is as sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet are descending to death,” says the wise man. Her smooth, honeylike words and actions lead the man right up to the immoral act so that “all of a sudden he is going after her, like a bull that comes even to the slaughter.”—Prov. 5:3-5; 7:21, 22.

HONEY OF FRUITS

The Hebrew word d^evashʹ can refer also to the juice or syrup of fruits—figs, dates, and so forth. Often the context enables the reader to determine whether or not bee honey is meant. Evidently the syrup of fruits is what is prohibited from being offered on the altar at Leviticus 2:11, because of its tendency to ferment. That bee honey is not meant here is indicated by the next verse, which included the prohibited “honey” as firstfruits. Most of the honey used by the Israelites was wild honey, not a cultivated crop as in the case of grapes, figs, dates and other fruits. For the same reason the “honey” offered as firstfruits when Hezekiah motivated the people to support the priesthood was undoubtedly the juice or syrup of fruits.—2 Chron. 31:5.

A LAND OF MILK AND HONEY

The description of Palestine as “a land flowing with milk and honey,” often repeated in the Scriptures, is apt, for not only was the product of bees abundant, but also the syrup of fruits. (Ex. 3:8; Lev. 20:24; Deut. 11:9; Josh. 5:6, and other references) The latter is apparently referred to as being an item of trade exchanged for Tyre’s merchandise.—Ezek. 27:2, 17; see BEE.

HOOK

A curved or sharply angled piece of metal or other material, sometimes barbed.

Fishhooks were known to ancient fishermen. (Hab. 1:14, 15; Isa. 19:1, 6-8; Matt. 17:24-27) Butcher hooks are also mentioned in the Bible. (Amos 4:2) Gold hooks were used in the tabernacle to fasten together the two large sections of the embroidered linen covering, and copper hooks for the two sections of the goat’s hair covering. (Ex. 26:1, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11; 36:13, 18; 39:33) The curtain between the Holy and the Most Holy was hung on hooks, evidently of gold (Ex. 26:31-33) as was also the screen to the tabernacle entrance.—Ex. 26:36, 37.

Hooks were employed for leading animals, particularly wild beasts. (Ezek. 19:3, 4, 6, 9) Human captives were sometimes led by hooks either in the lips, nose or tongue. An Assyrian pictorial representation shows the king holding three captives by cords fastened to hooks in their lips while he blinds one of them with a spear. It was, therefore, understandable to King Sennacherib of Assyria when Jehovah spoke figuratively to him through the prophet Isaiah: “I shall certainly put my hook in your nose and my bridle between your lips, and I shall indeed lead you back by the way by which you have come.”—2 Ki. 19:20, 21, 28; Isa. 37:29.

While an ordinary fishhook could never hold mighty Leviathan (evidently the crocodile) (Job 41:1), a large hook might be put through its jaws. The historian Herodotus stated that the Egyptians used a hook to capture the crocodile and draw it out of the water. (Book II, sec. 70) Jehovah figuratively spoke to Pharaoh of Egypt, in whom Israel had foolishly trusted for support against Babylon: “I will put hooks in your jaws . . . And I will bring you up out of the midst of your Nile canals . . . And I will abandon you to the wilderness, . . . And all the inhabitants of Egypt will have to know that I am Jehovah, for the reason that they proved to be, as a support, a reed to the house of Israel.” (Ezek. 29:1-7) Jehovah also foretold that he would put hooks in the jaws of “Gog of the land of Magog” and would bring him forth to the final attack upon God’s people and to his own execution.—Ezek. 38:1-4; 39:1-4.

HOOPOE

[Heb., du·khi·phathʹ].

The identification of this bird with the “lapwing,” as in the Authorized Version (Lev. 11:19; Deut. 14:18), is no longer followed by modern translations. The translators of the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate understood it to be the “hoopoe” (eʹpops, LXX; upupa, Vg), and the Syrian and Arabic names for the hoopoe (Syr., qaqupha; Arab., hudhudu) also confirm this identification.

