What is hoarfrost in the Bible?
The word hoarfrost is an older word for “frost.” Hoarfrost is found in the King James Version in Psalm 147:16: “[God] giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes.” Other occurrences of the word in the KJV are Psalm 78:47 and (using hoar frost) Exodus 16:14. Most other translations, such as the NIV…
What does it mean for someone to be cut off from his people?
To be “cut off” is a form of relational separation in which a person is ostracized from a group or community. The concept of being “cut off” from one’s ethnic, social, political, or religious community has biblical roots and modern implications. In the Old Testament, the concept of being “cut off” from Israel is a…
Why did God take Enoch and Elijah to heaven without them dying?
According to the Bible, Enoch and Elijah are the only two people God took to heaven without their dying. Genesis 5:24 says, “Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.” Second Kings 2:11 relates the earth-to-heaven translation of Elijah: “As they [Elijah and Elisha] were walking along and…
What is the significance of thorns and thistles in the Bible?
Thorns and thistles are mentioned numerous times throughout the Bible. More than one hundred species of thorns and thistles thrive in the desert regions of the Holy Land. These rough, prickly, vine-like weeds and shrubs typically grow in tangled masses, causing painful stinging, itching, and irritation to humans and destroying beneficial vegetation. Various Hebrew and…
What is a salt covenant?
There is more to salt than meets the taste buds. Salt has been used in many cultures as a valuable commodity. The word salary comes from an ancient word meaning “salt-money,” referring to a Roman soldier’s allowance for the purchase of salt. Someone who earns his pay is still said to be “worth his salt.”…
Why is the firstborn so important in the Bible?
In biblical times, the firstborn was given certain unique rights, responsibilities, and privileges. A married couple’s firstborn male child was given priority and preeminence in the family, and the best of the inheritance. The nation of Israel is identified as God’s “firstborn” in the Bible (Exodus 4:22; Jeremiah 31:9); in other words, Israel held a…
Who were the money changers in the Bible?
The Bible records two instances of Jesus cleansing the temple of money changers and those selling sacrificial animals. Jesus’ first encounter with money changers was at the beginning of His three-year ministry (John 2:14–16). He made a whip of cords and drove them out. The second time He confronted the money changers was the week…
What was the significance of gatekeepers in the Bible?
Gates are mentioned often in Scripture, and gatekeepers were an important part of maintaining order in ancient societies. Gatekeepers were guards stationed for protection at various kinds of gates, which could be city gates, palace gates, or temple gates. Ancient cities had high, thick walls around them to keep out wild beasts and invading armies…
What is a threshing floor?
There are dozens of references to a “threshing floor” in the Bible, some literal and some symbolic. In biblical days there was no machinery, so after the harvest, the grain was separated from the straw and husks by beating it manually. First there had to be a flat surface that was smooth and hard, and…
What is gall in the Bible?
In the Bible, the word gall most often refers to a bitter-tasting substance made of a plant such as wormwood or myrrh. The most famous biblical use of the word gall is in reference to a drink given to Jesus on the cross. Matthew 27:34 says that, as Jesus was being crucified, the Roman soldiers…