Footman, a word employed in the A.V. in two senses. See Runner. 1. Generally, to distinguish those of the people or of the fighting-men who went on foot from those who were on animals or in chariots. The Hebrew word for this is '^?J'^, 7-agli' , from reyel, a foot. The Sept. common!}^ expresses it by ttcwOi, or occasionally Tuy/iara. It is a military term, desig- nating the infantry of an army (1 Sam. iv, 10 ; xv, 4 ; 2 Sam. X, 6 ; Jer. xii, 5), or those simply who journeyed on foot, whether soUiiers or not (Exod. xii, 37 ; Numb, xi, 21). In the latter case the word perhaps indicates the male, portion of the company, those who walked while the females rode, like the Arabic rnjal, a man. Sometimes it is joined with "C"^X, a ?»«?» (Judg. xx, 2). See Army ; Rider.
2. The word occurs in a more special sense (in 1 Sam. xxii, 17) as the translation of a different term, rats, part, of "/^"1, to run. This passage affords the first mention of the existence of a bodj' of swift run- ners in attendance on the king, though such a thing had been foretold by Samuel (1 Sam. viii, 11). This body appears to have been afterwards kept up, and to have been distinct from the bodj'-guard — the six hun- dred and the thirty — who were originated by David (see 1 Kings xiv, 27, 28 ; 2 Chron. xii, 10, 11 ; 2 Kings xi, 4, 6, 11, 13, 19). In each of these cases the word is rendered "guard:" but the translators were evi- dently awai'e of its signification, for they have put the word "runners" in the margin in two instances (1 Kings xiv, 27; 2 Kings xi, 13). This, indeed, was ti;e force of the term "footman" at the time the A.V. was made, as is plain not onh' from tlie references just quoted, but, among others, from the title of a well- known tract of Banyan's, The hearenJy Footman, or a Di'scription of the Man that gets to Heaven, on 1 Cor. ix, 24 (the apostle Paul's figure of the race). The same Heb. ^vord is also used elsewhere to denote the royal or pr.Tjtorian guard (2 Sam. xv, 1; 1 Kings i, 5; 2 Kings x, 25). Whether they were the same as the Pelethites is doubtful. The word likewise occurs (Job ix, 25) of any swift messenger, hence a weaver's shut- tle (Job vii, G\ and also of the couriers of the Persian , king (Esth. iii, 13, 15; viii, 14). Swift running was evidently a valued accomplishment of a perfect war- rior— a gibhor, as the Hebrew word is — among the Is- raelites. There are constant allusions to this in the Bible, though obscured in the A. V. from the transla-
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tors not recognising the technical sense of the word (jibbor. Among others, see Psa. xix, 5 ; Job xvi, 14 ; Joel ii, 7, where " strong man," "giant," and "niigh- tj' man" ars all rjibbor. David was famed for his powers of running;; tiiey are so mentioned as to seem characteristic of him (1 Sam. xvii, 22, 48, 51 ; xx, 6), and he makes them a special subject of thanksgiving to God (2 Sam. xxii, 30 ; Psa. xviii, 29). The cases of Cnshi and Ahiniaaz (2 Sam. xviii) will occur to ev- er}'' one. It is not impossible that the former — " the Ethiopian," as his name most lilcely is — had some pe- culiar mode of running. See CusHi. Asahel also was "'swift on his feet," and the Gadite heroes who came across to David in his difficulties were " swift as the roes upon the mountains;'' but in neither of these last cases is the word rats employed. The word prob- ably derives its modern sense from the custom of do- mestic servants running by the side of the carriage of their master. — Smith, s. v.; Kitto, s. v. See Guard.
Footsteps (generally C"5, pa am, a tread; but spec. -1^", akeb' , Psa. Ivi, G; Ixxvii, 19 ; Ixxxix, 51 ; Cant, i, 8, the hed, as elsewhere rendered). On the meaning of this term in Psa. xvii, 5, 11, Mr. Eoberts says, among the Hindus, "a man who has the people watching him, to iind out a cause for accusation against him to the king, or to great men, says. Yes, they are around my legs and my feet ; their eyes are always open ; they are ever watching my suvadu, ' steps ;' that is, they are looking for the impress or footsteps in the eartli." For this purpose, the eyes of the enemies of David were "bowing down to the earth."
Foot.stOol (spec. trnSi I'e'besh, something trodden upon; Sept. vTTO-TToCiov v. r. a/ticciii/.tf I'Of, Vulg. scnhel- ium, 2 Cliron. ix, 18). "Where sitting is referred to in Scripture, it is frequently spoken of as a posture of more tlian ordinary' state, and means sitting on a throne, for which a footstool was necessary, bo^h in or- der that the person might ascend to it, and for sup- porting the legs when he was placed in it (2 Chron. ix, 18). The divine glory which resided sj-mbolically in the holy place, between the cherubim above the ark of the covenant, is supposed to use the ark as a foot- stool (1 Chron. xxviii, 2; Psa. xcix, 6; cxxxii, 7). So the earth is called God's footstool b}' the same ex- pressive figure which represents lieaven as his throne (Psa. ex, i; Isa. Ixvi, 1 ; Matt, v, ?,'o). We find, on the paintings in the tombs of Egypt, as well as on the Assyrian monuments, frequent representations of their kings sitting on a throne or chair of state, with a foot- stool. See Throne. The common manner of sitting in the East is upon a mat or carpet spread upon the ground or floor, with the legs crossed. Many of the Turks, however, through European intercourse, at- temjit to sit upon chairs. See Divan.