Biblical concepts
Bible study: Biblical concepts. Explore the concepts and terms of Scripture.
Vanity / Vapor
הֶבֶל
Hébel
Hebraico
Vapor, breath, transient mist, or fleeting smoke that quickly dissipates.
Thinking of vanity in the modern sense of pride or cosmetic obsession, forgetting that in the biblical text it refers to the fleeting fragility and transience of earthly life.
In Biblical Hebrew, hébel does not describe obsession with physical appearance. It describes something fleeting, elusive, and vaporous — like the visible breath on a cold morning that instantly vanishes without being held in one’s hands. When the author of Ecclesiastes proclaims "vanity of vanities, all is vanity," he teaches that pursuing ultimate security and lasting purpose solely in temporal things under the sun is like chasing after the wind. Human existence finds enduring stability and true meaning only when anchored in the reverent fear and communion of God (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
Ecclesiastes 1:2 — "Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; vanity of vanities, all is vanity (vapor)."
James 4:14 — "What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes."
Psalm 39:5 — "Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths... surely all mankind stands as a mere breath!"
Ecclesiastes
Psalms
James
Job
Vida & Existência
Sin / Missing the Mark
חָטָא / ἁμαρτία
Chata (Heb.) / Hamartía (Gr.)
Hebraico
Sin, commit an offense; the Hebrew verb can also mean missing a target.
Reducing sin to an accidental mistake because one use of the verb describes missing a target.
Judges 20:16 uses hata for not missing with a sling. This illustrates one verbal use, not the whole vocabulary of sin. In Romans, hamartia describes wrongdoing and also sin’s power. Context distinguishes failure, guilt and sin’s dominion.
Judges 20:16 — The verb describes the slingers’ accuracy.
Romans 6:12 — Sin is presented as seeking to reign.
Genesis
Leviticus
Psalms
Romans
Salvação & Graça
Sources
Grace & Steadfast Love (Chesed)
חֶסֶד / χάρις
Chésed (Heb.) / Cháris (Gr.)
Hebraico
Hesed: kindness, loyalty, steadfast love; charis: favor, grace or gift.
Treating the terms as exact equivalents or combining all their meanings in every occurrence.
Hesed highlights loyal kindness in relationships, including God’s faithfulness to his people, but is not confined to formal covenants. Charis can denote favor, grace and even gratitude. Ephesians 2:8-9 develops salvation as a gift; “unearned” expresses that teaching, not every possible use of the word.
Exodus 34:6 — "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love (chésed) and faithfulness."
Ephesians 2:8–9 — "For by grace (cháris) you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God."
Lamentations 3:22 — "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning."
Exodus
Ruth
Hosea
Psalms
Ephesians
Deus & Aliança
Sources
Peace (Shalom)
שָׁלוֹם / εἰρήνη
Shalóm (Heb.) / Eirēne (Gr.)
Hebraico
Shalom: peace, well-being or soundness; eirene: peace, concord.
Reducing peace to absence of conflict, or excluding that meaning when it best fits.
Jeremiah 29:7 uses shalom for the city’s welfare; elsewhere it may mean safety, good relations or a greeting. John 14:27 presents Jesus’ peace to his disciples. The theological depth comes from each passage, without transferring every Hebrew sense to every Greek occurrence.
Isaiah 9:6 — "And his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Sar Shalom)."
John 14:27 — "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you."
Jeremiah 29:7 — "Seek the peace (shalom / welfare) of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf."
Isaiah
Jeremiah
John
Philippians
Paz & Justiça
Sources
Redemption / Ransom
גָּאַל / ἀπολύτρωσις
Ga’ál (Heb.) / Apolýtrōsis (Gr.)
Hebraico
To liberate through the payment of a ransom; to buy back a slave or reclaim a lost family inheritance.
Viewing redemption as an abstract theological concept, losing sight of the tangible, costly price paid by Christ to liberate us from slavery to sin and death.
Under the Law of Moses, the kinsman-redeemer (Go’el) held the sacred responsibility to ransom an impoverished relative sold into debt bondage and reclaim their lost land (as vividly seen in the Book of Ruth). Throughout Scripture, God reveals Himself as the supreme Redeemer: He redeemed Israel from Egyptian bondage with an outstretched arm and, in the fullness of time, sent His Son to give His life as a ransom for many, setting us free to live as beloved children of God.
Ruth 4:14 — "Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a redeemer (Go’el)!"
Mark 10:45 — "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Ephesians 1:7 — "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace."
Exodus
Leviticus
Ruth
Romans
Galatians
Salvação & Graça
Righteousness / justification
צְדָקָה / δικαιοσύνη / δικαιόω
Tsedaqah / dikaiosyne / dikaioo
Hebraico
Tsedaqah and dikaiosyne: righteousness or justice; dikaioo: justify, declare righteous or vindicate.
Confusing the noun “righteousness” with the verb “justify”, or reducing all uses to one theological formula.
Genesis 15:6 speaks of faith counted as righteousness; Romans 5:1 uses a form of dikaioo for “justified”. This prevents treating righteousness and justification as the same word. Paul and James require attention to their arguments about faith, works and judgment, not merely lexical equations.
Genesis 15:6 — "And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness (tsedaqah)."
Romans 5:1 — "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Galatians 2:16 — "Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ."
Genesis
Romans
Galatians
James
Salvação & Graça
Sources
Apocalypse / Unveiling
ἀποκάλυψις
Apokálypsis
Grego
To uncover, unveil, or reveal publicly what was previously hidden from sight.
Equating the word apocalypse strictly with catastrophic doom and despair, missing its true heart: the majestic revelation of Jesus Christ and the triumphant victory of His Kingdom.
The Greek word apokálypsis literally means pulling back the curtain or unveiling a hidden reality. In the New Testament, the Apocalypse was written not to terrify believers, but to provide steadfast hope and endurance to a persecuted Church. It unveils God’s sovereign control over human history, the final defeat of evil by the Lamb of God, and the glorious consummation of the New Heavens and New Earth.
Revelation 1:1 — "The revelation (Apokálypsis) of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants..."
Luke 2:32 — "A light for revelation (apokálypsis) to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel."
1 Corinthians 1:7 — "...as you wait for the revealing (apokálypsis) of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Daniel
Zechariah
Revelation
Esperança & Futuro
Repentance / Turning Around
שׁוּב / μετάνοια
Shuv (Heb.) / Metánoia (Gr.)
Hebraico
To turn around, retrace one’s steps toward God, and undergo a radical reorientation of the heart and mind.
Confusing biblical repentance with barren remorse or emotional self-pity without any real moral change, ignoring the active transformation of one’s life toward God.
In Biblical Hebrew, shuv denotes a physical U-turn: someone walking down the wrong path turns 180 degrees back toward the presence of God. In New Testament Greek, metánoia emphasizes a radical renewal of the mind and conscience aligning with God’s truth. True repentance produces tangible fruit: abandoning sin, seeking God’s forgiving mercy, and walking in genuine obedience.
Ezekiel 18:30 — "Repent and turn (shuv) from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin."
Mark 1:15 — "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent (metanoeite) and believe in the gospel."
Luke 15:18 — "I will arise and go to my father... (the resolute turning of the prodigal son)."
Jonah
Ezekiel
Mark
Luke
Acts
Vida & Existência
Holy & Sanctification
קָדוֹשׁ / ἅγιος
Qadósh (Heb.) / Hágios (Gr.)
Hebraico
Set apart, consecrated from profane use, and wholly dedicated to the Lord.
Imagining holiness as religious self-righteousness, haughtiness, or joyless seclusion, rather than vibrant purity, love, and consecrated devotion to God.
Qadósh expresses the utter transcendence, moral purity, and incomparable majesty of God. God is Holy because there is no blemish, darkness, or deceit in Him. When the Lord commands His people "Be holy, for I am holy," He invites them into a transformed way of living: consecrated to His divine purposes, cleansed from the moral decay of sin, and reflecting His character of love and justice.
Leviticus 19:2 — "You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy."
Isaiah 6:3 — "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"
1 Peter 1:15 — "As he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct."
Exodus
Leviticus
Isaiah
1 Peter
Deus & Aliança
Covenant (Sacred Bond)
בְּרִית / διαθήκη
Berît (Heb.) / Diathēkē (Gr.)
Hebraico
Berit: covenant or pact; diatheke: disposition, testament or covenant, depending on context.
Claiming every covenant is between unequal parties, irrevocable or necessarily sealed with blood.
Scripture describes divine and human covenants with their own conditions and signs. “Cut a covenant” is a Hebrew expression illustrated in Genesis 15, but does not define every pact’s ritual. In the New Testament diatheke concerns the new covenant; Hebrews 9 also explores testament language.
Genesis 15:18 — "On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, To your offspring I give this land..."
Jeremiah 31:31 — "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel..."
Luke 22:20 — "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood."
Hebrews 9:15 — "Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance."
Genesis
Exodus
Jeremiah
Luke
Hebrews
Deus & Aliança
Sources
Soul & Living Being (Nefesh)
נֶפֶשׁ / ψυχή
Néfesh (Heb.) / Psychē (Gr.)
Hebraico
Nefesh: life, person, living being, desire; psyche: life, soul or person, depending on context.
Imposing a complete theory of body and soul on every occurrence of these words.
In Genesis 2:7 the man becomes a living being; the same vocabulary describes animals in Genesis 1. In the Psalms the nefesh can desire and thirst. Matthew 16 uses psyche in its warning about losing one’s life. This variety alone does not settle every debate about existence after death.
