vı̄´al : In modern English means "a tiny flask." The word appears in English Versions of the Bible 1 Samuel 10:1 and the Revised Version (British and American) 2 Kings 9:1 , 2 Kings 9:3 (the King James Version "box") for פּך , pakh , a word found nowhere else and from a root meaning "to pour." The shape and size of the pakh are quite uncertain. In 1 Esdras 2:13; and the King James Version Revelation 5:8 , etc., "vial" translates φιάλη , phiale . The phialē was a flat, shallow bowl (Latin, patera ), shaped much like a saucer. Hence, the Revised Version's change to "bowl" in Revelation, a change that should have been made in 1 Esdras also.
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) was edited by James Orr, John Nuelsen, Edgar Mullins, Morris Evans, and Melvin Grove Kyle and was published complete in 1939. This web site includes the complete text.
WikipediaThe ISBE is a classic Bible reference compiled from nearly 10,000 entries written by over 200 different Bible scholars and teachers. In addition to the encyclopedia articles, all of the major words of the Bible are represented and defined.
The historical, cultural, and linguistic information in the ISBE can be of great value in Bible study and research.
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