The Power-Word Lexicon

General word studies, read in context

Editorial article: This study material is separate from the translated Scripture text.

Complete Dotted-Word Glossary

Every word carrying a dotted underline in the GIGAKJV text is listed below, 852 entries covering 1087 word forms. Tapping any dotted word while reading opens this same card in the app. Entries that name a Greek or Hebrew word show it with its Strong's number, linked to BibleHub; entries without one are plain English help, where the source word varies too much from verse to verse to name a single one.

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Aaron: Hebrew · Aharon · H175Moses' older brother and Israel's first high priest. He spoke for Moses, who did not think he could speak well himself.
Abaddon: Hebrew · Abaddon · H11Destruction. The name of the bottomless pit, and of the angel over it.
Abhor also Abhors: To hate something so much it makes you recoil.
Abhorred: Hated so much that people turned away in disgust.
Abijah: In Luke 1:5, the name of the priestly family division Zechariah belonged to. Other men share this name, including a king in Jesus' family line (Matthew 1:7).
Abolish: To do away with something completely, so it does not exist any more.
Abomination also Abominations: Hebrew / Greek · Toebah / Bdelugma · H8441 / G946Something God finds disgusting. A practice He refuses.
Abraham: Hebrew · Abraham · H85The father of the Jewish nation, about 2000 BC. God renamed him from Abram ('exalted father') to Abraham, 'father of many' — before he had a single child.
Abundantly: Much more than enough. Far more than you need.
According: Matching, or in line with. 'According to his word' means 'exactly as he said'.
Achaia: Greek · Achaia · G882The Roman province of southern Greece, with Corinth as its capital. Paul planted the church in Corinth there.
Adam: Hebrew · Adam · H120The first man. His name is also the Hebrew word for humankind. Through him sin entered the world; Jesus is called the last Adam.
Admonish also Admonished: Greek · Noutheteo · G3560To warn or correct someone because you care about them, not to shame them.
Admonition: Greek · Nouthesia · G3559A firm, caring warning. Someone who loves you telling you to stop and do right.
Adulterers: People who are unfaithful to their husband or wife.
Adulterous: Unfaithful to a husband or wife. Also used for a nation being unfaithful to God.
Adultery: Hebrew / Greek · Naaph / Moicheia · H5003 / G3430Breaking a marriage by having sex with someone else. Also used for being unfaithful to God.
Adversaries also Adversary: Enemies who stand against you.
Adversity: Hard times. A stretch where everything goes against you.
Affliction also Afflictions · Afflicted: Suffering and hardship. Being pressed down by trouble.
Affrighted: Badly frightened. Terrified.
Agrippa: Greek · Agrippas · G67Herod Agrippa. Agrippa I killed James. Agrippa II heard Paul's defence and said Paul almost persuaded him to be a Christian.
Agur: Son of Jakeh, whose sayings are introduced in Proverbs 30. The chapter does not give enough information to reconstruct his life.
Ahaz: Hebrew · Achaz · H271King of Judah, about 735-715 BC, and Hezekiah's father. God offered him a sign and he refused it, so God gave one anyway — the child called Immanuel.
Alabaster: Greek · Alabastron · G211A fine, soft stone carved into small sealed flasks to protect costly perfumed oil until broken open.
Alas: A cry of sadness or dread. Like saying 'oh no' out loud.
Alms: Greek · Eleemosune · G1654Money, food, or help given freely to the poor as an act of mercy, not to be seen by people.
Aloes: A sweet-smelling wood used as perfume. Not the aloe vera plant you put on burns.
Alphaeus: Greek · Alphaios · G256Father of the apostle James (not James son of Zebedee). Matthew the tax collector is also called son of Alphaeus.
Altar also Altars: Hebrew / Greek · Mizbeach / Thusiasterion · H4196 / G2379A raised table where sacrifices were offered to God.
Amen: Hebrew · Amen · H543A Hebrew word meaning 'so be it' or 'this is true'. Said at the end of a prayer to agree with it.
Ammon: Hebrew · Ammon · H5983A nation east of the Jordan, descended from Lot. Capital Rabbah, later Philadelphia, today Amman in Jordan.
Amoz: Hebrew · Amots · H531Isaiah's father. Easy to mix up with Amos the prophet, but they are two different men with two different Hebrew names.
Ananias: Three men in Acts: the man who lied about a gift (chapter 5), the disciple sent to Saul (chapter 9), and a high priest (chapters 23-24). They are not the same person.
Anathema also Accursed: Greek · Anathema · G331Under a curse. Cut off and handed over to judgment.
Andrew: Greek · Andreas · G406Simon Peter's brother, a fisherman from Bethsaida. One of the twelve. He is often the one who brings someone else to Jesus.
Angel also Angels: Greek / Hebrew · Aggelos / Malak · G32 / H4397A messenger. The Greek word means exactly that — someone sent to carry a message.
Anguish: Very deep pain, in your body or in your mind.
Anointed: Hebrew / Greek · Mashiach / Christos · H4899 / G5547Smeared with oil to mark someone for a job. The Messiah is the Anointed One.
Anointing also Anoint: Hebrew / Greek · Mishchah / Chrisma · H4888 / G5545The oil, and the Spirit it stands for. God's mark and God's help on a person.
Antichrist: Greek · Antichristos · G500Against Christ, and also in place of Christ. The one who fights Jesus and fakes being Him.
Antioch: Greek · Antiocheia · G490Two cities share the name. Most often Antioch in Syria, where believers were first called Christians.
Apollos: Greek · Apollos · G625A gifted teacher from Alexandria, strong in the Scriptures. Priscilla and Aquila filled in what he still lacked about Jesus.
Apostle also Apostles: Greek · Apostolos · G652A sent one. Somebody sent out carrying the sender's authority.
Aquila: A Jewish tentmaker and the husband of Priscilla. They worked with Paul and helped Apollos understand God's way more fully (Acts 18).
Aramaic: The language called Syrian in the KJV of Isaiah 36:11. The Judean officials understand it and ask the Assyrian spokesman to use it instead of the language of Judah.
Ariel: Hebrew · Ariel · H740A poetic name for Jerusalem in Isaiah 29. It can mean 'lion of God' or 'altar hearth' — the place where the fire burns.
Ascending also Ascended · Ascends · Ascend: Greek · Anabaino · G305Going up. In John 1:51, angels going up from earth toward heaven on the Son of man — like Jacob's ladder.
Asia: Greek · Asia · G773Not the continent. A Roman province in western Asia Minor (today's Turkey), with Ephesus as its chief city.
Assyria: Hebrew · Ashshur · H804A brutal empire in what is now northern Iraq, capital Nineveh. It wiped out the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC and nearly took Jerusalem in 701 BC.
Assyrian: A person from Assyria — usually its king or his army, the great threat hanging over the whole book of Isaiah.
Astonishment: Being so shocked you can hardly speak.
Athens: A Greek city where Paul spoke about the living God and the resurrection. Acts 17 describes its many idols and an altar to an unknown god.
Atonement: Dealing with sin so that peace with God is restored. In Romans 5:11, this word means reconciliation: being brought back into a right relationship with God.
Authority: The right to decide, command, or act. Depending on the sentence, it can also mean a person who has that right.
Avenge also Avenged · Avenging · Avenger: To pay back a wrong so justice is done.
Babylon: Hebrew · Babel · H894A great city and empire on the Euphrates, in what is now Iraq. It destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BC and carried the people away. In Scripture it becomes the picture of proud human power.
Backbites: Says nasty things about someone behind their back.
Bands: Ropes, straps or chains used to tie someone up.
Baptism: Greek · Baptisma · G908The dipping itself. Being put into Christ.
Baptist: Greek · Baptistes · G910John the Baptist — not a church name. He baptized people in the Jordan as a sign they were turning back to God, and he pointed to Jesus.
Baptize also Baptized · Baptizing: Greek · Baptizo · G907To dip or plunge under. The public act of being put into Christ.
Barabbas: Aramaic · Bar-abba · G912The prisoner the crowd chose to free instead of Jesus. His name means 'son of the father'. He was in jail for insurrection and murder.
Barnabas: Greek · Barnabas · G921A Levite from Cyprus who vouched for Paul when the church still feared him. The apostles nicknamed him Barnabas, 'son of encouragement'.
Barrenness: Not being able to have children. Also land where nothing will grow.
Bartholomew: Greek · Bartholomaios · G918One of the twelve apostles. His name means 'son of Tolmai'. Often identified with Nathanael of John 1.
Bashan: Hebrew · Bashan · H1316Rich grassland east of the Sea of Galilee, famous for its strong cattle and big oak trees. 'Bulls of Bashan' means the biggest, most dangerous bulls there were.
Beelzebub: Greek · Beelzeboul · G954A name for the prince of demons. Linked with an old Philistine god-name, 'lord of the flies'. Jesus' opponents used it of him.
Beginning: Hebrew / Greek · Reshith / Arche · H7225 / G746The starting point, the first and chief part.
Begotten: Born of. In John, Jesus as the unique Son. Elsewhere it can mean an actual birth.
Believe also Believed · Believes · Believing: Greek · Pisteuo · G4100To trust and put your weight on it. Not just agreeing in your head.
Beloved: Greek · Agapetos · G27Dearly loved. A warm name for people God loves, and for people the writer loves.
Benjamin: Hebrew · Binyamin · H1144Jacob's youngest son. The tribe named after him sat just north of Judah, with Jerusalem on its border.
Besieged: Surrounded by an army so nobody can get in or out, until the city gives up.
Bethany: Greek · Bethania · G963A village on the Mount of Olives, just east of Jerusalem. Home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus.
Bethlehem: Hebrew · Beth-lechem · H1035A town in Judah, south of Jerusalem. David was born there, and so was Jesus. The name means 'house of bread'.
Bethsaida: Greek · Bethsaida · G966A town near the Sea of Galilee. John 1:44 names it as the home of Philip, Andrew, and Peter. Jesus also healed a blind man there (Mark 8).
Bind also Bound · Binds · Binding: Greek · Deo · G1210To tie something up so it cannot move.
Blameless: Greek · Amemptos · G273With nothing anyone can pin on you. No fair accusation sticks.
Blaspheme also Blaspheming · Blasphemed: Greek · Blasphemeo · G987To insult God with words. To treat what is holy as cheap.
Blasphemy: Greek · Blasphemia · G988Speech that insults God. Treating what is holy as if it were cheap.
Blood: Greek / Hebrew · Haima / Dam · G129 / H1818Blood — and because life is in the blood, it also stands for a life given up.
Bloodthirsty: Eager to kill. Someone who wants to see people hurt.
Blot: To wipe something out completely, like rubbing writing off a page until nothing is left.
Boasts: Brags. Talks himself up.
Bondage: Greek · Douleia · G1397Being a slave. Tied to something you cannot get free from.
Bosom: The chest, where someone holds a child or embraces another person. It can also describe a close, trusted place beside someone.
Boundary lines: Lines marking the edges of a piece of land. In Psalm 16:6, they belong to the picture of receiving an allotted inheritance.
Bountifully: Generously. Giving far more than was owed.
Bozrah: In Isaiah 34 and 63, a city of Edom named in scenes of judgment. Do not confuse it with a place of the same name associated with Moab in Jeremiah.
Breach also Breaches: A gap smashed in a wall. Also a broken promise or a broken friendship.
Brethren: Brothers and sisters: people related by birth, shared ancestry, or faith. Read the passage to see which relationship is meant.
Bribe: Money paid in secret to make someone cheat — usually a judge.
Bridegroom: The man getting married.
Brothers and sisters: People related by birth, shared ancestry, or faith. The passage shows which family connection is meant; this phrase does not always mean church members.
Brutish: Lacking sense or good judgment, compared to an animal that does not understand. It is a rebuke of foolish behavior, not a medical description.
Buckler: A shield used for protection in battle. In poetry, calling God a shield pictures his protection; the English word does not establish one exact size or shape.
Bullock: Hebrew · Par · H6499A young bull. A common animal for sacrifice.
Bullocks: Young bulls.
Burnt offering: Hebrew · Olah · H5930A sacrifice burned up completely for God. Nothing held back.
Byword: A name people use as an insult. To become a byword is to be the joke everybody repeats.
Caesar: A name used as a title for Roman emperors. Augustus is named at Jesus' birth; Tiberius during his ministry. Paul later appealed to Caesar. It is not always the same emperor.
Caesarea: Greek · Kaisareia · G2542Two places. Caesarea on the coast was Rome's headquarters in Judea. Caesarea Philippi is inland, near Mount Hermon.
Caiaphas: Greek · Kaiaphas · G2533High priest in Jerusalem about AD 18-36. He pushed for Jesus' death, saying it was better one man die than the nation perish.
Calamities: Disasters. Terrible things that happen to you.
Calamity: A disaster. Something terrible that suddenly goes wrong.
Cana: Greek · Kana · G2580A village in Galilee. Jesus turned water into wine there, his first sign. Nathanael came from Cana.
