Neiel - dwelling-place of God, a town in the territory of Asher, near its southern border ( Josh. 19:27). It has been identified with the ruin Y'anin, near the outlet of the Wady esh Sha-ghur, less than 2 miles north of Kabul, and 16 miles east of Caesarea.

Nekeb - cavern, a town on the boundary of Naphtali ( Josh. 19:33). It has with probability, been identified with Seiyadeh, nearly 2 miles east of Bessum, a ruin half way between Tiberias and Mount Tabor.

Nemuel - day of God. (1.) One of Simeon's five sons (1 Chr. 4:24), called also Jemuel ( Gen. 46:10). (2.) A Reubenite, a son of Eliab, and brother of Dathan and Abiram ( Num. 26:9).

Nephilim - ( Gen. 6:4; Num. 13:33, R.V.), giants, the Hebrew word left untranslated by the Revisers, the name of one of the Canaanitish tribes. The Revisers have, however, translated the Hebrew gibborim, in Gen. 6:4, "mighty men."

Nephtoah - opened, a fountain and a stream issuing from it on the border between Judah and Benjamin ( Josh. 15:8,Josh. 15:9;Josh 18:15). It has been identified with 'Ain Lifta, a spring about 2 1/2 miles north-west of Jerusalem. Others, however, have identified it with 'Ain' Atan, on the south-west of Bethlehem, whence water is conveyed through "Pilate's aqueduct" to the Haram area at Jerusalem.

Ner - light, the father of Kish (1 Chr. 8:33). 1 Sam. 14:51 should be read, "Kish, the father of Saul, and Ner, the father of Abner, were the sons of Abiel." And hence this Kish and Ner were brothers, and Saul and Abner were first cousins (comp. 1 Chr. 9:36).

Nereus - a Christian at Rome to whom Paul sent his salutation ( Rom. 16:15).

Nergal - the great dog; that is, lion, one of the chief gods of the Assyrians and Babylonians (2 Kings 17:30), the god of war and hunting. He is connected with Cutha as its tutelary deity.

Nergal-sharezer - Nergal, protect the king! (1.) One of the "princes of the king of Babylon who accompanied him in his last expedition against Jerusalem" ( Jer. 39:3,Jer. 39:13).

(2.) Another of the "princes," who bore the title of "Rabmag." He was one of those who were sent to release Jeremiah from prison ( Jer. 39:13) by "the captain of the guard." He was a Babylonian grandee of high rank. From profane history and the inscriptions, we are led to conclude that he was the Neriglissar who murdered Evil-merodach, the son of Nebuchadnezzar, and succeeded him on the throne of Babylon (B.C. 559-556). He was married to a daughter of Nebuchadnezzar. The ruins of a palace, the only one on the right bank of the Euphrates, bear inscriptions denoting that it was built by this king. He was succeeded by his son, a mere boy, who was murdered after a reign of some nine months by a conspiracy of the nobles, one of whom, Nabonadius, ascended the vacant throne, and reigned for a period of seventeen years (B.C. 555-538), at the close of which period Babylon was taken by Cyrus. Belshazzar, who comes into notice in connection with the taking of Babylon, was by some supposed to have been the same as Nabonadius, who was called Nebuchadnezzar's son ( Dan. 5:11,Dan. 5:18,Dan. 5:22), because he had married his daughter. But it is known from the inscriptions that Nabonadius had a son called Belshazzar, who may have been his father's associate on the throne at the time of the fall of Babylon, and who therefore would be the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar. The Jews had only one word, usually rendered "father," to represent also such a relationship as that of "grandfather" or "great-grandfather."