Genesis 2:7 — "...and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature (néfesh)."
Psalm 42:1–2 — "As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God."
Matthew 16:26 — "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul (psychē)?"
Genesis
Psalms
Ecclesiastes
Matthew
Vida & Existência
Sources
Heart (Center of Will & Thought)
לֵב / לֵבָב
Lev / Leváv (Heb.)
Hebraico
The interior epicenter of the person: the mind, will, conscience, and moral decisions.
Confining the biblical heart to romantic impulses or transient feelings, overlooking that in Scripture it represents the throne room of reason, conscience, and purposeful will.
In the Hebrew Bible, the heart (lev / levav) is the command center of human life. It is where one thinks, reasons, plans, resolves, and chooses before God and others. Proverbs therefore commands: "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life" (Proverbs 4:23). A heart transformed by God’s Word yields wisdom, integrity, and humble obedience.
Proverbs 4:23 — "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life."
Jeremiah 17:9 — "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?"
Mark 7:21 — "For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder..."
Deuteronomy
Proverbs
Jeremiah
Mark
Vida & Existência
Gospel & Good News of Salvation
בָּשַׂר / εὐαγγέλιον
Basar / euangelion
Grego
Basar: announce good news; euangelion: good news, gospel.
Treating “gospel” as moral advice or assuming the word alone contains the entire Christian confession.
Isaiah 52:7 uses a form of basar for the one announcing good news. In the New Testament, narrative and preaching develop that news: Jesus, his death, resurrection and reign. The word’s meaning should be distinguished from the full theological account of its content.
Romans 1:16 — "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."
Isaiah 52:7 — "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, Your God reigns!"
Mark 1:1, 15 — "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God... The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."
1 Corinthians 15:1–4 — "Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you... that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day..."
Isaiah
Mark
Romans
1 Corinthians
Galatians
Salvação & Graça
Sources
Faith / faithfulness
אֱמוּנָה / πίστις
Emunáh (Heb.) / Pístis (Gr.)
Hebraico
Emunah: steadiness or faithfulness; pistis: faith, trust or faithfulness.
Always translating pistis as intellectual belief, or always replacing faith with faithfulness.
In Exodus 17:12 emunah describes Moses’ steady hands. Galatians 5:22 has pistis, translated “faith” or “faithfulness” among the Spirit’s fruit. In passages about trusting Christ, “faith” is appropriate. Translation depends on construction and argument, not a forced opposition between believing and acting.
Exodus 17:12 — Moses’ hands remain steady.
Galatians 5:22 — Pistis occurs among the qualities of the Spirit’s fruit.
Romans 5:1 — Justification is connected with faith.
Exodus
Habakkuk
Romans
Galatians
Hebrews
James
Deus & Aliança
Sources
Messiah / Christ (The Anointed One)
מָשִׁיחַ / Χριστός
Mashíach (Heb.) / Christós (Gr.)
Hebraico
Anointed one; a title applied to people consecrated for a role.
Thinking Christ is a surname or every Hebrew occurrence of “anointed” directly refers to Jesus.
The Old Testament calls kings and priests anointed and applies the title to Cyrus in Isaiah 45:1. The New Testament identifies Jesus as the expected Christ. Context distinguishes a historical anointed figure from a messianic claim about Jesus, not the isolated word.
1 Samuel 16:13 — "Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward."
Psalm 2:2 — "The kings of the earth set themselves... against the LORD and against his Anointed (Messiah)."
Matthew 16:16 — "Simon Peter replied, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
1 Samuel
Psalms
Isaiah
Matthew
Hebrews
Esperança & Futuro
Sources
Atonement & Propitiation (Kippur)
כִּפֶּר / ἱλασμός
Kipper / hilasmos
Hebraico
Kipper: make atonement, cleanse in ritual context; hilasmos: atonement / propitiation.
Reducing atonement to “covering” through simplified etymology or confusing hilasmos with hilasterion.
Leviticus 16 describes atonement and cleansing for people and the sanctuary. Ritual function should guide the explanation of kipper. First John 2:2 applies hilasmos to Christ; hilasterion, discussed under “Mercy seat”, is a different term. Translations express different aspects of dealing with sin and relationship with God.
Leviticus 16:30 — Atonement is connected with cleansing.
1 John 2:2 — Christ is called hilasmos for sins.
Leviticus
Romans
Hebrews
1 John
Salvação & Graça
Sources
Cubit (Ammah)
אַמָּה / πῆχυς
Ammah (Heb.) / Pēchys (Gr.)
Hebraico
Comprimento
Approx. 44.5 to 45 cm / 17.5 to 18 in (common cubit); 52 cm / 20.4 in (royal/sanctuary cubit)
Length of the human forearm, measured from the tip of the elbow to the tip of the middle finger.
Underestimating the scale of biblical structures; for example, Noah’s Ark (300 cubits) measured around 135 to 150 meters (450+ feet) long — comparable to a modern ocean vessel.
The cubit (from Hebrew ammah, related to "mother" / forearm) was the primary unit of length in the biblical world. There were two principal standards: the common cubit of 6 handbreadths (~44.5 cm) and the sanctuary cubit of 7 handbreadths (~52 cm, Ezekiel 40:5). It was used to specify sacred architecture such as the Ark of the Covenant (2.5 x 1.5 x 1.5 cubits), the Tabernacle, Solomon’s Temple, and the towering stature of Goliath (six cubits and a span ≈ 2.90 m / 9 ft 6 in). In Matthew 6:27, Jesus employs the term metaphorically: "Which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his lifespan?"
Genesis 6:15 — "This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits."
Exodus 25:10 — "They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height."
Matthew 6:27 — "And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his span of life?"
1 Samuel 17:4 — "And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span."
Genesis
Exodus
1 Kings
1 Samuel
Ezekiel
Matthew
Pesos, Medidas & Moedas
Talent (Kikkar)
כִּכָּר / τάλαντον
Kikkar (Heb.) / Tálanton (Gr.)
Hebraico
Peso & Moeda
Approx. 30 to 34 kg / 66 to 75 lbs of precious metal; equivalent to 6,000 denarii (approx. 20 years of wages for a laborer)
A circular disc or heavy ingot of metal weighed on the scales (from Hebrew kikkar, meaning round).
Confusing the biblical talent with modern psychological gifts or musical skills. In Jesus’s parables, a talent represented an immense, monumental financial fortune entrusted by the Master.
The talent was the largest unit of weight and monetary measure in the ancient Near East, equal to 3,000 silver shekels (~34 kg). In the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:24), a servant who owed "ten thousand talents" held a debt of roughly 340 metric tons of silver or 60 million days of labor — an unpayable astronomical figure symbolizing the immense debt of human sin forgiven freely by God’s grace. In the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14–30), the distribution of 5, 2, and 1 talent illustrates the valuable resources and stewardship God entrusts to His servants.
Matthew 18:24 — "When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents."
Matthew 25:15 — "To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away."
Exodus 38:24 — "All the gold that was used for the work... was twenty-nine talents and 730 shekels..."
1 Chronicles 29:4 — "3,000 talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and 7,000 talents of refined silver, for overlaying the walls of the house."
Exodus
1 Chronicles
Matthew
Pesos, Medidas & Moedas
Shekel (Sheqel)
שֶׁקֶל / σίκλος
Sheqel (Heb.) / Síklos (Gr.)
Hebraico
Peso & Moeda
Approx. 11.4 to 12 grams of silver (common/sanctuary shekel)
Weight determined on balance scales (from the Hebrew verb shaqal, "to weigh").
Assuming the shekel was a stamped coin during the patriarchal era. Prior to the Persian/Babylonian exile, precious metal was traded by weight using two-pan scales.
The shekel (sheqel) was the standard unit of weight and currency in Israel. The "shekel of the sanctuary" (Exodus 30:13) was the official standard maintained by the priests for the redemption of life and temple dues (half a shekel per adult male). The legal compensation for an accidentally killed slave was set at 30 shekels of silver (Exodus 21:32). Prophetically, Zechariah 11:12–13 foresaw that the Good Shepherd would be valued at this exact lowly price ("thirty pieces of silver"), tragically fulfilled when Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver paid by the chief priests (Matthew 26:15).
Exodus 30:13 — "Each one who is numbered in the census shall give this: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary... as an offering to the LORD."
Genesis 23:15 — "My lord, listen to me: a piece of land worth 400 shekels of silver, what is that between you and me? Bury your dead."
Zechariah 11:12 — "So they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver (shekels)."
Matthew 26:15 — "...and said, What will you give me if I deliver him over to you? And they paid him thirty pieces of silver."
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Zechariah
Matthew
Pesos, Medidas & Moedas
Denarius (Dēnarion)
δηνάριον
Dēnarion (Gr.) / Denarius (Lat.)
Grego
Peso & Moeda
Roman silver coin (~3.85 g); equivalent to the fair daily wage of a working laborer or soldier
Containing ten (from Latin deni, originally valued at 10 bronze asses).
Thinking the denarius was an insignificant penny, without realizing that a single denarius supported a working family’s food and lodging for an entire day.
The denarius was the economic backbone of the Roman Empire during the ministry of Jesus and the apostles. In the Parable of the Vineyard Workers (Matthew 20:2), the landowner agrees on "a denarius a day," reflecting standard daily compensation. When the Pharisees tried to entrap Jesus concerning tribute (Matthew 22:19–21), Jesus asked for the tribute coin — a denarius bearing the image and title of Tiberius Caesar — delivering the immortal truth: "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s." The Good Samaritan left two denarii with the innkeeper (Luke 10:35), providing shelter and medical care for several days.
