also designates a particular part of Mount Hermon. (Compare 1 Chronicles 5:23.) At Psalm 29:6 Sirion and Lebanon are mentioned together. For this reason it has been suggested that Sirion perhaps refers to the Anti-Lebanon range.—See HERMON.

SISERA

(Sisʹe·ra).

1. Army chief under Canaanite King Jabin. Sisera, who lived at Harosheth rather than at Jabin’s city Hazor, is more prominent in the account than King Jabin. Sometime after Judge Ehud had overthrown Moabite domination, Sisera and Jabin came to oppress Israel for twenty years.—Judg. 4:1-3; 1 Sam. 12:9.

On hearing that Deborah and Barak had mustered the Israelites to fight against him, Sisera collected his forces, including his nine hundred iron-scythed chariots, and engaged Israel at the torrent valley of Kishon. But Jehovah fought against Sisera and threw his whole army into confusion, resulting in their total defeat.—Judg. 4:7, 12-16, 23; 5:20, 21; Ps. 83:9.

His chariots bogged down (compare Judges 5:21), Sisera fled on foot and came to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, who was at peace with Jabin. She invited him inside. Exhausted from the battle and the flight, the weary Sisera, depending on the safety of Jael’s tent, decided to rest. She gave Sisera some milk to drink and he asked her to stand guard. When he had fallen into a sound sleep, Jael stealthily went up to him and drove a tent pin through his temples into the earth. When Barak arrived, Jael presented to him the fallen enemy. (Judg. 4:9, 17-22; 5:25-27) Sisera’s mother and her household waited in vain for him to return with great spoil.—Judg. 5:28-30.

2. Forefather of a family of Nethinim that returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel in 537 B.C.E. (Ezra 2:1, 2, 43, 53; Neh. 7:55) War captives were included among the Nethinim, and while some may have been taken at the time Sisera (No. 1 above) was defeated and may have become temple servants, there is no reason to conclude that the Nethinim who returned from Babylon were descendants of the Sisera of Barak’s time.

SISMAI

(Sisʹmai).

A descendant of Judah through Jerahmeel and Sheshan; son of Eleasah and father of Shullam. (1 Chron. 2:3-5, 25, 34, 40) Sismai possibly lived during the period of the Judges.

SISTER

In the Scriptures the term is applied to full sisters and to half sisters, those having the same father but different mothers (Gen. 34:1, 27; 1 Chron. 3:1-9), or the same mother but different fathers, as in the case of the sisters of Jesus. (Matt. 13:55, 56, Mark 6:3) Adam’s sons obviously married their sisters, since all humankind sprang from Adam and Eve. (Gen. 3:20; 5:4) (Adam’s wife Eve, as ‘bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh,’ was more closely related than a sister. [Gen. 2:22-24]) There was no stigma attached to marriage to sisters or half sisters. The account reports that more than two thousand years later, Abraham married Sarah his half sister. (Gen. 20:2, 12) The Mosaic law, some 430 years later, however, forbade such unions as incestuous. (Lev. 18:9, 11; 20:17) Doubtless, as the human race deviated farther from Adam’s original perfection, the laws of heredity made it become detrimental for closely related persons to marry.

“Sister” in its broader usage included fellow countrywomen of a nation. (Num. 25:17, 18) Nations or cities that had a close relationship or that carried on similar moral practices were likened to sisters.—Jer. 3:7-10; Ezek. 16:46, 48, 49, 55; 23:32, 33.

The Hebrew word for sister (ʼa·hhohthʹ) is translated “the other” when describing the placing of objects in relationship to corresponding pieces in the tabernacle and in Ezekiel’s visions.—Ex. 26:3, 5, 6, 17; Ezek. 1:9, 23; 3:13.

IN THE CHRISTIAN CONGREGATION

Jesus taught that spiritual relationships take priority over fleshly ones. Those women who did his Father’s will were ‘sisters’ held in higher regard than mere fleshly relations. (Matt. 12:50; Mark 3:34, 35) One willing to sever earthly ties, if necessary to do so for the sake of the Kingdom, will have a “hundredfold” of “sisters” and other ‘family’ relations now, plus “everlasting life” in the future. (Matt. 19:29; Mark 10:29, 30; Luke 14:26) Women in the Christian congregation are called sisters, in a spiritual sense.—Rom. 16:1; 1 Cor. 7:15; 9:5; Jas. 2:15.

FIGURATIVE USE

Closeness to wisdom is encouraged by the wise writer Solomon when he stresses the importance of Jehovah’s commandments. He says: “Say to wisdom: ‘You are my sister’; and may you call understanding itself ‘Kinswoman.’”—Prov. 7:4.

SISTRUM

[Heb., m^ena·ʽan·ʽimʹ (plural), variously translated as “castanets” (AT, JB), “bells” (Le) and “cornets” (AV, Dy, Yg)].

