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Sepharvaim - taken by Sargon, king of Assyria (2 Kings 17:24;2 Kings 18:34;2 Kings 19:13; Isa. 37:13). It was a double city, and received the common name Sepharvaim, i.e., "the two Sipparas," or "the two booktowns." The Sippara on the east bank of the Euphrates is now called Abu-Habba; that on the other bank was Accad, the old capital of Sargon I., where he established a great library. (See SARGON.) The recent discovery of cuneiform inscriptions at Tel el-Amarna in Egypt, consisting of official despatches to Pharaoh Amenophis IV. and his predecessor from their agents in Palestine, proves that in the century before the Exodus an active literary intercourse was carried on between these nations, and that the medium of the correspondence was the Babylonian language and script. (See KIRJATH-SEPHER .)
Sepulchre - first mentioned as purchased by Abraham for Sarah from Ephrn the Hittite ( Gen. 23:20). This was the "cave of the field of Machpelah," where also Abraham and Rebekah and Jacob and Leah were burried ( Gen 79:29-32). In Acts 7:16 it is said that Jacob was "laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem." It has been proposed, as a mode of reconciling the apparent discrepancy between this verse and Gen. 23:20, to read Acts 7:16 thus: "And they [i.e., our fathers] were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor [the son] of Sychem." In this way the purchase made by Abraham is not to be confounded with the purchase made by Jacob subsequently in the same district. Of this purchase by Abraham there is no direct record in the Old Testament. (See TOMB.)
Serah - abundance; princess, the daughter of Asher and grand-daughter of Jacob ( Gen. 46:17); called also Sarah ( Num. 26:46; R.V., "Serah").
Seraiah - soldier of Jehovah. (1.) The father of Joab (1 Chr. 4:13,1 Chr. 4:14).
(2.) The grandfather of Jehu (1 Chr. 4:35).
(3.) One of David's scribes or secretaries (2 Sam. 8:17).
(4.) A Netophathite ( Jer. 40:8), a chief priest of the time of Zedekiah. He was carried captive by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon, and there put to death (2 Kings 25:18,2 Kings 25:23).
(5.) Ezra 2:2.
(6.) Father of Ezra the scribe Ezra 7:1).
(7.) A ruler of the temple ( Neh. 11:11).
(8.) A priest of the days of Jehoiakim ( Neh. 12:1,Neh. 12:12).
(9.) The son of Neriah. When Zedekiah made a journey to Babylon to do homage to Nebuchadnezzar, Seraiah had charge of the royal gifts to be presented on that occasion. Jeremiah took advantage of the occasion, and sent with Seraiah a word of cheer to the exiles in Babylon, and an announcement of the doom in store for that guilty city. The roll containing this message ( Jer. 50:1-8) Seraiah was to read to the exiles, and then, after fixing a stone to it, was to throw it into the Euphrates, uttering, as it sank, the prayer recorded in Jer. 51:59-64. Babylon was at this time in the height of its glory, the greatest and most powerful monarchy in the world. Scarcely seventy years elapsed when the words of the prophet were all fulfilled. Jer. 51:59 is rendered in the Revised Version, "Now Seraiah was chief chamberlain," instead of "was a quiet prince," as in the Authorized Version.
Seraphim - mentioned in Isa. 6:2, Isa. 6:3, Isa. 6:6, Isa. 6:7. This word means fiery ones, in allusion, as is supposed, to their burning love. They are represented as "standing" above the King as he sat upon his throne, ready at once to minister unto him. Their form appears to have been human, with the addition of wings. (See ANGELS.) This word, in the original, is used elsewhere only of the "fiery serpents" ( Num. 21:6,Num. 21:8; Deut. 8:15; comp. Isa. 14:29; Isa 30:6) sent by God as his instruments to inflict on the people the righteous penalty of sin.
Sered - fear, one of the sons of Zebulun ( Gen. 46:14).
Sergeants - Acts 16:35, Acts 16:38(R.V., "lictors"), officers who attended the magistrates and assisted them in the execution of justice.
Sergius Paulus - a "prudent man" (R.V., "man of understanding"), the deputy (R.V., "proconsul") of Cyprus ( Acts 13:6-13). He became a convert to Christianity under Paul, who visited this island on his first mission to the heathen.
A remarkable memorial of this proconsul was recently (1887) discovered at Rome. On a boundary stone of Claudius his name is found, among others, as having been appointed (A.D. 47) one of the curators of the banks and the channel of the river Tiber. After serving his three years as proconsul at Cyprus, he returned to Rome, where he held the office referred to. As he is not saluted in Paul's letter to the Romans, he probably died before it was written.
Sermon on the mount - After spending a night in solemn meditation and prayer in the lonely mountain-range to the west of the Lake of Galilee ( Luke 6:12), on the following morning our Lord called to him his disciples, and from among them chose twelve, who were to be henceforth trained to be his apostles ( Mark 3:14,Mark 3:15). After this solemn consecration of the twelve, he descended from the mountain-peak to a more level spot ( Luke 6:17), and there he sat down and delivered the "sermon on the mount" (Matt. 5-7; Luke 6:20-49) to the assembled multitude. The mountain here spoken of was probably that known by the name of the "Horns of Hattin" (Kurun Hattin), a ridge running east and west, not far from Capernaum. It was afterwards called the "Mount of Beatitudes."
Serpent - (Heb. nahash; Gr. ophis), frequently noticed in Scripture. More than forty species are found in Syria and Arabia. The poisonous character of the serpent is alluded to in Jacob's blessing on Dan ( Gen. 49:17; see Prov. 30:18, Prov. 30:19; James 3:7; Jer. 8:17). (See ADDER.)
