C. L. Feltoe. PLAGUE. — The word trK-riyii, ' stroke,' occurs in the NT only in the Apocalypse (8« 9'8- ^ IP IS^- >-• " 151. 6. e 109. 21 18^. 8 219 22'S). It was used by the LXX for the ' plagues ' of Egypt and the later visita- tions of God upon His people and their enemies, which made a profound impression upon the Heb- rews (cf. Lv 262- ", Nu 25»'-, 2 S 24'-'). In the Apocalypse the plagues are unforeseen, sudden occurrences, greater and more terrible than those in Egypt, which will disclose God's purpose and providence concerning His own. However violent the opposition, or bitter the persecution, or extreme the danger to which God's people are exposed, they have nothing to fear. The Seer beholds successive Divine judgments fall upon the earth, the sea, the rivers, the sun, moon, and stars. Instruments of Divine punishment are insects, beasts, angels, hail-stones, death, mourning, want, and fire. In a word, all the forces and agencies of the world which are naturally friendly to man are turned into hostile and destructive action against those who dishonour God and would de- stroy His Kingdom. Even the people of God are secure against the same fate only by faith and obedience. C. A. Beckwith.
PLAITING.-See Hair.
PLEROMA.— See Fulness.
PLOT.— See CONSPIRACY.
POETS.— See Quotations.
POISON.— The poison referred to in Ro 3", Ja 3« is animal, not vegetable. From the first the Hebrews had been but little interested in the medicinal, military, or malicious use of poisons. Their experience of venomous reptiles had fur- nished them with a vivid symbol of sin (cf. Nu 21»-'', Dt 8i», Jn 3", Ps 58^ 140»). The NT singles out for mention the part of the body which corre- sponds to the serpent's weapon of attack, the mouth, i.e. the lips and tongue. Here the poison is concentrated and active. Attention is directed to the stored-up venom which awaits its chance to inject itself into its victim, the insidiousness and
242
POLITARCH
POLYCAEP
sting of the attack, the iierce and uncontrollable pain, the violence and deadliness which mark its etVects. C. A. Beckwith.
POLITARCH.— See Magisteate.
POLLUTION {a.\i(Tyri/ia, only found as noun in Ac 15-''; as verb in Dn 1», Mai !'• '^ 8ir 40-" [LXX]). — dXiV7>)Ma is probably from a root mean- ing ' smear with fat or blood ' (cf . dXlfeif, Lat. linere), and is therefore a natural word for Jews to use of idol oll'erings (Lv 3"). It is a real 'Jewish Greek' word, very rare, and is a translation of "jnj (qd'al, root-meaning ' loathe,' afterwards ' pollute '). tossibly it is also a partial transliteration of Vxj, combining this and the Greek root dXix-. It would then be a similar formation to Eng.-Fr. 'crayhsh,' ' Kotten Kow' (for instances of this principle see V. J. A. Hort, 1 Peter 1. l-II. 17, 189S, p. 77, LXX translation of Jer 9^, A. Edersheim, LT* i. 448, n. 3 ; cf. also dyair^ as a sound- as well as sense- translation of n^jN). This would make St. James use a peculiarly biting word, 'a loathed smearing.' Its use in the LXX suggests also that it referred to the ordinary food of Gentiles (Dn 1*, Sir 40-*) as well as to idol oll'erings. The Council did not adopt it, and changed it to the more colourless elSa\60uTov, ' idol oH'ering,' wishing perhaps to avoid a racial word which might suggest a separation in the matter of ordinary food between Jew and Gentile, such as afterwards actually happened (Gal 2') under the influence of those who 'came from James.'
LrrERATimE.— R. J. Knowling, in EGT, ' Acts,' 1900, p. 324 ; Conybeare-Howson, The Life and Epiatles tf St, Parti, new ed., 1889, ch. vii. esp. pp. 162, 172. SHEEWIN SMITH.
POLLUX.— See Dioscuri.
POLYCARP. — 1. Life.— In a polemic treatise entitled Ilepi fj.ovapxla! and addressed to a Roman priest named Florinus, IreniEus (c. A.D. 190) speaks of Poly carp, bishop of Smyrna (the part relating to Polycarp is given in Eus. HE v. xx. 4-8). Irenoeus remonstrates against the doctrines proifessed by Florinus, which Florinus cannot boast of having received ' from the presbyters who were before us and who lived with the apostles.' Irenceus states that he knew Florinus formerly iv T^ KcLTui 'Afft'^ TTapd IXoXu/cdpTTy (* in Lower Asia in company with Polycarp '). Irenseus was quite young (jrals In (bv) when Florinus, while still a layman but older than Irenoeus, endeavoured to ingratiate himself with Polycarp. Irenseus re- members Polycarp very clearly ; he can describe the very place in which the blessed Polycarp used to sit when he discoursed, how he came in and went out, his personal appearance, the speeches that he addressed to the Christian community, how he would describe his intercourse with John and with the rest who had seen the Lord (rriv /xerd *\tjy6,vvov c\]v(iva(XTpo<j)T]v . . . Kal fierd Tuiv ^opaKdruv rbv Kipiov), how he recalled their words and the things that he had heard them relate concerning the Lord, His miracles, and His teaching, how Polycarp had received all that from eye-witnesses of the Word of life. Irenseus affirms that he has neither lost nor given up any of the teaching of Polycarp, and that, if Polycarp were still alive and heard the things that Florinus teaches, he would stop his ears, as he did before, and say, as he often said : ' O good God, for what times hast thou kept me that I should bear all this ? ' Irenaeus adds as confirmation that ' the letters which Poly- carp sent to the neighbouringchurehes to strengthen them, and to certain brothers to warn them and arouse them, show it clearly.' Again, Irenteus (Haer. III. iii. 4, reproduced by Eusebius, HE IV.