CHESALON

(Chesʹa·lon) [possibly, back].

A city mentioned with Mount Jearim and serving to mark part of the N boundary of Judah. (Josh. 15:10) It is today commonly identified with Kesla, located about eleven miles (17.7 kilometers) W of Jerusalem, and its situation on a mountain ridge or “back” may help explain its Biblical name.

CHESED

(Cheʹsed) [possibly, Chaldean].

One of the eight sons Milcah bore to Nahor the brother of Abraham.—Gen. 22:20-22.

CHESIL

(Cheʹsil) [stupidity].

The name of a town appearing in the list of places within the territory of Judah. (Josh. 15:21, 30) A comparison of Joshua 15:30 with Joshua 19:4 and 1 Chronicles 4:30 indicates that Chesil may be the same as Bethuel, perhaps being an uncomplimentary name applied to the place because of idolatrous practices carried on there. Some lexicographers view “Chesil” as a copyist’s error.—See BETHUEL NO. 2.

CHESULLOTH

(Che·sulʹloth) [loins or slopes].

A boundary city of Issachar (Josh. 19:18) and probably the same as Chisloth-tabor. (Josh. 19:12) It is generally identified with Iksal, situated at the base of the hills of Nazareth and less than three miles (5 kilometers) SE of that city. Hence it lay in the plains of Esdraelon to the W of Mount Tabor.—See CHISLOTH-TABOR.

CHIDON

(Chiʹdon) [javelin].

The name of the owner of the threshing floor or the threshing floor itself where Uzzah was struck down by Jehovah when an attempt was made to move the ark of the testimony in an improper manner from Kiriath-jearim to the city of David. The threshing floor was apparently located someplace between these two points and near the house of Obed-edom. (1 Chron. 13:6-14) Despite various attempts to identify it, most modern geographers consider its precise location unknown. The parallel narrative at 2 Samuel 6:6 says “Nacon,” which possibly indicates that one account uses the name of the location of the threshing floor, while the other uses the name of its owner, or that one term may represent a scribal alteration of the other. In either case, after the above incident the place came to be called Perez-uzzah, meaning “rupture against Uzzah.”—See PEREZ-UZZAH.

CHIEFTAIN

[Heb., na·siʼʹ].

A man in a ruling position, such as the hereditary head of a tribe or a paternal house. The Hebrew word is variously translated in Bible versions as “prince,” “leader,” “ruler,” “chieftain.” The heads of the twelve paternal houses or tribes of Israel were termed “chieftains.” (Num. 1:16; Josh. 22:14) The term is also applied to the heads of the twelve clans springing from Ishmael. (Gen. 17:20; 25:16) The title was used regarding Kings Solomon and Zedekiah as rulers. (1 Ki. 11:34; Ezek. 21:25) The high standing that Abraham the family head had with God is indicated in his being called a “chieftain of God,” by the Hittites.—Gen. 23:6.

In the days of Moses, the chieftains acted as representatives of the people before Moses, the priests and Jehovah, taking a lead in worship. Moses selected a chieftain from each of the tribes (except the tribe of Levi) to spy out the Promised Land. The bad report of the ten unfaithful spies had a great influence upon the people. (Num. 13:2-16, 25-33) Two hundred and fifty chieftains of the sons of Israel were in the rebellion led by Korah to take over the priesthood from Aaron’s house. (Num. 16:2, 10, 17, 35) The chieftains had a share in making a covenant for Israel with the Gibeonites. (Josh. 9:15, 18) After Joshua had led Israel into Canaan, and had defeated the nations there, the chieftains played a prominent role in dividing up the land. (Num. 34:18; Josh. 14:1) Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was appointed as chieftain over the heads of the paternal houses of the tribe of Levi, making him a “chieftain of the chieftains.” (Num. 3:32) King Solomon called all the chieftains of the tribes together to Jerusalem at the time that he had the ark of the covenant brought into the newly built temple. (1 Ki. 8:1) Ezekiel speaks prophetically of a chieftain, at Ezekiel, chapter 46.

The people were to give a chieftain proper respect, never subjecting him to verbal abuse. (Ex. 22:28) When the apostle Paul was on trial before the Sanhedrin the high priest Ananias ordered those standing by Paul to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him: “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall,” not knowing that it was the high priest to whom he was speaking. When this was called to his attention, he said: “Brothers, I did not know he was high priest. For it is written, ‘You must not speak injuriously of a ruler of your people.”’—Acts 23:1-5.

Although chieftains were to be respected, they were not above obedience to the law of God. When they sinned against the Law, they were required to meet its regulations regarding such sins. Because of their responsible position and the effect their conduct would have on others due to their example and influence, a distinction was made in the individual sin offerings made by them for unintentionally violating a command of God. The high priest was required to offer a young bull, a chieftain was to offer a male goat, and anyone of the rest of the people, either a female goat or a female lamb.—Lev. 4:3, 22, 23, 27, 28, 32; see LEADER, NOBLE, PRINCE.

CHILD, CHILDREN

The Creator, Jehovah, arranged for the multiplication of the human race by the birth of children who, in turn, would become adults and, in time, become parents themselves. The procreation mandate is expressed at Genesis 1:28. It is a normal desire of people to have children. The ancient Israelites were especially concerned about bringing forth children because of God’s promise to make them a mighty nation and because through them would come the seed of Abraham to bless all the families of the earth. (Gen. 28:14) Having many children was considered a blessing from God. (Ps. 127:3-5; 128:3-6) Sterility was looked on as a reproach.—Gen. 30:23.

In Bible times a boy’s birth was usually a happier occasion than a girl’s, although in the family circle a girl was just as much loved by the parents as the boy. The preference for a boy lay in the fact that it assured (1) a continuance of the family line and name, and (2) the holding of family property. The priority of the male is indicated also by the fact that the purification period under the law was twice as long for female births. (Lev. 12:2-5) The firstborn son belonged to Jehovah and was to be redeemed by an offering.—Ex. 13:12, 13; Num. 18:15.

Anciently, at birth the infant was first washed with water, then rubbed with salt. (Ezek. 16:4) This was done to make the skin dry, tight and firm. Swaddling clothes or cloth bands were tightly wrapped around the infant. (Job 38:9; Luke 2:12) The mother breast-fed it for two and a half or three years, or longer. Isaac was weaned, apparently, at the age of about five years. (Compare Genesis 12:4; 21:5; 15:13, 14; Galatians 3:17.) Under exceptional circumstances, such as a mother’s dying or being unable to furnish milk, nurses were employed.

In earlier history names were given to children at birth, either by the father (Gen. 5:29; 16:15; 21:3; 35:18) or by the mother (Gen. 4:25; 29:32; 1 Sam. 1:20), but in later times in Israel names were given to the boys at the time of circumcision, which was on the eighth day. (Luke 1:59; 2:21) Sometimes the name of a boy was the same as that of the father, but usually the name had to do with circumstances preceding or accompanying the birth, or it was a name in connection with the name of Jehovah, or, as time elapsed, certain names became merely traditional