magnifical (mag"nif'i-kal), imposingly
beautiful; magnificent: I Chr. 22:5.
Magnificat (mag"nif'i-kat), a lyric hymn of praise sung by the Virgin Mary, before the birth of Jesus (Luke 1:46-55): it begins "'My soul doth magnify the Lord. .." which in the Latin text is Magnificatanima mea Dominum, hence the name (which does not appear in the Biblical text). It was sung by Mary when Elizabeth greeted her as the mother of the Lord. It appears to be modeled on the Psalms in general and the Song of Hannah (I Sam. 2: 1-10) particularly.
maidservant (mad'sur-vant), a handmaid or occasionally a female slave: Ex. 20:10, 17; Jer. 34:9,10.
malefactor (mal'a-fak"tur), an evildoer; criminal; Luke 23:32,33; John 18:30.
mallow (mal'o), a plant of an unknown variety growing in salt-water marshes: probably, a kind of saltwort with small, sour leaves which could be used as food (Job 30:4).
mammon (mam'an), the false god of riches and avarice: the personification of riches as an object of worship and greedy pursuit: Matt. 6:24; Luke 16:11,13. Used to distinguish between a materialistic life and a life of trust in God and love of one's fellowman.
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mandrake (man'drak), a slightly poisonous
plant growing in Mediterranean regions: it has a short stem, purple or white |
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maneh (ma'ne), a Hebrew unit of weight equal to about fifty shekels: Ezek.45:12.
manna (man'a). the food miraculously!
provided for the Israelites during their forty years in the wilderness: it
was said
to resemble coriander seed and have the color of bdellium (Num. 11:7); it
was ground up and baked into wafers or cakes
that tasted like honey (Ex. 16:31). Manna was described as "bread from
heaven" supplied by God (Ex. 16:4) for the sustenance of the Israelites
during their sojourn; they were to gather only an omenul each day for each
person, because it would spoil if kept overnight, except on the sixth day
when they were to pick a double portion, for none appeared on the Sabbath (Ex. 16:22-27). No substance today resembles a food of this
description.
man of God, a man dedicated to the service of God (Deut. 33: 1); especially, one whose work is to teach and spread the word of God: said of Moses (Deut. 33:1; Ps. 90: title), of the prophets (I Sam. 9:6; II Kings 4:7), and of messengers of God (Judg. 13:6,8).
man of sin, an antichrist (II Thess. 2:3): according to Paul, the day of judgment will be preceded by a rebellion of apostates who will be inspired by this "son of perdition" who will proclaim that he is God: he is not Satan but, rather, a representative of Satan.
manslayer (man'sla-ar), a person who has killed another by accident, without premeditation: such a person may seek asylum in a city of refuge (Num. 35:6,12).
marish (mar'ish), a tract of low, wet, soft land; swamp; marsh: Ezek. 47:11.
Mars' hill (marz), the high hill in Athens northwest of the Acropolis where the supreme tribunal of Athens sat: it was called Areopagus by the Greeks and was sacred to the Greek god of war, Ares. In Roman times it was named after the Roman god of war, Mars (Acts 17:22), probably because the Romans were responsible for establishing the authority of the court.
Maschil (mas'kil), a Hebrew word of uncertain meaning, appearing in the titles of thirteen Psalms: following St. Jerome, in the Vugate it is often translated as "attentive" or "learned" or "intelligent" thereby giving substance to the idea that these Psalms were to be instructive, namely, didactic, or otherwise were to be uttered during periods of meditation: Ps. 32,42,44,45,52-55,74,78,88,89, 142. In the psalm in which it first occurs as a title, the root of the word is found in another form (Psalm 32:8) meaning "instruct" and is so translated. As a rule the participial usage is an attribute of persons and is so applied to the Levitical musicians (II Chr. 30:22) who "taught the good knowledge (were skilled in the service) of the Lord."
masterbuilder (mas'tar-bil-dar), a person skilled in, or in charge of, building; especially, an architect: I Cor. 3:10.
matrix (ma'triks), the womb: Ex. 13:12, 15; 34:19; Num. 18:15. In each passage the reference is to the firstborn.
| maul (mol), a heavy war club with a metal head, sometimes studded with spikes (Prov. 25:18): used as an armorbreaking weapon. |
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maw (mo), the stomach: Deut. 18:3. meal offering, same as meat offering.
meal offering, same as meat offering.
meat (met), food; especially, solid food, as distinguished from drink: Ezra 3:7; Matt. 25:35; I Cor. 8:8. -at meat, at a table on which a meal is served: I Sam. 20:5; Matt. 9:10.
meat offering,
an offering consisting of meal, cereal, or flour, unleavened cakes or
wafers, or ears of corn: it was usually
made as an accessory offering to a burnt offering or a peace offering (I Chr.
