(2.) A son of Obed-edom the Gittite, and a temple porter (1 Chr. 26:4).

Sackbut - (Chald. sabkha; Gr. sambuke), a Syrian stringed instrument resembling a harp ( Dan. 3:5,Dan. 3:7,Dan. 3:10,Dan. 3:15); not the modern sackbut, which is a wind instrument.

Sackcloth - cloth made of black goats' hair, coarse, rough, and thick, used for sacks, and also worn by mourners ( Gen. 37:34;Gen 42:25; 2 Sam. 3:31; Esther 4:1, Esther 4:2; Ps. 30:11, etc.), and as a sign of repentance ( Matt. 11:21). It was put upon animals by the people of Nineveh ( Jonah 3:8).

Sacrifice - The offering up of sacrifices is to be regarded as a divine institution. It did not originate with man. God himself appointed it as the mode in which acceptable worship was to be offered to him by guilty man. The language and the idea of sacrifice pervade the whole Bible.

Sacrifices were offered in the ante-diluvian age. The Lord clothed Adam and Eve with the skins of animals, which in all probability had been offered in sacrifice ( Gen. 3:21). Abel offered a sacrifice "of the firstlings of his flock" ( Gen 4:4; Heb. 11:4). A distinction also was made between clean and unclean animals, which there is every reason to believe had reference to the offering up of sacrifices ( Gen. 7:2,Gen. 7:8), because animals were not given to man as food till after the Flood.

The same practice is continued down through the patriarchal age ( Gen. 8:20;Gen 12:7;Gen 13:4,Gen. 8:18;Gen 15:9-11;Gen 22:1-18, etc.). In the Mosaic period of Old Testament history definite laws were prescribed by God regarding the different kinds of sacrifices that were to be offered and the manner in which the offering was to be made. The offering of stated sacrifices became indeed a prominent and distinctive feature of the whole period ( Ex. 12:3-27; Lev. 23:5-8; Num. 9:2-14). (See ALTAR.)

We learn from the Epistle to the Hebrews that sacrifices had in themselves no value or efficacy. They were only the "shadow of good things to come," and pointed the worshippers forward to the coming of the great High Priest, who, in the fullness of the time, "was offered once for all to bear the sin of many." Sacrifices belonged to a temporary economy, to a system of types and emblems which served their purposes and have now passed away. The "one sacrifice for sins" hath "perfected for ever them that are sanctified."

Sacrifices were of two kinds: 1. Unbloody, such as (1) first-fruits and tithes; (2) meat and drink-offerings; and (3) incense. 2. Bloody, such as (1) burnt-offerings; (2) peace-offerings; and (3) sin and trespass offerings. (See OFFERINGS.)

Sadducees - The origin of this Jewish sect cannot definitely be traced. It was probably the outcome of the influence of Grecian customs and philosophy during the period of Greek domination. The first time they are met with is in connection with John the Baptist's ministry. They came out to him when on the banks of the Jordan, and he said to them, "O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" ( Matt. 3:7.) The next time they are spoken of they are represented as coming to our Lord tempting him. He calls them "hypocrites" and "a wicked and adulterous generation" ( Matt. 16:1-4;Matt 22:23). The only reference to them in the Gospels of Mark ( Matt 12:18-27) and Luke ( Matt 20:27-38) is their attempting to ridicule the doctrine of the resurrection, which they denied, as they also denied the existence of angels. They are never mentioned in John's Gospel.

There were many Sadducees among the "elders" of the Sanhedrin. They seem, indeed, to have been as numerous as the Pharisees ( Acts 23:6). They showed their hatred of Jesus in taking part in his condemnation ( Matt. 16:21;Matt 26:1-3,Matt. 16:59; Mark 8:31; Mark 15:1; Luke 9:22; Luke 22:66). They endeavoured to prohibit the apostles from preaching the resurrection of Christ ( Acts 2:24,Acts 2:31,Acts 2:32;Acts 4:1,Acts 2:2;Acts 5:17,Acts 2:24-28). They were the deists or sceptics of that age. They do not appear as a separate sect after the destruction of Jerusalem.

Sadoc - just, mentioned in the genealogy of our Lord ( Matt. 1:14).

Saffron - Heb. karkom, Arab. zafran (i.e., "yellow"), mentioned only in Cant. 4:13, Cant. 4:14; the Crocus sativus. Many species of the crocus are found in Palestine. The pistils and stigmata, from the centre of its flowers, are pressed into "saffron cakes," common in the East. "We found," says Tristram, "saffron a very useful condiment in travelling cookery, a very small pinch of it giving not only a rich yellow colour but an agreable flavour to a dish of rice or to an insipid stew."

Saint - one separated from the world and consecrated to God; one holy by profession and by covenant; a believer in Christ ( Ps. 16:3; Rom. 1:7; Rom 8:27; Phil. 1:1; Heb. 6:10).

The "saints" spoken of in Jude 1:14 are probably not the disciples of Christ, but the "innumerable company of angels" ( Heb. 12:22; Ps. 68:17), with reference to Deut. 33:2.

This word is also used of the holy dead ( Matt. 27:52; Rev. 18:24). It was not used as a distinctive title of the apostles and evangelists and of a "spiritual nobility" till the fourth century. In that sense it is not a scriptural title.

Sala - a shoot, a descendant of Arphaxed ( Luke 3:35,Luke 3:36); called also Shelah (1 Chr. 1:18,1 Chr. 1:24).

Salamis - a city on the south-east coast of Cyprus ( Acts 13:5), where Saul and Barnabas, on their first missionary journey, preached the word in one of the Jewish synagogues, of which there seem to have been several in that place. It is now called Famagusta.

