Kidron, Or Kedron–Kiss

(turbid), The brook, a torrent or valley, not a “brook,” or, as in the margin of Revised Version, “ravine;” Gr. winter torrent. It was close to Jerusalem, between the city and the Mount of Olives. it is now commonly known as the “valley of Jehoshaphat.” The channel of the valley of Jehoshaphat is nothing more than the dry bed of a wintry torrent, bearing marks of being occasionally swept over by a large volume of water. It was crossed by David in his flight, (2 Samuel 15:23) comp. 2Sam 15:30 And by our Lord on his way to Gethsemane. (John 18:1) comp. Mark 14:26; Luke 22:39 The distinguishing peculiarity of the Kidron valley—mentioned in the Old Testament— is the impurity which appears to have been ascribed to it. In the time of Josiah it was the common cemetery of the city. (2 Kings 23:6) comp. Jere 26:23

the plural of cow. [See Bull, Bullock]

“a chief ruler, one invested with supreme authority over a nation, tribe or country.”—Webster. In the Bible the word does not necessarily imply great power or great extent of country. Many persons are called kings whom we should rather call chiefs or leaders. The word is applied in the Bible to God as the sovereign and ruler of the universe, and to Christ the Son of God as the head and governor of the Church. The Hebrews were ruled by a king during a period of about 500 years previous to the destruction of Jerusalem, B.C. 586. The immediate occasion of the substitution of a regal form of government for that of judges seems to have been the siege of Jabesh-gilead by Nahash king of the Ammonites. (1 Samuel 11:1; 12:12) The conviction seems to have forced itself on the Israelites that they could not resist their formidable neighbor unless they placed themselves under the sway of a king, like surrounding nations. The original idea of a Hebrew King was twofold: first, that he should lead the people to battle in time of war; and, a second, that he should execute judgment and justice to them in war and in peace. (1 Samuel 8:20) In both respects the desired end was attained. Besides being commander-in-chief of the army, supreme judge, and absolute master, as it were, of the lives of his subjects, the king exercised the power of imposing taxes on them, and of exacting from them personal service and labor. In addition to these earthly powers, the king of Israel had a more awful claim to respect and obedience. He was the vicegerent of Jehovah, (1 Samuel 10:1; 16:13) and as it were his son, if just and holy. (2 Samuel 7:14; Psalms 2:6,7; 89:26,27) he had been set apart as a consecrated ruler. Upon his dead had been poured the holy anointing oil, which had hitherto been reserved exclusively for the priests of Jehovah. He had become, in fact, emphatically “the Lord’s anointed.” He had a court of Oriental magnificence. The king was dressed in royal robes, (1 Kings 22:10; 2 Chronicles 18:9) his insignia were, a crown or diadem of pure gold, or perhaps radiant with precious gems, (2 Samuel 1:10; 12:30; 2 Kings 11:12; Psalms 21:3) and a royal sceptre. Those who approached him did him obeisance, bowing down and touching the ground with their foreheads, (1 Samuel 24:8; 2 Samuel 19:24) and this was done even by a king’s wife, the mother of Solomon. (1 Kings 1:16) His officers and subjects called themselves his servants or slaves. He had a large harem, which was guarded by eunuchs. The law of succession to the throne is somewhat obscure, but it seems most probable that the king during his lifetime named his successor. At the same time, if no partiality for a favorite wife or son intervened, there would always be a natural bias of affection in favor of the eldest son.

of Judah and Israel. For the list see table at the end of this volume.

