. 1. The "wood in the wilderness of Ziph," 1 Sam. xxiii. 15, 16, 18, 19. èv tỷ καινῇ.2 2. 2 Chron. xxvii 4. "forests," èv Toîs dpvμoîs. § 75. JAAR, Y, a forest,' or dense growth of trees: from to abound. In the historical books it is the usual name for the wooded tracts of Palestine, East and West, and is used for, "The forest of Hareth." 1 Sam. xxii. 5. "The forest of Lebanon." 1 Kings vii. 2, x. 17, 21; 2 Chron. ix. 16, 20. "The wood of Ephraim." 2 Sam. xviii. 6, 8, 17. See also Josh. xvii. 15, 18; 1 Sam. xiv. 25, 26; 2 Kings ii. 24; in all which it is rendered "wood." In the poetical parts of Scripture it often occurs, and is generally translated "forest;"the exceptions being Deut. xix. 5; 1 Chron. xvi. 33; Ps. lxxx. 13, lxxxiii. 14, xcvi. 12, cxxxii. 6; Eccl. ii. 6; Cant. ii. 3; Isa. vii. 2; Ezek. xxxiv. 25; Mic. vii. 14, in which the word used is "wood." It appears in the well-known name of Kirjath Jearim (city of forests), and of Mount Jearim Josh. xv. 10. In 1 Sam. xiv. 27 and Cant. v. 1, the word is applied to a honeycomb ; that is, an abundant quantity of honey. LXX, (1) тò кnpiov TOû μÉXITOS. (2) ἄρτον μου. PAR'DES, § 76. a plantation;' perhaps from T, to enclose. Occurs three times: viz. Neh. ii. 8, "forest," where it plainly refers to timber trees. Eccl. ii. 5; Cant. iv. 13; "orchard," where the reference is as plainly to fruit trees. It is probably a Persian word, adopted into the Semitic languages, and then Grecised into "Paradise," napádeiros; by which word it is translated in the LXX. Elsewhere, they have employed napádeloos as the equivalent to Gan, a garden. The diminutive "Fureidis" in Arabic is applied in Palestine to the "Frank Mountain," from its vicinity to Solomon's Gardens at Urtas. See Chap. III. $ 77. ETZ, Y, 'a tree,' in the widest sense of the word: thus Gen. i. 29; ii. 16; Deut. xii. 2; Josh. x. 16 (comp. Acts x. 39); Isai. vii. 2, and passim: also "wood," Ex. vii. 19; Lev, xì. 32; 1 Sam. vi, I4, &e.—timber,” 1 Kings v. 6, &e. ; —“stick,” Num. xv. 32; 1 Kings xvii. 10. Hence, too, the staff of a spear, 1 Sam. xvii. 7, or handle of an axe, Deut. xix. 5 (a verse in which the word occurs twice-as "tree," and "helve.") From, to be firm. In a slightly varied form it signifies a backbone; whence Ezion-Geber, 'the giant's backbone.' See Chap. I. p. 84. § 78. EL: ELAH: ELON: and ILAN: from or, to be strong; and ALLAH, and ALLON: from, with the same meaning: A strong tree.' The use of these various forms of the same or similar roots is so indefinite, and the translations of them in the ancient Versions so inconsistent, that it is not possible to fix their meaning with accuracy. The following are the conclusions of Gesenius (Thesaurus, pp. 51 (a), 47, 103). 1. El may be either an oak or a terebinth. 2. Where Allon is opposed to Elah, as in Isai. vi. 13; Hos. iv. 13; Elah terebinth and Allon oak. But, on the other hand, 3. Elah, Allon, Allah, and Elon, appear to have been all interchangeable, for the same tree which in Josh. xix. 33 is Allon, in Jud. iv. 11 is Elon; while that which is Elon in Jud. ix. 6 (English Version, "plain") is Elah in Gen. xxxv. 4, and Allah in Josh. xxiv. 26. See Chapter II. p. 140. Elim, the second station from the Red Sea, appears to have derived its name from the 70 palms there-the trees of the Desert. (Chap. I., pp. 22, 68). See Exod. xv. 27, xvi. 1; Num. xxxiii. 9, 10. So also, Eloth, or Elath, another plural form of the same word, probably refers to the palm-grove at Akaba (Chap. I. pp. 22, 84). See Deut. ii. 8; 1 Kings ix. 26; 2 Kings xiv. 22, xvi. 6; 2 Chron. viii. 17. xxvi. 2. 