Reference

Bible dictionary

3,964 entries on the people, places and words of the Bible, each linked to the passages it cites.

M. G. Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 3rd edition (1897). Public domain; text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library. A nineteenth-century Protestant reference: its dates, archaeology and judgements reflect the scholarship of its time and are not Imago Dei's editorial position.

• Paarai

  Opening of the Lord, "the Arbite," one of David's heroes (2 Sam.

• Padan

  A plain, occurring only in Gen.

• Padan-aram

  The plain of Aram, or the plain of the highlands, (Gen.

• Pagiel

  God allots, a prince of the tribe of Asher (Num.

• Pahath-moab

  Governor of Moab, a person whose descendants returned from the Captivity and assisted in rebuilding Jerusalem (Ezra 2:6;

• Paint

  Jezebel "painted her face" (2 Kings 9:30);

• Palace

  Used now only of royal dwellings, although originally meaning simply (as the Latin word palatium, from which it is derived, shows) a buildin

• Palestine

  Originally denoted only the sea-coast of the land of Canaan inhabited by the Philistines (Ex.

• Pallu

  Separated, the second son of Reuben (1 Chr.

• Palmer-worm

  (Heb.

• Palm tree

  (Heb.

• Palm trees, The city of

  The name given to Jericho (q.v.), Deut.

• Palsy

  A shorter form of "paralysis." Many persons thus afflicted were cured by our Lord (Matt.

• Palti

  Deliverance from the Lord, one of the spies representing the tribe of Benjamin (Num.

• Paltiel

  Deliverance of God, the prince of Issachar who assisted "to divide the land by inheritance" (Num.

• Paltite

  The designation of one of David's heroes (2 Sam.

• Pamphylia

  Paul and his company, loosing from Paphos, sailed north-west and came to Perga, the capital of Pamphylia (Acts 13:13, 14), a province about

• Pan

  A vessel of metal or earthenware used in culinary operations;

• Pannag

  (Ezek.

• Paper

  The expression in the Authorized Version (Isa.

• Paphos

  The capital of the island of Cyprus, and therefore the residence of the Roman governor.

• Parable

  (Gr.

• Paradise

  A Persian word (pardes), properly meaning a "pleasure-ground" or "park" or "king's garden." (See [458]EDEN.) It came in course of time to be

• Parah

  The heifer, a town in Benjamin (Josh.

• Paran

  Abounding in foliage, or abounding in caverns, (Gen.

• Paran, Mount

  Probably the hilly region or upland wilderness on the north of the desert of Paran forming the southern boundary of the Promised Land (Deut.

• Parbar

  (1 Chr.

• Parched ground

  (Isa.

• Parchment

  A skin prepared for writing on;

• Pardon

  The forgiveness of sins granted freely (Isa.

• Parlour

  (from the Fr.

• Parmashta

  Strong-fisted, a son of Haman, slain in Shushan (Esther 9:9).

• Parmenas

  Constant, one of the seven "deacons" (Acts 6:5).

• Parshandatha

  An interpreter of the law, the eldest of Haman's sons, slain in Shushan (Esther 9:7).

• Parthians

  Were present in Jerusalem at Pentecost (Acts 2:9).

• Partridge

  (Heb.

• Paruah

  Flourishing, the father of Jehoshaphat, appointed to provide monthly supplies for Solomon from the tribe of Issachar (1 Kings 4:17).

• Parvaim

  The name of a country from which Solomon obtained gold for the temple (2 Chr.

• Pasach

  Clearing, one of the sons of Japhlet, of the tribe of Asher (1 Chr.

• Pas-dammim

  The border of blood = Ephes-dammim (q.v.), between Shochoh and Azekah (1 Sam.

• Pashur

  Release.

• Passage

  Denotes in Josh.

• Passion

  Only once found, in Acts 1:3, meaning suffering, referring to the sufferings of our Lord.

• Passover

  The name given to the chief of the three great historical annual festivals of the Jews.

• Patara

  A city on the south-west coast of Lycia at which Paul landed on his return from his third missionary journey (Acts 21:1, 2).

• Pathros

  The name generally given to Upper Egypt (the Thebaid of the Greeks), as distinguished from Matsor, or Lower Egypt (Isa.

• Patmos

  A small rocky and barren island, one of the group called the "Sporades," in the AEgean Sea.

