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•SPRING (Hebrews ‘ain, “the bright open source, the eye of the landscape”). To be carefully distinguished from “well” (q.v.). “Springs” mentioned in Joshua 10:40 (Hebrews ‘ashdoth) should rather be “declivities” or “slopes” (R.V.), i.e., the undulating ground lying between the lowlands (the shephelah) and the central range of hills.‌‌

•STACHYS spike; an ear of corn, a convert at Rome whom Paul salutes (Romans 16:9).

•STACTE (Hebrews nataph), one of the components of the perfume which was offered on the golden altar (Exodus 30:34; R.V. marg., “opobalsamum”). The Hebrew word is from a root meaning “to distil,” and it has been by some interpreted as distilled myrrh. Others regard it as the gum of the storax tree, or rather shrub, the Styrax officinale. “The Syrians value this gum highly, and use it medicinally as an emulcent in pectoral complaints, and also in perfumery.”

•STARGAZERS (Isaiah 47:13), those who pretend to tell what will occur by looking upon the stars. The Chaldean astrologers “divined by the rising and setting, the motions, aspects, colour, degree of light, etc., of the stars.”

•STAR, MORNING a name figuratively given to Christ (Revelation 22:16; comp. 2 Peter 1:19). When Christ promises that he will give the “morning star” to his faithful ones, he “promises that he will give to them himself, that he will give to them himself, that he will impart to them his own glory and a share in his own royal dominion; for the star is evermore the symbol of royalty (Matthew 2:2), being therefore linked with the sceptre (Numbers 24:17). All the glory of the world shall end in being the glory of the Church.” Trench’s Comm.

•STARS The eleven stars (Genesis 37:9); the seven (Amos 5:8); wandering (Jude 1:13); seen in the east at the birth of Christ, probably some luminous meteors miraculously formed for this specific purpose (Matthew 2:2-10);

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