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Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary
By Chad Brand, Charles Draper, Archie England Holman Bible Publishers
Copyright © 2003 Holman Bible Publishers
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-470-50067-5
CHAPTER 1
A
AARON (År' on) Moses' brother; Israel's first high priest. His parents Amram and Jochebed were from the tribe of Levi, Israel's tribe of priests (Exod. 6:16-26). Miriam was his sister. With his wife Elisheba, Aaron had four sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. The first two perished when they offered sacrifices with fire that God had not commanded them to make (Lev. 10:1-2; 16:1-2). Two priestly lines developed from the remaining sons: Ithamar through Eli to Abiathar and Eleazar to Zadok (1 Sam. 14:3; 22:20; 1 Kings 2:26-27; 1 Chron. 6:50-53).
Aaron experienced the joy of starting Israel's formal priesthood, being consecrated to the office (Exod. 28-29; Lev. 89), wearing the first priestly garments, and initiating the sacrificial system (Lev. 1-7). He also bore the burdens of his office as his sons were killed for their disobedience (Lev. 10:1-2), and he could not mourn for them (Lev. 10:6-7). He also bore the special rules of conduct, clothing, and ritual cleanness (Lev. 21-22).
He could not live up to such high standards perfectly. Thus he had to offer sacrifices for his own sins (Lev. 16:11). Then in his cleansed, holy office, he offered sacrifices for others. In his imperfection Aaron still served as a symbol or type of the perfect priest as seen in Ps. 110:4, where the future king was described as eternal priest. Zechariah 6:11-15 also speaks of a priest — Joshua — in typical terms. Thus the imperfect Aaron established an office full of symbolic meaning for Israel.
With all his faults Aaron was a man chosen by God. We do not know what Aaron did during Moses' 40-year exile from Egypt, but he maintained the faith, kept contact with Israel's leaders, and did not forget his brother (Exod. 4:27-31). Ready of speech, he served nobly as Moses' spokesman before Pharaoh. More than once he stretched out Moses' staff to bring God's plagues on the land (Exod. 7:9,19). In the wilderness Aaron and Hur helped Moses hold up the staff, the symbol of God's power, so that Israel would prevail over Amalek (Exod. 17:12).
At Sinai Aaron and his two older sons, Nadab and Abihu, were called to go up the mountain with Moses and 70 elders (Exod. 24:9). There they worshiped and ate and drank in heavenly fellowship. As Moses and Joshua went farther up, Moses left Aaron and Hur in charge (Exod. 24:14). When Moses delayed on the mountain, the people asked Aaron for action. They cried, "Make gods for us" (Exod. 32:1 NRSV). Their sin was polytheism (worship of many gods) as well as idolatry. Aaron all too easily obliged and made a calf and apparently led in its worship.
On another occasion Aaron appeared in a bad light. In Num. 12 he and Miriam spoke against Moses' marriage to the Cushite (Ethiopian) woman. (Cush was an old name for Upper Egypt — approximately modern Sudan.) The relationship of the Cushite woman to Zipporah is not clear. Numerous explanations have been offered. Some believe Zipporah had died. Others maintain Moses' relationship with her was severed when he sent her away (Exod. 18:2). Possibly both Zipporah and the Cushite woman may have been Moses' wives at the same time. Some have even suggested that Zipporah was the Cushite woman. Even though Zipporah was a Midianite, at least one side of her family may have been from Cush. Anyway, Aaron and Miriam were jealous of their younger brother. In reality, their murmuring was against God (Num. 12).
Though Miriam was severely judged, Aaron was not, perhaps because he was not the instigator but the accomplice. He confessed his sin and pleaded for mercy for Miriam. When Korah, Dathan, and Abiram opposed Moses and Aaron, Aaron's intercession stopped the plague (Num. 16). God vindicated Aaron's leadership in the miraculous blossoming of his staff (Num. 17). When the people cried for water at Kadesh in the desert of Zin, Aaron joined in Moses' sin as they seized the power of the Lord for themselves (Num. 20:7-13). In consequence, Aaron, like Moses, was not to enter the promised land. Nearby on the border of Edom after 40 years of his priesthood, Moses took Aaron up Mount Hor and transferred his garments to his son, Eleazar. Aaron died there at the age of 123 years (Num. 20:23-28). Israel mourned for their first high priest 30 days (Num. 20:29), as they soon would mourn for Moses (Deut. 34:8). R. Laird Harris
AARONITE (År' on it) Term used only in the KJV to translate the name Aaron where it refers to the descendants of Aaron (1 Chron. 12:27; 27:17). Equivalent to the phrases "sons of Aaron," "descendants of Aaron," and "house of Aaron" used often in the OT.