Canaan: Hebrew · Kena'an · H3667The land God promised to Abraham — roughly modern Israel, Palestine, Lebanon and western Jordan.
Capernaum: Greek · Kapernaoum · G2584A fishing town on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus made it his base during his ministry.
Captivated: So strongly drawn to someone that your attention is held by them. In Proverbs 5, this describes being carried away by love or desire, not being captured by force.
Captivity: Hebrew / Greek · Galuth / Aichmalosia · H1546 / G161Being carried off as prisoners. Taken away from home.
Carmel: Hebrew · Karmel · H3760A mountain ridge on Israel's coast, by the sea. Where Elijah faced the prophets of Baal. The name means 'garden land'.
Cassia: A spice made from tree bark, close to cinnamon. Used in holy anointing oil.
Cast: To throw. 'Cast out' means to throw someone out; 'cast down' means knocked flat.
Cedars: Huge tall trees from Lebanon. The strongest and most valuable wood there was.
Centurion: Greek · Hekatontarches · G1543A Roman officer in charge of about a hundred soldiers.
Cephas: Aramaic · Kephas · G2786The Aramaic name Jesus gave Simon, meaning 'stone' or 'rock'. The Greek form is Peter. Same man.
Chaff: The dry husks blown away when grain is beaten. Worthless leftovers the wind scatters.
Chaldeans: Hebrew · Kasdim · H3778The people of southern Babylonia, who came to rule the Babylonian empire. Also used for its astrologers and wise men.
Chambers: Rooms, especially private ones inside a house or a palace.
Chariots also Chariot: Fast two-wheeled carts pulled by horses, used in war.
Cherub: Hebrew · Kerub · H3742A living heavenly being who guards holy space. Not a chubby baby with wings.
Cherubim: Hebrew · Kerubim · H3742Heavenly beings who guard holy space. More than one cherub.
Choicest: The very best. The ones you would pick first.
Chorazin: Greek · Chorazin · G5523A town near the Sea of Galilee. Jesus did mighty works there; he warned it because it still would not turn.
Chosen by lot: Selected by drawing or casting marked objects, rather than by a vote. This was an ancient way of choosing a person or deciding a matter.
Church also Churches: Greek · Ekklesia · G1577The called-out people. Not a building — the gathered people themselves.
Cilicia: A region containing the city of Tarsus, where Paul was born. Acts names churches there and describes Paul traveling through the region to strengthen them.
Circumcision: Hebrew / Greek · Mul / Peritome · H4135 / G4061The covenant cut in the flesh that marked Israel as God's. In the New Covenant it points to a changed heart.
Cistern: A tank cut into rock to store rainwater. In a dry land it meant life.
Clefts: Narrow cracks or splits in a rock face.
Clings: Holds on tight and will not let go.
Cloth washer: A person who cleaned cloth or clothing. The cloth washer's field near Jerusalem is a landmark in Isaiah 7 and 36.
Coals: Burning pieces of wood or charcoal, still glowing hot.
Comeliness: Good looks. Beauty that makes people want to look.
Comforter also Advocate: Greek · Parakletos · G3875One called to stand beside you. Helper, defender, the Holy Spirit.
Commandment also Commandments: Hebrew / Greek · Mitsvah / Entole · H4687 / G1785A direct order from God. Not advice — a command.
Compass: A tool with two legs for drawing a circle and marking measurements.
Compassion: Hebrew / Greek · Racham / Splagchnizomai · H7355 / G4697Feeling someone else's pain so strongly that you do something about it.
Conceived: Became pregnant. Also used for forming a plan in your mind.
Concupiscence: Greek · Epithumia · G1939Strong selfish craving. Badly wanting what God has said no to.
Confess also Confessed · Confesses · Confessing · Confession: Greek · Homologeo · G3670To say out loud what you agree is true. Same word for owning up to sin and for declaring faith.
Confounded: Confused and put to shame at the same time.
Confusion: Total disorder. Everything in a mess with nothing where it belongs.
Congregation: Hebrew / Greek · Edah / Ekklesia · H5712 / G1577The people of God gathered together. The assembly called to meet.
Congregations: Groups of people gathered together to worship.
Conscience also Consciences: Greek · Suneidesis · G4893The sense inside you that knows right from wrong and tells you when you have crossed it.
Consent: Permission given freely. Agreeing to something rather than being forced to do it.
Consider: To think something over carefully before deciding.
Consumed: Completely used up or destroyed, often by fire.
Contention: Arguing and fighting. A quarrel that keeps going.
Contentious: Always looking for an argument.
Contrite: Hebrew · Dakka · H1793Crushed and truly sorry on the inside. A heart that has stopped making excuses.
Cords: Ropes or thick strings.
Corinth: A city in Achaia where Paul taught and worked with Aquila and Priscilla (Acts 18). The letters called 1 and 2 Corinthians address its church.
Cornelius: A Roman centurion in Caesarea. Acts 10 tells how Peter visited his household, preached about Jesus, and saw the Holy Spirit come upon those listening.
Cornerstone: A stone at the corner of a building that joins its walls. In Scripture, the rejected stone becoming the cornerstone pictures someone rejected being given the central place.
Corruption also Corrupt · Corrupted: Greek · Phthora · G5356Rotting and falling apart. What happens to anything that decays.
Council also Councils: Greek · Sunedrion · G4892A group of leaders meeting to decide something. In the Gospels, the Jewish high court.
Counsel: Advice, and the plan that comes out of it. Not 'counselling'.
Counsels: Advice, and the plans that come out of it.
Courts: Open walled yards around the temple or a palace. Not a courtroom.
Covenant also Covenants: Hebrew / Greek · Berith / Diatheke · H1285 / G1242A binding agreement God swears to keep. Far stronger than a casual promise.
Covetous: Greedy for what belongs to somebody else.
Covetousness: Greek · Pleonexia · G4124A grabbing kind of wanting. Craving what is not yours.
Cowardice: Greek · Deilia · G1167Being so scared you back down. God did not give you this — He gave power, love, and a steady mind.
Crete: An island in the Mediterranean. Paul's voyage passed along its coast in Acts 27. Paul later left Titus there to appoint church elders.
Crooked: Bent, not straight. Said of a person, it means dishonest.
Crouches: Bends down low, the way an animal does just before it pounces.
Crowned: Given a crown. Treated as a king or queen.
Crucified: Put to death by being fastened to a cross. This was a Roman form of execution.
Cruelty: Hurting someone on purpose and not caring.
Cubit also Cubits: Hebrew / Greek · Ammah / Pechus · H520 / G4083A length from your elbow to your fingertip. About 45 centimetres.
Cumin: A small seed used as a spice. It was beaten out by hand, not crushed under a cart.
Cunning: Clever in a sneaky way — or, in older usage, highly skilled at a craft.
Cyprus: An island in the eastern Mediterranean. Barnabas came from there, and he and Paul traveled across it to proclaim God's message (Acts 4:36; 13:4-6).
Cyrus: Hebrew · Koresh · H3566King of Persia who took Babylon in 539 BC. He sent the Jews home to rebuild the temple. Isaiah names him more than a century early.
Damascus: Hebrew · Dammeseq · H1834The capital of Syria, north-east of Israel. One of the oldest cities in the world that people still live in.
Darling: Your most precious thing. In the Psalms it means the writer's own life.
Dash: To smash something to pieces by throwing it down hard.
Dathan: Hebrew · Dathan · H1885A man of the tribe of Reuben who joined Korah's revolt against Moses in the wilderness. The ground opened and swallowed him. His name means 'fountain'.
Daughter of zion: Jerusalem and its people pictured as a daughter. This is a way of speaking about the city, not a separate girl named Zion.
David: Hebrew · David · H1732Shepherd boy who became Israel's greatest king, about 1010-970 BC. His name means 'beloved'. Most of the Psalms are his, written across a life of being hunted, crowned, and forgiven.
Dealing: The way you treat people. 'Violent dealing' is handling people roughly.
Deceit also Deceitful · Deceive · Deceived · Deceiving: Greek · Dolos · G1388Tricking someone on purpose. Lies dressed up to look true.
Decree: An official order from a king that everyone must obey.
Defense: Something that protects you — a wall, a high rock, a safe place.
Delegated authority also Legal authority: Greek · Exousia · G1849The right to act for someone bigger than you. Like a police officer stopping traffic — the power is not theirs, it was handed to them.
Deliverance: Being rescued out of danger.
Demetrius: A silversmith who stirred up trouble in Ephesus (Acts 19), or a man praised in 3 John 12. The text does not identify them as the same person.
Demons also Demon: Greek · Daimonion · G1140Evil spirits. Personal beings under the devil, not moods or metaphors.
Depart: To leave, or go away.
Derision: Being laughed at cruelly. Mockery.
Descending also Descended · Descends · Descend: Greek · Katabaino · G2597Coming down. In John 1:51, angels coming down from heaven to the Son of man.
Desolate: Empty and ruined. A place where nobody lives any more.
Despise also Despised · Despises · Despising: To look down on something as worthless.
Destitute: Having nothing at all, and nobody to help.
Devour also Devoured · Devouring · Devours: To eat up fast and completely. To swallow whole.
Dew: The drops of water that appear on the ground overnight. In a dry land, it kept plants alive.
Dignity: Worthiness of respect, shown in serious and responsible behavior.
Diligence: Working hard and carefully, and keeping at it.
Diligent: Hard-working and careful. Someone who keeps going.
Diotrephes: A man in 3 John who wanted to be first in the church. He rejected the elder's authority, spread malicious words, and opposed welcoming other believers.
Disciple also Disciples: Greek · Mathetes · G3101A learner. Someone who follows a teacher in order to become like them.
Discretion: Good judgment about what to do or say. Thinking before acting, rather than being led by every impulse.
Dispensation: Greek · Oikonomia · G3622A plan being managed, and the job of managing it. Like a manager running a household for the owner.
Disquieted: Stirred up and unsettled inside. Unable to be calm.
Distress: Trouble that presses in on you and makes you afraid.
Ditch: A deep trench dug in the ground. Easy to fall into.
Doctrine also Doctrines: Greek · Didache / Didaskalia · G1322 / G1319Teaching. What someone teaches as true.
Dominion: Greek / Hebrew · Kuriotes / Memshalah · G2963 / H4475The right to rule, and the area you rule over.
Dragon: Greek · Drakon · G1404A huge serpent-like beast. In Revelation it is a picture of Satan.
Drink offering: Hebrew · Nesek · H5262Wine poured out beside another offering. A picture of a life emptied out for God.
Dross: Unwanted material separated from metal when it is heated and refined. In prophecy, removing dross pictures cleansing away corruption.
Drunkard: Someone who gets drunk again and again.
Drunken: Drunk. Not in control because of too much wine.
Durable: Lasts a long time without wearing out.
Dwell: To live somewhere. To stay and make it your home.
Edification: Greek · Oikodome · G3619The building-up of a person or a church. Growth that makes people stronger in faith.
Edify also Edified · Edifies: Greek · Oikodomeo · G3618To build someone up. Help them grow stronger in faith, not tear them down.
Edom: Hebrew · Edom · H123A nation in the rocky country south-east of Israel, descended from Esau. The name sounds like the Hebrew for red.
Effectual: Greek · Energeo · G1754Actually working. Getting the job done, not just looking like it.
Egypt: Hebrew · Mitsrayim · H4714The empire along the Nile, south-west of Israel. Where Israel was enslaved for 400 years, and ever after the place people were tempted to run back to.
Egyptians: The people of Egypt.
Elam: Hebrew · Elam · H5867A kingdom east of Babylon, in what is now south-western Iran. Later absorbed into Persia.
Elders: Greek · Presbyteros · G4245The older, trusted leaders of a synagogue or church. Not just age — a recognized office.
Elect: Greek · Ekletos · G1588Chosen. People God picked for Himself.
Election: Greek · Ekloge · G1589God's choosing. His pick of a people for Himself.
Eliakim: Hebrew · Elyaqim · H471The man God appointed to replace Shebna over Hezekiah's household. His name means 'God raises up'.
Elijah: Hebrew · Eliyyahu · H452The prophet who stood against Ahab and Jezebel, about 870 BC. His name means 'the Lord is God'. He was taken up in a whirlwind.
Elizabeth: The wife of Zechariah the priest and the mother of John the Baptist. Luke 1 describes her as Mary's relative and a descendant of Aaron.
Endure also Endures · Endured · Enduring · Endurance: To keep going under something heavy without giving up.
Enlarged: Made bigger. Given more room to move.
Enlightening: Giving light to. Making something clear enough to see.
Ensign: Hebrew · Nes · H5251A flag or banner raised high so everyone can see where to gather.
Ephah: Hebrew · Ephah · H374A measure for dry things like grain. About 22 litres — a large bucket.
Ephesus: Greek · Ephesos · G2181A great port city in western Asia Minor, in today's Turkey. Famous for the temple of Artemis. Paul lived there more than two years.
Ephraim: Hebrew · Ephrayim · H669One of Israel's twelve tribes, and its territory in the central hills. Because it was the biggest northern tribe, prophets often say 'Ephraim' to mean the whole northern kingdom.
Epistle also Epistles: Greek · Epistole · G1992A letter. The New Testament letters written to churches and people.
Equity: Hebrew · Mesharim · H4339Fairness, uprightness, and doing what is right and level.
Err also Erred · Errs: To go wrong. To make a mistake or wander off course.
Esteemed also Esteem: Thought of in a certain way — valued highly, or counted as worth nothing.
Eternal: Lasting forever, with no end.
Ethiopia: Hebrew · Kush · H3568The land south of Egypt, called Cush in Hebrew — modern Sudan rather than today's Ethiopia. Known for tall people and fast river boats.
Eunuch also Eunuchs: Hebrew / Greek · Saris / Eunouchos · H5631 / G2135A male servant who could not have children, often trusted with important palace work.
Everlasting: Hebrew / Greek · Olam / Aionios · H5769 / G166Lasting on and on through every age. With no end you can see.
Evermore: For ever. From now on, without ever ending.
Evildoers: People who do wrong on purpose.
Examine: Hebrew · Zarah · H2219To look at something closely and carefully, on purpose. The Hebrew word is what a farmer does tossing grain in the air to sort the good from the rubbish.
Exceeding: Very, very much. Far past the normal amount.
Excellency: Greatness. Whatever makes something stand far above the rest.
Excellent: Very good. Far better than the rest.
Exhort also Exhorted · Exhorting · Exhortation: Greek · Parakaleo · G3870To urge someone on. Coming alongside to encourage and push them forward.
Extol: To praise someone very highly. To lift them up with words.
Extolled: Praised very highly.
Extortioner: Someone who takes your money by threats or by cheating.
Eyeservice: Greek · Ophthalmodouleia · G3787Only working hard when the boss is watching. Putting on a show instead of really working.
Fables also Fable: Greek · Muthos · G3454Made-up stories treated as if they were true. Our word 'myth' comes from it.
Fainted: Ran out of strength completely. Collapsed.
Fainthearted: Discouraged or afraid and needing courage. It does not mean unintelligent.
Faith: Greek · Pistis · G4102Trusting God enough to act on what He said. Not a feeling — a confidence that moves you.
Fall away: To turn away from faith or stop remaining loyal. It describes a spiritual failure here, not someone falling to the ground.
Falsehood: A lie. Something said that is not true.
Fashions: Shapes or forms something, the way a potter shapes clay.
Fatherless: A child whose father has died. Someone with nobody to protect them.
Fear: Hebrew / Greek · Yirah / Phobos · H3374 / G5401Reverence, awe, and deep respect toward God that leads to wisdom and life.
Feeding trough: An open container that holds food for farm animals.
Felix: The Roman governor who heard Paul's case before Festus. Acts 24 says he kept Paul in custody and hoped Paul would offer him money.
Fellowship: Greek · Koinonia · G2842Sharing life together. Not just hanging out — having things in common that matter.
Fervently also Fervent: Greek · Ektenos / Zeo · G1619 / G2204With burning passion and everything you have. Full throttle, never half-hearted.
Festus: Latin · Phorios Phestos · G5347Porcius Festus, the Roman governor who followed Felix. He heard Paul's case in Caesarea and sent him on to Caesar.
Fetters: Chains locked around a prisoner's feet.
Fierce: Wild and angry. Ready to attack.
Filthiness: Moral dirt. Thoughts and actions that leave a stain.
Filthy communication: Greek · Aischrologia · G148Dirty or abusive talk. Words meant to tear people down.
Financial burden: Someone whose needs others must pay for. Paul sometimes worked to support himself so the churches did not have to pay his living expenses.
Firebrands: Burning sticks. Something that sets alight everything near it.
Firmament: Hebrew · Raqia · H7549The huge open space above. The sky God spread out like a dome.
Firstborn: Hebrew / Greek · Bekor / Prototokos · H1060 / G4416The first son born, who got extra rights and rank. Also a title of Jesus.
Flatter: To praise someone falsely, to get something out of them.
Flattering: Full of false praise, meant to trick you.
Flesh: Greek · Sarx · G4561The body, and also human nature pulling against God. Which one it means depends on the verse.
Foes: Enemies. People who are against you.
Folly: Hebrew · Iwweleth · H200Foolishness. Acting stupidly when you had the chance to know better.
Fool also Fools: Hebrew · Evil · H191Someone who rejects wisdom and moral guidance, living as if God does not see.
Forbearing also Forbear · Forbearance · Forbore: Greek · Anechomai · G430Patiently putting up with people. Holding your temper and giving grace when somebody is difficult or gets it wrong.
Forced labor: Hebrew · Mas · H4522Being made to work for no pay, under guard. Not prison — a work gang. It is what Egypt did to Israel, and what a winning army did to the young men of a beaten one.
Foreigner also Foreigners: Hebrew / Greek · Ger, Nokri / Paroikos · H1616 / H5237 / G3941Someone from another nation. In God's Law it often means a foreigner who has come to live among God's people. God told Israel to love them, because Israel had once been foreigners in Egypt (Deuteronomy 10:19).
Fornication also Immorality · Sexual immorality: Greek · Porneia · G4202Sexual sin outside the marriage God designed.
Forsake also Forsook: To walk away and leave someone behind for good.
Forsaken: Abandoned. Left behind by everyone.
Forth: Out, or forward. 'Brings forth' means produces, or gives birth to.
Fret also Frets: To worry and stew over something until it eats at you.
Froward: Twisted and stubborn. Deliberately going the wrong way.
Fullness: Greek · Pleroma · G4138Completely full, with nothing missing.
Furlongs: An ancient distance unit, called a stadion in Greek, roughly 185 meters (about 600 feet). It is close to, but not exactly, the modern furlong.
Furnace: A very hot oven used to melt metal and burn the rubbish out of it.
Furrows: The long straight grooves a plow cuts into a field.
Gaius: Several men in the New Testament share this name. Third John is addressed to a Gaius praised for hospitality. The text does not say that every Gaius mentioned is the same man.
Galatia: A region in Asia Minor, in what is now Turkey. Paul traveled through it, and his letter to the Galatians addresses churches there.
Galilee: Greek · Galilaia · G1056Northern Israel around the Sea of Galilee. Jesus grew up in Nazareth there, and most of his public work happened in its towns.
Garments: Clothes. Usually the loose robes and cloaks people wore in Bible times.
Gehenna: Greek · Geenna · G1067The Valley of Hinnom outside Jerusalem, where rubbish burned. Jesus used it as a picture of final judgment.
Generation: All the people born around the same time. One step in a family line.
Gentiles: Greek · Ethne · G1484The nations. Everyone who is not Jewish. In the New Covenant they are invited in.
Giga: Greek · Megas · G3173Great. From Greek gigas, 'giant' (as in gigantic). Where Jesus praises with megas, the Greek word for great, this Bible says giga: 'O woman, giga is your faith' (Matthew 15:28). Also this edition's name.
Gilead: Hebrew · Gilad · H1568Hill country east of the Jordan River, known for its healing balm — a tree resin used as medicine.
Girded: Belted up tight around the waist. You did this to get ready to work or fight.
Girds: Ties a belt tightly around. Gets someone ready for action.
Gladness: Deep, bubbling happiness.
Glorify also Glorified · Glorifies: Greek · Doxazo · G1392To give weight and honor. To show what someone is really worth, out in the open.
Glory also Glorious: Greek / Hebrew · Doxa / Kabod · G1391 / H3519Weight, worth, and shining brightness. Everything that makes someone worth honoring.
Gnashed: Ground his teeth together in rage.
Godliness also Godly: Greek · Eusebeia · G2150Living in a way that looks like God. Taking Him seriously in ordinary life.
Gomorrah: Hebrew · Amorah · H6017The city destroyed alongside Sodom. The two names are almost always said together, as one warning.
Goodman: The master of the house. The man in charge of the household, not 'a good man'.
Gospel: Greek · Euangelion · G2098Good news. The announcement that Jesus has won.
Gossiping: Repeating other people's private business.
Grace: Greek · Charis · G5485Kindness you did not earn, plus the help to live it out. A gift, never a wage.
Graven: Carved. A 'graven image' is a statue carved to be worshipped.
Great: Greek / Hebrew · Megas / Gadol · G3173 / H1419Big — in size, in amount, or in importance.
Grievous: Very heavy and painful to bear.
Grievousness: Heavy trouble and pain. A load that is hard to carry.
Groaned with indignation: Greek · Embrimaomai · G1690A deep, angry sound from inside. Jesus was upset and moved all at once.
Groaning: A low sound of pain from deep inside.
Grudge also Grudges: A hurt you keep holding on to. Staying angry at someone long after it happened.
Habitation: A place where someone lives. A home.
Hades: Greek · Hades · G86Where the dead go and wait. Not the final lake of fire.
Ham: Hebrew · Cham · H2526One of Noah's three sons. In the Psalms 'the land of Ham' is a poetic name for Egypt, because Egypt was counted among his descendants.
Hamath: Hebrew · Chamath · H2574A city far to the north on the Orontes river, in modern Syria. It marked the northern edge of Israel's territory at its largest.
Harp: A stringed instrument played with the fingers.
Haste: Great hurry. Moving fast because there is no time to lose.
Haughtiness: Thinking you are better than everyone else, and showing it.
Haughty: Proud, and looking down on everyone else.
Head and tail: In Isaiah 9:14–15, the elder and honored man is called the head, and the lying prophet the tail. The next verse explains the picture; these are not literal body parts being cut off.
Headdresses: Decorated head coverings, worn to look fine.
Heathen: Hebrew / Greek · Goyim / Ethne · H1471 / G1484The nations outside Israel. People who did not know the Lord.
Heave offering: Hebrew · Terumah · H8641A portion lifted up and set aside for God and the priests.
Hedge: A thick line of bushes grown as a fence. A protection put around something.
Herbs: Small green plants, used for food or medicine.
Heritage: What is handed down to you because of who your family is.
Hermon: Hebrew · Chermon · H2768The tallest mountain in the region, snow-capped, on Israel's northern border. The Jordan River starts from its melting snow.
Herod: Several rulers shared this name. Herod the Great appears at Jesus' birth; Antipas ruled Galilee during his ministry; Agrippa I is the Herod in Acts 12.
Herodias: Greek · Herodias · G2266Herod Antipas's wife. She had been his brother's wife. She pushed for John the Baptist to be killed.
Heshbon: Hebrew · Cheshbon · H2809A city east of the Jordan, once the capital of the Amorite king Sihon, later held by Moab.
Hezekiah: Hebrew · Chizqiyyahu · H2396King of Judah, about 715-686 BC. His name means 'the Lord strengthens'. When Assyria surrounded Jerusalem he took the threatening letter into the temple and spread it out before God.
Hinds: Female deer. Sure-footed animals that can run on steep rock without slipping.
Hireling: Greek · Misthotos · G3411A hired worker who runs away when it gets dangerous, because the sheep are not his.
Holiness: Hebrew / Greek · Qodesh / Hagiosune · H6944 / G42Being set apart for God. His own character, and a life that matches it.
Holy: Greek · Hagios · G40Set apart for God. Taken out of everyday use and given to Him.
Honorable: Good and worthy of respect, not only truthful.
Hope: Greek · Elpis · G1680Confident waiting. Being sure of something good that has not arrived yet.
Horeb: Hebrew · Choreb · H2722Another name for Mount Sinai, where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. The name means 'dry, desolate'.
Hosanna: Hebrew / Greek · Hoshia-na / Hosanna · H3467 / G5614Save now! A shout of praise that is also a cry for rescue.
Hosts also Host: Hebrew · Tsaba · H6635Armies. 'The Lord of hosts' means the Lord who commands the armies of heaven.
Howl: To cry out loud in pain or fear, like a wild animal.
Humble: Not proud. Willing to be low, and honest about what you are.
Humbleness of mind also Humbleness: Greek · Tapeinophrosune · G5012Thinking of others before yourself. A servant's heart instead of a big ego.
Hypocrisy: Greek · Hupokrisis · G5272Playing a part. Looking godly on the outside while the inside is the opposite.
Hypocrite also Hypocrites: Greek · Hupokrites · G5273An actor in a mask. Someone who plays holy but is not.
Hypocritical: Pretending to be good on the outside while being something else inside.
Iconium: A city where Paul and Barnabas preached in Acts 14. Many believed, but opposition forced the two men to leave.
Idolatry: Greek · Eidololatria · G1495Worshipping a fake god. Giving God's place to a thing or a craving.
Idols also Idol: Greek · Eidolon · G1497Fake gods. Statues or things people worship instead of the real God.
Imagined: Made up in the mind. In these books it usually means planned something wrong.
Immanuel: Hebrew · Immanu-El · H6005The promised child whose name means 'God with us'. Given as a sign in Isaiah 7, and applied to Jesus at his birth.
Imputed also Impute · Imputes · Imputing: Greek · Logizomai · G3049Counted onto your account. God credits Christ's righteousness to you.
Incense: Hebrew / Greek · Qetoreth / Thumiama · H7004 / G2368Sweet-smelling smoke burned to God. A picture of prayer rising up.
Incline: To lean or turn toward. 'Incline your ear' means listen closely.
Indignation: Anger at something unfair or wrong. Being upset for a good reason.
Inexperienced: Not yet skilled at judging what is wise or safe. In these wisdom passages, such a person can be easily misled but can still learn.
Inhabitants: The people who live in a place.
Inherit: To receive something because it was left to you, not because you earned it.
Inheritance: Hebrew / Greek · Nachalah / Kleronomia · H5159 / G2817What is legally yours as a child of the family. Land, promise, or life in Christ.
Iniquities: Wicked acts or wrongdoing, and sometimes the guilt they bring.
Iniquity: Wickedness, wrongdoing, or the guilt it brings. The word does not by itself tell you how often someone has sinned.
Innermost: The deepest part inside — the part nobody else can see.
Innumerable: Too many to count.
Inordinate affection also Inordinate: Greek · Pathos · G3806Cravings out of control. Wanting things so badly it drags you away from God.
Inquisition: A search for the truth about something. An investigation.
Instructed: Taught, and shown what to do.
Instruction: Hebrew · Musar · H4148Training that shapes you — teaching plus correction.
Instruments: Tools. Also things used to make music.
Intercession: Greek / Hebrew · Entugchano / Paga · G1793 / H6293Standing in the gap. Praying to God on someone else's behalf.
Isaac: Hebrew · Yitschaq · H3327Abraham and Sarah's promised son, born when they were old. His name means 'he laughs'. Father of Jacob, about 1900 BC.
Isaiah: Hebrew · Yeshayahu · H3470A prophet in Jerusalem, about 740-680 BC, through four kings. His name means 'the Lord saves' — which is the message of the whole book.
Iscariot: Greek · Iskariotes · G2469The tag on Judas who betrayed Jesus. It likely marks him as the man from Kerioth, so readers can tell him from the other Judas.
Israel: Hebrew · Yisrael · H3478The nation descended from Jacob, whom God renamed Israel — 'he struggles with God'. Also the land itself, and after Solomon, the northern kingdom as opposed to Judah in the south.
Ithiel: Named with Ucal in the KJV reading of Proverbs 30:1 as someone Agur addressed. The Hebrew wording is difficult; this card does not claim more about his identity.
Ivory: The hard white material from an elephant's tusk. Very expensive.
Jacob: Hebrew · Yaaqob · H3290Isaac's son and Abraham's grandson, about 1800 BC. His name means 'he grabs the heel' — he was born holding his twin's. God renamed him Israel, and the prophets often say 'Jacob' to mean the whole nation that came from him.
Jakeh: Agur's father, named in Proverbs 30:1. The passage gives no further account of him.
James: Greek · Iakobos · G2385The English form of Jacob. Two apostles are called James. Another James, Jesus' brother, led the church in Jerusalem.
Jehovah: Hebrew · YHWH · H3068An English way of writing God's personal name, the four Hebrew letters YHWH. Most translations print it as LORD in capitals instead.
Jericho: A city near the Jordan River. Jesus passed through it on his journey and met Zacchaeus there (Luke 19).
Jerusalem: Hebrew · Yerushalayim · H3389The capital city, up in the hills of Judah. David captured it about 1000 BC and Solomon built the temple there. The name carries the word for peace.
Jesse: Hebrew · Yishay · H3448David's father, a farmer from Bethlehem. 'The stump of Jesse' means the royal family line looked cut down to nothing — and grew again anyway.
Jew: Greek · Ioudaios · G2453A Jewish person, from Judah. The people God made a covenant with through Abraham.
Jews: The Jewish people, whose name comes from Judah. Jesus and his first followers were Jewish. Some passages mean particular Jewish leaders or opponents, not every Jewish person.
Joah: In Isaiah 36–37, Asaph's son and King Hezekiah's official record keeper. He helped carry the Assyrian message to the king. Other men also bear this name.
John: Greek · Ioannes · G2491Several men share this name. Most often John the apostle, son of Zebedee, or John the Baptist. The name means 'the Lord is gracious'.
Jona: Greek · Ionas · G2495Simon's father in John 1:42. Also an English spelling of the prophet Jonah. The verse tells which.
Jonah: Hebrew · Yonah · H3124The prophet sent to Nineveh who ran the other way and was swallowed by a great fish. Jesus uses him as a sign of his own burial.
Joppa: Hebrew · Yapho · H3305The port city of Jaffa, on the coast west of Jerusalem. Where Jonah sailed from, and where Peter raised Tabitha.
Jordan: Hebrew · Yarden · H3383The river running down the length of Israel from Mount Hermon to the Dead Sea. Crossing it was how Israel first entered the promised land.
Joseph: Hebrew · Yoseph · H3130Two main Josephs. Jacob's favorite son, sold into Egypt, whose name means 'may he add'. And Mary's husband, who took her as his wife after the angel spoke to him.
Jotham: King of Judah, son of Uzziah and father of Ahaz. Isaiah's ministry included his reign. Other biblical men also bear this name.
Joy: Greek · Chara · G5479Deep gladness that does not depend on things going well.
Judah: Hebrew · Yehudah · H3063Jacob's fourth son, the tribe named after him, and then the southern kingdom with Jerusalem as its capital. David's family line, and Jesus'.
Judas: Greek · Ioudas · G2455The Greek form of Judah, meaning 'praise'. In Jesus' family line it is Jacob's son Judah. Judas Iscariot later betrayed Jesus. Another apostle is Judas son of James.
Judea: Greek · Ioudaia · G2449The southern region around Jerusalem, named from Judah. Under Rome it was a province; Pilate governed it.
Judges: Leaders who settled arguments and ruled Israel in the years before it had kings.
Judgment also Judgments: Hebrew / Greek · Mishpat / Krisis · H4941 / G2920A verdict, and the act of setting things right. God deciding a case.
Justice: Treating people fairly, and putting right what is wrong.
Justification: Greek · Dikaiosis · G1347The verdict of not guilty. Not a grade you earn — a ruling you receive.
Justified: Declared not guilty. God the Judge saying you are clear, because of Jesus.
Justify also Justifying: To declare or show that someone is right. The sentence tells you who is being justified and on what grounds.
Kadesh: Hebrew · Qadesh · H6946An oasis in the desert south of Canaan where Israel camped for years. Where the twelve spies were sent out from.
Kedar: A wandering desert people of northern Arabia, descended from Ishmael. They lived in black goat-hair tents.
Kindle also Kindled: To start a fire, or to stir up a strong feeling.
Kingdom also Kingdoms: Greek · Basileia · G932A king's rule and government. Not only a place — an active reign.
Knowledge: Hebrew / Greek · Da'ath / Gnosis · H1847 / G1108Knowing something because you have really come to know it, not just heard of it.
Labors: Hard work, and what that work produces.
Lachish: A fortified city of Judah southwest of Jerusalem. In Isaiah 36, the Assyrian king sends his spokesman from there to threaten Jerusalem.
Lament also Lamented · Lamentation: To cry out loud in grief. Public, noisy sadness.
Lampstand also Lampstands: Hebrew / Greek · Menorah / Luchnia · H4501 / G3087A tall stand that holds up lamps, so the light reaches the whole room.
Landmark: A stone marking where one person's land ends and the next begins. Moving it was stealing.
Language of judah: The Hebrew speech of the people of Judah in the Isaiah siege account. The people on the city wall can understand it, so the spokesman uses it to threaten them directly.
Languish: To grow weak and fade away.
Languishing: Growing weaker and fading away.
Laodicea: A city in Asia Minor, near Colossae. Its church is addressed in Revelation 3:14-22 and mentioned in Colossians 4.
Lattice: A frame of crossed strips, such as wood, with openings between them. A person can look out through it.
Lazarus: Two men share this name: the poor man in Jesus' story in Luke 16, and the brother of Mary and Martha, raised from the dead by Jesus in John 11. Do not assume they are the same person.
Leaven: Hebrew / Greek · Seor / Zume · H7603 / G2219Yeast. A tiny bit spreads through the whole batch — often a picture of teaching, or of sin.
Leavened: Hebrew / Greek · Chametz / Zumoo · H2557 / G2220Made with yeast, so it puffs up. Forbidden at some feasts.
Lebanon: Hebrew · Lebanon · H3844The mountain range north of Israel, famous for enormous cedar trees. Its timber built the temple, and its height is a byword for anything towering.
Lemuel: A king named in Proverbs 31. The chapter passes on teaching he received from his mother. It does not identify him as Solomon.
Lender: Someone who lends money and expects it back.
Levi: Jacob's son, ancestor of the tribe of Levi; also a tax collector called by Jesus in Mark 2 and Luke 5. Luke 3 lists other ancestors named Levi. Check the passage to tell them apart.
Leviathan: Hebrew · Livyathan · H3882A huge sea creature in the Old Testament — a crocodile-like monster no one could tame. It stands for chaos and for powers only God can beat.
Liberty: Greek · Eleutheria · G1657Freedom. Not being owned or tied down any more.
Lies: Untrue things said on purpose.
Likewise: Greek · Hosautos · G5615In the same way. Doing the very same thing.
Locust: A grasshopper that swarms in huge numbers and eats every crop in its path.
Locusts: Grasshoppers swarming in huge numbers, stripping fields bare.
Loftiness: Being high up — and being proud of it.
Loins: Hebrew / Greek · Mothen / Osphus · H4975 / G3751The hips and lower back — where your strength is. 'Gird up your loins' meant tuck your robe in and get ready to move.
Loose also Loosed · Looses · Loosing: Greek · Luo · G3089To untie something and set it free.
Lord of hosts: Hebrew · Yahweh Tsevaot · H3068 / H6635A name for God. 'Hosts' means armies: he is the Lord who commands all the armies of heaven, the angels and every power in the universe. Nothing can stand against him.
Love: Greek · Agape / Phileo · G26 / G5368Caring about someone and choosing what is best for them. Agape is God's giving love. Phileo is the warm love of close friends.
Lovingkindness: Hebrew · Chesed · H2617God's loyal love — the kind that keeps its promise even when you do not deserve it.
Lowly: Greek · Tapeinos · G5011Low and humble. Not pushing yourself forward.
Lurking: Hiding and waiting, ready to jump out.
Lystra: A city where Paul healed a man who had never walked. The crowd first tried to worship Paul and Barnabas; later Paul was stoned there (Acts 14).
Macedonia: A region north of Achaia. In Acts 16 Paul traveled there after a vision of a man asking for help. Philippi and Thessalonica were cities in this region.
Magdalene: Greek · Magdalene · G3094Mary from Magdala, a town on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus drove seven demons out of her. She was first to see him risen.
Magnified: Made great. Praised loudly.
Magnify: To make great. To tell everyone how great God is. Nothing to do with a magnifying glass.
Maidens: Young unmarried women.
Maimed: Badly injured so that part of the body no longer works.
Majesty: The greatness and splendour of a king.
Malice: Greek · Kakia · G2549A mean heart that wants to hurt people and hold grudges.
Mammon: Aramaic · Mammonas · G3126Wealth treated as a master. An Aramaic word for money, used when money is competing with God for your loyalty.
Manasseh: Hebrew · Menashsheh · H4519Joseph's oldest son, the tribe named after him, and later a king of Judah. In the prophets it is usually the tribe; in Jesus' family line it is the king.
Manifest: Shown clearly or made known, so that something can be seen or understood.
Manifold: Many and varied. Coming in all sorts of kinds.
Manna: Hebrew / Greek · Man / Manna · H4478 / G3131The bread God sent in the desert. Fresh food from heaven every morning.
Maranatha: Aramaic · Marana tha · G3134Our Lord, come! A cry for Jesus to return.
Martha: Aramaic · Marta · G3136Sister of Mary and Lazarus in Bethany. She served, worried, and also made a strong confession: 'I believe you are the Christ'.
Marveled also Marvel · Marvels: Was amazed. Could not believe what was happening.
Marvelous: Amazing. So good it is hard to believe.
Mary: Several women share this name, which comes from Miriam. They include Jesus' mother, Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany, and John Mark's mother. Check the passage to tell them apart.
Matthew: Greek · Matthaios · G3156The tax collector Jesus called, also named Levi. One of the twelve, and the name on the first Gospel.
Mediator: Greek · Mesites · G3316The go-between. Jesus stands between God and people and makes peace.
Meditate: To think about something over and over, slowly and on purpose.
Meditation: Slow, careful thinking about something, again and again.
Meekness also Meek: Greek · Praotes · G4240Strength under control. Not weakness — like a powerful horse that obeys the lightest touch of its rider.
Melchizedek: Hebrew · Malki-Tsedeq · H4442King of Salem and priest of God Most High. His name means 'king of righteousness'. He blessed Abraham around 2000 BC, and Hebrews uses him as a picture of Jesus — a priest with no recorded start or end.
Menpleasers: Greek · Anthropareskos · G441People who live to impress other people instead of God.
Merchandise: Goods bought and sold. Trade.
Merciful: Kind to people who do not deserve it, when you could punish them instead.
Mercy also Mercies: Hebrew / Greek · Chesed / Eleos · H2617 / G1656Kindness given to someone who deserved punishment instead.
Mercy seat: Hebrew / Greek · Kapporeth / Hilasterion · H3727 / G2435The gold lid on the ark. Where blood was sprinkled and God met with Israel.
Midian: Hebrew · Midyan · H4080A desert people south-east of Israel. Moses hid among them for forty years, and Gideon beat their army with three hundred men.
Midianites: Hebrew · Midyanim · H4084Descendants of Midian, a son of Abraham. A desert trading people east of Israel. Gideon beat their army with 300 men.
Midst: The middle. 'In the midst' means right in among them.
Millstone also Millstones: One of the stones used to grind grain into flour. Some mills were turned by hand, larger ones by an animal. Jesus' warnings picture a stone heavy enough to drag someone under water.
Mindful: Keeping someone in mind. Remembering to think about them.
Minister also Ministers · Ministered · Ministering: Greek · Diakonos · G1249A servant. Someone whose job is to serve and help, not to be in charge.
Ministration: Greek · Diakonia · G1248Service. The work of looking after people's needs.
Mire: Deep, sticky mud you sink into.
Mischief: Harm done on purpose. Stronger than being cheeky — real damage.
Mischiefs: Harm done on purpose. Trouble somebody planned.
Mischievous: Planning to do real harm. Much stronger than just naughty.
Mistress: A woman in charge of a household and its servants.
Mite: Greek · Lepton · G3016The smallest Jewish bronze coin, worth about one-hundredth of a day's wage. Barely money, but great sacrifice.
Moab: Hebrew · Moab · H4124A nation east of the Dead Sea, descended from Lot. Sometimes an enemy, sometimes a refuge — Ruth was a Moabite.
Morsels: Small bites of food.
Mortify also Mortified · Mortifying · Mortifies: Greek · Nekroo · G3499To put to death. Starving a sinful habit until it has no power left. Nothing to do with feeling embarrassed.
Moses: Hebrew · Mosheh · H4872The man who led Israel out of slavery in Egypt, about 1400 BC, and received the Law at Mount Sinai. His name means 'drawn out' — he was pulled from the Nile as a baby.
Mount of olives: A hill east of Jerusalem, named for its olive trees. Jesus taught there and went there with his disciples before his arrest.
Mourning: Deep sadness after someone dies, and showing it openly.
Multitude: A great crowd. Many people together in one place.
Multitudes: Huge crowds of people.
Murmured: Grumbled in low voices instead of speaking up.
Myrrh: Hebrew / Greek · Mor / Smurna · H4753 / G4666A sweet-smelling tree gum, used in perfume and for preparing bodies for burial.
Name: Greek / Hebrew · Onoma / Shem · G3686 / H8034What someone is called, and everything that goes with it — their reputation and their authority.
Naphtali: Hebrew · Naphtali · H5321Jacob's sixth son. His tribe's land lay in eastern Galilee, by the lake. Isaiah said a great light would rise there.
Nathanael: Greek · Nathanael · G3482One of Jesus' first disciples, from Cana in Galilee. Philip brought him to Jesus. Often taken to be the same man as Bartholomew.
Nations: All the peoples of the world. Often it means everyone who is not Israel.
Nazarene: Greek · Nazoraios · G3480A person from Nazareth. Used of Jesus. Some used it as a slight, because Nazareth was a small town nobody expected much from.
Nazareth: Greek · Nazareth · G3478A small hill town in Galilee where Mary and Joseph raised Jesus. People said nothing good came from there.
Needlework: Cloth decorated by hand with a needle and coloured thread.
Needy: People who do not have what they need to live.
Noah: Hebrew · Noach · H5146The man who built the ark when God judged the world by flood, about 2500 BC. His name sounds like 'rest' and 'comfort'.
Noble: Worthy of respect or morally good. In other passages it can describe someone of high social rank.
Nobles: The most important and powerful families in a country.
Noonday: The middle of the day, when the sun is highest and brightest.
Nor: Greek · Oude · G3761And not. Used to add a second thing that is also not true — 'not this, and not that either.'
Nostrils: The two openings in your nose that you breathe through.
Nurture also Chastening · Chasten · Chastened: Greek · Paideia · G3809Training and correction that raises a child well. Teaching with discipline, not just words.
Oak: A big tree with very hard wood. In Isaiah, groves of oaks were where people went to worship idols.
Obedient also Obey · Obeyed · Obeying: Doing what you are told, willingly.
Obscenity: Offensive or indecent words or behavior, especially about sex.
Ointment: Thick, perfumed oil rubbed on the skin. Expensive.
Only begotten: Greek · Monogenes · G3439The only Son of His kind. Unique, not made, not one of a set.
Ophir: Hebrew · Ophir · H211A far-off land famous for the finest gold. Nobody today is certain where it was. 'Gold of Ophir' means the best gold money could buy.
Oppression also Oppress · Oppressed · Oppressor · Oppressors: Hebrew · Osheq · H6233Crushing people who cannot fight back. Using power to hold someone down.
Ordained also Ordain: Appointed and set in place for a job, by someone with the right to do it.
Ordains: Sets something in place on purpose, by his own decision.
Ordinance also Ordinances: Hebrew / Greek · Choq / Dikaioma · H2706 / G1345A requirement God set. A standing order.
Ornament: Something worn to make a person look beautiful. Jewellery or decoration.
Orphans: Children whose parents have died. Jesus also uses this picture for disciples who would be left without their teacher and protector.
Outcasts: People pushed out and left with nowhere to belong.
Overpast: Over and finished. Gone by.
Oxen: Cattle used for heavy work, like pulling a plow.
Palm branch: A leafy branch high on a palm tree. Beside the low-growing reed in Isaiah 9:14 and 19:15, it pictures the contrast between people of high and low rank.
Pamphylia: A region on the southern coast of Asia Minor. Paul and Barnabas visited Perga there, and John Mark left them there (Acts 13:13; 15:38).
Parable: A comparison or story that teaches through a picture. In the Old Testament it can also be a proverb or poetic saying, not only a story told by Jesus.
Parables: Comparisons, stories, or poetic sayings that teach through a picture. They are not limited to stories told by Jesus.
Partakers also Partaker: Greek · Koinonos · G2844People who share in something together. Everyone gets a real part of it.
Passover: Hebrew / Greek · Pesach / Pascha · H6453 / G3957The night death passed over the houses marked with blood, and the feast that remembers it.
Paul: Greek · Paulos · G3972The apostle who wrote much of the New Testament. Born Saul of Tarsus. Jesus stopped him on the Damascus road. Paul means 'small'.
Pavilion: A tent, especially a large royal one. A shelter to hide inside.
Peace: Hebrew / Greek · Shalom / Eirene · H7965 / G1515Not just quiet — everything whole and in one piece, the way it was meant to be.
Peace offering also Peace offerings: An offering in which some of the meat was shared in a meal. It could accompany thanks, a vow, or a freely given gift. Mentioning it does not by itself prove the worshiper is faithful.
Pentecost: Greek · Pentekoste · G4005The fiftieth day after Passover. The day the Spirit was poured out.
Perfectness: Greek · Teleiotes · G5047Being fully grown up on the inside. Complete, like ripe fruit.
Perish: To die, or be completely destroyed. Gone for good.
Persecute also Persecuted · Persecuting · Persecution · Persecutions: Greek · Dioko · G1377To hunt someone down and hurt them for what they believe.
Persecutors: People who chase you down and hurt you for what you believe.
Perverseness: Bent and twisted on purpose. Choosing the crooked way when the straight one is right there.
Peter: Greek · Petros · G4074Simon the fisherman from Galilee. Jesus named him Peter, which means 'rock'. He denied Jesus three times, then led the early church.
Pharaoh: Hebrew · Paroh · H6547Not a name — the title of Egypt's king, the way we say 'the President'. It means 'great house'. Different pharaohs appear in different parts of the Bible.
Pharisees also Pharisee: Greek · Pharisaios · G5330A Jewish group strict about the Law and extra traditions. The name is linked to being set apart. Some opposed Jesus; some, like Nicodemus, came to him.
Philip: Greek · Philippos · G5376Several men share this name: one of Jesus' twelve apostles, the evangelist in Acts 8 and 21, and a ruler named in Luke 3:1. The name alone does not identify the person.
Philippi: A city in Macedonia and a Roman colony. Lydia welcomed Paul's group there, and Paul and Silas were imprisoned there (Acts 16).
Philistia: Hebrew · Pelesheth · H6429The coastal plain west of Judah, home of the Philistines. Five cities: Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, and Gath.
Philistines: Hebrew · Pelishtim · H6430A people on the coastal plain west of Israel, and Israel's constant enemies. Goliath was one.
Phylacteries: Greek · Phulakterion · G5440Small boxes holding Scripture, worn on the head and arm. Jesus warned about showing them off.
Pilate: Latin · Pontios Pilatos · G4091Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea about AD 26-36. He knew Jesus was innocent, but handed him over to be crucified.
Pilgrimage: A long journey to a holy place. Also a whole life lived on the move.
Pity also Pitied: Feeling sorry for someone and wanting to help.
Pleasant: Nice. Something you enjoy being near.
Pleasure: Enjoyment. Also what someone wants and chooses — 'my pleasure' can mean 'my will'.
Plenteous: More than enough. Plentiful.
Plow: To cut long grooves into a field with a blade, ready for planting.
Plowman: A farmer who plows the fields.
Plowshares: The sharp metal blades of a plow. Beaten from swords, they grow food instead of killing.
Plucks: Pulls something off or out with a quick tug.
Portion: Your share. The part set aside for you.
Possessed: Owned. Held as your own.
Possession: Something you own and have the right to keep.
Posterity: Your children, and their children after them.
Potter's: Belonging to a potter, who shapes pots out of clay. A clay pot smashes easily and cannot be mended.
Pound: In Luke 19, a unit of money called a mina, worth about one hundred daily wages. In John 12:3, a pound measures the weight of perfume. It is not modern British currency.
Pounds: In Luke 19, ancient units of money called minas, not modern British pounds. One mina was worth about one hundred daily wages. In John 19:39, pounds are units of weight instead.
Power: Strength or the ability to act. In some passages it means authority or a miracle. The sentence tells you which; the word alone does not always mean supernatural power.
Praetorium: Greek · Praitōrion · G4232The headquarters or official residence of the Roman governor, where soldiers gathered and trials were held.
Praise also Praises · Praised: Hebrew · Halal · H1984Telling God out loud how great He is.
Precepts: Hebrew · Piqqudim · H6490Detailed instructions God gives about how to live. Not suggestions.
Predestinate also Predestinated: Greek · Proorizo · G4309To mark out the destination ahead of time. God set it before you ever walked it.
Prescribed: Written down as an order, so it has to be followed exactly.
Prevail: To win. To be the stronger one in the end.
Prey: An animal hunted for food. Also anyone helpless being hunted.
Priest also Priests: Greek / Hebrew · Hiereus / Kohen · G2409 / H3548Someone who stands between God and people, bringing offerings and prayers.
Priestly division: A group of priests assigned a turn to serve at the temple. Zechariah belonged to the group named after Abijah.
Principalities also Principality: Greek · Arche · G746Rulers and powers — often unseen spiritual ones with real rank.
Priscilla: Aquila's wife and a fellow worker of Paul. With Aquila, she helped explain God's way more fully to Apollos (Acts 18).
Profane also Profaned: Greek · Bebelos · G952To treat something holy as if it were ordinary rubbish.
Prolongs: Makes something last longer.
Prophecy also Prophecies: Greek · Propheteia · G4394A message from God given through a person — about what is coming, or about right now.
Prophesy also Prophesied · Prophesying · Prophesies: To speak a message God gives you. Said 'PROF-uh-sigh'.
Prophet also Prophets: Greek / Hebrew · Prophetes / Nabi · G4396 / H5030Someone who speaks God's message to people.
Propitiation: Greek · Hilasterion / Hilasmos · G2435 / G2434The sacrifice that takes anger away and makes peace. Jesus Himself is that offering.
Prosper: To do well and grow. To succeed at what you set out to do.
Prosperity: Doing well. Having enough, and more.
Prostitute: Someone who sells their body for money.
Proverb also Proverbs: Hebrew · Mashal · H4912A short, wise saying that teaches how to live well.
Provoke also Provoked · Provoking: To stir someone up on purpose until they get angry.
Prudence: Good sense. Thinking ahead and making wise choices.
Prudent: Sensible and careful. Thinking before acting.
Puffs: Hebrew · Puach · H6315A breath blown out in scorn. Psalm 12:5 is difficult: the KJV reads scorn from an oppressor; another reading is the needy person's longing for safety.
Purple: Greek · Porphura · G4209An extremely rare, costly dye made from sea snails. Worn by royalty, high officials, and the very rich.
Purse: A small bag for carrying money.
Quarrel also Quarrels · Quarreling: Greek · Momphe / Mache · G3437 / G3163An angry disagreement, or a grudge you are holding against someone.
Quench also Quenched: Greek · Sbennumi · G4570To put a fire out.
Quiver: The case a soldier carries his arrows in.
