Abiathar. (2Sa 15:30, 32-37) At first Absalom was suspicious, but Hushai succeeded in winning his confidence. (2Sa 16:16-19) When Absalom called for Hushai’s opinion concerning the best military strategy, Hushai spoke contrary to Ahithophel and recommended a course that would in fact allow David time to get organized. Hushai presented his idea in a way that made it appear better to Absalom and his associates than Ahithophel’s advice to attack immediately. Hushai then informed the priests of what had happened. (2Sa 17:1-16) Hushai’s counsel frustrated that of Ahithophel, just as David had petitioned God, and thus ‘Jehovah brought calamity upon Absalom.’​—2Sa 15:31; 17:14; see FRIEND (Friend [Companion] of the King).

(Huʹsham).

A native of the land of the Temanites who succeeded Jobab as king of Edom. (Ge 36:31, 34, 35; 1Ch 1:45, 46) This was “before any king reigned over the sons of Israel.”​—1Ch 1:43.

(Huʹshath·ite) [Of (Belonging to) Hushah].

A resident, or perhaps a descendant, of Hushah.​—2Sa 21:18; 23:8, 27; 1Ch 11:26, 29; 20:4; 27:1, 11.

(Huʹshim).

1. Son of Dan (Ge 46:23), evidently called Shuham at Numbers 26:42.

2. A designation given to the sons of Aher of the tribe of Benjamin.​—1Ch 7:6, 12.

3. Wife of the Benjamite Shaharaim and the mother of Abitub and Elpaal.​—1Ch 8:1, 8, 11.

(hyʹa·cinth).

A deep-blue semiprecious stone; in Greek, hy·aʹkin·thos. (Primarily the word referred to the flower by that name, probably describing the dark-blue iris.) The 11th of the foundation stones of New Jerusalem is said to be hyacinth.​—Re 21:20.

Hyacinth blue (hyacinthine) is one of the colors of the breastplates in the description of the armies of cavalry, at Revelation 9:16, 17. The breastplates spoken of were probably those worn by the riders of the horses. Fire red and sulfur yellow are mentioned as the other two breastplate colors. In view of the later statement that the horses breathed out fire, smoke, and sulfur, the hyacinth blue may represent the darkness of smoke, which, along with fire and sulfur, may be destructive to life.

See EGYPT, EGYPTIAN.

(Hy·me·naeʹus) [named after Hymen, the Greek god of marriage].

An apostate from Christianity during the first century, Hymenaeus was identified by Paul as a blasphemer, full of “empty speeches that violate what is holy.” In his deviation from the truth, Hymenaeus, along with a certain Philetus, taught false doctrine, subverting the faith of some. One of their false teachings was that ‘the resurrection had already occurred’ in their day. Evidently this was their teaching: that the resurrection was merely a spiritual one, of a symbolic kind, and that the dedicated Christians had already had their resurrection, that this was all there was to the matter and there was no further resurrection in the future under God’s Messianic Kingdom.​—2Ti 2:16-18; compare 1Co 15:12-23.

In Paul’s first letter to Timothy, Hymenaeus’ name is associated with another apostate, Alexander. The apostle states that he had handed Hymenaeus and Alexander “over to Satan,” evidently referring to Paul’s expelling or disfellowshipping them from the congregation.​—1Ti 1:18-20.

A person who pretends to be what he is not; a person whose actions are out of harmony with his words.

Although words from the Hebrew root cha·nephʹ are rendered “hypocrite” or “hypocrisy” in some translations, such as the King James Version, Douay, and Leeser, other translators have variously rendered these words “profane” (Yg), “impious” (Ro), “godless” (RS), and “apostate” (NW). According to A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament by Brown, Driver, and Briggs (1980, pp. 337, 338), cha·nephʹ, when used as an adjective, may be defined as “profane, irreligious . . . , godless”; or, as a verb, “be polluted, profane . . . , inclining away from right.” In the Scriptures cha·nephʹ appears in parallel with those forgetting God (Job 8:13), the wicked (Job 20:5), evildoers (Isa 9:17), and it is used in contrast with the upright and innocent ones.​—Job 17:8; see APOSTASY.

The Greek word rendered “hypocrite” (hy·po·kri·tesʹ) means “one who answers,” as well as meaning a stage actor. Greek and Roman actors employed large masks with mechanical devices for amplifying the voice. Hence, the Greek word hy·po·kri·tesʹ came to be used in a metaphoric sense to apply to one playing false, or one putting on a pretense. The same word appears in the Greek Septuagint at Job 34:30; 36:13. Hypocrites are “unfaithful ones” (compare Lu 12:46 with Mt 24:51), and “hypocrisy” (hy·poʹkri·sis), as used in the Scriptures, may also denote “wickedness” and “cunning.”​—Compare Mt 22:18; Mr 12:15; Lu 20:23;