AARON'S ROD Aaron used a rod to demonstrate to the Pharaoh that the God of the Hebrews was Lord. It became a snake when cast down (Exod. 7:8-13) and brought about the first three plagues (Exod. 7:19-20; 8:5-7,16-19). This rod was the same one used to strike the rocks at Horeb and Kadesh to bring forth water (Exod. 17:1-7; Num. 20:7-11).
The rebellion of Korah (Num. 16:1-50) made it necessary to determine who would be eligible to come before God in the tabernacle as priests. The head of each tribe was to inscribe his name on an almond rod representing his tribe, and each rod was placed in the tabernacle. The next morning Aaron's rod had blossomed and bore almonds. This was taken as a sign from God that the house of Aaron had the right to serve Him in the tabernacle. The rod was placed inside the tabernacle (Num. 17:1-11). According to Heb. 9:4, the rod was kept in the ark of the covenant. See Korah.
AB Name for the fifth month in the Jewish religious calendar corresponding to the eleventh month in the Hebrew civic calendar. It usually covered parts of July and August. The name does not appear in the Bible.
ABADDON (A ·bad' don) Name meaning "to perish." In the KJV Abaddon appears only in Rev. 9:11 as the Hebrew name of the angel of the bottomless pit whose Greek name was Apollyon. Abaddon occurs six times in the Hebrew Bible (Job 26:6; 28:22; 31:12; Prov. 15:11; 27:20; Ps. 88:11). The KJV and NIV translate Abaddon as "destruction," while the NASB and RSV retain the word "Abaddon." See Hell.
ABAGTHA (A bag' tha) One of seven eunuchs on the staff of Ahasuerus or Xerxes (486-465 B.C.), King of Persia (Esther 1:10). See Eunuch.
ABANA (Ab'a·na) or ABANAH (NASB) River in Damascus in Syria. In his anger Naaman wanted to wash here rather than in the dirty Jordan (2 Kings 5:12). Many Hebrew manuscripts, the Septuagint, and Targums call the river the Amana (Song 4:8). Its modern name is Barada, and it travels swiftly from snow-capped Mount Hermon through Damascus to end in a marsh.
ABARIM (Ab a·rim) Mountain range including Mount Nebo from which Moses viewed the promised land (Num. 27:12; 33:47-48; Deut. 32:49). The mountain range is in Moab, east of the Dead Sea, west of Heshbon, and slightly southeast of Jericho. Jeremiah called Jerusalem to cross to Abarim and lament because her allies had been defeated (Jer. 22:20). Iye-abarim (Num. 21:11; 33:44) was a different location perhaps south of the Dead Sea. See Iye-abarim.
ABASE Word applies to lowering one's office, rank, or esteem. See Humility; Meekness.
ABBA (Ab'ba) Aramaic word for "father" used by Jesus to speak of His own intimate relationship with God, a relationship that others can enter through faith. It may also refer to an ancestor, grandfather, founder (of something), protector, or even used as an honorary title for an elder.
Old Testament Although abba does not occur in the OT, its Hebrew associate ab occurs frequently. Ab usually refers to a human father. On occasion the OT speaks of God in the role of Father to Israel (Exod. 4:22; Deut. 32:6; Isa. 45:9-11; Mal. 2:10) or to Israel's king (2 Sam. 7:14; Pss. 2:7; 89:26-27).
New Testament The idea of God's intimate relationship to humanity is a distinct feature of Jesus' teaching. God relates to believers as a father relates to his child. Some would translate Abba as "Daddy" to convey the close, personal meaning of the word. Even when "Father" in the NT translates the more formal Greek word pater, the idea of Abba is certainly in the background. Jesus addressed God as Abba in prayer (Mark 14:36) and taught His disciples to pray in the same terms (Luke 11:1-2, pater). Jesus' claim of intimate relationship with God offended many of His opponents because they considered Abba to be overly familiar in addressing God. Nevertheless, Jesus' usage established the pattern for the church's view of God and each believer's relationship with Him. Paul used Abba to describe God's adoption of believers as His children (Rom. 8:15) and the change in the believer's status with God that results (Gal. 4:6-7).
