•The allegorical. According to the Talmud the beloved is taken to be God; the loved one, or bride,
is the congregation of Israel. In the Christian Church the Talmudical interpretation, imported by
Origen, was all but universally received.
•The literal interpretation. According to the most generally-received interpretation of the modern
literalists, the Song is intended to display the victory of humble and constant love over the
temptations of wealth and royalty. Canonicity.— The book has been rejected from the Canon by
some critics; but in no case has its rejection been defended on external grounds. It is found in the
LXX. and in the translations of Aquila, Symmachus and Theodotion. It is contained in the catalog
given in the Talmud,a nd in the catalogue of Melito; and in short we have the same evidence for
its canonicity as that which is commonly adduced for the canonicity of any book of the Old
Testament.
Capernaum
(village of Nahum) was on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. (Matthew 4:13) comp. John
6:24 It was in the “land of Gennesaret,” [ (Matthew 14:34) comp. John 6:17,21,24 ] It was of
sufficient size to be always called a “city,” (Matthew 9:1; Mark 1:33) had its own synagogue, in
which our Lord frequently taught, (Mark 1:21; Luke 4:33,38; John 6:59) and there was also a
customs station, where the dues were gathered both by stationary and by itinerant officers. (Matthew
9:9; 17:24; Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27) The only interest attaching to Capernaum is as the residence of
our Lord and his apostles, the scene of so many miracles and “gracious words.” It was when he
returned thither that he is said to have been “in the house.” (Mark 2:1) The spots which lay claim
to its site are,
•Kahn Minyeh, a mound of ruins which takes its name from an old khan hard by. This mound is
situated close upon the seashore at the northwestern extremity of the plain (now El Ghuweir).
•Three miles north of Khan Minyeh is the other claimant, Tell Hum,—ruins of walls and foundations
covering a space of half a mile long by a quarter wide, on a point of the shore projecting into the
lake and backed by a very gently-rising ground. It is impossible to locate it with certainty, but the
probability is in favor of Tell Hum.
Caphar
one of the numerous words employed in the Bible to denote a village or collection of dwellings
smaller than a city (Ir). Mr Stanley proposes to render it by “hamlet.” In names of places it occurs
in Chephar-he-Ammonai, Chephirah, Caphar-salama. To us its chief interest arises from its forming
a part of the name of Capernaum, i.e. Capharnahum.
Caphtor, Caphtorim
(a crown), thrice mentioned as the primitive seat of the Philistines, (2:23; Jeremiah 47:4; Amos
9:7) who are once called Caphtorim. (2:23) Supposed to be in Egypt, or near to it in Africa.
Cappadocia, Cappadocians
(province of good horses), (Acts 2:3; 1 Peter 1:1) the largest province in ancient Asia Minor.
Cappadocia is an elevated table-land intersected by mountain chains. It seems always to have been
deficient in wood, but it was a good grain country, and particularly famous for grazing. Its Roman
metropolis was Caesarea. The native Cappadocians seem to have originally belonged to the Syrian
stock.
Captain
As a purely military title, “captain” answers to sar in the Hebrew army and tribune in the Roman.
The captain of the guard in (Acts 28:16) was probably the prefectus pratorio.
frankie
(Frankie)
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