AARON'S ROD

plague by offering incense (Nu 16"-*'). [On tlie com-bined narratives in chs. 16. 17 see Aaron's Rod, Kokah]. At Meribah-kadesh he, with Moses, sinned against J" (Nu 20'-"), but the nature of the sin is obscure (see Gray, Com. p. 262 f.)- He was consequently tor-bidden to enter Canaan, and died on Mt. Hor, aged 123, Eleazar his son being clothed in the priestly gar-ments (Nu 20»-2» 33'" , Dt 32*").

6. In the NT: Lk 1', Ac 7", He 5* 7" 9*.

A. H. M'Neile.

AASON'S ROD. — In a very complicated section of the Hexateuch (Nu 16-18), dealing with various revolts against the constituted authorities in the wilderness period, the exclusive right of the tribe of Levi to the duties and privileges of the priesthood is miraculously attested by the blossoming and fruit-bearing of Aaron's rod. As representing his tribe, it had been deposited by Divine command before the ark along with 12 other rods representing the 12 secular tribes, in order that the will of J" in this matter might be visibly made known (see Nu 16'-" with G. B. Gray's Com.). The rod was thereafter ordered to be laid up in perpetuity 'before the (ark of the) testimony for a token against the rebels' (17'"). Later Jewish tradition, however, transferred it, along with the pot of manna, to a place within the ark (He 9«). A. R. S. Kennedy.

AB.— See Time.

ABACUC . — The form of the name HabaKkuk in 2 Es 1".

ASADDON'. — A word pecuUar to the later Heb. (esp. 'Wisdom') and Judaistic literature; sometimes synonymous with Sheol, more particularly, however, signifying that lowest division of Sheol devoted to the punishment of sinners (see Sheol). Properly, its Gr. equivalent would be apSleia ('destruction'), as found in the LXX. In Rev 9'i Abaddon is personified, and is said to be the equivalent of Apollyon ('destroyer'). Abaddon differs from Gehenna in that it represents the negative element of supreme loss rather than that of positive suffering. Shailee Mathews.

ABADIAS (1 Es 8»«).— An exile who returned with Ezra; called Obadiah, Ezr 8'.

ABAGTHA (Est l").— One of the seven chamberlains or eunuchs sent by Ahasuerus (Xerxes) to fetch the queen, Vashti, to his banquet.

ABANAH. — The river of Damascus mentioned by Naaman, 2 K 5'^. It is identified with the Barada, a river rising on the eastern slope of the Anti-Lebanon, which runs first southward, then westward, through the Wady Barada and the plain of Damascus. About 18 miles from Damascus, after dividing fan-wise into a number of branches, it flows into the Meadow Lakes. R. A. S. Macalister.

ABARIM ('the parts beyond'). — A term used to describe the whole east-Jordan land as viewed from Western Palestine. From there the land beyond Jordan rises as a great mountain chain to a height of 3000 feet and more from the Jordan valley. Hence Abarim is joined with 'mount' (Nu 2712, Dt 32") and 'moun-tains' (Nu 33"); also with 'lyye, 'heaps of (Nu 21"). See also Jer 22™ and Ezk 39" (RV; AV 'passages'). E. W. G. Masteeman.

ABBA is the 'emphatic' form of the Aram, word for 'father.' It is found in the Gr. and Eng. text of Mk 14w, Ro 8", and Gal i' (in each case Abba, ho paOr, ' Abba, Father'). Aram, has no article, and the 'emphatic' afiBx a is usually the equivalent of the Heb. article. Both can represent the vocative case (for Hebrew see Davidson's Syntax, § 21 f.); and abba occurs in the Pesh. of Lk 22« 23=* for pater. The ' articular nomina-tive' is found in NT sixty times for the vocative; and so we have ho paOr for B pater (Moulton, Gram, of NT Greek, p. 70). Jesus often addressed God as 'Father' or 'my Father.' In both cases He would probably use 'Abba'; for 'abba may be used for 'abl (Targ. on

ABEL-MAIM

Gn 19"). In Mk 14", ho palSr is perhaps a gloss addei by the Evangelist, as in Mk 5" 7"- " he adds a explanation of the Aram.: but in Ro 8" and Gal^ the Gentile Christians had learned for importunit: to use the Aram, word Abba; as the Jews in praye borrowed Kyrie mou ('my Lord') from the Greek, an used it along with Heb. words for 'my master,' 'm father' (Schattgen, Har. Heb. 252). J. T. Marshall.

