Language: English

Book: 1 Peter

Introduction to 1 Peter

Overview

Peter wrote, “this is the true favor of God. Stand firm in it.” He did not want people who read the letter just to know that God favored them. He wanted them to know this to change how they think and the way they live. He wanted them to know that God's favor gives them power to live the way Jesus lived. That is, the Christian can honor God in some way like Jesus did. God's favor helps the Christian to endure trials and suffering. Because of these things, Christians should speak and live differently than other people. They should think and live in a way that honors God.

See: Trial; Suffer

Who Wrote This Letter?

The apostle Peter wrote this letter. Peter wrote that he was a witness of the suffering that happened to Jesus (see: 1 Peter 5:1). Peter's parents named him Simon, son of Jonah. Jesus gave him a new name, Peter (see: John 1:42). Jesus named him this because he knew Peter would become a great Christian leader.

See: Apostle; Witness (Martyr); Suffer

Who Did Peter Write To?

Some scholars think that Peter wrote his letter to all Christians. That is, they think Peter wrote to Christians who Jews and to Christians who were Gentiles. Fewer scholars think Peter wrote more to the Christians who were Gentiles.

Peter called the people he wrote to God’s "chosen ones" who live as "aliens" or strangers. He wrote this for two reasons: These early Christians believed things and did things that were not like other people. People thought Christians were strange because they did things that honored God All Christians are "aliens" because they have a better home, not in this world (see: 1 Peter 1:3-4).

They lived in places where there were not many other Christians. These Christians were scattered all over the Roman Empire.

See: Gentile; Elect (Election); Citizen

What Did Peter Write About in This Letter?

God's Favor

Peter wrote much about God's favor in this letter. God favored Christians more than non-Christians. God saves people from their sins. Christians know they will live together with God in heaven forever (see: 1:10-13). God enables Christians in some way to be holy. He enables them to live in a way that honors him (see: 1:13-2:10). God gives Christians special gifts. He empowers them to use these gifts to serve him (see: 4:10). God gives Christians strength when they have hard things in their lives (see: 5:10). In all these ways, God shows favor to people who believe in Jesus.

See: Save (Salvation, Saved from Sins); Sin; Atone (Atonement); Grace; Heaven; Holy (Holiness, Set Apart); Gifts of the Holy SpiritGifts of the Holy Spirit

Suffering

Peter wrote about suffering many times in this letter. He did not write about all kinds of suffering. Instead, he wrote that Christians must expect to struggle and suffer because they believe in Jesus. This is because many other people do not believe in Jesus. These people may attack and persecute Christians.

See: Suffer; Persecute (Persecution)

Why Did Peter Write This Letter?

Peter wrote this letter to help Christians keep on trusting in Jesus. He told them to do this even when people do wrong things to them because they believe in Jesus.

Peter wanted Christians to live at peace with other people

He also wanted Christians to know that God favors them. They know they are at peace with God and will live with him in heaven forever. Because of this, Christians can live in a way that honors God. They can do this even when other people oppose them. They can do this even when the devil attacks them.

See: Grace; Hope; Satan (The Devil); Persecute (Persecution)

Outline of 1 Peter

1. Peter’s greetings to people who read this letter (1:1-2)
2. God saves people from their sins by his power (1:3-12)
3. When God saves a person from his sins, it should change things he chooses to do (1:13-2:3)
   1. Christians should choose to let God make them holy (1:13-16)
   2. Christians should choose to worship and honor God (1:17-21)
   3. Christians should choose to love other Christians (1:22-2:3)
4. How Christians should live (2:4-3:12)
   1. Christians are people who belong to God (2:4-10)
   2. Christians show respect to other people, including leaders in the government (2:11-17)
   3. Christians obey Jesus, even when they suffer for it (2:18-25)
   4. Christians demonstrate what a godly marriage looks like (3:1-12)
5. Christians may suffer because they believe in Jesus (3:13-4:11)
   1. Christians may suffer for doing what is right (3:13-17)
   2. Christ also suffered but won (3:18-22)
   3. How Christians should treat non-Christians (4:1-6)
   4. How Christians should treat other Christians (4:7-11)
6. What Christians should do when they suffer (4:12-19)
7. God’s favor to Christians (5:1-14)

See: Save (Salvation, Saved from Sins); Sin; Holy (Holiness, Set Apart); Worship; Suffer

1 Peter

Chapter 1

¹ Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the foreigners of the dispersion, the chosen ones, throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. ² This is according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience and for the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. May grace be to you, and may your peace increase.

³ May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be praised! In his great mercy, he has given us new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. ⁴ This is for an inheritance that will not perish, will not become stained, and will not fade away. It is reserved in heaven for you. ⁵ You are protected by God's power through faith for the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶ In this you greatly rejoice, even though now, for a little while, you may have to suffer all kinds of trials. ⁷ This is for the proving of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes, even though it is tested by fire. This happens so that your faith will be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revealing of Jesus Christ. ⁸ You have not seen him, but you love him. You do not see him now, but you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory. ⁹ You are now receiving for yourselves the result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. ¹⁰ Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to come to you, searched diligently and examined carefully, ¹¹ inquiring into what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he testified beforehand about the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. ¹² It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told to you by those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look.

¹³ So gird up the loins of your mind. Be sober. Put your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed. ¹⁴ As obedient children, do not conform yourselves to the desires that you followed when you were ignorant. ¹⁵ But as the one who called you is holy, you, too, be holy in your whole behavior. ¹⁶ For it is written, "Be holy, because I am holy." ¹⁷ So if you call "Father" the one who judges impartially and according to each person's work, conduct yourselves in fear during your time here as foreigners. ¹⁸ You know that it was not with perishable silver or gold that you have been redeemed from the futile behavior that you inherited from your ancestors, ¹⁹ but by the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. ²⁰ Christ was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but now he has been revealed to you in these last times. ²¹ Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. ²² You made your souls pure by obedience to the truth. This was for the purpose of sincere brotherly love; so love one another earnestly from a pure heart. ^[1]23 You have been born again, not from perishable seed, but from imperishable seed, through the living and remaining word of God. ²⁴ For,

     "All flesh is like grass,

         and all its glory is like the wild flower of the grass.

     The grass dries up, and the flower falls off,

        ²⁵ but the word of the Lord remains forever."

This word is the gospel that was preached to you.

Footnotes

1 Peter 1 General Notes

Structure and formatting

Peter formally introduces this letter in verses 1-2. Writers often began letters in this way in the ancient Near East.

Some translations set poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to show that it is poetry. The ULB does this with the poetry that is quoted from the Old Testament in 1:24-25.

Special concepts in this chapter

What God reveals

When Jesus comes again, everyone will see how good God's people were to have faith in Jesus. Then God's people will see how gracious God has been to them, and all people will praise both God and his people.

Holiness

God wants his people to be holy because God is holy. (See: holy)

Eternity

Peter tells Christians to live for things that will last forever and not to live for the things of this world, which will end. (See: eternity)

Other possible translation difficulties in this chapter

Paradox

A paradox is a true statement that appears to describe something impossible. Peter writes that his readers are glad and sad at the same time (1 Peter 1:6). He can say this because they are sad because they are suffering, but they are glad because they know that God will save them "in the last time" (1 Peter 1:5)

1 Peter 1 Commentary

1:1-2

Why did Peter call the people "foreigners"?

[1:1]

Peter wrote to certain people. He called them "foreigners of the dispersion." When Peter lived, the Jews were dispersed or spread out. That is, they lived all over the world and only a few of them lived in Israel. However, Peter was talking about Christians and not Jews. Some scholars think Peter wanted to say that being a Christian made someone different than other people. They were foreign or different from other people in the evil world around them. Fewer scholars think Peter wanted them to know that believing in Jesus was more important than remaining in the country in which they lived or their birth country. At this time, many Christians were forced to move away from their homes or separated from other people like them.

Advice to translators: In some places, people are outcast from their communities. This means that they have been separated from other people who live with or near them. In many places, when someone becomes a Christian, they are treated badly by people who live with or near them.

See: World

Why did Peter call the people to whom he wrote "chosen ones"?

