LiTERATiRE. — See under Free Will, and add W. James, 'Necessary Truths' in Principles of Psychology, ii. 617 ff. ; Boutroux, La contingcnce des lois de la nature, ; J. Edwards, Freedom of the Will; Momerie, Personality ; Martineau, Study 0/ Religion, bk. iii. ch. 2; Lotze, Microcoxmus, i. 144 ff. ; Sturt, Personal Idealism (iii.); A. Moore, Essays (vii.); J. S. Mill, Hamilton's Philosophy Exajnined(xwi.), and Logic, bk. vi. ch. 2.
C. Harris. NECK. — (1) In the embrace of faniilj' salutation the smooth part of the neck below the ear is the part that is kissed, first on one side and then on the other (Lk 15^). This is implied in Hebrew by the use of the dual form (Gn 46-"). (2) Prisoners and those condemned to punishment had the chain attached to a metal ring around the neck (Lk 17^). (3) It was on the neck of the oxen that the yoke was placed in ploughing. The freedom from all other bondage, which is conferred and naturalized by the grace of Christ, is conditioned by the yoke of service to Him (Mt IV^-^). G. M. Mackie.
NEEDLE. — Although the needle is of prehistoric origin, having been made out of fish bones before the discoveiy of bi'onze, it is mentioned onlj- in one passage in the Bible : ' It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle,' etc. (Mt 19^^ 1| Mk 10-^, Lk 18'^^). The eye of a needle is, in Hebrew and Greek, called simply ' the hole,' but in later Arabic it is also called ' the eye.' Thus one modern Arab poet (Mej. Ad. ii. 231) asks, 'What animal has its hoof in its head, and its eye in its tail?' and another (ib. iii. 273) speaks of ' the eye which never tastes of sleep and is never filled with tears. ' The needle is often used as a symbol of self- neglect, in that it clothes all the world and itself remains naked (Burckhardt, 563).
The phrase cited above from the Gospels was used in tlie schools, with the substitution of an elephant for a camel, to express something which does not happen. Thus in Baba Mezia, 386, in the course of a discussion on dreams and their inter- pretation, R. Shesheth says to R. Amram, who had tried to convince him of something incredible : ' Perliaps j'ou are from Pumbeditha [where there flourished a famous academy of the Babylonian Rabbis], where tliey can drive an elephant through the eye of a needle'— that is, can prove that black is Avhite. Similarly, Berakhoth, bob -. ' No one ever saw a golden palm, nor an elephant entering the eye of a needle.' For other occurrences of the phrase, see Buxtorfs Lex. s.v. xS's.f T. H. Weir.
* Some critics assign this saying to the Evangelist, not to Jesus.
t The proposals that have been made to identify the ' needle's eye ' with the small door in a large city gate, or to substitute ' cable ' {xccuiXe,:) for ' camel ' (xauviXo?)] have nothing in their favour. See Hastings' DB iii. oOo^, and Expos. Times, ix. (1898) 388, 474 ; A. Wright, Some X.T. Problems, 125.
NEIGHBOUR.— To the people of Israel, God had given the commandment, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself ' (Lv 19"*) ; but in their hard- ness of heart they had put a limit to it. They had deduced from the commandment, 'Thou shalt love thj' neighbour' — its converse — 'and hate thine enemy ' (Mt 5^*) ; and they had made the latter as binding as the former. To a people who regarded themselves as the sole recipients of Jehovah's favour, the limitation was not imnatural ; but with the revelation of God as the universal Father, who sliowers His blessings equallj^ upon all the world, just and unjust alike (MtS"*'), the limitation must of necessity be swept away. To make men like to God was the essential aim of tlie life and teaching of Jesus Christ ; and as the love of God is limitless, the love of man to man must be no less. All His doctrine in reference to man's treatment of his neighbour He summed up in the words, ' Be ye therefore perfect, even as jour Father which is in heaven is perfect' (Mt 5""'). 'Neighbour,' then, upon our Lord's lips becomes a term synonymous with ' humanity.' ' Who is my neighbour?' asked a scribe ; and Christ made answer with the parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10"^"^), seeking by a picture of pure compassion to shame him of his question. ' Dost thou ask,' He seems to say, ' who thy neighbour is ? Set about at once to relieve the miserj- of every one thou meetest. Make thyself the neighbour of all who need thy help.' It is to be noted that in the application of the parable He does not ask which of the three was, but which of the three became (7e70j'^i'ai, v.*^) neighbour unto him that fell among thieves. In the Sermon on the Mount He makes the same thing clear bj' direct statement — that ' neighbour ' includes all the world of men, even those w ho hate and persecute us(Mt5«-«).
To the old commandment, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thjself,' Christ gives a new and striking form in the words, ' Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them' (Mt 7'-) ; and that the all-importance of this rule may be made plain. He adds, ' for this is the law and the prophets.' He thus makes a man's own longing for love and kindness and compassion the measure of the treatment which he should extend to others. But this love and compassion must not be the outcome of any selfish motive. To do good to others that we may receive the same again, is to miss wholly loves reward (Mt o"""- *' i, Lk g32-34j . fQj. ^jjg JQy qJ jgyg jg Jovlug I It Is uiore