with them being all wrapped up in the familiar name of Yahweh.”

Might implies strength or power to perform and to accomplish a thing purposed, as well as to overcome obstacles or opposition, and Jehovah’s almightiness manifests his irresistible power to accomplish his purpose. At times violent action is presented in connection with God’s title of “the Almighty One,” as at Psalm 68:14, when he ‘scatters abroad the kings,’ at Joel 1:15, which describes the “despoiling [shodh] from the Almighty One [Shad·dayʹ]” to come in the “day of Jehovah,” and at Isaiah 13:6, quoted earlier. It also gives assurance of his ability to bless (Gen. 49:25) and is a guarantee of security to those trusting in him: “Anyone dwelling in the secret place of the Most High will procure himself lodging under the very shadow of the Almighty One.”—Ps.91:1.

In the book of Job, Shad·dayʹ occurs thirty-one times, being used by all the characters in the drama there presented. Jehovah’s power to punish or to afflict are set forth (Job 6:4; 27:13-23), so that the ones saying, “What does the Almighty amount to, that we should serve him, and how do we benefit ourselves in that we have come in touch with him?”, and who therefore trust in their own power, can expect to drink of “the rage of the Almighty.” (21:15, 16, 20) The Almighty, therefore, merits awe, even dread, since his will cannot be ignored nor his law violated with impunity (6:14; 23:15, 16; 31:1-3), even though the expression of his might is not immediately seen. (24:1-3, 24; compare Exodus 9:14-16; Ecclesiastes 8:11-13.) Yet his power and might are always used in strict accord with justice and righteousness, never in an uncontrolled, wanton, erratic or irresponsible manner. (Job 34:10, 12; 35:13; 37:23, 24) Hence, there is no just cause for men to contend or find fault with him. (40:2-5) Those practicing righteousness can confidently approach him, and enjoy a personal relationship with him. (13:3; 29:4, 5; 31:35-37) As the Creator he is the Source of life and wisdom.—32:8; 33:4.

In the prophecy concerning the Messiah at Isaiah 9:6 the title “Mighty God” is applied to the promised Prince of Peace. This expression, however, translates the Hebrew ʼEl Gib·bohrʹ, not ʼEl Shad·dayʹ, as in the above scriptures.

CORRESPONDING GREEK TERM

In the Christian Greek Scriptures the word Pan·to·kraʹtor occurs ten times, nine of them in the book of Revelation. The word basically means the Almighty One, or Ruler of all, the One who has all power. Its use in the Christian Scriptures lends weight to the understanding of the Hebrew term Shad·dayʹ as meaning “Almighty One,” since otherwise there would be no corresponding term for Pan·to·kraʹtor in the Hebrew Scriptures.

At 2 Corinthians 6:18 Paul quotes from the Hebrew Scriptures in urging Christians to avoid false worship and the use of lifeless, powerless idols, thus qualifying as children of “the Almighty [Pan·to·kraʹtor].” In view of the apostle’s quotations, it is obvious that the title here applies to Jehovah God.

Similarly, throughout Revelation the title Pan·to·kraʹtor is applied to the Creator and King of Eternity, Jehovah, as in the “song of Moses the slave of God and the song of the Lamb [Jesus Christ],” which acclaims Jehovah God as the One worthy of worship and fear by all nations. (Rev. 15:3; compare Revelation 21:22.) The title’s application to Jehovah God is made obvious at Revelation 19:6 by the use of the expression Hallelujah (“Praise Jah”). Likewise, the expression “the One who is and who was and who is coming” (Rev. 1:8; 4:8) clearly points to the God of eternity (Ps. 90:2), who not only “was” the Almighty in ancient times but continues to be so and “is coming” as such with an expression of his all-powerfulness. Again, violent action is indicated, following his ‘taking his great power’ to rule as king, by the expression of his wrath against the opposing nations, at the “war of the great day of God the Almighty.” (Rev. 11:17, 18; 16:14) His Son, Christ Jesus, the “Word of God,” is shown as expressing this “wrath of God the Almighty” against the nations in his position as God’s anointed king. (Rev. 19:13-16) Yet such mighty expressions of God’s judicial decisions continue to be in full accord with his standards of truth and righteousness.—Rev. 16:5-7; see GOD.

