Smith's Bible Dictionary.pdf - Online Christian Library

Smith's Bible Dictionary
Conaniah
(made by Jehovah), one of the chiefs of the Levites in the time of Josiah. (2 Chronicles 35:9)
(B.C. 628).
Concubine
The difference between wife and concubine was less marked among the Hebrews than among
us, owing to the absence of moral stigma. The difference probably lay in the absence of the right
of the bill of divorce, without which the wife could not be repudiated. With regard to the children
of wife and of concubine, there was no such difference as our illegitimacy implies. The latter were
a supplementary family to the former; their names occur in the patriarchal genealogies, (Genesis
22:24; 1 Chronicles 1:22) and their position and provision would depend on the father’s will.
(Genesis 25:6) The state of concubinage is assumed and provided for by the law of Moses. A
concubine would generally be either (1) a Hebrew girl bought of her father; (2) a Gentile captive
taken in war; (3) a foreign slave bought; or (4) a Canaanitish woman, bond or free. The rights of
the first two were protected by the law, (Exodus 21:7; 21:10-14) but the third was unrecognized
and the fourth prohibited. Free Hebrew women also might become concubines. To seize on royal
concubines for his use was probably the intent of Abner’s act, (2 Samuel 3:7) and similarly the
request on behalf of Adonijah was construed. (1 Kings 2:21-24)
Conduit
meaning an aqueduct or trench through which water was carried. Tradition, both oral and as
represented by Talmudical writers, ascribes to Solomon the formation of the original aqueduct by
which water was brought to Jerusalem.
Coney
(shaphan), a gregarious animal of the class Pachydermata, which is found in Palestine, living
in the caves and clefts of the rocks, and has been erroneously identified with the rabbit or coney.
Its scientific name as Hyrax syriacus . The hyrax satisfies exactly the expressions in (Psalms 104:18;
Proverbs 30:26) Its color is gray or brown on the back, white on the belly; it is like the alpine
marmot, scarcely of the size of the domestic cat, having long hair, a very short tail and round ears.
It is found on Lebanon and in the Jordan and Dead Sea valleys.
Congregation
This describes the Hebrew people in its collective capacity under its peculiar aspect as a holy
community, held together by religious rather than political bonds. Sometimes it is used in a broad
sense as inclusive of foreign settlers, (Exodus 12:19) but more properly as exclusively appropriate
to the Hebrew element of the population. (Numbers 15:15) The congregation was governed by the
father or head of each family and tribe. The number of these representatives being inconveniently
large for ordinary business, a further selection was made by Moses of 70, who formed a species of
standing committee. (Numbers 11:16) Occasionally indeed the whole body of people was assembled
at the door of the tabernacle, hence usually called the tabernacle of the congregation. (Numbers
10:3) The people were strictly bound by the acts of their representatives, even in cases where they
disapproved of them. (Joshua 9:18)
Coniah
[Jeconiah]
Cononiah
(appointed by the Lord), a Levite, ruler of the offerings and tithes in the time of Hezekiah. (2
Chronicles 31:12,13) (B.C. 726.)
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William Smith