Son of God - The plural, "sons of God," is used ( Gen. 6:2,Gen. 6:4) to denote the pious descendants of Seth. In Job 1:6; Job 38:7this name is applied to the angels. Hosea uses the phrase Job 1:10) to designate the gracious relation in which men stand to God.

In the New Testament this phrase frequently denotes the relation into which we are brought to God by adoption ( Rom. 8:14,Rom. 8:19; 2 Cor. 6:18; Gal. 4:5, Gal. 4:6; Phil. 2:15; 1 John 3:1,1 John 3:2). It occurs thirty-seven times in the New Testament as the distinctive title of our Saviour. He does not bear this title in consequence of his miraculous birth, nor of his incarnation, his resurrection, and exaltation to the Father's right hand. This is a title of nature and not of office. The sonship of Christ denotes his equality with the Father. To call Christ the Son of God is to assert his true and proper divinity. The second Person of the Trinity, because of his eternal relation to the first Person, is the Son of God. He is the Son of God as to his divine nature, while as to his human nature he is the Son of David ( Rom. 1:3,Rom. 1:4. Comp. Gal. 4:4; John 1:1-14; John 5:18-25; John 10:30-38, which prove that Christ was the Son of God before his incarnation, and that his claim to this title is a claim of equality with God).

When used with reference to creatures, whether men or angels, this word is always in the plural. In the singular it is always used of the second Person of the Trinity, with the single exception of Luke 3:38, where it is used of Adam.

Son of man - (1.) Denotes mankind generally, with special reference to their weakness and frailty ( Job 25:6; Ps. 8:4; Ps 144:3; Ps 146:3; Isa. 51:12, etc.).

(2.) It is a title frequently given to the prophet Ezekiel, probably to remind him o f his human weakness.

(3.) In the New Testament it is used forty-three times as a distinctive title of the Saviour. In the Old Testament it is used only in Ps. 80:17 and Dan. 7:13 with this application. It denotes the true humanity of our Lord. He had a true body ( Heb. 2:14; Luke 24:39) and a rational soul. He was perfect man.

Soothsayer - one who pretends to prognosticate future events. Baalam is so called ( Josh. 13:22; Heb. kosem, a "diviner," as rendered 1 Sam. 6:2; rendered "prudent," Isa. 3:2). In Isa. 2:6 and Micah 5:12 (Heb. yonenim, i.e., "diviners of the clouds") the word is used of the Chaldean diviners who studied the clouds. In Dan. 2:27; Dan 5:7the word is the rendering of the Chaldee gazrin, i.e., "deciders" or "determiners", here applied to Chaldean astrologers, "who, by casting nativities from the place of the stars at one's birth, and by various arts of computing and divining, foretold the fortunes and destinies of individuals.", Gesenius, Lex. Heb. (See SORCERER.)

Sop - a morsel of bread ( John 13:26; comp. Ruth 2:14). Our Lord took a piece of unleavened bread, and dipping it into the broth of bitter herbs at the Paschal meal, gave it to Judas. (Comp. Ruth 2:14.)

Sopater - the father who saves, probably the same as Sosipater, a kinsman of Paul ( Rom. 16:21), a Christian of the city of Berea who accompanied Paul into Asia ( Acts 20:4-6).

Sorcerer - from the Latin sortiarius, one who casts lots, or one who tells the lot of others. (See DIVINATION.)

In Dan. 2:2 it is the rendering of the Hebrew mekhashphim, i.e., mutterers, men who professed to have power with evil spirits. The practice of sorcery exposed to severest punishment ( Mal. 3:5; Rev. 21:8; Rev 22:15).

Sorek - choice vine, the name of a valley, i.e., a torrent-bed, now the Wady Surar, "valley of the fertile spot," which drains the western Judean hills, and flowing by Makkedah and Jabneel, falls into the sea some eight miles south of Joppa. This was the home of Deliah, whom Samson loved ( Judg. 16:4).

Sosipater - (See SOPATER.)

Sosthenes - safe in strength, the chief ruler of the synagogue at Corinth, who was seized and beaten by the mob in the presence of Gallio, the Roman governor, when he refused to proceed against Paul at the instigation of the Jews ( Acts 18:12-17). The motives of this assault against Sosthenes are not recorded, nor is it mentioned whether it was made by Greeks or Romans. Some identify him, but without sufficient grounds, with one whom Paul calls "Sosthenes our brother," a convert to the faith (1 Cor. 1:1).

South - Heb. Negeb, that arid district to the south of Palestine through which lay the caravan route from Central Palestine to Egypt ( Gen. 12:9;Gen 13:1,Gen. 12:3;Gen 46:1-6). "The Negeb comprised a considerable but irregularly-shaped tract of country, its main portion stretching from the mountains and lowlands of Judah in the north to the mountains of Azazemeh in the south, and from the Dead Sea and southern Ghoron the east to the Mediterranean on the west." In Ezek. 20:46 Ezek 21:1 in Heb.) three different Hebrew words are all rendered "south." (1) "Set thy face toward the south" (Teman, the region on the right, 1 Sam. 33:24); (2) "Drop thy word toward the south" (Negeb, the region of dryness, Josh. 15:4); (3) "Prophesy against the forest of the south field" (Darom, the region of brightness, Deut. 33:23). In Job 37:9 the word "south" is literally "chamber," used here in the sense of treasury ( comp. 38:22; Ps. 135:7). This verse is rendered in the Revised Version "out of the chamber of the south."

Sovereignty - of God, his absolute right to do all things according to his own good pleasure ( Dan. 4:25,Dan. 4:35; Rom. 9:15-23; 1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 4:11).

