$$T0003250
\Sea, The\
(Heb. yam), signifies (1) "the gathering together of the
waters," the ocean (Gen. 1:10); (2) a river, as the Nile (Isa.
19:5), the Euphrates (Isa. 21:1; Jer. 51:36); (3) the Red Sea
(Ex. 14:16, 27; 15:4, etc.); (4) the Mediterranean (Ex. 23:31;
Num. 34:6, 7; Josh. 15:47; Ps. 80:11, etc.); (5) the "sea of
Galilee," an inland fresh-water lake, and (6) the Dead Sea or
"salt sea" (Gen. 14:3; Num. 34:3, 12, etc.). The word "sea" is
used symbolically in Isa. 60:5, where it probably means the
nations around the Mediterranean. In Dan. 7:3, Rev. 13:1 it may
mean the tumultuous changes among the nations of the earth.

$$T0003251
\Sea, The molten\
the great laver made by Solomon for the use of the priests in
the temple, described in 1 Kings 7:23-26; 2 Chr. 4:2-5. It stood
in the south-eastern corner of the inner court. It was 5 cubits
high, 10 in diameter from brim to brim, and 30 in circumference.
It was placed on the backs of twelve oxen, standing with their
faces outward. It was capable of containing two or three
thousand baths of water (comp. 2 Chr. 4:5), which was originally
supplied by the Gibeonites, but was afterwards brought by a
conduit from the pools of Bethlehem. It was made of "brass"
(copper), which Solomon had taken from the captured cities of
Hadarezer, the king of Zobah (1 Chr. 18:8). Ahaz afterwards
removed this laver from the oxen, and placed it on a stone
pavement (2 Kings 16:17). It was destroyed by the Chaldeans
(25:13).

$$T0003252
\Seba\
(1.) One of the sons of Cush (Gen. 10:7).

  (2.) The name of a country and nation (Isa. 43:3; 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.

$$T0003253
\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 ¯T0002592.)

$$T0003254
\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.

$$T0003255
\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.

$$T0003256
\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 (15:5),
the Nazarenes, i.e., Christians (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).

$$T0003257
\Secundus\
second, a Christian of Thessalonica who accompanied Paul into
Asia (Acts 20:4).

$$T0003258
\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; 24:11; 1
Chr. 9:22; 25:5; 2 Chr. 9:29; Amos 7:12; Micah 3:7). The
"sayings of the seers" (2 Chr. 33:18, 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
¯T0003006.)

$$T0003259
\Seethe\
to boil (Ex. 16:23).

$$T0003260
\Seething pot\
a vessel for boiling provisions in (Job 41:20; Jer. 1:13).

$$T0003261
\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, 22).

$$T0003262
\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; 33:14, 16). It was allotted to the
descendants of Esau (Deut. 2:4, 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).

$$T0003263
\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, 27).

$$T0003264
\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 ¯T0001129 [2].)

$$T0003265
\Selah\
a word frequently found in the Book of Psalms, and also in Hab.
3:9, 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."

$$T0003266
\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.

$$T0003267
\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.

$$T0003268
\Semei\
mentioned in the genealogy of our Lord (Luke 3:26).

$$T0003269
\Senaah\
thorny, a place many of the inhabitants of which returned from
Babylon with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:35; Neh. 7:38).

$$T0003270
\Senate\
(Acts 5:21), the "elders of Israel" who formed a component part
of the Sanhedrin.

$$T0003271
\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, 5). The rock opposite, on
the other side of the wady, was called Bozez.

$$T0003272
\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.).

$$T0003273
\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, 37; 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
¯T0003676.) 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.

$$T0003274
\Seorim\
barley, the chief of the forth priestly course (1 Chr. 24:8).

$$T0003275
\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.