21:23), except in the case of offerings by the
poverty stricken: Ezra 7:17; Neh. 13:5. In its earliest forms it also could
be an offering of flesh, but it appears soon to have been limited to
nonflesh offerings.
Melzar (mel'zar), the title of the officer
or steward under whose supervision Daniel was placed (Dan. 1:11,16). It is
not
intended as a proper name: perhaps guard or warden is meant in this context.
mem (mem), the thirteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet: it appears at the beginning of the thirteenth section of Psalm 119.
menchildren (men'chil-dran), men of Israel; male children of God, not children of man: Ex. 34:23.
Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin (me'ne me'ne tek'al fi-far'sin), the Aramaic inscription that appeared on the wall during Belshazzar's feast (Dan. 5:25): it may be translated as "numbered, numbered, weighed, (and) divided"; however, discussions concerning its meaning find few scholars in exact agreement. The confusion rises from, among other things, that Daniel's interpretation (Dan. 5:26-28) omits the second "Mene" and changes "Upharsin" to "Peres" (u may be a preposition and pharsin the plural of peres). The traditional explanation is that God had weighed Belshazzar and his kingdom, found them wanting, and would destroy them.
menpleasers (men'plez-arz), persons who will work only under supervision, or in order to receive flattery or favors: Eph. 6:6; Col. 3:22. Cf. eyeservice.
merchantman (mur'chant-man), a merchant; person whose business is buying and selling goods for profit: Gen. 37:28; I Kings 10:15.
mercy (mur'se), kindness, love, forbearance, and compassion: generally spoken of as a quality of God (Num. 14:18; Ps. 130:7; Luke 1:78). It is a kindness in excess of what can be expected of man, but since man's welfare and existence is dependent upon God's mercy he is expected to extend what he has of it to his fellowman (Prov. 14:21; Mic. 6:8; Rom. 11:28-32).
mercy seat, the solid gold plate covering the ark of the covenant: at each end of this seat, or lid, stood a cherub fashioned out of the same piece of gold, and designed so that each cherub faced the other and each had an outstretched wing which touched that of the other (Ex. 25:11-22), seemingly forming a kind of throne of God and the place from which He communed with his people (Num. 7:89). In making yearly atonement for the sins of the people, the high priest sprinkled blood from the sacrificial goat on and before the mercy seat (Lev. 16:13-16).
mete (met), to measure: Ex. 16:18; Isa. 40:12.
meteyard (met'yard), a measuring stick: Lev. 19:35.
Michtam (mik'tam), a word of obscure meaning, appearing in the titles of six Psalms: among the many suggestions put forth to explain its presence are that it was to indicate that the Psalm may 1) aid the Worshipper in atoning for sin; 2) be for use in private meditation; 3) be short, witty, and cleverly constructed in the form of an epigram. Still another proposition suggests that it may be a title or name for David: Ps. 16,56-60.
middlemost (mid'al-most), exactly in the middle, or nearest the middle: midmost: Ezek. 42:5,6.
mighty man, a strong, Powerful Warrior, usually one who has become a heroic champion: Judg. 6:12; Jer. 9:23; 46:5; Zech.9:13.
mighty one, a mighty man: Gen. 10:8; Jer. 46:5.
mighty works, the wondrous deeds performed by Jesus: Matt. 11:20, 21, 23; Mark 6:2, 14; Luke 10:13; 19:37.
Milcom (mu'com), the supreme god of the Ammonites, for whom Solomon set up a sanctuary which Josiah finally destroyed (I Kings 11:5, 33; II Kings 23:13): see Molech.
Millennium (mi-len'ni-am), the period of a thousand years described in Rev. 20: 1-8. Opinions vary with respect to the Millennium. Premillennialists say that the saints will be raptured, then Christ will come and reign 1000 years after which will come the loosing of the devil and the destruction of the wicked; Postmillennialists believe that 1000 years of peace will precede Christ's second coming, during which time most of the world will be converted. Some hold that period to be figurative, referring simply to a long period of time, most likely the New Testament era of grace which began with the redemptive work of Christ and will continue until the end of time (a-mi1lennialtsts ).
mincing (min'sing), using short steps or walking with affected daintiness: Isa. 3:16.
mingled people (ming'gald), peoples of various foreign nationalities living among the native Population in Egypt or Babylon, and others allied with them in various ways: Jer. 25:20, 24; Ezek. 30:5.
minish (min'ish), to make or become less, smaller, inferior, etc.; diminish: Ex. 5: 19; Ps. 107 :39.