Spain - Paul expresses his intention ( Rom. 15:24,Rom. 15:28) to visit Spain. There is, however, no evidence that he ever carried it into effect, although some think that he probably did so between his first and second imprisonment. (See TARSHISH.)

Sparrow - Mentioned among the offerings made by the very poor. Two sparrows were sold for a farthing ( Matt. 10:29), and five for two farthings ( Luke 12:6). The Hebrew word thus rendered is tsippor, which properly denotes the whole family of small birds which feed on grain ( Lev. 14:4; Ps. 84:3; Ps 102:7). The Greek word of the New Testament is strouthion ( Matt. 10:29-31), which is thus correctly rendered.

Spicery - Heb. nechoth, identified with the Arabic naka'at, the gum tragacanth, obtained from the astralagus, of which there are about twenty species found in Palestine. The tragacanth of commerce is obtained from the A. tragacantha. "The gum exudes plentifully under the heat of the sun on the leaves, thorns, and exteremity of the twigs."

Spices - aromatic substances, of which several are named in Ex. 30. They were used in the sacred anointing oil ( Ex. 25:6;Ex 35:8; 1 Chr. 9:29), and in embalming the dead (2 Chr. 16:14; Luke 23:56; Luke 24:1; John 19:39, John 19:40). Spices were stored by Hezekiah in his treasure-house (2 Kings 20:13; Isa. 39:2).

Spider - The trust of the hypocrite is compared to the spider's web or house ( Job 8:14). It is said of the wicked by Isaiah that they "weave the spider's web" ( Job 59:5), i.e., their works and designs are, like the spider's web, vain and useless. The Hebrew word here used is 'akkabish, "a swift weaver."

In Prov. 30:28 a different Hebrew word (semamith) is used. It is rendered in the Vulgate by stellio, and in the Revised Version by "lizard." It may, however, represent the spider, of which there are, it is said, about seven hundred species in Palestine.

Spies - When the Israelites reached Kadesh for the first time, and were encamped there, Moses selected twelve spies from among the chiefs of the divisions of the tribes, and sent them forth to spy the land of Canaan (Num. 13), and to bring back to him a report of its actual condition. They at once proceeded on their important errand, and went through the land as far north as the district round Lake Merom. After about six weeks' absence they returned. Their report was very discouraging, and the people were greatly alarmed, and in a rebellious spirit proposed to elect a new leader and return to Egypt. Only two of the spies, Caleb and Joshua, showed themselves on this occasion stout-hearted and faithful. All their appeals and remonstrances were in vain. Moses announced that as a punishment for their rebellion they must now wander in the wilderness till a new generation should arise which would go up and posses the land. The spies had been forty days absent on their expedition, and for each day the Israelites were to be wanderers for a year in the desert. (See ESHCOL.)

Two spies were sent by Joshua "secretly" i.e., unknown to the people ( Josh. 2:1), "to view the land and Jericho" after the death of Moses, and just before the tribes under his leadership were about to cross the Jordan. They learned from Rahab (q.v.), in whose house they found a hiding-place, that terror had fallen on all the inhabitants of the land because of the great things they had heard that Jehovah had done for them ( Ex. 15:14-16; comp. 23:27; Deut. 2:25; Deut 11:25). As the result of their mission they reported: "Truly Jehovah hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us."

Spikenard - (Heb. nerd), a much-valued perfume ( Cant. 1:12;Cant 4:13,Cant. 1:14). It was "very precious", i.e., very costly ( Mark 14:3; John 12:3, John 12:5). It is the root of an Indian plant, the Nardostach ys jatamansi, of the family of Valeriance, growing on the Himalaya mountains. It is distinguished by its having many hairy spikes shooting out from one root. It is called by the Arabs sunbul Hindi, "the Indian spike." In the New Testament this word is the rendering of the Greek nardos pistike. The margin of the Revised Version in these passages has "pistic nard," pistic being perhaps a local name. Some take it to mean genuine, and others liquid. The most probable opinion is that the word pistike designates the nard as genuine or faithfully prepared.

Spirit - (Heb. ruah; Gr. pneuma), properly wind or breath. In 2 Thess. 2:8 it means "breath," and in Eccl. 8:8 the vital principle in man. It also denotes the rational, immortal soul by which man is distinguished ( Acts 7:59; 1 Cor. 5:5;1 Cor 6:20;1 Cor 7:34), and the soul in its separate state ( Heb. 12:23), and hence also an apparition ( Job 4:15; Luke 24:37, Luke 24:39), an angel ( Heb. 1:14), and a demon ( Luke 4:36;Luke 10:20). This word is used also metaphorically as denoting a tendency ( Zech. 12:10; Luke 13:11).

In Rom. 1:4, 1 Tim. 3:16, 2 Cor. 3:17, 1 Pet. 3:18, it designates the divine nature.

Spirit, Holy - See HOLY GHOST.

Sponge - occurs only in the narrative of the crucifixion ( Matt. 27:48; Mark 15:36; John 19:29). It is ranked as a zoophyte. It is found attached to rocks at the bottom of the sea.

Spouse - ( Cant. 4:8-12; Hos. 4:13, Hos. 4:14) may denote either husband or wife, but in the Scriptures it denotes only the latter.

Spring - (Heb. 'ain, "the bright open source, the eye of the landscape"). To be carefully distinguished from "well" (q.v.). "Springs" mentioned in Josh. 10:40 (Heb. 'ashdoth) should rather be "declivities" or "slopes" (R.V.), i.e., the undulating ground lying between the lowlands (the shephelah) and the central range of hills.