Index 


Belly The seat of the carnal affections (Tit 1:12; Phi 3:19; Rom 16:18). The word is used symbolically for the heart (Pro 18:8; Pro 20:27; Pro 22:18, marg.). The "belly of hell" signifies the grave or underworld (Jon 2:2).

Belshazzar Bel protect the king!, the last of the kings of Babylon (Dan 5:1). He was the son of Nabonidus by Nitocris, who was the daughter of Nebuchadnezzar and the widow of Nergal-sharezer. When still young he made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and when heated with wine sent for the sacred vessels his "father" (Dan 5:2), or grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from the temple in Jerusalem, and he and his princes drank out of them. In the midst of their mad revelry a hand was seen by the king tracing on the wall the announcement of God's judgment, which that night fell upon him. At the instance of the queen (i.e., his mother) Daniel was brought in, and he interpreted the writing. That night the kingdom of the Chaldeans came to an end, and the king was slain (Dan 5:30). (See NERGAL-SHAREZER.) The absence of the name of Belshazzar on the monuments was long regarded as an argument against the genuineness of the Book of Daniel. In 1854 Sir Henry Rawlinson found an inscription of Nabonidus which referred to his eldest son. Quite recently, however, the side of a ravine undermined by heavy rains fell at Hillah, a suburb of Babylon. A number of huge, coarse earthenware vases were laid bare. These were filled with tablets, the receipts and contracts of a firm of Babylonian bankers, which showed that Belshazzar had a household, with secretaries and stewards. One was dated in the third year of the king Marduk-sar-uzur. As Marduk-sar-uzar was another name for Baal, this Marduk-sar-uzur was found to be the Belshazzar of Scripture. In one of these contract tablets, dated in the July after the defeat of the army of Nabonidus, we find him paying tithes for his sister to the temple of the sun-god at Sippara.

Belteshazzar Beltis protect the king!, the Chaldee name given to Daniel by Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 1:7).

Benaiah Built up by Jehovah. (1.) The son of Jehoiada, chief priest (Ch1 27:5). He was set by David over his body-guard of Cherethites and Pelethites (Sa2 8:18; Kg1 1:32; Ch1 18:17). His exploits are enumerated in Sa2 23:20, Sa2 23:21, Sa2 23:22; Ch1 11:22. He remained faithful to Solomon (Kg1 1:8, Kg1 1:10, Kg1 1:26), by whom he was raised to the rank of commander-in-chief (Kg1 2:25, Kg1 2:29, Kg1 2:30, Kg1 2:34, Kg1 2:35; Kg1 4:4). (2.) Sa2 23:30; Ch1 11:31. (3.) A musical Levite (Ch1 15:18, Ch1 15:20). (4.) A priest (Ch1 15:24; Ch1 16:6). (5.) The son of Jeiel (Ch2 20:14).

Ben-ammi Son of my kindred; i.e., "born of incest", the son of Lot by his youngest daughter (Gen 19:38).

Bench Deck of a Tyrian ship, described by Ezekiel (Eze 27:6) as overlaid with box-wood.

Bene-jaakan Children of Jaakan (Num 33:31, Num 33:32), the same as Beeroth.

Ben-hadad The standing title of the Syrian kings, meaning "the son of Hadad." (See HADADEZER.) (1.) The king of Syria whom Asa, king of Judah, employed to invade Israel (Kg1 15:18). (2.) Son of the preceding, also king of Syria. He was long engaged in war against Israel. He was murdered probably by Hazael, by whom he was succeeded (Kg2 8:7), after a reign of some thirty years. (3.) King of Damascus, and successor of his father Hazael on the throne of Syria (Kg2 13:3, Kg2 13:4). His misfortunes in war are noticed by Amos (Amo 1:4).

Benjamin son of my right hand. (1.) The younger son of Jacob by Rachel (Gen 35:18). His birth took place at Ephrath, on the road between Bethel and Bethlehem, at a short distance from the latter place. His mother died in giving him birth, and with her last breath named him Ben-oni, son of my pain, a name which was changed by his father into Benjamin. His posterity are called Benjamites (Gen 49:27; Deu 33:12; Jos 18:21). (2.) The tribe of Benjamin at the Exodus was the smallest but one (Num 1:36, Num 1:37; Psa 68:27). During the march its place was along with Manasseh and Ephraim on the west of the tabernacle. At the entrance into Canaan it counted 45,600 warriors. It has been inferred by some from the words of Jacob (Gen 49:27) that the figure of a wolf was on the tribal standard. This tribe is mentioned in Rom 11:1; Phi 3:5. (3.) The inheritance of this tribe lay immediately to the south of that of Ephraim, and was about 26 miles in length and 12 in breadth. Its eastern boundary was the Jordan. Dan intervened between it and the Philistines. Its chief towns are named in Jos 18:21. (4.) The history of the tribe contains a sad record of a desolating civil war in which they were engaged with the other eleven tribes. By it they were almost exterminated (Jdg 20:20, Jdg 20:21; Jdg 21:10). (See GIBEAH.) The first king of the Jews was Saul, a Benjamite. A close alliance was formed between this tribe and that of Judah in the time of David (Sa2 19:16, Sa2 19:17), which continued after his death (Kg1 11:13; Kg1 12:20). After the Exile these two tribes formed the great body of the Jewish nation (Ezr 1:5; Ezr 10:9). The tribe of Benjamin was famous for its archers (Sa1 20:20, Sa1 20:36; Sa2 1:22; Ch1 8:40; Ch1 12:2) and slingers (Jdg 20:6). (5.) The gate of Benjamin, on the north side of Jerusalem (Jer 37:13; Jer 38:7; Zac 14:10), was so called because it led in the direction of the territory of the tribe of Benjamin. It is called by Jeremiah (Jer 20:2) "the high gate of Benjamin;" also "the gate of the children of the people" (Jer 17:19). (Compare Kg2 14:13.)

Beor A torch. (1.) The father of Bela, one of the kings of Edom (Gen 36:32). (2.) The father of Balaam (Num 22:5; Num 24:3, Num 24:15; Num 31:8). In Pe2 2:15 he is called Bosor.