Here the apostle probably landed on his way from Greece to Syria (Acts
21:1), on returning from his third missionary journey.
- RIBLAH fruitful, an ancient town on the northern frontier of Palestine,
35 miles north-east of Baalbec, and 10 or 12 south of Lake Homs, on the
eastern bank of the Orontes, in a wide and fertile plain. Here
Nebuchadnezzar had his head-quarters in his campaign against Jerusalem,
and here also Necho fixed his camp after he had routed Josiah’s army at
Megiddo (2 Kings 23:29-35; 25:6, 20, 21; Jeremiah 39:5; 52:10). It was on
the great caravan road from Palestine to Carchemish, on the Euphrates. It
is described (Numbers 34:11) as “on the eastern side of Ain.” A place still
called el Ain, i.e., “the fountain”, is found in such a position about 10 miles
distant. (See JERUSALEM.) - RIDDLE (Hebrews hodah). The oldest and, strictly speaking, the only
example of a riddle was that propounded by Samson (Judges 14:12-18).
The parabolic prophecy in Ezekiel 17:2-18 is there called a “riddle.” It was
rather, however, an allegory. The word “darkly” in 1 Corinthians 13:12 is
the rendering of the Greek enigma; marg., “in a riddle.” - RIGHTEOUSNESS See JUSTIFICATION.
- RIMMON pomegranate. (1.) A man of Beeroth (2 Samuel 4:2), one of the
four Gibeonite cities. (See Joshua 9:17.)
(2.) A Syrian idol, mentioned only in 2 Kings 5:18.
(3.) One of the “uttermost cities” of Judah, afterwards given to Simeon
(Joshua 15:21, 32; 19:7; 1 Chronicles 4:32). In Joshua 15:32 Ain and
Rimmon are mentioned separately, but in 19:7 and 1 Chronicles 4:32
(comp. Nehemiah 11:29) the two words are probably to be combined, as
forming together the name of one place, Ain-Rimmon=the spring of the
pomegranate. It has been identified with Um er-Rumamin, about 13 miles
south-west of Hebron.
(4.) “Rock of,” to which the Benjamites fled (Judges 20:45, 47; 21:13), and
where they maintained themselves for four months after the fearful battle
at Gibeah, in which they were almost exterminated, 600 only surviving out
of about 27,000. It is the present village of Rummon, “on the very edge of
the hill country, with a precipitous descent toward the Jordan valley,”
supposed to be the site of Ai.