than Ahithophel’s advice to attack immediately. Hushai then informed the priests of what happened. (2 Sam. 17:1-16) Hushai’s counsel frustrated that of Ahithophel, just as David had petitioned God, and thus ‘Jehovah brought calamity upon Absalom.’—2 Sam. 15:31; 17:14; see FRIEND (COMPANION) OF THE KING.

HUSHAM

(Huʹsham) [haste].

A native of the land of the Temanites who succeeded Jobab as king of Edom. (Gen. 36:31, 34, 35; 1 Chron. 1:45, 46) This was “before any king reigned over the sons of Israel.”—1 Chron. 1:43.

HUSHATHITE

(Huʹshath·ite).

A resident, or perhaps a descendant, of Hushah.—2 Sam. 21:18; 23:8, 27; 1 Chron. 11:26, 29; 20:4; 27:1, 11.

HUSHIM

(Huʹshim) [hasters].

1. Son of Dan (Gen. 46:23), evidently called Shuham at Numbers 26:42.

2. A designation given to the sons of Aher of the tribe of Benjamin.—1 Chron. 7:6, 12.

3. Wife of the Benjamite Shaharaim and the mother of Abitub and Elpaal.—1 Chron. 8:1, 8, 11.

HYACINTH

(hyʹa·cinth) [Gr., hy·aʹkin·thos].

A deep-blue semiprecious stone; primarily the word referred to the flower by that name, probably describing the dark-blue iris. At Revelation chapter 21 the New Jerusalem is described as seen by the apostle John in vision. The eleventh of its foundation stones is said to be hyacinth (vs. 20).

Hyacinth blue (hyacinthine) is one of the colors of the breastplates in the description of the heavenly armies of cavalry, at Revelation 9:16, 17. The breastplates spoken of were probably those worn by the riders of the horses. Fire-red and sulphur are mentioned as the other two breastplate colors. In view of the later statement that the horses breathed out fire, smoke and sulphur, the hyacinth blue may represent the darkness of smoke, which, along with fire and sulphur, may be destructive to life.

HYKSOS

See EGYPT, EGYPTIAN.

HYMENAEUS

(Hy·me·naeʹus) [named after Hymen, the Greek god of marriage].

An apostate from Christianity during the first century, Hymenaeus was identified by Paul as a blasphemer, full of “empty speeches that violate what is holy.” In his deviation from the truth, Hymenaeus, along with a certain Philetus, taught false doctrine, subverting the faith of some. One of their false teachings was that ‘the resurrection had already occurred’ in their day. Evidently this was their teaching: that the resurrection was merely a spiritual one, of a symbolic kind, and that the dedicated Christians had already had their resurrection, that this was all there was to the matter and there was no further resurrection in the future under God’s Messianic kingdom. (But compare 1 Corinthians 15:12-23.)

In Paul’s first letter to Timothy, Hymenaeus’ name is associated with another apostate, Alexander. The apostle states that he had handed Hymenaeus and Alexander “over to Satan,” evidently referring to Paul’s expelling or disfellowshiping them from the congregation. This constituted discipline or training for the Christians who had been acquainted with these apostate men, as a warning not to follow their blasphemous course.—1 Tim. 1:18-20; 2 Tim. 2:16-18.

HYPOCRITE

One pretending to be what he is not; a person whose actions are out of harmony with his words.

Although words from the Hebrew root hha·nephʹ are rendered “hypocrite” or “hypocrisy” in some translations, such as the Authorized Version, Douay and Leeser, other translators have variously rendered these words “profane” (Yg), “impious” (Ro), “godless” (RS) and “apostate” (NW). According to A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament by Francis Brown with the cooperation of S. R. Driver and C. A. Briggs, pages 337 and 338, hha·nephʹ, when used as an adjective, may be defined as “profane, irreligious, . . . godless”; or, as a verb, “be polluted, profane, . . . inclining away from right.” In the Scriptures hha·nephʹ appears in parallel with those forgetting God (Job 8:13), the wicked (Job 20:5), evildoers (Isa. 9:17), and is used in contrast to the upright and innocent ones.—Job 17:8; see APOSTASY.

The Greek word rendered “hypocrite” (hy·po·kri·tesʹ) means “one who answers,” as well as a stage actor. Greek and Roman actors employed large masks with mechanical devices for amplifying the voice. Hence, the Greek word hy·po·kri·tesʹ came to be used in a metaphorical sense to apply to one playing false, or one putting on a pretense. The same word appears in the Septuagint translation at Job 34:30; 36:13. Hypocrites are “unfaithful ones” (compare Luke 12:46 with Matthew 24:51) and “hypocrisy” (hy·poʹkri·sis), as used in the Scriptures, may also denote “wickedness” and “cunning.”—Compare Matthew 22:18; Mark 12:15; Luke 20:23; see also Galatians 2:13, where hy·poʹkri·sis is rendered “pretense.”

