Biblical Words

Praise the LORD

The Hebrew word for 'Praise the LORD' — combining 'praise' with the divine name. The universal Christian exclamation of joy.

Peace, wholeness, completeness, well-being

The Hebrew word for peace — but far richer than the English equivalent, meaning wholeness, completeness, harmony, and well-being.

So be it; truly; firm; faithful

The Hebrew word for affirmation — 'so be it' or 'truly' — used to confirm prayers and statements of truth across Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

The personal name of God revealed at the burning bush

The four-letter personal name of God — revealed to Moses at the burning bush, considered so sacred that observant Jews do not pronounce it.

Word, reason, divine speech

The Greek word for 'word' or 'rational speech' — used by John's Gospel to name Jesus Christ as God's eternal self-expression.

Self-giving love; sacrificial love

The Greek word for self-giving, sacrificial love — the love God has for humanity and the love Christians are commanded to show.

Save now; please save

The Hebrew cry for salvation — shouted by the crowds at Jesus's triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

Joshua / Jesus — "the LORD saves"

The Hebrew name behind both 'Joshua' and 'Jesus' — 'the LORD saves.' Joshua (Yeshua) led Israel into the Promised Land; Jesus (Yeshua) leads his people into eternal rest (Hebrews 4:8-9).

The LORD — the covenant name of God

The personal covenant name of the God of Israel — revealed to Moses at the burning bush as 'I AM THAT I AM' (Exodus 3:14) — usually rendered 'the LORD' in English Bibles.

Pause, lift up, consider

The mysterious Hebrew word appearing 71 times in the Psalms — most likely a musical or liturgical instruction meaning 'pause' or 'reflect.'

Father (intimate, personal)

The Aramaic word for 'Father' — used by Jesus in Gethsemane and by Paul to describe the Spirit's witness in the believer's heart.

Grace — God's undeserved favor

The Greek word for grace — God's undeserved favor poured out on those who do not earn it. Charis is the foundation word of the gospel: salvation 'by grace... through faith' (Ephesians 2:8).

Lord, Master

The Hebrew word for 'Lord' or 'Master' — used as a respectful address for human masters and, most importantly, as a title for God. Pious Jews say 'Adonai' aloud when reading the divine name YHWH in Scripture.

Wisdom

The Greek word for wisdom — moral and spiritual insight rooted in the fear of the LORD (Proverbs 9:10). In the New Testament, sophia is found supremely in Christ, 'in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom' (Colossians 2:3).

Spirit, breath, wind

The Greek word translated 'spirit,' 'breath,' or 'wind' — used for the Holy Spirit, the human spirit, and physical breath. Jesus uses the word's range in John 3:8 — 'the wind [pneuma] bloweth where it listeth.'

Church, assembly, called-out ones

The Greek word translated 'church' — literally 'called out ones.' Jesus first uses it in Matthew 16:18 — 'upon this rock I will build my church [ekklesia].' The ekklesia is Christ's people, called out of the world and gathered to him.

Spirit, breath, wind

The Hebrew word for spirit, breath, or wind — used for God's Spirit hovering over the waters at creation (Genesis 1:2), for the breath of life God breathed into Adam (Genesis 2:7), and throughout the Old Testament for the Spirit's presence and power.

God (plural form used as singular)

The Hebrew word for 'God' — grammatically plural but used with singular verbs to refer to the one true God (Genesis 1:1). The first divine name introduced in the Bible.

God Almighty

One of the great names of God in the Bible — 'God Almighty' (Genesis 17:1; Exodus 6:3) — emphasizing God's sufficiency and overwhelming power.

The dwelling presence of God

A Hebrew term (post-biblical, but rooted in biblical imagery) for the visible, dwelling presence of God — manifested in the cloud over the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34), the glory in the temple (1 Kings 8:10), and supremely in Christ who 'dwelt among us' (John 1:14).

Sabbath, ceasing, rest

The Hebrew word for Sabbath — God's weekly day of rest, rooted in creation (Genesis 2:2-3) and commanded in the Decalogue (Exodus 20:8-11). Shabbat is a sign of the covenant and a foretaste of eternal rest.

