(2.) A town in the tribe of Judah to which Jotham fled for fear of Abimelech ( Judg. 9:21). Some have identified this place with Beeroth.

Beer-elim - well of heroes, probably the name given to Beer, the place where the chiefs of Israel dug a well ( Num. 21:16; Isa. 15:8).

Beeri - illustrious, or the well-man. (1.) The father of Judith, one of the wives of Esau ( Gen. 26:34), the same as Adah ( Gen. 36:2). (2.) The father of the prophet Hosea ( Gen 1:1).

Beer-lahai-roi - i.e., "the well of him that liveth and seeth me," or, as some render it, "the well of the vision of life", the well where the Lord met with Hagar ( Gen. 16:7-14). Isaac dwelt beside this well ( Gen 24:62;Gen 25:11). It has been identified with 'Ain Muweileh, or Moilahhi, south-west of Beersheba, and about 12 miles W. from Kadesh-barnea.

Beeroth - wells, one of the four cities of the Hivites which entered by fraud into a league with Joshua. It belonged to Benjamin ( Josh. 18:25). It has by some been identified with el-Bireh on the way to Nablus, 10 miles north of Jerusalem.

Beeroth of the children of Jaakan - ( Deut. 10:6). The same as Bene-jaakan ( Num. 33:31).

Beersheba - well of the oath, or well of seven, a well dug by Abraham, and so named because he and Abimelech here entered into a compact ( Gen. 21:31). On re-opening it, Isaac gave it the same name ( Gen. 26:31-33). It was a favourite place of abode of both of these patriarchs ( Gen 21:33;Gen 22:1-19;Gen 26:33;Gen 28:10). It is mentioned among the "cities" given to the tribe of Simeon ( Josh. 19:2; 1 Chr. 4:28). From Dan to Beersheba, a distance of about 144 miles ( Judg. 20:1; 1 Chr. 21:2; 2 Sam. 24:2), became the usual way of designating the whole Promised Land, and passed into a proverb. After the return from the Captivity the phrase is narrowed into "from Beersheba unto the valley of Hinnom" ( Neh. 11:30). The kingdom of the ten tribes extended from Beersheba to Mount Ephraim (2 Chr. 19:4). The name is not found in the New Testament. It is still called by the Arabs Bir es-Seba, i.e., "well of the seven", where there are to the present day two principal wells and five smaller ones. It is nearly midway between the southern end of the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean.

Beetle - (Heb. hargol, meaning "leaper"). Mention of it is made only in Lev. 11:22, where it is obvious the word cannot mean properly the beetle. It denotes some winged cr eeper with at least four feet, "which has legs above its feet, to leap withal." The description plainly points to the locust (q.v.). This has been an article of food from the earliest times in the East to the present day. The word is rendered "cricket" in the Revised Version.

Beeves - (an old English plural of the word beef), a name applicable to all ruminating animals except camels, and especially to the Bovidce, or horned cattle ( Lev. 22:19,Lev. 22:21; Num. 31:28, Num. 31:30, Num. 31:33, Num. 31:38, Num. 31:44).

Beg - That the poor existed among the Hebrews we have abundant evidence ( Ex. 23:11; Deut. 15:11), but there is no mention of beggars properly so called in the Old Testament. The poor were provided for by the law of Moses ( Lev. 19:10; Deut. 12:12; Deut 14:29). It is predicted of the seed of the wicked that they shall be beggars ( Ps. 37:25;Ps 109:10).

In the New Testament we find not seldom mention made of beggars ( Mark 10:46; Luke 16:20, Luke 16:21; Acts 3:2), yet there is no mention of such a class as vagrant beggars, so numerous in the East. "Beggarly," in Gal. 4:9, means worthless.

Behead - a method of taking away life practised among the Egyptians ( Gen. 40:17-19). There are instances of this mode of punishment also among the Hebrews (2 Sam. 4:8;2 Sam 20:21,2 Sam. 4:22; 2 Kings 10:6-8). It is also mentioned in the New Testament ( Matt. 14:8-12; Acts 12:2).

Behemoth - ( Job 40:15-24). Some have supposed this to be an Egyptian word meaning a "water-ox." The Revised Version has here in the margin "hippopotamus," which is probably the correct rendering of the word. The word occurs frequently in Scripture, but, except here, always as a common name, and translated "beast" or "cattle."

Bekah - Both the name and its explanation, "a half shekel," are given in Ex. 38:26. The word properly means a "division," a "part." (R.V., "beka.")

Bel - the Aramaic form of Baal, the national god of the Babylonians ( Isa. 46:1; Jer. 50:2; Jer 51:44). It signifies "lord." (See BAAL.)

Bela - a thing swallowed. (1.) A city on the shore of the Dead Sea, not far from Sodom, called also Zoar. It was the only one of the five cities that was spared at Lot's intercession ( Gen. 19:20,Gen. 19:23). It is first mentioned in Gen. 14:2, Gen. 14:8.

(2.) The eldest son of Benjamin ( Num. 26:38; "Belah," Gen. 46:21).