Matthew 20:2 — "After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard."
Matthew 22:19–21 — "Show me the coin for the tax. And they brought him a denarius... Then he said to them, Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s."
Luke 10:35 — "And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, Take care of him..."
Revelation 6:6 — "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!"
Matthew
Mark
Luke
Revelation
Pesos, Medidas & Moedas
Ephah & Bath
אֵיפָה / בַּת
Ephah (Heb.) / Bath (Heb.)
Hebraico
Capacidade / Volume
Approx. 22 liters / 5.8 gallons (standard capacity for both solids and liquids)
The standard capacity measure in Israel for dry grain/flour (Ephah) and for liquid oil/wine (Bath).
Assuming the Ephah and the Bath were different volumes; the prophet Ezekiel (45:11) explicitly specifies that both held the exact same volumetric measure (one-tenth of a homer).
The Ephah and Bath represented the standard dry and liquid volume benchmarks of biblical measures. The Ephah was used for barley, wheat, and sanctuary meal offerings; the Bath regulated olive oil and wine in royal and temple stores. In the Book of Ruth (2:17), when Ruth gleans in Boaz’s field and gathers an ephah of barley (~22 liters / ~15 kg of grain!), ancient readers immediately recognized Boaz’s overwhelming generosity toward the humble Moabite woman. God commanded honest balances and just ephahs to protect the poor from dishonest merchants (Leviticus 19:36; Amos 8:5).
Ezekiel 45:11 — "The ephah and the bath shall be of the same measure, the bath containing one tenth of a homer, and the ephah one tenth of a homer; the homer shall be the standard measure."
Leviticus 19:36 — "You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt."
Ruth 2:17 — "So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley."
1 Kings 7:26 — "Its thickness was a handbreadth... it held 2,000 baths (the bronze sea in Solomon’s Temple)."
Leviticus
Numbers
Ruth
1 Kings
Ezekiel
Amos
Pesos, Medidas & Moedas
Homer & Omer (Gomer)
חֹמֶר / עֹמֶר
Chomer (Heb.) / ‘Omer (Heb.)
Hebraico
Capacidade / Volume
Homer: approx. 220 liters / 58 gallons (a donkey’s full load); Omer: approx. 2.2 liters / 2.3 quarts (daily ration of manna)
Homer literally means "a donkey’s load" (from chamor, donkey); Omer means a sheaf or one-tenth of an ephah.
Confusing the Homer (a massive 220-liter unit) with the Omer (a daily individual ration of 2.2 liters).
During the wilderness journey in Sinai, God provided bread from heaven — the miraculous manna (Exodus 16). Each Israelite was directed to gather "an omer per person" each morning (~2.2 liters). This provided balanced daily nourishment, teaching total day-to-day reliance on the Father’s providence (the biblical origin of "our daily bread"). An omer of manna was kept inside a golden jar beside the Ark of the Covenant as a perpetual reminder of God’s faithfulness (Hebrews 9:4).
Exodus 16:16 — "This is what the LORD has commanded: Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons..."
Exodus 16:36 — "Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah."
Isaiah 5:10 — "For ten acres of vineyard shall yield but one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah."
Hebrews 9:4 — "...having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant... in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded..."
Exodus
Leviticus
Isaiah
Ezekiel
Hebrews
Pesos, Medidas & Moedas
Stadion (Stadium)
στάδιον
Stádion (Gr.)
Grego
Distância
Approx. 185 to 192 meters / 600 to 630 feet (1/8 of a Roman mile)
The length of an athletic running track in ancient Greece, used as a standard measure for overland and maritime distances.
Thinking of a stadion merely as a modern enclosed arena with spectator seats; in biblical texts, it denotes distance traveled.
In the New Testament, biblical writers used the Greek stadion to describe itinerary distances. When the disciples were rowing across the Sea of Galilee against contrary winds, John notes they had "rowed about twenty-five or thirty stadia" (~5 to 6 km, in the middle of the lake) when they saw Jesus walking on the water (John 6:19). The two disciples on the road to Emmaus were walking about "sixty stadia" from Jerusalem (~11 to 12 km, Luke 24:13). In Revelation 21:16, the New Jerusalem is measured with a golden reed at 12,000 stadia (~2,200 km in length, width, and height), symbolizing divine perfection, harmony, and infinite room.
John 6:19 — "When they had rowed about three or four miles (twenty-five or thirty stadia), they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened."
Luke 24:13 — "That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles (sixty stadia) from Jerusalem."
John 11:18 — "Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles (fifteen stadia) off."
Revelation 21:16 — "The city lies foursquare... and he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and breadth and height are equal."
Luke
John
Revelation
Pesos, Medidas & Moedas
Sabbath Day’s Journey
σαββάτου ὁδός
Sabbátou hodós (Gr.)
Grego
Distância
Approx. 2,000 cubits (~900 meters to 1 kilometer / just over half a mile)
The permissible walking distance outside one’s city or encampment on the Sabbath day of rest.
Assuming it meant traveling all day long; on the contrary, it was a strictly limited radius to safeguard the holy rest prescribed in the Law.
The rabbinic concept of a "Sabbath day’s journey" was grounded in Exodus 16:29 and Joshua 3:4, where the people maintained a distance of 2,000 cubits from the Ark of the Covenant. This was considered the distance from the outer edge of the camp to the Tabernacle for worship. In Acts 1:12, Luke uses this precise geographical marker to describe the disciples returning to Jerusalem after witnessing Jesus’s ascension from the Mount of Olives, confirming that the mount was less than a kilometer from the city walls.
Acts 1:12 — "Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away."
Exodus 16:29 — "See! The LORD has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day."
Joshua 3:4 — "Yet there shall be a distance between you and it, about 2,000 cubits in length. Do not come near it, in order that you may know the way you shall go..."
Exodus
Joshua
Acts
Pesos, Medidas & Moedas
Drachma & Lepton (The Widow’s Mite)
δραχμή / λεπτόν
Drachmē (Gr.) / Leptón (Gr.)
Grego
Peso & Moeda
Drachma: Greek silver coin (similar in value to 1 denarius/day’s wage); Lepton: the smallest bronze fraction (approx. 1/128 of a denarius)
Drachma derives from "a handful" (six iron spits); Lepton derives from leptos ("thin, tiny, peeled").
Judging the value of an offering before God by its numerical sum, whereas Jesus taught that generosity is measured by sacrificial devotion of the heart.
In the New Testament, the drachma and the lepton provide profound spiritual insights. In the Parable of the Lost Coin (Luke 15:8–10), the woman’s diligent search for her single lost silver drachma depicts God’s joyful celebration over one repenting sinner. Conversely, beside the temple treasury (Mark 12:41–44; Luke 21:1–4), while the wealthy deposited large gifts from their surplus, a poor widow dropped in two tiny copper coins called lepta (together worth a Roman kodrantes, the smallest coin). Jesus commended her above all others, for she gave "all she had to live on," demonstrating absolute trust in God.
Luke 21:2–4 — "He saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins (lepta). And he said, Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them... she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."
Mark 12:42 — "And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny."
Luke 15:8 — "Or what woman, having ten silver coins (drachmas), if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it?"
Matthew 17:27 — "...go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel (four drachmas). Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself."
Matthew
Mark
Luke
Pesos, Medidas & Moedas
Span & Finger (Zeret)
זֶרֶת / אֶצְבַּע
Zéret (Heb.) / ‘Etsba (Heb.)
Hebraico
Comprimento
Span (Zéret): approx. 22 cm / 8.7 in (half a cubit); Finger (‘Etsba): approx. 1.9 cm / 0.75 in (1/24 of a cubit)
Span: the distance between the outstretched thumb and little finger; Finger: the width of the human thumb/finger.
Assuming smaller biblical measurements were approximate or careless; in temple craft and sacred weaving, the span and finger were precise official standards.
Hebrew linear measurements drew naturally from the body: four fingerbreadths made a handbreadth (~7.5 cm), three handbreadths made a span (zeret, ~22 cm), and two spans formed the cubit (~44 to 45 cm). The Breastpiece of Judgment of the High Priest, containing the twelve gemstones representing the twelve tribes, was square and measured exactly "a span in length and a span in breadth" when folded (Exodus 28:16). In Isaiah 40:12, the prophet uses this imagery with breathtaking majesty: "Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span?"
Isaiah 40:12 — "Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?"
Exodus 28:16 — "It shall be square and doubled, a span its length and a span its breadth."
Jeremiah 52:21 — "As for the pillars... their thickness was four fingers, and they were hollow."
1 Samuel 17:4 — "...Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span."
Exodus
1 Samuel
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Pesos, Medidas & Moedas
Spirit & Breath of Life (Ruach / Pneuma)
רוּחַ / πνεῦμα
Rûach (Heb.) / Pneûma (Gr.)
Hebraico
Ruach and pneuma: wind, breath or spirit, depending on context.
Concluding that the Spirit is impersonal energy because the word can also mean wind.
Ezekiel 37 uses ruach for breath, winds and Spirit in the restoration vision. John 3:8 explores pneuma when teaching birth through the Spirit. The meanings should not all be added to each occurrence; passages describe the Spirit’s identity and action.
Genesis 1:2 — "The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God (Rûach Elohim) was hovering over the face of the waters."
Ezekiel 37:9 — "Breathe from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live... and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet..."
John 3:8 — "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Romans 8:16 — "The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God."
