Saul was the first to form a standing army (1 Samuel 13:2; 24:2). This
example was followed by David (1 Chronicles 27:1), and Solomon (1
Kings 4:26), and by the kings of Israel and Judah (2 Chronicles 17:14;
26:11; 2 Kings 11:4, etc.).
- HOSTAGE a person delivered into the hands of another as a security for
the performance of some promise, etc. (2 Kings 14:14; 2 Chronicles
25:24). - HOST OF HEAVEN The sun, moon, and stars are so designated (Genesis
2:1). When the Jews fell into idolatry they worshipped these
(Deuteronomy 4:19; 2 Kings 17:16; 21:3,5; 23:5; Jeremiah 19:13;
Zephaniah 1:5; Acts 7:42). - HOUGH to hamstring, i.e., sever the “tendon of Achilles” of the hinder
legs of captured horses (Joshua 11:6; 2 Samuel 8:4; 1 Chronicles 18:4), so
as to render them useless. - HOUR First found in Daniel 3:6; 4:19, 33;5:5. It is the rendering of the
Chaldee shaah, meaning a “moment,” a “look.” It is used in the New
Testament frequently to denote some determinate season (Matthew 8:13;
Luke 12:39).
With the ancient Hebrews the divisions of the day were “morning, evening,
and noon-day” (Psalm 55:17, etc.). The Greeks, following the
Babylonians, divided the day into twelve hours. The Jews, during the
Captivity, learned also from the Babylonians this method of dividing time.
When Judea became subject to the Romans, the Jews adopted the Roman
mode of reckoning time. The night was divided into four watches (Luke
12:38; Matthew 14:25; 13:25). Frequent allusion is also made to hours
(Matthew 25:13; 26:40, etc.). (See DAY.)
An hour was the twelfth part of the day, reckoning from sunrise to sunset,
and consequently it perpetually varied in length.
- HOUSE Till their sojourn in Egypt the Hebrews dwelt in tents. They
then for the first time inhabited cities (Genesis 47:3; Exodus 12:7;
Hebrews 11:9). From the earliest times the Assyrians and the Canaanites
were builders of cities. The Hebrews after the Conquest took possession
of the captured cities, and seem to have followed the methods of building
that had been pursued by the Canaanites. Reference is made to the stone (1
Kings 7:9; Isaiah 9:10) and marble (1 Chronicles 29:2) used in building, and