ESTHER-ETAM.

royal wine is, no doubt, that furnished by the Syrian provinces [Athon., "Deip.," i. 28], and the guests drink according to their fancy [Esth. i. 7, 8; compare Bahr. ad Herod., v. 18]: all which points exactly agree with what we read in classical authors of the customs of the Persian court.

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very brief, and their wives are mentioned only when any one was of political importance, as Atossa, the wife of Darius, or Amestris, the chief wife of Xerxes. Vashti could have held the rank of queen only for a short time, and after the flight of Xerxes from Greece, history has deigned him no further notice than generally to record his life of sensual pleasure, with the mention of some acts of special barbarity which resulted from it, and his murder finally by his eunuchs. It is not surprising, therefore, that Esther is not mentioned by the Greek historians.

We have, further, the royal scribes; the couriers, who carried letters from one end of Persia to the other, at an average speed of eight miles an hour [Esth. iii. 12-15]; the impossibility of reversing the royal decree [viii. 8], a custom which Chardin ["Travels," vol. iii., p. 418] tells us continued in Persia till the seventeenth It is, however, further objected, that the facts are too century: and to this day, at Constantinople, a hatti- improbable to be received; for that no king would sherif, or decree signed by the Sultan's hand, is irre-order the general slaughter of a large and useful vocable. Moreover, we have the custom of recording portion of his subjects so lightly as Ahasuerus permits, the acts of the king's benefactors in a book, and the first, the destruction of the Jews, and subsequently reading of these records to the monarch when sleep- that they should indiscriminately slay any whom they less; we have the prostration before the king and the deemed their enemies. But we answer that the sacrifice vizier as his representative [iii. 2]; the command that of human life was considered of but little importance in none in sackcloth should enter the palace [iv. 2]; and ancient times: in Persia it was even an article of state the covering of Haman's face when he was condemned policy to allow one province to be at war with another, [vii. 8]-all which observances arose from the Persian as both were rendered thereby less able to resist the doctrine of the royal person being an incarnation of central authority. Moreover, Haman probably inflamed Ormuzd, the good spirit; and, omitting many more the king's religious feelings. The Jews were the encsuch particulars, the mode in which Haman is executed, mies of the Parsee creed; Mordecai's refusal to prostrate and which, though correctly rendered in our version by himself arose from religious grounds. When we re"hanging," was really that of impaling [see CROSS], a member the expulsion of 300,000 Jews from Spain by punishment repeatedly mentioned in Persian histories. Ferdinand the Catholic, Mahmud II.'s slaughter of the It was further the general custom of the Persian king Janizaries, the Sicilian Vespers, and the night of St. to dine alone, because of the sanctity of his person. Bartholomew at Paris, there is nothing improbable in The queen-mother might, however, dine with him, and an Eastern despot's having granted to a favourite the the queen or queens, or their children; but not wives of lives of an unpopular and alien people. an inferior order, or their children, who also were exThe apocryphal additions to the Book of Esther concluded from succession to the throne. At banquets, sist of Mordecai's dream, and its interpretation; of however, the concubines were often sent for to amuse prayers by Esther and Mordecai; and of letters ascribed the king and his guests over their wine. Hence, there-to the king who is called Artaxerxes. They seem to fore, the indignation of Vashti at being treated like have been incorporated into the book in Egypt, where a wife of an inferior class. As queen, Esther may the Feast of Purim was very popular, and probably invite the king to a banquet [v. 5]; and Haman's were intended to give it a more religious character, delight was very great at so unusual an honour as and especially to remove the objection arising from was paid to himself [v. 12]. the absence of the name of God. They form no part of the original Hebrew text, are in Greek, and are of a legendary and fabulous nature.

The place assigned to Esther in the order of the books of Scripture has been very various. The Jews placed it after Ecclesiastes; in the Greek and Latin it usually, but not always, follows the apocryphal book Judith; the Syriac classed Ruth, Esther, Judith, and the apocryphal book Susanna together, as the hismiah was first given it by Luther, whose arrangement, Its present place after Nehefounded upon historical reasons, has been generally followed in Protestant versions.

The names, also, are singularly correct. An increased knowledge within the last few years of the Zendic or old Persian language, has enabled men like Gesenius to explain the meaning and formation of a large proportion of the proper names which occur in the book. Most of these are interesting only to the philologist: we may mention, however, that while the Hebrew name of Esther, Hadassa, means "the myrtle," her Persian name, Esther, means "the star,"-doubt-tories of pious women. less of Venus, given for her beauty's sake. Vashti means "the most beautiful." Hegai, "the keeper of the women" [ii. 8], is not a proper name, but the title of the eunuch who was over the harem; and Holu, the name of India [i. 1], and for which, both here and in viii. 9, the Syriac has Hud, is precisely that found not long since in a cuneiform inscription. Now it is morally certain that no romance writer of that age would either have known enough of Zend to compose the names of his characters in it, or have even troubled himself with the attempt. The mention again of Haman's ten sons by name suggests the conclusion that the book was written while the events were recent, and such personal matters were still of interest: it is altogether incredible that any one at a distance either could or would have invented, with no special object, ten pure Zendic names.