• Patriarch

  A name employed in the New Testament with reference to Abraham (Heb.

• Patrobas

  A Christian at Rome to whom Paul sent salutations (Rom.

• Pau

  (Gen.

• Paul

  =Saul (q.v.) was born about the same time as our Lord.

• Pavement

  It was the custom of the Roman governors to erect their tribunals in open places, as the market-place, the circus, or even the highway.

• Pavilion

  A tent or tabernacle (2 Sam.

• Peace offerings

  (Heb.

• Peacock

  (Heb.

• Pearl

  (Heb.

• Peculiar

  As used in the phrase "peculiar people" in 1 Pet.

• Pedahel

  Redeemed of God, the son of Ammihud, a prince of Naphtali (Num.

• Pedahzur

  Rock of redemption, the father of Gamaliel and prince of Manasseh at the time of the Exodus (Num.

• Pedaiah

  Redemption of the Lord.

• Pekah

  Open-eyed, the son of Remaliah a captain in the army of Pekahiah, king of Israel, whom he slew, with the aid of a band of Gileadites, and su

• Pekahiah

  The Lord opened his eyes, the son and successor of Menahem on the throne of Israel.

• Pekod

  Probably a place in Babylonia (Jer.

• Pelaiah

  Distinguished of the Lord.

• Pelatiah

  Deliverance of the Lord.

• Peleg

  Division, one of the sons of Eber;

• Pelet

  Deliverance.

• Peleth

  Swiftness.

• Pelethites

  Mentioned always along with the Cherethites, and only in the time of David.

• Pelicans

  Are frequently met with at the waters of Merom and the Sea of Galilee.

• Penny

  (Gr.

• Pentateuch

  The five-fold volume, consisting of the first five books of the Old Testament.

• Pentecost

  I.e., "fiftieth", found only in the New Testament (Acts 2:1;

• Penuel

  Face of God, a place not far from Succoth, on the east of the Jordan and north of the river Jabbok.

• Peor

  Opening.

• Perazim, Mount

  Mount of breaches, only in Isa.

• Peres

  Divided, one of the mysterious words "written over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall" of king Belshazzar's palace (Dan.

• Perez

  =Pharez, (q.v.), breach, the son of Judah (Neh.

• Perez-uzzah

  The breach of Uzzah, a place where God "burst forth upon Uzzah, so that he died," when he rashly "took hold" of the ark (2 Sam.

• Perfection

  See [467]SANCTIFICATION.

• Perfumes

  Were used in religious worship, and for personal and domestic enjoyment (Ex.

• Perga

  The capital of Pamphylia, on the coast of Asia Minor.

• Pergamos

  The chief city of Mysia, in Asia Minor.

• Perida

  Kernel, Neh.

• Perizzites

  Villagers;

• Persecution

  The first great persecution for religious opinion of which we have any record was that which broke out against the worshippers of God among

• Perseverance of the saints

  Their certain continuance in a state of grace.

• Persia

  An ancient empire, extending from the Indus to Thrace, and from the Caspian Sea to the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf.

• Persis

  A female Christian at Rome whom Paul salutes (Rom.

• Peruda

  One whose descendants returned with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:55);

• Peter

  Originally called Simon (=Simeon, i.e., "hearing"), a very common Jewish name in the New Testament.

• Peter, First Epistle of

  This epistle is addressed to "the strangers scattered abroad", i.e., to the Jews of the Dispersion (the Diaspora).

• Peter, Second Epistle of

  The question of the authenticity of this epistle has been much discussed, but the weight of evidence is wholly in favour of its claim to be

• Pethahiah

  Loosed of the Lord.

• Pethor

  Interpretation of dreams, identified with Pitru, on the west bank of the Euphrates, a few miles south of the Hittite capital of Carchemish (

• Pethuel

  Vision of God, the father of Joel the prophet (Joel 1:1).

• Petra

  Rock, Isa.

• Peulthai

  Wages of the Lord, one of the sons of Obed-edom, a Levite porter (1 Chr.

• Phalec

  (Luke 3:35)=Peleg (q.v.), Gen.

• Phallu

  Separated, the second son of Reuben (Gen.

• Phalti

  Deliverance of the Lord, the son of Laish of Gallim (1 Sam.

