June, Dictionary of the Bible.

Cockle. —This word is found in Job 31:40,40Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended. (Job 31:40) and Isaiah 5:22And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. (Isaiah 5:2) and 4, where it is rendered “wild grapes.” Its nature is uncertain; but this hoary nightshade, called by the Arabs “wolf-grape,” is common in Egypt and Palestine, and grows much in the vineyards, where it is very pernicious, and resembles the vine by its stalk, and also in the berry-like form of its fruit. But, as it is narcotic and poisonous, it is the very opposite of the true vine in character, besides being injurious to its growth. The ox-grape is very similar, and either of these wild vines would be an apt symbol of Israel’s condition in return for all the goodness of Jehovah as described in Isaiah 5.
Coelesy’ria, the hollow Syria. — This Greek name was applied in the first instance to the valley running between the ranges of mountains called Libanus and Anti-Libanus, and afterward to the whole tract of country reaching from Seleucis to Arabia and the confines of Egypt, with the exception of Judea and Palestine.
Scythopolis and Gadara are mentioned by Josephus as cities of Cœlesyria. In the time of David Cœlesyria seems to have been included in the region called “Syria of Damascus” which he conquered (2 Sam. 8:66Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus: and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought gifts. And the Lord preserved David whithersoever he went. (2 Samuel 8:6)). When afterward Solomon failed, and in his old age went after the gods of the heathen round about, Damascus was taken by Rezon, the soil of Eliadah, who thus established his authority over Syria.
In common with the whole of Palestine, it was the scene of many battles between the Seleucidæ, or kings of “the north,” and the kings of Egypt, or “the south.” (See Daniel 11. ALEXANDER, ANTIOCHUS.)
Colony. — Philippi, in Macedonia, is so-called, Acts 16:1212And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days. (Acts 16:12). The Stations who espoused the cause of Antony were removed by Augustus Caesar to Macedonia, and thus the towns of Philippi, Dyr-rachium, and others became Roman colonies possessed of peculiar privileges, such as a free municipal constitution, as customary in Italy, emption from taxes on person and land, and the right of selling the land.
There was a church here to whom Paul wrote his Epistle to the Colossians during his imprisonment in Rome (Col. 4:1818The salutation by the hand of me Paul. Remember my bonds. Grace be with you. Amen. <<Written from Rome to Colossians by Tychicus and Onesimus.>> (Colossians 4:18)). Not long after this, Colossa3, Laodicea, and Hierapolis were, according to Eusebius, destroyed by an earthquake in the ninth year of Nero; but Colossæ must have been immediately rebuilt, as in his twelfth year it is named as a flourishing place. A village called Khonas still exists there, behind which rises Mount Cadmus. The ruins of an ancient castle stand on the left side of an immense perpendicular chasm in the mountain. Other ruins and fragments in the neighborhood, though few, are sufficient to show the site of an ancient city of importance.
Comforter — This word occurs several times in the Gospel of John (chs. 14:16, 26; 15:26, 16:7), and is applied to the Holy Spirit. It is the same word in 1 John 2:1,1My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (1 John 2:1) namely Paraclete; and means one who takes up the whole cause of another in all its details, and makes it his own.
In this sense, it is said of our blessed Lord, “We have an Advocate (Paraclete) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” In John 14:1616And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; (John 14:16) also, Jesus applies this title to Himself, saying that the Father should send them “another Comforter,” implying that He had been their Comforter or Paraclete while with them on earth, but now that He was going up where He was before, another Paraclete would take His place, even the Spirit of truth, who would “abide with them forever.”
Common. — A term applied by Jews to things used by all men (namely Gentiles), but forbidden in the law to the Lord’s people. Such things were unclean to them, because prohibited, but not necessarily unclean in themselves. Other things were unclean in their nature; thus Peter uses both terms, “common or unclean” (Acts 10:1414But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. (Acts 10:14)).
