were fully ripe. (Isa. 28:4; Jer. 24:2) In the coastal area of the Mediterranean apples were also in season.—Song of Sol. 2:3; compare Joel 1:10-12.

The Festival of Weeks or Pentecost was celebrated on the sixth day of Sivan, accompanied by the offering of the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, just fifty days after the offering of the firstfruits of the barley harvest. (Ex. 34:22; Lev. 23:15-21) It was on this sixth day of Sivan, in the year 33 C.E., that the holy spirit was poured out on the group of about 120 disciples assembled in the upper room at Jerusalem. From the crowds gathered at the city for the feast came the three thousand persons who were baptized on that day.—Acts 1:15; 2:1-42.

It was in the month of Sivan that King Asa celebrated a grand feast following his reform activity in eradicating false religion from Judah and Jerusalem and other areas. (2 Chron. 15:8-10) The swift couriers sent by King Ahasuerus to deliver the message granting the Jews the right to defend themselves on the thirteenth day of Adar were dispatched almost nine months earlier, on the twenty-third day of Sivan, to the 127 jurisdictional districts of the Persian Empire extending from India to Ethiopia.—Esther 8:9-14.

SIX

See NUMBER, NUMERAL.

SKINS

The skin is classified as an organ of the body, and indeed performs many functions for the body’s well-being, including protection, regulation of body temperature, and removal of certain waste materials. The Bible mentions skin afflictions (Lev. 13:1-46; 21:20; Deut. 28:27) and certain deteriorating effects of disease and starvation upon the skin.—Job 7:5; 30:30; Lam. 4:8; 5:10.

According to the Law, skins of animals used for certain sin offerings were burned outside the camp of Israel, or outside the gate of Jerusalem. (Ex. 29:14; Lev. 4:11, 12; 8:17; 9:11; 16:27; Heb. 13:11) The priest received the skin of an animal presented by an Israelite for a burnt offering.—Lev. 7:8.

Jehovah provided skin garments for Adam and Eve to cover their nakedness, after they had sinned. (Gen. 3:21) Undressed skins were used for garments by some, notably some of the prophets (2 Ki. 1:8; Matt. 3:4), including some false prophets. (Zech. 13:4) Animal skins also served for sandals (Ezek. 16:3, 10), bags (1 Sam. 17:40), skin bottles for water, milk, wine, and so forth (Gen. 21:14; Josh. 9:13; Judg. 4:19; Matt. 9:17), as drumheads and possibly as a sounding base for the neʹvel or “stringed instrument.” (Isa. 5:12) Skins were used as coverings for the tabernacle.—Ex. 25:2, 5; 26:14; 35:7, 23; 36:19.

Skin of sheep, goats or calves was also employed as a writing material.—See PARCHMENT.

FIGURATIVE USE

Concerning Job, Satan said to Jehovah: “Skin in behalf of skin, and everything that a man has he will give in behalf of his soul.” (Job 2:4) The Devil thereby challenged man’s integrity.

Job himself said: “I escape with the skin of my teeth.” (Job 19:20) This harmonizes with the fact that tooth enamel is produced by epithelial or skin cells. A possible reading is: “And my flesh becomes hairless in my teeth.” (Compare Job 13:14.) But if the usual reading is taken, Job likely meant that he had a very narrow escape from death.

SKULL PLACE

See GOLGOTHA.

SKY

[Heb., shaʹhhaq (apparently from a root meaning “to pulverize, beat in pieces or pound fine”), “dust” as being made fine, “cloud of dust,” “cloud.” Sha·maʹyim, “heavens,” is occasionally rendered “skies.” Gr., ou·ra·nosʹ, “heaven” or “sky”].

“Sky [shaʹhhaq],” as used by the Bible writers’ may mean the expanse of atmosphere that surrounds the earth in which clouds float (Isa. 45:8), or the apparent vault or dome over the earth that is blue at daytime and star-studded at night. (Ps. 89:37) In most cases the writer evidently is merely referring to what is high above man without specifying which aspect of the “sky” is involved.—Ps. 57:10; 108:4.

The fine dust particles in the atmosphere, the molecules of water vapor and, to some extent, the molecules of oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and other gases in the atmosphere, scatter the rays of light, the blue rays being most diffused, which gives the clear sky its characteristic blue color. Fine dust particles also play a large part in producing clouds, the water vapor collecting around these particles.

Jehovah speaks of himself as the One who “beat out the skies hard like a molten mirror.” (Job 37:18) The particles forming the atmosphere are indeed compressed under the pull of gravity, and are held to a limit as to their outer boundaries, gravity preventing their escape from the earth. (Gen. 1:6-8) They do reflect the sunlight in a manner comparable to a mirror. Because of this the sky looks bright, whereas without an atmosphere the sky observer on earth would see only blackness, with the heavenly bodies glowing brilliantly on a black background, as is the case with the atmosphereless moon. Astronauts can observe the earth’s atmosphere from outer space as an illuminated, glowing halo.