• Phanuel

  Face of God, father of the prophetess Anna (q.v.), Luke 2:36.

• Pharaoh

  The official title borne by the Egyptian kings down to the time when that country was conquered by the Greeks.

• Pharaoh's daughters

  Three princesses are thus mentioned in Scripture: (1.) The princess who adopted the infant Moses (q.v.), Ex.

• Pharez

  Breach, the elder of the twin sons of Judah (Gen.

• Pharisees

  Separatists (Heb.

• Pharpar

  Swift, one of the rivers of Damascus (2 Kings 5:12).

• Phebe

  A "deaconess of the church at Cenchrea," the port of Corinth.

• Phenice

  Properly Phoenix a palm-tree (as in the R.V.), a town with a harbour on the southern side of Crete (Acts 27:12), west of the Fair Havens.

• Phenicia

  (Acts 21:2) = Phenice (11:19;

• Phicol

  Great, the chief captain of the army of Abimelech, the Philistine king of Gerar.

• Philadelphia

  Brotherly love, a city of Lydia in Asia Minor, about 25 miles south-east of Sardis.

• Philemon

  An inhabitant of Colosse, and apparently a person of some note among the citizens (Col.

• Philemon, Epistle to

  Was written from Rome at the same time as the epistles to the Colossians and Ephesians, and was sent also by Onesimus.

• Philetus

  Amiable, with Hymenaeus, at Ephesus, said that the "resurrection was past already" (2 Tim.

• Philip

  Lover of horses.

• Philippi

  (1.) Formerly Crenides, "the fountain," the capital of the province of Macedonia.

• Philippians, Epistle to

  Was written by Paul during the two years when he was "in bonds" in Rome (Phil.

• Philistia

  =Palestine (q.v.), "the land of the Philistines" (Ps.

• Philistines

  (Gen.

• Phinehas

  Mouth of brass, or from old Egypt, the negro.

• Phlegon

  Burning, a Roman Christian to whom Paul sent salutations (Rom.

• Phoenicia

  (Acts 21:2).

• Phrygia

  Dry, an irregular and ill-defined district in Asia Minor.

• Phut

  Phut is placed between Egypt and Canaan in Gen.

• Phygellus

  Fugitive, a Christian of Asia, who "turned away" from Paul during his second imprisonment at Rome (2 Tim.

• Phylacteries

  (Gr.

• Physician

  Asa, afflicted with some bodily malady, "sought not to the Lord but to the physicians" (2 Chr.

• Pi-beseth

  (Ezek.

• Pieces

  (1) of silver.

• Piety

  Lat.

• Pigeon

  Pigeons are mentioned as among the offerings which, by divine appointment, Abram presented unto the Lord (Gen.

• Pi-hahiroth

  Place where the reeds grow (LXX.

• Pilate, Pontius

  Probably connected with the Roman family of the Pontii, and called "Pilate" from the Latin pileatus, i.e., "wearing the pileus", which was t

• Pillar

  Used to support a building (Judg.

• Pine tree

  Heb.

• Pinnacle

  A little wing, (Matt.

• Pipe

  (1 Sam.

• Piram

  Like a wild ass, a king of Jarmuth, a royal city of the Canaanites, who was conquered and put to death by Joshua (10:3, 23, 26).

• Pirathon

  Prince, or summit, a place "in the land of Ephraim" (Judg.

• Pirathonite

  (1.) Abdon, the son of Hillel, so called, Judg.

• Pisgah

  A part, a mountain summit in the land of Moab, in the territory of Reuben, where Balak offered up sacrifices (Num.

• Pisidia

  A district in Asia Minor, to the north of Pamphylia.

• Pison

  Babylonian, the current, broad-flowing, one of the "four heads" into which the river which watered the garden of Eden was divided (Gen.

• Pit

  A hole in the ground (Ex.

• Pitch

  (Gen.

• Pitcher

  A vessel for containing liquids.

• Pithom

  Egyptian, Pa-Tum, "house of Tum," the sun-god, one of the "treasure" cities built for Pharaoh Rameses II.

• Plague

  A "stroke" of affliction, or disease.

• Plain

  (1.) Heb.

• Plain of Mamre

  (Gen.

• Plane tree

  Heb.

• Pledge

  See [498]LOAN.