$$T0003276
\Sepharad\
(Obad. 1:20), some locality unknown. The modern Jews think that
Spain is meant, and hence they designate the Spanish Jews
"Sephardim," as they do the German Jews by the name
"Ashkenazim," because the rabbis call Germany Ashkenaz. Others
identify it with Sardis, the capital of Lydia. The Latin father
Jerome regarded it as an Assyrian word, meaning "boundary," and
interpreted the sentence, "which is in Sepharad," by "who are
scattered abroad in all the boundaries and regions of the
earth." Perowne says: "Whatever uncertainty attaches to the word
Sepharad, the drift of the prophecy is clear, viz., that not
only the exiles from Babylon, but Jewish captives from other and
distant regions, shall be brought back to live prosperously
within the enlarged borders of their own land."

$$T0003277
\Sepharvaim\
taken by Sargon, king of Assyria (2 Kings 17:24; 18:34; 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
¯T0003227.) 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 ¯T0002204.)

$$T0003278
\Septuagint\
See VERSIONS ¯T0003768.

$$T0003279
\Sepulchre\
first mentioned as purchased by Abraham for Sarah from Ephron
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 (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
¯T0003697.)

$$T0003280
\Serah\
abundance; princess, the daughter of Asher and grand-daughter of
Jacob (Gen. 46:17); called also Sarah (Num. 26:46; R.V.,
"Serah").

$$T0003281
\Seraiah\
soldier of Jehovah. (1.) The father of Joab (1 Chr. 4:13, 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, 23).

  (5.) Ezra 2:2.

  (6.) Father of Ezra the scribe (7:1).

  (7.) A ruler of the temple (Neh. 11:11).

  (8.) A priest of the days of Jehoiakim (Neh. 12:1, 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.

$$T0003282
\Seraphim\
mentioned in Isa. 6:2, 3, 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
¯T0000240.) This word, in the original, is used elsewhere only
of the "fiery serpents" (Num. 21:6, 8; Deut. 8:15; comp. Isa.
14:29; 30:6) sent by God as his instruments to inflict on the
people the righteous penalty of sin.

$$T0003283
\Sered\
fear, one of the sons of Zebulun (Gen. 46:14).

$$T0003284
\Sergeants\
Acts 16:35, 38 (R.V., "lictors"), officers who attended the
magistrates and assisted them in the execution of justice.

$$T0003285
\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.

$$T0003286
\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, 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."

$$T0003287
\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, 19; James 3:7; Jer. 8:17).
(See ADDER ¯T0000085.)

  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.

$$T0003288
\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, 15.) (See ASP ¯T0000348.) This
"brazen serpent" was preserved by the Israelites till the days
of Hezekiah, when it was destroyed (2 Kings 18:4). (See BRASS
¯T0000641.)

$$T0003289
\Serug\
branch, the father of Nahor (Gen. 11:20-23); called Saruch in
Luke 3:35.

$$T0003290
\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; 33:11).
Probably Gehazi, the personal attendant on Elisha, is here
meant.

$$T0003291
\Seth\
appointed; a substitute, the third son of Adam and Eve (Gen.
4:25; 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."

$$T0003292
\Sethur\
hidden, one of the spies sent to search the Promised Land. He
was of the tribe of Asher (Num. 13:13).

$$T0003293
\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, 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; 79:12;
Prov. 26:16; Isa. 4:1; Matt. 18:21, 22; Luke 17:4). The feast of
Passover (Ex. 12:15, 16), the feast of Weeks (Deut. 16:9), of
Tabernacles (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,
17; 8:11, 33; 14:9, 51), of forgiveness (Matt. 18:21, 22; Luke
17:4), of reward (Deut. 28:7; 1 Sam. 2:5), and of punishment
(Lev. 26:21, 24, 28; Deut. 28:25). It is used for any round
number in such passages as Job 5:19; Prov. 26:16, 25; Isa. 4:1;
Matt. 12:45. It is used also to mean "abundantly" (Gen. 4:15,
24; Lev. 26:24; Ps. 79:12).

$$T0003294
\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.

$$T0003295
\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.

$$T0003296
\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).

$$T0003297
\Shaashgaz\
servant of the beautiful, a chief eunuch in the second house of
the harem of king Ahasuerus (Esther 2:14).

$$T0003298
\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; 11:16).

$$T0003299
\Shaddai\
the Omnipotent, the name of God in frequent use in the Hebrew
Scriptures, generally translated "the Almighty."