Reference: Lamp
American
The lamps of the ancients, sometimes called "candles" in our Bible, were cups and vessels of many convenient and graceful shapes; and might be carried in the hand, or set upon a stand. See CANDLESTICK. The lamp was fed with vegetable oils, tallow, wax, etc., and was kept burning all night. The poorest families, in some parts of the East, still regard this as essential to health and comfort. A darkened house therefore forcibly told of the extinction of its former occupants, Job 18:5-6; Pr 13:9; 20:20; Jer 25:10-11; while a constant light was significant of prosperity and perpetuity, 2Sa 21:17; 1Ki 11:36; Ps 132:17. Lamps to be carried in the streets presented a large surface of wicking to the air, and needed to be frequently replenished from a vessel of oil borne in the other hand, Mt 25:3-4. Torches and lanterns, Joh 18:3, were very necessary in ancient cities, the streets of which were never lighted.
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but Abishai son of Zeruiah, came to his help, and smote the Philistine, and slew him. Then, sware the men of David unto him, saying - Thou must not go forth any more with us, to battle, that thou quench not the lamp of Israel.
Even the light of the lawless, shall go out, - Neither shall shine the flame of his fire; The light, hath darkened in his tent, Yea, his lamp above him, goeth out;
There, will I cause to bud a horn to David, I have prepared a lamp for mine Anointed One;
The light of the righteous, rejoiceth, but, the lamp of the lawless, goeth out.
Whoso revileth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in deep darkness.
And I will banish from among them - The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, The voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, - The sound of the millstones, and the light of the lamp: So shall all this land become a desolation, an astonishment, And these nations shall serve the king of Babylon, seventy years.
For, the foolish - though they took, their torches, took not with them, oil: But, the prudent, took oil in their vessels, with their torches.
Judas, therefore, receiving the band, and officers, from among the High-priests and from amongthe Pharisees, cometh thither, with lights and torches and weapons.
Easton
(1.) That part of the candle-sticks of the tabernacle and the temple which bore the light (Ex 25:37; 1Ki 7:49; 2Ch 4:20; 13:11; Zec 4:2). Their form is not described. Olive oil was generally burned in them (Ex 27:20).
(2.) A torch carried by the soliders of Gideon (Jg 7:16,20). (R.V., "torches.")
(3.) Domestic lamps (A.V., "candles") were in common use among the Hebrews (Mt 5:15; Mr 4:21, etc.).
(4.) Lamps or torches were used in connection with marriage ceremonies (Mt 25:1).
This word is also frequently metaphorically used to denote life, welfare, guidance, etc. (2Sa 21:17; Ps 119:105; Pr 6:23; 13:9).
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And thou shalt make the lamps thereof seven, and one shall light up its lamps, and it shall give light, over against the face thereof.
Thou thyself, therefore, shalt command the sons of Israel that they bring unto thee - pure, beaten olive-oil, for giving light, - that the lamp may lift up its flame continually.
And he divided the three hundred men, into three companies, - and put horns into the hands of them all, with empty pitchers, and torches inside the pitchers.
Yea the three companies blew with the horns, and shivered the pitchers, and caught hold - with their left hands - of the torches, while, in their right hands, were the horns, to blow with, - and they cried, A sword for Yahweh, and for Gideon!
but Abishai son of Zeruiah, came to his help, and smote the Philistine, and slew him. Then, sware the men of David unto him, saying - Thou must not go forth any more with us, to battle, that thou quench not the lamp of Israel.
With all my heart, have I sought thee, Suffer me not to be led astray from thy commandments.
For, a lamp, is the commandment, and, the instruction, a light, and, the way of life, are the reproofs of correction:
The light of the righteous, rejoiceth, but, the lamp of the lawless, goeth out.
Then said he unto me, What canst thou see? And I said - I have looked, and lo! a Lampstand - all of gold, with the Bowl thereof upon the top thereof, and its Seven Lamps upon it, Seven Pipes each, to the lamps which are upon the top thereof;
Neither light they a lamp, and place it under the measure; but upon the lampstand, and it giveth light to all that are in the house.
Then, will the kingdom of the heavens become like unto, ten virgins, who, taking their torches, went forth to meet the bridegroom.
And he was saying unto them - Doth the lamp come that under the measure it should be put, or under the couch? Is it not that upon the lampstand it may be put?
