Seba - (1.) One of the sons of Cush ( Gen. 10:7).

(2.) The name of a country and nation ( Isa. 43:3;Isa 45:14) mentioned along with Egypt and Ethiopia, and therefore probably in north-eastern Africa. The ancient name of Meroe. The kings of Sheba and Seba are mentioned together in Ps. 72:10.

Sebat - the eleventh month of the Hebrew year, extending from the new moon of February to that of March ( Zech. 1:7). Assyrian sabatu, "storm." (See MONTH.)

Secacah - enclosure, one of the six cities in the wilderness of Judah, noted for its "great cistern" ( Josh. 15:61). It has been identified with the ruin Sikkeh, east of Bethany.

Sechu - a hill or watch-tower, a place between Gibeah and Ramah noted for its "great well" (1 Sam. 19:22); probably the modern Suweikeh, south of Beeroth.

Sect - (Gr. hairesis, usually rendered "heresy", Acts 24:14; 1 Chr. 11:19; Gal. 5:20, etc.), meaning properly "a choice," then "a chosen manner of life," and then "a religious party," as the "sect" of the Sadducees ( Acts 5:17), of the Pharisees ( Acts 15:5), the Nazarenes, i.e., Christians ( Acts 24:5). It afterwards came to be used in a bad sense, of those holding pernicious error, divergent forms of belief (2 Pet. 2:1; Gal. 5:20).

Secundus - second, a Christian of Thessalonica who accompanied Paul into Asia ( Acts 20:4).

Seer - a name sometimes applied to the prophets because of the visions granted to them. It is first found in 1 Sam. 9:9. It is afterwards applied to Zadok, Gad, etc. (2 Sam. 15:27;2 Sam 24:11; 1 Chr. 9:22;1 Chr 25:5; 2 Chr. 9:29; Amos 7:12; Micah 3:7). The "sayings of the seers" (2 Chr. 33:18,2 Chr. 33:19) is rendered in the Revised Version "the history of Hozai" (marg., the seers; so the LXX.), of whom, however, nothing is known. (See PROPHET.)

Seethe - to boil ( Ex. 16:23).

Seething pot - a vessel for boiling provisions in ( Job 41:20; Jer. 1:13).

Segub - elevated. (1.) The youngest son of Hiel the Bethelite. His death is recorded in 1 Kings 16:34 (comp. Josh. 6:26).

(2.) A descendant of Judah (1 Chr. 2:21,1 Chr. 2:22).

Seir - rough; hairy. (1.) A Horite; one of the "dukes" of Edom ( Gen. 36:20-30).

(2.) The name of a mountainous region occupied by the Edomites, extending along the eastern side of the Arabah from the south-eastern extremity of the Dead Sea to near the Akabah, or the eastern branch of the Red Sea. It was originally occupied by the Horites ( Gen. 14:6), who were afterwards driven out by the Edomites ( Gen. 32:3;Gen 33:14,Gen. 32:16). It was allotted to the descendants of Esau ( Deut. 2:4,Deut. 2:22; Josh. 24:4; 2 Chr. 20:10; Isa. 21:11; Exek. 25:8).

(3.) A mountain range (not the Edomite range, Gen. 32:3) lying between the Wady Aly and the Wady Ghurab ( Josh. 15:10).

Seirath - woody district; shaggy, a place among the mountains of Ephraim, bordering on Benjamin, to which Ehud fled after he had assassinated Eglon at Jericho ( Judg. 3:26,Judg. 3:27).

Sela - =Se'lah, rock, the capital of Edom, situated in the great valley extending from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea (2 Kings 14:7). It was near Mount Hor, close by the desert of Zin. It is called "the rock" ( Judg. 1:36). When Amaziah took it he called it Joktheel (q.v.) It is mentioned by the prophets ( Isa. 16:1; Obad. 1:3) as doomed to destruction.

It appears in later history and in the Vulgate Version under the name of Petra. "The caravans from all ages, from the interior of Arabia and from the Gulf of Persia, from Hadramaut on the ocean, and even from Sabea or Yemen, appear to have pointed to Petra as a common centre; and from Petra the tide seems again to have branched out in every direction, to Egypt, Palestine, and Syria, through Arsinoe, Gaza, Tyre, Jerusalem, and Damascus, and by other routes, terminating at the Mediterranean." (See EDOM [2].)

Selah - a word frequently found in the Book of Psalms, and also in Hab. 3:13, about seventy-four times in all in Scripture. Its meaning is doubtful. Some interpret it as meaning "silence" or "pause;" others, "end," "a louder strain," "piano," etc. The LXX. render the word by daplasma i.e., "a division."