Rabbi: Hebrew / Greek · Rabbi · H7227 / G4461My teacher. A respectful title for a master of the Scriptures.
Rabshakeh: Hebrew · Rab-shaqeh · H7262Not a name — an Assyrian job title, roughly 'chief officer'. This is the commander Sennacherib sent to shout threats at Jerusalem's wall in the people's own language.
Raca: Aramaic · Rhaka · G4469An Aramaic insult, roughly 'empty-head' or 'worthless'. Jesus treats contemptuous name-calling as a serious sin.
Ragged: Torn and worn out. Used of rock, it means rough and jagged.
Rahab: In Psalms and Isaiah, a poetic sea-monster name also used for Egypt. In Joshua, Hebrews and James, Rahab is the woman of Jericho who sheltered Israel's spies. These are different Hebrew names.
Ramparts: The thick defensive walls built around a city.
Ransom: The price paid to set a prisoner free.
Ravished: In violent scenes, sexually assaulted. Elsewhere, especially love poetry, overwhelmed with delight or desire. The sentence determines the sense.
Rebelled: Refused to obey, and fought back against the one in charge.
Rebellion: Refusing to obey, and standing against the one in charge.
Rebellious: Always refusing to obey. Forever pushing back.
Rebuke also Rebuked · Rebukes · Rebuking: To tell someone off firmly for doing wrong.
Recompensed: Paid back what was owed — whether that is a reward or a punishment.
Reconciled: Greek · Katallasso · G2644Brought back to peace. Enemies made friends again.
Reconciliation also Reconciling: Greek · Katallage · G2643Peace put back together. God turning enemies into family through Jesus.
Redeem also Redeemed · Redeeming: Hebrew / Greek · Gaal / Lutroo · H1350 / G3084To buy someone back. A close relative paying the price to set them free.
Redeemer: Hebrew · Goel · H1350The close relative who pays to buy you back. One of the Lord's titles.
Redemption: Greek / Hebrew · Apolutrosis / Geullah · G629 / H1353The finished buy-back. Freedom, because the price was paid.
Reed: A tall, thin plant that grows in wet ground. Beside the palm branch in Isaiah 9:14 and 19:15, it pictures those of low rank.
Refrain also Refrained: To hold yourself back from doing something.
Refuge: Hebrew · Machseh · H4268A safe place to run to when something is chasing you.
Regarded: Paid attention to. Took seriously.
Rejoice: To be very glad, and to show it.
Remaliah: Hebrew · Remalyahu · H7425Father of Pekah, king of the northern kingdom. Isaiah keeps calling Pekah 'the son of Remaliah' rather than by name — a deliberate way of belittling him.
Remembrance: Remembering, and the memory itself.
Remnant: The small part left over when most is gone.
Renew also Renewed · Renewing · Renewal: Greek · Anakainosis · G342To make new again. Your mind being updated to match what God says.
Repent also Repenting · Repented: Greek · Metanoeo · G3340To change your mind and turn around. A new direction, not just feeling sorry.
Repentance: Greek · Metanoia · G3341A full change of mind that changes your direction. Seeing it God's way.
Reproach also Reproaches: Shame and blame aimed at someone. Being publicly put down.
Reproof: A correction. Being told plainly that you got it wrong.
Reprove also Reproved · Reproves: Greek · Elegcho · G1651To show someone they are wrong, so they can turn. Honest correction.
Residue: Whatever is left over.
Resurrection: Greek · Anastasis · G386Coming back to life after being dead — for good, not just for a while.
Reviled also Revile · Reviling: Greek · Loidoreo · G3058Insulted and shouted down. Abused with words.
Rezin: Hebrew · Retsin · H7526The last king of Syria. He and Pekah of Israel attacked Judah to force King Ahaz to join their alliance against Assyria — the crisis behind Isaiah 7.
Riddle also Riddles: A puzzling saying that needs thought to understand. In biblical poetry it can teach a serious lesson through an indirect picture.
Ridges: The raised lines of soil left between the grooves of a plowed field.
Righteous: Hebrew / Greek · Tsaddiq / Dikaios · H6662 / G1342Right with God, and living in line with His standard.
Righteousness: Being right with God. A standing he gives you, not a score you earn. Sometimes it also means doing what is right.
Ripping: Tearing something apart.
Rod: A stick. Used for hitting, for guiding sheep, or as the sign of a king's power.
Rome: Greek · Rhome · G4516The capital of the empire that ruled the Mediterranean. Paul was taken there as a prisoner, and the gospel reached Caesar's house.
Rough mourning clothes also Sackcloth: Hebrew / Greek · Saq / Sakkos · H8242 / G4526Clothes made of rough, scratchy goat-hair cloth (older Bibles call it 'sackcloth'). People wore them to show deep sadness, or sorrow for their sin.
Sabaoth: A Hebrew word meaning armies, carried into Greek. In the title 'Lord of sabaoth,' it points to God as ruler over the hosts. It is not another spelling of Sabbath.
Sabbath: Hebrew / Greek · Shabbath / Sabbaton · H7676 / G4521The seventh-day rest. A holy stop-work day belonging to the Lord.
Sacrifice also Sacrifices: Hebrew / Greek · Zebach / Thusia · H2077 / G2378An offering given to God, often an animal put to death, to deal with sin or to say thank you.
Sadducees: Greek · Saddoukaios · G4523A Jewish party of wealthy priests who ran the temple. They denied resurrection, angels, and spirits.
Safety: Being out of danger.
Saints also Saint: Greek · Hagioi · G40God's holy people — everyone who belongs to Jesus, not a special class of super-Christians.
Salutation: Greek · Aspasmos · G783A greeting. What you say when you meet someone or start a letter.
Salvation also Saved: Being rescued and made whole. Forgiveness, healing, safety, and life — the whole package God gives in Jesus.
Samaria: Hebrew · Shomron · H8111The capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, and later the whole region around it.
Samaritans also Samaritan: Greek · Samarites · G4541People of Samaria, mixed Israelites and others after the Assyrian exile. Jews and Samaritans were divided over where to worship.
Samuel: Hebrew · Shemuel · H8050The last judge and a prophet who anointed Saul and then David. His name means 'heard of God' — Hannah asked, and God heard.
Sanctification: Greek · Hagiasmos · G38The process of being set apart for God, and the finished result.
Sanctify also Sanctified · Sanctifies · Sanctifying: Greek / Hebrew · Hagiazo / Qadash · G37 / H6942To set something apart as holy. God claiming a person or thing for Himself.
Sanctuary: Hebrew / Greek · Miqdash / Hagion · H4720 / G39The holy place where God's presence lives.
Satan: The name means 'adversary': an opponent. In the New Testament, Satan is the devil, who opposes God and tempts and accuses people.
Saul: Israel's first king, or the man also called Paul. Acts 13:21 names the king; Acts 13:9 identifies the missionary as Saul, also called Paul. The name alone does not identify the person.
Scattered: Thrown in every direction, so nothing stays together.
Scepter: Hebrew / Greek · Shebet / Rhabdos · H7626 / G4464A king's staff. The sign that he has the right to rule.
Scorners: People who sneer at what is good and laugh at being corrected.
Scornful: Sneering. Treating something good as if it were worthless.
Scorns: Sneers at. Treats as worthless.
Scourge also Scourged: Greek · Mastigoo / Phragelloo · G3146 / G5417To whip someone with a Roman whip — leather cords weighted with bone and metal. The punishment Jesus took before the cross.
Scourges: Greek · Mastigoo · G3146Whips or disciplines. In Hebrews 12:6 it is a father correcting a child, not a judge punishing a criminal.
Scourging: Roman whipping. Jesus was whipped before the cross. The whipping post is where he paid for our healing.
Scourgings: Greek · Mastix · G3148Whippings. What the faithful in Hebrews 11 went through rather than give up the promise.
Scribe: A skilled writer or official secretary. Some scribes copied and taught Scripture, but not every biblical scribe has that role; Shebna in Isaiah serves the king.
Scribes: Greek · Grammateus · G1122The men who copied the Law and taught it. Professional Scripture scholars, often standing with the Pharisees.
Sect also Sects: Greek · Hairesis · G139A group that has split off with its own beliefs. Our word 'heresy' comes from the same root.
Selah: Hebrew · Selah · H5542A mark in the Psalms. Pause. Let the line sink in. The exact musical cue is uncertain.
Self-discipline: Greek · Sophronismos · G4987A steady mind and control over yourself. Being able to say no to yourself.
Sennacherib: Hebrew · Sancherib · H5576King of Assyria, about 705-681 BC. He surrounded Jerusalem in 701 BC and did not take it. His own records brag that he shut Hezekiah up 'like a bird in a cage' — but never claim the city.
Senseless: Lacking good judgment or failing to understand. In these wisdom passages, it rebukes foolish behavior; it is not a medical diagnosis.
Seraphim: Hebrew · Saraph · H8314Burning ones. Heavenly beings with six wings who stand nearest to God's throne, crying 'Holy, holy, holy'.
Sevenfold: Seven times as much.
Sexually immoral: Taking part in sexual conduct that violates faithfulness in marriage and God's teaching about sex. In these Proverbs warnings, the woman entices someone into sex outside marriage.
Sharon: A fertile coastal plain beside the Mediterranean Sea. Isaiah pictures its fading beauty and later its restored pastures. Its name is associated with a plain or level land.
Sheba: Hebrew · Sheba · H7614A wealthy kingdom in southern Arabia, famous for gold, spices and incense. Its queen travelled to test Solomon.
Shebna: Hebrew · Shebna · H7644The official who ran King Hezekiah's palace. Isaiah 22 says he cut himself a grand tomb in the rock, and that God would throw him out of his post for it.
Shechem: Hebrew · Shekem · H7927A city in the central hills between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim. Where Israel first said yes to the covenant in the land.
Shekel also Shekels: Hebrew · Sheqel · H8255A weight of silver used as money. About 11 grams.
Sheol: Hebrew · Sheol · H7585The world of the dead. Where people go when they die, waiting.
Shiloh: Hebrew · Shiloh · H7887The town where the tabernacle stood for years after Israel entered the land, north of Bethel.
Sickness also Sicknesses · Disease · Diseases · Sick · Diseased: Hebrew / Greek · Choliy / Astheneia · H2483 / G769Being ill in your body. The Greek word can also mean being weak or worn out.
Sidon: Hebrew · Tsidon · H6721A Phoenician port city on the coast north of Tyre. The two are usually named together as the great trading pair.
Siege barrier: A wall or fence built by an attacking army around a city. It blocks people and supplies from getting in or out.
Sighing: Letting out long heavy breaths because you are sad or worn out.
Silas: A leader sent with the Jerusalem church's letter in Acts 15. Later he traveled with Paul and sang with him in prison at Philippi in Acts 16.
Similitude: A likeness. Something shaped to look like something else.
Simon: Greek · Simon · G4613A common Jewish name meaning 'he has heard'. Often Simon Peter. There is also Simon the Zealot, Simon of Cyrene, and Simon the magician.
Sin offering: Hebrew · Chattath · H2403The sacrifice that deals with sin so a person can be clean again.
Sinai: Hebrew · Sinai · H5514The mountain in the desert where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, about 1440 BC. Also called Horeb.
Singleness: Having one motive only. An honest heart with nothing hidden behind it.
Sins also Sin · Sinned · Sinner · Sinners: Greek · Hamartia / Paraptoma · G266 / G3900Missing the mark. Doing wrong, or stepping over a line God drew. Forgiveness wipes the record clean.
Skin bottle: A container made from animal skin and used to carry liquids. Smoke and heat can dry and shrivel it; Psalm 119:83 uses it as a picture of suffering.
Slaughter: Killing on a large scale.
Slothful: Lazy. Too idle to do the work.
Sluggard: Hebrew · Atsel · H6102A lazy person who will not get up and do the work.
Snares: Hidden traps set to catch an animal — or a person.
Sodom: Hebrew · Sedom · H5467A city destroyed by God for its wickedness, in Abraham's time. Ever after, the name is shorthand for a place past saving.
Solomon: Hebrew · Shelomoh · H8010David's son and Israel's third king, about 970-930 BC. He built the first temple and wrote much of Proverbs. His name comes from the word for peace.
Sorceries also Sorcery · Sorcerer · Sorcerers: Greek · Pharmakeia · G5331Magic and spells used to control people or spirits. The Greek word also gave us 'pharmacy', because potions were part of it.
Sought: Looked for. The past tense of seek.
Soul also Souls: Hebrew / Greek · Nephesh / Psuche · H5315 / G5590The living you — your mind, your feelings, your whole self.
Soundness: Being whole and healthy, with nothing broken or wrong.
Speedily: Quickly, without delay.
Spirit: Greek · Pneuma · G4151Breath, wind, or spirit. Which one it means depends on the verse — the Holy Spirit, a person's own spirit, or an unclean spirit.
Spirits: Beings without bodies. Which kind depends on the verse.
Spiritual matters: Greek · Pneumatikos · G4152Everything to do with the Spirit and the unseen world — not only spiritual gifts.
Spoil: Goods taken from an enemy after a battle. Loot — not 'to ruin'.
Stammering: Speaking in broken, stumbling words that are hard to follow.
Statutes: Hebrew · Chuqqim · H2708Written rules God put in place. Fixed covenant instructions.
Stephen: One of the seven men chosen to serve in Acts 6. After speaking before the council, he was stoned to death. He prayed for the people killing him (Acts 7).
