Smith's Bible Dictionary

217

PROCONSUL

(for, or in place of, the consul). At the division of the provinces by Augustus, in the year B.C. 27, into senatorial and imperial, the emperor assigned to the senate such porti...

218

PROCURATOR

The Greek agemon, rendered "governor" in the Authorized Version, is applied in the New Testament to the officer who presided over the imperial province of Judea. It is used of P...

219

PROPHET

The ordinary Hebrew word for prophet is nabi, derived from a verb signifying "to bubble forth" like a fountain; hence the word means one who announces or pours forth the declara...

220

PROSELYTE

(a stranger, a new comer), the name given by the Jews to foreigners who adopted the Jewish religion. The dispersion of the Jews in foreign countries, which has been spoken of el...

221

PROVERBS, BOOK OF

The title of this book in Hebrew is taken from its first word, mashal, which originally meant "a comparison." It is sometimes translated parable, sometimes proverb as here. The ...

222

PROVINCE

In the Old Testament this word appears in connection with the wars between Ahab and Ben-hadad. (1 Kings 20:14,15,19) The victory of the former is gained chiefly "by the young" p...

223

PSALMS, BOOK OF

The present Hebrew name of the book is Tehill’im, "Praises;" but in the actual superscriptions of the psalms the word Tehillah is applied only to one, (Psalms 145:1)... which is...

224

PSALTERY

This was a stringed instrument of music to accompany the voice. The Hebrew nabel or nebel is so rendered in the Authorized Version in all passages where if occurs, except in (Is...

225

PTOLEMAEUS, OR PTOLEMY

was the common name of the Greek dynasty of Egyptian kings. PTOLEMAEUS I. SOTER, the son of Lagus, a Macedonian of low rank, distinguished himself greatly during the campaigns o...

226

PTOLEMAIS

[ACCHO]

227

PTOLEMEE, OR PTOLEMEUS

"The son of Dorymenes," 1 Macc. 3:38; 2 Macc. 4:45; comp. Polyb. v, 61, a courtier who possessed great influence with Antiochus Epiphanes.The son of Agesarchus, a Megalopolitan,...

228

PUA

properly Puvvah. Phuvah the son of Issachar. (Numbers 26:23) (B.C. 1452.)

229

PUAH

(splendid).The father of Tola, a man of the tribe of Issachar and judge of Israel after Abimelech. (Judges 10:1) (B.C. 1211.)The son of Issachar, (1 Chronicles 7:1) elsewhere ca...

230

PUBLICAN

The class designated by this word in the New Testament were employed as collectors of the Roman revenue. The Roman senate farmed the vectigalia (direct taxes) and the portorin (...

231

PUBLIUS

the chief man --probably the governor-of Melita, who received and lodged St. Paul and his companions on the occasion of their being shipwrecked off that island. (Acts 28:7) (A.D...

232

PUDENS

(modest), a Christian friend of Timothy at Rome. (2 Timothy 4:21) (A.D. 84.) According to legend he was the host of St. Peter and friend of St. Paul. and was martyred under Nero.

233

PUHITES, THE

According to (1 Chronicles 2:53) the "Puhites" or "Puthites" belonged to the families of Kirjath-jearim.

234

PUL

an Assyrian king, and the first Assyrian monarch mentioned in Scripture. He made an expedition against Menahem, king of Israel, about B.C. 770. (2 Kings 15:19)

235

PUL

(lord), a country or nation mentioned in (Isaiah 66:19) It is spoken of with distant nations, and is supposed by some to represent the island Philae in Egypt, and by others Libya.

236

PULSE

(seeds) usually means peas, beans and the seeds that grow in pods. In the Authorized Version it occurs only in (Lamentations 1:12,16) as the translation of words the literal mea...

237

PUNISHMENTS

The earliest theory of punishment current among mankind is doubtless the one of simple retaliation, "blood for blood." Viewed historically, the first case of punishment for crim...

238

PUNITES, THE

the descendants of Pua, or Puvah, the son of Issachar. (Numbers 26:23)

239

PUNON

(darkness) one of the halting-places of the Israelite host during the last portion of the wandering. (Numbers 33:42,43) By Eusebius and Jerome, it is identified with Phaeno, whi...

240

PURIFICATION

in its legal and technical sense, is applied to the ritual observances whereby an Israelite was formally absolved from the taint of uncleanness. The essence of purification, in ...

241

PURIM

(lots), the annual festival instituted to commemorate the preservation of the Jews in Persia from the massacre with which they were threatened through the machinations of Haman....

242

PUROSH

(flea). The descendants of Parosh, in number 2172, returned front Babylon with Zerubbabel. (Ezra 2:3; Nehemiah 7:8) Another detachment of 150 males, with Zechariah at their head...

243

PURSE

a bag for money. The Hebrews, when on a journey, were provided with a bag, in which they carried their money, (Genesis 42:35; Proverbs 1:14; 7:20; Isaiah 46:6) and, if they were...