Michael Fink
ABDA (Ab'da) Name meaning "servant" for two men. 1. Father of Adoniram, whom Solomon entrusted with his labor force (1 Kings 4:6). 2. Levite living in Jerusalem rather than in one of the Levitical cities (Neh. 11:17). He is also called Obadiah, the son of Shemaiah (1 Chron. 9:16).
ABDEEL (Ab'da-el) Name meaning "servant of God." Abdeel's son Shelemiah was one of three attendants whom Jehoiakim (609-597 B.C.) commanded to arrest Baruch, Jeremiah's scribe, and Jeremiah (Jer. 36:26). God hid His servants from the king's servants.
ABDI (Ab'di) Name meaning "my servant," though it is probably an abbreviation for "servant of the Lord." 1. Levite whose grandson Ethan was one of the temple musicians David appointed (1 Chron. 6:44). 2. Levite whose son Kish followed King Hezekiah's wishes and helped cleanse the temple (2 Chron. 29:12). 3. Israelite with a foreign wife in the time of Ezra (Ezra 10:26).
ABDIEL (Ab'di·el) Name meaning "servant of God." His son Ahi was a leader in the tribe of Gad (1 Chron. 5:15).
ABDON (Ab'don) Geographical and personal name meaning "service" or "servile." 1. City from the tribe of Asher given the Levites (Josh. 21:30; 1 Chron. 6:74). Its modern name is Khirbet Abdeh. It lies about three miles from the Mediterranean coast between Tyre and Acco. 2. Judge of Israel from the town of Pirathon in the tribe of Ephraim. He had a large family (40 sons, 30 grandsons) and personal wealth (70 donkeys) (Judg. 12:13-15). 3. Two men of the tribe of Benjamin (1 Chron. 8:23,30; 9:36). The second of these was an ancestor of King Saul. 4. Member of the team named by King Josiah to seek God's guidance as to the meaning of the book that Hilkiah, the priest, found in the temple (2 Chron. 34:20). Known in 2 Kings 22:12 as Achbor or Acbor(NJV).
ABEDNEGO (A·bed'nego) In Dan. 1:7 the Babylonian name given to Azariah, one of the three Hebrew youths who were conscripted along with Daniel to serve in the king's court. God delivered them from the fiery furnace (Dan. 2:48-3:30). The precise meaning of the Babylonian name Abednego is disputed. Abed means "servant." Nego may be an intentional corruption of the well-known Babylonian deity Nebo (or Nabu). See Azariah; Daniel; Daniel, Book of; Meshach; Shadrach.
ABEL (A'bel) Though best known as the name of the second son of Adam and Eve, the Hebrew word abel also occurs frequently meaning "vanity, breath, or vapor." See Ecclesiastes, Book of.
Perhaps as a personal name, Abel alludes to the shortness of life. Such was the case with Abel (Gen. 4:8). Having offered "by faith ... a better sacrifice than Cain" (Heb. 11:4 HCSB), he was murdered by Cain. Why Abel's sacrifice as a keeper of flocks was better than Cain's, whose sacrifice came from harvested fruits, is not directly stated in Gen. 4:4. No ancient evidence for that period yet exists to suggest that animal sacrifice was better than crops, fruits, or precious metals or gems. Two conditions in 4:7, fortunately, provide a partial answer: Cain had not done what was right; Abel had. However, how Abel did right is left unanswered by the historians, prophets, and sages of Israel. Heb. 11:4 offers one further reason: the faith of Abel. His faith relationship with the Lord led him to present a better sacrifice (the fat of the animals); to live as a better person, one who is righteous before God; and to testify eternally, even in death. Identified as the first righteous martyr among the prophets and the ones sent to Israel (Matt. 23:35; Luke 11:51), Abel's blood cried out for God's vengeance against the unrighteous (Gen. 4:10; Rev. 6:9-10). In contrast, the blood of Christ satisfied that cry for the vengeance of God against unrighteousness, accomplishing the forgiveness of sins and making possible the reconciliation of sinners to God. Abel's death, then, is a prototype of Christ's death (Heb. 12:24).
Archie W. England
ABEL (A'bel) Place-name used alone and as the first part of other place-names as seen below. The Hebrew 'Abel is a distinct word with a different spelling from the personal name Abel (Hb. hebel). The precise meaning of the place-name is uncertain. It may mean "brook" or "meadow near a brook." Standing alone, Abel appears in 2 Sam. 20:14-18, probably being the same place as Abel-beth-maachah.
