a source of typhoid, dysentery and other febrile diseases. (Lev. 11:32-38) (4) Anyone touching the body or eating some of an animal that died of itself had to cleanse himself. (Lev. 11:39, 40) (5) The laws commanding the covering of fecal waste by each individual, also the covering of blood with dust, protected against diseases, including jaundice. (Lev. 17:13; Deut. 23:12, 13) (6) The moral laws would practically eliminate all venereal disease, which disease can affect all organs of the body and cause various forms of fever. (7) Prevention of the spread of such diseases and others was also helped by the Law’s stipulation that emission of semen, menstruation or running discharge from genital organs made persons, garments or a bed or certain other things unclean for a specified time, and included other persons who as much as touched these things. (Lev. 15:16-28) (8) The quarantine laws worked to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.—Lev. chap. 13; Num. 19:11, 12, 16; 31:19.

Jehovah warned Israel that if they went contrary to his commandments they would undergo exhaustion from hunger, a contributory factor in many febrile diseases; they would be afflicted with burning fever, inflammation and feverish heat; they would suffer boils, skin eruptions (sicknesses that are often accompanied by burning fever) and blindness. (Lev. 26:14-16) All of this came to fulfillment after Israel’s repeated rebellions against Jehovah and their violations of his laws.—Ezek. 4:16, 17; 33:10.

When Jesus Christ was on earth many persons afflicted with fevers were healed by him. One case was that of the mother-in-law of the apostle Simon Peter. (Matt. 8:14, 15; Mark 1:29-31) Luke, apparently because he was a physician, draws attention to the degree of fever in that case, classifying it as a “high fever.” (Luke 4:38) On one occasion Jesus, in Cana, healed the son of an attendant to King Herod Antipas, although the feverish boy was dying several miles away in Capernaum. As a result, the man and his entire household became believers.—John 4:46-54.

The apostle Paul used the God-given power of healing, one of the miraculous gifts through Jesus Christ to certain members of the early Christian congregation (1 Cor. 12:7-9, 11, 30), to cure a case of fever and dysentery suffered by the father of Publius, the principal man and a landowner of the island of Malta. On learning of this, the island’s natives came to Paul, and he healed many of their various sicknesses.—Acts 28:7-9.

FIELD

The Hebrew word sa·dhehʹ, which is most frequently rendered “field,” may denote a hunting ground, a tract of land used for pasturage or farming, a mountaintop, an uncultivated wooded area, or even a region occupied by a certain people, for example, “the field of Moab,” and is used in contrast with “city.”—Gen. 27:5; 31:4; 37:5-7; Judg. 9:32, 36; 1 Sam. 14:25; Num. 21:20; Deut. 28:3.

Moreover, the combined tracts of several individual owners were viewed jointly as “the field,” as seen from the account of Ruth. In going out to “the field,” Ruth by chance “lighted on the tract of the field belonging to Boaz,” indicating that Boaz owned only a section of the area. (Ruth 2:2, 3) While vineyards and gardens were apparently enclosed, the indications are that fields were not. (Num. 22:24; Song of Sol. 4:12) According to the Law, unwalled settlements were considered as part of the field of the country. (Lev. 25:31) Also, the Law commanded that no one move the boundary marks of his fellowman, indicating that this was relatively easy to do.—Deut. 19:14.

Fires could easily spread from one field to another, and care had to be exercised to keep domestic animals in check so that they would not wander into someone else’s field. (Ex. 22:5, 6) At Isaiah 28:25 spelt is said to be sown as a boundary. Perhaps by planting this inferior grade of wheat around the outer edges of their fields farmers could, to some extent, protect their more valuable crops, such as wheat and barley, from cattle that might enter the edges of the field.

Likely it was possible to go through the field by means of footpaths, and these could also have served to separate one tract of land from another, for it is most improbable that Jesus and his disciples would have walked right through a field of grain, trampling some of the grain as they went along. If they had done this, the Pharisees undoubtedly would have taken issue on this point also. (Luke 6:1-5) It may have been with reference to such paths that Jesus, in his illustration about the sower, mentioned the seeds that fell alongside the road.—Matt. 13:4.

FIELD OF BLOOD

See AKELDAMA.

FIERY SNAKE

[Heb., sa·raphʹ].

