FRIEND (Heb. Pl, ray'ah, associate), a person with whom one has friendly intercourse (Gen. xxxviii:i2, 20; 2 Sam. xiii:3; Job. ii:tt ; xix :21, etc.); also a lover,one beloved of a woman (Cant. va6).
1. flet-ah'ee-ros (Gr. iralpos, comrade, Matt. xi: 19, A. V. "fellow"), used in kindly address (Matt. xx:13; xxii:t2; xxv1:5o).
2. Pi' tho (Gr. 11eleco, Acts xii:2o), is used in the sense of to fiacify, to win one's favor.
3. Fee' los (Gr. 01X0s), one attached by affection; frequently used in the New Testament, as Jas. ii:23; iv:4. (Barnes' Bib. Diet.) (a) Christ's friends and neighbors, whom he in vites to rejoice with him at the conversion of his elect, are angels. ministers, and saints, who ar dently love him and his Father, promote his honor and cause, and have much intimacy with him Luke xv :6, 9; JaMeS ii :22; John xv :15). (b) In allusion to the friend at marriages, who per formed the honors of the wedding, and led the bride to the nuptial bed, John Baptist, and other ministers, are friends of the Bridegroom; they, by their preaching and example, direct and conduct sinners to Christ (Judg. xiv:2o; John iii :29). (c) Judas, and the man without the wedding garment were but pretended friends; or the word is used as a term of discreet address (Matt. xxvi:5o, and xxii :t2. (d) The friendship of this world, which is enmity with God, is a superlative love and desire of earthly and sinful things, and a study to obtain the favor of worldly men, by con formity to them in their evil courses (James iv: 4; Matt. vi :24; Luke xvi:13)• FRrNGE (frit*, (Heb. ghed-eef, twisted thread, i. e., a tassel, Deut. xXii:I2; rr4, tsee tseeth', flowery, bloomlike, and so tassel, Num. xv: 38. 39).
Fringes were a part of the outer garment, and the same as the hem or border of the garment (Dein. xxii :12 ; Matt. ix :20 ; XiV :36).
The children of Israel were enjoined to wear them by Moses (Num. xv :38), and to place them on the four borders or edges of their outer gar ment, which was usually rectangular in shape. They were of a blue color.
The object of the fringes was to remind the children of Israel of the commandments of God (Num. xv .39). In the time of our Lord they had
become objects of parade and show, so that he finds an evidence of the hypocrisy of the Phari sees in their practice of "enlarging the borders of their garments." The "hem of the garment" which the woman with the issue of blood touched (Matt. ix :20), was the ancient fringe enjoined by Moses. (See CLOTHING.) FROG (frOg) (Heb. tsef-ar-day'ah, frog, Exod. viii Although the common frog is so well known that no description is needed to satisfy the read er, it may be necessary to mention that the only species recorded as existing in Palestine is the green (Rana esculenta), and that of all the authorities we have been able to consult, Dr.Richardson alone refers the species of Egypt to the green-speckled grey frog (Rana punctata). But considering the immense extent of the Nile from south to north, and the amazing abundance of these animals which it contains in the state of spawn, tadpole, and complete frog, it is likely that the speckled is not the only species found in its waters, and that different species, if they do not occur in the same locality, are at least to be met with in different latitudes. The speckled species is found westward, even to the north of France. It is lively, but no strong swimmer, the webs on the hinder toes extending only half their length ; hence, perhaps, it is more a terrestrial animal than the common green frog, and, like the brown spe cies, is given to roam on land in moist weather.
Although it is very hazardous in transactions of an absolutely miraculous nature to attempt to point out the instruments that may have served to work out the purposes of the Almighty, we may conjecture that, in the plag-ue of frogs, a species, the one perhaps we have just mentioned, was selected for its agility on land, and that, although the fact is not expressly mentioned, the awful visitation was rendered still more omi nous by the presence of dark and rainy weather —an atmospheric condition never of long dura tion on the coast of Egypt, and gradually more and more rare up the course of the river.