Fine (Hastings' Dictionary)

For the subst. Fine see Crimes and Punishments. The adj. 'fine' is of fre(iuent occurrence, but only in a few cases does it re- present a Heb. or Gr. word. These are: (1) :'b tObh, 2 Ch i''- « ' tine gold,' Ezr 8=' ' fine copper,' La 4' ' most fine gold' (in (in 2'- it is tr'' 'good,' its usual tr", ' the gold of that land is good '). Aram. 39 tdhh, Dn '2^- 'fine gold.' (2) p-i;:' siirik. Is 19" ' fine flax,' lit. ' combed flax,' as RV. (3) i? pi}z, Ca 5" ' most fine gold,' Ges.

' refined gold.' (4) 3^ri • Cf. Shaks. K. John, 11. L 658— ' I trust we shall. If not fill up the measure of her wiU, Yet in some measure satisfy her.' t This is the only occurrence of the particular compound Ar«^ BL\x.-iryr,pfM in biblical Greek. Lightfoot gives classical quotA- lions, in order to bring out that the special force of a.W ia ' from another quarter.' That is what is sought to be expressed by 'on my ]iart.' But T. K. Abbott ('Intern. Crit. Com.' in loc.)

points out that i»«TXT;^M# itj^elf, in the two instances where in NT it is used with impttu^ (1 Co 10", ph 230)_ expresses a supply coniirig from a dilTcrent quarter from the deficiency. He tlnds the idea of balance in the itW, and hopes it is not an over-refinement to suggest that i»T«,«TAt:^tai. is more unassuming than oLtBttkY.pbi, 'since part of the force of the word is thrown on the idea of correspondence.'

Christ's afllictionfl are inconi- )>lete till Paul brings his quota of afiliction to a<ld to them. And every Christian must bring his quota of atfiiction to add to them before they are complete. For the alllicttons are iiol the atllictions of the Uctlecnicr. but of His Bodv the Church They are His atnictions Juat becauae the Church u Uia Body. 8 FIR Mlebh, Ps 81" 147" ' the finest of the wheat,' lit. as AVm and RVm 'fat of wheat': the fuller phrase * kidney-fat of wheat ' Is found in Dt 32".

(5) Koffopis, Jth 10» ' fine bread ' (RVm ' pure '). In all other cases ' fine ' goes with its subet. in order to bring out the fuU meaning of tlie subst. in the Heb. or Greek. It is used (1) along with linen for B^ sMsh, Gn 41", Ex 25 etc., Ezk IG'"- '» 27' ; for pi bilz, 1 Ch 4" 15", 2 Ch 2» 3", Est 1« 8", Ezk 27'« J for jny sddhin, Pr 31' (RV ' linen gar- ments'), Is 3^; for pex 'ctun, Pr 7" (RV 'linen of the yam ') ; for /SiVtros, Lk 16", Rev 18" ; for (adj.)

^uVffti-oi, 1 Es 3«, Rev IS'' ig'!^ "; and for aivdJiy, Mk 15" (RV 'a linen cloth'). (2) With /lour for njib fdleth, Lv 2' etc., Nu 6" etc., 1 K 4«>, 2 K 7'- "• , 1 Ch 9=» 23», Ezk W^- " 46" ; and for ffcfilSaXis, Sir 35» 38", Bel', 2 Mac P IS'', Rev 18'». (3) With gold for i? jxJz, Job 28", Ps lO" 119'", Pr 8'», Ca 5'», Is 13", La 4^ ; for Dna ketheni, Job 31*, Pr 25", Dn 10» (RV 'pure gold'); and for piij hArUz Pr 3", Zee 9". (4) With hra-^s for xa^'«)^'• ^afof [-OS], Rev V 218 (RV .

burnished '). Thus the adj., which was introduced to mark a distinction in the Heb. and Greek words, has been used so freely as to obliterate any distinction, and RV has done little to restore it. 'Fine' means 'finished' (Lat. finitus. Old Fr. fin), and hence of superior quality, and that is its meaning in all those places. RV, however, has introduced the word in the sense of ' broken small,' 'of minute particles,' Dt 9^ 'as fine as dust ' (isi;'? pi, AV ' small as dust').

The verb to fine (mod. ' refine ') is derived from the adj., and signifies to make pure. It occurs only Job 28' ' Surely there is a vein for silver, and a place for gold where they fine it ' ('pi;, RV ' which they refine '). ' Fining ' is used twice, Pr 17' ' the fining pot is for silver' (lisp, Amer. RV 'refining pot ' ), so 27°'. ' Finer ' occurs only Pr 25* ' a vessel lor the finer' ("jix, Amer. RV 'refiner'). J. Hastings.