ABDA ('servant,' sc. of the Lord). — 1. Father ( Adoniram, master of Solomon's forced levy (1 K 4' 2. A Levlte (Neh 11"); called Obadiah in 1 Ch 9'".

ABDEEL.— Father of Shelemiah (Jer 36'»),one of thoi ordered by Jehoiakim to arrest Jeremiah and Baruch.

ABDI.— 1. Grandfather of Ethan, ICh 6". 2.Fath( of Kish, 2 Ch 2912. 3. A Jew who had married a foreig wife, Ezr 10»=Oabdius, 1 Es 9".

ABDIAS (2 Es 1*9).— Obadiah the prophet.

ABDIEL ('servant of God').— Son of Guni (1 Ch 5«

ABDOM ('servile').— 1. The last of the minor judge Jg 12'5-». 2. A family of Benjamites, 1 Ch «^. 3. Gibeonite family, 1 Ch 8»° 926. 4. A courtier of Josia 2 Ch 34"; in 2 K 22'2 called Achbor. 5. A Levitic city ot Asher (Jos 212", 1 ch 6"), perhaps (v. d. Veld 'Abdeh E. of Achzib on the hills.

ABEDNEGO. — Dn 1', etc.; probably a corruption Abed-ne6o, i.e. 'servant of Nebo.'

ABEL.— Gn 42-'". The Heb. form Hebhel denot 'vapour' or 'breath' (cf. Ec 1', EV 'vanity'), whi( is suggestive as the name of a son of Adam (' man But it is perhaps to be connected with the Assyr. apl 'son.' Abel was a son of Adam and Eve, and broth of Cain. But the narrative presupposes a long peril to have elapsed in human history since the primiti condition of the first pair. The difference betwei pastoral and agricultural lite has come to be recognize for Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller the ground (see Cain). The account, as we have is mutilated: in v.* Heb. has 'and Cain said unto Al his brother' (not as AV and RV). LXX supplies t: words 'Let us pass through into the plain,' but tl; may be a mere gloss, and it cannot be known how mui ot the story is lost.

Nothing is said in Gn. of Abel's moral character, of the reason why his offering excelled Cain's in the ey of J"; cereal offerings were as fully in accord with Hebrc law and custom as animal offerings. He 11* gives ' fait as the reason. In He 12*' the 'blood ot sprinklin 'speaketh something better than the blood of Abe in that the latter cried for vengeance (Gn 4'°).

In Mt 233s II Lk 11" Abel is named as the first of t true martyrs whose blood had been shed during t period covered by the OT, the last being Zacharii (wh. see) . In Jn 8" it is possible that Jesus was thinki: of the story of Abel when He spoke of the devil as murderer from the beginning,' i.e. the instigator murder as he is of lies. A. H. M'Neile.

ABEL. — A word meaning 'meadow,' and entering an element into several place-names. In 1 S 6'* reference in AV to 'Abel' is in the RV corrected ' great stone.' Elsewhere the name is found only wi qualifying epithets. R. A. S. Macalistee.

ABEL (OF) BETH-MAACAH.— Where Sheba to refuge from Joab (2 S 2011-18); it was captured 1 Ben-hadad (1 K IS^"), and by Tiglath-pileser (2 K 152 corresponding to the modern Abil, west ot Tell d-Kai and north of Lake Huleh. R. a, S. Macalistee

ABEL-OHERAMIM ('meadow ot the vineyards') The limit ot Jephthah's defeat ot the Midianites (Jg 11' Site unknown. r. a. S. Macalistee.

ABEL-MAim ('meadow ot waters'). — An alternati

name for Abel ot Beth-maacah, found in 2 Ch li

which corresponds to 1 K 15", quoted under that hea

R. A. S. Macalistee.