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SundialAid to Bible Understanding
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used in the superscriptions of the fifteen ‘Songs of the Ascents,’ Psalms 120-134.
In the scriptures mentioned, at 2 Kings 20:8-11 and Isaiah 38:4-8, the account is related of the portent God gave sick King Hezekiah in answer to Isaiah’s prayer. It consisted of causing a shadow that had gradually fallen to reverse its direction and go back up ten steps. This could refer to the steps or degrees of a dial for measuring time, and it is not impossible that Hezekiah’s father possessed such a sundial, even obtaining it from Babylon. However, the Jewish historian Josephus in discussing the account speaks of these steps of Ahaz as being “in his house,” apparently indicating that they formed part of a stairway. There may have been a column placed alongside the stairs to receive the sun’s rays and cause a shadow to extend gradually along the steps and serve as a measurement of time.
The miracle performed evidently involved the relationship between earth and sun, and, if so, it was therefore similar to the miracle recorded at Joshua 10:12-14. It appears that this portent had far-reaching effects, inasmuch as 2 Chronicles 32:24, 31 shows that messengers were sent from Babylon to Jerusalem to inquire about it.
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Sunrising, SunsetAid to Bible Understanding
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SUNRISING, SUNSET
These times were pivotal points in the daily life of people in the Biblical period. For most persons, the dawn opened the curtain on the day’s activity and the dusk drew it closed again. As the psalmist wrote: “The sun . . . sets. You cause darkness, that it may become night; in it all the wild animals of the forest move forth. The maned young lions are roaring for the prey and for seeking their food from God himself. The sun begins to shine—they withdraw and they lie down in their own hiding places. Man goes forth to his activity and to his service until evening. How many your works are, O Jehovah! All of them in wisdom you have made. The earth is full of your productions.”—Ps. 104:19-24.
The rising of the sun marked the start of the natural daylight period and, when Jesus Christ was on earth, the start of the counting of the “twelve hours of daylight.” (Mark 16:2; John 11:9) Many, of course, were up before dawn, like the diligent woman of Proverbs 31:15. Jesus, too, is mentioned as rising before the sun was up, to spend time in prayer. (Mark 1:35) When sunrise came the large city gates swung open, men went out to their fields or to the vineyards, women lined up at the wells for water, the marketplace filled, while fishermen pulled for shore with the night’s catch for selling, and then to the cleaning and mending of their nets.
The day’s normal activities and labor went on until sundown. At its approach the men returned from their fields, their masters paid them their wages for the day, women carried their night’s supply of water home, the city gates swung shut and the watchmen began the first of the four night watches, while throughout the city oil lamps began to flicker in the homes. (Judg. 19:14-16; Matt. 20:8-12; Deut. 24:15; Gen. 24:11; Neh. 13:19; Mark 13:35) For many, however, work went on after the evening meal, as industrious men and women did weaving or engaged in other indoor crafts. (Prov. 31:18, 19; 2 Thess. 3:8) At times Jesus and his apostles also continued their ministry and related activity on into the night.—Matt. 14:23-25; Mark 1:32-34; 4:35-39; Luke 6:12; 2 Cor. 6:4, 5.
While sunset marked the close of the daylight period, for the Jews it marked the start of the new calendar day, which officially began at sunset, being counted from evening to evening. (Lev. 23:32; compare Mark 1:21, 32 which shows that the day, in this case a sabbath, ended in the evening.) It was, therefore, at sunset that Nisan 14 began and the time came for slaughtering the lamb and eating the passover.—Ex. 12:6-10; Deut. 16:6; Matt. 26:20; see PASSOVER.
Because the day ended at this time, the Law required certain things to be done by sundown. A garment taken in pledge had to be returned to its owner “at the setting of the sun.” (Ex. 22:26; Deut. 24:13) At that time, too, wages were to be paid to hired laborers (Deut. 24:15), a dead body hanging on a stake had to be removed and buried (Deut. 21:22, 23; Josh. 8:29; 10:26, 27), and a person who had been ceremonially unclean must bathe himself and, following sunset, be considered clean again (Lev. 22:6, 7; Deut. 23:11). The sunset’s closing of one day and initiating a new one gave added meaning to the apostle’s exhortation: “Let the sun not set with you in a provoked state.”—Eph. 4:26.
The rising or shining of the sun is occasionally used in a figurative way. At 2 Samuel 23:3, 4 the reign of a righteous ruler who fears God is described to be as refreshing as the “light of morning, when the sun shines forth, a morning without clouds.” (Compare Malachi 4:2; Matthew 17:2; Revelation 1:16.) On behalf of God’s servants the request is made to Jehovah: “Let your lovers be as when the sun goes forth in its mightiness.”—Judg. 5:31; Matt. 13:43; Ps. 110:3; Dan. 12:3; contrast with Micah 3:5, 6; John 3:19, 20.