originally only one book in the Hebrew canon, from in the LXX. and the Vulgate the third and fourth books of Kings (the books of Samuel being the first and second). It must be remembered that the division between the books of Kings and Samuel is equally artificial, and that in point of fact the historical books commencing with Judges and ending with 2Kings present the appearance of one work, giving a continuous history of Israel from the time of Joshua to the death of jehoiachin. The books of Kings contain the history from David’s death and Solomon’s accession to the destruction of the kingdom of Judah and the desolation of Jerusalem, with a supplemental notice of an event that occurred after an interval of twenty-six years—viz., the liberation of Jehoiachin from his prison at Babylon—and a still further extension to Jehoiachin’s death, the time of which is not known, but which was probably not long after his liberation. The history therefore comprehends the whole time of the Israelitish monarchy, exclusive of the reigns of Saul and David. As regards the affairs of foreign nations and the relation of Israel to them, the historical notices in these books, though in the earlier times scanty, are most valuable, and in striking accord with the latest additions to our knowledge of contemporary profane history. A most important aid to a right understanding of the history in these books, and to the filling up of its outline, is to be found in the prophets, and especially in Isaiah and Jeremiah. Time when written.—They were undoubtedly written during the period of the captivity, probably after the twenty-sixth year. Authorship.—As regards the authorship of the books, but little difficulty presents itself. The Jewish tradition which ascribes them to Jeremiah is borne out by the strongest internal evidence, in addition to that of the language. Sources of information.—There was a regular series of state annals for both the kingdom of Judah and that of Israel, which embraced the whole time comprehended in the books of Kings, or at least to the end of the reign of Jehoiakim. (2 Kings 24:5) These annals are constantly cited by name as “the book of the acts of Solomon,” (1 Kings 11:41) and after Solomon “the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah” or “Israel,” e.g. (1 Kings 14:29; 15:7; 16:5,14,20; 2 Kings 10:34; 24:5) etc.; and it is manifest that the author of Kings had them both before him while he drew up his history, in which the reigns of the two kingdoms are harmonized and these annals constantly appealed to. But in addition to these national annals, there, were also extant, at the time that the books of Kings were compiled, separate works of the several prophets who had lived in Judah and Israel. Authority.—Their canonical authority having never been disputed, it is needless to bring forward the testimonies to their authenticity which may be found in Josephus, Eusebius, jerome, Augustine, etc. They are reckoned among the prophets, in the threefold division of the Holy Scriptures; a position in accordance with the supposition that they were compiled by Jeremiah, and contain the narratives of the different prophets in succession. They are frequently cited by our Lord and by the apostles.

(fortress) is mentioned by Amos, (Amos 9:7) as the land from which the Syrians (Aramaeans) were once “brought up;” i.e. apparently as the country where they had dwelt before migrating to the region north of Palestine. (A difference of opinion exists in regard to the position of Kir, since some suppose it to be identical with Carma, a city of Media, in the south, on the river Mardus; others place it in Armenia, on the river Kar.—ED.)

(fortress of Moab), one of the two chief strongholds of Moab, the other being Ar of Moab. The name occurs only in (Isaiah 15:1) though the place is probably referred to under the names of Kir-heres, Kir-harseth, etc. It is almost identical with the name Kerak, by which the site of an important city in a high and very strong position at the southeast of the Dead Sea is known at this day. Its situation is truly remarkable. It is built upon the top of a steep hill, surrounded by a deep and narrow valley, which again is completely enclosed by mountains rising higher than the town and overlooking it on all sides.

(brick fortress), (2 Kings 3:25) Kir-ha’resh, (Isaiah 16:11) Kir-har’es, (Jeremiah 48:31,36) These four names are all applied to one place, probably Kir Of Moab OF MOAB, which see.

apparently an ancient or archaic word, meaning a city or town. It may be compared to the word “burg” or “bury” in our own language. Closely related to Kiriah is Kereth, apparently a Phoenician form, which occurs occasionally. (Job 29:7; Proverbs 8:3) As a proper name it appears in the Bible under the forms of Kerioth, Kartah, Kartan, besides those immediately following.

[KIRJATHAIM]

(two cities), a place in Moab the palaces of which were threatened by Amos with destruction by fire, (Amos 2:2) unless indeed the word means simply “the cities,” which is probably the case also in (Jeremiah 48:4)

(a city), the last of the cities enumerated as belonging to the tribe of Benjamin, (Joshua 18:28) probably identical with the better-known place Kirjath-jearim.

