Easton's Bible Dictionary

82

Marriage-feasts

(John 2:1-11) “lasted usually for a whole week; but the cost of such prolonged rejoicing is very small in the East. The guests sit round the great bowl or bowls on the floor, th...

83

Mars Hill

The Areopagus or rocky hill in Athens, north-west of the Acropolis, where the Athenian supreme tribunal and court of morals was held. From some part of this hill Paul delivered ...

84

Martha

Bitterness, the sister of Lazarus and Mary, and probably the eldest of the family, who all resided at Bethany (Luke 10:38, 40, 41; John 11:1-39). From the residence being called...

85

Martyr

One who bears witness of the truth, and suffers death in the cause of Christ (Acts 22:20; Rev. 2:13; 17:6). In this sense Stephen was the first martyr. The Greek word so rendere...

86

Mary

Hebrew Miriam. (1.) The wife of Joseph, the mother of Jesus, called the “Virgin Mary,” though never so designated in Scripture (Matt. 2:11; Acts 1:14). Little is known of her pe...

87

Maschil

Instructing, occurs in the title of thirteen Psalms (32, 42, 44, etc.). It denotes a song enforcing some lesson of wisdom or piety, a didactic song. In Ps. 47:7 it is rendered, ...

88

Mash

(= Meshech 1 Chr. 1:17), one of the four sons of Aram, and the name of a tribe descended from him (Gen. 10:23) inhabiting some part probably of Mesopotamia. Some have supposed t...

89

Mashal

Entreaty, a levitical town in the tribe of Asher (1 Chr. 6:74); called Mishal (Josh. 21:30).

90

Mason

An artificer in stone. The Tyrians seem to have been specially skilled in architecture (1 Kings 5:17, 18; 2 Sam. 5:11). This art the Hebrews no doubt learned in Egypt (Ex. 1:11,...

91

Masrekah

Vineyard of noble vines, a place in Idumea, the native place of Samlah, one of the Edomitish kings (Gen. 36:36; 1 Chr. 1:47).

92

Massa

A lifting up, gift, one of the sons of Ishmael, the founder of an Arabian tribe (Gen. 25:14); a nomad tribe inhabiting the Arabian desert toward Babylonia.

93

Massah

Trial, temptation, a name given to the place where the Israelites, by their murmuring for want of water, provoked Jehovah to anger against them. It is also called Meribah (Ex. 1...

94

Mattan

Gift. (1.) A priest of Baal, slain before his altar during the reformation under Jehoiada (2 Kings 11:18).(2.) The son of Eleazar, and father of Jacob, who was the father of Jos...

95

Mattanah

A gift, a station of the Israelites (Num. 21:18, 19) between the desert and the borders of Moab, in the Wady Waleh.

96

Mattaniah

Gift of Jehovah. (1.) A Levite, son of Heman, the chief of the ninth class of temple singers (1 Chr. 25:4, 16).(2.) A Levite who assisted in purifying the temple at the reformat...

97

Mattathias

Ibid. (1.) The son of Amos, in the genealogy of our Lord (Luke 3:25).(2.) The son of Semei, in the same genealogy (Luke 3:26).

98

Matthan

Gift, one of our Lord’s ancestry (Matt. 1:15).

99

Matthat

Gift of God. (1.) The son of Levi, and father of Heli (Luke 3:24).(2.) Son of another Levi (Luke 3:29).

100

Matthew

Gift of God, a common Jewish name after the Exile. He was the son of Alphaeus, and was a publican or tax-gatherer at Capernaum. On one occasion Jesus, coming up from the side of...

101

Matthew, Gospel according to

The author of this book was beyond a doubt the Matthew, an apostle of our Lord, whose name it bears. He wrote the Gospel of Christ according to his own plans and aims, and from ...

102

Matthias

Gift of God. Acts 1:23.

103

Mattithiah

Gift of Jehovah. (1.) One of the sons of Jeduthun (1 Chr. 25:3, 21).(2.) The eldest son of Shallum, of the family of Korah (1 Chr. 9:31).(3.) One who stood by Ezra while reading...

104

Mattock

(1.) Heb. ma’eder, an instrument for dressing or pruning a vineyard (Isa. 7:25); a weeding-hoe.(2.) Heb. mahareshah (1 Sam. 13:1), perhaps the ploughshare or coulter.(3.) Heb. h...

105

Maul

An old name for a mallet, the rendering of the Hebrew mephits (Prov. 25:18), properly a war-club.

106

Mazzaroth

Prognostications, found only Job 38:32, probably meaning “the twelve signs” (of the zodiac), as in the margin (comp. 2 Kings 23:5).

107

Me-jarkon

Waters of yellowness, or clear waters, a river in the tribe of Dan (Josh. 19:46). It has been identified with the river ‘Aujeh, which rises at Antipatris.

108

Meadow

(1.) Heb. ha’ahu (Gen. 41:2, 18), probably an Egyptain word transferred to the Hebrew; some kind of reed or water-plant. In the Revised Version it is rendered “reed-grass”, i.e....