Easton's Bible Dictionary

Hallelujah Praise ye Jehovah, frequently rendered "Praise ye the Lord," stands at the beginning of ten of the psalms (Ps. 106, 111-113, 135, 146 - 150), hence called "hallelujah psalms." From its frequent occurrence it grew into a formula of praise. The Greek form of the word ( alleluia ) is found in Rev 19:1, Rev 19:3, Rev 19:4, Rev 19:6.

Hallow To render sacred, to consecrate (Exo 28:38; Exo 29:1). This word is from the Saxon, and properly means "to make holy." The name of God is "hallowed", i.e., is reverenced as holy (Mat 6:9).

Halt Lame on the feet (Gen 32:31; Psa 38:17). To "halt between two opinions" (Kg1 18:21) is supposed by some to be an expression used in "allusion to birds, which hop from spray to spray, forwards and backwards." The LXX. render the expression "How long go ye lame on both knees?" The Hebrew verb rendered "halt" is used of the irregular dance ("leaped upon") around the altar (Kg1 18:26). It indicates a lame, uncertain gait, going now in one direction, now in another, in the frenzy of wild leaping.

Ham Warm, hot, and hence the south; also an Egyptian word meaning "black", the youngest son of Noah (Gen 5:32; compare Gen 9:22, Gen 9:24). The curse pronounced by Noah against Ham, properly against Canaan his fourth son, was accomplished when the Jews subsequently exterminated the Canaanites. One of the most important facts recorded in Gen. 10 is the foundation of the earliest monarchy in Babylonia by Nimrod the grandson of Ham (Gen 10:6, Gen 10:8, Gen 10:10). The primitive Babylonian empire was thus Hamitic, and of a cognate race with the primitive inhabitants of Arabia and of Ethiopia. (See ACCAD.) The race of Ham were the most energetic of all the descendants of Noah in the early times of the post-diluvian world. See table: Ham Families scattered to the extreme south Cush Mizraim Phut Canaan The Ethiopians and their colonies The Egyptians and their colonies The Libyans and Mauritanians The Canaanites, Phoenicians, and their colonies

Haman Of Persian origin), magnificent, the name of the vizier (i.e., the prime minister) of the Persian king Ahasuerus (Est 3:1, etc.). He is called an "Agagite," which seems to denote that he was descended from the royal family of the Amalekites, the bitterest enemies of the Jews, as Agag was one of the titles of the Amalekite kings. He or his parents were brought to Persia as captives taken in war. He was hanged on the gallows which he had erected for Mordecai the Jew (Est 7:10). (See ESTHER.)

Hamath Fortress, the capital of one of the kingdoms of Upper Syria of the same name, on the Orontes, in the valley of Lebanon, at the northern boundary of Palestine (Num 13:21; Num 34:8), at the foot of Hermon (Jos 13:5) towards Damascus (Zac 9:2; Jer 49:23). It is called "Hamath the great" in Amo 6:2, and "Hamath-zobah" in Ch2 8:3. Hamath, now Hamah, had an Aramaean population, but Hittite monuments discovered there show that it must have been at one time occupied by the Hittites. It was among the conquests of the Pharaoh Thothmes III. Its king, Tou or Toi, made alliance with David (Sa2 8:10), and in 740 B.C. Azariah formed a league with it against Assyria. It was, however, conquered by the Assyrians, and its nineteen districts placed under Assyrian governors. In 720 B.C. it revolted under a certain Yahu-bihdi, whose name, compounded with that of the God of Israel (Yahu), perhaps shows that he was of Jewish origin. But the revolt was suppressed, and the people of Hamath were transported to Samaria (Kg2 17:24, Kg2 17:30), where they continued to worship their god Ashima. Hamah is beautifully situated on the Orontes, 32 miles north of Emesa, and 36 south of the ruins of Assamea. The kingdom of Hamath comprehended the great plain lying on both banks of the Orontes from the fountain near Riblah to Assamea on the north, and from Lebanon on the west to the desert on the east. The "entrance of Hamath" (Num 34:8), which was the north boundary of Palestine, led from the west between the north end of Lebanon and the Nusairiyeh mountains.

Hamath-zobah Fortress of Zobah, (Ch2 8:3) is supposed by some to be a different place from the foregoing; but this is quite uncertain.

Hammath Warm springs, one of the "fenced cities" of Naphtali (Jos 19:35). It is identified with the warm baths (the heat of the water ranging from 136 degrees to 144 degrees) still found on the shore a little to the south of Tiberias under the name of Hummam Tabariyeh ("Bath of Tiberias").

Hammedatha Father of Haman, designated usually "the Agagite" (Est 3:1, Est 3:10; Est 8:5).

Hammelech The king's, the father of Jerahmeel, mentioned in Jer 36:26. Some take this word as a common noun, "the king", and understand that Jerahmeel was Jehoiakim's son. Probably, however, it is to be taken as a proper name.