Communion. — That mutual participation and fellowship one with another, and with the Lord in the power and unity of the Spirit, which believers are privileged to enjoy. It is often rendered “fellowship” in-our version, but is the same word in all the following passages: Acts 2:4242And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts 2:42); 1 Cor. 9; 10:1616The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? (1 Corinthians 10:16); 2 Cor. 6:14; 8:4; 13:1414Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14)
4Praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. (2 Corinthians 8:4)
14The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. <<The second epistle to the Corinthians was written from Philippi, a city of Macedonia, by Titus and Lucas.>> (2 Corinthians 13:14); Gal. 2:99And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. (Galatians 2:9); Phi.1:5; 2:1; 3:10; 1 John 1:3, 6, 73That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:3)
6If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:6‑7).
Cony. — A little creature common in rocky places in Syria, Palestine, Arabia, Eastern Egypt, Abyssinia, and the Cape of Good Hope. Like rabbits, they live together in colonies, but do not burrow, being “a feeble folk” and unable to form excavations for themselves. They dwell, therefore, in the natural cavities and holes found among the rocks, from which they never move far, but love to lie basking in the sun’s rays, feeding on such seeds and vegetables as they can find near their retreats. As they occasionally fall a prey to hawks and eagles, the mere shadow of an approaching bird will cause them to flee for shelter to the rock, in whose recesses they find security from all their dreaded foes. The Cony is more clumsy in shape than the rabbit; its ears, instead of being long and pointed, are short and round, and they have long bristly hairs scattered throughout the fur.
Co’os (Acts 21:11And it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and had launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara: (Acts 21:1)), called also Cos or Co, a small but fertile island in the Ægean Sea, near the coast of Caria, in Asia Minor. It is now called Stanchio or Stan-Co. It was formerly celebrated for wine, silk, and cotton.
Copper. ― The “brass” spoken of in Scripture is commonly supposed to have been Copper. Tubal-Cain was the first artificer in this metal (Gen. 4:2222And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-cain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. (Genesis 4:22)). He was a descendant of Cain, who, though originally a tiller of the ground (Gen. 4:22And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. (Genesis 4:2)), seems to have sought to evade the curse pronounced upon him (vss. 11,12), by forsaking husbandry to become a founder of and dweller in cities (vs. 17). Thus his descendants (with the exception of Jabal) were the first artizans and manufacturers in the earth. Copper was largely used in ancient times for helmets, armor, shields, and spears, being more easily worked than iron (1 Sam. 17:5, 6, 385And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. 6And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. (1 Samuel 17:5‑6)
38And Saul armed David with his armor, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. (1 Samuel 17:38); 2 Sam. 21:1616And Ishbi-benob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David. (2 Samuel 21:16)). The vessels of the Tabernacle and Temple were made of copper or “brass,” and also the pillars cast for the porch of the Temple (1 Kings 7; see BRASS).
Coral (Job 28:1818No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies. (Job 28:18); Ezek. 27:1616Syria was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of the wares of thy making: they occupied in thy fairs with emeralds, purple, and broidered work, and fine linen, and coral, and agate. (Ezekiel 27:16)), a hard substance, supposed to be deposited by a minute sea animal in forming the cell into which it can retreat. This supposition has, however, recently been made doubtful. Coral reefs and islands abound in the Red Sea and in the tropics; they are also found in the Mediterranean. They are of various shapes, but most commonly branched like a tree. The red kinds are most valued, but there are also black “and white corals.
Coriander (Ex. 16:3131And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. (Exodus 16:31); Num. 11:77And the manna was as coriander seed, and the color thereof as the color of bdellium. (Numbers 11:7)) is known and cultivated in Arabia, Persia, India, and Egypt, where it is esteemed as a grateful spice and used in curry-powder. It is now very common in the south of Europe, and also in this country, being largely cultivated in Essex on account of its seeds, which are used by distillers, druggists, and confectioners in considerable quantities. It is also reared in gardens for the sake of its leaves, which are used in soups and salads. It is an umbelliferous plant, and its seeds are round, of about the size of a pepper-corn and Gray colored, containing a volatile oil of an agreeable taste and smell.