Stir up: Greek · Anazopyreo · G329To wake something back up. Like blowing on coals until the fire burns bright again.
Storehouses: Buildings where grain and supplies are kept safe.
Strange woman: In Proverbs, a woman who draws a man into sex outside marriage. The warning concerns unfaithfulness, not simply an unfamiliar woman or a woman from another country.
Stranger: Someone you do not know, or someone from outside your family or group. Where the Bible means a person from another nation, the GIGAKJV says 'foreigner'.
Strangers: People you do not know, or people from outside your family or group. Where the Bible means people from another nation, the GIGAKJV says 'foreigners'.
Stretched: Reached out and pulled long.
Strife also Strifes: Greek · Eris · G2054Fighting and arguing that will not stop.
Strivings: Struggles and arguments between people.
Strutting rooster: Hebrew · Zarzir Motnayim · H2223 / H4975A rooster showing off as it walks. The Hebrew here is a puzzle — it says 'girded at the loins', and this is the only place in the Bible it appears. The oldest translations all read it as a rooster; the KJV guessed 'greyhound'.
Stumblingblock also Offense · Stumblingblocks · Offend · Offended · Offenses: Greek · Skandalon · G4625Something left in the path that trips people up. Our word 'scandal' comes from it.
Subdues: Brings something under control and holds it there.
Substance: What someone owns. Their property and wealth.
Succoth: Hebrew · Sukkoth · H5523A town east of the Jordan River. The name means 'shelters' — Jacob built shelters for his animals there.
Sulfur: A yellow mineral that burns with a choking smell. Older Bibles call it brimstone.
Sunder: To break apart. 'Cut in sunder' means cut clean in two.
Supernatural power also Miraculous power: Greek · Dunamis · G1411God's power to do what people cannot do on their own. The same word gives us the word dynamite.
Superscription: Greek · Epigraphe · G1923The writing on something — the words on a coin, or the charge nailed above Jesus on the cross.
Supplication also Supplications: Greek · Deesis · G1162Asking God earnestly for something you really need.
Swallow: To take down your throat. Often used for being completely destroyed.
Sweeter: Tastes better. More pleasant.
Synagogue also Synagogues: Greek · Sunagoge · G4864A Jewish meeting house for Scripture, prayer, and teaching.
Syria: Hebrew · Aram · H758The kingdom north-east of Israel, called Aram in Hebrew, with Damascus as its capital.
Tabernacle: Hebrew / Greek · Mishkan / Skene · H4908 / G4633The tent where God lived among Israel. A holy place they could pack up and carry.
Tabernacles: Hebrew · Sukkot · H5521Shelters of branches. The Feast of Tabernacles remembered the years Israel lived in tents in the desert.
Talebearer: Hebrew · Rakil · H7400Someone who carries other people's secrets around and spreads them.
Talents also Talent: Greek · Talanton · G5007A huge unit of money — many years of a worker's wages. The parable uses it for what God has trusted you with.
Tapestry: Thick cloth with pictures woven into it, hung on a wall or spread out.
Tarrying: Waiting around. Staying longer than expected.
Tarshish: Hebrew · Tarshish · H8659A far-off port at the western end of the known world, possibly in Spain. 'Ships of Tarshish' meant the biggest ocean-going vessels there were.
Tarsus: Greek · Tarsos · G5019Paul's home city in Cilicia, a major university town. He was a Roman citizen born there.
Tempest: A violent storm. Wind and rain strong enough to wreck a ship.
Tempestuous: Wild and stormy.
Temple also Temples: Greek / Hebrew · Hieron / Heykal · G2411 / H1964God's house. The building where God's presence met His people.
Temporary resident also Temporary residents: Hebrew · Toshav · H8453Someone living in a place for a while without owning land there. God told Israel the land was his, and they were like temporary residents with him (Leviticus 25:23).
Temptation also Tempt · Tempted · Temptations: Greek · Peirasmos · G3986A pull toward doing wrong, and also a test that shows what you are made of.
Terrify: To fill someone with fear.
Testimony also Testimonies: Hebrew / Greek · Eduth / Marturia · H5715 / G3141Evidence you give about something you know is true. What a witness says.
Tetrarch: Greek · Tetrarches · G5076A ruler over a quarter of a region. A local king put in place by Rome.
Thaddaeus: Greek · Thaddaios · G2280One of the twelve apostles. Also called Lebbaeus, and Judas son of James — not Judas Iscariot.
Theophilus: The person Luke addresses at the start of Luke and Acts. His name means 'friend of God'. Luke writes so that he can know the certainty of what he has been taught.
Thessalonica: A city in Macedonia. Paul preached in its synagogue in Acts 17. The letters called 1 and 2 Thessalonians address its church.
Thickets: Places where bushes and small trees grow too close together to walk through.
Thomas: Aramaic · T'oma · G2381One of the twelve. Called Didymus, 'the twin'. He refused to believe the resurrection until he saw Jesus' wounds.
Threshing: Beating grain to knock the seed loose from the husk.
Threshing floor: A firm, open area where harvested grain was beaten or trampled to loosen it from the stalks and husks.
Thundered: Made a huge, deep, rolling sound like a storm.
Timothy: Greek · Timotheos · G5095Paul's younger co-worker, from Lystra. His mother was Jewish, his father Greek. Paul called him a true son in the faith.
Tithe also Tithes: Hebrew / Greek · Maaser / Dekate · H4643 / G1181A tenth. The first tenth set apart for God.
Titus: Greek · Titos · G5103A Gentile co-worker of Paul, left in Crete to appoint elders. Paul trusted him with hard jobs in Corinth and in the collection.
Tottering: Wobbling, and about to fall over.
Transgression also Transgressions: Hebrew / Greek · Pesha / Parabasis · H6588 / G3847Crossing a line on purpose. Open rebellion, not an accident.
Transgressors also Transgress · Transgressor: Hebrew · Pasha · H6586People who cross God's line on purpose. Rule-breakers who knew better.
Tread also Trod · Trodden · Treads: To step on something and crush it under your feet.
Trembling also Tremble · Trembled: Shaking — from fear, from cold, or from deep respect.
Trespass also Trespasses · Trespassed: Hebrew / Greek · Maal / Paraptoma · H4603 / G3900A wrong step over a line, or breaking someone's trust. Doing what you knew was off-limits.
Trespass offering: Hebrew · Asham · H817The sacrifice for one specific wrong, usually with paying back what was taken.
Tribulation: Greek · Thlipsis · G2347Crushing pressure. Trouble that squeezes you hard.
Triumph: To win completely, and to celebrate it.
Troas: A port in Asia Minor. Paul had a vision there calling him to Macedonia (Acts 16). Later he taught there when Eutychus fell from a window (Acts 20).
Truth: Greek · Aletheia · G225What is actually real. Not hidden, not faked.
Tumult: A loud confused noise from a crowd. An uproar.
Tumultuous: Noisy and out of control.
Tychicus: A fellow worker Paul trusted to deliver news and encourage the churches. He is named in Acts 20:4, Ephesians 6:21, and Colossians 4:7.
Tyre: Hebrew · Tsor · H6865A rich Phoenician port city on the coast north of Israel, built partly on an island. Its traders grew wealthy enough to think themselves untouchable.
Ucal: Named with Ithiel in the KJV reading of Proverbs 30:1 as someone Agur addressed. His life is not described in the passage.
Unawares: Without knowing it was coming.
Unbelief: Greek · Apistia · G570Refusing to trust. Not that you cannot believe — that you will not.
Uncircumcised: Hebrew / Greek · Arel / Akrobustia · H6189 / G203Not carrying the old covenant mark. Outside Israel — or a heart still hard.
Unclean: Hebrew / Greek · Tame / Akathartos · H2931 / G169Not fit to come near holy things until it is made clean again.
Uncleanness: Greek / Hebrew · Akatharsia / Tumah · G167 / H2932Moral dirtiness. Impure thoughts and actions that stain the heart.
Undefiled: Greek · Amiantos · G283Completely clean. Never stained or spoiled.
Understanding: Hebrew · Binah · H998Seeing how things fit together. Working out what something actually means.
Unfruitful: Greek · Akarpos · G175Producing nothing. Like a tree that never grows any fruit.
Ungodly: Greek · Asebes · G765Living as if God is not there. Not caring what He thinks.
Unlearned: Without schooling. Not trained in books or letters.
Unleavened: Hebrew / Greek · Matstsah / Azumos · H4682 / G106Bread made with no yeast. Flat and quick — the bread of Passover.
Unrighteousness: Greek · Adikia · G93Everything that is not right. Wrong done to God or to people.
Uppermost: The highest. The best seat, or the top of the pile.
Uprightness: Living straight and honest, with nothing crooked in you.
Uproar: A loud, angry crowd out of control.
Utterly: Completely. All the way, with nothing left.
Uttermost: The very furthest point. As far as it is possible to go.
Utters: Says out loud.
Uzziah: Hebrew · Uzziyahu · H5818King of Judah for about fifty years. Isaiah dates his vision of God on the throne to the year Uzziah died — the year the old certainty ended.
Vain: Empty. Worth nothing, or with nothing to show for it.
Valiantly: Bravely. With great courage.
Vanity: Emptiness. Something that looks like it matters but has nothing in it and leads nowhere.
Vapors: Mist or steam. Something you can see but cannot hold.
Vengeance: Hebrew / Greek · Naqam / Ekdikesis · H5359 / G1557Punishment given out to make a wrong right. God's job, not yours.
Vessel: A container — a jar, pot, or bowl. Also used for a person God fills and uses.
Vessels: Containers — jars, pots, and bowls.
Vials also Vial: Greek · Phiale · G5357Wide, shallow bowls. In Revelation, bowls holding God's judgment.
Vile: Disgusting. So low it makes people turn away.
Vilest: The most disgusting. The lowest of the low.
Vineyard: A field of grapevines, grown to make wine.
Violent: Using force to hurt.
Virtue: Moral goodness or excellence: what is worthy of praise in a person or action.
Virtuous: Strong in character and doing right. In Proverbs 31 it also carries the sense of capable and powerful.
Vomit: Sick that comes back up out of the stomach.
Wanderings: All the times you moved from place to place with nowhere to call home.
Watchtower: A tall tower where a guard stands to spot enemies coming.
Wave offering: Hebrew · Tenuphah · H8573A portion waved in front of the Lord, then given to the priest.
Welfare: How well someone is doing. Their good.
Whirlwind: A violent spinning wind.
Wicked: Evil. Choosing wrong on purpose.
Wickedness: Doing evil on purpose, as a way of life.
Wilderness: Hebrew / Greek · Midbar / Eremos · H4057 / G2048Open desert where nobody lives. Where Israel was trained and where Jesus was tested.
Wiles: Greek · Methodeia · G3180Sneaky tricks. Clever plans made to catch you out.
Will (testament) also Testament: Greek · Diatheke · G1242A written plan for what you leave behind when you die. In Hebrews 9, Jesus' death put His will into force.
Winnowing shovel: A tool used to toss threshed grain into the air. The wind carries away the light husks, while the heavier grain falls back down.
Wisdom: Hebrew / Greek · Chokmah / Sophia · H2451 / G4678Knowing what to do with what you know. Skill at living well.
Wither also Withered · Withers: To dry up and shrivel, the way a plant does with no water.
Wizards: Men who claimed to speak with spirits and tell the future.
Woe: Deep trouble and sorrow. Called out as a warning, it means disaster is coming.
Wondrous: Amazing. Full of wonder.
Wool: The thick, soft coat that grows on a sheep.
Worship also Worshipped · Worshipping · Worships: Greek · Proskuneo · G4352Bowing low before God. The Greek word pictures kneeling to kiss the ground.
Wounds also Scourging wounds · Wound: Hebrew / Greek · Chabburah / Molops · H2250 / G3468Injuries from being hit. Bruises and raised welts on the skin.
Wrath: Hebrew / Greek · Aph, Chemah / Orge, Thumos · H639 / H2534 / G3709 / G2372Strong, burning anger. When the Bible speaks of God's wrath, it means his holy anger against sin and evil, never a bad temper. Jesus rescues those who trust him from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10).
Writing tablet: A flat surface used for writing, such as stone or wood. Writing on the heart pictures keeping teaching deeply within you; it does not mean a dining table or an electronic device.
Wrongfully: Unfairly. Without any good reason.
Yield: To produce a crop. Also to give in and stop resisting.
Zeal also Zealous · Zealously: Greek / Hebrew · Zelos / Qinah · G2205 / H7068Burning passion for something. Energy that will not quit.
Zebedee: A fisherman and the father of the apostles James and John. His sons left their boat and their father to follow Jesus (Matthew 4:21-22).
Zebulun: Hebrew · Zebulun · H2074Jacob's tenth son. His tribe's land lay in Galilee, the country where Jesus later lived and taught.
Zechariah: Several biblical men have this name. In Luke 1, he is Elizabeth's husband and John the Baptist's father. Do not confuse him with the prophet Zechariah or the man named in Matthew 23:35.
Zion: Hebrew · Tsiyyon · H6726The hill in Jerusalem where David built his city. Over time the name came to mean Jerusalem itself, God's people, and God's city to come.
Zoan: Hebrew · Tsoan · H6814An Egyptian city in the Nile delta, where Pharaoh's advisers were based. Isaiah mocks their famous wisdom as useless.