Genesis
Ezekiel
John
Acts
Romans
Vida & Existência
Sources
Word & Eternal Logos
דָּבָר / λόγος
Dābār (Heb.) / Lógos (Gr.)
Grego
Dabar: word, matter or event; logos: word, message, discourse or reason.
Defining every logos as Jesus, or claiming every word has inherent creative power.
John 1 uses Logos to designate the Word who was with God and became flesh. Personal identity comes from the prologue’s statements. Elsewhere logos has ordinary meanings. Dabar also has several uses; “word” and “event” should not be combined into a mandatory definition for every occurrence.
John 1:1, 14 — "In the beginning was the Word (Lógos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us..."
Psalm 33:6 — "By the word (dābār) of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host."
Isaiah 55:11 — "So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose..."
Hebrews 4:12 — "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword..."
Psalms
Isaiah
John
Hebrews
1 John
Deus & Aliança
Sources
Fellowship & Shared Life (Koinonia)
κοινωνία
Koinōnía (Gr.)
Grego
Participation, fellowship, partnership or contribution.
Reducing fellowship to socializing or assuming it always means sharing all property.
In Acts 2:42 koinonia characterizes community life; in 1 Corinthians 10:16, participation in Christ’s blood and body; in Romans 15:26, a material contribution. Context identifies what is shared and explains why translations differ.
Acts 2:42 — "And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship (koinōnía), to the breaking of bread and the prayers."
1 John 1:3 — "...so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ."
Philippians 2:1–2 — "So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit (koinōnía)... complete my joy by being of the same mind..."
2 Corinthians 13:14 — "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."
Acts
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Philippians
1 John
Paz & Justiça
Sources
Truth & Faithfulness (Emet / Aletheia)
אֱמֶת / ἀλήθεια
’Emeth (Heb.) / Alētheia (Gr.)
Hebraico
Emet: truth, reliability or faithfulness; aletheia: truth or reality.
Excluding truthful statements in favor of always emphasizing abstract firmness.
Exodus 34:6 describes God as abundant in hesed and emet, emphasizing his reliability. Elsewhere emet concerns the truthfulness of speech. John connects truth with God’s revelation in Jesus. Relational meaning does not eliminate the distinction between truth and falsehood.
John 14:6 — "Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth (alētheia), and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
John 8:32 — "And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Psalm 85:10 — "Steadfast love and faithfulness (emet) meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other."
Psalm 119:160 — "The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever."
Psalms
Proverbs
John
Ephesians
1 Timothy
Paz & Justiça
Sources
Abundant & Eternal Life (Zoe)
חַיִּים / ζωή
Chayyîm (Heb.) / Zōē (Gr.)
Grego
Chayyim: life; zoe: life, including ordinary or eternal life as context indicates.
Creating a fixed scale in which bios is inferior life, psyche only emotions and zoe always divine life.
Zoe does not automatically mean eternal life: Acts 17:25 speaks of the life God gives everyone. In John 17:3 “eternal life” is explained through relationship with God and Jesus Christ. Greek life-words have overlapping senses; modifiers and context are decisive.
Acts 17:25 — God gives everyone life and breath.
John 17:3 — Eternal life is explained in relationship with God and Jesus Christ.
Genesis
Psalms
John
Romans
1 John
Vida & Existência
Sources
Compassion & Visceral Mercy
רַחֲמִים / σπλαγχνίζομαι
Rachamîm (Heb.) / Splagchnízomai (Gr.)
Hebraico
Rahamim: compassion, mercy; splagchnizomai: feel deep compassion.
Treating an etymological image as every occurrence’s meaning or reserving the Greek verb exclusively for Jesus.
Hebrew compassion vocabulary relates to the lexical family of rehem, womb. Greek evokes the inward parts as the seat of emotions, but in usage means having compassion. Besides Jesus, the Samaritan and the parable’s father are subjects of the verb. The narrative shows compassion prompting action.
Matthew 9:36 — "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion (splagchnízomai) for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."
Luke 15:20 — "And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him."
Isaiah 49:15 — "Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion (racham) on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you."
Colossians 3:12 — "Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility..."
Isaiah
Psalms
Matthew
Mark
Luke
Colossians
Salvação & Graça
Sources
Blessing & Divine Favor
בָּרַךְ / εὐλογία
Bārak (Heb.) / Eulogía (Gr.)
Hebraico
Barak: bless or praise; eulogia: blessing or praise.
Treating blessing as a magic formula or an automatic promise of wealth.
When God blesses, he grants good; when a person blesses God, they praise him. Numbers 6 contains a blessing addressed to the people; Psalm 103 calls a person to bless the LORD. The direction of the action changes the sense even when translation uses the same word family.
Genesis 12:2–3 — "And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing... and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
Numbers 6:24–26 — "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace."
Ephesians 1:3 — "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places."
Psalm 103:1 — "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!"
Genesis
Numbers
Psalms
Ephesians
Esperança & Futuro
Sources
Worship & Reverent Adoration
שָׁחָה / προσκυνέω
Shāchāh (Heb.) / Proskynéō (Gr.)
Hebraico
Bow down, pay homage or worship, depending on recipient and context.
Assuming every bow implies divine worship, or reducing worship to music.
The vocabulary can describe homage before humans and worship of God. John 4:23-24 specifies worship of the Father in spirit and truth. Recipient and setting are essential for interpreting the gesture; finding the same verb in two passages is not enough.
John 4:23–24 — "But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit..."
Psalm 95:6 — "Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!"
Revelation 4:10–11 — "The twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever... Worthy are you, our Lord and God..."
Romans 12:1 — "...to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."
Genesis
Psalms
John
Romans
Revelation
Esperança & Futuro
Sources
I Am
אֶהְיֶה / ἐγώ εἰμι
Ehyeh / ego eimi
Hebraico
Jesus & Discipulado
Ehyeh: I am or I will be, depending on context; ego eimi: I am.
Treating every occurrence of “I am” as a declaration of the divine name.
Exodus 3:12-14 connects God’s promised presence with his revelation to Moses. In John 8:58 Jesus’ statement contrasts with Abraham’s birth and carries Christological weight. In John 9:9 the same Greek expression identifies the healed man. Context distinguishes the theological claim from ordinary identification.
John 8:58 — Jesus says “I am” in contrast with Abraham’s birth.
Exodus
John
Sources
LORD / divine name
יהוה
YHWH
Hebraico
Deus & Aliança
The proper name of Israel’s God, written with four consonants.
Confusing the proper name with every occurrence of the title “lord”.
Many translations use LORD in capitals to represent YHWH, following the tradition of reading it as Lord. Exodus 3 connects revelation of the name with God’s presence with his people. Consonantal spelling alone does not supply a complete vocalization.
Exodus 3:14-15 — The name is introduced in the context of Moses’ commission.
Exodus
Genesis
Psalms
Isaiah
Sources
Glory / honor
כָּבוֹד
Kavod
Hebraico
Culto, Tabernáculo & Festas
Honor, splendor or glory; wealth in some contexts.
Always translating it as “weight” because it belongs to a word family associated with heaviness.
Exodus 40 describes the LORD’s glory filling the Tabernacle. Elsewhere kavod concerns human honor. Weight can illustrate importance, but “physical weight” is not the meaning of every occurrence.
Exodus 40:34-35 — The LORD’s glory fills the Tabernacle.
Exodus
Psalms
Ezekiel
Sources
Tabernacle covering skins
תַּחַשׁ
Tahash
Hebraico
Culto, Tabernáculo & Festas
An uncertain term used for a kind of skin or leather.
Presenting badger, dolphin or another animal as guaranteed by the Hebrew.
Translations vary because tahash is uncertain. The skins’ role in covering and transporting sacred objects is clearer than the source species. Illustrated reconstructions should acknowledge this uncertainty.
Exodus 26:14 — Tahash qualifies the outer covering.
Exodus
Numbers
Ezekiel
Sources
Priest
כֹּהֵן
Kohen
Hebraico
Culto, Tabernáculo & Festas
Priest; a role in cultic service.
Assuming the word identifies only Israelite priests descended from Aaron.
The term identifies Israel’s priests, but also Melchizedek and priests of other peoples. Legitimacy, lineage and duties require context. This helps clarify Hebrews’ contrast between the Levitical order and Christ’s priesthood.
Genesis 14:18 — Melchizedek is called priest of God Most High.
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Hebrews
Sources
Only begotten / unique
μονογενής
Monogenes
Grego
Jesus & Discipulado
Only, only child or unique in a relationship.
Concluding from “only begotten” alone that the word describes creating the Son.
Luke uses monogenes for only children. Hebrews 11:17 applies it to Isaac although Abraham had another son, highlighting his unique relationship to the promise. In John the context presents the Son’s uniqueness; his relationship with the Father requires more than an isolated word.
Hebrews 11:17 — Isaac is called monogenes in the promise’s context.
Luke
John
Hebrews
Sources
Word / utterance
ῥῆμα / λόγος
Rhema / logos
Grego
Jesus & Discipulado
Rhema: word, utterance or matter; logos: word, message or discourse.
Teaching a fixed contrast between logos as written Scripture and rhema as personal revelation.
Their uses overlap. In 1 Peter 1:23-25 logos and rhema appear within the same account of the proclaimed word. Context may give each a particular emphasis, but does not establish two universal categories of revelation.
1 Peter 1:23-25 — Both terms occur in the account of the proclaimed word.
Romans
Ephesians
1 Peter
Sources
Son of Man
בַּר אֱנָשׁ / υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου
Bar enash / huios tou anthropou
Aramaico
Jesus & Discipulado
An expression of humanity: son of man, a human figure.
