A Complete Christian Dictionary, Dictionary · Part SY
S Y.
Sycamine]
Luk. 17. 6. A kinde of Mulberry-tree. Some call it the Aegyptian Fig-tree.
Sycomore]
A Tree growing in Aegypt, Psal. 78. 44. and Palestine, and Judea, Luk. 19. 4. having leaves broad like the Mulberry tree, and producing a fruit, Amos 7. 14. like a Fig, without little grains or seeds; not upon the branches, but coming out of and adhering to the body of the tree; which ripen not except it be pared off with the nails or knife, saith Dioscorides, ic. 167. It is very frequent in those Countreys where it useth to grow, and of a small price, 1 King. 10. 27. 2. Chr. 1. 15. & 9. 27. Isa. 9. 9. yet necessary for the life of man, by reason of the fruit thereof, Amos 7. 14. and therefore the consuming of them is a great judgement for the sins of men, Psal. 78. 44.
Sychat]
A conclusion, or finishing. A City, John 4. 5.
Syene]
Ezek. 29. 10. Heb. Sevench. It hath been, and is commonly thought, by reason of the likelyness of the name, that it was the City of Syene, standing upon the South confines of Aegypt, in Thebais, where there might be some Tower, to mark the defect of shadows, in the very day of the Summer solstice; as there was a Well also to that purpose, as some write. Annot.
Spnagogue]
signifieth, To gather together, and is applyed to all things whereof there may be a collection, as Psal. 82. unto the assembly of Judges. But commonly they are Houses dedicated to the worship of God, wherein it was usual to pray, preach, and dispute, but not to sacrifice. The Temple was the great Cathedral, the Synagogue was the Parish Churches.
It is probable they began when the Tribes were setled in the Land, the Temple being too far distant for them that dwelt in remote places; they were in David's time, Psal. 78. 4. In Jerusalem were 480 of them; partly for Jews, partly for Strangers: one of which was called, The Synagogue of the Libertincs, Act. 6. 9. Out of the City there were many in other places of the Countrey, as in Galilee, Mat. 4. 23. Damascus, Act. 9. 2. …, Ib. 13. 5. Antioch, Ibid. 13. 14.
They had many inscriptions; over the gate was written that of Psal. 118. 20. This is the gate of the Lord, the … shall enter into it. Upon the wals, Remember thy Creator. To enter into the House of the Lord without humility, and prayer, and without attention, is like a body without a soul, and such like.
In them the Scribes ordinarily taught, but not only they, for Christ himself taught in them. He that gave liberty to preach, was called The Ruler of the Synagogue. There was also a Minister who gave the Book into the Preacher, and received it again after the text was read. Luk. 4. 20. Goodwins Moses and Aaron. p. 86.
They were ordered in most things after the manner of the Temple; as,
1. In their situation they stood in the highest place of the Town; for which they alleadged, Prov. 8. 2.
2. As in the Temple there was a Highpriest, and his Sagan, or second Priest; so they had the chief Ruler, and a second Ruler.
3. In the Temple the Court of the Priests was distinguished from the Court of Israel; which again was distinguished into the Court for the Men, and Court for the Women. So in the Synagogues, the Teachers sat by themselves, and the … by themselves, in ranks one above another. Whereunto the Apostle seems to allude, Jam. 2. 2, 3. The Women sat by themselves, Zech. 12. 12.
4. They had an Arke in them wherein they kept the Book of God, and the peoples faces were towards it.
5. As no man might carry through the Temple any vessel or but then, Mar. 11. 16. so no man might carry through the Synagogue any but then or vessel; and there was great devotion required of them that went into the Synagogue to worship. Weems Christ. Syn. p. 110.
Cast out of the Synagogue]
Whereof mention is made, Joh. 9. 22. & 12. 42. & 16. 2. is, To be excommunicate from Church Assemblies; which appears,
1. Because the cause was matter of Scandall in point of Religion, either truly, or supposed so to be, Joh. 9. 22. & 12. 42.
2. The Assembly was Spiritual, as we may gather, Mat. 10. 17. Act. 13. 15.
3. The Communion was spiritual, therefore the Excommunication must be such.
4. The end was spiritual, to glorisie God, Isa. 66. 5. Joh. 16. 2. Gillespie Aarons Rod, p. 60, 61.
Synagogue]
He should be put out of the …, Job. 9. 22. foreign, the Synagogues of the Jews signifie all manner of Assemblies. Agreeably the foreign, removing or turning out of the Synagogues, is the separating any offender from such Assemblies, setting a mark of reproach upon him, that he might not be … convers'd with by any, which is foreign, Luk. 6. 22. the Nidui so known among the Jews. This was alwayes done with circumstances of …, and so hath foreign added to it, contumelious usage, Luk. 6. 22. And so vers. 35. of this chap. Their casting the man out of their Synagogue, signifies that … of reproach, the officers of the Court taking him that was condemned, and thrusting him out of the Assembly. What thus belonged to excluding him out of the Assembly, though it belonged to civil commerce, yet certainly excluded him out of the sacred Assembly also; for the lowest degree of Excommunication among the Jews, being to the separating for the space of four paces; this must needs belong to all kindes of Affemblies, as well sacred as civil. Dr. Ham. Annot. b.
Synagogue of Satan]
;;A company or assembly of men indeed worshipping and serving the Devill by errors and profanenesse, yet pretending themselves to be the holy people of God. Revel. 2. 9. Which are not Jews, but are the Synagogue of Satan. And ch. 3. v. 9.
Synedrion]
The place where the Court of the Jews sat.
There were two sorts of these Synedria among the Jews, the great Councel and the lesser; the great was called Sanhedrin Gedolah; and the …, Sanhedrin …: the great Court sat at Jerusalem onelyonly; the lesser, in other places also, and they were called foreign, judicia. Unto the sitting of the great Court at Jerusalem, Christ alludes, Matth. 23. 37. A Prophet might not die out of Jerusalem; the great Synedrium only judged of a Prophet.
But afterwards this grent Synedrium was divided into five parts, by Gabinius the Proconsul of Syria: whereof one was placed at Jerusalem, another at Gadara, the third in Amathus toward the Red Sea, the fourth in Jericho; and the fifth he placed in Sephra in Galilee.
Of these Councels Christ means, Mar. 10. 17.
The number that sat in this great Councel were 72. Six out of every Tribe; but for making the number round, they were called Seventy.
There were two Presidents in this Councel; the first was chosen in respect of his power, dignity, and wisdome, and was called Princeps, Pater Consessus, the Father of the Assembly: upon his right hand sat he who was greatest among the Seventy, and was called Pater consistorii; the rest sat according to their dignity and age next unto the Prince, and they sat in a circuit, or half-moon, that both Presidents might see them.
The great Synedrium sat every day, except the Sabbath, and Festival dayes, and then the little Synedrium sat but from the Morning Sacrifice, until the sixt hour, i. e. … twelve: but the great one sat from the Morning Sacrifice until the Evening Sacrifice, i. e. three a clock in the afternoon. The matters which they judged were of greatest weight; as, To judge of a false Prophet, when to make Wars, to appoint Magistrates for inferiour Cities, for cutting off a Tribe, and punishing the High-priest, and the like. The High-priests sat with the Judges, and did interpret their Sentence; which whoso disobeyed, was to die the death, Deut. 17. 9, 12.
In the lesser Judicatory they might not judge of a capital crime, unless they were Twenty three, a full …; so they judged of a beast that had killed a man, or lyen with the woman, to be put to death, Lev. 20. 26. Weems jud. Law, p. 61. See Sanhedrin.
Syntiche]
Coming; or, telling a Tale. Philip. 4. 2.
Syracuse]
Drawing violently. A City of Sicilia, Act. 28. 12.
Syria]
(called Aram, from Aram the Son of Sem) signifieth, high, descending; or, the slander of them. A Countrey in Asia, having on the East the River Euphrates, on the West the Mediterrancan Sea, on the South Palestine and on the North Cilicia, and other parts of Asia the lesse. It was divided into certain Countreys; as Syria of Damascus, 1 Chr. 18. 5, 6. Syria Zoba, and Rchob, 2 Sam. 10. 6, 8. and Syrophenicia, Mar. 7. 26. The Syrians of Damascus, were vanquished by David, and their Countrey made tributary to him, 2 Sam. 8. 5, to 9. A small Army of them overcame Judah because they forsook God, 2 Chr. 24. 23, 24. Aiding the … against Israel, were slain by …, 1 Sam. 10. 6, to 15. They took a little maid of the Land of Israel that served Naaman's Wife, 2 King. 5. 2 Elisha told the Israelites that the Syrians would assault them, if they went whither they were determined, 2 King. 6. 9. Besieging Samaria, they were chased away by God, 2 King. 7. 6. The … in subjection to the Syrians, 2 King. 13. 3. are promised to be delivered by Joash, 2 King. 13. 17. Hence Syriack, Dan. 2. 4, and Syrian, Gen. 25. 20. and Syrians, 2 Sam. 8. 5.
Syriack]
Dan. 2. 4. or the Babylonian tongue. So Isa. 36. 11. Yet now the Syriack and Chaldee tongue do much differ; and did in the dayes of our Saviour, who used the Syriack tongue, as the Jews did in his time. This appears by many Syriack words in the New Testament, which yet are called Hebrew, because that was the ancient and Mother language, and the Syriack but a corruption of it. See Joh. 5. 2. & 19. 13, 17, 20. Act. 21. 40. & 22. 2. Rev. 9. 11. & 16. 16. Annot.
Syrian]
Gen. 25. 20. The Hebr. name is Aramite, which the holy Ghost in Gr. calleth Syrian, Luk. 4. 27, Aynsw.
Syrion]
Deut. 3. 9. This Mount had five names, Hermon, Shirion, Shenir, and Sion, 4. 48. and Hor, Numb. 34. 7. That divers people called it by divers names, and because of divers parts of this Mountain. This in Psal. 26. 6. is by the Chaldee Paraph. there expounded, the Mount that bringeth forth fruits. Aynsw.
Syrophenician]
Redness, or purple; drawn, or drawing unto it. An inhabitant of Syrophenicia, Mark 7. 26.