Fausets
(See CANDLE; CANDLESTICK.) The ordinary means of lighting apartments. In Jg 7:16,20, lamps mean torches; so Joh 18:3; Mt 25:1. The terra cotta and bronze handlamps from Nimrud and Koyunjik perhaps give a good idea of the Bible lamp. The Egyption kandeel or common lamp is a small glass vessel with a tube in the bottom in which is stuck a wick of cotton twisted round straw. Water is poured in first, then the oil. The usual symbols of the early Christian lamps found at Jerusalem are the cross, the seven branched candlestick, the palm (Joh 12:13; Re 7:9). The rudeness of the lamps indicates the poverty of the early saints at Jerusalem. The inscriptions that occur are "the light of Christ shineth to all," and the initials I. X. TH., "Jesus Christ God."
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And he divided the three hundred men, into three companies, - and put horns into the hands of them all, with empty pitchers, and torches inside the pitchers.
Yea the three companies blew with the horns, and shivered the pitchers, and caught hold - with their left hands - of the torches, while, in their right hands, were the horns, to blow with, - and they cried, A sword for Yahweh, and for Gideon!
Then, will the kingdom of the heavens become like unto, ten virgins, who, taking their torches, went forth to meet the bridegroom.
took the branches of the palm trees, and went out to meet him, and began crying aloud - Hosanna! Blessed is he that is coming in the name of the Lord, - even the King of Israel!
Judas, therefore, receiving the band, and officers, from among the High-priests and from amongthe Pharisees, cometh thither, with lights and torches and weapons.
After these things, I saw, and 1o! a great multitude, - which, to number it! no one was able, - of every nation, and of all tribes, and peoples, and tongues; standing before the throne, and before the Lamb; arrayed in white robes, and palm-branches in their hands; -
Hastings
1. The earliest illuminant everywhere was supplied by pieces of resinous wood. Such probably were the torches of Gideon's adventure (Jg 7:16,20 RV for AV 'lamps') and other passages. There is no evidence of anything of the nature of our candles, which is a frequent AV rendering of the ordinary Heb. word (n
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And he divided the three hundred men, into three companies, - and put horns into the hands of them all, with empty pitchers, and torches inside the pitchers.
Yea the three companies blew with the horns, and shivered the pitchers, and caught hold - with their left hands - of the torches, while, in their right hands, were the horns, to blow with, - and they cried, A sword for Yahweh, and for Gideon!
Nevertheless, go his son, will I give one tribe, - to the end there may remain a lamp unto David my servant always before me, in Jerusalem, the city that I have chosen for myself, to put my Name there.
The light of the righteous, rejoiceth, but, the lamp of the lawless, goeth out.
Cane that is crushed, will he not break, And wick that is fading, will he not quench, - Faithfully, will he bring forth justice:
And it shall come to pass, at that time, that I will search through Jerusalem, with lamps, - and will punish the men who are thickened upon their lees, who are saying in their heart, Yahweh, will not give blessing, neither will he bring calamity.
Neither light they a lamp, and place it under the measure; but upon the lampstand, and it giveth light to all that are in the house.
Morish
The lamp was commonly used to furnish artificial light, and numbers of them have been found in the ruins of Jerusalem and other cities, some being made of terra cotta and others of glass. In the 'golden candlestick' the light was obtained from lamps, and wherever the word 'candle' occurs a lamp is signified. The lamp is used symbolically for the light that is obtained from it; thus "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet." Ps 119:105; Pr 6:23. The ten virgins, when they went forth to meet the bridegroom, each took a lamp (more correctly a torch); but the issue made it manifest that the lamp without oil could give no light: a striking symbol of mere profession without the Holy Spirit. Mt 25:1-8. Oil for the light is further exemplified in the candlestick in Zech. 4, where the seven lamps are furnished with oil by pipes from two olive trees: to these God's two witnesses in a future day are compared. Re 11:4. See LIGHT.
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With all my heart, have I sought thee, Suffer me not to be led astray from thy commandments.
For, a lamp, is the commandment, and, the instruction, a light, and, the way of life, are the reproofs of correction:
Then, will the kingdom of the heavens become like unto, ten virgins, who, taking their torches, went forth to meet the bridegroom. Now, five of them, were foolish, and, five, prudent. read more. For, the foolish - though they took, their torches, took not with them, oil: But, the prudent, took oil in their vessels, with their torches. Now, the bridegroom, delaying, they all became drowsy, and were sleeping. And, at midnight, an outcry hath been made - Lo! the bridegroom! Be going forth to meet him! Then, arose all those virgins, and trimmed their torches. And, the foolish, unto the prudent, said - Give us of your oil, because, our torches, are going out.
These, are the two olive-trees, and the two lamps, which, before the Lord of the earth, do stand.
