Easton's Bible Dictionary

Sivan A Persian word (Assyr, sivanu, "bricks"), used after the Captivity as the name of the third month of the Jewish year, extending from the new moon in June to the new moon in July (Est 8:9).

Skin, Coats Made of (Gen 3:21). Skins of rams and badgers were used as a covering for the tabernacle (Exo 25:5; Num 4:8).

Skull, The Place of a See GOLGOTHA

Slave Jer 2:14 (A.V.), but not there found in the original. In Rev 18:13 the word "slaves" is the rendering of a Greek word meaning "bodies." The Hebrew and Greek words for slave are usually rendered simply "servant," "bondman," or "bondservant." Slavery as it existed under the Mosaic law has no modern parallel. That law did not originate but only regulated the already existing custom of slavery (Exo 21:20, Exo 21:21, Exo 21:26, Exo 21:27; Lev 25:44; Josh. 9:6-27). The gospel in its spirit and genius is hostile to slavery in every form, which under its influence is gradually disappearing from among men.

Slime (Gen 11:3; LXX., "asphalt;" R.V. marg., "bitumen"). The vale of Siddim was full of slime pits (Gen 14:10). Jochebed daubed the "ark of bulrushes" with slime (Exo 2:3). (See PITCH.)

Sling With a sling and a stone David smote the Philistine giant (Sa1 17:40, Sa1 17:49). There were 700 Benjamites who were so skilled in its use that with the left hand they "could sling stones at a hair breadth, and not miss" (Jdg 20:16; Ch1 12:2). It was used by the Israelites in war (Kg2 3:25). (See ARMS.) The words in Pro 26:8, "As he that bindeth a stone in a sling," etc. (Authorized Version), should rather, as in the Revised Version, be "As a bag of gems in a heap of stones," etc.

Smith The Hebrews were not permitted by the Philistines in the days of Samuel to have a smith amongst them, lest they should make them swords and spears (Sa1 13:19). Thus the Philistines sought to make their conquest permanent (compare Kg2 24:16).

Smyrna Myrrh, an ancient city of Ionia, on the western coast of Asia Minor, about 40 miles to the north of Ephesus. It is now the chief city of Anatolia, having a mixed population of about 200,000, of whom about one-third are professed Christians. The church founded here was one of the seven addressed by our Lord (Rev 2:8). The celebrated Polycarp, a pupil of the apostle John, was in the second century a prominent leader in the church of Smyrna. Here he suffered martyrdom, A.D. 155.

Snail (1.) Heb. homit , among the unclean creeping things (Lev 11:30). This was probably the sand-lizard, of which there are many species in the wilderness of Judea and the Sinai peninsula. (2.) Heb. shablul (Psa 58:8), the snail or slug proper. Tristram explains the allusions of this passage by a reference to the heat and drought by which the moisture of the snail is evaporated. "We find," he says, "in all parts of the Holy Land myriads of snail-shells in fissures still adhering by the calcareous exudation round their orifice to the surface of the rock, but the animal of which is utterly shriveled and wasted, 'melted away.'"

Snare The expression (Amo 3:5), "Shall one take up a snare from the earth?" etc. (Authorized Version), ought to be, as in the Revised Version, "Shall a snare spring up from the ground?" etc. (See GIN.)