ALMODAD

(Al·moʹdad) [the beloved; or, God is beloved].

First of Joktan’s thirteen sons; fourth generation after Shem; nephew of Peleg, through whom the Messianic lineage is traced. Almodad fathered one of the seventy post-Flood families, settling in Arabia. (Gen. 10:26, 32; 1 Chron. 1:20) Arabian tradition has him chief of the tribe Jurham and father of a wife of Ishmael.

ALMON

(Alʹmon) [hidden].

A Levite city within the territory of Benjamin assigned to the sons of Aaron in the days of Joshua and Eleazar the priest. (Josh. 21:1, 18) It is called Alemeth in 1 Chronicles 6:60. The ancient site is at the village ruins of Khirbet Almit, a few miles NE of Jerusalem and just a little beyond Anathoth, another Levite city.

ALMOND

[Heb., sha·qedhʹ].

The almond or Amygdalus communis is a tree native to Palestine, Lebanon and some areas of Mesopotamia. A member of the peach family, it grew both wild and as a cultivated fruit tree. Interestingly, the Hebrew name means, literally, “the waker,” and this is quite fitting since the almond is one of the earliest trees to bloom following the winter rest, blossoming as early as late January or early February. Note the play on words at Jeremiah 1:11, 12, where the word “almond” [sha·qedhʹ] is followed by the expression “keeping awake” [sho·qedhʹ]. The tree may grow up to sixteen feet (4.87 meters) in height and, when blossoming, is covered with lovely pink and sometimes white flowers arranged in pairs. At Ecclesiastes 12:5 the blossoming almond tree is used to picture the white-headedness of old age. The leaves are oval-shaped and serrated on the edges. The almond fruit has an oblong shape rounded on one end and pointed on the other. It has always been considered a delicacy and was used by Jacob as part of a gift sent to Egypt with his returning sons. (Gen. 43:11) The kernel is a source of desirable oil, a hundred pounds (45.4 kilograms) of the fruit producing some forty-five pounds (20.4 kilograms) of oil.

Doubtless due to their delicate beauty, the flowers of the almond were used as a pattern for the cups on the branches of the tabernacle lampstand. (Ex. 25:33, 34; 37:19, 20) Aaron’s rod was also an almond branch and miraculously budded overnight, producing ripe almonds as proof of God’s approval on him as anointed high priest.—Num. 17:8.

At Genesis 30:37 the Hebrew word luz occurs and is translated “almond” in later translations. (The same word in Arabic means “almond tree.”)

[Picture on page 55]

Almond branches—one in bloom, the other bearing fruit

ALMON-DIBLATHAIM

(Alʹmon-dib·la·thaʹim) [hidden fig cakes].

A place between Dibon-gad and the plains of Moab, where the Israelites encamped in the fortieth year of their going out from Egypt (1473 B.C.E.). It was one of the last encampments during their wanderings. (Num. 33:46, 47) Usually identified with Khirbet Deleilat el-Gharbiyeh, a double ruin controlling three roads two and a half miles (4 kilometers) NE of Khirbet Libb. Possibly identical with Beth-diblathaim.—Jer. 48:22.

ALMUG

[Heb., ʼal·mogʹ].

A tree included by Solomon in his request to Hiram of Tyre for timbers for the construction of the temple and from which stairs and supports were constructed as well as harps and stringed instruments.—2 Chron. 2:8, 9; 9:10, 11; 1 Ki. 10:11, 12.

The almug tree of this account cannot be identified with certainty. It is traditionally suggested to be the red sandalwood (Pterocarpus santalinus) now found in India and Ceylon, although some favor the white sandalwood (Santalum album), perhaps due to Josephus’ statement that it is like pinewood, “but . . . whiter, and more shining.” (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book VIII, chap. VII, par. 1) The red sandalwood grows to heights of about twenty-five or thirty feet (7.6 or 9.1 meters) and has a hard, fine-grained, reddish-brown wood that takes a high polish. It is suggested as suitable for musical instruments of the type mentioned in the Bible account. The wood has a sweet scent and is highly resistant to insects. The red sandalwood does not grow in Lebanon at the present time. However, the record is not definite as to whether the “almug” trees were native to Lebanon or not. At any rate, Hiram later saw fit to bring them from Ophir, and, here again, the timbers may have been imports even in Ophir, as it was in position to act as a trading center dealing with India, Egypt and other places in Africa. (1 Ki. 10:22) The rarity and preciousness of the wood delivered by Hiram is indicated by the statement that “timbers of almug trees like this have not come in nor have they been seen down to this day.”—1 Ki. 10:12.