Jehovah used figurative language in warning Israel that, for disobedience, the skies overhead would become copper and the earth beneath, iron, and powder and dust would be the rain of their land. Doubtless under such conditions of lack of rain the “shut up,” cloudless skies would become reddish, copper, in color, because increased dust particles in the atmosphere tend to diffuse the blue light to the point that the red waves are more prominent, just as the setting sun appears red because of the greater depth or thickness of atmosphere that the sun’s rays must traverse.—Deut. 28:23, 24; compare 1 Kings 8:35, where “heaven” is used as referring to the expanse.

When Jesus ascended toward heaven, a cloud caught him away from the disciples’ vision. As they gazed into the sky, angels appeared and said: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus who was received up from you into the sky will come thus in the same manner as you have beheld him going into the sky.” (Acts 1:9-11) The angels, in effect, told the disciples that there was no point in their gazing into the sky, expecting him to appear to their vision there. For the cloud had caught him up, and he had become invisible. But he would come back in like manner, invisibly, unobserved by the physical eyes.

Occasionally, “sky” is used in parallel with “heaven,” but for a discussion of the application of the more comprehensive term “heaven,” see HEAVEN.

SLANDER

See GOSSIP, SLANDER.

SLAP

See ATTITUDES AND GESTURES.

SLAVE

The original-language words often rendered “slave” or “servant” are not limited in their application to persons owned by others.

ORIGINAL-LANGUAGE TERMS

The Hebrew word ʽeʹvedh can refer to persons owned by fellowmen. (Gen. 12:16; Ex. 20:17) Or the term can designate subjects of a king (2 Sam. 11:21; 2 Chron. 10:7), subjugated peoples who paid tribute (2 Sam. 8:2, 6) and persons in royal service, including cupbearers, bakers, seamen, military officers, advisers and the like, whether owned by fellowmen or not. (Gen. 40:20; 1 Sam. 29:3; 1 Ki. 9:27; 2 Chron. 8:18; 9:10; 32:9) In respectful address, a Hebrew, rather than using the first person pronoun, would at times speak of himself as a servant (ʽeʹvedh) of the one to whom he was talking. (Gen. 33:5, 14; 42:10, 11, 13; 1 Sam. 20:7, 8) ʽEʹvedh was used in referring to servants or worshipers of Jehovah generally (1 Ki. 8:36) and, more specifically, to special representatives of God, as was Moses. (Josh. 1:1, 2; 24:29; 2 Ki. 21:10) Though not a worshiper of Jehovah, one who performed a service that was in harmony with the divine will could be spoken of as God’s servant, an example being King Nebuchadnezzar.—Jer. 27:6.

The Greek term douʹlos corresponds to the Hebrew word ʽeʹvedh. It is used with reference to persons owned by fellowmen (Matt. 8:9; 10:24, 25; 13:27), devoted servants of God and of his Son Christ Jesus, both humans (Acts 2:18; 4:29; Rom. 1:1; Gal. 1:10) and angels (Rev. 19:10, where the word synʹdou·los [fellow slave] appears) and, in a figurative sense, to persons in slavery to sin (John 8:34; Rom. 6:16-20) or corruption.—2 Pet. 2:19.

The Hebrew word naʹʽar, like the Greek term pais, basically means a boy or a youth and can also designate a servant or an attendant. (1 Sam. 1:24; 4:21; 30:17; 2 Ki. 5:20; Matt. 2:16; 8:6; 17:18; 21:15; Acts 20:12) The Greek term oi·keʹtes denotes a house servant or slave (Luke 16:13), and a female slave or servant is designated by the Greek word pai·diʹske. (Luke 12:45) The participial form of the Hebrew root sha·rathʹ may be rendered by such terms as “minister” (Ex. 33:11), or “waiter.” (2 Sam. 13:18) The Greek word hy·pe·reʹtes, literally meaning an under-rower or subordinate, may be translated “attendant,” “court attendant” or “house attendant” (Matt. 26:58; Mark 14:54, 65; John 18:36) The Greek term the·raʹpon occurs solely at Hebrews 3:5 and means subordinate, attendant or minister.

BEFORE THE COMMON ERA

War, poverty and crime were the basic factors that reduced persons to a state of servitude. Captives of war were often constituted slaves by their captors or sold into slavery by them. (Compare 2 Kings 5:2; Joel 3:6.) In Israelite society a person who became poor could sell himself or his children into slavery to care for his indebtedness. (Ex. 21:7; Lev. 25:39, 47; 2 Ki. 4:1) One guilty of thievery but unable to make compensation was sold for the things he stole, evidently regaining his freedom at the time all claims against him were cared for.—Ex. 22:3.