Sela-hammahlekoth - cliff of divisions the name of the great gorge which lies between Hachilah and Maon, south-east of Hebron. This gorge is now called the Wady Malaky. This was the scene of the interview between David and Saul mentioned in 1 Sam .26:13. Each stood on an opposing cliff, with this deep chasm between.

Seleucia - the sea-port of Antioch, near the mouth of the Orontes. Paul and his companions sailed from this port on their first missionary journey ( Acts 13:4). This city was built by Seleucus Nicator, the "king of Syria." It is said of him that "few princes have ever lived with so great a passion for the building of cities. He is reputed to have built in all nine Seleucias, sixteen Antiochs, and six Laodiceas." Seleucia became a city of great importance, and was made a "free city" by Pompey. It is now a small village, called el-Kalusi.

Semei - mentioned in the genealogy of our Lord ( Luke 3:26).

Senaah - thorny, a place many of the inhabitants of which returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel ( Ezra 2:35; Neh. 7:38).

Senate - ( Acts 5:21), the "elders of Israel" who formed a component part of the Sanhedrin.

Seneh - the acacia; rock-thorn, the southern cliff in the Wady es-Suweinit, a valley south of Michmash, which Jonathan climbed with his armour-bearer (1 Sam. 14:4,1 Sam. 14:5). The rock opposite, on the other side of the wady, was called Bozez.

Senir - =Shenir, the name given to Hermon by the Amorites ( Deut. 3:9). It means "coat of mail" or "breastplate," and is equivalent to "Sirion." Some interpret the word as meaning "the prominent" or "the snowy mountain." It is properly the name of the central of the three summits of Hermon (q.v.).

Sennacherib - Sin (the god) sends many brothers, son of Sargon, whom he succeeded on the throne of Assyria (B.C. 705), in the 23rd year of Hezekiah. "Like the Persian Xerxes, he was weak and vainglorious, cowardly under reverse, and cruel and boastful in success." He first set himself to break up the powerful combination of princes who were in league against him. Among these was Hezekiah, who had entered into an alliance with Egypt against Assyria. He accordingly led a very powerful army of at least 200,000 men into Judea, and devastated the land on every side, taking and destroying many cities (2 Kings 18:13-16; comp. Isa. 22, 24, 29, and 2 Chr. 32:1-8). His own account of this invasion, as given in the Assyrian annals, is in these words: "Because Hezekiah, king of Judah, would not submit to my yoke, I came up against him, and by force of arms and by the might of my power I took forty-six of his strong fenced cities; and of the smaller towns which were scattered about, I took and plundered a countless number. From these places I took and carried off 200,156 persons, old and young, male and female, together with horses and mules, asses and camels, oxen and sheep, a countless multitude; and Hezekiah himself I shut up in Jerusalem, his capital city, like a bird in a cage, building towers round the city to hem him in, and raising banks of earth against the gates, so as to prevent escape...Then upon Hezekiah there fell the fear of the power of my arms, and he sent out to me the chiefs and the elders of Jerusalem with 30 talents of gold and 800 talents of silver, and divers treasures, a rich and immense booty...All these things were brought to me at Nineveh, the seat of my government." (Comp. Isa. 22:1-13 for description of the feelings of the inhabitants of Jerusalem at such a crisis.)

Hezekiah was not disposed to become an Assyrian feudatory. He accordingly at once sought help from Egypt (2 Kings 18:20-24). Sennacherib, hearing of this, marched a second time into Palestine (2 Kings 18:17,2 Kings 18:37;2 Kings 19; 2 Chr. 32:9-23; Isa. 36:2-22. Isa. 37:25 should be rendered "dried up all the Nile-arms of Matsor," i.e., of Egypt, so called from the "Matsor" or great fortification across the isthmus of Suez, which protected it from invasions from the east). Sennacherib sent envoys to try to persuade Hezekiah to surrender, but in vain. (See TIRHAKAH.) He next sent a threatening letter (2 Kings 19:10-14), which Hezekiah carried into the temple and spread before the Lord. Isaiah again brought an encouraging message to the pious king (2 Kings 19:20-34). "In that night" the angel of the Lord went forth and smote the camp of the Assyrians. In the morning, "behold, they were all dead corpses." The Assyrian army was annihilated.

This great disaster is not, as was to be expected, taken notice of in the Assyrian annals.

Though Sennacherib survived this disaster some twenty years, he never again renewed his attempt against Jerusalem. He was murdered by two of his own sons (Adrammelech and Sharezer), and was succeeded by another son, Esarhaddon (B.C. 681), after a reign of twenty-four years.

Seorim - barley, the chief of the forth priestly course (1 Chr. 24:8).

Sephar - numbering, ( Gen. 10:30), supposed by some to be the ancient Himyaritic capital, "Shaphar," Zaphar, on the Indian Ocean, between the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea.