-
PurahAid to Bible Understanding
-
-
PURAH
(Puʹrah) [branch].
The attendant, probably armor-bearer, of Gideon who went with him during the night to spy on the Midianite camp.—Judg. 7:9-15.
-
-
PurchaseAid to Bible Understanding
-
-
PURCHASE
As early as Abraham’s day people were formally buying and selling goods, properties or services, using a medium of exchange such as money, much the same as today. Abraham “purchased with money” male slaves. (Gen. 17:12, 13) Upon Sarah’s death Abraham formally purchased a family burial plot from Ephron, one of the sons of Heth. (Gen. 23:3-20; 49:29-32) The details of that first Scripturally recorded legal contract of history are interesting.
In a true display of courtesy Abraham bowed down when making his offer. Not the field, but only the cave “which is at the extremity of [Ephron’s] field” is what Abraham wanted to buy. Ephron made a counter offer. Whether he was feigning Oriental liberality by saying he would give the property to Abraham (Gen. 23:11), or, as some think, he was merely expressing willingness to part with it, that is ‘give it up’ for a price, is not certain. What is certain is his insistence that both the cave and the field be included in the deal. Final agreement was reached, the price was named, the bargain was made and the money carefully weighed out, “four hundred silver shekels current with the merchants” ($190). (Vs. 16) In those days money was not minted into coins but was weighed on scales. Thus “the field and the cave that was in it and all the trees that were in the field, which were within all its boundaries round about, became confirmed to Abraham as his purchased property.” All this legal transaction took place in the presence of both parties and witnesses, yes, “before the eyes of the sons of Heth among all those entering the gate of his city.” (Gen. 23:17, 18) Similarly, Jacob later purchased a tract of land from the Shechemites.—Gen. 33:18, 19.
During a seven-year famine, Joseph, as the prime minister of Egypt, sold grain at first for money, and, when that was exhausted, he accepted their domestic animals, next the land in payment, and finally the people themselves.—Gen. 42:2-25; 47:13-23.
The Law of Moses strictly forbade buying and selling on the sabbath, as it also prohibited unfair business dealings. During Israel’s apostasy these laws were often violated.—Lev. 25:14-17; Neh. 10:31; 13:15-18; Amos 8:4-6.
When King David wanted to purchase the threshing floor of Araunah (or Ornan), the man graciously tried to give it to the king. However, David insisted on paying a sum of fifty silver shekels ($24) for the immediate altar site plus the necessary sacrificial materials. Later, it appears, more of the surrounding property was added to include an area large enough for the whole temple site, the purchase price being 600 gold shekels by weight ($7,732). (2 Sam. 24:21-24; 1 Chron. 21:22-25) During both the reigns of Kings Jehoash and Josiah, purchases of materials and labor for the repair of the temple were made.—2 Ki. 12:9-12; 22:3-7.
Jeremiah purchased a field in his hometown of Anathoth, describing the legal transaction this way: “I wrote in a deed and affixed the seal and took witnesses as I went weighing the money in the scales.”—Jer. 32:9-16, 25, 44.
In the Christian Greek Scriptures there are also a number of references made to purchasing goods and materials—foodstuffs, oil, garments, pearls, fields, houses, gold, eyesalve, merchandise in general, animals and even humans. (Matt. 13:44-46; 25:8-10; 27:7; Mark 6:37; John 4:8; 13:29; Acts 1:18; 4:34-37; 5:1-3; Rev. 3:18; 13:17; 18:11-13; see BANK, BANKER.) “The congregation of God” Jehovah “purchased with the blood of his own Son.”—Acts 20:28.
-
-
PurificationAid to Bible Understanding
-
-
PURIFICATION
See CLEAN, CLEANNESS.
-
-
PurimAid to Bible Understanding
-
-
PURIM
The festival celebrated on the fourteenth and fifteenth of Adar, the last month of the Jewish year, corresponding to late February and early March. (Esther 9:21) The name comes from the act of Haman in casting pur (lot) to determine the auspicious day for an extermination plot against the Jews to be carried out. Being an Agagite, perhaps a royal Amalekite, and a worshiper of pagan deities, he was resorting to this as “a species of divination.” (Esther 3:7, Le, 7th ed., ftn.; see DIVINATION.) In King Ahasuerus’ (Xerxes I) twelfth year, on Nisan 13, 475 B.C.E., the official extermination decree that Haman had induced the king to approve was sent out to all the Persian provinces, commanding the destruction of the Jews.
COMMEMORATION OF DELIVERANCE
The festival commemorates the Jews’ deliverance from destruction through Haman’s plot. Consequently, the name Purim was probably given by the Jews in irony. (Esther 9:24-26) It is also called in the Apocryphal book of Maccabees “Mordecai’s day,” since Mordecai played an important part in the events pertaining to the festival. (2 Maccabees 15:36, AT) Through the efforts of Queen Esther, at the risk of her life and as directed by her older cousin Mordecai, the Jews were delivered. Esther fasted for three days before seeking an audience with the king, to invite him to a banquet, and then to a second banquet where her petition could be presented. (Esther 4:6–5:8) The petition was favorably heard and, since the original decree could not be changed on account of the unchangeable law of the Medes and Persians (Dan. 6:8), another decree was issued on the twenty-third day of Sivan. This document granted the Jews the right to defend themselves and enabled them to prepare. It was written by Mordecai and translated into many languages for various districts of the Persian Empire. The Jews fought, with the help of the princes, satraps and governors, and turned the tables on the anti-Jewish enemies. A great slaughter took place on Adar 13, not of the Jews, but of their enemies. It continued in the royal city of Shushan through the fourteenth. On the fourteenth day of Adar the Jews in the jurisdictional districts rested, and those in Shushan on the fifteenth day, with banqueting and rejoicing.—Esther 8:3–9:19.
To commemorate this deliverance, Mordecai. imposed upon the Jews the obligation to observe Adar fourteenth and fifteenth each year with banqueting and rejoicing and sending portions to one another and gifts to the poor people. (Esther 9:20-22) Later, another letter was written with the confirmation of Esther the queen commanding this festival. It was to be held in each generation, family, jurisdictional district and city at the appointed time each year.—Esther 9:28-31.
The festival, first observed Adar 14-15, 474 B.C.E., is celebrated by the Jews to this day in a detailed way, with many additions. One of the traditional enlargements that came in the process of time was the setting aside of the thirteenth day of Adar as a day of fasting, called the Fast of Esther. Trade or labor is not prohibited during this festival.
A QUESTION ON JOHN 5:1
There is no direct mention of the Festival of Purim in the Christian Greek Scriptures. Some have claimed that there is a reference to it at John 5:1: “After these things there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.” The application of this verse to the Festival of Purim is unsubstantiated. Certain manuscripts have the definite article, reading: “the festival of the Jews.” This would indicate that it must have been one of the three solemn seasonal festivals listed at Deuteronomy 16:16, especially when we note that Jesus went up to Jerusalem, which he would not be required to do to keep the Festival of Purim. Purim was connected more with the local synagogue and the local area than with the temple; the festival was to be kept in the city of one’s residence. It is also improbable that Jesus would travel all the way to Jerusalem and then leave again for Galilee, with Passover only a month away. Furthermore, if one adopts the view that John 5:1 refers to Purim and John 6:4 to Passover a month later, it would crowd an impossible number of events into this short space of time, for it would include the ministry of Jesus in Capernaum, travels in Galilee, and a return to Capernaum and to Judea and Jerusalem. (See JESUS CHRIST [Chart of Main Events of Jesus’ Earthly Sojourn].) There is reason to believe, then, that the “festival of the Jews” at John 5:1 was actually the Passover festival of 31 C.E.—See JESUS CHRIST (Evidence for a three-and-a-half-year ministry).
PURPOSE
While it is said by some commentators that the Festival of Purim as celebrated by the Jews in the present day has more of a secular than a religious nature and is sometimes accompanied by excesses, this was not so at the time of its institution and early celebration. Both Mordecai and Esther were servants of the true God Jehovah, and the festival was established to honor Him. The deliverance of the Jews at that time can be attributed to Jehovah God, because the issue arose by reason of Mordecai’s integrity in his course of exclusive worship of Jehovah. Haman was probably an Amalekite, whose nation Jehovah had specifically cursed and condemned to destruction. Mordecai respected God’s decree and refused to bow to Haman. (Esther 3:2, 5; Ex. 17:14-16) Also, the words of Mordecai to Esther (Esther 4:14) indicate that he looked to a higher power for deliverance for the Jews, and Esther’s fasting before entering the king’s presence with her original petition, a banquet invitation, indicated her appeal to God for help.—Esther 4:16.
Purim is also called the Festival of Lots.—See LOT, I; ESTHER, BOOK OF.
-
-
PurpleAid to Bible Understanding
-
-
PURPLE
See COLORS; DYES, DYEING.
-
-
PurseAid to Bible Understanding
-
-
PURSE
A bag or pouch used by both men and women to carry gold, silver, copper, coined money or other items. Women sometimes had ornamental purses or handbags, possibly of a long, round shape. (Isa. 3:16, 22; 46:6; Matt. 10:9) Early purses were made of leather or of woven rushes or cotton. Since they were in the form of bags, they were drawn together and secured at the neck by means of leather straps or other cords.—See BAG.
Also in use was the “girdle purse” (literally, Gr., zoʹne, ‘girdle’ [Matt. 10:9; Mark 6:8]), perhaps a type of money belt. The girdle either had a hollow space in which money could be carried, or, if made of cloth and worn in folds, the money was kept in its folds.
