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CheeseAid to Bible Understanding
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cheeses.” Rotherham’s rendering based on certain manuscripts is “ten slices of soft cheese.” During the civil war instigated by Absalom, friends sent David provisions of food, including “curds of cattle,” and these too may have been soft cheeses. (2 Sam. 17:29) In apostolic times, according to Josephus, there was the “valley of the cheesemakers” separating the upper and lower sections of Jerusalem.
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ChelalAid to Bible Understanding
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CHELAL
(Cheʹlal) [perfection].
A former exile of the sons of Pahath-moab among those who put away their foreign wives at Ezra’s instruction.—Ezra 10:16, 17, 30, 44.
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ChelubAid to Bible Understanding
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CHELUB
(Cheʹlub) [basket; cage].
1. Descendant of Judah; brother of Shuhah and father of Mehir. (1 Chron. 4:1, 11) The rendering of the name as “Chelub” is based on the Masoretic text and appears in this form in AV, NW (1961 ed.), Ro, AT and other translations. However, he is called “Caleb” in LXX, SYp and Vg, and, therefore, this form is found in NW (1955 ed.) and other translations, such as those by Knox and Lamsa.
2. Father of Ezri, one serving under King David as overseer of those cultivating the fields.—1 Chron. 27:26.
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ChelubaiAid to Bible Understanding
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CHELUBAI
See CALEB No. 1.
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CheluhiAid to Bible Understanding
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CHELUHI
(Chelʹu·hi) [possibly, Jah is perfect].
Descendant of Bani; one of those dismissing their foreign wives in the time of Ezra.—Ezra 10:34, 35, 44.
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ChemoshAid to Bible Understanding
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CHEMOSH
(Cheʹmosh).
The chief deity of the Moabites, who are referred to as the “people of Chemosh.” (Num. 21:29; Jer. 48:46) Some authorities identify this deity with the Baal of Peor because of the latter’s association with the Moabites. (Num. 25:1-3) If not generally practiced, at least in cases of extreme stress children were probably sacrificed to Chemosh.—2 Ki. 3:26, 27.
The black basalt stele, commonly known as the “Moabite Stone,” erected by King Mesha of Moab to commemorate his revolt against Israel, provides further insight as to how the Moabites viewed their god Chemosh. According to this monument, Chemosh gave the victories in battle, and warfare was undertaken at his command. King Mesha attributed the deliverance from Israelite oppression to Chemosh and the actual affliction at the hands of Omri the king of Israel to the god’s anger with his land.
Jephthah referred to Chemosh as the god of the Ammonites. (Judg. 11:24) Some scholars question the correctness of Jephthah’s statement in view of the fact that Chemosh is elsewhere always associated with the Moabites. It must, however, be remembered that the Ammonites worshiped numerous gods. (Judg. 10:6) Furthermore, considering that the Ammonites and the Moabites were neighboring peoples, with a common ancestry through Lot the nephew of Abraham, there is nothing unusual about both nations worshiping Chemosh.
The worship of Chemosh was evidently introduced into Israel during the reign of Solomon. Undoubtedly under the influence of his Moabite wives, Solomon built a high place to Chemosh “on the mountain that was in front of Jerusalem.” (1 Ki. 11:1, 7, 8, 33) During Josiah’s extensive religious reform, some three centuries later, this high place was made unfit for worship.—2 Ki. 23:13.
The prophet Jeremiah, in foretelling calamity for Moab, indicated that her principal god Chemosh as well as his priests and princes would go into exile. The Moabites would become ashamed of their god because of his impotence, just as the Israelites of the ten-tribe kingdom had become ashamed of Bethel, likely because of its association with calf worship.—Jer. 48:7, 13, 46.
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ChenaanahAid to Bible Understanding
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CHENAANAH
(Che·naʹa·nah) [possibly, Canaan].
1. Father of Zedekiah the false prophet contemporaneous with Kings Ahab and Jehoshaphat.—l Ki. 22:11, 24; 2 Chron. 18:10, 23.