The terms “sunrising” and “sunset” are also used in a geographical sense to indicate two of the cardinal points, corresponding to the E and the W. (Ex. 27:13; Josh. 1:4; Ps. 107:3; Rev. 16:12) This is the sense of Psalm 113:3: “From the rising of the sun until its setting Jehovah’s name is to be praised.”—See also Malachi 1:11; Isaiah 45:6.
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Superior AuthoritiesAid to Bible Understanding
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SUPERIOR AUTHORITIES
An expression evidently designating human governmental authorities. The words of the apostle Paul at Romans 13:1, where the “superior authorities” are mentioned, have been variously rendered: “Let every soul be in subjection to the superior authorities, for there is no authority except by God; the existing authorities stand placed in their relative positions by God.” (NW) “Let every subject be obedient to the ruling authorities, for there is no authority not under God’s control, and under His control the existing authorities have been constituted.” (We, sixth ed.) “Everyone must obey the state authorities; for no authority exists without God’s permission, and the existing authorities have been put there by God.”—TEV.
Jehovah God, though not originating them (compare Matthew 4:8, 9; 1 John 5:19; Revelation 13:1, 2), has allowed man’s governmental authorities to come into existence, and they continue to exist by his permission. However, when he chooses to do so, Jehovah can remove, direct or control such authorities to accomplish his will. The prophet Daniel declared regarding Jehovah: “He is changing times and seasons, removing kings and setting up kings.” (Dan. 2:21) And Proverbs 21:1 says: “A king’s heart is as streams of water in the hand of Jehovah. Everywhere that he delights to he turns it.”—Compare Nehemiah 2:3-6; Esther 6:1-11.
REASONS FOR CHRISTIAN SUBJECTION
There being no reason for Christians to set themselves in opposition to an arrangement that God has permitted, they have good reason to be in subjection to the superior authorities. Governmental rulers, though they may be corrupt personally, would not normally punish others for doing good, that is, for adhering to the law of the land. But a person who engages in thievery, murder or other lawless acts could expect an adverse judgment from the ruling authority. One guilty of deliberate murder, for instance, might be executed for his crime. Since Jehovah God authorized capital punishment for murderers after the Flood (Gen. 9:6), the human authority, by executing the lawbreaker, would be acting as “God’s minister, an avenger to express wrath upon the one practicing what is bad.”—Rom. 13:2-4; Titus 3:1; 1 Pet. 2:11-17.
Christian subjection to the superior authorities is not based merely on their ability to punish evildoers. With a Christian, it becomes a matter of conscience. He is submissive to human authorities because he recognizes that this is in harmony with God’s will. (Rom. 13:5; 1 Pet. 2:13-15) Therefore, subjection to the superior authorities—to worldly political authorities—could never be absolute. It would be impossible for a Christian to preserve a good conscience and do the divine will by breaking God’s law, if that is what the political authority demanded. For this reason subjection to superior authorities must always be viewed in the light of the apostles’ statement to the Jewish Sanhedrin: “We must obey God as ruler rather than men.”—Acts 5:29.
Since the governmental authorities render valuable services to ensure the safety, security and welfare of their subjects, they are entitled to taxes and tribute in compensation for their services. The governmental authorities can be termed “God’s public servants” in the sense that they provide beneficial services. (Rom. 13:6, 7) At times such services have directly assisted God’s servants, as when King Cyrus made it possible for the Jews to return to Judah and Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. (2 Chron. 36:22, 23; Ezra 1:1-4) Often the benefits are those shared by all from the proper functioning of the authorities. These would include the maintenance of a legal system to which persons can appeal for justice, roads, protection from criminals, illegal mobs, and so forth.—Phil. 1:7; Acts 21:30-32; 23:12-32.
Of course, a ruler who misuses his authority is accountable to God. Wrote the apostle Paul: “Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but yield place to the wrath; for it is written: ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says Jehovah.’”—Rom. 12:19; Eccl. 5:8.
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SuphAid to Bible Understanding
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SUPH
[reed(s)].
One of the locations mentioned to indicate where Moses spoke to the Israelites in the fortieth year of their wilderness wandering. (Deut. 1:1) Instead of “Suph,” the Greek Septuagint Version (as well as the Latin Vulgate) reads “Red sea,” perhaps because it was thought that the Hebrew word yam (meaning “sea”) had been dropped, leaving suph as an abbreviation for yam suph (“Red Sea”). In such a case, the reference would be to that part of the sea called the Gulf of Aqabah. However, taken as it stands, the Hebrew Masoretic text says that Moses spoke to Israel “on the desert plains in front of Suph.” And verse 5 adds that this was “in the region of the Jordan in the land of Moab.” Therefore, though its exact site is unknown, Suph apparently was a place E of the Jordan. It is sometimes identified with Khirbet Sufa, about four miles (c. 6 kilometers) S-SE of Madaba.
