Tithes

When the Israelites set aside the tithe of their grain, produce, and so forth, it was considered sanctified, and could be used for no other purpose. (Lev. 27:30, 32) Accordingly no one can misuse a sanctified thing, or harm or speak evil against any of God’s sanctified persons, including the anointed brothers of Christ, and be guiltless before God. Jesus showed the Jews this when they accused him of blasphemy. (John 10:36) The apostle Peter warned of destruction that is to come upon wicked men whom he describes as “daring, self-willed, they do not tremble at glorious ones [whom Jehovah has sanctified] but speak abusively.”—2 Pet. 2:9-12; compare Jude 8.

PERIODS OF TIME OR OCCASIONS

The Bible record tells us that when God completed his creative work toward the earth: “By the seventh day God came to the completion of his work . . . and he proceeded to rest . . . And God proceeded to bless the seventh day and make it sacred.” (Gen. 2:2, 3) This “day” was therefore to be employed by men as a “day” of sacred service and obedience to Jehovah. It was not to be defiled by self-works on the part of man. Adam and Eve therefore violated that “day” when they set out on a program of self-determination, to do as they pleased in the earth, independent of their Sovereign Jehovah. God’s ‘rest day’ still continues, according to the record at Hebrews 3:11, 13; 4:1-11. Since God sanctified the “day,” setting it aside to his purpose, this “day” will see that purpose toward the earth fully accomplished in righteousness.—Compare Isaiah 55:10, 11.

Sabbath days and special feast days were sanctified, as were other periods, such as the Jubilee year.—Ex. 31:14; Lev. 23:3, 7, 8, 21, 24, 27, 35, 36; 25:10.

SANCTIFYING OF LAND

In Israel, a man might sanctify a part of his inheritance to God. This he would do by setting it aside so that the produce of the land would go to the sanctuary, or pay over to the sanctuary the value of the land (that is, its crops) according to the estimation of the priest. If he decided to buy it back he was required to add one-fifth to the valuation of the field (governed by the number of crops until the Jubilee year) as estimated by the priest. The field returned to its owner at the Jubilee.—Lev. 27:16-19.

The next verses speak of the owner who does not repurchase the field, but sells it to another man, and the law is that the field then becomes the permanent possession of the sanctuary at the time of the Jubilee. Concerning this law, at Leviticus 27:20, 21, F. C. Cook in his Commentary says: “[The words] may refer to a case in which a man might have fraudulently sold his interest in a field and appropriated the price after having vowed it to the Sanctuary.” Or they may refer to one in which a man retained the use of the field, fulfilled his vow by paying as a yearly rent a due proportion of the redemption money and then parted with his interest to another for the sake of acquiring some ready money. Such a field was considered “devoted,” because he treated that which was sanctified to the sanctuary as his own, disrespecting its sanctity by making merchandise of it.

The principle may have been similar to the law at Deuteronomy 22:9: “You must not sow your vineyard with two sorts of seed, for fear that the full produce of the seed that you might sow and the product of the vineyard may be forfeited to the sanctuary.” Such forfeit would result from the violation of the law stated earlier at Leviticus 19:19.

The distinction between things “sanctified” and things “devoted” was that the “devoted” thing could not be redeemed. (See BAN.) Houses were handled in the same manner. (Lev. 27:14, 15) However, if a man sanctified the field of another which he had bought, the field returned at Jubilee to the original owner.—Lev. 27:22-24; see HOLINESS.

IN MARRIAGE

The apostle Paul tells the married Christian: “The unbelieving husband is sanctified in relation to his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in relation to the brother; otherwise, your children would really be unclean, but now they are holy.” Through Jehovah’s regard for the Christian, his (or her) marriage relationship with his unbelieving mate is not considered as defiling. The cleanness of the sanctified one does not sanctify the mate as one of God’s holy ones, but the relationship is clean, honorable. The unbelieving mate has a fine opportunity to receive benefits from observing the Christian course of the believer, and may himself be saved. (1 Cor. 7:14-17) The young children of the union are considered holy, under divine care and protection, and not unclean as children of entirely worldly parents, due to the ‘merit’ of the believer.

SANCTUARY

A place set apart for the worship of God or of gods, a holy place. (1 Chron. 22:19; Isa. 16:12; Ezek. 28:18; Amos 7:9, 13) The Hebrew noun rendered “sanctuary” is drawn from a verb meaning, in a physical sense, “to be bright, to be new or fresh, untarnished or clean.” The Bible often uses the term in a moral sense to designate that which is holy or sacred.—See HOLINESS.

