Ichabod [ÔöÇ┬╝’chabÔö╝├àd] THE GLORY IS NOT, WHERE IS THE GLORY or INGLORIOUS. The posthumous son of Phinehas and grandson of Eli. His name commemorated a tragic crisis in Israel's history, namely, the great slaughter of the people, including Hophni and Phinehas, and the capture of the Ark by the Philistines. Such terrible calamity resulted in […]

“What should we learn from the tribe of Issachar?”……Answer: Each of the twelve sons of Israel received a blessing from his father, Jacob, just before Jacob's death. The twelve sons were the progenitors of the twelve tribes of Israel, and Jacob's blessings contained prophetic information about the future of each tribe. In the case of […]

Ishbosheth[ÔöÇ┬╝shbÔö╝├¼'sheth] a man of shame. One of Saul's younger sons who was made king over Israel by Abner. He was originally called Eshbaal, "The Lord's man" but his name was changed after Saul's departure (2 Sam. 2:8 with 1 Chron. 8:339:39). Ishbosheth contested the throne of Israel with David for seven years. Ultimately he was […]

…Isaiah His name means: “The Lord Has Saved” His work: An eighth-century BC prophet, Isaiah’s message was primarily directed toward Judah and Jerusalem, warning God’s people of coming judgment on their sins. His character: He was a learned man of principle and integrity and of deep humility. His sorrow: Isaiah was grieved that God’s people […]

I. THE ROMANTIC HISTORY OF BIBLE NAMES All poetry is but a giving of names.…Biography is the only true history:…History is the garb of biography.…Thomas Carlyle The beginning of all instruction is the study of names.-Antisthenes, c. 400 b.c. Many readers of the Bible treat its genealogical lists as despised regions, and wonder why they […]

Ezekiel [ÔöÇ├ÂzÔöÇ├┤kÔöÇ┬íel] god is strong or the man god strengthens.…The son of Buzi, a priest who prophesied to the exiles by the river Chebar, and fourth of "The Greater Prophets" (Ezek. 1:324:24). “What should we learn from the life of Ezekiel?”……For the first-time reader of the Bible, the book of Ezekiel is mostly a perplexing […]

Felix [FÔöÇ├┤’lÔöÇ┬íx]…happy, prosperous. ……A cruel Roman governor of Judea, appointed by the Emperor Claudius, whose freedman he was (Acts 23:24, 2624:2-2725:14). Felix is described by Tacitus as a bad and cruel governor, even though the title of "most excellent" was given to him. The Man Who Procrastinated As a true preacher, Paul pressed home the […]