FIR (»\-qi MrSsh ; once D-n'iiji bSrCtkim, Ca 1" ; ApKfvBos, K^dpos, tLtvs, KV-jrdpiffaos, ttci'/ct; ; ahics, cupress^ts). From the numerous words by which the LXX has tr'' the Heb. original, it is clear that the learned men of that day were not agreed as to the identity of the tree intended. In a considerable number of passages the tr° is not the name of a tree at all.

The conditions required in the tree are — (1) That it could supply boards and planks and timber for doors (LXX vevKivai, 1 K 6">-*'). (2) That it could supply beams (LXX KiSptyot, 2 Ch 3°) for the roofing of the temple. These must have been large, and veiy strong. (3) That it was useful In shipbuUding (Ezk 27°).

"The LXX in this passage has transposed the words for cedar and fir, giWng as follows: 'The cedar from Senir was built for thee, the planks of the decks were taken off the cypress of Lebanon, of which to make for thee pine masts.' It uses here Kviripi(T(Tos for the transposed word. It is not clear why the word pine in the last clause was added. Perhaps it refers to the resinous quality of the wood. (4) It was suitable for musical instruments (2 S 6').

The LXX, however, in this passage renders the word bSrCshim bj' iv l<r)(vi, in strength, and not by the name of any tree. This corre- sponds with the parallel passage 1 Ch 13* 'with all their might,' where the Heb. text is 'i'Vrs o-i'sbi instead of crna 'sj;^ Si3. If we adopt the reading of 1 Cli in 1 S, the abruptness and apparent unseasonableness of the mention of the wood of which the musical instruments were made is avoided, and the two passages satisfactorily recon- ciled.

The slight clerical error which would thus be corrected is obvious on a comparison of the two texts side by side. Budde lias adopted this amended reading in his new edition of the text FIK of Samuel. Should we also adopt it, there would no lon^r be any necessity to consider the adapta- tion of the biriish to the manufacture of musical instruments (see Wellh. and Driver, ad loc. ). Finns Halepensis, Mill., has been proposed a« the equivalent of bgrdsh.

But its wood is not durable, and would hardly have been cliosen for the beams of the temple. Two other trees have been proposed as the equivalent of bcrCsh, either of which would meet all the requirements : Juni- perus excelsa, M.B. , and Cuprcsstis sempervirens, L. The former is called in Arab. Uzz&b and •JUNTPERUS BXCBLSA.' TALL JUNIPER. skerMn. It grows in the alpine and sub-alpine regions of Lebanon and Antilebanon, up to an alti- tude of 9000 ft.

Its comus, when not hackp<l by the woodman, is ovate-lanceolate. Its trunk is straight, and its wood very solid and durable. It has dense ascending branches, small appressed leaves, and black berries as large as a marrowfat pea. The wood is well stored with resin^-a fact which threatens the tree with extinction, as the remaining forests are fast being cut down by the tar smelters.

Its trunks make solid and inde- structible beams, and its wood, which is reddish and fragrant, is suitable for boards, planks, ship timber, and other purposes. But, notAvithstanding the suitableness of the juniper as a tree to the requirements of the case, the weight of evidence is in favour of the cypress, Cupressiis scmpervirens, L. This tree has qualities resembling those of the last named.

It has a straight trunk, hori- zontal, somewhat straggling branches, forming an ovate-oblong comus, small appressed leaves, and globul.ar galbules, about an inch in diameter, com- posed of woody, shield-shaped scales. Its wood is useful for all the purposes indicated for the fir. Its name, /tmrdpiiTo-os, is one of the most frequent translations of it in the LXX. It is called in Arab, saru and sherbin, both of which are the equivalent of cypress in that language.

Contrary to an opinion cited in Oxf. Ueb. Lex., under the bead Fii?, it is found in abundance in Lebanon and Antllebanon. A variety of it, with ascend- •COPRESaUS BEMPERVlREys. WILD C7PRES8. ing branches, forming' a lanceolate comus, is the familiar cemetery cypresa, so common in the neigh- bourhood of Oriental cities. Many of these have tall straight trunks, which would make massive beams and ship timbers. G. E. Post.

FIRE (in OT most commonly oh, irvf, iri;piff/i6s, also -nN, naN, n-iya ; in Dn occurs Aram. 113 ; in NT Tvp, also rvpd, 0iit) denotes primarily the ordinary firocess of combustion, with its accompaniments of ight and heat. The Scripture references to it are too numerous to cla.ssify exhaustively. Those which deserve special attention fall into two groups, according as the word is used in a literal or in a figurative sense. I. Literal Usage. — Here we may distinguish — 1.

Kire accompanying God's presence. Besides numerous metaphorical allusions in connexion with theophanies, there are several references to fire as a physical phenomenon appearing on such occasions. See On 1.5", Kx 3^ (the burning bush). Ex 19", I)t 4» (Mt. Sinai), Ex 4U^, Nu 9", Dt 1=^, Ps 78" lO.I (the guiding pillar). 2. Sacrificial fire, (a) Sacrifice by fire was a primitive mode of worship (Gn 8'-" 22).

(i) Under the Mosaic law fire was a most important means of ofl'ering the various prescribed sacrifices, wliich are described as ' oll'enngs miule by fire unto J".' For this pur- pose n fire was kept continually burning on the altar of bumt-oflering (Lv 6", 1 Es 6»*). Accord- ing to Lv 9^ it had a miraculous origin, and it was similarly rekindled in Solomon's temple (2 Ch 7'''). Some find a reference to this perpetual fire in Is 31° (but see Cheyne, Delitzsch, in Ion.)

, and in the name Ariel (the hearth of God?) applied to Jems, in Is 29'- 2'. In 2 Mac l'"-^- there is a legend about the hiding of the sacred fire at the fall of Jerus., and its discovery by Nehemiah after the Exile. For the story of a later rekindling see 2 Mac 10*. (c) Mention is made of special answers by fire when sacrifices were oU'ered elsewhere than at the regular sanctuary, as in the cases of Gideon (Jg 6-1), Elijah (1 K 185»), and David (1 Ch 21-<').

{(/) Fire was used for ottering incense. It was carried in censers (Lv 16'^- "), or placed on the altar of incense (Ex 30'-'), and the incense sprinkled upon it. To use any other than the sacred fire for this purpose was to offer ' strange fire,' the offence for which Nadab and Abihu perished ( Lv 10', Nu 3'' 26*1). (e) Human sacrifice, especially child sacrifice, by fire was practised by certain of Israel's neighbours (Dt 12^i, 2 K 17'i).

It was strictly forbidden in the law (Lv I8-1, Dt ISi"), but is repeatedly mentioned as a sin of Israel (2 K 11", Jer 7'i 195 3'2», Ezk I6-1 20^- ^M, being carried on in particular by Ahaz (2 K 16', 2 Ch 28') and Manasseli (2 K 21«, 2 Ch 33*). The scene of these rites was Topheth in the valley of Hinnora (Jer 7'i). See W. R. Smith, ES, pp. 352, 353, and Driver, Deui. p. 222. 3. Lightning. In such expressions as 'fire from heaven,' 'the fire of God,' etc.

, which describe at times a destructive agency (Lv 10-, 2 K li'-i^, Job 11*), and at times the token by which sacrifice was approved (2 c, above), some such phenomenon as lightning is eviiiently to be understood, as also when ' fire and hail ' are men- tioned together (Ex g^'- ^, Ps 105''-' 148"). 4. Fire for domestic purposes.

Its use in this respect waa twofold, (a) For the preparation of food, as for roasting flesh (Ex 12, 2 Ch 35i', Is 44i, 1 Es l'^), for broiling fish (Jn 2F), for baking (1 K I71-, Jer 71'). (6) For warmth, as in Is 44'*, Jer 36, , Mk 14", Lk 22^', Jn W\ Ac 28=. In Pal. fire is only occasionally used for heating, and there are no regular fireplaces except in kitchens, but portable braziers or 'fire-pans' are employed. The larger houses have special ' winter rooms ' (Jer 36-, Am 3").

In these a cavity is made in the middle of the floor, in which the ' stove ' (nx) is placed. When the fire has burnt out a wooden frame is placed over it, and this is covered with a carpet so as to retain the heat (Keil, Bib. Arch. ii. 107 ; Nowuc-k, Neb. Arch. 141 ; Benzinger, Ueb. Arch. 124), Tlie Arabs in the desert use as a hearth a liole lined with stones (Niebuhr, Travels in Arabia, i. 209). The use of fire on the Sabbath for domestic jmr- poses was forbidden in the law (Ex 35'; Jos.