ABEL-BETH-MAACAH or ABELBETHMAACHAH (KJV, NKJV) (A'bel-beth ma'a·kah) City with a strong Israelite tradition, known for its wise people. Joab besieged the city when Sheba fled there after seeking to lead a rebellion against David. A wise woman delivered the city by getting the citizens to execute Sheba (2 Sam. 20:1-22). Ben-hadad, king of Syria, answered the call for help of Asa, king of Judah (913-873 B.C.) and conquered Abel-beth-maachah from Baasha, king of Israel (1 Kings 15:20). Tiglathpileser, king of Assyria, captured the city from Pekah, king of Israel (2 Kings 15:29). Abel-bethmaachah is identified with the modern Abil el-Oamh, 12 miles north of Lake Huleh near Dan. Its name indicates it was once part of the citystate of Maachah controlled by Arameans (2 Sam. 10:6). See Abel.
ABEL-CHERAMIM (a'bel-ker' a·min) or ABELKERAMIM (NASB, NIV, RSV, TEV) Place-name meaning "brook of the vineyards." Jephthah, the judge, extended his victory over the Ammonites as far as Abel-cheramim (Judg. 11:33), whose location east of the Jordan is not known precisely.
ABEL-MAIM (A' bel-ma' im) Place-name meaning "brook of the waters." Used in 2 Chron. 16:4 for place called Abel-bethmaachah in 1 Kings 15:20. If Abel-maim is a different city, its precise location east of the Jordan is not known.
ABEL-MEHOLAH (A'bel-me·ho'lah) Place-name meaning "brook of the round dancing." A border town or towns whose location(s) is uncertain. Gideon fought the Midianites in the territory of Issachar west of the Jordan (Judg. 7:22). Solomon places Abel-meholah in a district including Taanach, Megiddo, and Beth-shean (1 Kings 4:12). This was Elisha's home (1 Kings 19:16).
ABEL-MIZRAIM (a'bel-miz'ra'im) Place-name meaning either "brook of Egypt," or, if derived from a different Hebrew word with similar spelling, "mourning of the Egyptians." Jacob's children mourned him there east of the Jordan (Gen. 50:11). In giving the name, the Canaanites identified Jacob's sons as Egyptians.
ABEL-SHITTIM (A'bel-shit'um) Place-name meaning "brook of the acacias." The last stop of Israel before crossing the Jordan (Num. 33:49). See Shittim.
ABEZ (A'bez) or EBEZ (NASB, NIV, RSV, TEV) Place-name with unknown meaning. Town allotted to Issachar (Josh. 19:20).
ABI (A'bi) or ABIJAH (NIV) Personal name meaning "my father." Mother of King Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:2). "Abi" was shortened from "Abijah."
ABIA (a-bi'a) (KJV, 1 Chron. 3:10; Matt. 1:7; Luke 1:5) See Abijah.
ABIAH (A-bi'ah)(KJV, 1 Sam. 8:2; 1 Chron. 2:24; 6:28; 7:8) See Abijah.
ABI-ALBON (A'bi-al'bon) Personal name meaning "my father is overpowering." One of David's 30 heroes (2 Sam. 23:31). Called Abiel in 1 Chron. 11:32. Original name in 2 Samuel may have been Abi-baal, whose letters were then transposed to a new name to avoid the idolatrous name. See Abiel.
ABIASAPH (A-bi'a-saph) Personal name meaning "my father has gathered" or "harvested." A Levitical priest in the line of Korah (Exod. 6:24) who rebelled against the leadership of Moses (Num. 16). See Ebiasaph.
ABIATHAR (A-bi' a-thar) Personal name meaning "father of abundance." The son of Ahimelech and the 11th high priest in succession from Aaron through the line of Eli. He survived the slaughter of the priests at Nob and fled to David, hiding in the cave of Adullam from King Saul (1 Sam. 22). Having escaped with the ephod, Abiathar became the high priest and chief counselor for David (1 Sam. 23:6-12; 30:7). Abiathar shared with Zadok the responsibility of taking the ark to Jerusalem (1 Chron. 15:11-12; 2 Sam. 15:24). While Abiathar remained faithful to David during Absalom's rebellion (2 Sam. 15), he later supported Adonijah as successor of King David instead of Solomon (1 Kings 1:7). Solomon deposed him from the priesthood and banished him to Anathoth, his hometown, fulfilling the prophecy to Eli. Only because of his faithful service to Solomon's father, King David, was he spared the death penalty (1 Kings 2:26-35).
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Excerpted from Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary by Chad Brand, Charles Draper, Archie England. Copyright © 2003 Holman Bible Publishers. Excerpted by permission of Holman Bible Publishers.
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