A “sanctuary” need not necessarily be a special building, for the one at Shechem referred to at Joshua 24:25, 26 may simply have been the site where Abraham had centuries earlier erected an altar. (Gen. 12:6, 7) However, frequently the expression “sanctuary” designates either the tabernacle (Ex. 25:8, 9) or the temple at Jerusalem. (1 Chron. 28:10; 2 Chron. 36:17; Ezek. 24:21) As applied to the tabernacle, “sanctuary” could mean the entire tent and its courtyard (Ex. 25:8, 9; Lev. 21:12, 23), the furniture and utensils of the sanctuary (Num. 10:21; compare Numbers 3:30, 31) or the Most Holy.—Lev. 16:16, 17, 20, 33.

As a holy place, God’s sanctuary was to be kept undefiled. (Num. 19:20; Ezek. 5:11) The Israelites should, therefore, “stand in awe” of that special place where God dwelt representatively. (Lev. 19:30; 26:2) When they were removed from the Promised Land into exile, they no longer had a material sanctuary. But Jehovah promised that he himself would, as it were, become “a sanctuary” for them.—Ezek. 11:16.

The Greek term na·osʹ is used in a broad sense to stand for the entire temple complex (John 2:20) or to the central edifice, with its Holy and Most Holy compartments separated by the curtain. (Matt. 27:51) When Zechariah, for instance, went “into the sanctuary” to offer incense, he entered the Holy, for it was there that the altar of incense was located.—Luke 1:9-11.

THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY

The place where God dwells in the heavens is a sanctuary or a holy place. It is in this heavenly sanctuary that the apostle John, in vision, saw the ark of the covenant after the blowing of the “seventh trumpet.” (Rev. 11:15, 19) Thereafter he observed angels emerging from this sanctuary and, in connection with the outpouring of the “seven bowls” of God’s anger, heard a “loud voice” issuing forth from it.—Rev. 14:15, 17; 15:5, 6, 8; 16:1, 17.

THE SPIRITUAL TEMPLE, CHRIST’S BODY

The members of the Christian congregation, Christ’s body’ constitute a temple or sanctuary. (1 Cor. 3:17; Eph. 2:21, 22; 1 Pet. 2:5, 9) This provides a basis for understanding the words directed to the apostle John: “Get up and measure the temple sanctuary of God and the altar and those worshiping in it. But as for the courtyard that is outside the temple sanctuary, cast it clear out and do not measure it, because it has been given to the nations, and they will trample the holy city underfoot for forty-two months.” (Rev. 11:1, 2) The temple here referred to could not be the one at Jerusalem, for that structure had been destroyed nearly three decades earlier. Being earthly, the nations could only be “given” a courtyard that was likewise on earth. Since this courtyard is associated with God’s sanctuary, it could reasonably represent prospective members of the heavenly sanctuary, those still on earth. Whereas it would be impossible for the nations to trample upon a location in the heavens, they could trample upon persons who were in line to receive a heavenly inheritance as members of Christ’s body, persons who were due to become ‘pillars in the temple of God.’ (Rev. 3:12) Similarly, Daniel’s prophecy regarding the throwing down of the established place of the sanctuary (Dan. 8:11) and the profaning of the sanctuary (Dan. 11:31) appears to point to events in connection with those in line for membership in God’s spiritual temple.

SAND

Jehovah God, in his great wisdom, has “set the sand as the boundary for the sea, an indefinitely lasting regulation that it cannot pass over.” (Jer. 5:22) Unlike solid rock, sand yields and thus absorbs the impact of the waves that pound against it. The force of the raging waves is diffused and dissipated, so that the sea is kept in check.

In blessing the tribes of Zebulun and Issachar, Moses said that they would “suck the abounding wealth of the seas and the hidden hoards of the sand.” (Deut. 33:18, 19) This may mean that they would be blessed with the riches of sea and land.

Time and again the “sand of the sea” is used in the Bible to designate innumerableness or great abundance. (Gen. 22:17; 32:12; 41:49; Josh. 11:4; Ps. 78:27; 139:17, 18; Jer. 15:8; Heb. 11:12) But the number in question is not astronomically great in each case. To the beholder, however, the number of persons or things involved is so great that it cannot be ascertained. For example, one part of the Philistine forces that came against Israel in the days of King Saul is described as “people like the grains of sand that are upon the seashore for multitude.” (1 Sam. 13:5) The number of those misled by Satan following his release from the abyss, as seen by John in vision, was “as the sand of the sea,” that is, the number was great enough that John could not determine how many were misled.—Rev. 20:8.

Describing the magnitude of his vexation, faithful Job declared: “It is heavier even than the sands of the seas.” (Job 6:3) On the average, just one cubic yard (.765 cubic meter) of wet sand weighs 3,213 pounds (1,457 kilograms). Though a load of sand is a heavy burden, the vexation of a foolish person is even heavier to the one having to bear it. This is alluded to at Proverbs 27:3: “The heaviness of a stone and a load of sand—but the vexation by someone foolish is heavier than both of them.”