Some believe the Hebrew name for the hoopoe (du·khi·phathʹ) is intended to represent the peculiar, somewhat dovelike cry of the bird, as is clearly the case with its name in the other languages mentioned. Others would derive the name from the Hebrew word meaning “to pound, beat,” noting the hoopoe’s practice of drumming its beak on the ground.

About the size of a slender pigeon, the hoopoe is a somewhat cinnamon-colored bird, distinctively marked with alternate broad bars of white and black along its wings and back. Its most conspicuous feature is a crest of plumes, each feather ending in a white border tipped with black, the crest running from the base of the long, slender curved bill all the way to the back of the bird’s head. When expanded, the crest forms a handsome semicircular crown, and the bird raises and lowers it like a fan. But though colorfully and conspicuously dressed, the hoopoe is notably unclean in home and habits. Its diet of insects is obtained by probing with its sharp bill not only in the ground but also in dunghills and other filth. The nest, consisting of a hole in some bank, hollow tree, or wall, gives off a disagreeable odor produced by secretions of the bird’s oil glands, and also becomes foul-smelling due to the bird’s failure to clean the nest of excrement. Thus, while not a bird of prey nor an eater of carrion, the hoopoe was included among the birds listed as unclean for food in the Mosaic law.—Lev. 11:13, 19; Deut. 14:12, 18.

The hoopoe also has an unsavory connection with superstition and magical practices. Its head was anciently used in witches’ charms and representations thereof were often carved on the top of diviners’ rods. By the Arabs the bird was considered as endowed with the ability to locate underground water, evidently due to its manner of stalking about and bending its head downward while opening and closing its crest, actually done in search of food.

Found throughout southern Asia and Africa and parts of Europe, the hoopoe migrates to Palestine about the first of March and remains until the approach of winter, when it heads southward to Egypt and other parts of northern Africa.

[Picture on page 786]

Hoopoe, a colorful bird with unclean habits

HOPE

1. Trust, reliance. 2. a. Desire accompanied with expectation of what is desired or belief that it is attainable. b. One on whom hopes are centered. c. A source of hopeful expectation; promise. d. Something that is hoped for; an object of hope.

NO REAL HOPE WITHOUT GOD

True hope, as spoken of in the Bible, is superior to mere desire, which may have no foundation or prospect of fulfillment. It is also better than mere expectation, because that which is expected is not always desirable. The Bible shows that the people of the world in general have no real, solidly based hope; mankind is going into death, and without knowledge of a provision from a higher source there is no hope in what lies ahead. The writer of the Bible book of Ecclesiastes expressed the futility of man’s situation without God’s intervention as “the greatest vanity! . . . Everything is vanity.”—Eccl. 12:8; 9:2, 3.

The faithful prophet Job said that even a tree has hope of sprouting again, but man, when he dies, is gone permanently. But Job then indicates that he was speaking of man on his own without help from God, for Job expresses the desire and hope that God will remember him. (Job 14:7-15) The apostle Paul strikes the same note when he informs Christians that they, having the hope of resurrection, should not “sorrow just as the rest also do who have no hope.” (1 Thess. 4:13) Again, speaking to Gentile Christians, Paul points out to them that before coming to a knowledge of God’s provision through Christ, they were alienated from the state of Israel, with whom God had in the past been dealing, and as Gentiles they then “had no hope and were without God in the world.” (Eph. 2:12) Expressions common among those who have no hope in God and his promise of a resurrection of the dead are similar to the words of the disobedient inhabitants of Jerusalem who, facing the threat of destruction of their city as a judgment from God, instead of showing repentance and sorrow, abandoned themselves to sensual enjoyment. They said: “Let there be eating and drinking, for tomorrow we shall die.” (Isa. 22:13) The apostle warns against becoming infected with the attitude of such hopeless ones.—l Cor. 15:32, 33.

WRONG HOPES

Paul was not denying that the people of the world have some reasonable hopes that they pursue, some of a commendable nature. Rather, he showed that, without God, a person’s hopes are of no consequence; really, they are futile in the long run.

