- SERAPHIM mentioned in Isaiah 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.) This word, in the original, is used
elsewhere only of the “fiery serpents” (Numbers 21:6, 8; Deuteronomy
8:15; comp. Isaiah 14:29; 30:6) sent by God as his instruments to inflict
on the people the righteous penalty of sin. - SERED fear, one of the sons of Zebulun (Genesis 46:14).
- SERGEANTS Acts 16:35, 38 (R.V., “lictors”), officers who attended the
magistrates and assisted them in the execution of justice. - 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.
- 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”
(Matthew 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.” - SERPENT (Hebrews nahash; Gr. ophis), frequently noticed in Scripture.
More than forty species are found in Syria and Arabia. The poisonous