In view of the uncertainty involved it appears best to simply transliterate the Hebrew name as “almug” until such time as more certain identification becomes possible.

ALOE, ALOESWOOD

[Heb., ʼaha·limʹ (plural) and ʼaha·lohthʹ (plural), ʼaha·lohthʹ q^etsi·ʽohthʹ; Gr., a·loʹe].

A name applied to a variety of tree containing a fragrant or aromatic substance used as a perfume in the Biblical period. (Ps. 45:8; Prov. 7:17; Song of Sol. 4:14) Most commentators consider the aloe tree of the Bible to be the Aquilaria agallocha, sometimes called the “eaglewood tree” and now found principally in India and neighboring regions. The tree is large and spreading, at times reaching a height of over 100 feet (30.5 meters). The inner core of the trunk and branches is impregnated with resin and an odoriferous oil, from which comes the highly prized perfume. Apparently attaining its most aromatic state when in decay, the wood is sometimes buried in the ground to hasten the decaying process. In a finely powdered condition it is then sold commercially as “aloes.”

The prophet Balaam’s comparison of the tents of Israel with “aloe plants that Jehovah has planted, like cedars by the waters,” may relate to the spreading shape of these lofty trees, a cluster of aloe trees resembling an encampment of tents. (Num. 24:6) This text, however, has occasioned some discussion, since the Aquilaria agallocha trees usually identified with the aloes of the Bible are not found in Palestine. Their absence today, of course, would not necessarily prove that such trees were not present in that land over 2,500 years ago. On the other hand, Balaam’s reference to the trees does not require that they be growing right in the area where he spoke. If the “cedars” mentioned immediately afterward in this text were cedars of Lebanon, then they would be trees growing outside that area, and the same could be true of the aloes. Balaam could have been acquainted with them from the place of his residence near the Euphrates River (Num. 22:5), although they are evidently not now indigenous to that region either. Whatever the case, the other texts dealing with aloes refer only to their aromatic qualities and would allow for them to have been foreign imports.

Following the death of Christ Jesus, Nicodemus brought “a roll of myrrh and aloes” weighing about a hundred pounds (45.4 kilograms), to be used in preparing Jesus’ body for burial. (John 19:39) Since Herodotus, the Greek historian, states that aloeswood at one time was worth its weight in gold, Nicodemus’ contribution must have represented a considerable outlay of money on his part, although the proportion of the less expensive myrrh included in the one hundred pounds is not stated. While some apply the term “aloes” in this text to the plant of the lily family that now bears the botanical name of Aloe vera or Aloe succotrina, the product of this plant (a thick juice from the leaves) is mainly employed as a purgative, used today by veterinarians for treating horses. Thus most modern commentators consider the aloes brought by Nicodemus to be the same aloeswood product as that referred to in the Hebrew Scriptures.

ALPHA

[Α, α].

The first letter in the Greek alphabet, from which the English “a” is derived. It originates from the Hebrew ʼaʹleph but differs in that alʹpha is a vowel while ʼaʹleph is a consonant.

The vowel alʹpha can be either long or short; however, at the time of Christ this distinction was disappearing.

It appears three times in the Bible in conjunction with o·meʹga to make up a title referring to Jehovah.—Rev. 1:8; 21:6; 22:13; see ALPHA AND OMEGA; ALPHABET.

ALPHA AND OMEGA

These are the names of the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet and are used as a title three times in the book of Revelation. The occurrence of this phrase in the Authorized Version rendering of Revelation 1:11, however, does not receive support from some of the oldest Greek manuscripts, including the Alexandrine, Sinaitic and Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus. It is, therefore, omitted in many modern translations.

While many commentators apply this title both to God and to Christ, a more careful examination of its use restricts its application to the supreme God. The first verse of Revelation shows that the revelation