(Jer. 37:21) King Ahab’s ‘assigning streets to himself in Damascus’ may have meant his having markets there. (1 Ki. 20:34) At night the streets of some cities apparently were under the vigilant eyes of watchmen.—Song of Sol. 3:1-3.

The streets also were places where news was announced. (2 Sam. 1:20; Jer. 11:6) There Jesus Christ taught and cured the ailing, though not wrangling and crying aloud in the broadways, trying to cause a public sensation to magnify his own name and draw attention away from Jehovah God and the Kingdom good news. (Luke 8:1; Matt. 12:13-19; Isa. 42:1, 2) Jesus, therefore, was not like the hypocrites whom he condemned for praying “on the corners of the broad ways to be visible to men.”—Matt. 6:5.

STRIFE

A number of original-language words convey the basic idea of strife and contention. Among the causes for strife alluded to in the Scriptures are hatred (Prov. 10:12), rage (Prov. 15:18; 29:22), intrigues (Prov. 16:28), ridicule (Prov. 22:10), heavy drinking (Prov. 23:29, 30), slander (Prov. 26:20), arrogance or pride and lack of right teaching. (Prov. 28:25; 1 Tim. 6:4) Strife destroys peace and happiness. Its unpleassant and repelling effect on other persons is repeatedly highlighted in the book of Proverbs. (Prov. 19:13; 21:9, 19; 25:24; 27:15) Contentions between those who at one time enjoyed a brotherly relationship may present an almost insurmountable barrier to reconciliation. “A brother who is transgressed against is more than a strong town; and there are contentions that are like the bar of a dwelling tower.”—Prov. 18:19.

As one of the works of the flesh that is hated by Jehovah (Gal. 5:19, 20; compare Proverbs 6:19; Romans 1:28, 29, 32; James 3:14-16), strife or contention has no place in the Christian congregation (Rom. 13:13; 1 Cor. 3:3; 2 Cor. 12:20; Phil. 2:3; Titus 3:9), and one of the qualifications for a Christian overseer is that he be a nonbelligerent man. (1 Tim. 3:1, 3) Therefore, persons persisting in contention or strife are among those to receive God’s adverse judgment.—Rom. 2:6, 8.

In the first century C.E., the apostle Paul had to contend with persons who were given to strife. Some were declaring the good news out of contentiousness, probably with a view to making themselves prominent and undermining Paul’s authority and influence. But Paul did not permit this to take away his joy in seeing that Christ was being publicized.—Phil. 1:15-18.

STRINGED INSTRUMENT

There is uncertainty about the instrument(s) designated by the various original-language words rendered “stringed instrument.” The neʹvel is usually mentioned together with the kin·nohrʹ (“harp”), indicating that these instruments are distinctly different. The neʹvel, a portable instrument made from wood (1 Ki. 10:12), was used to play both sacred and secular music. (2 Sam. 6:5; 2 Chron. 5:12; Neh. 12:27; Isa. 5:12) It also had a place in the court of the king of Babylon. (Isa. 14:4, 11) Evidently various stringed instruments were employed, for the Bible mentions min·nimʹ (“strings”; Ps. 150:4), k^eliʹ neʹvel (‘instrument of the string type’ or “stringed sort”; 1 Chron. 16:5; Ps. 71:22), neʹvel ʽa·sohrʹ (“an instrument of ten strings,” ʽa·sohrʹ being linked with a word meaning “ten”; Ps. 33:2; 144:9), n^eghi·nohthʹ (related to a word meaning “to strike the strings”; “stringed instruments”; superscriptions of Psalms 4, 6, 54, 55, 61, 67, 76) and p^esan·te·rinʹ (understood to mean a “stringed instrument” of triangular shape; Dan. 3:5, 7, 10, 15).

STRONG DRINK

See WINE AND STRONG DRINK.