Jesus Christ identified as hypocrites those making gifts of mercy with showy display, those praying and fasting to be seen of men and one picking on the strawlike fault of his brother but doing nothing about removing his own rafterlike fault. Christ classified as such those who claimed to be God’s servants but who failed to discern the significance of the time in which they were living and the events that were occurring, while readily drawing conclusions from the appearance of earth and sky as to what the weather would be like.—Matt. 6:2, 5, 16; 7:1-5; Luke 6:42; 12:54-56.

Not only did the Son of God while on earth denounce the religious leaders of Israel as hypocrites, but he also stated his reasons for doing so. They rendered mere lip service to the Creator, making the word of God invalid because of their traditions. (Matt. 15:1, 6-9; Mark 7:6, 7) Their actions were out of harmony with their words. (Matt. 23:1-3) The scribes and Pharisees not only deliberately refused to avail themselves of the opportunity to enter the kingdom of the heavens, but they added to their sin by trying to hinder others from doing so. They put forth every effort to convert someone, only to make him twice as much a subject for Gehenna as they were. They were sticklers for the little things of the Law, but disregarded the weightier matters of it—justice, mercy and faithfulness. As hypocrites, they possessed only a seemingly clean outward appearance; inside they were full of immoderateness. Like whitewashed graves, outwardly beautiful, they appeared righteous to men, but inside were “full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” They built the graves of the prophets and decorated the memorial tombs of the righteous ones, claiming that they would not have shed the blood of such ones. However, their course of action proved them to be just like their murderous forefathers. (Matt. 23:13-36) The teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees was actually hypocrisy.—Matt. 16:6, 12; Luke 12:1; see also Luke 13:11-17.

A striking example of a hypocritical course was that followed by the disciples of the Pharisees and the party followers of Herod when approaching Jesus on the tax question. First, they resorted to flattery, saying: “Teacher, we know you are truthful and teach the way of God in truth.” Then they posed the catch question: “Is it lawful to pay head tax to Caesar or not?” Appropriately Jesus referred to them as hypocrites, since they were not really desirous of getting an answer to their question but merely raised it with a view to trapping Jesus in his speech.—Matt. 22:15-22; Luke 20:19-26.

A hypocritical course cannot be concealed indefinitely. (Luke 12:1-3) Hypocrites are condemned by God as unworthy of life everlasting. (Matt. 24:48-51) Therefore, a Christian’s love and faith must be without hypocrisy. (Rom. 12:9; 2 Cor. 6:4, 6; 1 Tim. 1:5) The wisdom from above is not hypocritical.—Jas. 3:17.

HYSSOP

The plant used by the Israelites in Egypt to splash the blood of the passover victim on the two doorposts and the upper part of the doorway of their houses. (Ex. 12:21, 22) At the inauguration of the Law covenant, Moses employed hyssop in sprinkling the book of the Law and the people. (Heb. 9:19) Hyssop also figured in the cleansing ceremony for persons or houses previously infected with leprosy (Lev. 14:2-7, 48-53; see LEPROSY), and in preparing the ashes to be used in the ‘water for cleansing,’ as well as in spattering this water on certain things and persons. (Num. 19:6, 9, 18) David thus appropriately prayed to be purified from sin with hyssop.—Ps. 51:7.

Uncertainty surrounds the exact identification of hyssop. The Hebrew term ʼe·zohvʹ and its Greek equivalent hysʹso·pos may, in fact, embrace several different kinds of plants. Among those that have been suggested are the common caper, the thorny caper, common sorghum, marjoram, wall rue and maidenhair spleenwort.

According to various modern scholars, the hyssop of the Hebrew Scriptures is probably marjoram. This plant of the mint family is common in Palestine. Under favorable conditions it attains a height of one and a half to three feet (46 to 91 centimeters). Its branches and thick leaves are hairy and, if bunched together, can easily hold liquids for splashing. The fact that marjoram is found growing in rock crevices and walls harmonizes with 1 Kings 4:33. However, other scholars, although identifying hyssop with marjoram in all other Hebrew Scripture passages, believe that in this verse “the hyssop that is coming forth on the wall” may denote a fern such as wall rue or maidenhair spleenwort.

The hyssop mentioned in connection with Jesus Christ’s impalement (John 19:29) is thought by some to refer to common sorghum, a tall, small-grained plant with long, broad leaves. Since this plant commonly attains a height of at least six feet (1.8 meters) in Palestine, it could have provided a stalk or “reed” of sufficient length to convey the sponge of sour wine to Jesus’ mouth. (Matt. 27:48; Mark 15:36) Others think that even in this case hyssop may be marjoram and suggest that a bunch of marjoram may have been attached to the “reed” mentioned by Matthew and Mark. Still another view is that John 19:29 originally read hys·soiʹ (pike, javelin), not hys·soʹpoi (hyssop); hence the renderings “on a pike” (AT) and “on a spear” (Mo).

