Q

Pyramids of Egypt, conjecture respecting their origin, Exodus 1:11. Pliny’s account of the time taken up in the erection of one of the pyramids, and the number of men employed, 1 Kings 6:38, in fine. Pyroeis, one of the horses of the sun, according to the pagan mythology, signification of the name, 2 Kings 2:11.

Pythagoreans accustomed to calm their minds, and soothe their passions, by singing, and playing upon the harp, 2 Kings 3:15. Pythius the Lydian, immense wealth of this individual, according to Herodotus, Esther 3:9.

Q

Quails, Hasselquist’s account of flocks of these birds which he saw in Egypt Numbers 11:31. Allusion, in the book of Job, to the quails which God showered down upon the murmuring Israelites pointed out, Job 20:23, &c. The quail considered by the ancient Egyptians an emblem of safety and security, Exodus 16:13.

Quaker, thoughts concerning the affirmation of a, in a court of judicature, Deuteronomy 6:25, in fine.

Queen of Sheba or queen of the south, who was contemporary with Solomon, called Balkis by the Arabians, and Maqueda by the Abyssinians, 1 Kings 10:1.

Quenching the light of Israel, what intended by this phrase, 2 Samuel 14:7; 21:17.

Querns, among our Saxon ancestors, what, Judges 16:21. Quesnel, remarks upon his Moral Reflections on the New Testament, General Preface, p. 5.

Quintius, (T.) proclamation by this Roman general of freedom to the Grecian cities at the time of the Isthmian games, and the extraordinary effect the words of the herald had on the inhabitants, as related by Livy, Psalm 126:1.

R

Rabanus Maurus, account of this very voluminous commentator, General Preface, p. 4.

Rabbinoo Isaiah, account of this commentator, General Preface, p. 2. Rabdomancy, explanation of this species of divination, Hosea 4:12. Rabsaris, the name of an office, and not of a person, according to Calmet, 2 Kings 18:17.

Rabshakeh, the name of an office, and not a person, according to Calmet, 2 Kings 18:17.

Rahab, generally called the harlot, inquiry into her character, and reasons advanced to show that the original word translated harlot should rather be rendered a tavern - keeper, Joshua 2:1.

Raiment, shaking of the, what it imported among the ancient Jews, Nehemiah 5:13.

Rain, how produced, Genesis 2:6; Exodus 9:27; Job 36:27; Ecclesiastes 1:7. Rain, according to St. Jerome, never falls in Judea in the time of harvest, 1 Samuel 12:17. Times of the former and latter rain, Jeremiah 3:3; 5:24.

Rainbow, origin and nature of the, Genesis 9:13. Reasons for believing that this phenomenon was of as frequent occurrence before as after the flood, ibid. Quotations from Homer and Virgil to show that both the Greeks and Romans considered the rainbow as a Divine token or portent, Genesis 9:17.

Rakesh, vqr, rendered dromedaries, probably means posthorse, 1 Kings 4:28.

Rakia, [yqr, translated firmament, proper meaning of the term, Genesis 1:6.

Ram, a sacred animal among the Egyptians, Exodus 8:26. Eusebius’s reasons for this, ibid. Rams with red or violet - coloured fleeces often mentioned by ancient writers, Exodus 25:5.

Rameses, the same with Goshen, Genesis 46:28, 34; 47:23. Ramoth, one of the cities of refuge, import of the name, Joshua 20:7. Ranges for pots, description of an Arabian custom to which this expression has an allusion, Leviticus 11:35.

Rape of the Sabine women, substance of Livy’s account of the, Judges 21:25, in fine.

Raphelius, (G.) an eminent Biblical critic, General Preface, P. 12. Rash judgments, doubly pernicious, 2 Samuel 6:22. Rashim, µyvar, a degree of civil distinction among the Hebrews, Joshua 23:2.

Ravens, arguments to show that Elijah was not fed by these birds, as stated in our English version, but that the Hebrew word µybr[ orbim, is probably the name of a people that lived in or near Arabia, 1 Kings 17:24, in fine.

Rebellion against the state, act of, defined, Judges 3:31, in fine; Ezra 4:19.

Rechabites, short sketch of their history, Jeremiah 35:2. Red heifer, remarks upon several curious particulars respecting the ordinance of the, Numbers 19:2.

Red Sea, conjecture why so named, Exodus 10:19; Numbers 23:10. Description of its two gulfs, ibid. Observations upon the miraculous separation of its waters in the time of Moses, Exodus 14:21, 31, et in fine. The sixth station of the Israelites in the wilderness was in the vicinity of this sea, Numbers 33:10. Manifest allusion, in the book of Job, to the miraculous passage of the Israelites through the Red Sea, Job 26:12.

Redeemer of blood, who, among the Jews, Numbers 35:19. Redemption of the first - born, a rite still practised among the Jews, Numbers 18:16. How performed, according to Leo of Modena, ibid. Refraction, observations on the nature of, 2 Kings 20:20, in fine. Extraordinary refraction of the rays of light in Nova Zembla in the year 1596, ibid.

