Strafmichgott-Bibel is the name of a German Bible translation prepared by Johann Piscator (Herborn, 1602^, 4 vols.). This translation, the first which was made by a member of the Reformed Church into tlie German language, though complete, is very deficient, and bears its name (Strafmichgott-Bibel) from its trans- lation of Mark viii, 12 : " Wann diesem Geschlechte ein Zeichen wirdt gegeben werden, so strafe mich Goit." The translation closely follows the Latin version of Ju- nius and Tremellius, and the German teems with Latin- isms. For a time this version was used in Berne and other places. See Theol. Univeisal-Lexikon, s. v. (B. P.)
Strahl, Philipp, doctor and professor of philosophy at Bonn, who died May 6, 1840, is the author of Bei- trdge zur I'ussischen Kirchengeschichte (Halle, 1827) : — Geschichte der Griindung und A usbreilung der ckristlieken Lehre unter den Volkern des ganzen russischen Reiches (ibid. 1828) : — Geschichte der russischen Kirche (vol. i, ibid. 1830). See Zuchold, Bihl. Theol. ii, 1281 ; Winer, Handbuch der theolog. Literatur, i, 835 ; ii, 793. (B. P.)
Straight Street (Aj'/k; ^!<'i^'^a'). one of tlir an-
cient thoroughfares of Damascus, on which was sitn- ated the house of .ludas, where Paul was visited by Ananias (Acts ix, 11 ). It still subsists as a narrow lane, wliich runs away westward Iron) tlie Bal> es-Shurky, or East (Jate, as far as the eye can toUow it among the con- fused labyrinth of buildings. It retains the same name in an Arabic form, Jhrb el-Miistatim. It is not quite straight now, nor is its architecture peculiarly imposing, yet there cannot be a douijt of its identity. In the Ko- man age, and down to the time of the IMobammedan conquest, a noble street extended in a straight line- from this gate westward through the city. It was divided by Corinthian colonnades into three avenues, opposite and corresponding to the three portals. The visitor may still trace the remains of these colonnades. Wher- ever excavations are made in the line, bases of columns are found in situ, and fragments of shafts lying under accmnulated rubbisli. Tliis street was like those still seen in Palmyra and Jerash. Its length was an Eng- lish mile, and its breadth about 100 feet. See Porter, Handb.for Palestine, p. 451 ; Biideker, Palestine, p. 480. See Damascus.
Strain at. The A. V. of 1611 renders Jlatt. xxiii, 24, " Ye blind guides ! which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel." There can be little doulit, as dean Trench has supposed, that this obscure phrase is due to a printer's error, and that the true reading is " strain
lUe Slieet (.aileU OUaioUl m Kaiuascus. (,!• loiu u iiliuiu-i-.ii<li.;
Ancient Egyptian Strainer and Ladle for Wiue (see p. 105C).
o^/^" Such is the sense of the Greek ^(i'\/^£(j', as used by Plutarch {Op. Mor. p. G92 D; Symp. Probl. vi, 7, § 1) and Dioscorides (ii, 86), viz. to clarify by passing through a strainer ( ('Xjorj/p). " Strain out" is the reading of Tyn- dale's (1539), Cranmer's (1539), the Bishops' (1568), and the Geneva (1557) Bible, and "strain at," which IS neither correct nor intelligible, could only have crept into our A. V., aiul been allowed to reninin there, bj' an oversight. Dean Trciicii gives m interesting illustration of the pas- s ige from a i)rivate letter written to bini by a recent traveller in North Miica, who says: "In a ride from I mgier to Tetuan, I observed that I Moorish soldier wlio accompanied iiH , when he drnnk. always unfolded I lie end of his turban and placed it o\ er the mouth of his hola. drinking I lirough the muslin, to strain out the limits, whose larviv swarm in the water of tiiat country" (On the . I iith. Vers, of the X. f. p. 172, 173). If one n)ight conjecture the cause winch led, even erroneously, to the substitution of at for out, it is per- haps to be found in the marginal note of the (Jeneva Version, which explains the verse thus: " Ve slay III iliat which is nothing, and let |i.iss that which is of greater impor- lauce." — .Smith. There is a mono- graph on the passage itself by Ru-
STRAIN
105G
STKAXGER
dorf, De Gracioribus in Lege a Pharisais Prceieritis (Lips. 174«). See Gnat.
Amoiij; the ancient Egyptians wine was kept in open vessels, as appears from the ladles used for serving it out : an<l hence small colanders were needed for freeing it from the insects which it attracted. Such strainers of bronze have been found at Thebes, about live inches in iliameter (Wilkinson, Anc. K<jyi>t. i, 185).
Strain, John, a Presbyterian minister, was gradu- ated from tlie College of New Jersey (Princeton) in 17o7. It is not known under whom he studied theol- ogy. He was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Newcastk-. Pa., May "i'.l, 1750, and ordained sine titiilo by the same presbytery in 17lil. He settled as pastor of the chunhes of Chanceford and Slate Kidge, York Co., Pa., wheri- he remained until his death. May 21, 177-1. ■• Ho was a preacher of uncommon power and success." See Sprague, Annals of the Amei: Pulpit, iii, 215,
Strange, John, a ]Methodist Episcopal minister, was born in Virginia Nov. 15, 1789, embraced religion when ([uite young, and was admitted on trial in the Ohio Conference in 1811, where he labored thirteen years with great fidelity, acceptance, and usefulness. The rest of his life was spent in Indiana. He died Dec. 2, 1832. Traditions of his elocpience and useful- ness are rife through all Ohio. " He was," says a fel- low-laborer, "one of the brightest lights of the Ameri- can pulpit in the valley of the IMississippi in the early part of the present century. He was formed by nature to be eloquent. . . . There were times when his au- diences were held spellbound by his eloquence, and sometimes they were raised en masse from their seats." See Minnies of Annual Conferences, ii, 276; Stevens, Hist, of the J/. E. Church, iv, 383-385; Sprague, Annals oJ'thtAm<r. Pulpit, vii, 505-511. (J. L. S.)