Smith's Bible Dictionary.pdf - Online Christian Library

Smith's Bible Dictionary
(strong), the second son of Judah by the Canaanitess, “the daughter of Shua.” (Genesis 38:4; 1
Chronicles 2:3) “What he did was evil in the eyes of Jehovah and he slew him also, as he had slain
his elder brother. (Genesis 38:9) His death took place before the family of Jacob went down into
Egypt. (Genesis 46:12; Numbers 26:19) (B.C. 1706.)
Onesimus
(profitable, useful), the name of the servant or slave in whose behalf Paul wrote the Epistle to
Philemon. He was a native, or certainly an inhabitant, of Colosse. (Colossians 4:9) (A.D. 58.) He
fled from his master end escaped to Rome, where he was led to embrace the gospel through Paul’s
instrumentality. After his conversion the most happy and friendly relations sprung up between the
teacher and disciple. Whether Paul desired his presence as a personal attendant or as a minister of
the gospel is not certain from verse 13 of the epistle.
Onesiphorus
(bringing profit) is named twice only in the New Testament, viz. (2 Timothy 1:16-18) and 2Tim
4:19 Paul mentions him in terms of grateful love as having a noble courage and generosity in his
behalf, amid his trials as a prisoner at Rome, when others from whom he expected better things
had deserted him. (2 Timothy 4:16) Probably other members of the family were also active
Christians. (2 Timothy 4:19) It is evident from (2 Timothy 1:18) that Onesiphorus had his home at
Ephesus. (A.D. 64.)
Onias
the name of five high priests in the period between the Old and the New Testament.
Onion
This product is mentioned only in (Numbers 11:5) as one of the good things of Egypt of which
the Israel regretted the loss. Onions have been from time immemorial a favorite article of food
among the Egyptians, The onions of Egypt are much milder in flavor and less pungent than those
of this country.
Ono
(strong), one of the towns of Benjamin, is first found in (1 Chronicles 8:12) A plain was attached
to the town called “the plain of Ono” (Nehemiah 6:2) perhaps identical with the valley of craftsmen”
(Nehemiah 11:35)
Onycha
spoken of in (Exodus 30:34) was one of the ingredients of the sacred perfume. It consists of
the shells of several kinds of mussels, which when burned emit a strong odor.
Onyx
(a nail) is the translation of the Hebrew shoham ; but there is some doubt as to its signification.
Some writers believe that the “beryl” is intended; but the balance of authority is in favor of some
variety of the onyx. (“The onyx is not a transparent stone, but as the color of the flesh appears
through the nail (Greek onyx) on the human body, so the reddish mass which is below shines
delicately through the whitish surface of the onyx. There are several varieties. White and reddish
stripes alternating form the sardonyx; white and reddish gray, the chalcedony. When polished it
has a fine lustre, and is easily wrought into a gem of great beauty.”-Rosenmiller.
Ophel
(hill), a part of ancient Jerusalem. Ophel was the swelling declivity by which the mount of the
temple slopes on its southern side into the valley of Hinnom—a long, narrowish rounded spur or
promontory, which intervenes between the mouth of the central valley of Jerusalem (the Tyropoeon)
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William Smith