minister (min'is-tar), n. a servant or attendant; especially, 1) a personal servant in a position of honor and trust, as Joshua, a minister of Moses (Ex. 24: 13; Josh. 1:1), and John Mark, a minister of Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:5); 2) a public official acting as a servant of the people and, therefore, of God: I Kings 10:5; Rom. 13:6; 3) an angel who is a servant and a messenger of God: Ps. 103:21; 104:4; 4) a priest or a Levite who served in the sanctuary and who was thus the agent of God: Ezra 8:17; Jer. 33:21 (it is this usage, generally speaking, that has come down to us in the modem conception of the "minister"-one who conducts worship, administers the sacraments, preaches, and otherwise performs the duties of God's servant) ; 5) Christ, as the chief minister of God (Mark 10:45), and as an equivalent to the high priest in heaven, at the right hand of God (Heb. 6:2). -v. 1. to supply; provide: II Cor. 9:10. 2. to serve or act as the agent of God: Deut. 21:5; II Chr. 13:10; Heb. 1:14.
ministration (min-is-tra'shan), 1. the act of serving as a minister; the performance of God's duties as discovered in the traditional Jewish ritual service: Luke 1:23. 2. the act of ministering, giving out, providing, or serving; dispensation: Acts 6: 1; II Cor. 3:7, 8, 9; 9:13.
ministry (min'is-tre), 1. the act of ministering, or serving as a minister of God: Acts 6:4; 12:25. 2. the office, position, or function of a minister as a servant of the church, figuratively "the body of Christ": II Cor. 4:1; Eph. 4:12.
minstrel (min'stral), a musician; especially one who played the harp or lyre to the accompaniment of a religious activity (II Kings 3: 15) or one hired to play an instrument, as the flute, at funerals (Matt. 3:15).
miracle (mir'a-kal), an extraordinary event effected directly by God and not by the normal operation of the known laws of nature. The term "miracle" is the anglicized form of the Latin word miraculum which meant a wonder or a marvelous, thing. In the New Testament miracles are described as signs, wonders, mighty works, and powers. In the Biblical sense miracles are events in the external world intended as signs or attestations of the power and love of God, and are directed toward a religious purpose. The miracles of the Bible are almost exclusively confined to: 1) the period of the Exodus (Ex. 7:9-10; Num. 20:7-11; Josh. 6:8-20); 2) the period of Elijah and Elisha (II Kings 4:2-7; 6:5-7); 3) the period of the Exile (Dan. 3:9-27); 4) the ministry of Jesus, when miracles attested His divine power as the Son of God (Matt. 15:33-39; Mark 22-24; John 2:1-9). The working of miracles by the apostles were signs of their apostleship.
miry (mir'e ), having the nature of a mire, or wet, soggy ground; swampy: Ps. 40:2; Ezek.47:11.
mite (mit ), a coin of very small value,
equal to about 1/8 of a cent or a half of a farthing: it was the coin of
lowest value in
circulation at the time: Mark 12:42; Luke 12:59.
| mitre (mi'tar), a headdress (Zech. 3:5); specifically, the official headdress of the Jewish high priest: it consisted of a priest's cap with a fine linen turban over it, held in place by a blue cord; a thin gold plate engraved with the words "Holiness to the Lord," was attached to the front of the mitre (Ex. 39:28,31; Lev.' 8:9). (The precise form of the mitre is not known, but see the accompanying illustration of one form,) It is thought that the inscription represents the recognition of the Israelites as the "holy people" of God through their chief representative, the high priest, |
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mixed multitude, the non-lsraelitic people of varied and mixed nationalities, who joined in the Exodus ( Ex. 12: 38 ), or those who were separated from the Israelites after the return from the Babylonian Captivity and whose intermarriage with the Israelites brought about Nehemiah's enforcement of Mosaic law prohibiting such marriages (Neh, 13:3).
Molech ( mo'lek), a god, whose precise identity is uncertain, associated with the ritual practice of child sacrifice a practice not unknown in ancient Israel ( Gen. 22:1-19; Judg. 11:29-40) but specifically forbidden by Mosiac law (Lev. 18:21). However, several Israelites, as Solomon, Ahaz, and Manasseh, did take up this idolatrous practice (II Kings 21 :6; II Chr. 28:3), Their acts were condemned and the altars built for such rituals were destroyed (II Kings 23:10; Jer. 7:31; Amos 5:26). It is often thought that Molech was; not a proper name, but rather the equivalent of "king" or "supreme ruler" who was worshiped by his followers with "shameful" practices. On occasion he was referred to by the proper names Milcom, Malcham, or Moloch (mo'lok) because of varying interpretations of the original Hebrew texts. There is extra-Biblical evidence for the worship of such a god but whether or not the Hebrew texts specifically refer to Molech is a question disputed by many scholars.
