FROCK

manded to 'make them fringes (Heb. tHtsUh) in the borders [but EVm 'tassels in the corners'] of their garments throughout their generations.' The same ordinance, somewhat differently expressed, is found in the earlier legislation of Dt.: 'Thou shall make thee fringes (lit., as RVm, 'twisted threads') upon the four quarters (RV borders) of thy vesture wherewith thou coverest thyself (Dt 22'2). The 'vesture' here referred to is the plaid-like upper garment of the Hebrews, as is evident from Ex 22^', where 'vesture' (RV ' covering') is defined as the simlah, the upper ' gar-ment ' (RV) in question, as described under Dhess, § 4 (o) .

The ' fringes ' to be made for this garment, however, are not a continuous fringe round the four sides, like the fringes which are a characteristic feature of Assyrian dress, but, as RVm, tassels of twisted or plaited threads, and are to be fastened to the four comers of the simlah. It was further required ' that they put upon the fringe of each border a cord of blue' (Nu 15'' RV), the precise meaning of which is uncertain. It is usually taken to mean that each tassel was to be attached by means of this cord of blue, or rather of blue-purple, to a corner of the simlah.

That this ordinance was faithfully observed by the Jews of NT times is seen from the references to the tMsith or tassel of our Lord's upper'garment, disguised in EV under the 'hem' (AV) of Mt 9™ 14=6, and ■border' of Mk ^, Lk 8«. RV has 'border' through-out. These tassels are still worn by the Jews, attached to the tallith or prayer-shawl, and to the smaller tallith, in the shape of a chest-protector, now worn as an under-garment, but without the addition of the blue thread. (For the somewhat complicated method by which the tassels are made, the mode of attachment, and the mystical significance assigned to the threads and knots, see Hastings' DB ii. 69»; for illustration see i. 627'.) In the passage in Nu. it is expressly said that the object of this ordinance was to furnish the Hebrews with a visible reminder of the obligation resting upon them, as J'"s chosen people, to walk in His law and to keep all His commandments. It does not necessarily follow, how-ever, that the practice of wearing such tassels was unknown before the date of the Deuteronomic legisla-tion. On the contrary, the representations of Asiatics on the walls of tombs and other Egyptian monuments show that tasselled garments are of early date in Western Asia (see plate ii 6 of Wilkinson's Anc. Egyp. vol. i., where note that the tassels are of blue threads). Hence it is altogether probable that the object of the Hebrew legislation is 'to make a deeply rooted custom serve a fitting religious purpose' (G. B. Gray, 'Numbers' [ICC], 183 f.). A. R. S. Kennedy.

FROCK.— In the Greek text of Sir 40'i the poor man's dress is said to be of unbleached linen, para-phrased in AV as 'a linen' and in RV as 'a hempen frock.' The Hebrew original has, 'he that wraps him-self in a mantle of hair' (Smend), for which see Dress, § 4 (c). A. R. S. Kennedy.

PROG.— 1. IsepharOM , Ex S"-", Ps 78« 105'"— one of the plagues of Egypt. 2. batrachoa (Gr.), Rev 16>»- »,

GAASH

a type of uncleanness. The edible frog and the little green tree-frog are both common all over the Holy Land. E. W. G. Mastebman.

FRONTLETS.— See Ornaments, 2; Phylacteries.

FROWARD. — 'Froward' is a dialectic form of 'fromward'; it is the opposite of 'toward,' as we say 'to and fro' for 'to and from.' Thus its meaning is perverse. The word is used chiefly in Proverbs. In NT it occurs only once, 1 P 2", where the Gr. means literally tortuous like the course of a river, and then is applied to conduct that is not straightforward . Frowardly is found in Is 57" 'and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.' The Heb. is lit. 'he walked turning away,' as AVm. Frowardness occurs only in Pr. (2" 6" 10'^). Barlowe says 'Moyses the most faythfull seruaunte of God was partely by their frowardnes debarred fro the plesaunte lande of behest.'

FRUIT.— See Food, § 4.

FRYING-PAN.— See House, § 9.

FUEL.— The principal 'fuel [lit. 'food'] of fire' (Is 9'- ") in use among the Hebrews was undoubtedly wood, either in its natural state or, among the wealthier classes, as charcoal (see Coal). The trees which fur-nished the main supply (cf . Is 44"«- ) probably differed little from those so employed in Syria at the present day, for which see PEFSt., 1891, 118 S. Among other sources of supply were shrubs and undergrowth of all kinds, including the broom (Ps 120' RVm) and the buck-thorn (58») ; also chaff and other refuse of the threshing-floor (Mt 3"); and withered herbage, the 'grass' of Mt 6'». The use of dried animal dung as fuel, which is universal in the modern East, was ap-parently not unknown to the Hebrews (of. Ezk 4"-is). See further, House. § 7.

FULLER, FULLER'S FIELD.— See Arts and Crafts, § 6. and Jerusalem, r. 4.

FULNESS.— See Pleboma.

FURLONG. — See Weights and Measures.

FURNACE.— EV tr. of kibshan (Gn W>, Ex 9« etc.), •^n (Ps 12«), kUr (Dt 420, i k 8" etc.), 'aUUn (Dn 3»- " etc.), which stand for either a brick-kiln or a smelting furnace; and of tannwr, which is better rendered 'oven' (see Bread).

FURNITURE.— In the AV 'furniture' is used in the general sense of furnishings, just as Bunyan speaks of 'soldiers and their furniture' {Holy War, p. 112). 1. For the details of house furniture, see House, § 8. In this sense we read also of 'the furniture of the tabernacle' (Ex 31', Nu 3' RV, for AV 'instruments,' and elsewhere). For the less appropriate 'furniture' of the table of shewbread and of ' the candlestick ' (Ex 318), RV has 'vessels.'

2. The 'camel's furniture' of Gn 31'* was a 'camel- palankeen' (jOxJ. Heb. Lex. p. 1124), 'a crated frame, with cushions and carpets inside, and protected by an awning above, fastened to the camel's saddle' (Driver, Genesis, in loc), still used by women travellers in the East. A. R. S. Kennedy.

6AAL, son of Ebed (Jg 9™), organized the rising against Abimelech by the discontented in Shechem. Zebul, Abimelech's officer there, warned his master, who came with a strong force, and defeated the rebels under Gaal outside the city. Gaal and his brethren were driven out of Shechem, and terrible

vengeance was taken upon the disaffected city. See Abimelech, 2. W. EwiNO.

GAASH. — A mountain in Ephraim (Jos 24", Jg 2»). The torrent-valleys of Gaash are mentioned in 2 S 23'° = 1 Ch H'2.

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