Horse-leech - occurs only in Prov. 30:15 (Heb. 'alukah); the generic name for any blood-sucking annelid. There are various species in the marshes and pools of Palestine. That here referred to, the Hoemopis, is remarkable for the coarseness of its bite, and is therefore not used for medical purposes. They are spoken of in the East with feelings of aversion and horror, because of their propensity to fasten on the tongue and nostrils of horses when they come to drink out of the pools. The medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis), besides other species of leeches, are common in the waters of Syria.

Horseman - Heb. ba'al parash, "master of a horse." The "horsemen" mentioned Ex. 14:9 were "mounted men", i.e., men who rode in chariots. The army of Pharaoh consisted of a chariot and infantry force. We find that at a later period, however, the Egyptians had cavalry (2 Chr. 12:3). (See HORSE.)

Hosah - refuge. (1.) A place on the border of the tribe of Asher ( Josh. 19:29), a little to the south of Zidon.

(2.) A Levite of the family of Merari (1 Chr. 16:38).

Hosanna - Save now! or Save, we beseech, ( Matt. 21:9). This was a customary form of acclamation at the feast of Tabernacles. (Comp. Ps. 118:25.)

Hose - ( Dan. 3:21), a tunic or undergarment.

Hosea - salvation, the son of Beeri, and author of the book of prophecies bearing his name. He belonged to the kingdom of Israel. "His Israelitish origin is attested by the peculiar, rough, Aramaizing diction, pointing to the northern part of Palestine; by the intimate acquaintance he evinces with the localities of Ephraim ( Dan 5:1;Dan 6:8,Dan 5:9;Dan 12:12;Dan 14:6, etc.); by passages like 1:2, where the kingdom is styled 'the land', and 7:5, where the Israelitish king is designated as 'our' king." The period of his ministry (extending to some sixty years) is indicated in the superscription ( Hos. 1:1,Hos. 1:2). He is the only prophet of Israel who has left any written prophecy.

Hosea, Prophecies of - This book stands first in order among the "Minor Prophets." "The probable cause of the location of Hosea may be the thoroughly national character of his oracles, their length, their earnest tone, and vivid representations." This was the longest of the prophetic books written before the Captivity. Hosea prophesied in a dark and melancholy period of Israel's history, the period of Israel's decline and fall. Their sins had brought upon them great national disasters. "Their homicides and fornication, their perjury and theft, their idolatry and impiety, are censured and satirized with a faithful severity." He was a contemporary of Isaiah. The book may be divided into two parts, the first containing chapters 1-3, and symbolically representing the idolatry of Israel under imagery borrowed from the matrimonial relation. The figures of marriage and adultery are common in the Old Testament writings to represent the spiritual relations between Jehovah and the people of Israel. Here we see the apostasy of Israel and their punishment, with their future repentance, forgiveness, and restoration.

The second part, containing 4-14, is a summary of Hosea's discourses, filled with denunciations, threatenings, exhortations, promises, and revelations of mercy.

Quotations from Hosea are found in Matt. 2:15; Matt 9:15; Matt 12:7; Rom. 9:25, Rom. 9:26. There are, in addition, various allusions to it in other places ( Luke 23:30; Rev. 6:16, comp. Hos. 10:8; Rom. 9:25, Rom. 9:26; 1 Pet. 2:10, comp. Hos. 1:10, etc.).

As regards the style of this writer, it has been said that "each verse forms a whole for itself, like one heavy toll in a funeral knell." "Inversions Hos 7:8; Hos 9:11, Hos 7:13; Hos 12: 8), anacolutha Hos 9:6; Hos 12:8, etc.), ellipses Hos 9:4; Hos 13:9, etc.), paranomasias, and plays upon words, are very characteristic of Hosea Hos 8:7; Hos 9:15; Hos 10:5; Hos 11:5; Hos 12:11)."

Hoshea - salvation. (1.) The original name of the son of Nun, afterwards called Joshua ( Num. 13:8,Num. 13:16; Deut. 32:44).

(2.) 1 Chr. 27:20. The ruler of Ephraim in David's time.

(3.) The last king of Israel. He conspired against and slew his predecessor, Pekah ( Isa. 7:16), but did not ascend the throne till after an interregnum of warfare of eight years (2 Kings 17:1,2 Kings 17:2). Soon after this he submitted to Shalmaneser, the Assyrian king, who a second time invaded the land to punish Hoshea, because of his withholding tribute which he had promised to pay. A second revolt brought back the Assyrian king Sargon, who besieged Samaria, and carried the ten tribes away beyond the Euphrates, B.C. 720 (2 Kings 17:5,2 Kings 17:6;2 Kings 18:9-12). No more is heard of Hoshea. He disappeared like "foam upon the water" ( Hos. 10:7;Hos 13:11).

