Smith's Bible Dictionary.pdf - Online Christian Library

Smith's Bible Dictionary
Septuagint is faithful in substance but not minutely accurate in details. It has been clearly shown
by Hody, Frankel and others that the several books were translated by different persons, without
any comprehensive revision to harmonize the several parts. Names and words are rendered
differently in different books. Thus the character of the version varies much in the several books,
those of the Pentateuch are the best. The poetical parts are, generally speaking, inferior to the
historical, the original abounding with rarer words and expressions. In the major prophets (probably
translated nearly 100 years after the Pentateuch) some of the most important prophecies are sadly
obscured. Ezekiel and the minor prophets (generally speaking) seem to be better rendered.
Supposing the numerous glosses and duplicate renderings, which have evidently crept from the
margin into the text, to be removed and forming a rough estimate of what the Septuagint was in
its earliest state, we may perhaps say of it that it is the image of the original seen through a glass
not adjusted to the proper focus; the larger features are shown, but the sharpness of definition is
lost. The close connection between the Old and the New Testament makes the study of the
Septuagint most valuable, and indeed indispensable, to the theological student. It was manifestly
the chief storehouse from which the apostles drew their proofs and precepts.
Sepulchre
[Burial, Sepulchres]
Serah
the daughter of Asher, (Genesis 46:17; 1 Chronicles 7:30) called in (Numbers 26:46) Sarah.
(B.C. about 1700.)
Seraiah
•The
king’s scribe or secretary in the reign of David. (2 Samuel 8:17) (B.C. 1043.)
•The high priest in the reign of Zedekiah. (2 Kings 25:18; 1 Chronicles 6:14; Jeremiah 52:24) (B.C.
594.)
•The son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite. (2 Kings 25:23; Jeremiah 40:8)
•The son of Kenaz and brother of Othniel. (1 Chronicles 4:13,14)
•Ancestor of Jehu a Simeonite chieftain. (1 Chronicles 4:35)
•One of the children of the province who returned with Zerubbabel. (Ezra 2:2) (B.C. 536.)
•One of the ancestors of Ezra the scribe. (Ezra 7:1)
•A priest, or priestly family, who signed the covenant with Nehemiah. (Nehemiah 10:2)
•A priest, the son of Hilkiah. (Nehemiah 11:11)
•The head of a priestly house which went up from Babylon with Zerubbabel. (Nehemiah 12:12)
•The son of Neriah and brother of Baruch. (Jeremiah 51:59,61) He went with Zedekiah to Babylon
in the fourth year of his reign. (B.C. 594.) Perhaps he was an officer who took charge of the royal
caravan on its march, and fixed the places where it should halt.
Seraphim
(burning, glowing), an order of celestial beings, whom Isaiah beheld in vision standing above
Jehovah as he sat upon his throne. (Isaiah 6:2) They are described as having each of them three
pairs of wings, with one of which they covered their faces (a token of humility); with the second
they covered their feet (a token of respect); while with the third they flew. They seem to have borne
a general resemblance to the human figure. ver. 6. Their occupation was two fold to celebrate the
praises of Jehovah’s holiness and power, ver. 3 and to act as the medium of communication between
heaven and earth. ver. 6.
Sered
662
William Smith