American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

28

Widow

A custom was prevalent in patriarchal times, Ge 38:1-30, and was afterwards confirmed by the Mosaic law, De 25:5-10, that a widow without children, in order to preserve the fami...

29

Wilderness

SeeDESERT.

30

Willow

A very common tree, which grows in marshy places, Job 40:22Isa 44:4, with a leaf much like that of the olive. God commanded the Hebrews to take branches of the handsomest trees,...

31

Wimple

A veil or hood; but the Hebrew signifies, properly, a broad and large mantle or shawl. SeeVEIL. Thus, in Ru 3:15, Boaz gives Ruth six measures of barley, which she carries away ...

32

Winds

Mt 24:31. The winds which most commonly prevail in Palestine are from the western quarter, more usually perhaps from the southwest, Lu 12:54. Not infrequently a north wind arise...

33

Wine

The vine being natural to the soil of Canaan and its vicinity, wine was much used as a beverage, especially at festivals, Es 1:7 5:6 Da 5:1-4Joh 2:3. As one of the staple produc...

34

Winnow

SeeFAN, andTHRESHING.

35

Winter

SeeCANAAN.

36

Wise Men From The East

SeeMAGI, andSTAR.

37

Wist

Knew; the past tense, from an obsolete present wis, Ex 16:15. Wot and wotteth, meaning know and knoweth, Ge 21:26 39:8, and to wit, meaning to know, Ge 24:21, are also from the ...

38

Wit

SeeWIST.

39

Witch And Wizard

Our best exposition of these terms as found in the Bible is in the narrative of the witch of Endor. She was widely known as "one that had a familiar spirit" or an attendant demo...

40

Withe

Jud 16:7, a band made by plaiting together willow or some other pliable twigs or stalks.

41

Witness

One who testifies to any fact from his own personal knowledge. Under the Mosaic law, two witnesses under oath were necessary to convict a person charged with a capital crime, Nu...

42

Woe

Is sometimes used in our Bibles where a softer expression would be at least equally proper: "Woe to such a one!" is in our language a threat or imprecation of some calamity, nat...

43

Wolf

A ferocious wild animal, the Canis Lupus of Linnaeus, belonging to the dog genus. Indeed, it closely resembles the dog; and it is only by a few slight differences of shape that ...

44

Woman

Is spoken of in Scripture as the beloved and honored companion and helpmeet, not the servant, of man, Ge 2:23,24, created as the necessary completion of man, Ge 3:161Co 11:3,8,9...

45

Word

One of the titles of the second person of the Trinity, indicating perhaps that by his acts and teachings God is revealed, somewhat as thought is by words, 1Jo 1:1 5:7 Re 19:13. ...

46

World

The earth on which we dwell, 1Sa 2:8; its inhabitants, Joh 3:16, or a large number of them, Joh 12:19. In several places it is equivalent to "land," meaning the Roman Empire, or...

47

Wormwood

La 3:15, an intensely bitter and poisonous plant, a symbol for whatever is nauseous and destructive, De 29:18Jer 9:15. The fruits of vicious indulgence are "better as wormwood,"...

48

Worship Of God

Both spiritual and visible, private and public, by individuals, families, and communities, is not only a self-evident duty for all who believe in God, but is abundantly commande...

49

Writing

SeeBOOK.