Difference between revisions of "Earrings"

<p> '''''Nezem''''' , which also includes the nose ring hanging on one side of the nose (&nbsp;Genesis 24:47, where the words "upon her face" imply either a nose ring or one to be hung from her forehead, &nbsp;Genesis 35:4). Circular, as its other name ''''''Agil''''' implies. Oriental men wore them as well as women. &nbsp;Judges 8:24 seems to imply that the [[Israelite]] men did not wear them, as did the Ishmaelites; but &nbsp;Exodus 32:2 proves that young "sons" wore them. There were besides '''''Netiphot''''' (&nbsp;Judges 8:26), not "collars" but pearlshaped "ear drops," or jewels attached to the rings, or else pendent scent bottles, or pendants from the neck on the breast, "Chains" KJV (&nbsp;Isaiah 3:19; &nbsp;Isaiah 3:21), "earrings" ( '''''Leehashim''''' , from '''''Laachash''''' "to whisper"), [[Amulets]] with magic inscriptions, and so surrendered along with the idols by Jacob's household (&nbsp;Genesis 35:4). </p> <p> The best use made of them was that in &nbsp;Numbers 31:50, an offering to the Lord to "make atonement for souls"; not that our gifts can wipe away guilt, but acknowledgments of God's grace not being offered in loving gratitude evince an unatoned state, and so a state of guilt. When offered in loving faith, they evidence and seal visibly our reception of the atonement (&nbsp;Luke 7:44-47). The "phylacteries," headbands, '''''Totapkot''''' (&nbsp;Matthew 23:5) in the Talmudists' opinion were the sanctioned antidote to the idolatrous amulets and "earrings" (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 6:7-8; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 11:18-19; contrast &nbsp;Hosea 2:13; &nbsp;Isaiah 3:21, '''''Lechashim''''' . But the language in Deuteronomy and in &nbsp;Exodus 13:9; &nbsp;Exodus 13:16 is rightly taken by the Karaite [[Jews]] as proverbial, not literal; as is apparent from the reason added, "that the law of [[Jehovah]] may be in thy mouth"; for it is by receiving the law into the heart, and by keeping it, that it would be naturally on the tongue continually. </p> <p> God does not say that His law was to be written upon scrolls, but to be "for a sign upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes," i.e., was to be kept in view like memorials upon the forehead and the hand, the prominent visible parts symbolizing respectively open confession and action (&nbsp;Revelation 13:16; &nbsp;Revelation 22:4). This view is proved by &nbsp;Proverbs 3:3; &nbsp;Proverbs 4:21; &nbsp;Proverbs 6:21-22; &nbsp;Proverbs 7:3. But latterly the Jews used the "phylacteries," '''''Totaphot''''' , or '''''Tephillim''''' , prayer fillets, parchment strips with sentences of the law, bound on the forehead or left arm during prayer. </p>