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Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

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i.e., "witness" (for Hebrews id. עֵד ), supplied (apparently on the authority of a few MSS. and also of the Syr. and the Arab. versions) in the A.V. as the name of the altar erected by the three tribes east of Jordan in commemoration of their adhesion to the others (Joshua 22:34). The commonly received Hebrews text is literally as follows: "And the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad called the altar [וִיַּקְרְאוּ לִמַּזְבֵּחִ, Sept. ἐπωνόμασαν καὶ εϊ v παν, Vulg. vocaverunt]; for a witness is this [בַּי עֵד הוּא, Sept. ὅτι μαρτύριόν , Vulg. testimonium]," etc., or as it may be rendered ( קָרָא being sometimes used absolutely thus), "gave a name to the altar, [saying]," etc. The gloss is unnecessary (see Maurer, Comment. in loc.), for the latter clause furnishes both the name and the explanation (Keil, Comment. in loc.), i.e., "they named the altar (as follows), that 'This is a witness,'" etc. (See OREB).