- AKRABBIM scorpions, probably the general name given to the ridge
containing the pass between the south of the Dead Sea and Zin, es-Sufah,
by which there is an ascent to the level of the land of Palestine. Scorpions
are said to abound in this whole district, and hence the name (Numbers
34:4). It is called “Maaleh-acrabbim” in Joshua 15:3, and “the ascent of
Akrabbim” in Numbers 34:4. - ALABASTER occurs only in the New Testament in connection with the
box of “ointment of spikenard very precious,” with the contents of which
a woman anointed the head of Jesus as he sat at supper in the house of
Simon the leper (Matthew 26:7; Mark 14:3; Luke 7:37). These boxes were
made from a stone found near Alabastron in Egypt, and from this
circumstance the Greeks gave them the name of the city where they were
made. The name was then given to the stone of which they were made; and
finally to all perfume vessels, of whatever material they were formed. The
woman “broke” the vessel; i.e., she broke off, as was usually done, the
long and narrow neck so as to reach the contents. This stone resembles
marble, but is softer in its texture, and hence very easily wrought into
boxes. Mark says (14:5) that this box of ointment was worth more than
300 pence, i.e., denarii, each of the value of sevenpence halfpenny of our
money, and therefore worth about 10 pounds. But if we take the denarius
as the day’s wage of a labourer (Matthew 20:2), say two shillings of our
money, then the whole would be worth about 30 pounds, so costly was
Mary’s offering. - ALAMOTH virgins, a musical term (1 Chronicles 15:20), denoting that
the psalm which bears this inscription (Psalm 46) was to be sung by
soprano or female voices. - ALARM a particular quivering sound of the silver trumpets to give
warning to the Hebrews on their journey through the wilderness (Numbers
10:5, 6), a call to arms, or a war-note (Jeremiah 4:19; 49:2; Zephaniah
1:16). - ALEMETH covering. (1.) One of the nine sons of Becher, the son of
Benjamin (1 Chronicles 7:8).
(2.) One of the sons of Jehoadah, or Jarah, son of Ahaz (1 Chronicles
8:36).