IBHAR

(Ibʹhar) [he (God) chooses].

One of the sons born to King David in Jerusalem after he transferred his residence there from Hebron.—2 Sam. 5:13-15; 1 Chron. 14:4, 5.

IBLEAM

(Ibʹle·am).

A city in the territory of Issachar but assigned with its dependent towns to Manasseh. The Manassites, however, failed to dispossess the Canaanites from Ibleam. (Josh. 17:11-13; Judg. 1:27) Undoubtedly Ibleam is the same as the Bileam in Manasseh given to the Kohathite Levites. (1 Chron. 6:70) But the parallel passage mentioning Levite cities in the territory of the half tribe of Manasseh (Josh. 21:25) reads “Gath-rimmon” instead of “Bileam” or “Ibleam.” Generally this is attributed to scribal error, “Gath-rimmon,” the name of a city in Dan, probably having been inadvertently repeated from verse 24.

Many scholars believe that Ibleam corresponds to Ybrʽm, a city listed among the Palestinian conquests of the Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmose III. Near Ibleam, King Ahaziah of Judah was fatally struck down at the command of Jehu. (2 Ki. 9:27) Later, Jehu’s dynasty ended with the assassination of Zechariah at Ibleam (according to the Lagardian edition of the LXX).—2 Ki. 15:10-12, JB, NW, RS.

IBNEIAH

(Ib·neʹiah) [Jehovah builds up].

Son of Jeroham; a Benjamite head of a paternal house returning from Babylonian exile.—1 Chron. 9:1-3, 7-9.

IBNIJAH

(Ib·niʹjah) [Jehovah builds up].

A Benjamite, forefather of a certain Meshullam.—1 Chron. 9:7, 8.

IBRI

(lbʹri) [a Hebrew].

Son of Jaaziah; a Merarite Levite of King David’s time.—1 Chron. 24:27, 30, 31.

IBSAM

(Ibʹsam) [fragrance of balsam].

One of the sons of Tola; a paternal head of the tribe of Issachar.—1 Chron. 7:1, 2.

IBZAN

(Ibʹzan) [swift].

The one who succeeded Jephthah as judge of Israel. Ibzan was the father of thirty sons and thirty daughters, indicating that he was a polygamist and evidently also a man of some means. He procured thirty daughters as wives for his sons. After judging for seven years Ibzan died and was buried in his native city of Bethlehem, likely the Bethlehem in Zebulun.—Judg. 12:7-10; Josh. 19:10, 14, 15; see BETHLEHEM No. 2.

ICE

Water in its solid state, produced by freezing. Both Elihu and Jehovah God called Job’s attention to the marvel of ice, the Almighty saying: “Out of whose belly does the ice actually come forth . . . ? The very waters keep themselves hidden as by stone, and the surface of the watery deep makes itself compact.” (Job 36:1; 37:10; 38:1, 29, 30) The formation of ice as here referred to is possible only because of a most unusual property of water. As the water in lakes and seas cools it becomes heavier. The lighter, warmer water is displaced by the heavier water and rises to the top. But when the water as a whole reaches about 39° Fahrenheit (4° Centigrade) this process reverses. The water becomes lighter as it nears the freezing point and remains as a layer above the warmer water beneath. This upper layer then turns to ice, “makes itself compact.” Being lighter than water, the ice keeps the waters beneath “hidden as by stone,” thus protecting marine life. Were it not for this phenomenon, all the lakes and even the oceans would in time become solid ice, thus making it impossible for man to live on the earth.

The psalmist speaks of Jehovah’s “throwing his ice like morsels.” This evidently refers to hail or sleet.—Ps. 147:17; see HAIL.

ICHABOD

(Ichʹa·bod) [Where is the glory?].

Posthumous son of Phinehas and brother of Ahitub; grandson of High Priest Eli. The name Ichabod, given to him by his dying mother while giving birth, signified that glory had gone away from Israel in view of the capture of the Ark and the deaths of Phinehas and Eli.—1 Sam. 4:17-22; 14:3.

ICONIUM

(I·coʹni·um).

An ancient city of Asia Minor lying about 2,320 feet (707 meters) above sea level. Iconium is presently known as Konya (Konia), located about 150 miles (c. 240 kilometers) S of Ankara on the southwestern edge of the central Turkish plateau. In the surrounding area, watered by streams flowing from mountains a few miles to the W, grain, sugar beets and flax are cultivated. Konya also has many irrigated gardens and fruit orchards. Although given the title Claudiconium during the rule of Emperor Claudius, not until Hadrian’s time (in the second century C.E.) was the city constituted a Roman colony.