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(
!$
, 646), “ephod.” This word, which appears in Assyrian and (perhaps)
Ugaritic, occurs 49 times in the biblical Hebrew, 31 times in the legal prescriptions of
Exodus—Leviticus and only once in biblical poetry (Hos. 3:4).
This word represents a close-fitting outer garment associated with worship. It was a
kind of long vest, generally reaching to the thighs. The “ephod” of the high priest was
fastened with a beautifully woven girdle (Exod. 28:27-28) and had shoulder straps set in
onyx stones, on which were engraved the names of the twelve tribes. Over the chest of
the high priest was the breastplate, also containing twelve stones engraved with the tribal
names. Rings attached it to the “ephod.” The Urim and Thummin were also linked to the
breastplate.
Apparently, this “ephod” and attachments were prominently displayed in the
sanctuary. David consulted the “ephod” to learn whether the people of Keilah would
betray him to Saul (1 Sam. 23:9-12); no doubt the Urim and Thummim were used. The
first biblical occurrence of the word refers to this high priestly ephod: “Onyx stones, and
stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate” (Exod. 25:7). So venerated was this
“ephod” that replicas were sometimes made (Judg. 8:27; 17:1-5) and even worshiped.
Lesser priests (1 Sam. 2:28) and priestly trainees wore less elaborate “ephods” made of
linen whenever they appeared before the altar.
* $
means “ephod; covering.” This word is a feminine form of
(or
). The word occurs 3 times, first in Exod. 28:8: “And the curious girdle of the
ephod, which is upon it, shall be of … gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine
twined linen.”
TO ESCAPE
(
+
, 4422), “to escape, slip away, deliver, give birth.” This word is found in
both ancient and modern Hebrew.
"
occurs approximately 95 times in the Hebrew
Old Testament. The word appears twice in the first verse in which it is found: “Flee for
your life; … flee to the hills, lest you be consumed” (Gen. 19:17,
RSV
). Sometimes
is used in parallelism with
$
, “to flee” (1 Sam. 19:10), or with
, “to flee” (1 Sam.
19:12). The most common use of this word is to express the “escaping” from any kind of
dangersuch as an enemy (Isa. 20:6), a trap (2 Kings 10:24), or a temptress (Eccl. 7:26).
When Josiah’s reform called for burning the bones of false prophets, a special directive
was issued to spare the bones of a true prophet buried at the same place: “… So they let
his bones alone …” (2 Kings 23:18; literally, “they let his bones escape”).
"
is used
once in the sense of “delivering a child” (Isa. 66:7).
EVENING
(
, 6153), “evening, night.” The noun
appears about 130 times and in
all periods. This word represents the time of the day immediately preceding and
following the setting of the sun. During this period, the dove returned to Noah’s ark (Gen.
8:11). Since it was cool, women went to the wells for water in the “evening” (Gen.
24:11). It was at “evening” that David walked around on top of his roof to refresh himself
and cool off, and observed Bathsheba taking a bath (2 Sam. 11:2). In its first biblical
appearance,
marks the “opening of a day”: “And the evening and the morning were