(the city of Arba), an early name of the city which after the conquest is generally known as Hebron. (Joshua 14:15; Judges 1:10) The identity of Kirjath-arba with Hebron is constantly asserted. (Genesis 23:2; 35:27; Joshua 14:15; 15:13,54; 20:7; 21:11)

(city of forests), an abbreviated form of the name Kirjath-jearim, which occurs only in (Ezra 2:25)

[KIRJATH-JEARIM]

(city of streets), a place to which Balak accompanied Balaam immediately after his arrival in Moab, (Numbers 22:39) and which is nowhere else mentioned. It appears to have lain between the Arnon (Wady Mojeb) and Bamoth-baal. Comp. vs. (Numbers 22:36) and Numb 22:41

(the city of forests), first mentioned as one of the four cities of the Gibeonites, (Joshua 9:17) it next occurs as one of the landmarks of the northern boundary of Judah, ch (Joshua 15:9) and as the point at which the western and southern boundaries of Benjamin coincided, ch. (Joshua 18:14,15) and in the last two passages we find that it bore another, perhaps earlier, name—that of the great Canaanite deity Baal, namely Baalah and KIRJATH-BAAL. At this place the ark remained for twenty years. (1 Samuel 7:2) At the close of that time Kirjath-jearim lost its sacred treasure, on its removal by David to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. (1 Chronicles 13:5,6; 2 Chronicles 1:4; 2 Samuel 6:2) etc. To Eusebius and Jerome it appears to have been well known. They describe it as a village at the ninth mile between Jerusalem and Diospolis (Lydda). These requirements are exactly fulfilled in the small modern village of Kuriet-el-Enab—now usually known as Abu Gosh, from the robber chief whose headquarters it was—on the road from Jaffa and Jerusalem.

(city of books). [Debir]

(city of books). (Joshua 15:15,16; Judges 1:11,12) [Debir]

(a bow).

(bow of Jehovah), a Merarite, and father of ancestor of Ethan the minstrel. (1 Chronicles 6:44)

(hardness), one of the towns on the boundary of the tribe of Issachar, (Joshua 19:20) which with its suburbs was allotted to the Gershonite Levites. (Joshua 21:28) Authorized Version Kishon.

(winding), The river, a torrent or winter stream of central Palestine, the scene of two of the grandest achievements of Israelitish history—the defeat of Sisera, Judges 4, and the destruction of the prophets of Baal by Elijah. (1 Kings 18:40) The Nahr Mukutta, the modern representative of the Kishon, is the drain by which the waters of the plain of Esdraelon and of the mountains which enclose that plain find their way through the plain of Acre to the Mediterranean. The part of the Kishon at which the prophets of Baal were slaughtered by Elijah was doubtless close below the spot on Carmel where the sacrifice had taken place.

(winding), an inaccurate mode of representing the name Kishon. (Psalms 83:9)

Kissing the lips by way of affectionate salutation was customary among near relatives of both sexes, in both patriarchal and later times. (Genesis 29:11; Song of Solomon 8:1) Between individuals of the same sex, and in a limited degree between those of different sexes, the kiss on the cheek as a mark of respect or an act of salutation has at all times been customary in the East, and can hardly be said to be extinct even in Europe. In the Christian Church the kiss of charity was practiced not only as a friendly salutation, but as an act symbolical of love and Christian brotherhood. (Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:6; 1 Peter 5:14) It was embodied in the earlier Christian offices, and has been continued in some of those now in use. Among the Arabs the women and children kiss the beards of their husbands or fathers. The superior returns the salute by a kiss on the forehead. In Egypt an inferior kisses the hand of a superior, generally on the back, but sometimes, as a special favor, on the palm also. To testify abject submission, and in asking favors, the feet are often kissed instead of the hand. The written decrees of a sovereign are kissed in token of respect; even the ground is sometimes kissed by Orientals int he fullness of their submission. (Genesis 41:40; 1 Samuel 24:8; Psalms 72:9) etc. Kissing is spoken of in Scripture as a mark of respect or adoration to idols. (1 Kings 19:18; Hosea 13:2)