Holman Christian Standard Bible (367 page)

Negev
   An arid region in the southern part of Israel; the Hebrew word means south.

offend(ed)
   The Greek word skandalizo has a root meaning of snare or trap but has no real English counterpart.

offspring
   This term is used literally or metaphorically to refer to plants or grain, sowing or harvest, male reproductive seed, human children or physical descendants, and also to spiritual children or to Christ (Gl 3:16).

One and Only
   Or one of a kind, or incomparable, or only begotten; the Greek word can refer to someone’s only child as in Lk 7:12; 8:42; 9:38. It can also refer to someone’s special child as in Heb 11:17.

oracle
   A prophetic speech of a threatening or menacing character; it was often spoken against the nations.

overseer(s)
   Or elder(s), or bishop(s)

palace
   The Latin word Praetorium was used by Greek writers for the residence of the Roman governor; it may also refer to military headquarters, the imperial court, or the emperor’s guard.

Passover
   The Israelite festival celebrated on the fourteenth day of the first month, in the early spring; it was a celebration of the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt, commemorating the final plague on Egypt when the firstborn were killed.

people
   Literally sons of man, or sons of Adam

perverted men
   Literally sons of Belial; in Hebrew, the basic meaning of Belial is worthless.

Pharisee(s)
   A religious sect of Judaism that followed the whole written and oral law

Pilate
   Pontius Pilate was governor of the province of Judea a.d. 26–36.

Pit
   A term for either the grave or the realm of the dead

proconsul
   The chief Roman government official in a senatorial province who presided over Roman court hearings

propitiation
   The removal of divine wrath; Jesus’ death is the means that turns God’s wrath from the sinner.

proselyte(s)
   A person from another race or religion who went through a prescribed ritual to become a Jew

Rabbi
   The Hebrew word means my great one; it is used for a recognized teacher of the Scriptures.

Rabshakeh
   The title of a high-ranking Assyrian official who was the chief cupbearer to the king

Rahab
   Or boisterous one; it is the name of a mythological sea serpent or dragon defeated at the time of creation. Scripture sometimes uses the name metaphorically to describe Egypt.

redemption/redeemed
   The deliverance from bondage by a payment or ransom (Mk 10:45; 1Pt 1:18-19)

Red Sea
   Literally Sea of Reeds

regiment
   Or cohort; a Roman military unit that numbered as many as 600 men

restitution offering(s)
   An offering that was a penalty for unintentional sins, primarily committed in relation to the tabernacle or temple; it is traditionally translated trespass or guilt offering.

sackcloth
   A garment made of poor quality material and worn as a sign of grief and mourning

sacred bread
   Literally bread of presentation; these were 12 loaves of bread, representing the 12 tribes of Israel and put on the table in the holy place in the tabernacle and later in the temple. The priests ate the previous week’s loaves.

Sadducee(s)
   A religious sect of Judaism that mainly followed the first 5 books of the OT (the Torah or Pentateuch)

saint(s)/sanctification/sanctify/sanctified
   The work of the Holy Spirit that separates believers in Jesus from the world; at the time of saving faith in Jesus, the believer is made a saint; therefore, all believers are saints. The believer participates with the Spirit in a process of transformation that continues until glorification.  The goal of sanctification is progressive conformity to the image of Jesus Christ.

Samaritan(s)
A people of mixed, Gentile/Jewish ancestry who lived between Galilee and Judea and were hated by the Jews

Sanhedrin
   The supreme council of Judaism; it had 70 members and was patterned after Moses’ 70 elders.

scribe(s)
   A professional group in Judaism that copied the law of Moses and interpreted it, especially in legal cases

secret
   Translation of the Greek word mysterion; it is a secret hidden in the past but now revealed.

seed
   This term is used literally or metaphorically to refer to plants or grain, sowing or harvest, male reproductive seed, human children or physical descendants, and also to spiritual children or to Christ (Gl 3:16).