Key Covenant Terms in Depth

SAY (G2036)

Forms associated with this Strong's entry concern speaking or saying. An authoritative command may occur in context; the entry does not turn every act of speaking into an executive decree.

AUTHORITY (Exousia, G1849)

Possible senses include authority, right, permission, and freedom of action. Delegation must be established from the passage.

POWER (Dunamis, G1411)

Power, strength, or ability; in some passages, a miracle or miraculous power. The word does not always describe the Holy Spirit or an explosive force.

WEAKNESS / ILLNESS (Astheneia, G769)

Weakness or frailty, including physical illness in appropriate contexts. The surrounding argument determines the sense.

WOUND (Molops, G3468)

A bruise, welt, or wound from a blow. The theological application of a passage is distinct from the word's lexical meaning.

LOVE (Agape, G26)

Love or affection. Its character and object must be read from the passage rather than supplied from a fixed theological formula.

COWARDICE (Deilia, G1167)

Cowardice or timidity; the term occurs in 2 Timothy 1:7.

REPENTANCE (Metanoia, G3341)

A change of mind or repentance. The response called for should be explained from the whole passage.

GREAT (Megas, G3173; Gadol, H1419)

Great or large, with size, degree, or importance determined by context. The edition's name is not a lexical substitute.

How the Tooltips Work

Every dotted word opens a card written in plain English. Cards headed Word Study name the Greek or Hebrew behind that English word and link its Strong's number to BibleHub. Cards headed Word Meaning explain the English only, because the source word varies too much from verse to verse to name one. These tooltips are word help, not a verse-aligned interlinear.

A word study offers possible senses. Grammar and context determine which sense belongs in a particular verse.

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