• Pleiades

  Heb.

• Plough

  First referred to in Gen.

• Poetry

  Has been well defined as "the measured language of emotion." Hebrew poetry deals almost exclusively with the great question of man's relatio

• Poison

  (1.) Heb.

• Pomegranate

  I.e., "grained apple" (pomum granatum), Heb.

• Pommels

  (2 Chr.

• Pontius Pilate

  See [500]PILATE.

• Pontus

  A province of Asia Minor, stretching along the southern coast of the Euxine Sea, corresponding nearly to the modern province of Trebizond.

• Pool

  A pond, or reservoir, for holding water (Heb.

• Pools of Solomon

  The name given to three large open cisterns at Etam, at the head of the Wady Urtas, having an average length of 400 feet by 220 in breadth,

• Poor

  The Mosaic legislation regarding the poor is specially important.

• Poplar

  Heb.

• Porch, Solomon's

  A colonnade on the east of the temple, so called from a tradition that it was a relic of Solomon's temple left standing after the destructio

• Porcius Festus

  See [502]FESTUS.

• Porter

  A gate-keeper (2 Sam.

• Post

  (1.) A runner, or courier, for the rapid transmission of letters, etc.

• Potiphar

  Dedicated to Ra;

• Potipherah

  A priest of On, whose daughter Asenath became Joseph's wife (Gen.

• Potsherd

  A "shred", i.e., anything severed, as a fragment of earthenware (Job 2:8;

• Pottage

  Heb.

• Potters field

  The name given to the piece of ground which was afterwards bought with the money that had been given to Judas.

• Pottery

  The art of, was early practised among all nations.

• Pound

  (1.) A weight.

• Praetorium

  The Greek word (praitorion) thus rendered in Mark 15:16 is rendered "common hall" (Matt.

• Prayer

  Is converse with God;

• Predestination

  This word is properly used only with reference to God's plan or purpose of salvation.

• Presidents

  Three presidents are mentioned, of whom Daniel was the first (Dan.

• Priest

  The Heb.

• Prince

  The title generally applied to the chief men of the state.

• Priscilla

  The wife of Aquila (Acts 18:2), who is never mentioned without her.

• Prison

  The first occasion on which we read of a prison is in the history of Joseph in Egypt.

• Prophecy

  Or prediction, was one of the functions of the prophet.

• Prophet

  (Heb.

• Propitiation

  That by which God is rendered propitious, i.e., by which it becomes consistent with his character and government to pardon and bless the sin

• Proportion of faith

  (Rom.

• Proselyte

  Is used in the LXX.

• Proverb

  A trite maxim;

• Proverbs, Book of

  A collection of moral and philosophical maxims of a wide range of subjects presented in a poetic form.

• Providence

  Literally means foresight, but is generally used to denote God's preserving and governing all things by means of second causes (Ps.

• Psalms

  The psalms are the production of various authors.

• Psaltery

  A musical instrument, supposed to have been a kind of lyre, or a harp with twelve strings.

• Ptolemais

  A maritime city of Galilee (Acts 21:7).

• Puah

  Splendid.

• Publican

  One who farmed the taxes (e.g., Zacchaeus, Luke 19:2) to be levied from a town or district, and thus undertook to pay to the supreme governm

• Publius

  "the chief man of the island" of Malta (Acts 28:7), who courteously entertained Paul and his shipwrecked companions for three days, till the

• Pudens

  Bashful, a Christian at Rome, who sent his greetings to Timothy (2 Tim.

• Pul

  (1.) An Assyrian king.

• Pulpit

  (Neh.

• Pulse

  (Dan.

• Punishment

  The New Testament lays down the general principles of good government, but contains no code of laws for the punishment of offenders.

• Purification

  The process by which a person unclean, according to the Levitical law, and thereby cut off from the sanctuary and the festivals, was restore

• Pur, Purim

  A lot, lots, a festival instituted by the Jews (Esther 9:24-32) in ironical commemoration of Haman's consultation of the Pur (a Persian word

• Purse

  (1.) Gr.

• Puteoli

  A city on the coast of Campania, on the north shore of a bay running north from the Bay of Naples, at which Paul landed on his way to Rome,

• Put, Phut

  (1.) One of the sons of Ham (Gen.

• Pygarg

  Heb.