as a gift to them from Himself (Jn 147 165;
‘My peace I give unto you. These things have J spoken to you, that in me ye may have peace’).
Characteristic of NT is the view of peace as the present possession of the Christian. In a single case it is used by St. Paul of that future blessed- ness which is to be expected by the righteous at the Parousia (Ro 2"), but in general it denotes a state of the Christian in this present life. It is so used by Jesus in His farewell promise (Jn 147 16%), ‘ My peace I give unto you.’ It is regularly so represented by St. Paul. Cf. Ro 85 ‘The mind of the Spirit is life and peace’; Ro 15" ‘Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing’; 2 Th 3° ‘The Lord of peace give you peace at all times in all ways’; Col 315 ‘ Let the poser of Christ rule in your hearts’; Ro δὶ ‘We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ’ (so Lipsius, Hdcom. ii. pt. 2, 108; Cremer, Lex, 364 et al., who read ἔχομεν in place of the better attested ἔχωμεν). In this connexion peace acquires the technical meaning of ‘the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God, and content with its earthly lot, of whatever sort it be’ (Thayer, Lex. 182). Assuch it is the direct result of the redemp- tion of Christ (Eph 215: 1”), and consists primarily in a state of conscious reconciliation with God (Ro δ᾽), though often used in a broader sense to denote all the blessings which accompany and flow from that reconciliation (so 2 Th 3", and in the apostolic greetings, Ro 1’, 1 Co 1°, and often).
Lrreraturgs. —Cremer, Bib. Theol. Lex. sub εἰρήνη: Weiss, Bib. Theol. of NT, Index; Wordsworth, The One Religion BL, 1881), 217-836. See also H. Allon, Indwelling Christ, 108 ;
. W. Church, Cathedral and University Sermons, 144; J. B. Lightfoot, Sermons in St. Paul's, 136; F. W. Robertson, Sermons, iii. 130, Human Race, 305; T. Binney, Sermons in King’s Weigh-house Chapel, ii. 79, 94, 106, 121.
W. ApbAms Brown.
PEACE-OFFERING.—Scee SAcririce.
PEACOCKS (οὐ: and ovr tukkiyyim).—The word ‘peacocks’ occurs in two passages, 1 K 10” (where xx seems to have translated it by πελεκητοί =‘things [86. λίθοι, stones) carved by an axe’) and 2 Ch 95: (where LXX omits the word). The Vulg. in both has pavi. A third place in which AV gives ‘peacock’ (Job 3915) has another Heb. original (Ὁ) réndnim), which doubtless refers to the ostrich, as in RV. As we have no reason to doubt the correctness of the rendering ‘ peacocks’ for tukkiyyim, this stately bird, Pavo cristatus, L., was doubtless imported by Solomon either direct from India (? Ophir=Abhira) or from some port to which Hiram’s sailors had brought it from India (see Cheyne in Expos. Times, July 1898, p. 472). Sir E. Tennant (Ceylon, ii. 102) has shown that the Tamil name of ‘ peacocks’ is tokei, apparently a cognate of tukkiyyim. It is very abundant in the forests of India, and in some of the native states it is illegal to shoot it. We have no mention of its introduction into Mediterranean regions earlier than the time of Solomon. It is, however, very frequently alluded to in the Gr, and Lat, classics. G. E. Post.
PEARL.—There is no evidence in favour of the AV ‘pearl’ for &3) gabhish (Job 28"). The LXX merely transliterates yaSels. It means far more politly ‘orystal’ (so RV, Oxf. Heb. Lex., Sieg- ried-Stade, Dillmann, A. B. Davidson, εἰ a/.). Although this is not, and never has been, regarded as a precious stone, yet fine pieces of rock erystal, especially if large enough to be made into vases, The word oy,
734 PECULIAR
which occurs in the same passage, and in Pr 3% (Keré) 8% 20% 311, La 47, should perhaps be tr# ‘pearls’ (see Dillm. on Job 28%). Both AV and
J text have ‘rubies,’)/ RVm ‘or red coral or pearls’ (in La 47 ‘or corals’), Pearls (uapyaptrat) are mentioned in the NT in several places. ‘They were and are much Soe gems (1 Ti 2°, Rey 17"). They were chosen by Christ as a type of that which was most precious, to be compared with the kingdom of heaven (Mt 13"). The verb nazam in Arab., coupled with /ulu=‘ pearl,’ signifies ‘to string pearls.’ Coupled with shir=‘ poetry,’ it means ‘to arrange verses.’ Thus poetry is com- pared with sees The Arab poets and authors ring innumerable changes on the names for pearls in characterizing their literary productions. Thus a poem is called ‘the Lone Pearl,’ or ‘The Precious Pearl,’ or ‘ The String of Pearls,’ ete. Our Saviour warns us against giving that which is holy unto dogs, and casting our pearls before swine (Mt 7°). The instinct of Christian consciousness has usually interpreted pearls here as referring |to the precious words of Divine revelation. This would be in strict accord with the Oriental usage above illus- trated. The gates of pearl (Rev 21") are probably to be understood as mother of pearl. Separate pearls are the same in composition and origin as the shell, being formed by the gradual deposition of layers of the secretion of the oyster, Avicula margaritifera, L. They are usually deposited in the most fleshy parts, particularly within and around the adductor muscle. When the secretion of the oyster is morbidly increased, not only are separate pearls formed, but nodules and excres- cences of the same sort are produced on the inner surface of the shell. These are often detached and sold as pearls, but at a lower price.