2. ELAH,, perhaps 'terebinth.' Gen. xxxv. 4, "the oak," Tepéßiveos. Aq. Symm. Theod. Thy opûv. Jud. vi. 11, 19, "oak," repéμiveos. Theod. Spûs. In both cases with the article, the Terebinth.' 1 Sam. xvii. 2, 19, xxi. 9, "Elah," (Heb. Ha-Elah, 'the Terebinth'.) HA, Aq. Theod. Tns Spúos. 2 Sam. xviii. 9, 10, 14, "oak." In each of these passages the definite article is used. ἡ δρῦς : δένδρον. 1 Kings xiii. 14 (article); 1 Chron. x. 12, "oak," dpûs. Isai. i. 30, "oak"; vi. 13, "teil tree." Aq. Symm. Th. dpvs. LXX, Tepéßibos. Hos. iv. 13, "elms," LXX, and Theod. dévôpov σvσKIάGOVTOS. Aq. Tepéßirtos. 3. ELON, 7, probably 'oak.' Gen. xii. 6; Deut. xi. 30, "plain of Moreh," 'ʼn dpûs 'n iynλń. Aq. Gen. xiii. 18, xiv. 13, xviii. 1, “plain of Mamre,” 'ʼn dpûs 'n μaμßpn. Convallis Jud. iv. 11, "Plain of Zaanaim ( wanderers'), δρ. πλεονεκτούντων. vallem quæ vocatur Sennim. Ad Jud. ix. 6, “Plain of the Pillar,” τῇ βαλάνῳ τῇ εὐρετῇ τῆς στάσεως. Αq. πεδίον στηλώματος. Sym. δρ. η ἑστῶσα. Quereum quæ stabat in Sichem. Jud. ix. 37, "Plain of Meonenim" (the enchantments), 'HAwv uawveríu. Aq. δρῦς ἀποβλεπόντων. Per viam quæ respicit quercum. This is probably the same tree as that in Gen. xxxv. 4. See Elah. 1 Sam. x. 3, "Plain of Tabor," 'n dpûs Oaßwp. Ad quercum Tabor. Elon, 7, town in Dan, Josh. xix. 43, possibly the same as that called 4. ILAN, 1, 'a great tree.' Dan. iv. 10, 11, 14, 20, 23, 26; "tree." 5. ALLAH, Josh. xxiv. 26, “ oak, υπὸ τὴν τέρμινθον. Alla-melech, the "king's oak," a city of Asher, Josh. xix. 26. 6. ALLON, 7, in A.V. uniformly "oak.” Gen. xxxv. 8, únd тhv Báλavov; wrongly rendered "an oak." Isai. vi. 13, (with Elah; see No. 2,) Báλavos. D. Ezek. xxvii. 6, ("of Bashan"); LXX omits. $79. ESHEL,, probably a tamarisk (Tamarix orientalis, Linn.), see Gesenius, s. v. p. 159: but the exact signification is doubtful, since it will be seen that in the third of the following examples, it is interchangeable with Elah (§ 78, 2). Occurs three times : In Gen. xxi. 33, " grove." Αq. δενδρῶνα. Symm. φυτείαν. 1 Sam. xxii. 6, "a tree," accurately, the tamarisk. Aq. Tò dévdpwμa. 1 Sam. xxxi. 13, "a tree.' Symm. puтóv. Theod. ràs dpûs-like the preceding, with the definite article, and therefore, "the tamarisk' at Jabesh." In the parallel passage, 1 Chr. x. 12, the word is Elah. The LXX have, in each case, rendered Eshel by 'n ǎpoupa the field. Besides the above, there are other words for trees which need not be specially examined here. Amongst them are some which would seem to have given their names to places; viz., Rimmon,-Pomegranate (Numb. xxxiii. 19; Josh. xv. 32; xix. 45; 1 Chron. vi. 77; Neh. xi. 29 ;—§ 51): Luz,—Almond (Gen. xxxv. 6): Tamar,-Palm (Gen. xiv. 7; Judg. xx. 33; Deut. xxxiv. 3; Judg. i. 16;—§ 80): Shittah (Plur. Shittim),-Acacia (Judg. vii. 22; Numb. xxv. 1): and Libneh,--White Poplar (Numb. xxxiii. 20; Josh. x. 29). A different derivation of Libnah has been given in Chap. VI. p. 253, note, which is probably equally correct. It is worth notice, however, that the three "stations" named in Numb. xxxiii. 18 (Rithmah,-Broom), 19, and 20, all apparently derive their names from some natural feature of vegetation. The word rendered "Grove" in the A.V. in connection with the idolatrous worship of the Canaanites, is Asherah. For an examination of all the passages in which it occurs, and of its doubtful and difficult signification, see Gesenius, s. v. p. 162. |