rē´ı̄ ( רעי , rē‛ı̄ , "friendly"; Ῥησεί , Rhēseı́ ): Rei, Shimei and the Gibbōrı̄m who belonged to David are listed among those who did not join Adonijah in his attempt on the throne ( 1 Kings 1:8 ). The name is very uncertain. Winckler (Geschichte , II, 247) identifies him with Ira, the Jairite, who was a "priest to David" (2 Samuel 20:26 the Revised Version margin); he tries to prove that this Ira (or Jair) was a priest of Bethlehem. Stade ( GVI , I, 293, note 1) holds that Shimei and Rei were two officers of David's bodyguard. Josephus (Ant. , VII, xiv, 4) has ὁ Δαουίδου φίλος , ho Daouı́dou phı́los , thus making Shimei a "friend," the courtier of 2 Samuel 15:37; 2 Samuel 16:16 , and omitting Rei entirely. This would call for an original reading המּלך רע , rēa‛ ha -melekh , or המּלך רעה , rē‛ēh ha -melekh , and is too wide a variant from the Massoretic Text. Assuming that Rei belongs in the text, it is safe to conjecture that he was an officer of the royal guard.
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.
WikipediaThe ISBE is a classic Bible reference compiled from nearly 10,000 entries written by over 200 different Bible scholars and teachers. In addition to the encyclopedia articles, all of the major words of the Bible are represented and defined.
The historical, cultural, and linguistic information in the ISBE can be of great value in Bible study and research.
But as with any writings of men, the careful student of the Bible must always compare them with Scripture. As you use this helpful study resource, remember that only God's word is pure.
Read More