Nero - occurs only in the superscription (which is probably spurious, and is altogether omitted in the R.V.) to the Second Epistle to Timothy. He became emperor of Rome when he was about seventeen years of age (A.D. 54), and soon began to exhibit the character of a cruel tyrant and heathen debauchee. In May A.D. 64, a terrible conflagration broke out in Rome, which raged for six days and seven nights, and totally destroyed a great part of the city. The guilt of this fire was attached to him at the time, and the general verdict of history accuses him of the crime. "Hence, to suppress the rumour," says Tacitus (Annals, xv. 44), "he falsely charged with the guilt, and punished with the most exquisite tortures, the persons commonly called Christians, who are hated for their enormities. Christus, the founder of that name, was put to death as a criminal by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea, in the reign of Tiberius; but the pernicious superstition, repressed for a time, broke out again, not only throughout Judea, where the mischief originated, but through the city of Rome also, whither all things horrible and disgraceful flow, from all quarters, as to a common receptacle, and where they are encouraged. Accordingly, first three were seized, who confessed they were Christians. Next, on their information, a vast multitude were convicted, not so much on the charge of burning the city as of hating the human race. And in their deaths they were also made the subjects of sport; for they were covered with the hides of wild beasts and worried to death by dogs, or nailed to crosses, or set fire to, and, when day declined, burned to serve for nocturnal lights. Nero offered his own gardens for that spectacle, and exhibited a Circensian game, indiscriminately mingling with the common people in the habit of a charioteer, or else standing in his chariot; whence a feeling of compassion arose toward the sufferers, though guilty and deserving to be made examples of by capital punishment, because they seemed not to be cut off for the public good, but victims to the ferocity of one man." Another Roman historian, Suetonius (Nero, xvi.), says of him: "He likewise inflicted punishments on the Christians, a sort of people who hold a new and impious superstition" (Forbes's Footsteps of St. Paul, p. 60).

Nero was the emperor before whom Paul was brought on his first imprisonment at Rome, and the apostle is supposed to have suffered martyrdom during this persecution. He is repeatedly alluded to in Scripture ( Acts 25:11; Phil. 1:12, Phil. 1:13; Phil 4:22). He died A.D. 68.

Net - in use among the Hebrews for fishing, hunting, and fowling. The fishing-net was probably constructed after the form of that used by the Egyptians ( Isa. 19:8). There were three kinds of nets. (1.) The drag-net or hauling-net (Gr. sagene), of great size, and requiring many men to work it. It was usually let down from the fishing-boat, and then drawn to the shore or into the boat, as circumstances might require ( Matt. 13:47,Matt. 13:48). (2.) The hand-net or casting-net (Gr. amphiblestron), which was thrown from a rock or a boat at any fish that might be seen ( Matt. 4:18; Mark 1:16). It was called by the Latins funda. It was of circular form, "like the top of a tent." (3.) The bag-net (Gr. diktyon), used for enclosing fish in deep water ( Luke 5:4-9).

The fowling-nets were (1) the trap, consisting of a net spread over a frame, and supported by a stick in such a way that it fell with the slightest touch ( Amos 3:5, "gin;" Ps. 69:22; Job 18:9; Eccl. 9:12). (2) The snare, consisting of a cord to catch birds by the leg ( Job 18:10; Ps. 18:5; Ps 116:3; Ps 140:5). (3.) The decoy, a cage filled with birds as decoys ( Jer. 5:26,Jer. 5:27). Hunting-nets were much in use among the Hebrews.

Nethaneel - given of God. (1.) The son of Zuar, chief of the tribe of Issachar at the Exodus ( Num. 1:8;Num 2:5).

(2.) One of David's brothers (1 Chr. 2:14).

(3.) A priest who blew the trumpet before the ark when it was brought up to Jerusalem (1 Chr. 15:24).

(4.) A Levite (1 Chr. 24:6).

(5.) A temple porter, of the family of the Korhites (1 Chr. 26:4).

(6.) One of the "princes" appointed by Jehoshaphat to teach the law through the cities of Judah (2 Chr. 17:7).

(7.) A chief Levite in the time of Josiah (2 Chr. 35:9).

(8.) Ezra 10:22.

(9.) Neh. 12:21.

(10.) A priest's son who bore a trumpet at the dedication of the walls of Jerusalem ( Neh. 12:36).

Nethaniah - given of Jehovah. (1.) One of Asaph's sons, appointed by David to minister in the temple (1 Chr. 25:2,1 Chr. 25:12).

(2.) A Levite sent by Jehoshaphat to teach the law (2 Chr. 17:8).

(3.) Jer. 36:14.

(4.) 2 Kings 25:23,2 Kings 25:25.

