the First Sunday of Lent
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!
Bible Dictionaries
Ensign
Smith's Bible Dictionary
or Ensign. (Hebrew, nes, in the Authorized Version, generally "ensign," sometimes "standard";
degel "standard," with the exception of Song of Solomon 2:4, "banner;"
oth "ensign").
This distinction between these three Hebrew terms is sufficiently marked by their respective uses.
Nes is a signal, and not a military standard. It is an occasional signal, which was exhibited on the top of a pole from a bare mountain-top, Isaiah 13:2; Isaiah 18:3;
degel is a military standard for a large division of an army; and
oth is a military standard for a small one. Neither of them, however, expresses the idea which "standard" conveys to our minds, namely, A flag.
The standards in use among the Hebrews probably resembled those of the Egyptians and Assyrians - a figure or device of some kind elevated on a pole; usually a sacred emblem, such as an animal, a boat, or the king's name.
These files are public domain.
Smith, William, Dr. Entry for 'Ensign'. Smith's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/sbd/e/ensign.html. 1901.
