Seven days and seven nights
Seven days and seven nights was a traditional period for mourning in the ancient Near East (2:13).
Seven days and seven nights was a traditional period for mourning in the ancient Near East (2:13).
Comfort is a key word in the book of Job. When faced with personal tragedies, Job receives no comfort from his friends (16:2). But when… Read More »Comfort
Eunuchs had many roles in the ancient world. They served in the royal court as cooks, scribes, guards of the harem, and ambassadors. The Hebrew… Read More »Eunuchs
Kings, priests, and prophets were sometimes anointed with oil as a sign that God had set them apart for a special purpose (see 1 Sam.… Read More »Anointed with oil
Was it Joram or Jehoram? At about the same time, Israel had a king named Joram who was sometimes called Jehoram, while Judah had a… Read More »Was it Joram or Jehoram?
A seah is a dry measurement equal to about 7 quarts or 7.7 liters.
What is a siege? In ancient times, a “siege” occurred when an enemy army surrounded a city and demanded that it surrender. If the city… Read More »What is a siege?
Who was Rimmon? Rimmon was another name for the Syrian god Baal-hadad. Known as the storm god, he was depicted as a bearded deity holding… Read More »Who was Rimmon?
The wild gourds gathered by the prophet (4:38–41) were poisonous. The prophet, of course, did not realize this. He added the gourds to the stew,… Read More »Wild gourds
The Moabite Stone is a small monument inscribed with details about the conflict between the Israelites and the Moabites (3:4–27). Written by the Moabites, it… Read More »The Moabite Stone
Though bears no longer live in the region of Palestine, the bear God used to punish the disrespectful boys (2:24) was probably of a type… Read More »Bears
Israel and Judah’s sins continue. Picking up where 1 Kings left off, Israel and Judah continued to decline through false worship and disobedience. They were… Read More »Israel and Judah’s sins continue