par´bar ( פּרבּר , parbār ( 1 Chronicles 26:18 ), and פּרורים , parwārı̄m , translated "precincts" (the King James Version "suburbs" in 2 Kings 23:11 ); Septuagint φαρουρείμ , pharoureı́m ): In 1 Chronicles 26:18 reference is made to the position of the gatekeepers, "for Parbar westward, four at the causeway, and two at Parbar." The word is supposed to be of Persian origin, connected with Parwâr , meaning "possessing light," and hence, the meaning has been suggested of "colonnade" or "portico," some place open to the light. In the plural form (2 Kings 23:11 ) the situation of the house of "Nathan-melech" is described, and the translation, "in the colonnades," should, if the above origin is accepted, be more correct than English Versions of the Bible. It is difficult to understand the occurrence of a Persian word at this time, and it has been suggested (EB , col 3585) that the word is a description of the office of Nathan-melech, ba -parwārı̄m being a misreading for ba -perādhı̄m , meaning "who was over the mules."
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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