Smith's Bible Dictionary.pdf - Online Christian Library

Smith's Bible Dictionary
wealthy man and a near kinsman of her father-in-law, Elimelech. Upon learning who the stranger
was, Boaz treated her with the utmost kindness and respect, and sent her home laden with corn
which she had gleaned. Encouraged by this incident, Naomi instructed Ruth to claim at the hand
of Boaz that he should perform the part of her husband’s near kinsman, by purchasing the inheritance
of Elimelech and taking her to be his wife. With all due solemnity, Boaz took Ruth to be his wife,
amidst the blessings and congratulations of their neighbors. Their son, Obed, was ’the father of
Jesse, who was the father of David.
Ruth, Book Of
contains the history of Ruth, as narrated in the preceding article. The main object of the writer
is evidently to give an account of David’s ancestors; and the book was avowedly composed long
after the time of the heroine. See (Ruth 1:1; 4:7,17) Its date and author are quite uncertain. Tradition
is in favor of Samuel. It is probable that the books of Judges, Ruth, Samuel and Kings originally
formed but one work. The book of Ruth clearly forms part of the books of Samuel, supplying as it
does the essential point of David’s genealogy and early family history, and is no less clearly
connected with the book of Judges by its opening verse and the epoch to which the whole book
relates.
Rye
(Heb. cussemeth) occurs in (Exodus 9:32; Isaiah 28:25) in the latter the margin reads “spelt.”
In (Ezekiel 4:9) the text has “fitches“ and the margin “rie.” It is probable that by cussemeth “spelt”
is intended. Spelt (Triticum spelta) is grown in some parts of the south of Germany; it differs but
slightly from our common wheat (T. vulgare).
Sabachthani, Or Sabachthani
(why hast thou forsaken me?), part of Christ’s fourth cry on the cross. (Matthew 27:46; Mark
15:34) This, with the other words uttered with it, as given in Mark, is Aramaic (Syro-Chaldaic),
the common dialect of the people of palestine in Christ’s time and the whole is a translation of the
Hebrew (given in Matthew) of the first words of the 22d Psalm.—ED.
Sabaoth, The Lord Of
occurs in (Romans 9:29; James 5:4) but is more familiar through its occurrence in the Sanctus
of Te Deum—“Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth.” Sabaoth is the Greek form of the Hebrew
word tsebaoth “armies,” and is translated in the Authorized Version of the Old Testament by “Lord
of hosts,” “Lord God of hosts.” In the mouth and the mind of an ancient Hebrew, Jehovah-tsebaoth
was the leader and commander of the armies of the nation, who “went forth with them” (Psalms
44:9) and led them to certain victory over the worshippers of Baal Chemosh. Molech, Ashtaroth
and other false gods.
Sabbath
(shabbath), “a day of rest,” from shabath “to cease to do to,” “to rest”). The name is applied to
divers great festivals, but principally and usually to the seventh day of the week, the strict observance
of which is enforced not merely in the general Mosaic code, but in the Decalogue itself. The
consecration of the Sabbath was coeval with the creation. The first scriptural notice of it, though
it is not mentioned by name, is to be found in (Genesis 2:3) at the close of the record of the six-days
creation. There are not wanting indirect evidences of its observance, as the intervals between Noah’s
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William Smith