This Hebrew word, in its plural form, is translated “seraphs” in Isaiah 6:2, 6 and means “fiery” or “burning.” It is often used to modify the general Hebrew term for serpent (na·hhashʹ) and may then be translated as “poisonous,” perhaps as referring to the burning and inflaming effect of the venom. (Deut. 8:15) It is first mentioned at the time of God’s inflicting punishment on the rebellious Israelites by sending “poisonous serpents [n^ehha·shimʹ s^era·phimʹ]” among them. After Moses’ intercession, Jehovah instructed him to make a “fiery snake,” to be placed on a signal pole to which those bitten could then look and be healed and live. Moses formed the snake of copper. (Num. 21:6-9; 1 Cor. 10:9) Jesus gave prophetic significance to this by stating: “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of man must be lifted up, that everyone believing in him may have everlasting life.”—John 3:14, 15.

At Isaiah 14:29 and 30:6 a “flying fiery snake” is mentioned in God’s judgment against Philistia and in description of the wilderness area to the S of Judah. The expression “flying” is considered by some to refer to the rapid darting or lightninglike striking through the air done by venomous snakes when attacking.

FIG

[Heb., t^eʼe·nahʹ; Gr., sy·keʹ, syʹkon].

Along with the olive and the vine, the fig tree (Ficus carica) is one of the most prominent plants of the Bible, receiving mention in more than fifty texts. (Judg. 9:8-13; Hab. 3:17) The fig is native to SW Asia, Palestine, Syria and Egypt and is noted for its remarkable longevity. While the tree will grow wild, to produce good fruitage it needs cultivation. (Luke 13:6-9) It is quite adaptable to various kinds of soil, even doing well in rocky soil. It may reach a height of thirty to thirty-five feet (9.1 to 10.7 meters), with a trunk diameter of about two feet (.6 meter), and has wide-spreading branches. While it is primarily appreciated for its fruit, it is also highly valued for its good shade. (John 1:48-50) The leaves are large, measuring as much as eight inches (20.3 centimeters) or more in width. The first mention of the fig is with regard to the use of its leaves for sewing together, to serve as loin coverings for Adam and Eve. (Gen. 3:7) In some parts of the East fig leaves are still sewed together and used for wrapping fruit and for other purposes.

EARLY AND LATE CROPS

There are, basically, two crops of figs produced annually by the trees: the first or “early” figs (Heb., bik·ku·rahʹ), which mature in June or early July (Isa. 28:4; Jer. 24:2; Hos. 9:10), and the later figs, which grow on the new wood and make up the main crop, generally maturing from August onward. The early figs may be easily shaken from the tree when ripe, and are prized for their delicate flavor.—Nah. 3:12.

Along about February, the first fruit buds appear on the branches of the previous season and precede the leaves by about two months, since these do not appear until the final part of April or in May. (Matt. 24:32) At Song of Solomon 2:13 the first signs of maturity in the new green figs (Heb., pagh) are mentioned in connection with the flowering of the grapevines, which flowering begins about April. Hence, by the time the tree is in full leaf it should also be bearing fruit. The fig tree that Jesus Christ cursed seems to have been abnormally early with its leaves, inasmuch as it was then but the twenty-eighth day of March (Nisan 10 of the year 33 C.E.). Its appearance gave basis for hoping it might also be unseasonably early in producing fruit suitable for eating, and the record at Mark 11:12-14 indicates that Jesus approached the tree with that thought in mind even though “it was not the season of figs,” that is, the time for the fruit to be gathered. The tree’s having nothing but leaves showed it was not going to produce any crop and was, therefore, deceptive in its appearance. Jesus cursed it as unproductive, causing it to wither.—Compare Matthew 7:19; 21:43; Luke 13:6-9.

FOOD AND MEDICINAL USE

Figs were a staple source of food in Bible times and continue to be such in several Near Eastern countries. They were formed into “cakes of pressed figs [Heb., d^eve·lahʹ],” which were convenient for carrying. (1 Sam. 25:18; 30:12; 1 Chron. 12:40) Such a “cake” was used as a medicinal poultice for King Hezekiah’s boil, and is still employed in this manner today in the East. (2 Ki. 20:7) Because of its importance to the nation’s food supply, the fig tree received special mention by Jehovah’s prophets, sometimes in forecasting destruction or ruination for the land. In those times the utter failure of the fig crop was calamitous.—Jer. 5:17; 8:13; Hos. 2:12; Joel 1:7, 12; Amos 4:9; Hab. 3:17.