But besides the minor common, normal human hopes there are bad ones. There are hopes that are wickedly entertained. In some instances these may appear to be fulfilled, but in actuality they are realized only in a temporary sense, for a proverb states: “The expectation of the righteous ones is a rejoicing, but the very hope of the wicked ones will perish.” (Prov. 10:28) Additionally, “When a wicked man dies, his hope perishes; and even expectation based on powerfulness has perished.” (Prov. 11:7) So, selfish hopes and those based on a false foundation of materialism, on lies, on wrong dealings or the power or promises of men, are sure to be frustrated.

THE SOURCE OF HOPE

Jehovah God is the Source of true hope, and the One able to fulfill all his promises and the hopes of those trusting in him. It is through his undeserved kindness that he has given mankind “comfort and good hope.” (2 Thess. 2:16) He has been the hope of righteous men in all ages. He was called “the hope of Israel” and “the hope of [Israel’s] forefathers” (Jer. 14:8; 17:13; 50:7), and many are the expressions of hope, trust and confidence in him in the Hebrew Scriptures. In his loving-kindness toward his people, even when they were going into exile for disobedience to him, he said to them: “I myself well know the thoughts that I am thinking toward you, . . . thoughts of peace, and not of calamity, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:11) Jehovah’s promise kept alive the faith and hope of faithful Israelites during the Babylonian exile; it greatly strengthened men such as Ezekiel and Daniel, for Jehovah had said: “There exists a hope for your future, . . . and the sons will certainly return to their own territory.” (Jer. 31:17) That hope came to fruition with the return of a faithful Jewish remnant in 537 B.C.E., to rebuild Jerusalem and its temple.—Ezra 1:1-6.

HOPE OF REWARD PROPER

The hope of the servant of God that he will receive a reward is not selfishness. For a true view and proper understanding of God, a person must know that loving-kindness and generosity are outstanding qualities of God; the individual must believe, not only that God is, but also “that he becomes the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him.” (Heb. 11:6) Hope keeps the Christian minister balanced and in God’s service, knowing that Jehovah will provide his daily needs, as the apostle Paul points out, drawing on the principles set forth in the Law. Paul quotes the law at Deuteronomy 25:4: “You must not muzzle a bull while it is threshing.” He then adds: “Really for our sakes it was written, because the man who plows ought to plow in hope and the man who threshes ought to do so in hope of being a partaker.”—1 Cor. 9:9, 10.

ESSENTIAL TO FAITH

Hope is also essential to faith; it is the groundwork and basis for faith. (Heb. 11:1) In turn, faith makes the hope brighter and stronger. The apostle Paul, in order to strengthen Christians, cites the fine example of Abraham. When Abraham and his wife Sarah were, from a human standpoint, beyond the hope of having children, it is said: “Although beyond hope, yet based on hope he had faith, that he might become the father of many nations in accord with what had been said: ‘So your seed will be.”’ Abraham knew that, as far as producing children was concerned, his body and that of Sarah were “deadened.” But he did not grow weak in faith. Why? “Because of the promise of God he did not waver in a lack of faith, but became powerful by his faith.”—Rom. 4:18-20.

The apostle then applies Abraham’s example of faith and hope to Christians, concluding: “Let us exult, based on hope of the glory of God. . . . and the hope does not lead to disappointment; because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy spirit, which was given us.”—Rom. 5:2, 5.

THE CHRISTIAN HOPE

The hope of the Christian and, indeed, of mankind, lies in Jesus Christ. The gaining of lasting life in heaven or on earth was not open to any of humankind until Christ Jesus “shed light upon life and incorruption through the good news.” (2 Tim. 1:10) The spirit-begotten brothers of Christ are told that they have heavenly hopes due to the great mercy of God, who gave to them “a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Pet. 1:3, 4; Col. 1:5, 27; Titus 1:1, 2; 3:6, 7) This happy hope is to be realized “at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Pet. 1:13, 21; Titus 2:13) Christ Jesus is therefore called “our hope” by the apostle Paul.—1 Tim. 1:1.

