• Pithom
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • to the W of Tell el-Maskhutah. This location is preferred on the basis of an inscription on a Latin milestone found referring to Ero (an apparent abbreviation of Heroonpolis, thought to be the Greek translation of Pr-Tm). It seems clear, however, that no positive conclusion can be reached on the basis of these conjectures. The archaeologists have apparently been influenced in their conclusions by the popular view that the Pharaoh of the Israelite oppression was Ramses II, a view that is not soundly founded.—See EXODUS; RAAMSES, RAMESES.

  • Plain
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • PLAIN

      Relatively level land, in contrast to hilly or mountainous country. The Hebrew Scriptures are quite explicit in their use of different words to identify or describe various types of land.

      The Hebrew term ʽara·vahʹ is used both as a name for a specific area and a word descriptive of a certain type of land. (See ARABAH.) When used without the definite article, ʽara·vahʹ indicates a desert plain or steppe, such as those of Moab and Jericho. (Num. 22:1; 35:1; Josh. 5:10; 13:32; Jer. 52:8) Though there might be rivers to provide some water for the area, ʽara·vahʹ generally emphasizes that the plain is an arid one. Thus it would be quite a reversal for the fertile, watered plain of Sharon to become like the desert plain (Isa. 33:9), or for torrents of water to come to the desert plain.—Isa. 35:1, 6; 51:3.

      The word biq·ʽahʹ indicated a wide plain bounded by mountains. It comes from a root meaning “to cleave, to rend, to divide,” and can be accurately rendered “valley plain.” Even today the broad valley plain between the Lebanon and the Anti-Lebanon mountains is known as el-Biqaʽ. (Josh. 11:17) Often in the Scriptures biq·ʽahʹ or “valley plain” is set in contrast to mountains or hills (Deut. 8:7; 11:11; Ps. 104:8; Isa. 41:18) or to rugged or rough ground. (Isa. 40:4) The related Aramaic word appearing at Daniel 3:1 is frequently translated just “plain,” referring to the place where Nebuchadnezzar erected the gold image.

      A long low plain was designated in Hebrew ʽeʹmeq. The word signifies “a long broad sweep between parallel ranges of hills of less extent than the preceding term [biq·ʽahʹ], . . . [ʽeʹmeq] having the idea of lowness and breadth rather than precipitateness or confinement.” (M’Clintock and Strong’s Cyclopaedia, Vol. X, p. 703) The Hebrew word is applied to many different localities, such as “the low plain of Achor,” “the low plain of Aijalon” and “the low plain of Rephaim.”—Josh. 7:26; 10:12; 1 Chron. 11:15.

  • Plane Tree
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • PLANE TREE

      [Heb., ʽar·mohnʹ].

      The name of this tree in Hebrew evidently comes from the root word ʽa·rahʹ, meaning “nakedness,” or the word ʽa·ramʹ, meaning “stripped.” At Genesis 30:37, 38 Jacob is described as placing staffs from this tree, along with those of other trees, before the flocks of Laban at Haran in Syria. The staffs were peeled, “laying bare” or revealing “white places.” The plane tree (Platanus orientalis) annually peels off its outer bark in strips or sections, exposing the smooth whitish inner bark beneath.

      The plane tree is of stately appearance, growing to a height of seventy feet (21.3 meters) or more, with wide spreading branches and broad dark-green, vine-like leaves affording splendid shade. The girth of the trunk often reaches as much as forty feet (12.2 meters). It was, therefore, a tree worthy of comparison with, but not actually being a match for, the majestic cedar of Lebanon, which Ezekiel used as a figure of the king of Assyria in his message to Pharaoh. (Ezek. 31:8) In all respects, then, the plane tree satisfactorily fits the Biblical description, whereas the “chestnut tree” of the Authorized Version does not. The Vulgate and the Septuagint both give “plane” tree at Genesis 30:37, as do most modern translations.

      Plane trees are found along the rivers and streams throughout Syria and in the region of ancient Assyria, as well as to a lesser degree in Palestine and Lebanon.

  • Pledge
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • PLEDGE

      An object of personal property, such as a ring or garment, surrendered by a debtor to his creditor as a guarantee of the future repayment of a loan. The Mosaic law’s regulations concerning pledges protected the interests of impoverished and defenseless members of the nation. They showed that God appreciated the difficulties of the poor and widows.

      If a poor man gave his outer garment as a pledge or security on a loan, the creditor was not to keep it overnight. (Ex. 22:26, 27; Deut. 24:12, 13) A poor person would likely use his outer garments for covering at night; if he were deprived of it, he might suffer from the cold. For a person to ignore this law would mark him as greedy and heartless. (Job 22:6; 24:9) Yet, during Israel’s apostasy, some persons not only seized garments from the poor as pledges but used them during their false religious feasts.—Amos 2:8.

      Not returning “a pledged thing” was listed in Ezekiel 18:10-13 along with robbing and shedding blood as things combining to prove an unrepentant sinner as worthy of death. On the other hand, a wicked one who abandoned his sins by, among other things, returning “the very thing pledged” would “positively keep living.” (Ezek. 33:14-16) It was also forbidden to take a hand mill or its upper grindstone as a pledge, for bread was usually baked daily and to take the implements necessary for grinding the grain would mean seizing “a soul” or life.—Deut. 24:6.