Oth'niel (Heb. Othniel', עָתנַיאֵל lion of God; Sept. Γοθονιήλ), the first judge or regent of the Hebrews after the death of Joshua. He was the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb (but see Rosenmüller, Schol. in Jos. p. 295 sq.), of the tribe of Judah. SEE CALEB; SEE KENAZ. Othniel displayed extraordinary valor in seizing the city of Debir, or Kirjath-sepher, for which exploit he was rewarded by the gift of Achsah, the daughter of Caleb, in marriage. Afterwards he was made the instrument of delivering the Hebrews from- the severe bondage in which they had been held for eight years by the Mesopotamians. During the forty years of his administration (B.C. 1567- 1527) the Hebrews remained faithful to Jehovah their God and king, and consequently prospered (Jos 15:16-19; Judges 1:11-15. 3:8-11; 1Ch 4:13; 1Ch 27:15). SEE JUDGES.
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