This hope of everlasting life and incorruption for those who are “partakers of the heavenly calling” (Heb. 3:1) is solidly based and is something that can be confidently relied on. It is supported by two things in which it is impossible for God to lie, namely, his promise and his oath, and the hope resides with Christ, who is now immortal in the heavens. Therefore this hope is spoken of as “an anchor for the soul, both sure and firm, and it enters in within the curtain [as the high priest entered in the Most Holy on the Day of Atonement], where a forerunner has entered in our behalf, Jesus, who has become a high priest according to the manner of Melchizedek forever.”—Heb. 6:17-20.

Must be developed and maintained

The necessity for Christians to hold onto the “one hope” (Eph. 4:4) is constantly stressed in the Bible. It requires continued industriousness and the exercise of freeness of speech and “boasting” over the hope itself. (Heb. 3:6; 6:11) Hope is developed by endurance under tribulation; this leads to an approved condition before God, from whom hope comes. (Rom. 5:2-5) It is placed alongside faith and love as one of the three qualities characterizing the Christian congregation since the disappearance of the miraculous gifts of the spirit that were present in the firstcentury congregation.—1 Cor. 13:13.

Qualities and benefits

Hope is indispensable to the Christian. It accompanies joy, peace and power of holy spirit. (Rom. 15:13) It promotes freeness of speech in the approach to God for his undeserved kindness and mercy. (2 Cor. 3:12) It enables the Christian to endure with rejoicing, no matter what the conditions may be. (Rom. 12:12; 1 Thess. 1:3) As a helmet protected the head of a warrior, so the hope of salvation protects the integrity of the Christian from being broken. (1 Thess. 5:8) Hope is a strengthening thing, because, while the anointed Christian yet on earth does not possess the reward of heavenly life, his desire with expectation is so strong that, despite severe trials and difficulties, he keeps on waiting patiently for the hoped-for thing with endurance.—Rom. 8:24, 25.

Hope helps keep the Christian in a clean way of life, for he knows that God and Christ, in whom the hope lies, are pure, and that he cannot hope to be like God and to receive the reward if he practices uncleanness or unrighteousness. (1 John 3:2, 3) It is closely allied with the greatest quality, love, for one having the true love of God will also have hope in all of God’s promises. And he will, additionally, hope the very best for his brothers in the faith, loving them and trusting their sincerity of heart in Christ.—1 Cor. 13:4, 7; 1 Thess. 2:19.

Superior to hope under the Law

Prior to the giving of the Law to Israel, the faithful forefathers of the nation had hope in God. (Acts 26:6, 7; Gen. 22:18; Mic. 7:20; 2 Tim. 1:3) They looked for God’s provision for life. When the Law came, it appeared at first that here would be the fulfillment of their hope. But, to the contrary, the Law exposed all as sinners before God and, by making transgressions manifest, condemned all under it to death. (Gal. 3:19; Rom. 7:7-11) The Law itself was holy, not bad; yet by its very holiness and righteousness it exposed the imperfections of those under it. (Rom. 7:12) As God foretold through the prophets, it was necessary for God to bring in a “better hope” through Jesus Christ, setting aside the Law, and enabling those putting faith in Christ to draw near to God.—Heb. 7:18, 19; 11:40; compare Jeremiah 31:31-34.

Hope for all mankind

The undeserved kindness of God is further magnified in that the wonderful hope that he made open to the spiritual brothers of Jesus Christ, to be joint heirs with him in the heavenly calling (Heb. 3:1), is also closely tied in with a hope for all mankind who desire to serve God. The apostle Paul, after outlining the hope of those who have the expectation of becoming the heavenly “sons of God” and joint heirs with Christ, explains: “The eager expectation of the creation is waiting for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will but through him that subjected it, on the basis of hope that the creation itself also will be set free from enslavement to corruption and have the glorious freedom of the children of God.”—Rom. 8:14, 17, 19-21.

