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Glass - was known to the Egyptians at a very early period of their national history, at least B.C. 1500. Various articles both useful and ornamental were made of it, as bottles, vases, etc. A glass bottle with the name of Sargon on it was found among the ruins of the north-west palace of Nimroud. The Hebrew word zekukith ( Job 28:17), rendered in the Authorized Version "crystal," is rightly rendered in the Revised Version "glass." This is the only allusion to glass found in the Old Testament. It is referred to in the New Testament in Rev. 4:6; Rev 15:2; Rev 21:18, Rev. 4:21. In Job 37:18, the word rendered "looking-glass" is in the Revised Version properly rendered "mirror," formed, i.e., of some metal. (Comp. Ex. 38:8: "looking-glasses" are brazen mirrors, R.V.). A mirror is referred to also in James 1:23.

Glean - The corners of fields were not to be reaped, and the sheaf accidentally left behind was not to be fetched away, according to the law of Moses ( Lev. 19:9;Lev 23:22; Deut. 24:21). They were to be left for the poor to glean. Similar laws were given regarding vineyards and oliveyards. (Comp. Ruth 2:2.)

Glede - an Old English name for the common kite, mentioned only in Deut. 14:13 (Heb. ra'ah), the Milvus ater or black kite. The Hebrew word does not occur in the parallel passage in Leviticus Deut 11:14, da'ah, rendered "vulture;" in R.V., "kite"). It was an unclean bird. The Hebrew name is from a root meaning "to see," "to look," thus designating a bird with a keen sight. The bird intended is probably the buzzard, of which there are three species found in Palestine. (See VULTURE.)

Glorify - (1.) To make glorious, or cause so to appear ( John 12:28;John 13:31,John 12:32;John 17:4,John 12:5).

(2.) Spoken of God to "shew forth his praise" (1 Cor. 6:20;1 Cor 10:31).

Glory - (Heb. kabhod; Gr. doxa). (1.) Abundance, wealth, treasure, and hence honour ( Ps. 49:12); glory ( Gen. 31:1; Matt. 4:8; Rev. 21:24, Rev. 21:26).

(2.) Honour, dignity (1 Kings 3:13; Heb. 2:7 1 Pet. 1:24); of God ( Ps. 19:1;Ps 29:1); of the mind or heart ( Gen. 49:6; Ps. 7:5; Acts 2:46).

(3.) Splendour, brightness, majesty ( Gen. 45:13; Isa. 4:5; Acts 22:11; 2 Cor. 3:7); of Jehovah ( Isa. 59:19;Isa 60:1; 2 Thess. 1:9).

(4.) The glorious moral attributes, the infinite perfections of God ( Isa. 40:5; Acts 7:2; Rom. 1:23; Rom 9:23; Eph. 1:12). Jesus is the "brightness of the Father's glory" ( Heb. 1:3; John 1:14; John 2:11).

(5.) The bliss of heaven ( Rom. 2:7,Rom. 2:10;Rom 5:2;Rom 8:18; Heb. 2:10; 1 Pet. 5:1,1 Pet. 5:10).

(6.) The phrase "Give glory to God" ( Josh. 7:19; Jer. 13:16) is a Hebrew idiom meaning, "Confess your sins." The words of the Jews to the blind man, "Give God the praise" ( John 9:24), are an adjuration to confess. They are equivalent to, "Confess that you are an impostor," "Give God the glory by speaking the truth;" for they denied that a miracle had been wrought.

Glutton - ( Deut. 21:20), Heb. zolel, from a word meaning "to shake out," "to squander;" and hence one who is prodigal, who wastes his means by indulgence. In Prov. 23:21, the word means debauchees or wasters of their own body. In Prov. 28:7, the word (pl.) is rendered Authorized Version "riotous men;" Revised Version, "gluttonous." Matt. 11:19, Luke 7:34, Greek phagos, given to eating, gluttonous.

Gnash - Heb. harak, meaning "to grate the teeth", ( Job 16:9; Ps. 112:10; Lam. 2:16), denotes rage or sorrow. (See also Acts 7:54; Mark 9:18.)

Gnat - only in Matt. 23:24, a small two-winged stinging fly of the genus Culex, which includes mosquitoes. Our Lord alludes here to the gnat in a proverbial expression probably in common use, "who strain out the gnat;" the words in the Authorized Version, "strain at a gnat," being a mere typographical error, which has been corrected in the Revised Version. The custom of filtering wine for this purpose was common among the Jews. It was founded on Lev. 11:23. It is supposed that the "lice," Ex. 8:16 (marg. R.V., "sand-flies"), were a species of gnat.