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SuphahAid to Bible Understanding
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SUPHAH
(Suʹphah) [stormwind].
As ordinarily rendered, a region or valley, probably in the vinicity of the Arnon River. (Num. 21:14) This Hebrew word has been translated by such terms as “hurricane” (Ro) and “storm” (AS ftn.). However, most modern translations indicate that it was a region or valley, saying that Vaheb was located “by Suphah” (JB) or “in Suphah.”—AT, JP, NW, RS.
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SuretyAid to Bible Understanding
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SURETY
Security for the fulfillment of an obligation, a pledge, guaranty or bond; one who has made himself responsible for another. The psalmist appealed to Jehovah to act as his Guarantor, protecting him from defrauders.—Ps. 119:122.
The customary mode of becoming surety for another remained unchanged for centuries. The patriarch Job made the following reference to it: “Please, do put my security with yourself. Who else is there that will shake hands with me in pledge?” (Job 17:3) Proverbs 17:18 is helpful in determining the procedure followed: “A man that is wanting in heart shakes hands, going full surety before his companion.” Evidently a person became surety for another when, in the presence of witnesses, he struck, clasped or shook the hand of the creditor of the transaction and promised to assume the obligations of the debtor if he should fail to make payment. In the Orient this act of striking or touching hands meant that a bargain or covenant was sealed. (Prov. 11:21) Apparently in this way Jehu confirmed Jehonadab’s affirmative reply to the question, “Is your heart upright with me, just as my own heart is with your heart?” For he said to Jehonadab: “If it is, do give me your hand.”—2 Ki. 10:15.
Employing other means, Judah gave his seal ring and cord and his rod as security to Tamar until he should send her a kid of the goats as payment for sex relations. (Gen. 38:17-20) Reuben offered surety to Jacob for Benjamin, when proposing to take him to Egypt, saying: “My own two sons you may put to death if I do not bring him back to you.” Jacob refused. Later, Judah successfully offered himself as surety for Benjamin: “I shall be the one to be surety for him. Out of my hand you may exact the penalty for him.” When it appeared that Benjamin would become a slave in Egypt, Judah stood ready to take his place as slave, since he was surety for the boy. This was the legal basis of his plea to Joseph: “For your slave became surety for the boy when away from his father . . . So now, please, let your slave stay instead of the boy as a slave to my master.”—Gen. 42:37, 38; 43:8, 9; 44:32, 33.
Pledges given as security by a debtor to his creditor were closely regulated by the Law. As commerce increased in Israel, so did suretyship in mercantile affairs. The proverbs warned that this was a dangerous, foolish practice, especially when one could not afford it without risking the loss of essential items of living.—Prov. 6:1-5; 11:15; 22:26, 27.
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SusannaAid to Bible Understanding
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SUSANNA
(Su·sanʹna) [lily]. 1
One of the many faithful women, who, out of their own belongings, cared for the needs of Jesus and his twelve apostles during Jesus’ Galilean ministry of 31 C.E.—Luke 8:1-3.
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SusiAid to Bible Understanding
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SUSI
(Suʹsi) [horse].
Father of Gaddi, who represented the tribe of Manasseh in spying out the Promised Land.—Num. 13:2, 11.
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SwallowAid to Bible Understanding
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SWALLOW
[Heb., derohrʹ].
The Hebrew word derohrʹ is also translated “liberty” in certain texts (Lev. 25:10; Isa. 61:1), and some commentators consider the name as describing the graceful free-flying swallow with its uninhibited movement. Others associate the Hebrew name with the Arabic darra, meaning to flow copiously or stream, and connect this with the swift darting of the bird as it catches insects in flight.
The psalmist, in proclaiming his yearning for the courtyards of Jehovah’s house, makes reference to the swallow’s finding a nest for herself in which to place her young. (Ps. 84:1-3) Swallows frequently build their cuplike nests (formed of mud pellets) on buildings or houses, often under the eaves, and hence some understand this passage to mean that swallows nested in the temple structure, as they do today in similar buildings throughout the land. However, the psalmist does not state this and seems, rather, to be employing a simile here in which the swallow, having found her nest, is a symbol of peace and security such as the psalmist found in Jehovah’s courts.
The other reference to the swallow occurs at Proverbs 26:2, stating that even “as a bird has cause for fleeing and just as a swallow for flying, so a malediction itself does not come without real cause.” (NW) Some translations render the Hebrew instead as a “curse that is causeless [and] does not alight” (RS; see also AS, Ro), and so consider the text to mean
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