Assuming it only denies Jesus’ divinity or is a technical title in every occurrence.
Daniel 7:13 describes someone like a son of man coming with the clouds. In the Gospels Jesus uses the expression for authority, suffering and glory. Connections with Daniel depend on imagery and context, not just word meanings.
Daniel 7:13-14 — The human figure receives dominion and kingship.
Daniel
Mark
Matthew
John
Sources
https://biblehub.com/hebrew/1247.htm
Blessed / happy
μακάριος
Makarios
Grego
Jesus & Discipulado
Happy, fortunate or in a condition worthy of congratulations.
Reading the beatitudes as a promise of constantly pleasant feelings.
Matthew 5 calls mourners and the persecuted blessed. The declaration evaluates their condition in light of God’s promise, not their present emotional state. “Happy” is possible but requires explaining the context.
Matthew 5:4 — Those who mourn are called blessed.
Matthew
Luke
James
Revelation
Sources
Servant / slave
δοῦλος
Doulos
Grego
Vida & Existência
Slave; someone belonging or subject to a master.
Always imagining a modern employee free to end a contract.
“Servant” and “slave” may soften or emphasize the ancient social condition. Paul also uses doulos figuratively for belonging to Christ. Distinguishing social and figurative usage helps readers approach Philemon, parables and apostolic introductions.
Philemon 1:16 — Paul speaks of receiving Onesimus as more than a slave: a brother.
Romans
Philemon
Matthew
Ephesians
Sources
Word of wisdom / knowledge
λόγος σοφίας / λόγος γνώσεως
Logos sophias / logos gnoseos
Grego
Dons, Fruto & Igreja
A message or expression of wisdom; a message or expression of knowledge.
Deriving a fixed technique for revealing secret personal facts from the Greek.
First Corinthians 12:8 uses two expressions with logos. Sophia means wisdom and gnosis knowledge. Paul does not give a detailed account of each gift’s operation there; a glossary should distinguish the wording from applications proposed in different churches.
1 Corinthians 12:8 — Both expressions are connected with the same Spirit.
1 Corinthians
James
Sources
Gifts of healings
χαρίσματα ἰαμάτων
Charismata iamaton
Grego
Dons, Fruto & Igreja
Gifts of healings: both nouns are plural.
Treating the plural as proof that each person has authority over a particular disease.
The plural, less visible in some translations, deserves attention. However, 1 Corinthians 12 supplies no medical classification of gifts. Distribution by the Spirit and the common good frame the expression; grammatical number alone provides no theory of how it operates.
1 Corinthians 12:9 — Both “gifts” and “healings” are plural.
1 Corinthians
Sources
God / gods
אֱלֹהִים
Elohim
Hebraico
Deus & Aliança
God, gods or divine beings, depending on grammar and context.
Treating the plural ending alone as proof of multiple gods or the Trinity.
In Genesis 1:1, elohim takes a singular verb and refers to the Creator. In Exodus 12:12 it refers to Egypt’s gods. The same written form need not have the same referent.
Genesis 1:1 — Elohim is the subject of the singular verb “created”.
Genesis
Exodus
Psalms
Sources
Law / instruction
תּוֹרָה
Torah
Hebraico
Deus & Aliança
Instruction, teaching or law.
Reading every occurrence as a penal code or the title of Moses’ five books.
Torah can mean a mother’s instruction, priestly guidance or the Law of Moses. This range helps readers approach Proverbs and the Psalms without reducing God’s teaching to prohibitions.
Proverbs 1:8 — A mother’s instruction is also called torah.
Exodus
Deuteronomy
Psalms
Proverbs
Sources
Hear / obey
שָׁמַע
Shama / shema
Hebraico
Deus & Aliança
Hear, listen, heed; in some contexts, obey.
Mechanically replacing every “hear” with “obey”.
Shema is the imperative “hear” in Deuteronomy 6:4. In this covenant appeal, listening calls for love and faithfulness; elsewhere the verb can simply mean hearing news or a sound.
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 — The call to hear precedes the command to love.
Deuteronomy
1 Samuel
Jeremiah
Sources
Fear / revere
יָרֵא
Yare
Hebraico
Vida & Existência
Be afraid, fear or revere.
Claiming that fearing God never includes fear, or means only terror.
The verb covers fear of danger and reverence for God. Exodus 20:20 uses fear language in two ways: Moses rejects panic while presenting the fear of God as a reason not to sin.
Exodus 20:20 — “Do not fear” and the fear of God occur in the same verse.
Exodus
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Sources
Do not kill / do not murder
רָצַח
Ratsach
Hebraico
Paz & Justiça
Kill a person; used for intentional and unintentional homicide.
Assuming the command uses a generic verb for every death, or that ratsach means only premeditated murder.
Exodus 20:13 prohibits homicide. Numbers 35 uses the same verbal family when distinguishing murder from accidental killing. Legal context matters; one gloss cannot settle every question about force.
Numbers 35:11 — The verbal family also describes unintentional killing.
Exodus
Deuteronomy
Numbers
Matthew
Sources
Sabbath / rest
שַׁבָּת
Shabbat
Hebraico
Culto, Tabernáculo & Festas
Sabbath, a day of ceasing from work.
Reading God’s rest as recovery from physical exhaustion.
The Sabbath orders Israel’s time around ceasing from work. Exodus 20 connects it with creation; Deuteronomy 5 with deliverance from Egypt and servants’ rest. The name alone does not determine Christian applications.
Deuteronomy 5:14-15 — Rest includes servants and recalls deliverance.
Genesis
Exodus
Deuteronomy
Mark
Hebrews
Sources
A helper corresponding to him
עֵזֶר כְּנֶגְדּוֹ
Ezer kenegdo
Hebraico
Família & Relações
Help / a helper corresponding to him, opposite him.
Treating “helper” as a lexical synonym for inferiority or a servant.
Ezer also describes God’s help in the Psalms, so it does not imply inferiority. Kenegdo adds correspondence. In Genesis 2 the phrase addresses the man’s solitude; it does not by itself establish a complete theory of marital roles.
Genesis 2:18 — The help is described as corresponding to the man.
Genesis
Psalms
Ephesians
Sources
Hold fast / cling
דָּבַק
Dabaq
Hebraico
Família & Relações
Stick, cling or remain closely attached.
Reducing the union of Genesis 2:24 to a passing emotion.
Dabaq can describe physical adhesion and personal loyalty. It appears in marriage, Ruth’s decision to stay with Naomi, and Israel’s attachment to the LORD. These different contexts share the idea of a lasting bond.
Ruth 1:14 — Ruth clings to Naomi.
Genesis
Ruth
Deuteronomy
Matthew
Sources
Image of God
צֶלֶם
Tselem
Hebraico
Família & Relações
Image, representation or figure.
Concluding that being God’s image means having exactly his physical appearance.
Genesis 1:26-28 connects God’s image with humanity, male and female, and responsibility for creation. Elsewhere the word describes material images; human dignity and vocation emerge from the narrative, not a hidden word meaning.
Genesis 1:27 — Male and female are created in God’s image.
Genesis
Colossians
Sources
Tabernacle / dwell
מִשְׁכָּן / σκηνόω
Mishkan / skenoo
Hebraico
Culto, Tabernáculo & Festas
Mishkan: dwelling; skenoo: dwell, pitch a tent.
Confusing the Exodus tent with the stone temple, or reducing John 1:14 to camping.
The Tabernacle is God’s dwelling among Israel. John uses eskenosen, a form of skenoo, for the Word’s presence among us. Dwelling imagery and glory connect the passages without making every tent a symbol of Christ.
John 1:14 — “Dwelt” uses a word associated with a tent.
Exodus
John
Hebrews
Revelation
Sources
Mercy seat
כַּפֹּרֶת / ἱλαστήριον
Kapporet / hilasterion
Hebraico
Culto, Tabernáculo & Festas
The Ark’s cover associated with the atonement rite.
Imagining a second altar or assuming “propitiation” always has the same referent.
In Leviticus 16, blood is sprinkled on and before the cover. Hebrews 9:5 calls it hilasterion. Romans 3:25 applies the same word to Christ; translations and interpreters differ between mercy-seat imagery and a means or sacrifice of atonement.
Hebrews 9:5 — Hilasterion refers to the Ark’s mercy seat.
Exodus
Leviticus
Romans
Hebrews
Sources
Burnt offering
עֹלָה
Olah
Hebraico
Culto, Tabernáculo & Festas
A burnt offering, associated with ascending.
Assuming every biblical offering was entirely burned.
In Leviticus 1 the offering is consumed on the altar, unlike sacrifices with portions assigned to meals. The term identifies a particular sacrificial form; its association with ascending does not turn every occurrence into a prediction of ascension.
Leviticus 1:9 — The priest burns the offering on the altar.
Leviticus
Exodus
Hebrews
Sources
Grain offering / fellowship offerings
מִנְחָה / שְׁלָמִים
Minhah / shelamim
Hebraico
Culto, Tabernáculo & Festas
Minhah: gift, tribute or offering; shelamim: peace / well-being offerings.
Treating every sacrifice as a sin offering, or every minhah as grain.
Minhah has a general range but refers to a grain offering in Leviticus 2. The shelamim of Leviticus 3 and 7 include portions shared in a meal. These distinctions clarify Tabernacle worship.
Leviticus 7:15 — The meat of a thanksgiving offering is eaten.