[1:1]

Peter called Christians “chosen”(ἐκλεκτός/g1588) by God because God planned for something to happen. He planned it before he made the world (see: Ephesians 1:4). The Holy Spirit made God’s plan work. God chose people to obey Jesus. Peter wanted them to know that a Christian needs to obey Jesus every day.

See: Elect (Election)

What does "sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ" mean?

[1:2]

Peter wrote that God said Christians are to be "sprinkled with the blood of Jesus." That is, God continues to forgive Christians. He does this because of Jesus died so that people could be at peace with God. (see: 1 John 1:7).

Advice to translators: The intended meaning of "God keeps forgiving Christians" is that God is always wants to forgive. If there is a way to say "God continually forgives" in your language, use that.

See: Forgive (Forgiveness, Pardon); Blood; Forgive (Forgiveness, Pardon)

1:3-5

What is a “living hope”?

[1:3]

Peter wrote about a “living hope.” Some scholars think Peter wrote “living hope” because he wanted readers to know God made it so that people could live with him in heaven forever. This is because Jesus resurrected and Christians will too. God said that people who believe in Jesus will physically be with Jesus in heaven. Some scholars also think Peter wrote “living hope” because he wanted Christians to think about a person without hope. Paul also wrote about this (see: Ephesians 2:12; 1 Thessalonians 4:13). Peter wrote about what Jesus gives Christians now. He also wrote about what he gives them in the future with him (see:1:13; 1:21; 3:15).

Advice to translators: In Scripture, hope is a type of confidence. It is about knowing who God is and trusting in the things he will do because he is God.

See: Resurrect (Resurrection); Heaven; Resurrect (Resurrection)

What is the “inheritance” God gives to Christians?

[1:4]

The “inheritance”(κληρονομία/g2817) God gives to Christians is getting to live together with God in heaven after they die. Peter wrote that Christians will inherit someone and this cannot change. Because God promised this, he will give it to those who believe in Jesus. Christians can know that they will live forever. Also, Christian will not sin or be near sin after they die.

Peter said God “protects”(τηρέω/g5083) this inheritance in heaven for Christians. God fully gives this gift, but Christians are not given it until they go to heaven (see: Ephesians 1:14).

See: Heaven; Heaven

1:6-9

Why did Peter say in “this” you rejoice?

[1:6]

Scholars disagree about why Peter wrote "in this" Christians rejoice. Some scholars think Peter wrote about how God will “completely save”(σωτηρία/g4991) Christians when Jesus returns to earth. Other scholars think Peter wanted to say how great it is for Christians to know that they have this, even before they die (see: 1:3-5).

See: Jesus' Return to Earth

How can Christians be joyful even when bad things happen to them?

[1:6, 1:7]

Peter said that Christians can be joyful when bad things happen to them because they know God’s power (see:1:5). Peter said that when bad things happen to Christians, it is a time for them to show how they trust God to care for them. That is, they show they truly and completely believe in God. This allows the Christian to be able to give praise and honor to God now and when Jesus Christ “returns”(ἀποκαλύψις/g602).

Also, Peter wanted Christians to know they can have “joy”(χαρά/g5479) because they know God saved them from their sins. Because of this, he knows that he will be with Jesus. Peter says that this is a kind of joy that is “incredibly wonderful”(δοξάζω/g1392). It is so wonderful that the Christian cannot even talk about it clearly or fully.

See: Romans 5:3-5; James 1:2-4

See: Rejoice (Joy, Joyful)

1:10-12

Why did Peter write about the Old Testament prophets searching the scriptures?

[1:10]

The prophets wanted to know about how God saved people from their sins. The prophets read Old Testament to know more about this. Peter wrote that the prophets read the scriptures carefully to know how God saved people from their sins (see: Matthew 13:16-17). The prophets spoke that the “favor”(χάρις/g5485) of God is greater than what the prophets knew in their lives.

See: Prophet; Prophet

Who is the “Spirit of Christ”?

[1:11]

Peter spoke about the Holy Spirit when he said the “Spirit of Christ.” The Holy Spirit told the prophets to know the Messiah was going to come into the world. He was going to suffer to save people from their sins (see: Isaiah 53:3-5). The prophets read the scriptures God gave them to find out who was this Messiah and when this suffering was going to happen.

