the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Bible Encyclopedias
Sand
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
or (חוֹל, chol, from its tendency to slide or roll; ἄμμος ). A similitude taken from the aggregate sand of the sea is often used to express a very great multitude or a very great weight; or from a single sand, something very mean and trifling. God promises Abraham and Jacob to multiply their posterity as the stars of heaven and as the sand of the sea (Genesis 22:17; Genesis 32:12). Job (6:3) compares the weight of his misfortunes to that of the sand of the sea. Solomon says (Proverbs 27:3) that though sand and gravel are very heavy things, yet the anger of a fool is much heavier. Ecclesiasticus says that a fool is more insupportable than the weight of sand, lead, or iron (Sirach 22:15). The prophets magnify the omnipotence of God, who has fixed the sand of the shore for the boundaries of the sea, and has said to it, "Hitherto shalt thou come; but here thou shalt break thy foaming waves, and shalt pass no farther" (Jeremiah 5:22). Our Savior tells us (Matthew 7:26) that a fool lays the foundation of his house on the sand; whereas a wise man founds his house on a rock. Ecclesiasticus says (18:8) that the years of the longest life of man are but as a drop of water or as a grain of sand. Wisdom says (7:9) that all the gold in the world, compared to wisdom, is but as the smallest grain of sand. (See DUST).
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McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Sand'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/s/sand.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.