Host - an entertainer ( Rom. 16:23); a tavern-keeper, the keeper of a caravansary ( Luke 10:35).

In warfare, a troop or military force. This consisted at first only of infantry. Solomon afterwards added cavalry (1 Kings 4:26;1 Kings 10:26). Every male Israelite from twenty to fifty years of age was bound by the law to bear arms when necessary ( Num. 1:3;Num 26:2; 2 Chr. 25:5).

Saul was the first to form a standing army (1 Sam. 13:2;1 Sam 24:2). This example was followed by David (1 Chr. 27:1), and Solomon (1 Kings 4:26), and by the kings of Israel and Judah (2 Chr. 17:14;2 Chr 26:11; 2 Kings 11:4, etc.).

Hostage - a person delivered into the hands of another as a security for the performance of some promise, etc. (2 Kings 14:14; 2 Chr. 25:24).

Host of heaven - The sun, moon, and stars are so designated ( Gen. 2:1). When the Jews fell into idolatry they worshipped these ( Deut. 4:19; 2 Kings 17:16;2 Kings 21:3,2 Kings 17:5;2 Kings 23:5; Jer. 19:13; Zeph. 1:5; Acts 7:42).

Hough - to hamstring, i.e., sever the "tendon of Achilles" of the hinder legs of captured horses ( Josh. 11:6; 2 Sam. 8:4; 1 Chr. 18:4), so as to render them useless.

Hour - First found in Dan. 3:6; Dan 4:19, Dan. 3:33; Dan 5:5. It is the rendering of the Chaldee shaah, meaning a "moment," a "look." It is used in the New Testament frequently to denote some determinate season ( Matt. 8:13; Luke 12:39).

With the ancient Hebrews the divisions of the day were "morning, evening, and noon-day" ( Ps. 55:17, etc.). The Greeks, following the Babylonians, divided the day into twelve hours. The Jews, during the Captivity, learned also from the Babylonians this method of dividing time. When Judea became subject to the Romans, the Jews adopted the Roman mode of reckoning time. The night was divided into four watches ( Luke 12:38; Matt. 14:25; Matt 13:25). Frequent allusion is also made to hours ( Matt. 25:13;Matt 26:40, etc.). (See DAY.)

An hour was the twelfth part of the day, reckoning from sunrise to sunset, and consequently it perpetually varied in length.

House - Till their sojourn in Egypt the Hebrews dwelt in tents. They then for the first time inhabited cities ( Gen. 47:3; Ex. 12:7; Heb. 11:9). From the earliest times the Assyrians and the Canaanites were builders of cities. The Hebrews after the Conquest took possession of the captured cities, and seem to have followed the methods of building that had been pursued by the Canaanites. Reference is made to the stone (1 Kings 7:9; Isa. 9:10) and marble (1 Chr. 29:2) used in building, and to the internal wood-work of the houses (1 Kings 6:15;1 Kings 7:2;1 Kings 10:11,1 Kings 6:12; 2 Chr. 3:5; Jer. 22:14). "Ceiled houses" were such as had beams inlaid in the walls to which wainscotting was fastened ( Ezra 6:4; Jer. 22:14; Hag. 1:4). "Ivory houses" had the upper parts of the walls adorned with figures in stucco with gold and ivory (1 Kings 22:39; 2 Chr. 3:6; Ps. 45:8).

The roofs of the dwelling-houses were flat, and are often alluded to in Scripture (2 Sam. 11:2; Isa. 22:1; Matt. 24:17). Sometimes tents or booths were erected on them (2 Sam. 16:22). They were protected by parapets or low walls ( Deut. 22:8). On the house-tops grass sometimes grew ( Prov. 19:13;Prov 27:15; Ps. 129:6, Ps. 129:7). They were used, not only as places of recreation in the evening, but also sometimes as sleeping-places at night (1 Sam. 9:25,1 Sam. 9:26; 2 Sam. 11:2;2 Sam 16:22; Dan. 4:29; Job 27:18; Prov. 21:9), and as places of devotion ( Jer. 32:29;Jer 19:13).

Hukkok - decreed, a town near Zebulun, not far from Jordan, on the border of Naphtali ( Josh. 19:34). (See HELKATH.)