Selah
   A Hebrew word whose meaning is uncertain; various interpretations include: (1) a musical notation, (2) a pause for silence, (3) a signal for worshipers to fall prostrate on the ground, (4) a term for the worshipers to call out, and (5) a word meaning forever.

set apart for destruction
   During periods of war in Canaan and its neighboring countries, this was the destruction of a city, its inhabitants, and their possessions, including livestock.

shekel(s)
   In the OT the shekel is a measurement of weight that came to be used as money, either gold or silver.

Sheminith
   A musical term meaning instruments or on the instrument of eight strings

Sheol
   A Hebrew word for either the grave or the realm of the dead

Shinar
   A land in Mesopotamia, including ancient Sumer and Babylon; it is modern Iraq.

sin offering(s)
   Or purification offering; it was the most important OT sacrifice for cleansing from impurities. It provided purification from sin and certain forms of ceremonial uncleanness.

slave(s)
The strong Greek word doulos cannot be accurately translated in English as servant or bond servant; the HCSB translates this word as slave, not out of insensitivity to the legitimate concerns of modern English speakers, but out of a commitment to accurately convey the brutal reality of the Roman empire’s inhumane institution as well as the ownership called for by Christ.

Son of Man
   Most frequent title Jesus used for Himself (Dn 7:13; Mt 8:20)

song of ascents
   A term that probably refers to the songs pilgrims sang as they traveled the roads going up to worship in Jerusalem (Pss 120–134)

soul
   The same Greek word (psyche) can be translated life or soul.

stumble
   The Greek word skandalizo has a root meaning of snare or trap but has no real English counterpart.

synagogue
   This is a place where the Jewish people met for prayer, worship, and teaching of the Scriptures.

tabernacle(s)
   Or tent, or shelter; a term used for temporary housing.

take offense
   The Greek word skandalizo has a root meaning of snare or trap but has no real English counterpart.

tassel
   Fringe put on the clothing of devout Jews to remind them to keep the law

temple complex
   In the Jerusalem temple, the complex included the sanctuary (the holy place and the holy of holies), at least 4 courtyards (for priests, Jews, women, and Gentiles), numerous gates, and several covered walkways.

testimony
   A reference to either the Mosaic law in general or to a specific section of the law, the Ten Commandments, which were written on stone tablets and placed in the ark of the covenant (also called the ark of the testimony)

Topheth
   A place of human sacrifice that was located outside Jerusalem in the Hinnom Valley (Jr 7:31-32)

unclean
   When something is clean, it is holy or acceptable to God. When it is unclean, it is unholy (such as an unclean spirit). The term can be used in a ritual sense to apply to moral standards for living.

Unleavened Bread
   A seven-day festival celebrated in conjunction with the Passover (Ex 12:1-20)

Urim & Thummim
   Two objects used by Israelite priests to determine God’s will

wadi
   A valley, ravine, or stream that is dry except in the rainy season

walk(ed)/walking
   A term often used in a figurative way to mean “way of life” or “behavior”

wicked men
   Literally sons of Belial; in Hebrew, the basic meaning of Belial is worthless.

wise men
   The Greek word is magoi; the English word “magi” is based on a Persian word. They were eastern sages who observed the heavens for signs and omens.

woman
   When used in direct address, “Woman” was not a term of disrespect but of honor.

world
   The organized Satanic system that is opposed to God and hostile to Jesus and His followers; it also refers to the non-Christian culture including governments, educational systems, and businesses.

wormwood
   A small shrub that was used as a medicinal herb and noted for its bitter taste

Yah/Yahweh
   Or The LORD; it is the personal name of God in Hebrew; “Yah” is the shortened form. Yahweh is used in places where the personal name of God is discussed (Ps 68:4) or in places of His self-identification (Is 42:8).

Zion
   Originally a term for the fortified section of Jerusalem and then, by extension, used for the temple and the city of Jerusalem both in the present time and in the future