ADVENT

In this pass, notorious for robberies and murders, la the traditional 'inn' of Lli 10".

ADVENT.— See Pabousia.

ADVERTISE.— Ru i' 'I thought to advertise thee,' i.e. ini!orm thee; so Nu 24".

ADVOCATE (Gr. paraUStos). — The word occurs only in the writings ot St. John: four times in his Gospel (1416. 26 1526 167) of the Holy Spirit, and once in his 1st Epistle (2') of Jesus. It is unfortunate that our English Versions have rendered it in the former ' Com-forter' (RVm 'or Advocate, or Helper, Gr. Paradete') and in the latter 'Advocate' (RVm 'or Comforter, or Helper, Gr. Paraclete').

' Comforter,' though a true and beautiful designation of the Holy Spirit, is an impossible rendering. It is true that parakalein means, either 'comfort' (Mt 5*, 2 Co 1* 7") or ' caU to one's side' (Ac 28™). but paraUltos must be associated with the latter signification. It is a passive form, and denotes not 'one who comforts (parakaleiy but 'onewboiscalledintoaid (parakaieitai).' It was a forensic term, signifying the counsel for the defence and corresponding exactly to our 'advocate' (Lat. advocatus) . Singularly enough, the Greeli-speaking Fathers mostly took the word in the impossible sense of 'Comforter,' influenced perhaps by the false analogy of Menahem {Consolalar), a Jewish name for the Messiah. Cf. Cyril of Jerusalem, Cat. xvi. 20: 'He is called Parakletos because He comforts (parakalei) and consoles and helps our infirmity.' Were it understood in its Uteral sense of ' Strengthener' (Cora/'orfaior), 'Comforter' would be a fair rendering; but as a matter of fact it originated in an error; nor does it suggest the true idea to the English reader. It should be observed that ' comfortless' in Jn 14i8 lends it no support. RV gives 'desolate'; literally, as in the margin of both Versions, ' orphans.'

The substitution of 'Advocate' for 'Comforter' reveals a wealth ot meaning in our Lord's address to the Eleven on that night in which He was betrayed. During His eartlily ministry He had been God's Advocate with men, pleading God's cause with them and seeking to win them for Him. He was going away, but God would not be left without an Advocate on the earth. ' I will pray the Fatheri and another Advocate he will give you, that he may be with you for ever — the Spirit of Truth.' Not received, because unrecognized, by the unspiritual world, the Advocate would be recognized and welcomed by believers (Jn 14"- ". 25. 26). ^nd He would testify to them about Jesus, the unseen Lord, and they would repeat His testimony to the world (1626. 27). And He would make their testimony effective, 'convicting the world regarding sin, righteousness, and judgment' (168-").

Jesus told the Eleven that it was 'expedient for them that he should go away,' since His departure was the condition of the advent of the Advocate (167); and 1 Jn 2' furnishes a profound commentary on this declaration. Jesus in the days of His flesh was God's Advocate on the earth, pleading with men for God. The Holy Spirit has taken His place, and performs this office. But Jesus is still an Advocate. He is the Advocate of sinners up in heaven, pleading their cause with God, and, in the language of St. Paul (Ro 8^), 'making intercession for them.'

And thus it was expedient for us that He should go away, that we might enjoy a double advocacy — the Holy Spirit's here, pleading with us for God; and that of Jesus in the court of heaven, pleading with God for us. There are three dispensations in the history of redemption, each richer and fuller than the last: (1) The OT dispensation, under which men knew only of God in high heaven; (2) that of the Incarnation, under which the Father came near to men in Jesus Christ and by His gracious advocacy appealed to their hearts; (3) that of the Holy Spirit, under which the

AGE, AGED, OLD AGE

Holy Spirit is the Father's Advocate here, and Jesus 'our Advocate above, our Friend before the throne of love.' David Smith.

AEDIAS (1 Es 9").— One of those who agreed to put away their 'strange' wives. The name is probably a corruption for Elijah of Ezr 102».

.SINEAS. — The name of a paralytic at Lydda who was cured by Peter (Ac 9'3- »).

JESOIX. — Jn 32', meaning 'springs'; a site near Salim [wh. see].

.ffiSORA (Jth i*). — An unknown Samaritan town, possibly mod. Asireh, N.E. of Shechem.

ACrABUS. — A Christian prophet of Jerusalem (Ac ll27£f . 2I11"), whose prediction of a famine over the (civilized) world occasioned the sending of alms from Antioch to Jerusalem. The famine happened, not simultaneously in all countries, in Claudius' reign (Suetonius, Tacitus). Agabus also foretold St. Paul's imprisonment, by binding his feet and hands with the Apostle's girdle (cf. Jer IS'"). A. J. Maclean.

AG-ADE (formerly but erroneously read Agane). — A city of Northern Babylonia and the capital of Sargon, the founder of the first Semitic empire (c. B.C. 3800). As was first discovered by George Smith, Agade was the Semitic Akkadu (see Akkad). It stood near Sippara or Sepharvaim (wh. see), and may have been in later times a suburb of the latter town. A. H. Sayce.

A6AG. — 1. Nu 24', probably a copyist's error: LXX has Gog. 2. 1 S IS, the king of Amalek, whom Saul defeated and spared; some Gr. MSS name his father Aser (15"). Whetfier he met his fate bravely or timidly cannot be determined from the extant text (v.32) Samuel considered him to be under the ban of extermination, and therefore killed him as a religious act (V.3S). J. Taylor.

AGAGITE.— The designation of Haman (Est 3i- " 83. 6 924). Josephus (Ant. xi. vi. 5) calls him an Amalekite. The epithet in Esther indicates that, as Agag was Saul's adversary, so Haman was the foe of this other Benjamite. The LXX reads Bugaios, 3' 8=, omits at 31", and at 9'" IB'" has Macedonian, a word of evil connotation after Antiochus Epiphanes. J. Taylor.

AGAIN. — The Eng. word 'again' means in AV either 'a second time,' as Ph 4's, 'ye sent once and again'; or 'back,' as in Mt 11* 'go and show John again those things which ye do hear' (i.e. 'go back and show John').

AGAPE.— See Love Feast.

AGAR. — The sons of Agar are mentioned in Bar S'^; they are called Hagarenes in Ps 838, and Hagrites in

1 Ch 5"- 2" 2731. Their country lay east of Gilead. AGATE. — See Jewels and Pheciods Stones. AGE, AGED, OLD AGE.— In the OT advancing age is

represented by words of different root-meanings. The aged man is zagren, perhaps 'grey-bearded' (Gn 48'",

2 S 19*2, Job 122" 32», Ps 71i8, Jer 6"); 'old age' is also sebhah, i.e. 'hoary-headedness' (Gn 15'^, 1 K 14'; cf. Gn 4238, Ps 711S). According to the Mishna (Ab. V. 21) the latter word implies a greater age (70) than the former (60). But in Job 15'° (cf. 29^) yashlsh, i.e. 'very aged,' marks a further advance in years, of which the sign is a withering of strength. Ps 90'" is the only passage in which a definite period is fixed for human life. The idea that 'hale old age' (kelach) is a blessing is expressed in Job S"; the contrast is furnished by the gloomy picture (30^) of the ' fathers ' whose old age lacks vigour.

The wisdom of the old was proverbial (Job 12i2 327), though there were exceptions (Job 32' Ps 119'™). The experience of the older men fitted them for positions of trust and authority; hence by a natural transition of thought 'elders' became an oflBcial title Ex 3". Ac 11"). Respect is to be shown to the old (Lv \%'\ Pr 2322), and the decay of reverence for age is an evil

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