molten sea. same as the brasen sea: I Kings 7 :23.
moneychanger (mun'e-chan-jar), a person whose business was to exchange money, usually of different countries, for a fee: several currencies, especially Roman, were in circulation in Palestine in New Testament times, but it was customary for church offerings to be made in native money and the temple-tax had to be paid in definite coinage: the moneychanger, therefore, moved his place of business from the streets into the precincts of the temple on feast days and days of worship as to change money for the worshipers, particularly those who came from distant places with all kinds of foreign money: the fees and profits from these transactions were limited by law and were subject to the scrutiny of public officials. The position and function of the money-changer was necessary for the proper maintenance of the temple and for the convenience and protection of all those who made pilgrimages to the temple. This system of exchanging money, though necessary and sanctioned and guarded by law, from time to time was open to abuse of varying kinds. One such time is dramatically depicted in the New Testament (Matt. 21:12; Mk. 11:15; John 2:15).
monument (mon'yoo-mant), a private or secret place, as a tomb or sepulcher: Isa. 65:4. Some authorities suggest that a secret cave or grotto is meant, to which certain peoples resorted for pagan rituals and practices, probably to sleep in expectation of inspirational dreams.
more part, the greater part or larger number; majority: Acts 27:12.
morning cloud, a dense mass of vapor which the westerly winds from the Mediterranean deposit on summer mornings: morning clouds disappear very early during the hot season in Palestine, thus suggesting (Hos. 6:4; 13:3) how fleeting and transient is the goodness and piety of so many people.
mortar (mortar), a very hard bowl in which softer substances, as grain, spices, etc., are ground or pounded to a powder with a pestle: Num. 11:8. Used figuratively (Prov. 27:22) to point out the futility of trying to separate a fool from his foolishness-a way of saying a fool's folly is his very nature.
morter (mor'tar), 1. a substance, as mud or clay, used between bricks and stones in building, to bind them together: Ex. 1:14; Nah. 3: 14. 2. a similar material, as plaster or whitewash, spread over a surface to disguise its faulty or imperfect condition: Lev. 14:42,45; Ezek. 13:10,11, 14. This word is now spelled mortar.
most High, God: name applied probably to indicate His supremacy: Ps. 9:2; 21:7; Acts 7 :48. Also written most high God Gen. 14:18), Lord most high (Ps. 7:17), and God most high (Luke 8:28). In the Old Testament this expression is used especially by non-Israelites who recognized the true God. In the New Testament it is used as a special title of God adopted by pagans not fully converted to Judaism or by Jews touched by paganism.
most holy place, the innermost room of the tabernacle, containing the ark of the covenant (I Kings 8:6; Ezek. 41.:4): in this room the high priest made yearly atonement for the people.
mote (mot), a speck of dust or other very small dry particle: used in the phrase a mote in thy brother's eye and a beam in thine own eye, indicating that one is quick to notice the small defects of others while remaining unaware of one's own greater faults (Matt. 7:4; Luke 6:41,42).
moving things, living creatures: Gen. 1:20.
muffler (muf'lar), a long, flowing scarf or veil worn, about the head: Isa. 3: 19.
munition (mu-nish'an), a fortified place; fortress; stronghold: Isa. 29:7; 33:16.
murrain ( mur'in ), a highly contagious, and probably fatal, disease that afflicted cattle; plague or pestilence (Ex. 9:3): some theories hold that it arose from an earlier plague in which a large number of frogs appeared, upon the wholesale death of which their bodies were assaulted by insects which contracted a disease from the decaying flesh and transmitted it to cattle.
musick (mu'zik), archaic spelling of music: I Sam. 18:iJ; Amos 6:5. In Luke 15:25 it may refer to a band of players and singers, and possibly flute players.
Muth-labben (muth-lab'an), "death of the son"; a possible translation for a phrase in the title of Psalm 9, probably the name or first line of a well-known song to the tune of which the Psalm was to be sung; however, the certainty of the text has long been questioned.
myrrh (mur), 1. a dark, sweet-smelling resin
obtained from certain varieties of the rockrose, a small shrub with large,
rose-like flowers, growing in the arid regions of Palestine (Gen. 37:25;
43:11): not the true myrrh but more likely what is now called labdanum. 2. a
slightly fragrant, bitter-tasting gum resin exuded from any of several
shrubs of Arabia and eastern Arabia: it is used in making incense perfume,
anointing oil, embalming fluid, and medicine: Matt. 2:11; Mark 15:23; John
19:39. (Except for the two references in Genesis, cited above, this resin is
probably the one being referred to.) The reference in Matthew indicates that
it was a valuable gift; cf. Song 3:6.
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