God told the prophets that what the Messiah was going to do was not going to happen in their lifetimes. He told them that it was going to happen in the future (see: Ephesians 3:4-6). This message was so great that even the angels wanted to know and understand it. That is, not even angels knew what God was going to do to save people.

See: Angel; Messiah (Christ); Suffer; Save (Salvation, Saved from Sins); Angel

1:13

Where did Peter tell Christians to place their hope?

[1:13]

Peter told Christians to “place all of their hope”(ἐλπίζω/g1679) in the goodness and favor of God. This he will give them when Jesus Christ “comes back to earth”(ἀποκαλύψις/g602) again. Nobody knows when this is going to happen. But, some scholars think Peter wanted Christians to think it was coming in their future.

Peter also told his readers that they needed to think about how God wanted them to live now. This means everything they needed to honor God and do what he tells them.

See: Jesus' Return to Earth; Jesus' Return to Earth

1:14-16

How are Christians to be different after they believe in Jesus?

[1:14, 1:15]

Peter wrote that after someone believes in Jesus, they are to do things differently than when they did not believe in Jesus. They need to completely obey God the Father. That is, they should stop sinning and allow rule their lives and to follow him (see: Romans 6:12-17; 2 Corinthians 10:5).

Peter said that before people believe in Jesus, they want to do things that are evil. They do this because they are “ignorant”(ἅγνοια/g0052). That is, they did not know the things they did dishonored God (see: Ephesians 2:1-3, 4:18).

Only God is “holy”(ἅγιος/g40). That is, only God is perfectly pure and good. But in the same way God is completely pure and holy, Christians are to try to be pure and holy in everything they do. Christians cannot be completely pure and good before they die, but the Holy Spirit helps them. Christians are to change what they do and think to honor God in all they do and think.

See: Holy Spirit; God the Father; Holy (Holiness, Set Apart); Purify (Pure); Holy Spirit

1:17

What does Peter say Christians must remember about God?

[1:17]

Peter wrote that Christians need to remember two things about God. Christians can pray to God and call him "Father." This is because Christians are God’s children. Christians also need to remember that God judges everyone. That is, he judges Christians and non-Christians. God treats all people with his good and right standard (see: Matthew 16:27; 1 Corinthians 3:13). Because God is the judge, Peter told his readers to live their whole lives here on earth in “reverence”(ψόβος/g5401). That is, Christians need to give honor to God by doing what he says.

See: Judge (Judgment); God the Father; Children of God; Judge (Judgment)

1:18-19

Why did Peter tell Christians to give great respect to God?

[1:18, 1:19]

Peter said Christians need to give great respect to God because they know God “set them free”(λυτρόω/g3084) from sin. Before believing in Jesus, people want to sin and this controls them. God set them free from this and they can know that they have peace with God (see: Mark 10:45; Titus 2:14; Colossians 1:13).

Another reason Christians need to give great respect to God is because of what God did to set people free from their sin. That is, Jesus had to die so that people could be at peace with God. Peter wanted readers to think about how Jesus died on the cross (see: Hebrews 9:13-14; Revelation 5:9). When Peter wrote about "silver or gold," he wanted to say that what Jesus did cost far more than anything on earth.

See: Atone (Atonement)

1:20-23

When did God plan to save people from their sins?

[1:20]

Peter wrote that, before the “foundation”(καταβολή/g2602) of the world, God planned to save people from their sins. That is, God planned to save people before he created the world. This plan needed Jesus to suffer and die on the cross (see: 1:11,18-19; Acts 2:23). God caused his plan to be done by Jesus in the last days. All Christians today live in these last days. That is, the last days began when Jesus came to the earth, and they are still continuing.

Because Jesus was the Messiah and did God’s plan, Christians believe in God and trust him completely. God raised Jesus from the dead and gave Jesus “glory”(δόξα/g1391). Because God did this, Christians trust in God. They know that God will do all that he promised.

See: Glory (Glorify); Cross; Last Days; Messiah (Christ);Resurrect (Resurrection); Glory (Glorify)

Why did Peter command Christians to love one another with true love?