2. Descendant of Benjamin through Jediael and Bilhan.—1 Chron. 7:6, 10.
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ChenaniAid to Bible Understanding
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CHENANI
(Che·naʹni) [contraction of Chenaniah meaning Jehovah is firm].
A Levite making confession to Jehovah prior to the sealing of the “trustworthy arrangement” contracted during Nehemiah’s governorship.—Neh. 9:3, 4, 38.
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ChenaniahAid to Bible Understanding
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CHENANIAH
(Chen·a·niʹah) [Jehovah is firm].
1. A Levite contemporaneous with King David. “Chenaniah the chief of the Levites in carrying” was an expert, qualified to instruct others concerning the proper handling of the sacred Ark.—1 Chron. 15:22, 25-27.
2. A Kohathite of the family of Izhar. Chenaniah and his sons had been designated for the “outside business,” evidently consisting of service as judges and officers, of whom there were 6,000 at the time of David’s numbering the Levites. (1 Chron. 26:29; 23:1-4, 12) Since the Kohathites carried the utensils of the sanctuary in Moses’ day, possibly this Chenaniah is the same as No. 1 above.—Num. 4:4, 5, 15.
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Chephar-ammoniAid to Bible Understanding
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CHEPHAR-AMMONI
(Cheʹphar-amʹmo·ni).
A city in the tribal inheritance of Benjamin. (Josh. 18:21, 24) The location is uncertain; some connect it with Khirbet Kefr Ana, a ruined site about three miles (5 kilometers) N-NE of Bethel.
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ChephirahAid to Bible Understanding
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CHEPHIRAH
(Che·phiʹrah) [village].
A Hivite city (Josh. 9:7, 17), and one of the four cities represented by the Gibeonite ambassadors that falsely claimed to be from a distant land and by means of this trick were able to conclude a covenant with the Israelites under Joshua. (Josh. 9:3-27) Chephirah is easily identifiable today with the impressive uninhabited remains at Khirbet Kefireh, five miles (8 kilometers) W-SW of el-Jib (Biblical Gibeon) at the summit of what was once a series of armed terraces. This strategic position of Chephirah served to guard against the approach of enemy forces to Gibeon from the W. At the time of the land distribution Chephirah came within Benjamin’s inheritance (Josh. 18:26) and after the exile was among those cities resettled.—Ezra 2:1, 25; Neh. 7:29.
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CheranAid to Bible Understanding
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CHERAN
(Cheʹran) [possibly, lamb].
A son of Horite sheik Dishon.—Gen. 36:26; 1 Chron. 1:41.
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CherethitesAid to Bible Understanding
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CHERETHITES
(Cherʹe·thites).
The name of a people connected with the Philistines. (Ezek. 25:16; Zeph. 2:5) Some Cherethites served with the military forces of Jehovah’s chosen nation.—2 Sam. 8:18; 20:23; 1 Chron. 18:17.
Certain Hebrew lexicographers believe that kere·thiʹ comes from the root word ka·rathʹ (meaning “cut off”) and should be rendered into English as “executioner.” The majority of Bible commentators, however, consider the Hebrew term for “Cherethites” (kere·thiʹ, or, kere·thimʹ [plural]) to refer to nationality. But they do acknowledge that ka·rathʹ may be the correct root of kere·thiʹ and that Jehovah, at Ezekiel 25:16, may be making an alliterative play on words when pledging, “I will cut off [hikh·rat·tiʹ] the Cherethites [kere·thimʹ],” or, in effect, ‘I will slay the slayers.’
An affinity between the Cherethites and the Philistines seems indicated by their mention together at Ezekiel 25:15-17 and Zephaniah 2:5-7. The Septuagint rendering of these verses substitutes the term “Cretans” for “Cherethites,” perhaps attempting thereby to link them with the Philistines who came “out of Crete [Caphtor].” (Amos 9:7) Because of this, and the apparent connection of the Cherethites with “the land of the Philistines” at 1 Samuel 30:14, 16,
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