Goad - (Heb. malmad, only in Judg. 3: 31), an instrument used by ploughmen for guiding their oxen. Shamgar slew six hundred Philistines with an ox-goad. "The goad is a formidable weapon. It is sometimes ten feet long, and has a sharp point. We could now see that the feat of Shamgar was not so very wonderful as some have been accustomed to think."

In 1 Sam. 13:21, a different Hebrew word is used, dorban, meaning something pointed. The expression ( Acts 9:5, omitted in the R.V.), "It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks", i.e., against the goad, was proverbial for unavailing resistance to superior power.

Goat - (1.) Heb. 'ez, the she-goat ( Gen. 15:9;Gen 30:35;Gen 31:38). This Hebrew word is also used for the he-goat ( Ex. 12:5; Lev. 4:23; Num. 28:15), and to denote a kid ( Gen. 38:17,Gen. 38:20). Hence it may be regarded as the generic name of the animal as domesticated. It literally means "strength," and points to the superior strength of the goat as compared with the sheep.

(2.) Heb. 'attud, only in plural; rendered "rams" ( Gen. 31:10,Gen. 31:12); he-goats ( Num. 7:17-88; Isa. 1:11); goats ( Deut. 32:14; Ps. 50:13). They were used in sacrifice ( Ps. 66:15). This word is used metaphorically for princes or chiefs in Isa. 14:9, and in Zech. 10:3 as leaders. (Comp. Jer. 50:8.)

(3.) Heb. gedi, properly a kid. Its flesh was a delicacy among the Hebrews ( Gen. 27:9,Gen. 27:14,Gen. 27:17; Judg. 6:19).

(4.) Heb. sa'ir, meaning the "shaggy," a hairy goat, a he-goat (2 Chr. 29:23); "a goat" ( Lev. 4:24); "satyr" ( Isa. 13:21); "devils" ( Lev. 17:7). It is the goat of the sin-offering ( Lev. 9:3,Lev. 9:15;Lev 10:16).

(5.) Heb. tsaphir, a he-goat of the goats (2 Chr. 29:21). In Dan. 8:5, Dan. 8:8it is used as a symbol of the Macedonian empire.

(6.) Heb. tayish, a "striker" or "butter," rendered "he-goat" ( Gen. 30:35;Gen 32:14).

(7.) Heb. 'azazel (q.v.), the "scapegoat" ( Lev. 16:8,Lev. 16:10,Lev. 16:26).

(8.) There are two Hebrew words used to denote the undomesticated goat:, Yael, only in plural mountain goats (1 Sam. 24:2; Job 39:1; Ps.104:18). It is derived from a word meaning "to climb." It is the ibex, which abounded in the mountainous parts of Moab. And 'akko, only in Deut. 14:5, the wild goat.

Goats are mentioned in the New Testament in Matt. 25:32, Matt. 25:33; Heb. 9:12, Heb. 9:13, Heb. 9:19; Heb 10:4. They represent oppressors and wicked men ( Ezek. 34:17;Ezek 39:18; Matt. 25:33).

Several varieties of the goat were familiar to the Hebrews. They had an important place in their rural economy on account of the milk they afforded and the excellency of the flesh of the kid. They formed an important part of pastoral wealth ( Gen. 31:10,Gen. 31:12;Gen 32:14; 1 Sam. 25:2).

Goath - a lowing, a place near Jerusalem, mentioned only in Jer. 31:39.

Gob - a pit, a place mentioned in 2 Sam. 21:18,2 Sam. 21:19; called also Gezer, in 1 Chr. 20:4.

Goblet - a laver or trough for washing garments. In Cant. 7:2, a bowl or drinking vessel, a bowl for mixing wine; in Ex. 24:6, a sacrificial basin. (See CUP.)

God - (A.S. and Dutch God; Dan. Gud; Ger. Gott), the name of the Divine Being. It is the rendering (1) of the Hebrew 'El, from a word meaning to be strong; (2) of 'Eloah_, plural _'Elohim. The singular form, Eloah, is used only in poetry. The plural form is more commonly used in all parts of the Bible, The Hebrew word Jehovah (q.v.), the only other word generally employed to denote the Supreme Being, is uniformly rendered in the Authorized Version by "LORD," printed in small capitals. The existence of God is taken for granted in the Bible. There is nowhere any argument to prove it. He who disbelieves this truth is spoken of as one devoid of understanding ( Ps. 14:1).

The arguments generally adduced by theologians in proof of the being of God are:

(1.) The a priori argument, which is the testimony afforded by reason.

(2.) The a posteriori argument, by which we proceed logically from the facts of experience to causes. These arguments are,

(a) The cosmological, by which it is proved that there must be a First Cause of all things, for every effect must have a cause.