Salathiel - whom I asked of God, the son of Jeconiah ( Matt. 1:12; 1 Chr. 3:17); also called the son of Neri ( Luke 3:27). The probable explanation of the apparent discrepancy is that he was the son of Neri, the descendant of Nathan, and thus heir to the throne of David on the death of Jeconiah (comp. Jer. 22:30).

Salcah - wandering, a city of Bashan assigned to the half tribe of Manasseh ( Deut. 3:10; Josh. 12:5; Josh 13:11), identified with Salkhad, about 56 miles east of Jordan.

Salem - peace, commonly supposed to be another name of Jerusalem ( Gen. 14:18; Ps. 76:2; Heb. 7:1, Heb. 7:2).

Salim - peaceful, a place near AEnon (q.v.), on the west of Jordan, where John baptized ( John 3:23). It was probably the Shalem mentioned in Gen. 33:18, about 7 miles south of AEnon, at the head of the great Wady Far'ah, which formed the northern boundary of Judea in the Jordan valley.

Sallai - basket-maker. (1.) A Benjamite ( Neh. 11:8).

(2.) A priest in the days of Joshua and Zerubbabel ( Neh. 12:20).

Sallu - weighed. (1.) A priest ( Neh. 12:7).

(2.) A Benjamite (1 Chr. 9:7; Neh. 11:7).

Salmon - garment, the son of Nashon ( Ruth 4:20; Matt. 1:4, Matt. 1:5), possibly the same as Salma in 1 Chr. 2:51.

Salmon - shady; or Zalmon (q.v.), a hill covered with dark forests, south of Shechem, from which Abimelech and his men gathered wood to burn that city ( Judg. 9:48). In Ps. 68:14 the change from war to peace is likened to snow on the dark mountain, as some interpret the expression. Others suppose the words here mean that the bones of the slain left unburied covered the land, so that it seemed to be white as if covered with snow. The reference, however, of the psalm is probably to Josh. 11 and 12. The scattering of the kings and their followers is fitly likened unto the snow-flakes rapidly falling on the dark Salmon. It is the modern Jebel Suleiman.

Salmone - a promontory on the east of Crete, under which Paul sailed on his voyage to Rome ( Acts 27:7); the modern Cape Sidero.

Salome - perfect. (1.) The wife of Zebedee and mother of James and John ( Mat. 27:56), and probably the sister of Mary, the mother of our Lord ( John 19:25). She sought for her sons places of honour in Christ's kingdom ( Matt. 20:20,Matt. 20:21; comp. 19:28). She witnessed the crucifixion ( Mark 15:40), and was present with the other women at the sepulchre ( Matt. 27:56).

(2.) "The daughter of Herodias," not named in the New Testament. On the occasion of the birthday festival held by Herod Antipas, who had married her mother Herodias, in the fortress of Machaerus, she "came in and danced, and pleased Herod" ( Mark 6:14-29). John the Baptist, at that time a prisoner in the dungeons underneath the castle, was at her request beheaded by order of Herod, and his head given to the damsel in a charger, "and the damsel gave it to her mother," whose revengeful spirit was thus gratified. "A luxurious feast of the period" (says Farrar, Life of Christ) "was not regarded as complete unless it closed with some gross pantomimic representation; and doubtless Herod had adopted the evil fashion of his day. But he had not anticipated for his guests the rare luxury of seeing a princess, his own niece, a grand-daughter of Herod the Great and of Mariamne, a descendant, therefore, of Simon the high priest and the great line of Maccabean princes, a princess who afterwards became the wife of a tetrarch [Philip, tetrarch of Trachonitis] and the mother of a king, honouring them by degrading herself into a scenic dancer."

Salt - used to season food ( Job 6:6), and mixed with the fodder of cattle ( Isa. 30:24, "clean;" in marg. of R.V. "salted"). All meat-offerings were seasoned with salt ( Lev. 2:13). To eat salt with one is to partake of his hospitality, to derive subsistence from him; and hence he who did so was bound to look after his host's interests ( Ezra 4:14, "We have maintenance from the king's palace;" A.V. marg., "We are salted with the salt of the palace;" R.V., "We eat the salt of the palace").

A "covenant of salt" ( Num. 18:19; 2 Chr. 13:5) was a covenant of perpetual obligation. New-born children were rubbed with salt ( Ezek. 16:4). Disciples are likened unto salt, with reference to its cleansing and preserving uses ( Matt. 5:13). When Abimelech took the city of Shechem, he sowed the place with salt, that it might always remain a barren soil ( Judg. 9:45). Sir Lyon Playfair argues, on scientific grounds, that under the generic name of "salt," in certain passages, we are to understand petroleum or its residue asphalt. Thus in Gen. 19:26 he would read "pillar of asphalt;" and in Matt. 5:13, instead of "salt," "petroleum," which loses its essence by exposure, as salt does not, and becomes asphalt, with which pavements were made.

The Jebel Usdum, to the south of the Dead Sea, is a mountain of rock salt about 7 miles long and from 2 to 3 miles wide and some hundreds of feet high.

Salt Sea - ( Josh. 3:16). See DEAD SEA.

Salt, The city of - one of the cities of Judah ( Josh. 15:62), probably in the Valley of Salt, at the southern end of the Dead Sea.

Salt, Valley of - a place where it is said David smote the Syrians (2 Sam. 8:13). This valley (the' Arabah) is between Judah and Edom on the south of the Dead Sea. Hence some interpreters would insert the words, "and he smote Edom," after the words, "Syrians" in the above text. It is conjectured that while David was leading his army against the Ammonites and Syrians, the Edomites invaded the south of Judah, and that David sent Joab or Abishai against them, who drove them back and finally subdued Edom. (Comp. title to Ps. 60.)

Here also Amaziah "slew of Edom ten thousand men" (2 Kings 14:7; comp. 8: 20-22 and 2 Chr. 25:5-11).