The Hebrew word occurs but once in Scripture and seems to be derived from a root meaning “to quiver, to be shaken.” (2 Sam. 6:5) Since the sistrum is characteristically played in this manner, being, as it were, a “musical rattle,” many lexicographers and music authorities favor this rendering, one that has also been adopted by a number of Bible translators.—Da; NW; Ro; Vg.

The sistrum generally consisted of a small oval metal frame attached to a handle. The complete instrument varied from eight to eighteen inches (about 20 to 46 centimeters) in length, according to extant ancient specimens as well as Egyptian and other monumental representations. The frame loosely held a small number of metal crossbars that, when shaken, produced sharp, ringing sounds. The horizontal bars may have been of differing lengths so as to produce a series of tones. Another type of sistrum was equipped with rings on the bars, and these rings jingled when agitated. Although its single Biblical appearance is in the description of a great celebration, traditional Jewish sources state that the sistrum was played on sad occasions as well.

SITHRI

(Sithʹri) [perhaps, (Jehovah) concealed].

A Levite living during the Israelite slavery in Egypt; son of Uzziel and cousin of Moses.—Ex. 6:18, 20, 22.

SITNAH

(Sitʹnah) [accusation].

A well that Isaac’s servants dug in the vicinity of Gerar and Rehoboth. It was named Sitnah because of their dispute over it with the shepherds of Gerar. Sitnah’s exact location is not known. (Gen. 26:19-22) However, perhaps it was somewhere in Wadi Shutnet er-Ruheibeh, about eighteen miles (29 kilometers) SW of Beer-sheba. This wadi’s name bears a similarity to both Sitnah and Rehoboth.

SIVAN

(Siʹvan).

The postexilic name of the third Jewish lunar month of the sacred calendar, but the ninth of the secular calendar. (Esther 8:9; 1 Chron. 27:5; 2 Chron. 31:7) It corresponds to part of May and part of June. The meaning of the name is uncertain.

Sivan comes at the end of the spring when the intense heat of summer is approaching; this is mentioned by Josephus in describing a slaughter of Samaritans by the Roman army in that month. (Wars of the Jews, Book III, chap. VII, par. 32) This was the time of the wheat harvest and also the early part of the dry season, which would continue until October or the lunar month of Bul. (Ex. 34:22; Prov. 26:1) This was doubtless the month when the prophet Samuel prayed to Jehovah and an unseasonal rainstorm occurred, causing great fear among the people. (1 Sam. 12:16-19) By now the “early figs” that came on the trees toward the close of the winter months were fully ripe. (Isa. 28:4; Jer. 24:2) In the coastal area of the Mediterranean apples were also in season.—Song of Sol. 2:3; compare Joel 1:10-12.

The Festival of Weeks or Pentecost was celebrated on the sixth day of Sivan, accompanied by the offering of the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, just fifty days after the offering of the firstfruits of the barley harvest. (Ex. 34:22; Lev. 23:15-21) It was on this sixth day of Sivan, in the year 33 C.E., that the holy spirit was poured out on the group of about 120 disciples assembled in the upper room at Jerusalem. From the crowds gathered at the city for the feast came the three thousand persons who were baptized on that day.—Acts 1:15; 2:1-42.

It was in the month of Sivan that King Asa celebrated a grand feast following his reform activity in eradicating false religion from Judah and Jerusalem and other areas. (2 Chron. 15:8-10) The swift couriers sent by King Ahasuerus to deliver the message granting the Jews the right to defend themselves on the thirteenth day of Adar were dispatched almost nine months earlier, on the twenty-third day of Sivan, to the 127 jurisdictional districts of the Persian Empire extending from India to Ethiopia.—Esther 8:9-14.

SIX

See NUMBER, NUMERAL.

SKINS

The skin is classified as an organ of the body, and indeed performs many functions for the body’s well-being, including protection, regulation of body temperature, and removal of certain waste materials. The Bible mentions skin afflictions (Lev. 13:1-46; 21:20; Deut. 28:27) and certain deteriorating effects of disease and starvation upon the skin.—Job 7:5; 30:30; Lam. 4:8; 5:10.

According to the Law, skins of animals used for certain sin offerings were burned outside the camp of Israel, or outside the gate of Jerusalem. (Ex. 29:14; Lev. 4:11, 12; 8:17; 9:11; 16:27; Heb. 13:11) The priest received the skin of an animal presented by an Israelite for a burnt offering.—Lev. 7:8.

Jehovah provided skin garments for Adam and Eve to cover their nakedness, after they had sinned. (Gen. 3:21) Undressed skins were used for garments by some, notably some of the prophets (2 Ki. 1:8; Matt. 3:4), including some false prophets. (Zech. 13:4) Animal skins also served for sandals (Ezek. 16:3, 10), bags (1 Sam. 17:40), skin bottles for water, milk, wine, and so forth (Gen. 21:14; Josh. 9:13; Judg. 4:19; Matt. 9:17), as drumheads and possibly as a sounding base for the neʹvel or “stringed instrument.” (Isa. 5:12) Skins were used as coverings for the tabernacle.—Ex. 25:2, 5; 26:14; 35:7, 23; 36:19.