(b) The teleological, or the argument from design. We see everywhere the operations of an intelligent Cause in nature.

(c) The moral argument, called also the anthropological argument, based on the moral consciousness and the history of mankind, which exhibits a moral order and purpose which can only be explained on the supposition of the existence of God. Conscience and human history testify that "verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth."

The attributes of God are set forth in order by Moses in Ex. 34:6, Ex. 34:7. (see also Deut. 6:4; Deut 10:17; Num. 16:22; Ex. 15:11; Ex 33:19; Isa. 44:6; Hab. 3:6; Ps. 102:26; Job 34:12.) They are also systematically classified in Rev. 5:12 and 7:12.

God's attributes are spoken of by some as absolute, i.e., such as belong to his essence as Jehovah, Jah, etc.; and relative, i.e., such as are ascribed to him with relation to his creatures. Others distinguish them into communicable, i.e., those which can be imparted in degree to his creatures: goodness, holiness, wisdom, etc.; and incommunicable, which cannot be so imparted: independence, immutability, immensity, and eternity. They are by some also divided into natural attributes, eternity, immensity, etc.; and moral, holiness, goodness, etc.

Godhead - ( Acts 17:29; Rom. 1:20; Col. 2:9), the essential being or the nature of God.

Godliness - the whole of practical piety (1 Tim. 4:8; 2 Pet. 1:6). "It supposes knowledge, veneration, affection, dependence, submission, gratitude, and obedience." In 1 Tim. 3:16 it denotes the substance of revealed religion.

Goel - in Hebrew the participle of the verb gaal, "to redeem." It is rendered in the Authorized Version "kinsman," Num. 5:8; Ruth 3:12; Ruth 4:1, Ruth 3:6, Ruth 3:8; "redeemer," Job 19:25; "avenger," Num. 35:12; Deut. 19:6, etc. The Jewish law gave the right of redeeming and repurchasing, as well as of avenging blood, to the next relative, who was accordingly called by this name. (See REDEEMER.)

Gog - (1.) A Reubenite (1 Chr. 5:4), the father of Shimei.

(2.) The name of the leader of the hostile party described in Ezek. 38,39, as coming from the "north country" and assailing the people of Israel to their own destruction. This prophecy has been regarded as fulfilled in the conflicts of the Maccabees with Antiochus, the invasion and overthrow of the Chaldeans, and the temporary successes and destined overthrow of the Turks. But "all these interpretations are unsatisfactory and inadequate. The vision respecting Gog and Magog in the Apocalypse ( Rev. 20:8) is in substance a reannouncement of this prophecy of Ezekiel. But while Ezekiel contemplates the great conflict in a more general light as what was certainly to be connected with the times of the Messiah, and should come then to its last decisive issues, John, on the other hand, writing from the commencement of the Messiah's times, describes there the last struggles and victories of the cause of Christ. In both cases alike the vision describes the final workings of the world's evil and its results in connection with the kingdom of God, only the starting-point is placed further in advance in the one case than in the other."

It has been supposed to be the name of a district in the wild north-east steppes of Central Asia, north of the Hindu-Kush, now a part of Turkestan, a region about 2,000 miles north-east of Nineveh.

Golan - exile, a city of Bashan ( Deut. 4:43), one of the three cities of refuge east of Jordan, about 12 miles north-east of the Sea of Galilee ( Josh. 20:8). There are no further notices of it in Scripture. It became the head of the province of Gaulanitis, one of the four provinces into which Bashan was divided after the Babylonish captivity, and almost identical with the modern Jaulan, in Western Hauran, about 39 miles in length and 18 in breath.

Gold - (1.) Heb. zahab, so called from its yellow colour ( Ex. 25:11; 1 Chr. 28:18; 2 Chr. 3:5).

(2.) Heb. segor, from its compactness, or as being enclosed or treasured up; thus precious or "fine gold" (1 Kings 6:20;1 Kings 7:49).

(3.) Heb. paz, native or pure gold ( Job 28:17; Ps. 19:10; Ps 21:3, etc.).

(4.) Heb. betzer, "ore of gold or silver" as dug out of the mine ( Job 36:19, where it means simply riches).

(5.) Heb. kethem, i.e., something concealed or separated ( Job 28:16,Job 28:19; Ps. 45:9; Prov. 25:12). Rendered "golden wedge" in Isa. 13:12.

(6.) Heb. haruts, i.e., dug out; poetic for gold ( Prov. 8:10;Prov 16:16; Zech. 9:3).

Gold was known from the earliest times ( Gen. 2:11). It was principally used for ornaments ( Gen. 24:22). It was very abundant (1 Chr. 22:14; Nah. 2:9; Dan. 3:1). Many tons of it were used in connection with the temple (2 Chr. 1:15). It was found in Arabia, Sheba, and Ophir (1 Kings 9:28;1 Kings 10:1; Job 28:16), but not in Palestine.