Genesis
Leviticus
Numbers
Sources
Cleanse / become unclean
טָהֵר / טָמֵא
Taher / tame
Hebraico
Culto, Tabernáculo & Festas
Be or become clean / unclean; purify / defile.
Automatically equating ritual impurity with moral guilt or poor hygiene.
Leviticus distinguishes ritual states, including after childbirth or contact with the dead, from moral transgressions. The categories can overlap but are not identical. This helps readers avoid treating purity laws and Jesus’ healings as moral condemnation of everyone affected.
Leviticus 12:2 — Childbirth involves a ritual state; the text does not call it sin.
Leviticus
Numbers
Mark
Sources
Blameless / without blemish
תָּמִים
Tamim
Hebraico
Culto, Tabernáculo & Festas
Complete, sound or without blemish, depending on the referent.
Concluding that Noah never sinned because he is called tamim.
For sacrificial animals the term indicates absence of defect; for people it can characterize integrity. Noah’s description in Genesis 6 belongs alongside the rest of his story, rather than declaring absolute sinlessness.
Genesis 6:9 — Noah is described as blameless among his contemporaries.
Genesis
Leviticus
Psalms
Sources
Festivals / appointed times
מוֹעֵד
Moed
Hebraico
Culto, Tabernáculo & Festas
An appointed time, meeting or occasion.
Assuming it always means festival or contains a hidden prophetic calendar.
In Leviticus 23, moadim are appointed occasions for Israel. In “tent of meeting”, moed emphasizes meeting. The word clarifies worship’s organization; chronological predictions require arguments beyond its meaning.
Leviticus 23:2 — The festivals are called the LORD’s appointed times.
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Sources
Passover
פֶּסַח / πάσχα
Pesach / pascha
Hebraico
Culto, Tabernáculo & Festas
Passover; the celebration, meal or sacrificial victim.
Reading every occurrence as the present Christian celebration of the resurrection.
Exodus 12 connects Passover with Israelite households being spared and departure from Egypt. Greek pascha retains that Jewish setting in the Gospels. Paul applies Passover imagery to Christ in 1 Corinthians 5:7: an explicit interpretation, not merely etymology.
1 Corinthians 5:7 — Christ is identified as the sacrificed Passover.
Exodus
Leviticus
Luke
1 Corinthians
Sources
Unleavened bread
מַצּוֹת
Matzot
Hebraico
Culto, Tabernáculo & Festas
Plural of matzah: bread without leaven.
Treating leaven as an unchanging symbol of evil throughout Scripture.
Unleavened bread recalls the hurried departure from Egypt. Paul uses removing leaven as an image of moral cleansing in the community; Jesus also uses leaven in a kingdom parable. Context determines the image’s application.
Exodus 12:39 — The dough had not risen because departure was hurried.
Exodus
Leviticus
Matthew
1 Corinthians
Sources
Firstfruits
בִּכּוּרִים / ἀπαρχή
Bikkurim / aparche
Hebraico
Culto, Tabernáculo & Festas
First produce of a harvest; in Greek also the first portion.
Confusing firstfruits with the whole harvest or the tithe.
Firstfruits are presented to God as the first produce. In 1 Corinthians 15, calling Christ the firstfruits of resurrection places him at the beginning of a future harvest. The image’s scope comes from Paul’s argument.
1 Corinthians 15:20-23 — Christ the firstfruits; afterward, those who belong to him.
Leviticus
Deuteronomy
1 Corinthians
James
Sources
Weeks / Pentecost
שָׁבֻעוֹת / πεντηκοστή
Shavuot / pentekoste
Hebraico
Culto, Tabernáculo & Festas
Shavuot: weeks; pentekoste: fiftieth.
Thinking Pentecost means tongues or that the festival began in Acts 2.
Counting seven weeks and the fiftieth day in Leviticus 23 explains both names. Acts 2 places the outpouring of the Spirit at an existing Jewish festival. The Christian event is not the name’s lexical meaning.
Leviticus 23:15-16 — Seven weeks and fifty days frame the festival.
Leviticus
Deuteronomy
Acts
Sources
Trumpets / acclamation
תְּרוּעָה
Teruah
Hebraico
Culto, Tabernáculo & Festas
A shout, acclamation, alarm or sounding blast.
Assuming teruah names a particular instrument.
The word describes a sound or shout, which may involve voices or instruments. It characterizes the observance in Leviticus 23:24 and the people’s shout in Joshua 6. “Feast of Trumpets” is an explanatory designation.
Joshua 6:20 — The people raise a great teruah.
Leviticus
Numbers
Joshua
Psalms
Sources
Tabernacles / booths
סֻכּוֹת
Sukkot
Hebraico
Culto, Tabernáculo & Festas
Booths or shelters; plural of sukkah.
Confusing the festival’s booths with the sanctuary called the Tabernacle.
Leviticus 23 commands dwelling in booths to recall departure from Egypt. The word differs from mishkan, the sacred dwelling. This clarifies the festival and John 7’s setting without turning every booth detail into prophecy.
Leviticus 23:42-43 — Living in booths preserves the memory of deliverance.
Leviticus
Nehemiah
John
Zechariah
Sources
Release / jubilee
שְׁמִטָּה / יוֹבֵל
Shemittah / yovel
Hebraico
Culto, Tabernáculo & Festas
Shemittah: release; yovel: jubilee, also associated with a ram’s horn.
Confusing the seven- and fifty-year cycles or automatically turning them into financial predictions.
Deuteronomy 15 addresses debt release; Leviticus 25 describes jubilee and return to family holdings. These related but distinct institutions show social dimensions of Israel’s covenant.
Leviticus 25:10 — Jubilee proclaims liberty and return to property.
Leviticus
Deuteronomy
Isaiah
Luke
Sources
Purim / lots
פּוּר / פּוּרִים
Pur / Purim
Hebraico
Culto, Tabernáculo & Festas
Pur: a cast lot; Purim: the plural used for the festival.
Assuming the festival’s name directly means victory or joy.
Esther 9 explains the name through Haman’s lot to choose a day for destroying the Jews. The name preserves memory of the reversed threat. The book itself supplies the explanation without requiring letter codes.
Esther 9:24-26 — Purim is connected with Haman’s lot.
Esther
Sources
Dedication / Hanukkah
חֲנֻכָּה / ἐγκαίνια
Hanukkah / enkainia
Hebraico
Culto, Tabernáculo & Festas
Dedication; enkainia names the Dedication festival in John.
Confusing Dedication with a festival prescribed in Leviticus 23.
Hebrew uses hanukkah for dedicating an altar or house. John 10:22 uses Greek enkainia for the festival recalling the temple’s rededication. Distinguishing the common meaning from the festival name avoids mixing events from different periods.
John 10:22 — The Dedication festival takes place in winter.
Numbers
Nehemiah
John
Sources
Manna / “what is it?”
מָן / מָן הוּא
Man / man hu
Hebraico
História & Narrativa
Man: manna; the narrative connects the name with “what is it?”.
Turning the narrative explanation into a certain scientific identification of the food.
Exodus 16:15 presents Israelites who do not recognize the food. The wordplay recalls surprise and provision. John 6 returns to the episode to speak of the bread of life; the word alone does not identify manna’s composition.
Exodus 16:15 — The question arises because they do not know what it is.
Exodus
Numbers
John
Sources
Red Sea / Sea of Reeds
יַם־סוּף
Yam suph
Hebraico
História & Narrativa
Yam: sea; suph: reeds or aquatic vegetation.
Assuming the name alone precisely locates the crossing.
The Hebrew expression is traditionally rendered Red Sea. Suph explains the alternative “Sea of Reeds”, but the name also occurs in settings connected with the Gulf of Aqaba. Locating the crossing requires other evidence.
1 Kings 9:26 — Yam suph is associated with Ezion-geber near Elath.
Exodus
Numbers
1 Kings
Sources
Serpent / great creature
תַּנִּין
Tannin
Hebraico
História & Narrativa
Serpent, dragon or large aquatic creature, depending on context.
Claiming a certain zoological identification in Exodus 7 from the word alone.
The sign before Pharaoh uses tannin, while other episodes use nahash for snake. Tannin has a wider range, including aquatic creatures in Genesis 1. The difference matters but does not prove that the staff became a crocodile.
Exodus 7:10 — Aaron’s staff becomes a tannin.
Genesis
Exodus
Ezekiel
Sources
Harden the heart
חָזַק / כָּבֵד / קָשָׁה
Hazaq / kaved / qashah
Hebraico
História & Narrativa
Be strong / firm, be heavy, be hard / difficult.
Assuming every translation uses one underlying verb or that word choice removes the narrative’s tension.
Exodus uses different verbal families for Pharaoh’s resistance. Some passages describe the heart’s state; others attribute action to Pharaoh or God. The imagery enriches reading without alone resolving responsibility and sovereignty.
Exodus 7:3; Exodus 8:15; Exodus 9:12 — The narrative varies verbs and agents.
Exodus
Romans
Sources
https://biblehub.com/hebrew/2388.htm
City gate
שַׁעַר
Shaar
Hebraico
História & Narrativa
A gate or entrance to a city, enclosure or sanctuary.
Reading every gate in Nehemiah as a spiritual stage encoded in Hebrew.
The gate could also be a place for public decisions and business, as in Ruth 4. In Nehemiah the names identify actual structures. Spiritual applications may be offered as analogies, but are not shaar’s lexical meaning.
Ruth 4:1-11 — Redemption is handled publicly at the city gate.
