Smith's Bible Dictionary.pdf - Online Christian Library

Smith's Bible Dictionary
plucked by the hand, are dissolved into smoke and ashes.” It has been variously identified. Dr.
Robinson pronounced in favor of the ’osher fruit, the Asclepias (Calotropis) procera of botanists.
He says, “The fruit greatly resembles externally a large smooth apple or orange, hanging in clusters
of three or four together, and when ripe is of a yellow color. It is now fair and delicious to the eye
and soft to the touch but, on being pressed or struck, it explodes with a puff: like a bladder or
puff-hall, leaving in the hand only the shreds of the thin rind and a few fibres. It is indeed filled
chiefly with air, which gives it the round form.” Dr. Hooker writes,” The vine of Sodom always
thought might refer to Cucumis calocynthis, which is bitter end powders inside; the term vine would
scarcely be given to any but a trailing or other plant of the habit of a vine.” His remark that the
term vine must refer to some plant of the habit of a vine is conclusive against the claims of all the
plants hitherto identified with the vine of Sodom.
Vinegar
The Hebrew word translated “vinegar” was applied to a beverage consisting generally of wine
or strong drink turned sour, but sometimes artificially made by an admixture of barley and wine,
and thus liable to fermentation. It was acid even to a proverb, (Proverbs 10:26) and by itself formed
an unpleasant draught, (Psalms 49:21) but was used by laborers. (Ruth 2:14) Similar was the acetum
of the Romans—a thin, sour wine, consumed by soldiers. This was the beverage of which the
Saviour partook in his dying moments. (Matthew 27:48; Mark 15:36; John 19:29,30)
Vineyards, Plain Of The
This place, mentioned only in (Judges 11:33) lay east of the Jordan, beyond Aroer.
Viol
[Psaltery]
Viper
[Serpent]
Vophsi
(rich), father of Nahbi, the Naphtalite spy. (Numbers 13:14) (B.C. before 1490.)
Vows
A vow is a solemn promise made to God to perform or to abstain from performing a certain
thing. The earliest mention of a vow is that of Jacob. (Genesis 28:18-22; 31:13) Vows in general
are also mentioned in the book of Job, (Job 22:27) The law therefore did not introduce, but regulated
the practice of, vows. Three sorts are mentioned: 1, Vows of devotion; 2, Vows of abstinence; 3,
Vows of destruction.
•As to vows of devotion, the following rules are laid down: A man might devote to sacred uses
possessions or persons, but not the first-born of either man or beast, which was devoted already.
(Leviticus 27:28) (a) If he vowed land, he might either redeem it or not Levi 25,27. (b) Animals
fit for sacrifice if devoted, were not to be redeemed or changed, (Leviticus 27:9; 10:33) persons
devoted stood thus: devote either himself, his child (not the first-born) or his slave. If no redemption
took place, the devoted person became a slave of the sanctuary: see the case of Absalom. (2 Samuel
15:8) Otherwise he might be redeemed at a valuation according to age and sex, on the scale given
in (Leviticus 27:1-7) Among general regulations affecting vows the following may be mentioned:
(1) Vows were entirely voluntary but once made were regarded as compulsory. (Numbers 30:2;
23:21; Ecclesiastes 5:4) (2) If persons In a dependent condition made vows as (a) an unmarried
daughter living in her father’s house, or (b) a wife, even if she afterward became a widow the
vow, if (a) in the first case her father, or (b) in the second her husband, heard and disallowed it,
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William Smith