Nethinim - the name given to the hereditary temple servants in all the post-Exilian books of Scripture. The word means given, i.e., "those set apart", viz., to the menial work of the sanctuary for the Levites. The name occurs seventeen times, and in each case in the Authorized Version incorrectly terminates in "s", "Nethinims;" in the Revised Version, correctly without the "s" ( Ezra 2:70;Ezra 7:7,Ezra 2:24;Ezra 8:20, etc.). The tradition is that the Gibeonites ( Josh. 9:27) were the original caste, afterwards called Nethinim. Their numbers were added to afterwards from captives taken in battle; and they were formally given by David to the Levites ( Ezra 8:20), and so were called Nethinim, i.e., the given ones, given to the Levites to be their servants. Only 612 Nethinim returned from Babylon ( Ezra 2:58;Ezra 8:20). They were under the control of a chief from among themselves ( Ezra 2:43; Neh. 7:46). No reference to them appears in the New Testament, because it is probable that they became merged in the general body of the Jewish people.

Netophah - distillation; dropping, a town in Judah, in the neighbourhood, probably, of Bethlehem ( Neh. 7:26; 1 Chr. 2:54). Two of David's guards were Netophathites (1 Chr. 27:13,1 Chr. 27:15). It has been identified with the ruins of Metoba, or Um Toba, to the north-east of Bethlehem.

Nettle - (1.) Heb. haral, "pricking" or "burning," Prov. 24:30, Prov. 24:31(R.V. marg., "wild vetches"); Job 30:7; Zeph. 2:9. Many have supposed that some thorny or prickly plant is intended by this word, such as the bramble, the thistle, the wild plum, the cactus or prickly pear, etc. It may probably be a species of mustard, the Sinapis arvensis, which is a pernicious weed abounding in corn-fields. Tristram thinks that this word "designates the prickly acanthus (Acanthus spinosus), a very common and troublesome weed in the plains of Palestine."

(2.) Heb. qimmosh, Isa. 34:13; Hos. 9:6; Prov. 24:31 (in both versions, "thorns"). This word has been regarded as denoting thorns, thistles, wild camomile; but probably it is correctly rendered "nettle," the Urtica pilulifera, "a tall and vigorous plant, often 6 feet high, the sting of which is much more severe and irritating than that of our common nettle."

New Moon, Feast of - Special services were appointed for the commencement of a month ( Num. 28:11-15;Num 10:10). (See FESTIVALS.)

New Testament - ( Luke 22:20), rather "New Covenant," in contrast to the old covenant of works, which is superseded. "The covenant of grace is called new; it succeeds to the old broken covenant of works. It is ever fresh, flourishing, and excellent; and under the gospel it is dispensed in a more clear, spiritual, extensive, and powerful manner than of old" (Brown of Haddington). Hence is derived the name given to the latter portion of the Bible. (See TESTAMENT.)

Neziah - victory; pure, Ezra 2:54; Neh. 7:56.

Nezib - a town in the "plain" of Judah. It has been identified with Beit Nuzib, about 14 miles south-west of Jerusalem, in the Wady Sur ( Josh. 15:43).

Nibhaz - barker, the name of an idol, supposed to be an evil demon of the Zabians. It was set up in Samaria by the Avites (2 Kings 17:31), probably in the form of a dog.

Nibshan - fertile; light soil, a city somewhere "in the wilderness" of Judah ( Josh. 15:62), probably near Engedi.

Nicanor - conqueror, one of the seven deacons appointed in the apostolic Church ( Acts 6:1-6). Nothing further is known of him.

Nicodemus - the people is victor, a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin. He is first noticed as visiting Jesus by night ( John 3:1-21) for the purpose of learning more of his doctrines, which our Lord then unfolded to him, giving prominence to the necessity of being "born again." He is next met with in the Sanhedrin ( John 7:50-52), where he protested against the course they were taking in plotting against Christ. Once more he is mentioned as taking part in the preparation for the anointing and burial of the body of Christ ( John 19:39). We hear nothing more of him. There can be little doubt that he became a true disciple.

Nicolaitanes - The church at Ephesus ( Rev. 2:6) is commended for hating the "deeds" of the Nicolaitanes, and the church of Pergamos is blamed for having them who hold their "doctrines" (15). They were seemingly a class of professing Christians, who sought to introduce into the church a false freedom or licentiousness, thus abusing Paul's doctrine of grace (comp. 2 Pet. 2:15,2 Pet. 2:16,2 Pet. 2:19), and were probably identical with those who held the doctrine of Baalam (q.v.), Rev. 2:14.