vag'-a-bond (nudh, "to wander"): The word is used in the curse pronounced on Cain (Gen 4:12,14). the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes in each case "wanderer," but in Ps 109:10 it retains "vagabonds." "Vagabond Jews" (perierchomai; the Revised Version (British and American) "strolling Jews") were persons who traveled about as professional exorcists (Acts 19:13).
va'-heb (wahebh; Zoob): The name occurs in a quotation from the book of the Wars of Yahweh in Nu 21:14. See SUPHAH . It was apparently in Amorite territory. It is not identified.
val.
See VEIL .
van: The adjective of "vanity," and representing the same Hebrew and Greek words as does the latter, with a few additions (chiefly kenos, "empty," and its compounds in the New Testament). And "vain" can always be replaced by its synonym "empty," often with advantage in modern English (Job 15:2; 1 Cor 15:14, etc.). The exception is the phrase "in vain," and even there the interchange can be made if some (understood) noun such as "ways" be added. So "to take God's name in vain" (Ex 20:7; Dt 5:11) means simply to take it for an "empty" ("not good") purpose.
van-glo'-ri (kenodoxia): "Vainglory" is the translation of kenodoxia, "empty glory" or "pride," nearly akin to vanity in the modern sense (Phil 2:3). Kenodoxos is "vainglorious" (Gal 5:26, "Let us not be desirous of vainglory," the Revised Version (British and American) "Let us not become vainglorious"). In 1 Jn 2:16 the Revised Version (British and American) has "the vainglory of life" (alazoneia tou biou) for "the pride of life"; compare Jas 4:16, "Ye glory in your vauntings" (alazoneia). Kenodoxia is translated "vainglory" (The Wisdom of Solomon 14:14, "For by the vain glory of men they (idols) entered into the world," the Revised Version (British and American) "vaingloriousless"); alazoneia occurs in The Wisdom of Solomon 5:8, translated "vaunting." "Pride is applicable to every object, good or bad, high or low, small or great; vanity is applicable only to small objects; pride is therefore good or bad; vanity is always bad; it is always emptiness or nothingness" (Crabb, English Synonymes).
W. L. Walker
vi'-za-tha, va-iz'-a-tha, va-jez'-a-tha, vaj-e-za'-tha (wayzatha'): One of the sons of Haman (Est 9:9). The form has been held to be corrupt, the Hebrew letter waw (w) being exceptionally tall, and the Hebrew letter zayin (z) exceptionally short (Benfey, Die persischen Keilinschriften (1847), XVIII, 93), and points to Vahyazdata, "Given of the Best-One" (OHL, 255).
val, val'-i:
(1) gay'; either absolute: "from Bamoth to the valley that is in the field of Moab" (Nu 21:20); or with a proper name: "valley of Hinnom," also "valley of the son of Hinnom" (Josh 15:8); "valley of Slaughter" (Jer 7:32); "valley of Zeboim" (1 Sam 13:18); "valley of Zephathah" (2 Ch 14:10); "valley of Hamon-gog" (Ezek 39:11); "valley of Iphtah-el" (Josh 19:14); "valley of the mountains" (Zec 14:5); "Valley of Salt" (2 Sam 8:13); "valley of vision" (Isa 22:1); once (in the Revised Version (British and American)) as a place-name: "until thou comest to Gai" (the King James Version "the valley") (1 Sam 17:52); also (Revised Version) "Ge-harashim" (1 Ch 4:14); compare "valley of craftsmen" (margin "Ge-haharashim") (Neh 11:35).
(2) `emeq, `amoq, "to be deep"; compare Arabic `amuq, "to be deep"; `umq, "depth"; 'Ammiq, a village in the valley of Coele-Syria; absolute: "He could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley" (Jdg 1:19); often with place-names: "valley of Achor" (Josh 7:24); "valley of Aijalon" (Josh 10:12); "valley of Gibeon" (Isa 28:21); "vale of Hebron" (Gen 37:14); "valley of Jehoshaphat" (Joel 3:2); "vale of Rephaim," the King James Version "valley of the giants" (Josh 15:8); "vale of Shaveh" (Gen 14:17); "vale of Siddim" (Gen 14:3); "valley of Succoth" (Ps 60:6); compare "valley of Weeping" (the King James Version "Baca") (Ps 84:6); "valley of Beracah" (margin "Blessing") (2 Ch 20:26); "valley of decision" (Joel 3:14); "vale of Elah" (margin "terebinth") (1 Sam 17:2); "the King's Vale" (Gen 14:17); but "the king's dale" (2 Sam 18:18); "Emekkeziz," the King James Version "valley of Keziz" (Josh 18:21).
(3) biq`ah, baqa`, "to cleave," hence, "valley," especially "broad valley" or "plain"; compare Arabic baq`at, "wet meadow" Biqa`, Coele-Syria; absolute: "a land of hills and valleys" (Dt 11:11); with place-names: "valley of Jericho" (Dt 34:3); "valley of Lebanon" (Josh 11:17); "valley of Megiddo" (2 Ch 35:22); "valley of Mizpah" (Josh 11:8).