Jesus, when sending out his seventy disciples in preaching work, told them not to provide themselves with purses, indicating that they should trust in Jehovah God’s provision for them and implying that interested persons would respond with some material aid. (Luke 10:1, 4, 7) Shortly before his death, however, Jesus advised the apostles to carry purses, for he knew that his disciples would soon be scattered and persecuted. Even persons favoring their message might be afraid to assist them, requiring that Jesus’ followers be prepared to care for themselves materially.—Luke 22:35, 36.
Highlighting the excelling value of spiritual things, Jesus urged his followers to make lasting purses for themselves, acquiring heavenly treasure.—Luke 12:33.
-
-
PutAid to Bible Understanding
-
-
PUT
[perhaps, bow].
A “son” of Ham. (Gen. 10:6; 1 Chron. 1:8) Although Put is mentioned elsewhere in the Bible, none of his individual offspring are named. Often his descendants lent military support to Egypt. (Jer. 46:9; Ezek. 30:4-6; Nah. 3:9) They served as mercenaries in the armies of Tyre and contributed to that city’s greatness. (Ezek. 27:3, 10) Put was also foretold to be among the forces of Gog of Magog.—Ezek. 38:5.
Available evidence points to a connection between Put and the Libyans of N Africa. In four of its occurrences, “Put” is rendered “Libyans” or “Libya” by the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate. (Jer. 46:9; Ezek. 27:10; 30:5; 38:5) The Hebrew Put also corresponds closely to the Putaya (usually considered to be Libya) of old Persian inscriptions. However, Nahum 3:9 seems to indicate that Put and the Lu·vimʹ (Libyans) are separate peoples. But this in itself would not rule out identifying Put with the Libyans. The term “Libyans” was perhaps more comprehensive than the Hebrew designation Lu·vimʹ, as may be inferred from Herodotus’ reference to “Libyans and various nations of Libyans.”—Book II, sec. 32.
The identification of Put with the Punt of Egyptian inscriptions is not generally accepted today for phonetic reasons.
-
-
PuteoliAid to Bible Understanding
-
-
PUTEOLI
(Pu·teʹo·li).
In the first century C.E., a chief port SE of Rome. Paul arrived at Puteoli on his way to stand before Caesar in Rome about the year 59 C.E. (Acts 28:13) With the help of a S wind his ship arrived “on the second day” at Puteoli from Rhegium, a place some two hundred statute miles (322 kilometers) to the S-SE.
Christian brothers of Puteoli entreated Paul and those accompanying him to spend a week with them. (Acts 28:14) This indicates he enjoyed some freedom, though a prisoner. Earlier, while in custody at Caesarea and Sidon, Paul had similarly benefited from limited freedom.—Acts 24:23; 27:3.
Puteoli is generally identified with modern Pozzuoli, on the bay of the same name, about six miles (10 kilometers) W-SW of Naples. Extensive ruins of an ancient mole still stand. Josephus calls the site by its older name, Dicaearchia, and says a Jewish colony was located there.
-
-
PuthitesAid to Bible Understanding
-
-
PUTHITES
(Puʹthites).
A family that lived in Kiriath-jearim; descendants of Judah through Shobal.—1 Chron. 2:52, 53.
-
-
PutielAid to Bible Understanding
-
-
PUTIEL
(Puʹti·el) [he whom God gives].
Father-in-law of Aaron’s son Eleazar and grandfather of Phinehas.—Ex. 6:25.
-
-
PuvahAid to Bible Understanding
-
-
PUVAH
(Puʹvah).
A son of Issachar whose family descendants were called Punites. (Gen. 46:13; Num. 26:23) His name is spelled Puah at 1 Chronicles 7:1.
-
-
PyrrhusAid to Bible Understanding
-
-
PYRRHUS
(Pyrʹrhus) [fiery red].
A Beroean whose son Sopater accompanied Paul through Macedonia on part of his third missionary journey.—Acts 20:3, 4.
-
-
QohphAid to Bible Understanding
-
-
QOHPH
or, as commonly anglicized, qoph [ק]. The nineteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, later used also as a number to denote one hundred.
The English letter “q” is derived from this Hebrew letter. However, in translating Hebrew names where it occurs, qohph is usually represented in English by “c” or “k,” as in “Cainan” and “Kish.” The sound is stronger than that of the letter kaph [כ] and is pronounced farther back in the throat, as a strong English “q” formed at the back of the palate. In the Hebrew, it is the initial letter in each of the eight verses in Psalm 119:145-152.
-
-
QuailAid to Bible Understanding
-
-
QUAIL
[Heb., selawʹ; selaywʹ].
The Hebrew selawʹ evidently corresponds to the Arabic and Aramaic names for the quail (salway). The quail is a small plump-bodied bird, about seven inches (17.8 centimeters) in length. It spends most of its time on the ground and its plain colors blend with the earth,
-