In Dan. 2:38, the Babylonian Empire is spoken of as a "head of gold" because of its great riches; and Babylon was called by Isaiah Dan 14:4) the "golden city" (R.V. marg., "exactress," adopting the reading marhebah, instead of the usual word madhebah).

Golden calf - ( Ex. 32:4,Ex. 32:8; Deut. 9:16; Neh. 9:18). This was a molten image of a calf which the idolatrous Israelites formed at Sinai. This symbol was borrowed from the custom of the Egyptians. It was destroyed at the command of Moses ( Ex. 32:20). (See AARON ; MOSES.)

Goldsmith - ( Neh. 3:8,Neh. 3:32; Isa. 40:19; Isa 41:7; Isa 46:6). The word so rendered means properly a founder or finer.

Golgotha - the common name of the spot where Jesus was crucified. It is interpreted by the evangelists as meaning "the place of a skull" ( Matt. 27:33; Mark 15:22; John 19:17). This name represents in Greek letters the Aramaic word Gulgaltha, which is the Hebrew Gulgoleth ( Num. 1:2; 1 Chr. 23:3,1 Chr. 23:24; 2 Kings 9:35), meaning "a skull." It is identical with the word Calvary (q.v.). It was a little knoll rounded like a bare skull. It is obvious from the evangelists that it was some well-known spot outside the gate (comp. Heb. 13:12), and near the city ( Luke 23:26), containing a "garden" ( John 19:41), and on a thoroughfare leading into the country. Hence it is an untenable idea that it is embraced within the present "Church of the Holy Sepulchre." The hillock above Jeremiah's Grotto, to the north of the city, is in all probability the true site of Calvary. The skull-like appearance of the rock in the southern precipice of the hillock is very remarkable.

Goliath - great. (1.) A famous giant of Gath, who for forty days openly defied the armies of Israel, but was at length slain by David with a stone from a sling (1 Sam. 17:4). He was probably descended from the Rephaim who found refuge among the Philistines after they were dispersed by the Ammonites ( Deut. 2:20,Deut. 2:21). His height was "six cubits and a span," which, taking the cubit at 21 inches, is equal to 10 1/2 feet. David cut off his head (1 Sam. 17:51) and brought it to Jerusalem, while he hung the armour which he took from him in his tent. His sword was preserved at Nob as a religious trophy 1 Sam 21:9). David's victory over Goliath was the turning point in his life. He came into public notice now as the deliverer of Israel and the chief among Saul's men of war 1 Sam 18:5), and the devoted friend of Jonathan.

(2.) In 2 Sam. 21:19 there is another giant of the same name mentioned as slain by Elhanan. The staff of his apear "was like a weaver's beam." The Authorized Version interpolates the words "the brother of" from 1 Chr. 20:5, where this giant is called Lahmi.

Gomer - complete; vanishing. (1.) The daughter of Diblaim, who (probably in vision only) became the wife of Hosea 1 Chr 1:3).

(2.) The eldest son of Japheth, and father of Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah ( Gen. 10:2,Gen. 10:3), whose descendants formed the principal branch of the population of South-eastern Europe. He is generally regarded as the ancestor of the Celtae and the Cimmerii, who in early times settled to the north of the Black Sea, and gave their name to the Crimea, the ancient Chersonesus Taurica. Traces of their presence are found in the names Cimmerian Bosphorus, Cimmerian Isthmus, etc. In the seventh century B.C. they were driven out of their original seat by the Scythians, and overran western Asia Minor, whence they were afterwards expelled. They subsequently reappear in the times of the Romans as the Cimbri of the north and west of Europe, whence they crossed to the British Isles, where their descendants are still found in the Gaels and Cymry. Thus the whole Celtic race may be regarded as descended from Gomer.

Gomorrah - submersion, one of the five cities of the plain of Siddim (q.v.) which were destroyed by fire ( Gen. 10:19;Gen 13:10;Gen 19:24,Gen. 10:28). These cities probably stood close together, and were near the northern extremity of what is now the Dead Sea. This city is always mentioned next after Sodom, both of which were types of impiety and wickedness ( Gen. 18:20; Rom. 9:29). Their destruction is mentioned as an "ensample unto those that after should live ungodly" (2 Pet. 2:6; Jude 1:4-7). Their wickedness became proverbial ( Deut. 32:32; Isa. 1:9, Isa. 1:10; Jer. 23:14). But that wickedness may be exceeded ( Matt. 10:15; Mark 6:11). (See DEAD SEA ).