(שִׁחִר, shach'ar, Job 38:12, elsewhere usually "morning;" ἀνατολή, Luke 1:78, elsewhere "east"), signifies the first streaks of daylight, the dawn, or day-break; and in the former of the above-cited passages it is used in its literal sense. This portion of time was at a later period, in imitation of the Persians, divided into two parts, the first of which began when the eastern, the second when the western division of the horizon was illuminated. (See AIJELETH-SHAHAR). In the latter passage, the. birth of John the Baptist is beautifully compared to the early twilight preceding the rising of the great moral sun, the Messiah (comp. Malachi 4:2; Isaiah 60:1-3; 2 Corinthians 4:6). (See DAY).
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