At times slaves held a position of great trust and honor in a household. The patriarch Abraham’s aged servant (likely Eliezer) managed all his master’s possessions. (Gen. 24:2; 15:2, 3) A descendant of Abraham, Joseph, as a slave in Egypt, came to be in charge of everything belonging to Potiphar, a court official of Pharaoh. (Gen. 39:1, 5, 6) In Israel, there was a possibility of a slave’s becoming wealthy and redeeming himself.—Lev. 25:49.

Regarding conscription of workers, see COMPULSORY SERVICE; FORCED LABOR.

Laws governing slave-master relationships

Among the Israelites the status of the Hebrew slave differed from that of a slave who was a foreigner, alien resident or settler. Whereas the non-Hebrew remained the property of the owner and could be passed on from father to son (Lev. 25:44-46), the Hebrew slave was to be released in the seventh year of his servitude or in the Jubilee year, depending upon which came first. During the time of his servitude the Hebrew slave was to be treated as a hired laborer. (Ex. 21:2; Lev. 25:10; Deut. 15:12) A Hebrew who sold himself into slavery to an alien resident, to a member of an alien resident’s family or to a settler could be repurchased at any time, either by himself or by one having the right of repurchase. The redemption price was based on the number of years remaining until the Jubilee year or until the seventh year of servitude. (Lev. 25:47-52; Deut. 15:12) When granting a Hebrew slave his freedom the master was to give him a gift to assist him in getting a good start as a freedman. (Deut. 15:13-15) If a slave had come in with a wife, the wife went out with him. However, if the master had given him a wife (evidently a foreign woman who would not be entitled to freedom in the seventh year of servitude), she and any children by her remained the property of the master. In such a case the Hebrew slave could choose to remain with his master. His ear was then pierced with an awl to indicate that he would continue in servitude to time indefinite.—Ex. 21:2-6; Deut. 15:16, 17.

Female Hebrew slaves

Certain special regulations applied to a female Hebrew slave. She could be taken as a concubine by the master or designated as a wife for his son. When designated as a wife for the master’s son, the Hebrewess was to be treated with the due right of daughters. Even if the son took another wife, there was to be no diminishing of her sustenance, clothing and marriage due. A failure on the son’s part in this respect entitled the woman to her freedom without the payment of a redemption price. If the master sought to have a Hebrewess redeemed, he was not permitted to accomplish this by selling her to foreigners.—Ex. 21:7-11.

Protections and privileges

The Law protected slaves from brutalities. A slave was to be set at liberty if mistreatment by the master resulted in the loss of a tooth or an eye. As the usual value for a slave was thirty shekels (compare Exodus 21:32), his liberation would have meant considerable loss to the master, and therefore, would have served as a strong deterrent against abuse. Although a master could beat his slave, the slave, depending upon the decision of the judges, was to be avenged if he died under his master’s beating. However, if the slave lingered on for a day or two before dying, he was not to be avenged, this indicating that the master had intended, not to kill, but to discipline the slave. (Ex. 21:20, 21, 26, 27; Lev. 24:17) Also, it would appear that the beating could not be administered with a lethal instrument, as that would have signified intent to kill. (Compare Numbers 35:16-18.) Therefore, if a slave lingered on for a day or two, there would be reasonable question as to whether the death resulted from the chastisement. A beating with a rod, for example, would not normally be fatal, as shown by the statement at Proverbs 23:13: “Do not hold back discipline from the mere boy. In case you beat him with the rod, he will not die.”

Certain privileges were granted to slaves by the terms of the Law. As all male slaves were circumcised (Ex. 12:44; compare Genesis 17:12), they could eat the passover, and slaves of the priest could eat holy things. (Ex. 12:43, 44; Lev. 22:10, 11) Slaves were exempted from working on the sabbath. (Ex. 20:10; Deut. 5:14) During the sabbath year they were entitled to eat of the growth from spilled kernels and from the unpruned vine. (Lev. 25:5, 6) They were to share in the rejoicing associated with the sacrificing at the sanctuary and the celebration of the festivals.—Deut. 12:12; 16:11, 14.

FIRST-CENTURY CHRISTIAN POSITION

In the Roman Empire slaves were very numerous, with individuals owning hundreds and even thousands of slaves. The institution of slavery had the protection of the imperial government. First-century Christians did not take a stand against governmental authority in this matter and advocate a slaves’ revolt. They respected the legal right of others, including fellow Christians, to own slaves. That is why the apostle Paul sent back the runaway slave Onesimus. Because he had become a Christian, Onesimus willingly returned to his master, subjecting himself as a slave to a fellow Christian. (Philem. 10-17) The apostle Paul also admonished Christian slaves not to take advantage of their relationship to believing masters. He said: “Let those having believing owners not look down on them, because they are brothers. On the contrary, let them the more readily be slaves, because those receiving the benefit of their good service are believers and beloved.” (1 Tim. 6:2) For a slave to have a Christian master was a blessing, as his