Practised by the Ishmaelites (
Genesis 16:12 ), the Chaldeans and Sabeans (
Job 1:15 Job 1:17 ), and the men of Shechem (
Judges 9:25 . See also
1 Samuel 27:6-10 ;
30 ;
Hosea 4:2 ;
6:9 ). Robbers infested Judea in our Lord's time (
Luke 10:30 ;
John 18:40 ;
Acts 5:36 Acts 5:37 ;
21:38 ;
2 co
11:26 ). The words of the Authorized Version, "counted it not robbery to be equal," etc. (Phil
Acts 2:6 Acts 2:7 ), are better rendered in the Revised Version, "counted it not a prize to be on an equality," etc., i.e., "did not look upon equality with God as a prize which must not slip from his grasp" = "did not cling with avidity to the prerogatives of his divine majesty; did not ambitiously display his equality with God."
"Robbers of churches" should be rendered, as in the Revised Version, "of temples." In the temple at Ephesus there was a great treasure-chamber, and as all that was laid up there was under the guardianship of the goddess Diana, to steal from such a place would be sacrilege ( Acts 19:37 ).
These dictionary topics are from
M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition,
published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain, copy freely.