According to Paul’s words here, Jehovah God did not destroy man’s forefather Adam at the time of his sin, but allowed men to be born from an imperfect father, with futility facing them through no deliberate fault of their own, but through their inherent imperfection. However, God did not leave them without hope, but kindly set forth hope through the promised “seed” (Gen. 3:15; 22:18), who is Jesus Christ. (Gal. 3:16) Doubtless because the time of Messiah’s first coming had been forecast in prophecy, the preaching of John the Baptist roused the expectations of the nation of Israel. (Luke 3:15; Dan. 9:24-27) Jesus fulfilled that hope by his presence. But the great hope for mankind in general, both the living and the dead, lies in the kingdom of Christ, when he and his joint heirs serve as heavenly kings and priests. Then mankind exercising faith will eventually be released from the corruption of imperfection and sin and will come to the full status of “children of God.” Their hope is reinforced by God’s resurrection of his Son more than 1,900 years ago.—Acts 17:31; 23:6; 24:15.

For all who desire life Jehovah God has provided his Word the Bible with its instruction and examples, so that all men may have hope. (Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:11; 2 Tim. 3:16, 17) This hope has to be proclaimed to others by those possessing it; in so doing the possessor of hope saves himself and those who listen to him.—1 Pet. 3:15; 1 Tim. 4:16.

HOPHNI

(Hophʹni) [tadpole, hollow of hand].

One of High Priest Eli’s sons. Hophni and his brother Phinehas were “good-for-nothing men,” guilty of sacrilegious conduct and gross immorality. (1 Sam. 1:3; 2:12-17, 22-25) Because of this unfaithfulness while serving as priest at Jehovah’s sanctuary in the twelfth century B.C.E., Jehovah judged Hophni worthy of death, which befell him at the time the Philistines captured the sacred Ark.—1 Sam. 2:34; 4:4, 11, 17; see PHINEHAS No. 2.

HOPHRA

(Hophʹra) [from Egyptian, “the heart of (the sun-god) Ra endures”].

In the Septuagint Version (Jer. 51:30 [corresponding to 44:30 in most versions]) he is called Ou·a·phreʹ. The A·priʹes of Herodotus has been understood by scholars to be Hophra.

Hophra was king of Egypt in the time of Zedekiah king of Judah and Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. It is believed to be Pharaoh Hophra with whom Zedekiah formed an alliance for protection against Nebuchadnezzar, contrary to the commands that Jehovah had given years beforehand through Isaiah the prophet, warning Israel not to look to Egypt for help. (Isa. 30:1-5; 31:1-3) Nebuchadnezzar came up against Jerusalem in 609 B.C.E., but lifted the siege temporarily because of news that a military force was coming out of Egypt. The Egyptians disappointed Zedekiah, being forced to withdraw, and the Babylonians returned to destroy the city.—Jer. 37:5-10.

It was evidently early in the siege when the rulers of Jerusalem entered into a covenant with the people of Jerusalem to proclaim to all their Hebrew servants liberty, according to the Law. No doubt this was a belated and insincere attempt to get Jehovah’s favor, for when the siege was temporarily lifted, they showed their true attitude toward God’s law by enslaving their brothers once again.—Jer. 34:8-11.

At the time that the alliance with Egypt was made, Ezekiel, exiled in Babylon, prophetically said of Zedekiah: “But he finally rebelled against him [the king of Babylon] in sending his messengers to Egypt, for it to give him horses and a multitudinous people . . . And by a great military force and by a multitudinous congregation Pharaoh will not make him effective in the war.” The Egyptians were also compared to a weak reed, which, if leaned on, would give no support but would break and injure him that depended on it. (Ezek. 17:15, 17; 29:6, 7) It was apparently Hophra who was ruling in Egypt when Jehovah spoke through Ezekiel: “Here I am against you, O Pharaoh, king of Egypt.”—Ezek. 29:3.

Jeremiah foretold that Pharaoh Hophra would be given “into the hand of his enemies and into the hand of those seeking for his soul.” (Jer. 44:30) According to Herodotus, Hophra (A·priʹes) was highly arrogant. But his troops revolted and set up Amasis as rival king, later taking Hophra prisoner and finally strangling him to death. However, Josephus says that the king of Egypt was killed by Nebuchadnezzar some time after Nebuchadnezzar’s twenty-third year of