Smith's Bible Dictionary.pdf - Online Christian Library

Smith's Bible Dictionary
Armenian mountains, and flows into the Persian Gulf. The entire course is 1780 miles, and of this
distance more than two-thirds (1200 miles) is navigable for boats. The width of the river is greatest
at the distance of 700 or 800 miles from its mouth—that is to say, from it junction with the Khabour
to the village of Werai . It there averages 400 yards. The annual inundation of the Euphrates is
caused by the melting of the snows in the Armenian highlands. It occurs in the month of May. The
great hydraulic works ascribed to Nebuchadnezzar had for their chief object to control the inundation.
The Euphrates is first mentioned in Scripture as one of the four rivers of Eden. (Genesis 2:14) We
next hear of it in the covenant made with Abraham. (Genesis 15:18) During the reigns of David
and Solomon it formed the boundary of the promised land to the northeast. (11:24; Joshua 1:4)
Prophetical reference to the Euphrates is found in (Jeremiah 13:4-7; 46:2-10; 51:63; Revelation
9:14; 16:12) “The Euphrates is linked with the most important events in ancient history. On its
banks stood the city of Babylon; the army of Necho was defeated on its banks by Nebuchadnezzar;
Cyrus the Younger and Crassus perished after crossing it; Alexander crossed it, and Trajan and
Severus descended it.”—Appleton’s Cyc.
Eurcquila
the word used in the Revised Version instead of euroclydon in (Acts 27:14) It is compounded
of two words meaning east and north, and means a northeast gale.
Euroclydon
(a violent agitation), a tempestuous wind or hurricane, cyclone, on the Mediterranean, and very
dangerous; now called a “levanter.” This wind seized the ship in which St. Paul was ultimately
wrecked on the coast of Malta. It came down from the island and therefore must have blown more
or less from the northward. (Acts 27:14)
Eutychus
(fortunate), a youth at Troas, (Acts 20:9) who sitting in a window, and having fallen asleep
while St. Paul was discoursing, fell from the third story, and being taken up dead, was miraculously
restored to life by the apostle.
Evangelist
(publisher of glad tidings). In the New Testament the “evangelists” appear on the one hand
after the “apostles” and “prophets;” on the other before the “pastors” and “teachers.” They probably
stood between the two. (Acts 21:8; Ephesians 4:11) The work of the evangelist is the proclamation
of the glad tidings to those who have not known them, rather than the instruction and pastoral care
of those who have believed and been baptized. It follows also that the name denotes a work rather
than an order . Its use is nearly like our word missionary. The evangelist might or might not be a
bishop-elder or a deacon. The apostles, so far as they evangelized, (Acts 8:25; 14:7; 1 Corinthians
1:17) might claim the title, though there were many evangelists who were not apostles. If the gospel
were a written book, and the office of the evangelists was to read or distribute it, then the writers
of such books were pre-eminently THE evangelists. In later liturgical language the word was applied
to the reader of the gospel for the day.
Eve
(life), the name given in Scripture to the first woman. The account of Eve’s creation is found
at (Genesis 2:21,22) Perhaps that which we are chiefly intended to learn from the narrative is the
foundation upon which the union between man and wife is built, viz., identity of nature and oneness
of origin. Through the subtlety of the serpent Eve was beguiled into a violation of the one
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William Smith