Skin of sheep, goats or calves was also employed as a writing material.—See PARCHMENT.

FIGURATIVE USE

Concerning Job, Satan said to Jehovah: “Skin in behalf of skin, and everything that a man has he will give in behalf of his soul.” (Job 2:4) The Devil thereby challenged man’s integrity.

Job himself said: “I escape with the skin of my teeth.” (Job 19:20) This harmonizes with the fact that tooth enamel is produced by epithelial or skin cells. A possible reading is: “And my flesh becomes hairless in my teeth.” (Compare Job 13:14.) But if the usual reading is taken, Job likely meant that he had a very narrow escape from death.

SKULL PLACE

See GOLGOTHA.

SKY

[Heb., shaʹhhaq (apparently from a root meaning “to pulverize, beat in pieces or pound fine”), “dust” as being made fine, “cloud of dust,” “cloud.” Sha·maʹyim, “heavens,” is occasionally rendered “skies.” Gr., ou·ra·nosʹ, “heaven” or “sky”].

“Sky [shaʹhhaq],” as used by the Bible writers’ may mean the expanse of atmosphere that surrounds the earth in which clouds float (Isa. 45:8), or the apparent vault or dome over the earth that is blue at daytime and star-studded at night. (Ps. 89:37) In most cases the writer evidently is merely referring to what is high above man without specifying which aspect of the “sky” is involved.—Ps. 57:10; 108:4.

The fine dust particles in the atmosphere, the molecules of water vapor and, to some extent, the molecules of oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and other gases in the atmosphere, scatter the rays of light, the blue rays being most diffused, which gives the clear sky its characteristic blue color. Fine dust particles also play a large part in producing clouds, the water vapor collecting around these particles.

Jehovah speaks of himself as the One who “beat out the skies hard like a molten mirror.” (Job 37:18) The particles forming the atmosphere are indeed compressed under the pull of gravity, and are held to a limit as to their outer boundaries, gravity preventing their escape from the earth. (Gen. 1:6-8) They do reflect the sunlight in a manner comparable to a mirror. Because of this the sky looks bright, whereas without an atmosphere the sky observer on earth would see only blackness, with the heavenly bodies glowing brilliantly on a black background, as is the case with the atmosphereless moon. Astronauts can observe the earth’s atmosphere from outer space as an illuminated, glowing halo.

Jehovah used figurative language in warning Israel that, for disobedience, the skies overhead would become copper and the earth beneath, iron, and powder and dust would be the rain of their land. Doubtless under such conditions of lack of rain the “shut up,” cloudless skies would become reddish, copper, in color, because increased dust particles in the atmosphere tend to diffuse the blue light to the point that the red waves are more prominent, just as the setting sun appears red because of the greater depth or thickness of atmosphere that the sun’s rays must traverse.—Deut. 28:23, 24; compare 1 Kings 8:35, where “heaven” is used as referring to the expanse.

When Jesus ascended toward heaven, a cloud caught him away from the disciples’ vision. As they gazed into the sky, angels appeared and said: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus who was received up from you into the sky will come thus in the same manner as you have beheld him going into the sky.” (Acts 1:9-11) The angels, in effect, told the disciples that there was no point in their gazing into the sky, expecting him to appear to their vision there. For the cloud had caught him up, and he had become invisible. But he would come back in like manner, invisibly, unobserved by the physical eyes.

Occasionally, “sky” is used in parallel with “heaven,” but for a discussion of the application of the more comprehensive term “heaven,” see HEAVEN.

SLANDER

See GOSSIP, SLANDER.

SLAP

See ATTITUDES AND GESTURES.

SLAVE

The original-language words often rendered “slave” or “servant” are not limited in their application to persons owned by others.

ORIGINAL-LANGUAGE TERMS

The Hebrew word ʽeʹvedh can refer to persons owned by fellowmen. (Gen. 12:16; Ex. 20:17) Or the term can designate subjects of a king (2 Sam. 11:21; 2 Chron. 10:7), subjugated peoples who paid tribute (2 Sam. 8:2, 6) and persons in royal service, including cupbearers, bakers, seamen, military officers, advisers and the like, whether owned by fellowmen or not. (Gen. 40:20; 1 Sam. 29:3; 1 Ki. 9:27; 2 Chron. 8:18; 9:10; 32:9) In respectful address, a Hebrew, rather than using the first person pronoun, would at times speak of himself as a servant (ʽeʹvedh) of the one to whom he was talking. (Gen. 33:5, 14; 42:10, 11, 13; 1 Sam. 20:7, 8) ʽEʹvedh was used in referring to servants or worshipers of Jehovah generally (1 Ki. 8:36) and, more specifically, to special representatives