Hul - circle, the second son of Aram ( Gen. 10:23), and grandson of Shem.

Huldah - weasel, a prophetess; the wife of Shallum. She was consulted regarding the "book of the law" discovered by the high priest Hilkiah (2 Kings 22:14-20; 2 Chr. 34:22-28). She resided in that part of Jerusalem called the Mishneh (A.V., "the college;" R.V., "the second quarter"), supposed by some to be the suburb between the inner and the outer wall, the second or lower city, Akra. Miriam ( Ex. 15:20) and Deborah ( Judg. 4:4) are the only others who bear the title of "prophetess," for the word in Isa. 8:3 means only the prophet's wife.

Humiliation of Christ - ( Phil. 2:8), seen in (1) his birth ( Gal. 4:4; Luke 2:7; John 1:46; Heb. 2:9), (2) his circumstances, (3) his reputation (Isa. 53; Matt. 26:59, Matt. 26:67; Ps. 22:6; Matt. 26:68), (4) his soul ( Ps. 22:1; Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 22:44; Heb. 2:17, Heb. 2:18; Heb 4:15), (5) his death (Luke 23; John 19; Mark 15:24, Mark 15:25), (6) and his burial ( Isa. 53:9; Matt. 27:57, Matt. 27:58, Matt. 27:60).

His humiliation was necessary (1) to execute the purpose of God ( Acts 2:23,Acts 2:24; Ps. 40:6-8), (2) fulfil the Old Testament types and prophecies, (3) satisfy the law in the room of the guilty (Isa. 53; Heb. 9:12, Heb. 9:15), procure for them eternal redemption, (4) and to show us an example.

Humility - a prominent Christian grace ( Rom. 12:3;Rom 15:17,Rom. 12:18; 1 Cor. 3:5-7; 2 Cor. 3:5; Phil. 4:11-13). It is a state of mind well pleasing to God (1 Pet. 3:4); it preserves the soul in tranquillity ( Ps. 69:32,Ps. 69:33), and makes us patient under trials ( Job 1:22).

Christ has set us an example of humility ( Phil. 2:6-8). We should be led thereto by a remembrance of our sins ( Lam. 3:39), and by the thought that it is the way to honour ( Prov. 16:18), and that the greatest promises are made to the humble ( Ps. 147:6; Isa. 57:15; Isa 66:2; 1 Pet. 5:5). It is a "great paradox in Christianity that it makes humility the avenue to glory."

Hunting - mentioned first in Gen. 10:9 in connection with Nimrod. Esau was "a cunning hunter" ( Gen. 25:27). Hunting was practised by the Hebrews after their settlement in the "Land of Promise" ( Lev. 17:15; Prov. 12:27). The lion and other ravenous beasts were found in Palestine (1 Sam. 17:34; 2 Sam. 23:20; 1 Kings 13:24; Ezek. 19:3-8), and it must have been necessary to hunt and destroy them. Various snares and gins were used in hunting ( Ps. 91:3; Amos 3:5; 2 Sam. 23:20).

War is referred to under the idea of hunting ( Jer. 16:16; Ezek. 32:30).

Hur - a hole, as of a viper, etc. (1.) A son of Caleb (1 Chr. 2:19,1 Chr. 2:50;1 Chr 4:1,1 Chr. 2:4; comp. 2 Chr. 1:5).

(2.) The husband of Miriam, Moses' sister ( Ex. 17:10-12). He was associated with Aaron in charge of the people when Moses was absent on Sinai ( Ex. 24:14). He was probably of the tribe of Judah, and grandfather of Bezaleel ( Ex. 31:2;Ex 35:30; 1 Chr. 2:19).

(3.) One of the five princes of Midian who were defeated and slain by the Israelites under the command of Phinehas ( Num. 31:8).

Hurai - linen-worker, one of David's heroes, a native of the valley of Mount Gaash (1 Chr. 11:32).

Husband - i.e., the "house-band," connecting and keeping together the whole family. A man when betrothed was esteemed from that time a husband ( Matt. 1:16,Matt. 1:20; Luke 2:5). A recently married man was exempt from going to war for "one year" ( Deut. 20:7;Deut 24:5).

Husbandman - one whose business it is to cultivate the ground. It was one of the first occupations, and was esteemed most honourable ( Gen. 9:20;Gen 26:12,Gen. 9:14;Gen 37:7, etc.). All the Hebrews, except those engaged in religious services, were husbandmen. (See AGRICULTURE.)