But it is objected that profane history makes no mention either of Vashti or of Esther. We answer that the accounts we have of the Persian kings are

ETAM, a lair, or resort of wild beasts. 1. The name of a rock where Samson dwelt, apparently in Judah [Judg. xv. 8]. 2. A Simeonite village [1 Chron. iv. 32], seemingly the one called Ether [Josh. xix. 7]. 3. A fortified place built, or rebuilt, by Rehoboam [2 Chron. xi. 61. It lay about seven miles south of Jerusalem; and if, as Winer thinks, it was the one mentioned by Josephus, it was a place "very pleasant, with fine gardens, and abounding in rivulets of water. Thither did he (Solomon) use to go out in the morning, sitting on high in his chariot" ["Antiq.," viii. 7, 3]. It must be looked for near Bethlehem. Robinson, Van de Velde, &c., suppose it to be represented by the ruins at Urtas, south of Bethlehem, and near Solomon's pools. 4. A descendant of Judah [1 Chron. iv. 3], as usually explained; but perhaps a place.

ETERNITY-ETH BAAL.

final, and in its results everlasting); in ix. 12, "eternal redemption;" ver. 14, "eternal Spirit; ver. 15, "eternal inheritance; xiii. 20, " everlasting covenant;"2 Peter i. 11, "everlasting kingdom; " Jude 7, "eternal fire; and Rev. xiv. 6, "the everlasting gospel." With scarcely an exception, everything which is qualified in the New Testament by this adjective, has always been regarded by Christians as enduring for ever in its strictest sense. 5. The word draráλvros (akatalutos) properly means "what is not liable to dissolution; it occurs only in Heb. vii. 16, "the power of an endless life." 6. diŋverig (dienekes) conveys the idea of simple continuance [IIeb. vii. 3; x. 1, 12, 14]. 7. Like our word always," the word TávTOTE (pantote) may be used with considerable range of application [Matt. xxvi. 11; Luke xviii. 1]. In John vi. 34, it is simply equivalent to "at all times;" and even in 1 Thess. iv. 17, it chiefly suggests the thought that the presence will be uninterrupted and without intermission. So in 1 Thess. v. 16, " rejoice evermore means what is expressed in Phil. iv. 4, "rejoice in the Lord alway.' The phrase liveth," in Heb. vii. 25, points to the perpetuity of Christ's intercession for his people, in contrast to the ministry of the Levitical priests, which was terminated by death. 8. The word wavreles (panteles) in Heb. vii. 25, rendered "uttermost" in the text, and "evermore" in the margin, conveys the idea of "altogether," or "utterly," as in Luke xiii. 11, where we read of the woman who could "in no wise" lift up herself; that is, she was altogether or utterly unable to do so.

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ETHAM, supposed to be derived from an Egyptian word, signifying boundary of the sea. 1. The place, on the borders of Egypt and the edge of the wilderness, where the Israelites encamped after leaving Succoth [Exod. xiii. 20: Numb. xxxiii. 6]. 2. The wilderness through which they travelled for three days, after passing the Red Sea, and before encamping at Marah [Numb. xxxiii. 8]. In Exod. xv. 22, they are said to have gone for three days into the desert of Shur: Etham and Shur must therefore have been the same place: it lay near where the longer horn of the Red Sea formerly began; and when there, the Israelites might turn either farther to the east, into the desert, for security, or farther to the west, to remove from the boundaries of Egypt. They were commanded to go in the latter direction [Exod. xiv. 2]; and this turning apparently out of their proper course gave occasion to Pharaoh to say, "They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in" [ver. 3], and induced him rashly to pursue them, so as to insure his own destruction [ver. 27]. Etham was probably in the wilderness of Etham, and possibly gave to it its name. It is supposed to have stood on what was afterwards the site of Arsinoe, the present Suez. Robinson suggests that it may have been near the strip of land between the Gulf of Suez and the basin of the bitter lakes-a view rendered the more probable by the supposed derivation of its name [" Bib. Res.," i. 55].

