Her marriage to Abner was the occasion of a quarrel between him and
Ishbosheth, which led to Abner’s going over to the side of David (2 Samuel
3:17-21).
- ROAD (1 Samuel 27:10; R.V., “raid”), an inroad, an incursion. This word
is never used in Scripture in the sense of a way or path. - ROBBERY Practised by the Ishmaelites (Genesis 16:12), the Chaldeans
and Sabeans (Job 1:15, 17), and the men of Shechem (Judges 9:25. See also
1 Samuel 27:6-10; 30; Hos. 4:2; 6:9). Robbers infested Judea in our Lord’s
time (Luke 10:30; John 18:40; Acts 5:36, 37; 21:38; 2 Corinthians 11:26).
The words of the Authorized Version, “counted it not robbery to be
equal,” etc. (Phil. 2:6, 7), are better rendered in the Revised Version,
“counted it not a prize to be on an equality,” etc., i.e., “did not look upon
equality with God as a prize which must not slip from his grasp” = “did
not cling with avidity to the prerogatives of his divine majesty; did not
ambitiously display his equality with God.”
“Robbers of churches” should be rendered, as in the Revised Version, “of
temples.” In the temple at Ephesus there was a great treasure-chamber, and
as all that was laid up there was under the guardianship of the goddess
Diana, to steal from such a place would be sacrilege (Acts 19:37).
- ROCK (Hebrews tsur), employed as a symbol of God in the Old
Testament (1 Samuel 2:2; 2 Samuel 22:3; Isaiah 17:10; Psalm 28:1; 31:2,3;
89:26; 95:1); also in the New Testament (Matthew 16:18; Romans 9:33; 1
Corinthians 10:4). In Daniel 2:45 the Chaldaic form of the Hebrew word is
translated “mountain.” It ought to be translated “rock,” as in Habakkuk
1:12 in the Revised Version. The “rock” from which the stone is cut there
signifies the divine origin of Christ. (See STONE.) - ROE (Hebrews tsebi), properly the gazelle (Arab. ghazal), permitted for
food (Deuteronomy 14:5; comp. Deuteronomy 12:15, 22; 15:22; 1 Kings
4:23), noted for its swiftness and beauty and grace of form (2 Samuel 2:18;
1 Chronicles 12:8; Cant. 2:9; 7:3; 8:14).
The gazelle (Gazella dorcas) is found in great numbers in Palestine.
“Among the gray hills of Galilee it is still ‘the roe upon the mountains of
Bether,’ and I have seen a little troop of gazelles feeding on the Mount of
Olives close to Jerusalem itself” (Tristram).