Wolf - Heb. zeeb, frequently referred to in Scripture as an emblem of treachery and cruelty. Jacob's prophecy, "Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf" ( Gen. 49:27), represents the warlike character of that tribe (see Judg. 19-21). Isaiah represents the peace of Messiah's kingdom by the words, "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb" ( Isa. 11:6). The habits of the wolf are described in Jer. 5:6; Hab. 1:8; Zeph. 3:3; Ezek. 22:27; Matt. 7:15; Matt 10:16; Acts 20:29. Wolves are still sometimes found in Palestine, and are the dread of shepherds, as of old.

Woman - was "taken out of man" ( Gen. 2:23), and therefore the man has the preeminence. "The head of the woman is the man;" but yet honour is to be shown to the wife, "as unto the weaker vessel" (1 Cor. 11:3,1 Cor. 11:8,1 Cor. 11:9; 1 Pet. 3:7). Several women are mentioned in Scripture as having been endowed with prophetic gifts, as Miriam ( Ex. 15:20), Deborah ( Judg. 4:4,Judg. 4:5), Huldah (2 Kings 22:14), Noadiah ( Neh. 6:14), Anna ( Luke 2:36,Luke 2:37), and the daughters of Philip the evangelist ( Acts 21:8,Acts 21:9). Women are forbidden to teach publicly (1 Cor. 14:34,1 Cor. 14:35; 1 Tim. 2:11,1 Tim. 2:12). Among the Hebrews it devolved upon women to prepare the meals for the household ( Gen. 18:6; 2 Sam. 13:8), to attend to the work of spinning ( Ex. 35:26; Prov. 31:19), and making clothes (1 Sam. 2:19; Prov. 31:21), to bring water from the well ( Gen. 24:15; 1 Sam. 9:11), and to care for the flocks ( Gen. 29:6; Ex. 2:16).

The word "woman," as used in Matt. 15:28, John 2:4 and 20:13,and 20:15, implies tenderness and courtesy and not disrespect. Only where revelation is known has woman her due place of honour assigned to her.

Wood - See FOREST.

Wood-offering - ( Neh. 10:34;Neh 13:31). It would seem that in the time of Nehemiah arrangements were made, probably on account of the comparative scarcity of wood, by which certain districts were required, as chosen by lot, to furnish wood to keep the altar fire perpetually burning ( Lev. 6:13).

Wool - one of the first material used for making woven cloth ( Lev. 13:47,Lev. 13:48,Lev. 13:52,Lev. 13:59;Lev 19:19). The first-fruit of wool was to be offered to the priests ( Deut. 18:4). The law prohibiting the wearing of a garment "of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together" ( Deut. 22:11) may, like some other laws of a similar character, have been intended to express symbolically the separateness and simplicity of God's covenant people. The wool of Damascus, famous for its whiteness, was of great repute in the Tyrian market ( Ezek. 27:18).

Word of God - ( Heb. 4:12, etc.). The Bible so called because the writers of its several books were God's organs in communicating his will to men. It is his "word," because he speaks to us in its sacred pages. Whatever the inspired writers here declare to be true and binding upon us, God declares to be true and binding. This word is infallible, because written under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and therefore free from all error of fact or doctrine or precept. (See INSPIRATION ; BIBLE.) All saving knowledge is obtained from the word of God. In the case of adults it is an indispensable means of salvation, and is eficacious thereunto by the gracious influence of the Holy Spirit ( John 17:17; 2 Tim. 3:15,2 Tim. 3:16; 1 Pet. 1:23).

Word, The - (Gr. Logos), one of the titles of our Lord, found only in the writings of John ( John 1:1-14; 1 John 1:1; Rev. 19:13). As such, Christ is the revealer of God. His office is to make God known. "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him" ( John 1:18). This title designates the divine nature of Christ. As the Word, he "was in the beginning" and "became flesh." "The Word was with God " and "was God," and was the Creator of all things (comp. Ps.33: 6; 107:20; 119:89; 147:18; Isa. 40:8).

Works, Covenant of - entered into by God with Adam as the representative of the human race (comp. Gen. 9:11, Gen. 9:12; Gen 17:1-21), so styled because perfect obedience was its condition, thus distinguishing it from the covenant of grace. (See COVENANT OF WORKS.)

Works, Good - The old objection against the doctrine of salvation by grace, that it does away with the necessity of good works, and lowers the sense of their importance (Rom. 6), although it has been answered a thousand times, is still alleged by many. They say if men are not saved by works, then works are not necessary. If the most moral of men are saved in the same way as the very chief of sinners, then good works are of no moment. And more than this, if the grace of God is most clearly displayed in the salvation of the vilest of men, then the worse men are the better.