The preceding enumeration will show that the New Testament resembles the Old, in having words fitted to represent every form and measure of duration. Besides these, there are expressions which cannot reasonably be explained, except by assuming that they mean "eternal" or "everlasting." Such expressions occur in reference to the Divine Being, to Christ as the Son, to heaven and hell, to the future welfare or misery of the soul, &c. [Isa. xxxiii. 14; lxvi. 24; Mark ix. 43-48; Rev. xxii. 5]. We have not spoken of such words as immortal and "immortality," "incorruption" and "incorruptible," "perish" and "perdition.' The resurrection is in itself a powerful argument for the everlasting existence of those who are raised, both saints and sinners [Matt. xxv. 31-46; Acts xxiv. 15; Rom. xiv. 10; Rev. xx. 12]. The Christian doctrine of future rewards and punishments is, doubtless, that they are bestowed upon recipients who will for ever rejoice or suffer consciously. Yet some have said that the wicked will be annihilated. A sufficient answer to these is supplied by our Lord, who says of those who are raised (and we have seen that all will rise again), that "they cannot die any more." This refutes the notion of annihilation.alogy are omitted in the other. If, however, future punishment will not be everlasting, but somehow come to an end, it is manifest that the endless continuance of everything may be denied, since the same terms are used in Scripture in reference to the duration of God's own existence, and of the happiness of the saved. We conclude, then, that Scripture uniformly teaches us that God has existed from all eternity, and is truly eternal [Ps. xc. 2]; that many things originating in time will exist for ever; and that the condition of man in a future state will be an immortality of bliss or woe-the eternal consciousness of glory, or of shame and misery [Isa. li. 6; Dan. xii. 2, 3; 1 Cor. xv. 50–58; 2 Cor. v. 1; Rev. xxi. 1-8].

ETHAN, perennial, constant. 1. The grandson of Judah, and son of Zerah [1 Chron. ii. 6]; he is said also to be the son of Mahol [1 Kings iv. 31]. In one of the passages, therefore, "son" must mean merely a descendant; this, indeed, seems to be indicated in the latter of them by the term " Ezrahite," which is applied to him also in the title of Psalm lxxxix. Hɔ and his brethren are mentioned as being wise men, but less so than Solomon. 2. A Levite, the son of Kishi, of the family of Merari [1 Chron. vi. 44], who was appointed one of the chief singers by David [xv. 17], and was among those who were to play on cymbals [ver. 19]. From Heman and Asaph being mentioned with Ethan [xv. 17], and also with Jeduthun [xxv. 1, 6], it has been inferred that Ethan and Jeduthun were identical. It has likewise been supposed that the same person was the composer of Psalm lxxxix. ; but there is no reason for assuming that Ethan the singer and Ethan the Ezrahite were one. 3. A Levite of the family of Kohath; the son of Zimmah, and an ancestor of Asaph the singer [1 Chron. vi. 42]. In the genealogy, which is found in an inverted order in the beginning of the chapter, Joah is said to be the son of Zimmah [ver. 21]; but this may be explained, either by supposing that Ethan and Joah are the same, or that names given in one gene

ETERNITY. [Seo ETERNAL.]

ETHANIM. The seventh month of the Jewish year, answering to September and October. In this month Solomon's Temple was dedicated [1 Kings viii. 2]. [Seo TISRI.]

ETH'BAAL, with Baal, or a friend of Baal; the name of a king of the Zidonians, mentioned in 1 Kings xvi. 31 as the father of Jezebel, the wife of Ahab. He has been commonly identified with Ithobal, a king of Tyre, mentioned in the extracts from the Tyrian annals, quoted by Josephus. from recent Assyrian discoveries, that this idenIt results, however, tification cannot be maintained. There were distinct successions of Tyrian and Zidonian kings; and though the names were probably the same, Ithobal of

Tyre must have been a different person from Ithobal of Zidon.

ETHER, abundance; one of the cities of Judah, in the low country [Josh. xv. 42]; afterwards, with others, given to the tribe of Simeon [xix. 7]. In 1 Chron. iv. 32, Tochen is found, apparently instead of Ether; but, as suggested in the margin, the latter may very well be represented by Etam. Eusebius and Jerome place Ether near Malatha, in the district of Daroma; which, as Reland remarks [" Palæst.,' 758], is a not unsuitable position. They state that it was a strong and large city, called, in their time, Jethira; and both of them seem to make it identical with Jether, which, however, was a very different place. [See JATTIR.] Eusebius says that Jethira was about twenty miles from Eleutheropolis, and was inhabited entirely by Christians.

ETHIOPIA. [See CUSH.]

ETH'NAN, a present; a son of Helah, one of the wives of Ashur, a descendant of Judah [1 Chron. iv. 7].

ETH'NI, bountiful; a Levite of the family of Kohath [1 Chron. vi. 41].

it meritorious to belong to the third. The expression of the Saviour [Matt. xix. 12] has, through a strange delusion, been sometimes taken literally. It was so understood by Origen.

