BISHOP bish'-up: The word is evidently an abbreviation of the Greek episkopos; Latin, episcopus. GENERAL 1. Use in the Septuagint and Classic Greek: The Septuagint gives it the generic meaning of "superintendency, oversight, searching" (Numbers 4:16; 31:14) in matters pertaining to the church, the state, and the army (Judges 9:28; 2 Kings 12:11

BISHLAM bish'-lam (bishlam, "peaceful" (?)): One of three foreign colonists who wrote a letter of complaint against the Jews to Artaxerxes (Ezra 4:7 = 1 Esdras 2:16). In 1 Esdras the reading is "Belemus." "And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions, unto Artaxerxes, king of Persia," etc. (Ezra 4

BIRTHRIGHT burth'-rit (bekhorah, from bekhor, "firstborn"; prototokia): Birthright is the right which naturally belonged to the firstborn son. Where there were more wives than one, the firstborn was the son who in point of time was born before the others, apparently whether his mother was a wife or a concubine. Sarah protests against Ishmael being

BIRZAITH bur-za'-ith, bur-za'-vith the King James Version Birzavith, (birzawith or birzayith; Bezaith, or Berzaie): The name of a town in Asher founded by Malchiel (1 Chronicles 7:31). It probably corresponds to the modern Bir ez-Zait, "well of olive oil," near Tyre. Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Bibliography Information Orr,

BIRTHDAY burth'-da: (1) The custom of observing birthdays of great men, especially of kings, was widespread in ancient times (see Genesis 40:20, "the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday," etc.; compare 2 Macc 6:7; and Herod. ix.110; in the New Testament, Matthew 14:6; Mark 6:21, "Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords," etc., i.e. He

BIRTH, NEW See REGENERATION. Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Bibliography Information Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'BIRTH, NEW'". "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". 1915.

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

BIRTH-STOOL burth'-stool: Found only in Exodus 1:16, in connection with Hebrew women in Egypt when oppressed by Pharaoh. The Hebrew ('obhnayim) here rendered "birth-stool" is used in Jeremiah 18:3, and is there rendered "potter's wheel." The word is used in both places in the dual form, which points, no doubt, to the fact that the potter's wheel w

BIRTH burth (genesis): (1) It was said by the angel beforehand of John the Baptist, "Many shall rejoice at his birth"; and when he was born Elisabeth said, "Thus hath the Lord done unto me .... to take away my reproach among men" (Luke 1:14,25). Among the ancient Hebrews barrenness was a "reproach" and the birth of a child, of a son especially, an

BIRDS, UNCLEAN un-klen': The lists of birds forbidden as food are given in Leviticus 11:13-19 and Deuteronomy 14:12-18. The names are almost identical, Deuteronomy containing one more than Leviticus and varying the order slightly. In Deuteronomy 14:13 the first name, ha-ra'ah, is almost certainly a corruption of ha-da'-ah, the first name in Leviti

BIRDS OF ABOMINATION See ABOMINATION, BIRDS OF. Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Bibliography Information Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'BIRDS OF ABOMINATION'". "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". 1915.

BIRDS OF PREY pra: They were undoubtedly the first birds noticed by the compilers of Biblical records. They were camp followers, swarmed over villages and perched on the walls of cities. They were offensive in manner and odor, and of a boldness unknown to us in birds. They flocked in untold numbers, there was small defense against them, and the la

BIRDS burds (`ayiT; Greek variously ta peteina (Matthew 13:4) ta ornea tou ouranou (Revelation 19:17) ornis (Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:34) Latin, avis; Old English "brid"): I. Meaning of the Word. All authorities agree that the exact origin of the word bird, as we apply it to feathered creatures, is unknown. 1. In Early Hebrew: The Hebrew `ayiT me

BIRD-CATCHER burd'-kach-er See FOWLER. Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Bibliography Information Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'BIRD-CATCHER'". "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". 1915.

BINEA bin'-e-a (bin`ah): A name in the genealogy of Benjamin (1 Chronicles 8:37: = 1 Chronicles 9:43). Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Bibliography Information Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'BINEA'". "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". 1915.

BINNUI bin'-u-i (binnuy, a proper name, "a building up"): (1) A Levite, living in the time of Ezra (Ezra 8:33; Nehemiah 10:9; 12:8). (2) One of the bene Pachath-mo'abh who had taken foreign wives (Ezra 10:30--Balnuus of 1 Esdras 9:31) and one of the bene Bani (Ezra 10:38) who had also intermarried. (3) The son of Henadad, who built part of the w

BIMHAL bim'-hal (bimhal): A descendant of Asher (1 Chronicles 7:33). Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Bibliography Information Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'BIMHAL'". "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". 1915.

BIND; BOUND bind (deo): There are a number of Hebrew words used to express this word in its various meanings, 'alam (Genesis 37:7), 'acar (Genesis 42:24), qashar (Deuteronomy 6:8). It sometimes means "to attach," "to fasten" (Exodus 28:28; Deuteronomy 14:25). It was used also with reference to an agreement in a judicial sense (Numbers 30:2,3), or

BILSHAN bil'-shan (bilshan): An Israelite who returned with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:2 = Nehemiah 7:7). The name may be explained as the "inquirer" (new Hebrew and Aramaic), balash, the ("b" being an abbreviation of ben, as in bidhqar, and bimhal. Bilshan would then be a compound of ben, and lashon. J. Halevy (Revue etudes juives, X, 3)) translates the

BILLOW bil'-o (gal, "a great rolling wave"): Figuratively, of trouble, "All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me" (Psalms 42:7; compare \Jon 2:3\). Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Bibliography Information Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'BILLOW'". "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". 1915.