Anointed One, Christ, Messiah

The Greek word for 'Anointed One' — Christos translates the Hebrew Mashiach (Messiah). 'Jesus Christ' means 'Jesus the Anointed One.' Christos refers to Christ's office as the prophesied Anointed King, Priest, and Prophet of God's people.

Soul, life, person, being

The Hebrew word for soul, life, person, or living being — used over 750 times in the Old Testament. Nephesh refers to the whole person, not a disembodied part. Genesis 2:7 — God breathed into Adam and 'man became a living soul [nephesh].'

Holy, set apart, sacred

The Greek word for 'holy' — set apart, sacred, devoted to God. Hagios is applied to God ('Holy, holy, holy' — Revelation 4:8), to the Spirit ('Holy Spirit' — Pneuma Hagion), and to believers ('saints' or hagioi). The root concept: separation unto God.

Our Lord, come; or Our Lord has come

An Aramaic prayer from the earliest Christian church — 'Our Lord, come!' — preserved in 1 Corinthians 16:22 in its original form.

Glory

The Greek word for glory — the visible, weighty manifestation of God's presence and excellence. Christ is 'the brightness of his glory [doxa]' (Hebrews 1:3), and believers are being transformed into the same doxa (2 Corinthians 3:18).

To believe, trust, have faith

The Greek verb for 'believe' or 'trust' — the action verb behind New Testament faith. 'Pisteuō' is more than intellectual assent; it is committed trust in a person. John 3:16: 'whosoever believeth [pisteuōn] in him should not perish.'

Salvation, deliverance, rescue

The Greek word for 'salvation' — deliverance from sin, death, judgment, and evil into wholeness, life, and God's presence. The English 'soteriology' (study of salvation) comes from this word. Christ is our Sōtēr (Savior); the result is sōtēria.

Truth, reality, the real thing

The Greek word for truth — not merely propositional accuracy but reality as it actually is. 'I am the way, the truth [alētheia], and the life' (John 14:6). Christ is the embodied truth — reality at its source. Aletheia is what saves, frees, and sanctifies.

Peace, harmony, wholeness

The Greek word for peace — used in the NT for both inner peace (Philippians 4:7) and relational/cosmic peace. Eirene translates the Hebrew 'shalom.' Christ is our peace (Ephesians 2:14); his peace is given to believers (John 14:27).

Repentance, change of mind/heart/direction

The Greek word for repentance — literally 'change of mind' but biblically meaning a profound turning of the whole person from sin to God. The first word of John the Baptist's and Jesus' preaching: 'Repent ye [metanoeite].'

Apostle, one sent, messenger

The Greek word for 'apostle' — literally 'one sent forth.' Used in the NT primarily for the Twelve and Paul, who were directly commissioned by the risen Christ to be foundational witnesses of his life, death, and resurrection.

Anointed One, Messiah

The Hebrew word for 'Anointed One' — the OT title for the prophesied great deliverer of God's people. Mashiach is translated 'Messias' (John 1:41) and 'Christos' (Greek). Jesus is the Mashiach — the fulfillment of OT promise.

To baptize, immerse, wash

The Greek verb for 'to baptize' — meaning to dip, immerse, or wash. The NT applies it to John's baptism (water), Christian baptism (water + Spirit), Spirit-baptism, and Christ's 'baptism' of suffering. The mode and meaning of baptism have shaped Christian practice for 2,000 years.

Eternal, everlasting, age-lasting

The Greek adjective for 'eternal' or 'everlasting.' Used 71 times in the NT, most famously in 'eternal life' (John 3:16) — referring not just to endless duration but to quality of life in God's age-to-come, beginning now and continuing forever.

Steadfast love, covenant loyalty, lovingkindness

The Hebrew word for covenant love — God's steadfast loyalty to his people that endures despite their failures.

Fellowship, communion, sharing, partnership

The Greek word for shared life — fellowship that is more than friendly association, used for the church's life together and for sharing in Christ.