Smith
Lamp.
1. That part of the golden candlestick belonging to the tabernacle which bore the light; also of each of the ten candlesticks placed by Solomon in the temple before the holy of holies.
Ex 25:37; 1Ki 7:49; 2Ch 4:20; 13:11; Zec 4:2
The lamps were lighted every evening and cleansed every morning.
2. A torch or flambeau, such as was carried by the soldiers of Gideon.
comp. Judg 15:4 The use in marriage processions of lamps fed with oil is alluded to in the parable of the ten virgins.
Modern Egyptian lamps consist of small glass vessels with a tube at the bottom containing a cotton wick twisted around a piece of straw. For night travelling, a lantern composed of waxed cloth strained over a sort of cylinder of wire rings, and a top and bottom of perforated copper. This would, in form at least, answer to the lamps within pitchers of Gideon. "The Hebrews, like the ancient Greeks and Romans, as well as the modern Orientals, were accustomed to burn lamps all night. This custom, with the effect produced by their going out or being extinguished, supplies various figures to the sacred writers.
On the other hand, the keeping up of a lamp's light is used as a symbol of enduring and unbroken succession.
--McClintock and Strong.
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And thou shalt make the lamps thereof seven, and one shall light up its lamps, and it shall give light, over against the face thereof.
And Aaron shall burn thereon fragrant incense, - morning by morning, when he trimmeth the lamps, shall he burn it; and, when Aaron lighteth the lamps, between the evenings, shall he burn it, - a continual incense before Yahweh, to your generations. read more. Ye shall not cause to ascend thereupon strange incense, nor an ascending-sacrifice, nor a meal-offering, - and a drink offering, shall ye not pour out thereupon. But Aaron shall put a propitiatory-covering upon the horns thereof, once in the year: of the blood of the sin-bearer for propitiatory-coverings, once in the year, shall he put a propitiatory-covering thereupon to your generations, most holy, it is to Yahweh. Then spake Yahweh unto Moses, saying - When thou takest the sum of the sons of Israel, by their numberings, then shall they give every man a propitiatory-covering for his soul to Yahweh, when they are numbered, - that there may be among them no plague when they are numbered. This, shall they give - every one that passeth over to them that have been numbered - a half-shekel by the shekel of the sanctuary, - the shekel is twenty gerahs - the half-shekel, shalt be a heave-offering to Yahweh. All who pass over to the numbered, from twenty years old and upwards, shall give the heave-offering of Yahweh. The rich, shall not give more, and the poor, shall not give less, than the half-shekel, - when they give the heave-offering of Yahweh, to put a propitiatory-covering over your souls. So then thou shalt take the silver for the propitiatory-coverings from the sons of Israel, and shalt expend it upon the service of the tent of meeting, - thus shall it be for the sons of Israel as a memorial before Yahweh, to put a propitiatory-covering over your souls.
And thou shalt make a laver of bronze, and its stand of bronze for bathing, - and thou shalt place it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and shalt put therein water. So shall Aaron and his sons bathe thereat, - their hands, and their feet. read more. When they enter the tent of meeting, they shall bathe with water so shall they not die, - or when they approach unto the altar to minister, to burn as incense an altar-flame to Yahweh: so then they shall bathe their hands and their feet and shall not die, - and it shall be to them an age-abiding statute, to him and to his seed to their generations.
Thou, therefore, take to thee - principal spices, - self-flowing myrrh, five hundred, and fragrant cinnamon, half as much, two hundred and fifty, and, fragrant cane, two hundred and fifty; and, cassia, five hundred, by the shekel of the sanctuary, - and, oil olive, a hin. read more. And thou shalt make it an oil for holy anointing, a compounded perfume the work of a perfumer, - an oil for holy anointing, shall it be. And thou shalt anoint therewith the tent of meeting, - and the ark of the testimony; and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand, and its utensils, - and the incense altar, and the altar for the ascending-sacrifice, and all its utensils,-and the laver, and its stand. So shalt thou hallow them, and they shall be most holy, - whosoever toucheth them, shall be holy. Aaron also, and his sons, shalt thou anoint, - so shalt thou hallow them to minister as priests unto me. And unto the sons of Israel, shalt thou speak, saying, An oil for holy anointing, shall this be to me, to your generations. Upon the flesh of a common man, shall it not be poured, and according to the proportions thereof, shall ye not make any like it, - holy, it is, holy, shall it be to you. Whosoever compoundeth any like it, and whosoever bestoweth thereof upon a stranger, shall he out off from among his people. Then said Yahweh unto Moses - Take to thee aromatic spices stacte and onycha, and galbanum, - aromatic spices, and pure frankincense, - weight for weight, shall it be. And thou shalt make of it an incense, a perfume the work of a perfumer, - salted, pure, holy. And thou shalt beat some of it to powder, and place thereof before the testimony, in the tong of meeting, where I am to meet with thee, - most holy, shall it be to you. And the incense which thou shalt make, according to the proportions thereof, ye shall not make for yourselves, - holy, shall it be to thee, to Yahweh. Whosoever shall make like it, to smell of it shall be cut off from among his people.