The objection has no validity. The gospel of salvation by grace shows that good works are necessary. It is true, unchangeably true, that without holiness no man shall see the Lord. "Neither adulterers, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards" shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Works are "good" only when, (1) they spring from the principle of love to God. The moral character of an act is determined by the moral principle that prompts it. Faith and love in the heart are the essential elements of all true obedience. Hence good works only spring from a believing heart, can only be wrought by one reconciled to God ( Eph. 2:10; James 2:18:22). (2.) Good works have the glory of God as their object; and (3) they have the revealed will of God as their only rule (Deut. 12:32; Rev. 22:18, 19).

Good works are an expression of gratitude in the believer's heart ( John 14:15,John 14:23; Gal. 5:6). They are the fruits of the Spirit ( Titus 2:10-12), and thus spring from grace, which they illustrate and strengthen in the heart.

Good works of the most sincere believers are all imperfect, yet like their persons they are accepted through the mediation of Jesus Christ ( Col. 3:17), and so are rewarded; they have no merit intrinsically, but are rewarded wholly of grace.

Worm - (1.) Heb. sas ( Isa. 51:8), denotes the caterpillar of the clothes-moth.

(2.) The manna bred worms (tola'im), but on the Sabbath there was not any worm (rimmah) therein ( Ex. 16:20,Ex. 16:24). Here these words refer to caterpillars or larvae, which feed on corrupting matter.

These two Hebrew words appear to be interchangeable ( Job 25:6; Isa. 14:11). Tola'im in some places denotes the caterpillar ( Deut. 28:39; Jonah 4:7), and rimmah, the larvae, as bred from putridity ( Job 17:14;Job 21:26;Job 24:20). In Micah 7:17, where it is said, "They shall move out of their holes like worms," perhaps serpents or "creeping things," or as in the Revised Version, "crawling things," are meant.

The word is used figuratively in Job 25:6; Ps. 22:6; Isa. 41:14; Mark 9:44, Mark 9:46, Mark 9:48; Isa. 66:24.

Wormwood - Heb. la'anah, the Artemisia absinthium of botanists. It is noted for its intense bitterness ( Deut. 29:18; Prov. 5:4; Jer. 9:15; Amos 5:7). It is a type of bitterness, affliction, remorse, punitive suffering. In Amos 6:12 this Hebrew word is rendered "hemlock" (R.V., "wormwood"). In the symbolical language of the Apocalypse ( Rev. 8:10,Rev. 8:11) a star is represented as falling on the waters of the earth, causing the third part of the water to turn wormwood.

The name by which the Greeks designated it, absinthion, means "undrinkable." The absinthe of France is distilled from a species of this plant. The "southernwood" or "old man," cultivated in cottage gardens on account of its fragrance, is another species of it.

Worship - homage rendered to God which it is sinful (idolatry) to render to any created being ( Ex. 34:14; Isa. 2:8). Such worship was refused by Peter ( Acts 10:25,Acts 10:26) and by an angel ( Rev. 22:8,Rev. 22:9).

Worshipper - (Gr. neocoros = temple-sweeper ( Acts 19:35) of the great goddess Diana). This name neocoros appears on most of the extant Ephesian coins

Wrestle - ( Eph. 6:12). See GAMES.

Writing - The art of writing must have been known in the time of the early Pharaohs. Moses is commanded "to write for a memorial in a book" ( Ex. 17:14) a record of the attack of Amalek. Frequent mention is afterwards made of writing ( Ex 28:11,Ex 28:21,Ex 28:29,Ex 28:36;Ex 31:18;Ex 32:15,Ex 28:16;Ex 34:1,Ex 28:28;Ex 39:6,Ex 28:14,Ex 28:30). The origin of this art is unknown, but there is reason to conclude that in the age of Moses it was well known. The inspired books of Moses are the most ancient extant writings, although there are written monuments as old as about B.C. 2000. The words expressive of "writing," "book," and "ink," are common to all the branches or dialects of the Semitic language, and hence it has been concluded that this art must have been known to the earliest Semites before they separated into their various tribes, and nations, and families.

"The Old Testament and the discoveries of Oriental archaeology alike tell us that the age of the Exodus was throughout the world of Western Asia an age of literature and books, of readers and writers, and that the cities of Palestine were stored with the contemporaneous records of past events inscribed on imperishable clay. They further tell us that the kinsfolk and neighbours of the Israelites were already acquainted with alphabetic writing, that the wanderers in the desert and the tribes of Edom were in contact with the cultured scribes and traders of Ma'in [Southern Arabia], and that the 'house of bondage' from which Israel had escaped was a land where the art of writing was blazoned not only on the temples of the gods, but also on the dwellings of the rich and powerful.", Sayce. (See DEBIR ; PHOENICIA.)

