attached by loops of thread to a “leash rod” lying on top of the warp were next raised by lifting the “leash rod” vertically from the warp, making another “shed” through which the weft was drawn in the opposite direction across the warp. After each movement across the warp the woof thread was pressed against the growing cloth with a peg. The weaver drew the weft across the warp with a shuttle, basically a rod carrying the thread. Since the skillful weaver moved the shuttle rapidly, Job could say: “My days themselves have become swifter than a weaver’s shuttle.”—Job 7:6.

After the cloth had been woven to the desired length and rolled up, the loom worker cut it from the warp threads. (Isa. 38:9, 12) Materials commonly used by weavers included animal hair (Ex. 36:14; Matt. 3:4), wool and linen.—Compare Proverbs 31:13.

Fabrics of varying patterns could be made by using threads of different colors in the warp or the woof, or both. Or woof thread of a particular color might be run only part way in the warp. (Gen. 37:23; 2 Sam. 13:18; Prov. 7:16) The loom worker might weave in an irregular manner, such as running a set of woof threads over one and then under two warp threads across the warp and then running the next set over two warp threads, under two, then over one for the width of the warp, as in weaving gabardine today. By variations in weaving methods a pattern is developed in the fabric even when warp and woof threads are the same color. Aaron, for instance, was provided with a white robe of fine linen woven “in checker work.”—Ex. 28:39.

WEEDS

Generally, troublesome plants that serve no apparent useful purpose where they grow. While some scholars have endeavored to link with specific plants the various original-language words rendered “weeds” in the Bible, no certain identification is possible.

The Hebrew word boʼ·shahʹ is considered to be derived from a root meaning “to stink” and therefore probably embraces a variety of foul-smelling plants, “stinking weeds.” Faithful Job, in effect, stated that, if his life course had not been one of integrity, then, instead of barley, let stinking weeds grow.—Job 31:40.

Another Hebrew term, hhohʹahh, is understood to designate thorny plants generally, thorny weeds that grow on cultivated ground and quickly take possession of desolated land. (Job 31:40; Isa. 34:13; Hos. 9:6) The same word appears at Job 41:2, where the allusion seems to be to a thorn put into the gills of a fish for carrying purposes. Hhohʹahh is also employed in an illustrative sense. (Song of Sol. 2:2) A thorny weed in the hand of a drunkard can bring injury to him and to others; so it is with stupid people who use a proverb wrongly because of not understanding it. (Prov. 26:9) King Jehoash of Israel compared the action of proud King Amaziah of Judah in wanting to fight him to a thorny weed’s asking for a marriage alliance with a cedar of Lebanon.—2 Ki. 14:8, 9; 2 Chron. 25:18.

The Hebrew designation shaʹyith likewise appears to denote a variety of weeds that grow on neglected or desolated land. (Isa. 5:6; 7:23-25; 27:4) This term (“weeds”) is used figuratively to represent people who by their unfaithfulness have become worthless and fit only for the fire.—Isa. 9:18, 19; 10:17-19; compare Daniel 4:20-22.

At Proverbs 24:31, the plural form of the Hebrew term qim·mohshʹ, which is commonly rendered “nettle,” appears to denote weeds of all kinds.—See NETTLE.

The weeds (Gr., zi·zaʹni·on) of Jesus’ illustration at Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 are generally considered to be bearded darnel (Lolium temulentum), which very much resembles wheat until maturity, when it can be readily distinguished from wheat by its smaller black seeds. This, together with the fact that the roots of these weeds become entwined with the wheat, would make it most inadvisable to pull up the weeds at an early stage. If darnel seeds become mixed with wheat kernels after the harvest, this can have a serious effect upon the eater. Dizziness and even fatal poisoning have been attributed to eating bread containing too much darnel flour. The poisonous properties of darnel seeds are generally believed to stem from a fungus growing within them.

WEEK

In the Hebrew Scriptures the word “week” is translated from the word sha·vuʹaʽ, which literally means “sevened,” that is, a sevenfold unit or period. In the Greek Scriptures it translates the word sabʹba·ton, which, in turn, is derived from the Hebrew word for sabbath.

The counting of days in cycles of seven goes far back into man’s history. The precedent for such time division was set by Jehovah God in dividing his creative work period into six days or units of time, crowned by a seventh day of rest. (Gen. 2:2, 3) Following this, the next reference we find to a seven-day cycle is in the case of Noah at the time of the flood, but no seventh-day rest is mentioned. (Gen. 7:4, 10; 8:10, 12) Seven-day periods were observed with regard to marriages in Paddan-aram and in Philistia. (Gen. 29:27, 28; Judg. 14:12, 17) A seven-day period was also observed at the funeral of Jacob. (Gen. 50:10) However, the Bible record does not show that these early seven-day periods conformed to a weekly arrangement, having a regular starting day and following one another in a consecutive manner. Among some ancient peoples the seven-day cycles were governed by the four phases of the moon and started again with each new moon. Since a lunar month runs either twenty-nine or thirty days, this would not allow for completely consecutive seven-day cycles.

One early reference to a ten-day period is found at Genesis 24:55. In ancient Egypt the time was divided into ten-day cycles (three such to each month), and the Israelites obviously became familiar with this during their long sojourn in Egypt.

UNDER THE LAW

It is first along with the instructions regarding the Passover that we find a divine ordinance requiring the observance of a specific seven-day period. This period became the annual feast of unfermented cakes that was thereafter celebrated by the Israelites following the Passover. Both the first day and the seventh or last day were to be days of rest.—Ex. 12:14-20; 13:6-10.

Sabbath day instituted

However, following the inauguration of this special week there ensued a period of about one month during which the Israelites were traveling on their exodus from Egypt, and in this period no mention is made of a weekly observance by them terminating with a seventh day of rest. Following the fifteenth day of the second month of their coming out of the land of Egypt, Jehovah began to give them the manna bread, and it was at this time that they were first instructed as to a regular sabbath observance every seventh day. (Ex. 16:1, 4, 5, 22-30) Such sabbath observance necessarily resulted in a consecutive weekly division of days not bound by the lunar monthly periods. It was thereafter made a legal statute by God in the Law covenant given through Moses to the nation of Israel.—Ex. 20:8-11; Deut. 5:12-15.

Festival periods

There were, of course, certain festival periods of seven days’ duration that were set out in the Law and that did not necessarily begin or end in conformity