Ed i.e., "witness" (for Hebrews id. עֵד), supplied (apparently on the authority of a few MSS. and also of the Syr. and the Arab. versions) in the A.V. as the name of the altar erected by the three tribes east of Jordan in commemoration of their adhesion to the others (Jos 22:34). The commonly received Hebrews text is literally as follows: "And the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad called the altar [וִיַּקראוּ לִמַּזבֵּחִ, Sept. ἐπωνόμασαν καὶ εϊvπαν, Vulg. vocaverunt]; for a witness is this [בַּי עֵד הוּא, Sept. ὅτι μαρτύριόν, Vulg. testimonium]," etc., or as it may be rendered (קָרָא being sometimes used absolutely thus), "gave a name to the altar, [saying]," etc. The gloss is unnecessary (see Maurer, Comment. in loc.), for the latter clause furnishes both the name and the explanation (Keil, Comment. in loc.), i.e., "they named the altar (as follows), that 'This is a witness,'" etc. SEE OREB.
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