The "Book of the Dead" was a collection of prayers and formulae, by the use of which the souls of the dead were supposed to attain to rest and peace in the next word. It was composed at various periods from the earliest time to the Persian conquest. It affords an interesting glimpse into the religious life and system of belief among the ancient Egyptians. We learn from it that they believed in the existence of one Supreme Being, the immortality of the soul, judgement after death, and the resurrection of the body. It shows, too, a high state of literary activity in Egypt in the time of Moses. It refers to extensive libraries then existing. That of Ramessium, in Thebes, e.g., built by Rameses II., contained 20,000 books.

When the Hebrews entered Canaan it is evident that the art of writing was known to the original inhabitants, as appears, e.g., from the name of the city Debir having been at first Kirjath-sepher, i.e., the "city of the book," or the "book town" ( Josh. 10:38;Josh 15:15; Judg. 1:11).

The first mention of letter-writing is in the time of David (2 Sam. 11:14,2 Sam. 11:15). Letters are afterwards frequently spoken of (1 Kings 21:8,1 Kings 21:9,1 Kings 21:11; 2 Kings 10:1,2 Kings 10:3,2 Kings 10:6,2 Kings 10:7;2 Kings 19:14; 2 Chr. 21:12-15;2 Chr 30:1,2 Chr. 21:6-9, etc.).

Yarn - Found only in 1 Kings 10:28, 2 Chr. 1:16. The Heb. word mikveh, i.e., "a stringing together," so rendered, rather signifies a host, or company, or a string of horses. The Authorized Version has: "And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price;" but the Revised Version correctly renders: "And the horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt; the king's merchants received them in droves, each drove at a price."

Year - Heb. shanah, meaning "repetition" or "revolution" ( Gen. 1:14;Gen 5:3). Among the ancient Egyptians the year consisted of twelve months of thirty days each, with five days added to make it a complete revolution of the earth round the sun. The Jews reckoned the year in two ways, (1) according to a sacred calendar, in which the year began about the time of the vernal equinox, with the month Abib; and (2) according to a civil calendar, in which the year began about the time of the autumnal equinox, with the month Nisan. The month Tisri is now the beginning of the Jewish year.

Yeshebi - the Hebrew word rendered "inhabitants" in Josh. 17:7, but probably rather the name of the village Yeshepheh, probably Yassuf, 8 miles south of Shechem.

Yoke - (1.) Fitted on the neck of oxen for the purpose of binding to them the traces by which they might draw the plough, etc. ( Num. 19:2; Deut. 21:3). It was a curved piece of wood called 'ol.

(2.) In Jer. 27:2; Jer 28:10, Jer. 27:12the word in the Authorized Version rendered "yoke" is motah, which properly means a "staff," or as in the Revised Version, "bar."

These words in the Hebrew are both used figuratively of severe bondage, or affliction, or subjection ( Lev. 26:13; 1 Kings 12:4; Isa. 47:6; Lam. 1:14; Lam 3:27). In the New Testament the word "yoke" is also used to denote servitude ( Matt. 11:29,Matt. 11:30; Acts 15:10; Gal. 5:1).

(3.) In 1 Sam. 11:7, 1 Kings 19:21, Job 1:3 the word thus translated is tzemed, which signifies a pair, two oxen yoked or coupled together, and hence in 1 Sam. 14:14 it represents as much land as a yoke of oxen could plough in a day, like the Latin jugum. In Isa. 5:10 this word in the plural is translated "acres."

Yoke-fellow - ( Phil. 4:3), one of the apostle's fellow-labourers. Some have conjectured that Epaphroditus is meant. Wyckliffe renders the phrase "the german felowe", i.e., "thee, germane [=genuine] comrade."

Zaanaim - wanderings; the unloading of tents, so called probably from the fact of nomads in tents encamping amid the cities and villages of that region, a place in the north-west of Lake Merom, near Kedesh, in Naphtali. Here Sisera was slain by Jael, "the wife of Heber the Kenite," who had pitched his tent in the "plain [R.V., 'as far as the oak'] of Zaanaim" ( Judg. 4:11).

It has been, however, suggested by some that, following the LXX. and the Talmud, the letter b, which in Hebrew means "in," should be taken as a part of the word following, and the phrase would then be "unto the oak of Bitzanaim," a place which has been identified with the ruins of Bessum, about half-way between Tiberias and Mount Tabor.

Zaanan - place of flocks, mentioned only in Micah 1:11. It may be identified with Zenan, in the plain country of Judah ( Josh. 15:37).

Zaanannim - =Zaanaim, ( Josh. 19:33).

Zaavan - terror, one of the "dukes of Edom" ( Gen. 36:27); called also Zavan (1 Chr. 1:42).