V. The Epistle of James.— In 3" there are 7 attributes of the wisdom that is from above ; in 5" we have, as in Lk 4^, 3J for the 3 of 1 K 17'.
vi. The Second Epistle of Peter.— In 1'"-, 7 virtues are evolved from faith ; in 2', we have ' Noah the 8th person ' ( AV). According to Gn 5, however, Noah is the 9th or, according to the reckoning followed in Jude", the luth from Adam. The supposition may be hazarded that 7 generations had come to be regarded as the measure of the world before the Flood. The ' 8th person ' begins the new world. In 3*, 1 day is mentioned as the shortest period and 1,000 years as the longest (cf. Ps 90<).
vii. The First Epistle of John. — In the Johanuine style the sentence of 3 clauses prevails : e.g. 1'- ' et passim. For examples of words and short phrases cf. 2'° 3", and especially 6' (the '3 that bear witness on earth').
viii. The Epistle of Jude.— In v." we have 'the 7th from Adam.' The number is obtained by reckoning Adam one of the 7 (cf. Gn 5'"'*).
LrPERATURE. — Artt. in HDB, DCG, and EBi. Of similar work in German, E. C. A. Riehm's art. ' Zahlen ' in Handworterbuch. deahihlischen ^^Mr(wm«, 1884, and O. Zdcltler's art. 'Siebenzahl, heilijie,' in PRE^ xviii. (1906J SlOfl., will be found specially helpful. See the latter especially on the bibliojrraphy of the subject. Of mono^aphs may be mentioned H. Gunkel, Zum rrji<r..gesckichtl. Verstdndnis des NT, Gottingen, 1003 {e.q. on the number 4, p. 43 f., and p. 81) ; T. K. Cheyne, Bitile Prob- lems and the New MateHal for their Solution, London, 1904 ; but especially A. Jeremias, Babylonisehes im NT, Leipzig, lil05 (a sequel to Pas ATim Lichte des alten Orients, do., 1904), Regarding this work Zockler remarks that it is a good antidote to the extravagant Babylonism of Gunkel and Cheyne. Note, in Zockler's bitiliography, especially the references to the works of F. von Andrian (' Die Siebenzahl im Geisteslehen der Vblker,' in Mittcil. der Anthropol. GeseVschaft in ^Vien, vol. xxxi. [1901] pp. 225-274) and W. H. Roscher(' Die Bedeutung der Siebenzahl im Kultus und Mythus der Griechen,' in Philo- logus, lOi.iO, pp. 200-373). On the development of number- symbolism in the Church in connexion with its ethical teaching see Zcickler, Die Tugendlehre des Christentt/ms geschichtlich dargestelU mit besonderer Riicksicht avf die Zahlensyinhotische Einkleidung ihrer Lehrfor-men, Giitersloh, 1904.
L. A. Muirhead. NURTURE.— See Chastisement.
NYMPHA, NYMPHAS.— In Col 4" (AV) we read, ' Salute the bretliren which are in Laodicea and Nymphas and the church in his house.' The proper name is found in the accusative case Nv/t^oi', and may be luasculine (Ni//t0ai') or feminine
{'Sijlji(pai'). Tlie feminine form Ni'/xi/'oi' is Doric for yv/nprji', and Liglitfoot {Colotufians, p. 242) tliinks it 'in tlie lii<,'liest decree iiiiprobable ' tliiit sncli a Doric form sliould occnir liere ; but similar forms occur in Jn IP and Ac 9'*, while the contracted masc. fi.ccus. Nf/i^Sx for NiV^aSa is very rare. Tlie question is coniplicated by a variety of readin;j;s in the following clause. There is strong evidence for the reading ' her' hou.se (avTjji), wliich is adopted by WH, liVni, Tr mg., and Ln ; while T, Tr, L, anil RV read 'their' house (ai>Tu)f). If the correct form be ' her liouse,' then the name is Nympha, and the bearer a woman of Laodicea in whose house a number of Christians met for worship. If this be the true solution, then Nj-mpha was a woman of the same type as Prisca at iJome (Ro 16»), or Lydia at Philippi (Ac 16"). The reading ' hii house' (auroO) is found in several good MSS— DFGKL ; and if this be accepted, the name is Nymphas, which would probably be a
contracted form of Nympliodorus, as Artemas for Artemidorus, Zenas for Zenodorus, and Theudas for Theodoras. Tlie form Nynipliodorus is found by no means infrequently, while Nymphas on the other hand occurs seldom. Other names of which Nymjihas might be a contraction are suggested by l^ightfoot, viz. Nymphius, Nymphicus, Nymphi- dius, Nymphodotus, the (irst and last being most common. The reading 'their house' leaves the form of the name uncertain and is probably due to a change made by a scribe who included ' brethren ' in the reference, while a scribe might alter the fern. ai/T^s to aiirod under the assumjition that a woman could not be referred to in this way. The more diflicult reading (ai'/r^s) Is probably the correct one in this case, and if so, a woman, Nympha, is meant by the Apostle.
Literature. — J. B. Lightfoot, Colo8sian»'and PhiUmnn^, Lon- don, 1876, p. 242 : A. S. Peake, in i'G2', 'Colossians,' do., 1903, p. 617. Artt. in HDB and Elli, s.v. \V. 1"'. BOYD
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OATH. — An oath may be defined as an assertion that a statement is true (Germ, assertorischer Eid) or shall be true (promissorischer Eid), or a promise of loyalty and lidelity, made binding by invocation of the Deity, or of some person or thing revered or dreaded. The motive for telling the truth may be regard for what is thus invoked {e.ci. the honour of God) or the fear of avenging punishment. It is generally held that the latter thought is dominant and determinative, even when only implicit. In an adjuration one person states the terms of the oath and another accepts it, thus owning the solemn sanction invoked by the first party as the ground and guardian of the truth he vows to tell. The other use of the ambiguous words ' oath,' ' swear,' viz. for meaningless profanity of speech, does not immediately concern us, in spite of Mk 14'i (EV) (see EBi iii., art. 'Oath'). An oath in the primary sense guarantees truth-telling under necessity, and, like the ' neces.sary ' lie (Notliigc), belongs at best to the higher, and too frequently to the lower, casuistry. A NT example of the latter, wliich Jesus vigorously denounced, occurs in Mt 23"""-^. On such casuistry, irreverence is a close attendant. To the present writer it appears that the customary views on this subject need considerable revision if they are to be harmonized with the Gospels, with justice to certain 'sects' (Quakers, Mennonites, etc.), with practical experi- ence of the law-courts, and with the possibility tliat even of a thing which is ' woven into the common law ' it may be necessary to say, in Milton's words (Of Reformation touching Church Discipline, 1641, p. 78) : ' Let it weave out again.'