Ruth
Nehemiah
Psalms
Sources
Beget / give birth
יָלַד
Yalad
Hebraico
História & Narrativa
Give birth or beget, depending on verbal form and subject.
Always calculating exact chronologies from a simple list of names.
In genealogies the verb introduces descent relationships. Each list’s family, priestly or royal purpose matters. Not all genealogies should be assumed equally detailed; lists with ages require their own analysis.
Genesis 5:3 — The begetting relationship includes an explicit age.
Genesis
1 Chronicles
Matthew
Luke
Sources
Dan / will judge
דָּן / יָדִין
Dan / yadin
Hebraico
História & Narrativa
The name Dan and the verbal form “will judge”.
Treating every name’s etymology as the entire tribe’s inevitable destiny.
Genesis 49:16 connects Dan with yadin: Dan will judge his people. This is visible wordplay within the poem. It helps readers understand Jacob’s blessing without assigning a prophetic code to every letter in a name.
Genesis 49:16 — The name and verb form a wordplay.
Genesis
Judges
Sources
Born again / from above
ἄνωθεν
Anothen
Grego
Jesus & Discipulado
From above, again or from the beginning, depending on context.
Choosing one meaning and erasing the misunderstanding in Nicodemus’ dialogue.
In John 3 Nicodemus understands a second physical birth, but Jesus speaks of birth through the Spirit. Anothen’s range explains “again” and “from above” in translations. John 3:31 uses it for one who comes from above.
John 3:3-8 — The misunderstanding leads to an explanation of birth through the Spirit.
John
James
Sources
Kingdom / reign
βασιλεία
Basileia
Grego
Jesus & Discipulado
Kingship, royal rule or a king’s realm.
Reducing God’s kingdom to a place people go after death.
The word can emphasize reigning or the realm governed. In the Gospels Jesus announces and manifests God’s rule, with present and future dimensions. Not every use reduces to territory or to an exclusively inward experience.
Matthew 12:28 — Driving out demons is presented as the kingdom’s arrival.
Matthew
Mark
Luke
Acts
Sources
Disciple
μαθητής
Mathetes
Grego
Jesus & Discipulado
Learner, pupil or follower of a teacher.
Understanding discipleship only as collecting information or attending a course.
In the Gospels disciples learn by accompanying Jesus and responding to his teaching. Matthew 28 uses the related verb matheteuo for making disciples, connected with baptism and teaching them to observe what Jesus commanded.
Matthew 28:19-20 — Making disciples includes teaching obedience to Jesus’ instruction.
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Sources
Baptize
βαπτίζω
Baptizo
Grego
Jesus & Discipulado
Dip, immerse or perform a ritual washing / baptism.
Deriving the entire doctrine of baptism from a dictionary definition.
The term has ritual and figurative uses. John’s baptism concerns repentance; Romans 6 connects baptism with Christ’s death and resurrection. The word clarifies the imagery, but debates over recipients and mode require reading the passages.
Romans 6:3-4 — Baptism is connected with death and life in Christ.
Mark
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
Sources
Sign / miracle / power
σημεῖον / δύναμις
Semeion / dynamis
Grego
Jesus & Discipulado
Semeion: sign or indication; dynamis: power, ability or mighty deed.
Defining dynamis as “dynamite” or treating a sign merely as spectacle.
Translations can use “miracle” for words with different emphases. John calls acts that point to Jesus’ identity signs. Dynamis emphasizes power; modern “dynamite” derives from Greek but does not explain its ancient meaning.
John 2:11 — The Cana sign manifests Jesus’ glory.
John
Mark
Acts
1 Corinthians
Sources
Parable
παραβολή
Parabole
Grego
Jesus & Discipulado
Comparison, illustration or comparative story.
Seeking a secret correspondence for every object, number and character.
A parable uses comparison to make something understood. Some receive detailed explanations; others emphasize surprise or confrontation. Interpretation should follow context and the text’s own explanations, rather than a fixed symbol code.
Mark 4:13-20 — Jesus explains the sower comparison.
Matthew
Mark
Luke
Hebrews
Sources
Comforter / advocate / helper
παράκλητος
Parakletos
Grego
Jesus & Discipulado
One who assists or pleads for another; advocate, helper.
Reducing the title to emotional comfort or assuming it can refer only to the Spirit.
John 14–16 applies the title to the Spirit, who teaches and testifies. In 1 John 2:1 it identifies Jesus as advocate with the Father. Translations choose different terms for functions developed in context.
1 John 2:1 — Jesus Christ is called parakletos with the Father.
John
1 John
Sources
Church / assembly
ἐκκλησία
Ekklesia
Grego
Dons, Fruto & Igreja
Assembly or congregation.
Defining the word only as a building, or as “called-out ones” by splitting its etymology.
In Acts 19, ekklesia can identify a civic assembly. In Paul’s letters it refers to communities of believers. Context identifies the assembly; a word’s origins do not replace its actual usage.
Acts 19:39 — The word describes a lawful city assembly.
Matthew
Acts
1 Corinthians
Ephesians
Sources
Gift / spiritual gifts
χάρισμα / πνευματικά
Charisma / pneumatika
Grego
Dons, Fruto & Igreja
Charisma: gracious gift; pneumatika: spiritual things, depending on construction.
Defining charisma exclusively as one of the nine gifts in 1 Corinthians 12.
Charisma also describes eternal life as a gift in Romans 6:23. In 1 Corinthians 12–14 the setting is service to the community. “Gifts” may be supplied when translating expressions with pneumatikos to clarify the subject.
Romans 6:23 — Eternal life is called God’s charisma.
Romans
1 Corinthians
1 Peter
Sources
Apostle / envoy
ἀπόστολος
Apostolos
Grego
Dons, Fruto & Igreja
Envoy, messenger or commissioned representative.
Giving every envoy the Twelve’s specific authority simply because the same term is used.
The word identifies Jesus’ apostles and, in some texts, churches’ messengers. Mission and authority depend on the sender and described role. The lexical definition alone does not resolve debate about present apostolic ministry.
2 Corinthians 8:23 — The brothers are described as churches’ messengers.
Luke
Acts
2 Corinthians
Ephesians
Philippians
Sources
Prophet
προφήτης
Prophetes
Grego
Dons, Fruto & Igreja
A prophet, someone conveying a message attributed to God.
Reducing prophecy to predicting dates and future events.
Prophecy includes proclamation, warning, exhortation and prediction. First Corinthians 14 emphasizes edification, encouragement and comfort, while requiring evaluation. The title does not automatically authenticate a message; the New Testament warns against false prophets.
1 Corinthians 14:3,29 — Prophecy builds up and must be evaluated.
Acts
1 Corinthians
Ephesians
Revelation
Sources
Ministry / service
διακονία
Diakonia
Grego
Dons, Fruto & Igreja
Service, assistance, task or ministry.
Assuming ministry means only a public religious office.
Acts 6 uses diakonia for daily assistance and for ministry of the word. One word includes different forms of service. This illuminates gifts, practical care and teaching without erasing their distinct responsibilities.
Acts 6:1-4 — Assistance and service of the word share the same vocabulary.
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
Ephesians
Sources
Pastor / elder / bishop
ποιμήν / πρεσβύτερος / ἐπίσκοπος
Poimen / presbyteros / episkopos
Grego
Dons, Fruto & Igreja
Shepherd; elder; overseer.
Automatically projecting modern hierarchies and titles onto every occurrence.
In Acts 20 the elders are called overseers and charged with shepherding. The terms emphasize care, maturity and oversight. They overlap in that passage; later Christian structures should be distinguished from this lexical observation.
Acts 20:17,28 — Elders, overseers and shepherding occur in the same address.
John
Acts
Ephesians
Titus
1 Peter
Sources
https://biblehub.com/greek/4166.htm
Tongue / tongues
γλῶσσα
Glossa
Grego
Dons, Fruto & Igreja
The organ of speech or a language; speaking in tongues in gift contexts.
Inferring from the noun alone that every occurrence describes exactly the same phenomenon.
Acts 2 emphasizes hearers recognizing their languages. In 1 Corinthians 14 Paul requires interpretation to build up the assembly. Vocabulary alone cannot settle every debate over tongues; each passage’s description matters.
1 Corinthians 14:27-28 — Public use is subject to interpretation and order.
Acts
1 Corinthians
James
Sources
Discernment
διάκρισις
Diakrisis
Grego
Dons, Fruto & Igreja
Distinguishing, assessment or judgment.
Confusing discernment with automatic suspicion or infallible mind-reading.
In 1 Corinthians 12:10, plural diakriseis concerns distinguishing spirits. Hebrews 5:14 uses the noun for discerning good and evil through practice. These settings show that the word does not authorize unsupported accusations.
Hebrews 5:14 — Discernment is associated with trained faculties.
Romans
1 Corinthians
Hebrews
Sources
Exhortation / encouragement / comfort
παράκλησις
Paraklesis
Grego
Dons, Fruto & Igreja
An appeal, encouragement or consolation.
Understanding every exhortation as a harsh rebuke.
The word can describe an appeal that prompts action or comfort that sustains people in distress. This range clarifies Romans 12:8 and Barnabas’ name in Acts 4:36, translated as son of consolation or encouragement.
Acts 4:36 — Barnabas receives a name explained through paraklesis.
Acts
Romans
2 Corinthians
Sources
Hospitality
φιλοξενία
Philoxenia
Grego
Dons, Fruto & Igreja
Welcoming guests or strangers.
Reducing hospitality to entertaining friends who can repay it.
