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Cutting OffAid to Bible Understanding
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among them incest, bestiality and sodomy. In some instances the death penalty is specifically mentioned in connection with the offense for which ‘cutting off’ is decreed as the sanction.—Ex. 31:14; Lev 7:27; 18:6, 22, 23, 29; 20:3-6; 22:3, 4, 9; 23:28-30; Num. 4:15, 18, 20; 15:30, 31; see also Exodus 30:31-33, 38.
The writer of the letter to the Hebrews evidently had in mind the statement at Numbers 15:30: “The soul that does something deliberately . . . that soul must be cut off from among his people,” when he said: “Any man that has disregarded the law of Moses dies without compassion, upon the testimony of two or three.” (Heb. 10:28) Jesus used the expression in setting out the punishment for the symbolic “goats”: “These will depart into everlasting cutting off [Gr., koʹla·sin], but the righteous ones into everlasting life.” (Matt. 25:46) Here the contrast is between life and death. If Matthew wrote his Gospel first in Hebrew, as is believed, then he probably used a form of the Hebrew word ka·rathʹ in this passage.
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CuttingsAid to Bible Understanding
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CUTTINGS
The making of cuttings upon the flesh or scratching the arms, hands and face in times of mourning was evidently a common practice among the ancients. (Jer. 47:5; 48:37) This may have been done with a view to pacifying or propitiating the deities believed to preside over the dead. With reference to this practice among the Scythians upon the death of their king, the Greek historian Herodotus writes (Book IV, sec. 71): “They cut off part of their ear, shave off their hair, wound themselves on the arms, lacerate their forehead and nose, and drive arrows through their left hand.”
Inflicting lacerations upon the flesh, however, was not limited to mourning rites. In the hope of having their god answer their appeals, the prophets of Baal cut themselves “according to their custom with daggers and with lances, until they caused blood to flow out upon them.” (1 Ki. 18:28) Similar rites were engaged in by other ancient peoples. For example, Herodotus (Book II, sec. 61) mentions that during the festival of Isis the Carians residing in Egypt cut their foreheads with knives.
God’s law specifically forbade the making of cuttings upon the flesh for the dead. (Lev. 19:28; 21:5; Deut. 14:1) The reason for this was that Israel was a holy people to Jehovah, a special property. (Deut. 14:2) As such, Israel was to remain free from all idolatrous practices. Then, too, such extreme displays of mourning accompanied by self-inflicted lacerations upon the flesh were most inappropriate for a people who were fully aware of the actual condition as well as the hope of the dead (compare Daniel 12:13; Hebrews 11:19; 1 Thessalonians 4:13.) Also, the prohibition against self-mutilation would have impressed upon the Israelites proper respect for God’s creation, the human body.
Apparently, though, the Israelites on occasion disregarded God’s law with respect to making cuttings upon their flesh.—Jer. 41:5; compare Micah 5:1.
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CymbalsAid to Bible Understanding
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CYMBALS
In Bible times, a percussion instrument similar to modern cymbals, used to accompany the harp, trumpet and other instruments. (2 Sam. 6:5; 1 Chron. 15:28; 2 Chron. 5:12, 13) According to 1 Chronicles 15:19, the cymbals for Jehovah’s temple were made of copper, but beyond this there is no further Scriptural description. Interestingly, though, a pair of cymbals have been found in an ancient Egyptian tomb that may be somewhat representative of Biblical cymbals. They are about five and a half inches (14.0 centimeters) in diameter with handles in the center, and were made of copper alloyed with a slight amount of sliver.
Psalm 150:5 indicates that more than one type of cymbal may have been known in Israel. The first occurrence of the term in this text describes “cymbals of melodious sound,” while the second reference is to “clashing cymbals.” Because each stanza of verses 3 and 4 of this song refers to one or more different musical instruments, the two stanzas of verse 5 could quite consistently be referring first to smaller, tinkling, well-tuned cymbals and, second, to cymbals of a larger diameter producing louder, deeper-toned sounds, when clashed together in heavy strokes.
The figure of “a clashing cymbal” is used by the apostle Paul to illustrate the shallowness of one’s speaking in tongues, if the motive of love is lacking. (1 Cor. 13:1) However, other references to cymbals, in addition to those already mentioned, are in connection with the worship of Jehovah. (1 Chron. 13:8; 16:5, 42; 25:1, 6; 2 Chron. 29:25; Ezra 3:10; Neh. 12:27) Whenever temple service was involved, trained Levites were the instrumentalists. (1 Chron. 16:4, 5, 42) While some scholars are inclined to believe that cymbals were strictly a Levitical and even a priestly instrument, Psalm 150:1, 5 may indicate a more general usage: “Praise Jah, you people! . . . Praise him with the cymbals.”
[Picture on page 406]
Ancient Egyptian cymbals
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CypressAid to Bible Understanding
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CYPRESS
[Heb., teʼash·shurʹ].
The Hebrew name of this tree comes from a root word meaning “erectness; straightness.” It is included along with other trees as forming part of the “glory of Lebanon,” and this is indicative of the place where it grew and also suggests a tree of desirable qualities or impressive appearance. The “box tree” referred to in the Authorized Version is not a likely translation since, according to some authorities (see Unger’s Bible Dictionary, p. 1134; The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, Vol. 2, p. 292), the box tree does not grow in Palestine, and in Syria is only a small shrub. The cypress is considered by many to be the tree probably referred to by this Hebrew word at Isaiah 41:19; 60:13.—See Moffatt’s translation; W. Corswant, A Dictionary of Life in Bible Times, page 55; The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, Volume 1, page 459; Volume 2, page 292; Koehler and Baumgartner, Lexicon in Veteris Testamenti Libros, page 1017.
The cypress is an evergreen of the cone-bearing family with dark-green foliage and branches that extend upward somewhat like those of the Lombardy poplar. It has an average height of from thirty to fifty feet (9.1 to 15.2 meters) but at times may grow as high as eighty feet (24.4 meters). It is commonly cultivated throughout Palestine; some specimens have been found growing wild in Gilead and Edom; and it is said to be the only tree able to live at the summit of Mount Lebanon. The wood has a rich reddish hue is fragrant and of great durability. It was possibly employed by the Phoenicians, Cretans and Greeks in shipbuilding (Ezek. 27:6 [NW, ftn. b, 1960 ed.]), and it is suggested that the “resinous tree” from which Noah obtained wood for the ark was the cypress tree.—Gen. 6:14; see RESINOUS TREE.
At Isaiah 41:19 Jehovah promises to cause trees growing normally in fertile lands to thrive in desert areas as well, and, in a prophecy concerning Zion’s future exaltation and prosperity, it is foretold that the cypress, along with the ash and the juniper, will be used to beautify the place of God’s sanctuary.—Isa. 60:13.
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CyprusAid to Bible Understanding
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CYPRUS
(Cyʹprus) [Gr., Kyʹpros].
An island in the NE corner of the Mediterranean Sea, situated about forty-five miles (72.4 kilometers) from the coast of Cilicia in Asia Minor and about half again that far from the Syrian coast. Cyprus is the third largest island of the Mediterranean, coming after Sicily and Sardinia. The main body of Cyprus is about one
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