(4) nachal, also "river" or "stream"; absolute "Isaac's servants digged (dug) in the valley" (Gen 26:19); with place-names: "valley (the King James Version "river") of the Arnon" (Dt 2:24); "valley of Eshcol" (Nu 32:9); "valley of Gerar" (Gen 26:17); "valley of Shittim" (Joel 3:18); "valley of Sorek" (Jdg 16:4); "valley of Zered" (Nu 21:12).
(5) shephelah, shaphel, "to be low"; compare Arabic safal, "to be low"; the King James Version "valley" or "vale," the Revised Version (British and American) "lowland," the coast and foothills of Western Palestine
(6) aulon, "valley" (Judith 4:4; 7:3; 10:10).
(7) pharagx: "Every valley shall be filled" (Lk 3:5).
The valley gate (Neh 2:13, etc.) may have had about the location of the present Jaffa gate, if by "valley" is meant the valley of Hinnom. If the Tyropoeon is meant, it would have been near the southwestern corner of the charam area.
See JERUSALEM .
The valleys of the mountainous part of Palestine are mostly dry, rocky wadies with occasional torrents m the winter season. Those which descend to the W. widen out as they approach the plain and contain broad fields and meadows which in the winter and spring at least are fresh and green. The valley of the Jordan, the valley of Megiddo and the valley of Lebanon (i.e. Coele-Syria) contain much cultivable land: "the herds that were in the valleys" (1 Ch 27:29): "They of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley" (1 Sam 6:13); "The valleys also are covered over with grain" (Ps 65:13).
See BROOK ;CHAMPAIGN ;LOWLAND ;RIVER ;SHEPHELAH .
Alfred Ely Day
val'-yant, val'-yant-li (chayil; ischuros): "Valiant" in the Old Testament is for the most part the translation of chayil, "power," or "might," and is applied to the courageous and to men of war ("mighty men of valor"), as in 1 Sam 14:52; 31:12; 2 Sam 11:16, etc.; in some passages ben chayil, "a son of might" (Jdg 21:10; 1 Sam 18:17; 2 Sam 2:7, etc.). A few other Hebrew words (gibbor, etc.) are thus rendered. In the New Testament the word occurs once in the King James Version (Heb 11:34, "valiant in fight"; the Revised Version (British and American) "mighty in war"). "Valiantly" is the translation of the same Hebrew word (Nu 24:18; Ps 60:12, etc.); in one case in the King James Version of chazaq (1 Ch 19:13, the American Standard Revised Version "play the man," the English Revised Version "men"). In some instances the Revised Version (British and American) has variations, as "man of valor" for "valiant man" (1 Sam 16:18), "valiant" for "strong" (1 Ch 26:7,9; Jer 48:14, etc.).
W. L. Walker
val'-i.
(sha`ar ha-gay', "Gate of the Gai"): Is placed (Neh 3:13) between the "tower of the furnaces" and the "dung gate"; from here Nehemiah (2:13) set out on his ride down the "Gai" (Hinnom) to Siloam, and, too (12:31,38), from here the Levites commenced their compass of the city in two directions. It must have been an ancient gate, for Uzziah added towers to it (2 Ch 26:9). It was probably near the Southwest corner of the city and near to, if not identical with, the gate found by Bliss near (now in) the Protestant Cemetery.
See JERUSALEM ,VI , 13.
E. W. G. Masterman
('emeq he-charuts).
See JEHOSHAPHAT ,VALLEY OF .
See EMEK-KEZIZ .
See HINNOM ,VALLEY OF ;SLAUGHTER ,VALLEY OF ;TOPHETH .
(ge' chizzayon): A symbolic name generally understood to signify Jerusalem as being the home of prophetic vision (Isa 22:1,5).
See JORDAN VALLEY .
vam'-pir (alaqah): the Revised Version margin for "horseleach" (Prov 30:15) has "vampire."
See HORSELEACH .
va-ni'-a (wanyah, meaning unknown): A son of Bani, who had married a foreign wife (Ezr 10:36). The text is, however, doubtful. The Septuagint Codex Vaticanus has Ouiechoa; Codex Sinaiticus Ouierecho; Codex Alexandrinus Ouounia, Lucian Ouania.
van'-i-ti, van'-i-tiz (hebhel, 'awen, shaw'; kenos; mataiotes): The words "vain," "vanity," "vanities" are frequent in the Bible. Their idea is almost exclusively that of "evanescence," "emptiness," including "idolatry" and "wickedness" as being not only evil but vain and empty things. They also signify falseness. The chief word translated "vanity," "vanities" is hebhel, a "breath of air, or of the mouth," often applied to idolatry (Dt 32:21; 1 Ki 16:13; Ps 31:6; Jer 8:19, etc.); to man's days and to man himself (Job 7:16; Ps 39:5,11, etc.); to man's thoughts (Ps 94:11); to wealth and treasures (Prov 13:11; 21:6); to everything, in Ecclesiastes, where the word occurs frequently in various applications: "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity" (Eccl 1:2; 12:8). Hebhel is also the name of Adam's second son (Gen 4:2). 'Awen, meaning also "breath," is likewise translated "vanity" in similar connections, but it inclines more to "iniquity" (so often rendered); it is joined with mischief and iniquity (Isa 41:29; 58:9; Zec 10:2); another frequent word is shaw', having also the idea of "falsity, .... wickedness" (Ex 20:7; Dt 5:11; Ps 31:6, etc.).
