Smith's Bible Dictionary.pdf - Online Christian Library

Smith's Bible Dictionary
Vajezatha
(strong as the wind), one of the ten sons of Haman whom the Jews slew in Shushan. (Esther
9:9) (B.C. 473.)
Vale, Valley
It is hardly necessary to state that these words signify a hollow sweep of ground between two
more or less parallel ridges of high land. The structure of the greater part of the holy land does not
lend itself to the formation of valleys in our sense of the word. The abrupt transitions of its crowded
rocky hills preclude the existence of any extended sweep of valley. Valley is employed in the
Authorized Version to render five distinct Hebrew words.
•’Emek . This appears to approach more nearly to the general sense of the English word than any
other. It is connected with several places.
•Gai or ge . Of this there is fortunately one example which can be identified with certainty—the
deep hollow which compasses the southwest and south of Jerusalem. This identification establishes
the ge as a deep and abrupt ravine, with steep sides and narrow bottom.
•Nachal . This word answers to the Arabic wady, and expresses, as no single English word can,
the bed of a stream (often wide and shelving, and like a “valley” in character, which in the rainy
season may be nearly filled by a foaming torrent, though for the greater part of the year dry).
•Bik’ah . This term appears to mean rather a plain than a valley, though so far resembling it as to
be enclosed by mountains. It is rendered by “valley” in (34:3; Joshua 11:8,17; 12:7; 2 Chronicles
35:22; Zechariah 12:11)
•has-Shefelah . The district to which the name has-Shefelah is applied in the Bible has no
resemblance whatever to a valley, but is a broad, swelling tract of many hundred miles in area,
which sweeps gently down from the mountains Judah to the Mediterranean. It is rendered “the
vale” in (1:7; Joshua 10:40; 1 Kings 10:27; 2 Chronicles 1:15; Jeremiah 33:13) and “the valley”
or “the valleys” in (Joshua 9:1; 11:2,16; 12:8; 15:33; Judges 1:9; Jeremiah 32:44)
Vaniah
(Jehovah is praise), one of the sons of Bani, (Ezra 10:36) (B.C. 458.)
Vashni
(strong), the first-born of Samuel as the text now stands. (1 Chronicles 6:28) (13); but in (1
Samuel 8:2) the name of his first-born is Joel. Most probably in the Chronicles the name of Joel
has dropped out: and Vashni is a corruption of vesheni, and (the) second.”
Vashti
(beautiful), the “queen” of Ahasuerus, who, for refusing to show herself to the king’s guests at
the royal banquet, when sent for by the king, was repudiated and deposed. (Esther 1:1) ... (B.C.
483.) Many attempts have been made to identify her with historical personages; but it is far more
probable that she was only one of the inferior wives, dignified with the title of queen, whose name
has utterly disappeared from history.
Veil
With regard to the use of the veil, it is important to observe that it was by no means so general
in ancient as in modern times. Much of the scrupulousness in respect of the use of the veil dates
from the promulgation of the Koran, which forbade women appearing unveiled except in the
presence of their nearest relatives. In ancient times the veil was adopted only in exceptional cases,
either as an article of ornamental dress, (Song of Solomon 4:1,3; 6:7) or by betrothed maidens in
the presence of their future husbands, especially at the time of the wedding, (Genesis 24:65) or
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William Smith