MESHACH me'-shak (meshakh): Possibly the Sumerian form of the Babylonian Cil-Asharidu, "the shadow of the prince," just as Shadrach probably means "the servant of Sin," and Abednego the "servant of Ishtar." Meshach was one of the three Hebrew companions of Daniel, whose history is given in the first chapters of the Book of Daniel. See, further, u

MESECH me'-sek. See MESHECH. Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Bibliography Information Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'MESECH'". "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". 1915.

MESALOTH mes'-a-loth (Messaloth, Maisaloth): A place mentioned in the account of the march of Bacchides and Alcimus into Judah, as "in Arbela" (1 Macc 9:2). If Arbela be identical with Irbil or Irbid on the southern lip of Wady el-Chamam, West of the Sea of Galilee, this fixes the locality; but no name resembling Mesaloth has been found. Copyright

MERUTH me'-ruth. See EMMERUTH. Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Bibliography Information Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'MERUTH'". "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". 1915.

MEROZ me'-roz (meroz; Codex Vaticanus, Meroz; Codex Alexandrinus, Mazor): This name occurs only once in Scripture. The angel of the Lord is represented as invoking curses upon Meroz because the inhabitants "came not to the help of Yahweh" on the day of Deborah and Barak's victory (Judges 5:23). It is a strange fate, shared with Chorazin, to be pre

MERRAN mer'-an (Merran; the King James Version Meran): Many identifications have been suggested on the assumption that the text as it stands is correct. Some of these are the Sidonian Meareh (Grotius), Marane, a city of which Pliny speaks as being near the Red Sea (Keil), and the desert of Mahrah in Arabia (Fritzsche). It is very probable, however

MERONOTHITE me-ron'-thit, me-ro'-no-thit (meronothi, root meaning "fertility"): The designation of two persons in the Old Testament: (1) Jehdeiah, who was in charge of the royal asses under David (1 Chronicles 27:30). (2) Jadon who was among the repairers of the wall under Nehemiah (Nehemiah 3:7). No place of the name Meronoth can be identified.

MERODACH-BALADAN me-ro'-dak-bal'-a-dan, mer'-o-dak-b. (mero'dhakh bal'adhan; Marodach Baladan): The son of Baladan, is mentioned in Isaiah 39:1, as a king of Babylon who sent an embassy to Hezekiah, king of Judah, apparently shortly after the latter's illness, in order to congratulate him on his recovery of health, and to make with him an offensiv

MEROM, WATERS OF me'-rom (me-merom; hudor Marron or hudor Merron): The place which was the scene of Joshua's victory over Jabin and his confederates (Joshua 11:7), commonly identified with Lake Huleh in the upper part of the Jordan valley, but with doubtful propriety. Josephus says (Ant., V, i, 18) that the camp of the allies was at Beroth in uppe

MERODACH me-ro'-dak, mer'-o-dak (merodhakh): The supreme deity of the Babylonians (Jeremiah 50:2); the Nimrod of Genesis 10:8-12; and among the constellations, Orion. See ASTRONOMY, sec. II, 11; BABYLONIA AND ASSYRIA, RELIGION OF; NIMROD. Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Bibliography Information Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Ed

MERIBAH mer'-i-ba, me-re'-ba. See MASSAH AND MERIBAH. Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Bibliography Information Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'MERIBAH'". "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". 1915.

MERIBATH-KADESH; MERIBOTH-KADESH mer'-i-bath-ka'-desh, mer'-i-both-k (Ezekiel 48:28; 47:19): The southern limit of Ezekiel's ideal land of Israel. See MERIBAH. Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Bibliography Information Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'MERIBATH-KADESH; MERIBOTH-KADESH'". "International Standard B

MEREMOTH mer'-e-moth, me-re'-moth (meremoth, "heights"; Mereimoth): (1) Son of Uriah (Ezra 8:33), who was head of the 7th course of priests appointed by David (1 Chronicles 24:10, Hakkoz = Koz; compare Nehemiah 3:4,21). The family of Koz were among those unable to prove their pedigree on the return from Babylon, and were therefore deposed as pollu

MERIB-BAAL mer-ib-ba'-al (meribhba`al; also meri-bha`al, "Baal contends"): The spelling varies in a single verse; 1 Chronicles 9:40 contains the name twice: first, in the first form above; second, in the second form. The name is given also in 1 Chronicles 8:34. It is the other name of MEPHIBOSHETH (2) (which see). In Jeremiah 11:13 and Hosea 9:10

MERCY; MERCIFUL mur'-si, mur'-si-fool (checedh, racham, chanan; eleos, eleeo, oiktirmos): "Mercy" is a distinctive Bible word characterizing God as revealed to men. In the Old Testament it is most often the translation of checedh, "kindness," "loving-kindness" (see LOVINGKINDNESS), but rachamim, literally, "bowels" (the sympathetic region), and c

MERED me'-red (meredh, "rebellion"; Septuagint has at least four variants in 1 Chronicles 4:17,18): A descendant of Judah through Caleb, and mentioned as a "son of Ezrah" (1 Chronicles 4:17). Revised Version, rightly following the orthography of the Hebrew which has here the Hebrew letter he (h) instead of 'aleph (') , as in the name of the well-

MERCURY; MERCURIUS mur'-ku-ri, mer-ku'ri-us: The translation of Hermes, in Acts 14:12: "They called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercury, because he was the chief speaker." Hermes was the god of eloquence (and also of theft), the attendant, messenger and spokesman of the gods. The more commanding presence of Barnabas (compare 2 Corinthians 10:10)

MERCY-SEAT, THE mur'-si-set (kapporeth; New Testament hilasterion, Hebrews 9:5): The name for the lid or covering of the ark of the covenant (Exodus 25:17, etc.). The Old Testament term means "covering," then, like the New Testament word, "propitiatory" (compare kipper, "to cover guilt," "to make atonement"). The ark contained the two tables of st

MERCHANDISE mur'-chan-diz (1) `amar (2) cachar, (3) cachar, (4) cechorach, (5) rekhullah, (6) ma`arabh, (7) markoleth; (8) emporia (9) emporion, (10) gomos) : There seem to be 4 distinct meanings of the word according to the Revised Version (British and American), namely: (1) The products, i.e. goods or things sold or exchanged, and so

MERCHANT; MERCHANTMAN mur'-chant, mur'-chant-man. See COMMERCE; MERCHANDISE; TRADE. Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Bibliography Information Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'MERCHANT; MERCHANTMAN'". "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". 1915.