And he divided the three hundred men, into three companies, - and put horns into the hands of them all, with empty pitchers, and torches inside the pitchers.
Yea the three companies blew with the horns, and shivered the pitchers, and caught hold - with their left hands - of the torches, while, in their right hands, were the horns, to blow with, - and they cried, A sword for Yahweh, and for Gideon!
So Samson went, and caught three hundred jackals, - and took torches, and turned tail to tail, and put one torch between the two tails, in the midst.
but Abishai son of Zeruiah, came to his help, and smote the Philistine, and slew him. Then, sware the men of David unto him, saying - Thou must not go forth any more with us, to battle, that thou quench not the lamp of Israel.
Nevertheless, go his son, will I give one tribe, - to the end there may remain a lamp unto David my servant always before me, in Jerusalem, the city that I have chosen for myself, to put my Name there.
But, for the sake of David, did Yahweh his God give him a lamp, in Jerusalem, - by raising up a son of his after him, and by suffering Jerusalem to stand;
There, will I cause to bud a horn to David, I have prepared a lamp for mine Anointed One;
The light of the righteous, rejoiceth, but, the lamp of the lawless, goeth out.
Whoso revileth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in deep darkness.
Then said he unto me, What canst thou see? And I said - I have looked, and lo! a Lampstand - all of gold, with the Bowl thereof upon the top thereof, and its Seven Lamps upon it, Seven Pipes each, to the lamps which are upon the top thereof;
Then, will the kingdom of the heavens become like unto, ten virgins, who, taking their torches, went forth to meet the bridegroom.
Watsons
LAMP, ??????. There is frequent mention of lamps in Scripture, and the word is often used figuratively. The houses in the east were, from the remotest antiquity, lighted with lamps; and hence it is so common in Scripture to call every thing which enlightens the body or mind, which guides or refreshes, by the name of a lamp. These lamps were sustained by a large candlestick set upon the ground. The houses of Egypt, in modern times, are never without lights: they burn lamps all the night long, and in every occupied apartment. So requisite to the comfort of a family is this custom reckoned, or so imperious is the power which it exercises, that the poorest people would rather retrench part of their food than neglect it. As this custom no doubt prevailed in Egypt and the adjacent regions of Arabia and Palestine in former times, it imparts a beauty and force to some passages of Scripture which have been little observed. Thus, in the language of Jeremiah, to extinguish the light in an apartment is a convertible phrase for total destruction; and nothing can more properly and emphatically represent the total destruction of a city than the extinction of the lights: "I will take from them the light of a candle, and this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment." Job describes the destruction of a family among the Arabs, and the desolation of their dwellings, in the very language of the prophet: "How oft is the candle of the wicked put out, and how oft cometh their destruction upon them!" Job 21:17. Bildad expresses the same idea in the following beautiful passage: "Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine. The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him," Job 18:5-6. A burning lamp is, on the other hand, the chosen symbol of prosperity, a beautiful instance of which occurs in the complaint of Job: "O that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me; when his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness," Job 29:2-3. When the ten tribes were taken from Rehoboam, and given to his rival, Jehovah promised to reserve one tribe, and assigns this reason: "That David my servant may have a light always before me in Jerusalem," 1Ki 11:36. In many parts of the east, and in particular in the Indies, instead of torches and flambeaux, they carry a pot of oil in one hand, and a lamp full of oily rags in the other.
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Nevertheless, go his son, will I give one tribe, - to the end there may remain a lamp unto David my servant always before me, in Jerusalem, the city that I have chosen for myself, to put my Name there.
Even the light of the lawless, shall go out, - Neither shall shine the flame of his fire; The light, hath darkened in his tent, Yea, his lamp above him, goeth out;
How oft, the lamp of the lawless, goeth out, and their calamity, cometh upon them, Sorrows, apportioneth he in his anger;
Oh that it were with me as in the months of old, as in the days, when, GOD, used to watch over me; When his lamp shone over my head, by whose light, I could go through darkness;