South

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In the Bible, as we might expect, the points of the compass are spoken of as they refer to the land of Palestine. The south would therefore indicate the part of the land which contained Judah’s and Simeon’s portions, or to the district still further south, a country little known (Gen. 12:99And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south. (Genesis 12:9)). It is called negeb in the Hebrew. Two other words are yamin and teman, signifying “the right hand,” and are translated “south” because the Israelites considered themselves as looking toward the East when speaking of the points of the compass (1 Sam. 23:19, 2419Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in strong holds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon? (1 Samuel 23:19)
24And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon. (1 Samuel 23:24); Psa. 89:1212The north and the south thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name. (Psalm 89:12); Josh. 12:33And from the plain to the sea of Chinneroth on the east, and unto the sea of the plain, even the salt sea on the east, the way to Beth-jeshimoth; and from the south, under Ashdoth-pisgah: (Joshua 12:3); Josh. 13:44From the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that is beside the Sidonians, unto Aphek, to the borders of the Amorites: (Joshua 13:4); Psa. 78:2626He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind. (Psalm 78:26); Isa. 43:66I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; (Isaiah 43:6)). Another word is darom, “bright, sunny region,” hence the “south” (Deut. 33:2323And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, and full with the blessing of the Lord: possess thou the west and the south. (Deuteronomy 33:23); Job 37:1717How thy garments are warm, when he quieteth the earth by the south wind? (Job 37:17); Ezek. 40:24-4524After that he brought me toward the south, and behold a gate toward the south: and he measured the posts thereof and the arches thereof according to these measures. 25And there were windows in it and in the arches thereof round about, like those windows: the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits. 26And there were seven steps to go up to it, and the arches thereof were before them: and it had palm trees, one on this side, and another on that side, upon the posts thereof. 27And there was a gate in the inner court toward the south: and he measured from gate to gate toward the south an hundred cubits. 28And he brought me to the inner court by the south gate: and he measured the south gate according to these measures; 29And the little chambers thereof, and the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, according to these measures: and there were windows in it and in the arches thereof round about: it was fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits broad. 30And the arches round about were five and twenty cubits long, and five cubits broad. 31And the arches thereof were toward the utter court; and palm trees were upon the posts thereof: and the going up to it had eight steps. 32And he brought me into the inner court toward the east: and he measured the gate according to these measures. 33And the little chambers thereof, and the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, were according to these measures: and there were windows therein and in the arches thereof round about: it was fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits broad. 34And the arches thereof were toward the outward court; and palm trees were upon the posts thereof, on this side, and on that side: and the going up to it had eight steps. 35And he brought me to the north gate, and measured it according to these measures; 36The little chambers thereof, the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, and the windows to it round about: the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits. 37And the posts thereof were toward the utter court; and palm trees were upon the posts thereof, on this side, and on that side: and the going up to it had eight steps. 38And the chambers and the entries thereof were by the posts of the gates, where they washed the burnt offering. 39And in the porch of the gate were two tables on this side, and two tables on that side, to slay thereon the burnt offering and the sin offering and the trespass offering. 40And at the side without, as one goeth up to the entry of the north gate, were two tables; and on the other side, which was at the porch of the gate, were two tables. 41Four tables were on this side, and four tables on that side, by the side of the gate; eight tables, whereupon they slew their sacrifices. 42And the four tables were of hewn stone for the burnt offering, of a cubit and an half long, and a cubit and an half broad, and one cubit high: whereupon also they laid the instruments wherewith they slew the burnt offering and the sacrifice. 43And within were hooks, an hand broad, fastened round about: and upon the tables was the flesh of the offering. 44And without the inner gate were the chambers of the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the north gate; and their prospect was toward the south: one at the side of the east gate having the prospect toward the north. 45And he said unto me, This chamber, whose prospect is toward the south, is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the house. (Ezekiel 40:24‑45)). In the New Testament, except in Acts 8:2626And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. (Acts 8:26) (where the word is μεσημβρία, “mid-day,” because the sun is then in the south; as the Latin meridies, “mid-day,” also signifies “south”), the word is νότος, “the south” (Matt. 12:4242The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. (Matthew 12:42)).
 
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