Awl
(מִרצֵעִ, martse'd, perforator, Sept. ὀπήτιον), an instrument for boring a small hole (Ex 21:6; De 15:17). Considering that the Israelites had recently withdrawn from their long sojourn in Egypt, there can be no doubt that the instruments were the same as those of that country, used by the sandalmakers and other workers in leather (Wilkinson, 2, 105). In the above passages the word is employed in reference to piercing the ear as a sign of perpetual servitude, which it seems was a custom among other Oriental nations (Petronius. Satyr. 102), and it was the practice in Lydia, India, and Persia to perforate the ears of boys dedicated to the service of the gods (Xen. Anab. 3, 1, 31; Plutarch, Sympos. 2, 1, 4). SEE SERVANT.
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More