RAA3SHAKEH (Heb. rab-shaw-kay', Sept. 'Palpdrois, raksak' as).
This name is Aramaic, and signifies chief cup bearer. Notwithstanding its seemingly official significance, it appears to have been used as a proper name, as Butler with us; for the person who bore it was a military chief in high com mand, under Sennacherib, king of Assyria. Yet it is not impossible, according to Oriental usages, that a royal cupbearer should hold a military command; and the office itself was one of high distinction. He is the last-named of three As syrian generals, who appeared before Jerusalem, and was the utterer of the insulting speeches ad dressed to the besieged (B. C. 713). 'He stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language ;' perhaps because he was the only one of the three who could speak that language freely (2 Kings xviii to, 26, 28, 37s xix :4, 8; Is. xxxvi :2, 4, 12, 13, 22; XXXvii :4, 8).
RACA (ra'ka), (Gr. 'Panel, hrak-ah'), from the Aramaic 'worthless.' A word which occurs in Matt. v :22, and which remains untranslated in the Authorized Version. It is expressive of contempt from the Chaldee, and means an empty, worthless fellow. Jesus, con trasting the law of Moses, which could only take notice of overt acts, with his own, which renders man amenable for his motives and feelings, says in effect : 'Whosoever is rashly angry with his brother is liable to the judgment of God; whosoever calls his brother Raca is liable to the judgment of the Sanhedrim; but whosoever calls him fool (Mcope) becomes liable to the judgment of Gehenna.' To apprehend the higher crimi nality here arched to the term fool, which may not at first seem very obvious, it is necessary to observe that while 'raca' denotes a certain looseness of life and manners, 'fool' denotes a wicked and reprobate person ; foolishness being in Scripture opposed to spiritual wisdom.
RACE (ras), (Heb. r;=,.o'rakiz, a path or way,
Ps. xix:5).
1. One of the contests in the Grecian games. "Such as obtained victories in any of these games, especially the Olympic, were universally honored, and almost adored. Cicero reports that a victory in the Olympic games was not much less honor able than a triumph at Rome.
"Happy was the man esteemed who could but obtain a single victory; if any person merited repeated rewards, he was thought to have attained the utmost felicity of which human nature is ca pable; but if he came off conqueror in all the ex ercises, he was elevated above the condition of men, and his actions styled wonderful victories! Nor did their honors terminate in themselves, but were extended to all about them; the city that gave them birth and education was esteemed more honorable and august ; happy were their re lations, and thrice happy their parents.
"It is a remarkable story which Plutarch relates of a Spartan, who, meeting Diagoras, that had himself been crowned in the Olympic games, and seen his sons and grandchildren victors, em braced him, and said, 'Now die, Diagoras; for thou canst not be a god !' By the laws of Solon, a hundred drachms were allowed from the public treasury to every Athenian who obtained a prize in the Isthmian games; and five hundred drachms to such as were victors in the Olympian. After wards, the latter of these had their maintenance in the Prytaneum, or public hall of Athens" (Ca rnet). (See GAMES.) is used to illustrate the going forth of the sun, as a "strong man to make a journey." Figurative, The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; undertakings do not al ways succeed with men according to their qualifi cations, diligence or advantages, but according to the will and providential interposal of God (Eccl. ix :11).