FIGURATIVE AND PROPHETIC USE

The fig and the vine are mentioned jointly in many texts, and Jesus’ words at Luke 13:6 show that fig trees were often planted in vineyards. (2 Ki. 18:31; Joel 2:22) Thus, the expression as to sitting ‘under one’s own vine and fig tree,’ which symbolized peaceful, prosperous, secure conditions.—1 Ki. 4:25; Mic. 4:4; Zech. 3:10.

In view of this prominence of the fig tree in the life of the people, it is understandable why it was so frequently used in prophecy; the nation of Israel itself was likened to two kinds of figs by Jehovah. (Jer. 24:1-10) To illustrate how false prophets could be recognized by their bad fruits, Jesus cited the impossibility of getting “figs from thistles.” (Matt. 7:15, 16; compare James 3:12.) The fig tree’s ‘putting forth its leaves’ toward the middle of the spring season was used by Jesus as a well-known time indicator. (Matt. 24:32-34) Finally, the ease with which the “unripe figs [Gr., o·lynʹthous]” are shaken to the ground by high winds is used as a simile by the writer of Revelation.—Rev. 6:13.

[Picture on page 581]

Fruit and leaves of a common fig tree

FIG-MULBERRY TREE

[Gr., sy·ko·mo·reʹa].

When short-statured Zacchaeus wanted to get a better look at Christ Jesus he “climbed a fig-mulberry tree.” (Luke 19:4) The Greek name indicates a fig tree (Gr., sy·keʹ) with leaves like those of the mulberry (Gr., mo·reʹa). The two trees are of the same family, and the fig-mulberry of Jesus’ day appears to be the same as the “sycamore” (Ficus sycomorus) of the Hebrew Scriptures.—1 Ki. 10:27; see SYCAMORE.

FILL HANDS WITH POWER

[Heb., mil·leʼʹ yadh, install, empower; literally, fill the hand].

This term, translated “consecrate” in many versions, is used with reference to putting full power in the hands of those who are to serve in a priestly office. At their installation as priests of Jehovah, Aaron and his sons had their hands filled with power to serve in that capacity. (Ex. 28:41; 29:9, 29, 33, 35; Lev. 8:33; 16:32; 21:10; Num. 3:3) To symbolize this, the ram of installation was killed and cut up and parts of it together with certain baked items from the basket of unfermented cakes were put by Moses upon the palms of Aaron and his sons, and then were waved before Jehovah. Finally the things waved were made to smoke upon the altar on top of the burnt offering.—Ex. 29:19-25; Lev. 8:22-28.

Others, too, filled the hands of their priests with power. Idolatrous Micah empowered first a son and then an unfaithful Levite to be priests for his “house of gods.” (Judg. 17:5, 12) Later, King Jeroboam, in instituting calf worship in Israel, installed his own priests from the people in general; the Aaronic priests and the Levites remained loyal to Jehovah’s worship centered at Jerusalem and were, evidently for this reason, driven out of the ten-tribe kingdom.—1 Ki. 12:31; 13:33; 2 Chron. 13:9; see ANOINTED, ANOINTING; CHRIST; INSTALLATION; PRIEST.

FINGER

As an instrument of the hand and arm, the finger has a great deal to do with the direction and finer details of the work done by an individual. Because they form part of the hand, in the Bible the fingers are sometimes used synonymously with “hand.” The two words, “fingers” and “hands,” are used in parallel statements in describing the making of idols.—Isa. 2:8.

Figuratively, God is spoken of as accomplishing work with his “finger(s),” such as writing the Ten Commandments on stone tablets (Ex. 31:18; Deut. 9:10), performing miracles (Ex. 8:18, 19) and creating the heavens. (Ps. 8:3) That God’s “fingers” employed in creative activity have reference to his holy spirit or active force is indicated by the Genesis account of creation, where it is said that God’s active force (ruʹahh, “spirit”) moved over the surface of the waters. (Gen. 1:2) However, the Christian Greek Scriptures give the key to sure understanding of this symbolic usage, Matthew’s account explaining that Jesus expelled demons by ‘God’s holy spirit’ and Luke’s telling us that it was by “God’s finger.”—Matt. 12:28; Luke 11:20.

Gestures are particularly expressive among Orientals, a small motion often having weighty significance.