Romans 12 and Hebrews 13 include hospitality among community practices. The word highlights openness to those arriving from outside, not only socializing within the group. Welcoming others does not exclude discernment.
Hebrews 13:2 — The community is reminded to welcome strangers.
Romans
Hebrews
1 Peter
Sources
Administration / guidance
κυβέρνησις
Kybernesis
Grego
Dons, Fruto & Igreja
Direction or governance; a word family associated with piloting.
Confusing “governments” in 1 Corinthians 12 with political power or authoritarian control.
Paul uses plural kyberneseis among functions serving the community. Direction imagery helps readers understand coordination and guidance. The body context prevents reading the role in isolation as permission to control others.
1 Corinthians 12:28 — Administrations appear among functions given to the Church.
1 Corinthians
Sources
Love / agape
ἀγάπη / ἀγαπάω / φιλέω
Agape / agapao / phileo
Grego
Dons, Fruto & Igreja
Love; agapao and phileo are verbs whose uses partially overlap.
Claiming agapao always means divine love and phileo always means an inferior love.
John uses both verbs for the Father’s love for the Son. It is therefore unsafe to build two levels of love in John 21 from the alternation alone. Christian love’s sacrificial character is taught by context, especially 1 Corinthians 13.
John 3:35; John 5:20 — Both verbs describe the Father’s love for the Son.
John
1 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Sources
https://www.billmounce.com/greek-dictionary/agape
https://biblehub.com/greek/25.htm
https://www.biola.edu/blogs/biola-magazine/2006/sloppy-agape
Joy
χαρά
Chara
Grego
Dons, Fruto & Igreja
Joy, gladness or a cause of joy.
Defining the word as absence of sadness or an exclusively spiritual emotion.
The noun can also describe ordinary human joy. Galatians 5 attributes the fruit to the Spirit; John 16 includes both sorrow and joy in the disciples’ experience. The original does not require constant euphoria.
John 16:20-22 — The disciples’ sorrow is turned into joy.
John
Galatians
Philippians
Sources
Patience / longsuffering
μακροθυμία
Makrothymia
Grego
Dons, Fruto & Igreja
Patience, forbearance or slowness to give way to anger.
Reading longsuffering as slowness, apathy or an obligation to permit injustice.
The word emphasizes bearing with others without a rash response. It describes divine patience and Christian character. Its connection with anger and delay explains translations such as patience and longsuffering without requiring passivity toward evil.
Galatians 5:22 — Patience belongs to the fruit of the Spirit.
Romans
Galatians
Colossians
Sources
Kindness / goodness
χρηστότης / ἀγαθωσύνη
Chrestotes / agathosyne
Grego
Dons, Fruto & Igreja
Chrestotes: goodness, kindness; agathosyne: goodness, the quality of being good.
Creating a rigid contrast between “passive” and “active” goodness not required by the words.
Galatians 5 lists both qualities. Their meanings overlap, although translations try to distinguish them. Romans 2:4 uses chrestotes for God’s kindness leading to repentance; it is more than superficial friendliness.
Romans 2:4 — God’s kindness leads to repentance.
Romans
Galatians
Ephesians
Sources
Gentleness / meekness
πραΰτης
Prautes
Grego
Dons, Fruto & Igreja
Gentleness, mildness or meekness.
Presenting “strength under control” or “a tamed horse” as a mandatory literal translation.
Those images may illustrate an application but are not the lexical definition. Galatians 6:1 connects gentleness with restoring someone who has fallen; it shapes how correction is given without eliminating correction.
Galatians 6:1 — Restoration should take place in a spirit of gentleness.
Galatians
Ephesians
2 Timothy
Sources
Temperance / self-control
ἐγκράτεια
Enkrateia
Grego
Dons, Fruto & Igreja
Self-control or self-restraint.
Restricting temperance to moderation in alcohol or suppressing every emotion.
The word covers regulation of desires and conduct. In Galatians 5 it belongs to the Spirit’s fruit; Acts 24 includes it in Paul’s discussion of moral life. Christian context does not erase the ordinary meaning of self-control.
Acts 24:25 — Paul discusses righteousness, self-control and judgment.
Acts
Galatians
2 Peter
Sources
Flesh
σάρξ
Sarx
Grego
Vida & Existência
Physical flesh, humanity, kinship or human existence opposed to the Spirit, depending on context.
Reading every “flesh” as a sinful body or only sexuality.
John 1:14 says the Word became flesh without attributing sin to Christ. In Galatians 5 flesh characterizes an orientation opposed to the Spirit. A uniform translation should not be mistaken for one meaning in every passage.
John 1:14; Galatians 5:16-17 — The same word occurs in different contexts.
John
Romans
Galatians
Ephesians
Sources
Perfect / mature
τέλειος
Teleios
Grego
Jesus & Discipulado
Complete, perfect or mature, depending on context.
Reading every occurrence as absolute sinlessness or reducing all of them to maturity.
In Hebrews 5:14 teleios describes mature people in contrast with infants. In Matthew 5:48 the call to perfection occurs in teaching about loving enemies too. Context determines the scope of completeness in each passage.
Hebrews 5:14 — Solid food is for the mature.
Matthew
Ephesians
Hebrews
James
Sources
Submit / be subject
ὑποτάσσω
Hypotasso
Grego
Família & Relações
Subject, place under authority or submit oneself.
Treating the word as lesser worth or permission for violence.
Ephesians 5:21-33 relates submission and love to Christ. Verbal form, recipients and instructions to husbands belong to interpretation. Lexical meaning alone does not resolve every difference between egalitarian and complementarian readings.
Ephesians 5:21-25 — Submission appears alongside reverence for Christ and sacrificial love.
Ephesians
Colossians
1 Peter
Sources
Head
κεφαλή
Kephale
Grego
Família & Relações
The physical head; figuratively, prominence or a relationship to a body.
Presenting “authority” or “source” as the undisputed translation of every metaphor.
In Ephesians 5 the metaphor relates husband and wife to Christ and the Church, alongside the duty to love and care. Kephale’s scope is debated; body imagery and the whole argument must accompany lexical consultation.
Ephesians 5:23-29 — The head metaphor is developed through care for the body.
1 Corinthians
Ephesians
Colossians
Sources
Coming / presence
παρουσία
Parousia
Grego
Esperança & Futuro
Presence, arrival or visit.
Assuming every parousia is the second coming or that it establishes the sequence of final events.
Paul uses the word for Titus’ arrival and for Christ’s coming. Context supplies the referent. In eschatological passages “coming” preserves arrival with presence, but does not settle competing chronological schemes.
2 Corinthians 7:6 — Titus’ arrival is also called parousia.
Matthew
2 Corinthians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
Sources
Resurrection
ἀνάστασις
Anastasis
Grego
Esperança & Futuro
Rising; in the context of the dead, resurrection.
Reducing resurrection to surviving in memory or confusing it with reincarnation.
The noun has rising-related uses, but passages about Jesus and the dead give it resurrection meaning. In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul develops hope for transformed bodily life; the doctrine comes from the argument, not merely the word’s components.
1 Corinthians 15:42-44 — Paul describes resurrection and the transformed body.
Luke
John
Acts
1 Corinthians
Sources
Sheol / Hades / Gehenna
שְׁאוֹל / ᾅδης / γέεννα
Sheol / Hades / Gehenna
Hebraico
Esperança & Futuro
Sheol and Hades: the realm of the dead; Gehenna: a name associated with judgment language.
Treating every word translated “hell” as an exact synonym.
Translations can conceal vocabulary differences. In Revelation 20:13-14 Hades gives up its dead and is thrown into the lake of fire, distinguishing them in the narrative. Each passage needs reading; terminology alone does not settle all debates about the final state.
Revelation 20:13-14 — Hades is distinguished from the lake of fire.
Psalms
Matthew
Luke
Revelation
Sources
https://biblehub.com/hebrew/7585.htm
Abba / Father
אַבָּא / ἀββᾶ
Abba
Aramaico
Jesus & Discipulado
Father; an Aramaic form preserved by transliteration in Greek.
Presenting “Daddy” as the exclusive literal translation or infantilizing Jesus’ prayer.
Mark 14:36 preserves Abba followed by the Greek word for Father. Romans 8:15 repeats the expression in adoption language. It conveys a filial relationship without requiring exact equivalence with a modern diminutive.
Mark 14:36 — Jesus prays “Abba, Father” in Gethsemane.
Mark
Romans
Galatians
Sources
Maranatha
μαράνα θά
Marana tha
Aramaico
Esperança & Futuro
An Aramaic expression transliterated in Greek, usually understood as “our Lord, come”.
Presenting the expression’s division and translation as entirely undisputed.
Marana tha is understood as a prayer for the Lord’s coming. Another division, maran atha, is understood as “our Lord has come”. Transmission and segmentation explain the alternatives; the invocation fits the Christian hope of Revelation 22.
1 Corinthians 16:22 — The letter preserves the Aramaic expression.
1 Corinthians
Revelation
Sources
Cephas / Peter
כֵּיפָא / Κηφᾶς / Πέτρος
Kepha / Kephas / Petros
Aramaico
Jesus & Discipulado
Cephas represents an Aramaic rock-related name; Peter is its Greek counterpart.
Building an absolute contrast between Peter as a “little pebble” and “rock” solely from different Greek forms.
John 1:42 explains Cephas as Peter. The relationship matters when reading Matthew 16. The wordplay is clear; the passage’s ecclesiological scope is debated among traditions and requires more than a dictionary distinction.
John 1:42 — The evangelist explains Cephas as Peter.
Matthew
John
Galatians