"Vanity" does not often occur in the New Testament; but see VAIN ,VAINGLORY . In Acts 14:15 we have mataios, "empty," translated "vanities" (of idols); mataiotes, "emptiness," "transitoriness" (Rom 8:20, "The creation was subjected to vanity," frailty, transitoriness); "emptiness," "folly" (Eph 4:17; 2 Pet 2:18).
Among other changes for "vanity" the Revised Version (British and American) has "iniquity" (Job 15:35; Ps 10:7); "falsehood" (Ps 12:2; 41:6); "deceit" (Ps 144:8,11); "vapor" (Prov 21:6); "calamity" (Prov 22:8 margin "vanity"); "a breath" (Isa 57:13); "wickedly" (Isa 58:9). Conversely, for "Wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?" (Ps 89:47), "For what vanity hast thou created all the children of men!"; for "Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing" (Isa 41:29), "Behold, all of them, their works are vanity and nought," margin as the King James Version, with "nought" for "nothing."
W. L. Walker
va'-per: (1) edh: "For he draweth up the drops of water, which distill in rain from his vapor" (Job 36:27); "There went up a mist ['edh] from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground" (Gen 2:6). (2) nasi', "vapor," i.e. that which rises, from nasa', "to lift": "Who causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth" (Ps 135:7; compare Jer 10:13; 51:16); also translated "clouds": "as clouds and wind without rain" (Prov 25:14). (3) In Job 36:33, the King James Version has "vapour" ("concerning the vapour") for `alah, alah, "to go up," where the Revised Version (British and American) reads "concerning the storm that cometh up." (4) qiTor: "fire and hail, snow and vapor" (Ps 148:8); elsewhere, "smoke": "The smoke of the land went up as the smoke of a furnace" (Gen 19:28); "I am become like a wineskin in the smoke" (Ps 119:83).
(5) atmis: "blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke" (Acts 2:19); "For ye are a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away" (Jas 4:14). The first two of the preceding quotations are interesting as indicating the knowledge that vapor of water from the earth or sea is the source of the rain. Visible vapor, i.e. mist or fog, is much less common in Palestine than in many other countries. In the mountains, however, especially in Lebanon, mists are of frequent occurrence, appearing to those below as clouds clinging to the mountains.
Alfred Ely Day
vash'-ni (washni, see below; the Septuagint's Codex Vaticanus Sanei; Codex Alexandrinus Sani): Read in 1 Ch 6:28 the King James Version (Hebrew 13) as the name of the firstborn son of Samuel. According to 1 Ch 6:33 (Hebrew 18) and 1 Sam 8:2, Samuel's oldest son was Joel, and the second Abijah. The explanation of this is that in 1 Ch 6:28 the word taken then as a proper name is really "and second"; so following Septuagint, Lucian, and Syriac we read (as the Revised Version (British and American)), "And the sons of Samuel: the first-born, Joel, and the second Abijah."
vash'-ti (washti; Astin; Old Persian "beautiful woman"): The former queen of Xerxes, whom he divorced. On the 7th day of a great feast which the king was giving to the assembled nobles of the empire and others, he commanded the seven chamberlains who served in his presence to bring the queen into the assembly. We are told (Est 1:11) that his purpose was "to show the peoples and the princes her beauty; for she was fair to look on." The king's command was met by Vashti with a mortifying refusal to obey. The reason which is sometimes assigned for her disobedience--that no man but the king was permitted to look upon the queen--is without foundation. Esther invites Haman on two occasions to accompany the king to a banquet at which she was present. Nor can it be said that there was any lack of recognition of Vashti's high dignity; the seven highest officials of the palace were sent to escort her. The refusal had to be visited with a punishment severe enough to reestablish the supremacy which it threatened to overthrow. She was, accordingly, divorced and dethroned.
There is no known reference to Vashti outside of Esther. The suggestion has been made that Vashti was an inferior wife, or one of the royal concubines. There is nothing, however, to support it; and it is, besides, directly opposed to several statements in the narrative. She is always named "queen" (Est 1:9,11,12,15-18). It is only (Est 1:19) when the decree is proposed to repudiate and degrade her that she is called merely "Vashti." She also (Est 1:9) presides at the banquet for the women. It is evident, therefore, that in the palace of the women there was no higher personage than Vashti.
John Urquhart
See WINEVAT .
volt (natsar, "to guard," "protest"): Isaiah's charge against Israel as "a people that .... lodge in the secret places" (Isa 65:4, margin "vaults," the King James Version "monuments") probably refers to the custom of sleeping in sacred tombs or vaults of idol temples to learn the future through dreams by the method known as incubation.
See DIVINATION , 6, (ii); 7, 1;FAMILIAR ;WITCHCRAFT ; and Expository Times,IX , 157 ff.
See ASTRONOMY , sec. III, 1.
vav.
See WAW .