EUO'DIAS, from the Greek, of good odour, is mentioned by St. Paul [Phil. iv. 2] as a disciple at Philippi. "I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche," says the Apostle, "that they be of the same mind in the Lord;" and the feminine pronouns, used in ver. 3, seem to prove that both were women. Euodias, from the special exhortation here addressed to her by St. Paul, was probably a person of influence in the church at Philippi; but nothing certain is known regarding her.

this river is Phrath. EUPHRATES. The Hebrew and Asiatic name of What Phrath meant is doubtful. The Greeks changed this, or the form Ephrath, into Euphrates. The Euphrates has two sources, each rising in the mountains of Armenia; the one to the west, and the most distant, which springs a few miles north of Erzeroom, is now called Kasa-Su, and that to the east Muràd-Chái. These two branches, after flowing for some hundred miles in a south-westerly direcEUBU'LUS, from the Greek, discreet; a Christian tion, unite at a place called Kebban-Maden. We hear referred to by St. Paul [2 Tim. iv. 21], of whom very little in the Bible of the towns and villages on the nothing is known. banks of the upper part of the river; they appear to have been inhabited by wild tribes who were nomiEUNICE, from the Greek, well-victorious, is men-nally in subjection to the kings of Assyria, but, as wo tioned [2 Tim. i. 5] as the mother of Timothy. Her learn from the inscriptions, were perpetually throwing faith is commended by St. Paul; and, as Dr. Paley off their yoke, and rebelling against them. The first has observed in his "Hora Paulina," this is beau-place of any importance that we come to, going down tifully in accordance with what we read of Timothy the river, is the town of Carchemish, situated so as to command one of the easiest fords. Against this fortress Pharaoh-nechoh, having defeated Josiah [2 Kings xxiii. 22, 30], directed his march, captured it after a short siege, and defeated the Assyrians. But three years after this victory, Nebuchadrezzar, the then king, and general of the Babylonian forces, met the Egyptian army and gained a complete victory over it [Jer. xlvi. 2].

in Acts xvi. 1.

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EU'NUCH. The Greek word evrovxos (eunouchos) means, literally, "a guardian of the bed," that is, one in charge of a bed-chamber; and from mutilated persons being most usually employed as such, the term came at length to designate a "chamberlain," as, afterwards, for a similar reason, it was employed to signify other officers of a court. Although the word, with us, is used in but one sense, its meaning in Scripture does During its course through the low level countries of not seem to be thus restricted; and the Hebrew, but Babylonia, the Euphrates has an average fall of about not the Greek term, has been rendered in our version three inches in a mile; so that when the periodical also by "officer" [Gen. xxxix. 1], and "chamber-risings, caused by the melting of the snow on the lain" [Esth. i. 10, &c.], which confirms the suppo- mountains in the upper part of its course, take place, sition that the designation was applied to certain the surrounding plains are flooded. In order, thereofficials, whether mutilated or not. It is used, indeed, fore, to prevent the danger to the inhabitants, which of Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh" [Gen. xxxix. 1], must naturally arise when so level a country was although he was married [ver. 7]. This degraded inundated, and to distribute the mass of water for class, from being considered necessarily devoid of those beneficial irrigation, dykes and canals were dug from feelings and social ties which lead others most strongly a very early period. Herodotus says that the Queen to the gratification of self-interest and ambition, has Semiramis (in the Assyrian, Sammareias; compare always supplied attendants, and often confidants, to Syrian, Shemiram), who reigned with her husband Eastern despots. Eunuchs may be recognised on the Pul about B.C. 750, cut two artificial canals abovo monuments by the absence of beard, and the bloated Babylon, and turned the superfluous waters of the appearance of the face. Though mutilation was illegal Euphrates into the Tigris; and besides this, by means among the Jews [Deut. xxiii. 1], the Jewish kings of another canal, she caused the main body of the considered themselves at liberty to use the services water to be diverted into an enormous lake, forty of eunuchs who were brought from other countries. miles square, which was prepared for it on the west of Samuel, when he warned the people against the con- Babylon. [See BABYLON, BELSHAZZAR.] sequences of their putting themselves under the government of kings, foretold that the latter would employ such persons [1 Sam. viii. 15]. Hence, as soon as the despotism of the surrounding nations was introduced into the kingdom of Israel, eunuchs became the holders of places of trust and power, both civil and military [2 Kings viii. 6, &c.].

Christ alludes to three classes of eunuchs [Matt. xix, 12]; and it would seem that the Jews considered

In the time of Nebuchadnezzar, when the glory of Babylon-" the city of merchants,' as Ezekiel calls it [xvii. 4]-was at its height, the proper distribution of the waters naturally became a question of much importance. Two canals are attributed to that king, but it is most likely that one of them, the Pallacopas, had been executed before by Semiramis, and only needed re-opening. The next prince who turned his attention to the better navigation of the Euphrates was