This word is used symbolically of a deadly, subtle, malicious enemy ( Luke 10:19).
The serpent is first mentioned in connection with the history of the temptation and fall of our first parents (Gen. 3). It has been well remarked regarding this temptation: "A real serpent was the agent of the temptation, as is plain from what is said of the natural characteristic of the serpent in the first verse of the chapter (3:1), and from the curse pronounced upon the animal itself. But that Satan was the actual tempter, and that he used the serpent merely as his instrument, is evident (1) from the nature of the transaction; for although the serpent may be the most subtle of all the beasts of the field, yet he has not the high intellectual faculties which the tempter here displayed. (2.) In the New Testament it is both directly asserted and in various forms assumed that Satan seduced our first parents into sin (John 8:44; Rom. 16:20; 2 Cor. 11:3, 14; Rev. 12:9; 20:2)." Hodge's System. Theol., ii. 127.
Serpent, Fiery - (LXX. "deadly," Vulg. "burning"), Num. 21:6, probably the naja haje of Egypt; some swift-springing, deadly snake ( Isa. 14:29). After setting out from their encampment at Ezion-gaber, the Israelites entered on a wide sandy desert, which stretches from the mountains of Edom as far as the Persian Gulf. While traversing this region, the people began to murmur and utter loud complaints against Moses. As a punishment, the Lord sent serpents among them, and much people of Israel died. Moses interceded on their behalf, and by divine direction he made a "brazen serpent," and raised it on a pole in the midst of the camp, and all the wounded Israelites who looked on it were at once healed. (Comp. John 3:14, John 3:15.) (See ASP.) This "brazen serpent" was preserved by the Israelites till the days of Hezekiah, when it was destroyed (2 Kings 18:4). (See BRASS.)
Serug - branch, the father of Nahor ( Gen. 11:20-23); called Saruch in Luke 3:35.
Servitor - occurs only in 2 Kings 4:43, Authorized Version (R.V., "servant"). The Hebrew word there rendered "servitor" is elsewhere rendered "minister," "servant" ( Ex. 24:13;Ex 33:11). Probably Gehazi, the personal attendant on Elisha, is here meant.
Seth - appointed; a substitute, the third son of Adam and Eve ( Gen. 4:25;Gen 5:3). His mother gave him this name, "for God," said she, "hath appointed me [i.e., compensated me with] another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew."
Sethur - hidden, one of the spies sent to search the Promised Land. He was of the tribe of Asher ( Num. 13:13).
Seven - This number occurs frequently in Scripture, and in such connections as lead to the supposition that it has some typical meaning. On the seventh day God rested, and hallowed it ( Gen. 2:2,Gen. 2:3). The division of time into weeks of seven days each accounts for many instances of the occurrence of this number. This number has been called the symbol of perfection, and also the symbol of rest. "Jacob's seven years' service to Laban; Pharaoh's seven fat oxen and seven lean ones; the seven branches of the golden candlestick; the seven trumpets and the seven priests who sounded them; the seven days' siege of Jericho; the seven churches, seven spirits, seven stars, seven seals, seven vials, and many others, sufficiently prove the importance of this sacred number" (see Lev. 25:4; 1 Sam. 2:5; Ps. 12:6; Ps 79:12; Prov. 26:16; Isa. 4:1; Matt. 18:21, Matt. 18:22; Luke 17:4). The feast of Passover ( Ex. 12:15,Ex. 12:16), the feast of Weeks ( Deut. 16:9), of Tabernacles ( Deut 13:15), and the Jubilee ( Lev. 25:8), were all ordered by seven. Seven is the number of sacrifice (2 Chr. 29:21; Job 42:8), of purification and consecration ( Lev. 42:6,Lev. 42:17;Lev 8:11,Lev. 42:33;Lev 14:9,Lev. 42:51), of forgiveness ( Matt. 18:21,Matt. 18:22; Luke 17:4), of reward ( Deut. 28:7; 1 Sam. 2:5), and of punishment ( Lev. 26:21,Lev. 26:24,Lev. 26:28; Deut. 28:25). It is used for any round number in such passages as Job 5:19; Prov. 26:16, Prov. 26:25; Isa. 4:1; Matt. 12:45. It is used also to mean "abundantly" ( Gen. 4:15,Gen. 4:24; Lev. 26:24; Ps. 79:12).
Seventy weeks - a prophetic period mentioned in Dan. 9:24, and usually interpreted on the "year-day" theory, i.e., reckoning each day for a year. This period will thus represent 490 years. This is regarded as the period which would elapse till the time of the coming of the Messiah, dating "from the going forth of the commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem" i.e., from the close of the Captivity.
Shaalabbin - or Shaal'bim, a place of foxes, a town of the tribe of Dan ( Josh. 19:42; Judg. 1:35). It was one of the chief towns from which Solomon drew his supplies (1 Kings 4:9). It is probably the modern village of Selbit, 3 miles north of Ajalon.
Shaaraim - two gates. (1.) A city in the plain of Judah (1 Sam. 17:52); called also Sharaim ( Josh. 15:36).
(2.) A town in Simeon (1 Chr. 4:31).
Shaashgaz - servant of the beautiful, a chief eunuch in the second house of the harem of king Ahasuerus ( Esther 2:14).
Shabbethai - Sabbath-born, a Levite who assisted in expounding the law and investigating into the illegal marriages of the Jews ( Ezra 10:15; Neh. 8:7; Neh 11:16).