HANDBREADTH

Mt 26" etc., Gr. engys, lit. 'near'). In determining the directions in the Orient, the face is turned to the east, not to the north as with us. So it comes that yamXn, 'right hand,' and semS'l, 'left band,' like the Arab, yamin and shimal, denote respectively 'south' and 'north.'

In prayer the hands were stretched up (Ex 17", 1 K 8==, Ps 282 etc.). To Uft the hand to God signified a vow (Gn 14"^). To put the hand under the thigh of one to whom a vow was made, constituted a binding form of oath (Gn 24^ 47^'). Blessing was conveyed by laying hands upon the head (Gn 48'*). Out of this probably grew the practice in ordination — see Laying ON OF Hands. To 'fill the hand' (Ex 28" etc.) was to set apart to the priesthood. Sin was supposed to be conveyed to the head of the victim for sacrifice (Ex 29'° etc.), especially to that of the scapegoat (Lv 16" etc.), by laying on of the priests' hands. Washing the hands was a declaration of innocence (Dt 21«, Ps 26«, Mt 27" etc.). Clean hands were a symbol of a righteous life (Job 22™, Ps 182» 24' etc.). To .smite the hands to-gether was a sign of anger (Nu 24'"). To pour water on another's hands was to be his servant (2 K 3"). To join hand in hand was to conspire together (Pr 11" etc.). To strike hands sealed a compact (Pr 6' etc.). Folded hands betoken slumber (Pr 24"). Left-handed-ness seems to have been common among the Benjamites (Jg 20"), and once it was of signal service (Jg 3"- ^).

'The hand of the Lord,' and 'a mighty hand' (Dt 2" 4" etc.), stand for the resistless power of God. 'The hand of the Lord upon' the prophet signifies the Divine Inspiration (Ezk 8' 37' etc.). 'The good hand of the Lord' (Ezr 7« etc.), 'my hand' and 'my Father's hand' (Jn lO^'- »), denote the providential, preserving care of God.

It appears that certain marks or cuttings In the hand were evidence of what deity one served (Is 44« RVm, ct. Gal 6"). The mark of the beast 'upon their hand' (Rev 20*) is probably an allusion to this custom. See Cuttings in the Flesh, and Maeks.

In court the accuser stands on the right hand (Ps 109«, Zee 3'). The left hand bears the shield, leaving the right side exposed in battle. The protector, there-fore, stands on the right hand (Ps 109" etc.). Perhaps on tills account honour attaches to the right hand, the place given to the most favoured guest. The seat of the Redeemer's glory is at the right hand of God (Ps 110', Lk 22«9, Ro 8" etc.).

Thrice (1 S IS'', 2 S 18's, Is 56«) yOd clearly means 'monument' or 'memorial,' probably a stone block or pillar; a hand may have been carved upon it, but this is uncertain. W. Ewinq.

HANDBREADTH. — See Weights and Measures.

HANDKERCHIEFS, only Ac 19'^ soudaria, a loan-word from the Latin, elsewhere rendered 'napkin,' for which see Dress, § 6 (a).

HANDSTAVES.— Only Ezk 39», either clubs or the equally primitive throw-sticks; see AsuouB Arms, § 1.

HANES is associated with Zoan in a difficult context. Is 30'. Some would place it in Lower Egypt, with Anysis in Herodotus, and Khininshi in the annals of Ashurbanipal; but there can be little doubt that it is the Egyptian Hnis (Heracleopolis Magna) on the west side of the Nile, just south of the Fayyum. Hngs was apparently the home of the family from which the 22nd Dyn. arose, and the scanty documents of suc-ceeding dynasties show it to have been of great im-portance: in the 25th and 26th Dyns. (c. B.C. 715-600) the standard silver of Egypt was specifically that of the treasury of Harshafe, the ram-headed god of HnSs, and during the long reign of Psammetichus i. (c. 660-610) Hn6s was the centre of government for the whole of Upper Egypt. The LXX does not rec-ognize the name of the dty, and shows a wide divergence

HAP, HAPLY

of reading: 'for there are in Tanis princes, wicked messengers.' F. Ll. Griffith.

HANGING. — See Crimes and Punishments, § 10; Gallows.

HANGING, HANGINGS.— 1. The former is AVs term for the portiire closing the entrance to the court of the Tent of Meeting (Ex 35" etc.), for the similar curtain at the entrance to the Tent itself (26*"' etc.), and once for the 'veil' or hanging separating the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Tabernacle. In the last passage, Nu 3", we should probably read, as in 4', 'the veil of the screen,' 'screen' being RV's substitute for 'hanging' throughout.

RV, however, retains 'hangings' as the tr. of a different original denoting the curtains 'of fine twined linen' which surrounded the court (Ex 27" etc.). See, for these various ' hangings,' the relative sections of the art. Tabernacle.

2. In a corrupt passage, 2 E 23', we read of ' hangings for the grove," or rather, as RV, of 'hangings for the Asherah ' (cf . RVm), woven by the women of Jerusalem. The true text is probably Lucian's, which has 'tunics,' the reference being to robes for an image of the goddess Asherah ,(wh. see). In the religious literature of Baby-lonia there is frequent reference to gifts of sheepskins, wool, etc., as clothing 'tor the god' (ana lubushtiiU). A. R. S. Kennedy.

HANNAH ('grace'). — The wife of Elkanah, and mother of Samuel. She came year by year to the sanctuary at Shiloh praying that she might become a mother; on one occasion she made a vow that if God would hear her prayer and grant her a 'man child,' she would dedicate him 'to the Lord all the days of his life.' Ell, the high priest, mistakes the silent movement of her lips as she prays, and accuses her of drunkenness; but when he finds out the mistake he has made, he gives her his blessing, and prays that her petition may be granted. Hannah returns home in peace, and in faith. In due time she gives birth to Samuel; when she has weaned him she brings him to Shiloh and dedicates him to God. It is on this occasion that the 'song' contained in 1 S 2'-'° is put into her mouth. Afterwards she comes to visit him once a year, bringing him each time a 'little robe.' Hannah bore her husband three sons and two daughters after the birth of Samuel (see Elkanah, Samuel).

W. O. E. Oestebley.

HANNATHON. — A place on the N. border of Zebulun, Jos 19". The site is uncertain.

HANNIEL ('grace of God'). — 1. Son of Ephod, and Manasseh's representative for dividing the land (Nu 3*''). 2. A hero of the tribe of Asher (1 Ch 7'').

HANOCH. — ^1. A grandson of Abraham by Keturah, and third of the sons of Mldian (Gn 25'). 2. The eldest son of Reuben, and head of the family of the Hanochites (Gn 46', Ex 6", Nu 26', 1 Ch 5').

HANUN ('favoured'). — 1. The son of Nahash, king of the Ammonites. Upon the death of the latter, David sent a message of condolence to Hanun, who, however, resented this action, and grossly insulted the messengers. The consequence was a war, which proved most disastrous to the Ammonites (2 S 10'^-, 1 Ch 19^-). 2. 3. The name occurs twice in the list of those who repaired the wall and the gates of Jerus. (Neh 3'»- '»).

HAP, HAPLT. — ^The old word 'hap,' which means chance, is found in Ru 2' 'her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging to Boaz.' The Heb. is literally ' her chance chanced ' ( AVm ' her hap happened ' ). 'Haply' is 'by hap.' 'Happily' is the same word under a different spelling, and had formerly the same meaning, though it now means 'by good luck.' In AV the spelling is now always ' haply,' but in the first edition it was 'happily' In 2 Co 9' 'Lest happily if they of

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