(3.) The son of Beor, and a king of Edom ( Gen. 36:32,Gen. 36:33; 1 Chr. 1:43).

(4.) A son of Azaz (1 Chr. 5:8).

Belial - worthlessness, frequently used in the Old Testament as a proper name. It is first used in Deut. 13:13. In the New Testament it is found only in 2 Cor. 6:15, where it is used as a name of Satan, the personification of all that is evil. It is translated "wicked" in Deut. 15:9; Ps. 41:8 (R.V. marg. Ps ; 101:3; Prov. 6:12, etc. The expression "son" or "man of Belial" means simply a worthless, lawless person ( Judg. 19:22;Judg 20:13; 1 Sam. 1:16;1 Sam 2:12).

Bell - The bells first mentioned in Scripture are the small golden bells attached to the hem of the high priest's ephod ( Ex. 28:33,Ex. 28:34,Ex. 28:35). The "bells of the horses" mentioned by Zechariah ( Ex 14:20) were attached to the bridles or belts round the necks of horses trained for war, so as to accustom them to noise and tumult.

Bellows - occurs only in Jer. 6:29, in relation to the casting of metal. Probably they consisted of leather bags similar to those common in Egypt.

Belly - the seat of the carnal affections ( Titus 1:12; Phil. 3:19; Rom. 16:18). The word is used symbolically for the heart ( Prov. 18:8;Prov 20:27;Prov 22:18, marg.). The "belly of hell" signifies the grave or underworld ( Jonah 2:2).

Belshazzar - Bel protect the king!, the last of the kings of Babylon ( Dan. 5:1). He was the son of Nabonidus by Nitocris, who was the daughter of Nebuchadnezzar and the widow of Nergal-sharezer. When still young he made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and when heated with wine sent for the sacred vessels his "father" ( Dan. 5:2), or grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from the temple in Jerusalem, and he and his princes drank out of them. In the midst of their mad revelry a hand was seen by the king tracing on the wall the announcement of God's judgment, which that night fell upon him. At the instance of the queen (i.e., his mother) Daniel was brought in, and he interpreted the writing. That night the kingdom of the Chaldeans came to an end, and the king was slain ( Dan. 5:30). (See NERGAL-SHAREZER .)

The absence of te name of Belshazzar on the monuments was long regarded as an argument against the genuineness of the Book of Daniel. In 1854 Sir Henry Rawlinson found an inscription of Nabonidus which referred to his eldest son. Quite recently, however, the side of a ravine undermined by heavy rains fell at Hillah, a suburb of Babylon. A number of huge, coarse earthenware vases were laid bare. These were filled with tablets, the receipts and contracts of a firm of Babylonian bankers, which showed that Belshazzar had a household, with secretaries and stewards. One was dated in the third year of the king Marduk-sar-uzur. As Marduk-sar-uzar was another name for Baal, this Marduk-sar-uzur was found to be the Belshazzar of Scripture. In one of these contract tablets, dated in the July after the defeat of the army of Nabonidus, we find him paying tithes for his sister to the temple of the sun-god at Sippara.

Belteshazzar - Beltis protect the king!, the Chaldee name given to Daniel by Nebuchadnezzar ( Dan. 1:7).

Benaiah - built up by Jehovah. (1.) The son of Jehoiada, chief priest (1 Chr. 27:5). He was set by David over his body-guard of Cherethites and Pelethites (2 Sam. 8:18; 1 Kings 1:32; 1 Chr. 18:17). His exploits are enumerated in 2 Sam. 23:20,2 Sam. 23:21,2 Sam. 23:22; 1 Chr. 11:22. He remained faithful to Solomon (1 Kings 1:8,1 Kings 1:10,1 Kings 1:26), by whom he was raised to the rank of commander-in-chief (1 Kings 2:25,1 Kings 2:29,1 Kings 2:30,1 Kings 2:34,1 Kings 2:35;1 Kings 4:4).

(2.) 2 Sam. 23:30; 1 Chr. 11:31.

(3.) A musical Levite (1 C hr. 15:18,1 Chr. 15:20).

(4.) A priest (1 Chr. 15:24;1 Chr 16:6).

(5.) The son of Jeiel (2 Chr. 20:14).

Ben-ammi - son of my kindred; i.e., "born of incest", the son of Lot by his youngest daughter ( Gen. 19:38).

Bench - deck of a Tyrian ship, described by Ezekiel ( Gen 27:6) as overlaid with box-wood.

Bene-jaakan - children of Jaakan ( Num. 33:31,Num. 33:32), the same as Beeroth.

Ben-hadad - the standing title of the Syrian kings, meaning "the son of Hadad." (See HADADEZER.)

(1.) The king of Syria whom Asa, king of Judah, employed to invade Israel (1 Kings 15:18).

(2.) Son of the preceding, also king of Syria. He was long engaged in war against Israel. He was murdered probably by Hazael, by whom he was succeeded (2 Kings 8:7-15), after a reign of some thirty years.

(3.) King of Damascus, and successor of his father Hazael on the throne of Syria (2 Kings 13:3,2 Kings 13:4). His misfortunes in war are noticed by Amos 2 Kings 1:4).