- BACA, VALLEY OF (Psalm 84:6; R.V., “valley of weeping,” marg., “or
balsam trees”), probably a valley in some part of Palestine, or generally
some one of the valleys through which pilgrims had to pass on their way
to the sanctuary of Jehovah on Zion; or it may be figuratively “a valley of
weeping.” - BACKBITE In Psalm 15:3, the rendering of a word which means to run
about tattling, calumniating; in Proverbs 25:23, secret talebearing or
slandering; in Romans 1:30 and 2 Corinthians 12:20, evil-speaking,
maliciously defaming the absent. - BACKSLIDE to draw back or apostatize in matters of religion (Acts
21:21; 2 Thessalonians 2:3; 1 Timothy 4:1). This may be either partial
(Proverbs 14:14) or complete (Hebrews 6:4-6; 10:38, 39). The apostasy
may be both doctrinal and moral. - BADGER this word is found in Exodus 25:5; 26:14; 35:7, 23; 36:19;
39:34; Numbers 4:6, etc. The tabernacle was covered with badgers’ skins;
the shoes of women were also made of them (Ezekiel 16:10). Our
translators seem to have been misled by the similarity in sound of the
Hebrew tachash and the Latin taxus, “a badger.” The revisers have
correctly substituted “seal skins.” The Arabs of the Sinaitic peninsula
apply the name tucash to the seals and dugongs which are common in the
Red Sea, and the skins of which are largely used as leather and for sandals.
Though the badger is common in Palestine, and might occur in the
wilderness, its small hide would have been useless as a tent covering. The
dugong, very plentiful in the shallow waters on the shores of the Red Sea,
is a marine animal from 12 to 30 feet long, something between a whale and
a seal, never leaving the water, but very easily caught. It grazes on
seaweed, and is known by naturalists as Halicore tabernaculi. - BAG (1.) A pocket of a cone-like shape in which Naaman bound two
pieces of silver for Gehazi (2 Kings 5:23). The same Hebrew word occurs
elsewhere only in Isaiah 3:22, where it is rendered “crisping-pins,” but
denotes the reticules (or as R.V., “satchels”) carried by Hebrew women.
(2.) Another word (kees) so rendered means a bag for carrying weights
(Deuteronomy 25:13; Proverbs 16:11; Micah 6:11). It also denotes a purse
(Proverbs 1:14) and a cup (23:31).