]Vars, II. viii. 9). 5. Fire in metallurgy. Fire has been employed from the earliest times for refining, cast- ing, and forging metals. Among the Scriptiire allusions to tliis use are Ex 32'" (the golden calf), the various references to ' molten images,' and also Is 4413 54'*, 2 Es 16", Sir '2', 1 P P. 6. Fire as a destroying agent. Amon]^ the effects of fire de- struction IS naturally prominent. Death by lire (or po.

ssibly V)urning«/^crexccution by another inetluid) was the penalty for certain offences (Lv 2iP''' 21", .los 71° ^), and was also a mode of inflicting vengeance (2S 12"[?],Jer29, , Dn3"i», 2Mac7''). Comiuerors burned the idols of vanquished nations (2 K 19'*, Is 37"), and the Israelites were specially enjoined so to destroy those of the Canaanites (Dt 7°, 1 Mac 5"'''). Fire was a common means of destroying cities and jiroperty taken in war; and hence 'a fire shall go forth, 'I will .

send (or kindle) a lire,' are formula' which occur frequently in t)ie pro- phetical books. Setting a crop on fire was one way of provoking a quarrel (Jg 15 ', 2 S 14), 10 FIKEBRAXD FIRST-FRUITS and provision was made in the law (Ex 22") for making good the damage done by fire accidentally raised, l-'irc was a convenient method of destroy- ing obnoxious writings (Jer 36^, 1 Mac l'^).

The disposal of human bodies by burning was quite exceptional among the Hebrews (1 S 31", Am 0'"), but the refuse oi the bodies of animals used in sacrifice wiis destroyed by fire (Lv 4" 6* 16", H« 13"). Garments infected by 'leprosy' were to 1)0 burnt (Lv 13""-'"), and it was also common to burn rubbish of various kinds, as stubble (Is 5'), chalf (Mt 3", Lk 3"), and tares (Mt 13'"). Topheth (2 e, above) is said to have become in later times a receptacle and burning-place of rubbish.

(This is doubted by Robinson; see BliP^ i. 274.) Fire is contemplated as the means by which the visible uni\erse is to be destroyed (2 1 3'""). 7. Fire as a purifying agent. This use arises from the previous one in cases where impurities are of a comuustible nature while the material to be purified is not so (Nu31^). II. Metaphorical Usage.— Many of the fore- going properties and uses of fire have suggested fig. apjjlications of the word. Thus wo hud it em- ployed as a symbol — 1.

Of God Himself, (a) Of His glory, in such visions as those described in Ezk I-"-" 10»-', Dn 7" lO". (6) Of His protecting presence (2 K 6", Zee 2»). (c) Of His holiness (Dt 4=^, He 12-='). 2. Of God's righteous judgment, which tests the deeds of men (Zee 13", Mai 3'^ 1 Co 3"). 3. Of God's wrath against sin (Is 66">- '», Jer 4-' 21", La ^■■', Ezk 213' 22-', Am 5" V etc.), i. Of the punishment of the wicked (Ps 68' 97', Is 47", Ezk 28", Mt 13«« 2 Th P). Topheth or Gehenna (I.

6 above) suggests the language in Is CO-'S .Jth 16", Sir 7", Mt 18», Mk 9^-«. Fire is the embloro of the danger which the saved escape (Zee 3'-, Jude ^). 'Eternal lire' and 'the lake of tire' are images of the punisliment of the lost (Mt 25", Jude ', Kev 19=" 2U'»- "■ '» 21»). S. Of sin (Is 9" 65'), and particularly of lust (Hos 7', Sir '23'"), and of the miscliief of the tongue (Pr le", Ja 3"). 6. Of trouble and affliction (Ps GO'-, Is 43S Jer 51*, Hab 2"). 7.

Of religious emotion (Ps 39^), and especially of prophetic inspiration, as ' the word of the Lord '"(Jer 5" 20" 23-'»). 8. Of the law (2 Es 13**). 9. Of the Holy Spirit (Mt 3", Lk 3'», Ac 2^). Ueference is apparently made in 2 Mac 10^ to the method of procuring fire by striking steel against flint. W ith regard to fuel, the material used for the sacrificial fire, both in primitive and in later times, was wood (Gn 22^', Lv 6'-'). Special arrangements were made for supplying the altar fire.

The Gibeonites were made ' hewers of wood ' for the house of the Lord (Jos 9^), and after the Exile a special wood-offering was appointed for the temple (Neh 10 13^'). It is called by Josephus the festival of Xylophoria ( )Vars, li. xvil. 6). For ordinary purposes the staple fuel was charcoal (see Coal), but other materials were also used, such as thorns (Ps 58» US", Ec 7«, Is 33") and grass (Mt e, Lk 122*).

xhe asphaltum found near the Dead Sea is combustible, as is also the 'stink-stone' found in the same neighbourhood, wliich is burnt along with camel's dung (Burck- hardt. Travels in S^ria, p. 394). The last men- tioned, as well as other kinds of dung (Ezk 4'=), is also used alone as fuel (Niebuhr, Travels in Arabia, iL 232 ; Wright, Palmyra and Zenobia, p. 369). Jame.s Patrick.