SANDAL

A flat sole of leather, wood or matted grass strapped to the foot by laces, usually leather thongs passing between the big toe and second toe, around the heel and over the top of the foot. In some cases the strap may have gone as high as around the ankle. Sometimes the thongs passed through holes in the edge of the sole, through loops or “ears” attached to the sole, or were themselves fastened to the sole.

The Egyptians also made sandals of fibrous material such as palm leaves or papyrus stalks. Egyptian sandals usually turned up at the toe. Some Bedouins around Mount Sinai are said to wear sandals made of a species of Dugong (a seallike sea animal found in East Indian and other waters). Jehovah speaks figuratively of shoeing Jerusalem with “sealskin” (Heb., taʹhhash). (Ezek. 16:10) Some Assyrian sandals consisted only of a casement for the heel and side of the foot, fastened over the foot by thongs and having no sole for the front part of the foot. The Beni-hasan panel pictures some Asiatics in Egypt; in it the women have on a low boot trimmed with a white band around the top and reaching above the ankle. The Romans wore sandals, and are said also to have worn shoes similar to modern ones. The aristocracy and royalty of the Assyrians, Romans and others wore more elaborate sandals or bootlike shoes.

The priests are said to have served at the tabernacle and the temple barefooted. (Compare Exodus 3:5; Joshua 5:15; Acts 7:33.) But to go about outdoors barefoot was a sign of grief or humiliation. (2 Sam. 15:30; Isa. 20:2-5; contrast the command to Ezekiel [24:17, 23].) On a long journey it was a custom to carry an extra pair of sandals as the soles might become worn out or the laces broken. Jesus, in sending out the apostles, and also seventy disciples, commanded them not to take two pairs, but to rely on the hospitality of those who accepted the good news.—Matt. 10:5, 9, 10; Mark 6:7-9; Luke 10:1, 4.

FIGURATIVE USE

To untie another’s sandal laces or to carry his sandals was considered a menial task such as was often done by slaves. John used this simile to denote his inferiority to Christ.—Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:7.

Under the Law a widow took the sandal off one who refused to perform brother-in-law marriage with her, and his name was called, reproachfully, “The house of the one who had his sandal drawn off.” (Deut. 25:9, 10) The transfer of property or of right of repurchase was represented by handing one’s sandal to another.—Ruth 4:7-10.

By the expression “over Edom I shall throw my sandal” (Ps. 60:8; 108:9), Jehovah may have meant that Edom would be brought under subjection. It possibly had reference to the custom of indicating the taking of possession by throwing one’s sandal on a piece of land. Or, it could have indicated contempt for Edom, since Moab is called “my washing pot” in the same text. In the Middle East today throwing the sandal is a gesture of contempt.

David instructed Solomon to punish Joab, who had “put the blood of war . . . in his sandals” during peacetime—a figurative statement representing Joab’s bloodguilt for killing Generals Abner and Amasa. (1 Ki. 2:5, 6) This, together with the fact that one putting on his sandals was about to undertake some business away from his house (or wherever he was staying; compare Acts 12:8), illuminates the apostle Paul’s admonition to Christians that they must have their feet “shod with the equipment of the good news of peace.”—Eph. 6:14, 15.

SAND LIZARD

There is some uncertainty about the unclean ‘swarming creature’ designated by the Hebrew term hhoʹmet. (Lev. 11:30, 31) The renderings of the Greek Septuagint Version and the Latin Vulgate point to a kind of lizard, and the word has been variously translated “sand lizard” (AS, JP, NW, RS), “chameleon” (AT) and “snail.”—AV; see LIZARD.

SANHEDRIN

See COURT, JUDICIAL.

SANSANNAH

(San·sanʹnah) [a palm branch, or a stalk of dates].

A town in the southern portion of the territory of the tribe of Judah. (Josh. 15:21, 31) It is generally identified with Khirbet esh-Shamsaniyat, about ten miles (16 kilometers) N-NE of Beer-sheba. A comparison of Joshua 15:31 with parallel lists of cities at Joshua 19:5 and 1 Chronicles 4:31 indicates that it may be the same as Hazar-susah (or Hazar-susim).—See HAZAR-SUSAH.

SAPH

[basin; threshold].

One of four giantlike Rephaim who fought with the Philistines against Israel, only to be put to death by David’s mighty men. Saph, or Sippai, was slain by Sibbecai.—2 Sam. 21:18, 22; 1 Chron. 20:4.

SAPPHIRA

(Sap·phiʹra) [beautiful].

The wife of Ananias who entered a conspiracy with her husband that resulted in their death. They sold a field of their possession and hypocritically pretended to bring the full value obtained to the apostles, as other Christians