but´lẽr : An officer in households of kings, or other dignitaries, having charge of wines and other potables. משׁקה , mashḳeh , "one who gives drink" (Gen 40:1-23; Genesis 41:9 ), rendered "cupbearer" in 1 Kings 10:5; 2 Chronicles 9:4; Nehemiah 1:11 . The office was one of consider ble importance in oriental courts, because of the danger to the king's life through plots of poison, etc. Nehemiah held this position to King Artaxerxes. Wealthy courts, as that of Solomon, usually had more than one (1 Kings 10:5 ); over these cupbearers or butlers was the sar ha -mash -ḳı̄m , or chief butler (Genesis 40:9 ).
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) was edited by James Orr, John Nuelsen, Edgar Mullins, Morris Evans, and Melvin Grove Kyle and was published complete in 1939. This web site includes the complete text.
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