STUBBLE

In Biblical usage, stubble appears to refer to the remnants of grain stalks remaining in the field after the harvest. Stubble is what the Israelites had to gather when Egypt’s Pharaoh deprived them of the regular provision of straw for making bricks. (Ex. 5:10-12) Repeatedly stubble figures in illustrative settings, allusions being made to the fact that it is light and frail (Job 13:25; 41:1, 28, 29), easily blown away by the wind (Isa. 40:24; 41:2; Jer. 13:24), and burns readily and noisily. (Isa. 5:24; Joel 2:5; Obad. 18; Nah. 1:10) The wicked, the enemies of Jehovah, as well as schemes that were bound to fail, are compared to stubble. (Ex. 15:7; Ps. 83:13; Mal. 4:1; Isa. 33:11) The apostle Paul, in discussing Christian building work, listed stubble as the least valuable material, one that would not withstand the fire test.—1 Cor. 3:12, 13.

STUBBORNNESS

The basic meaning of the various original-language words that convey the idea of stubbornness is hardness, especially in a bad sense. In Biblical usage, often a deliberate refusal to comply with God’s will or commands is involved. (Ps. 78:8; 81:12; Isa. 1:23; 65:2; Jer. 3:17; 5:23; 7:23-26; 11:8; 18:12; Hos. 4:16; Acts 7:51) That disaster comes to those who persist in a stubborn course is repeatedly highlighted in the Scriptures. (Deut. 29:19, 20; Neh. 9:29, 30; Prov. 28:14; Isa. 30:1; Jer. 6:28-30; 9:13-16; 13:10; 16:12, 13; Dan. 5:20; Hos. 9:15; Zech. 7:12; Rom. 2:5) For instance, God’s law to Israel prescribed that a stubborn and rebellious son be stoned to death.—Deut. 21:18, 20.

In his dealings with humankind, Jehovah God has patiently allowed individuals and nations, although deserving of death, to continue in existence. (Gen. 15:16; 2 Pet. 3:9) Whereas some have responded favorably to this by putting themselves in line for receiving mercy (Josh. 2:8-14; 6:22, 23; 9:3-15), others have hardened themselves to an even greater degree against Jehovah and against his people. (Deut. 2:30-33; Josh. 11:19, 20) Since Jehovah does not prevent persons from becoming stubborn, he is spoken of as ‘letting them become obstinate’ or ‘making their hearts hard.’ When he finally does execute vengeance upon the stubborn ones, this results in a demonstration of his great power and causes his name to be declared.—Compare Exodus 4:21; John 12:40; Romans 9:14-18.

A case in point is what God did in connection with the Pharaoh who refused to let the Israelites leave Egypt. Jehovah brought ten devastating plagues upon the land of Egypt. Each time that Pharaoh hardened his heart after a certain plague ended, Jehovah used this as an opportunity to demonstrate his great power still further by other miracles. (Ex. 7:3-5, 14–Ex 11:10) Therefore, some of the Egyptians came to realize that Jehovah is a God who has to be obeyed. For example, when the seventh plague was announced, even some of Pharaoh’s servants saw to it that their own servants and livestock were safely sheltered before the destructive hailstorm began. (Ex. 9:20, 21) Finally, when Pharaoh, after having released the Israelites, again made his heart obstinate and mustered his forces to wreak vengeance upon them (Ex. 14:8, 9; 15:9), Jehovah destroyed him and his army in the Red Sea. (Ex. 14:27, 28; Ps. 136:15) For years afterward God’s name was declared among the nations as they talked about what Jehovah did to the Egyptians on account of their stubbornness.—Ex. 18:10, 11; Josh. 2:10, 11; 9:9; 1 Sam. 6:6.

As Jehovah gives advance warning of his judgment against stubborn ones, the execution of that judgment cannot be attributed to other causes or a different source. Said Jehovah, through the prophet Isaiah, to obstinate Israelites: “Due to my knowing that you are hard and that your neck is an iron sinew and your forehead is copper, I also kept telling you from that time. Before it could come in, I caused you to hear it, that you might not say, ‘My own idol has done them, and my own carved image and my own molten image have commanded them.’”—Isa. 48:4, 5; compare Jeremiah 44:16-23.