Rehoboam, Houbigant’s conjecture relative to the age of this prince at the commencement of his reign over Judah, 2 Chronicles 12:13. Religion, in its pure state, the strongest bulwark of the state, 1 Chronicles 26:30, in fine. Definition of true religion, Genesis 9:20; Proverbs 1:7.

Remes, cmr, translated creeping thing, inquiry into its import, Genesis 1:24.

Remigius of Auxerre, a commentator on the twelve minor prophets, General Preface, p. 4.

Rending the clothes, a mark of deep affliction and distress among the ancients, Joshua 7:6; 1 Samuel 4:12; Ezra 9:3; Job 1:20; 2:12; Jeremiah 16:6.

Renominatus, derivation and import of this Latin term, Genesis 6:4. Rephaim, valley of, celebrated for its plentiful harvest, Isaiah 17:5. Used poetically for any fruitful country, ibid.

Rephidim, the tenth station of the Israelites in the wilderness, Numbers 33:14.

Reprobation, unconditional, doctrine of, demonstrated to be a lie against all the attributes of Deity, Psalm 145:9; Jeremiah 18:6. Responsive songs, frequent among the ancient Jews, Isaiah 6:3; 27:2; 40:9.

Restitution, doctrine of, Genesis 42:38, in fine. Resurrection of the dead, doctrine of the, a popular and common doctrine among the Jews long before the advent of our Lord, Isaiah 26:19; 45:8.

Retiarius, among the Romans, who, Job 19:6; Micah 7:2. Reuben, import of the name, Genesis 29:32.

Revelation of God, particular explanation of the various terms employed to point out different properties of the, Leviticus 26:16; Psalm 119:1, in principio.

Reverend, and most reverend, observations on these ecclesiastical titles, Psalm 111:9.

Revolutions, periodic and sidereal, of the sun, moon, and planets, Genesis 1:1. Periodic and Synodic revolutions of the satellites of Jupiter, Saturn, and the Georgium Sidus, ibid.

Riblah, where this ancient city was situated, Jeremiah 39:5. Rice, method practised by the ancients of sowing this grain, Ecclesiastes 11:1; Isaiah 32:20.

Rice, trial by, a species of ordeal among the Hindoos, Numbers 5:31, in fine.

Riches, instances of immense, possessed by some of the ancients, Esther 3:9.

Ricinus or Palma Christi, account of the, as given by Celsus, Jonah 4:6.

Ricknild or Icknild - street, were situated, Job 23:11. Riddles or enigmas, customary among the ancient Greeks to propose such at entertainments, and to give a recompense to those who found them out Judges 14:14. Examples of Greek enigmas, with their solutions, ibid. From what the English word riddle is derived, Ezekiel 17:2. Ridorus, (C. Caecilius) immense wealth of this individual, Esther 3:9. Righteous and righteousness, true etymology of these words, Psalm 12:8. Their import, ibid.

Rimmon, a Syrian idol, possibly the same with the Remphan of the New Testament, 2 Kings 5:26. Supposed by Selden to be the same with Elion, a god of the Phoenicians, ibid. Other suppositions, ibid. Rimmon - parez, the fifteenth station of the Israelites in the wilderness, Numbers 33:19.

Ring of Saturn, its perigeal and apogeal distances, diameter, time of rotation, and inclination of axis to the orbit of the planet, Genesis 1:1. Rings of gold, ensigns of civil power among the ancients, Psalm 73:6. Rissah, the seventeenth station of the Israelites in the wilderness, Numbers 33:21.

Rithmah, the fourteenth station of the Israelites in the wilderness, where situated, and why so named, Numbers 33:18.

River of the pool, see Pallacopas.

Robe of the Jewish high priest, description of the, Exodus 28:4, 31. Rock in Horeb, some account of the, Exodus 17:6; Psalm 105:41. Its present appearance, ibid.

Rock of a sword, meaning of this phrase, Deuteronomy 8:8. Rolls of the Jews, how made, and in what manner written upon, Jeremiah 36:2; Ezekiel 2:9, 10.

Roman moneys, table of the, Exodus 38:24.

Rome, Ovid’s account of the ceremonies used in laying the foundations of the walls of the city of, Nehemiah 12:27.

Ropes of great strength made in Ireland of the fibres of bogwood, or the larger roots of the fir, Judges 16:7. Ropes made of the leaves of the flag by the Egyptians, Job 8:11.

Rotations of the sun, moon, and planets, in what times performed, Genesis 1:1.

Rough garments of the ancient prophets, some account of the, Zechariah 13:4.

Royal river, see Naharmalca.

Ruach, jwr, various opinions concerning the meaning of this word, Genesis 1:2; Ecclesiastes 3:21.

Ruby, some account of the oriental, Job 28:18. Its component parts, Job 38:38.

Rushn Achter’s extraordinary fortune as expressed in a Persian couplet, Ecclesiastes 4:15.