[1:22]

Peter gave two reasons why Christians need to love each other with true love. First, God wants Christians to be pure so they can “love”(ψιλαδελψία/g5360) other Christians. The Christian "obeys”(ὑπακοή/g5218) all that God commands. This obedience “purifies”(ἁγνίζω/g0048) the Christian’s soul. This makes it possible for the Christian to love other Christians. God planned all this (see: 1:2). Second, the Christian is “reborn”(ἀναγεννάω/g0313). That is, born a second time. Peter used a metaphor about a "seed" that cannot die. He wanted to say that the Christian's second birth is from Jesus, and will last forever. The best thing about that seed is “love”(ἀγάπη/g0025). This also makes it possible for the Christian to love other Christians.

Because of these two reasons, Peter told Christians to love each other in the same way God loves them.

See: Metaphor; Purify (Pure); Soul; Born Again (New Life, Regeneration); Metaphor

1:24-25

How did Peter say the “flesh” is different than “the word of the Lord”?

[1:24, 1:25]

Peter quoted from Isaiah that spoke about "flesh" and "the word of the Lord" (see: Isaiah 40:6-8). When he wrote about "flesh," he wanted to talk about how people are before they believe in Jesus. He used the metaphor of grass in a field that dries up and dies. He wanted to say that before people believe in Jesus, nothing they do will remain long. Even the greatest things people do will be destroyed or forgotten. This is because people are born from a "seed" that dies (1:23).

But when people believe in Jesus, they are given a new and a better life. They now want to do things that honor God. This new life is better because it comes from the “word”(ῥῆμα/g4487) of God, which never dies. That is, the word of God is eternal. So the Christian's new life is also eternal. It is this eternal word that is known as the “good news”(εὐαγγελίζω/g2097) that Peter and others told the first Christians. This is the same good news that Christians today hear and believe.

See: Eternal Life; Faith (Believe in); Born Again (New Life, Regeneration); Eternal Life

ULB Translation Questions

Chapter 2

¹ Therefore put aside all evil, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander. ² As newborn infants, long for pure spiritual milk, so that through it you may grow in salvation, ³ if you have tasted that the Lord is kind. ⁴ Come to him who is a living stone that has been rejected by people, but that has been chosen by God as valuable to him. ⁵ You also are like living stones that are being built up to be a spiritual house in order to be a holy priesthood that offers the spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ Scripture contains this:

     "See, I am laying in Zion a cornerstone,

         chosen and valuable.

     Whoever believes in him

         will not be ashamed."

⁷ The value, then, is to you who believe. But to those who do not believe,

     "The stone that was rejected by the builders,

         this has become the head of the corner,"

⁸ and,

     "A stone of stumbling

         and a rock that makes them fall."

They stumble because they disobey the word—which is what they were appointed to do. ⁹ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's possession, so that you would announce the wonderful actions of the one who called you out from darkness into his marvelous light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God. You did not receive mercy, but now you have received mercy.

¹¹ Beloved, I exhort you as foreigners and exiles to abstain from fleshly desires, which fight against your soul. ¹² Your conduct among the Gentiles should be honorable, so that when they slander you as evildoers, they may be eyewitnesses of your good deeds and give glory to God on the day when he appears.

¹³ Be subject to every human authority for the Lord's sake. Obey both the king as supreme ¹⁴ and also the governors, who are sent for the punishment of evildoers and to praise those who do good. ¹⁵ For this is God's will, that in doing good you silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. ¹⁶ As free people, do not use your freedom as a covering for wickedness, but be like servants of God. ¹⁷ Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

¹⁸ Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect. Be subject not only to the good and gentle masters, but also to the malicious ones. ¹⁹ For it is praiseworthy if, because he is conscious of God, a person endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. ²⁰ For how much credit is there if you sin and then endure while being afflicted? But if you have done good and then you suffer while being punished, this is worthy of praise from God. ²¹ For it is to this that you were called, because Christ also suffered for you. He left an example for you to follow in his steps.

    ²² "He committed no sin,

         neither was any deceit found in his mouth."

²³ When he was insulted, he gave no insult in return. When he suffered, he did not threaten back, but he gave himself over to the one who judges justly. ²⁴ He himself carried our sins in his body on the tree so that we would die to sin and live for righteousness. By his bruises you have been healed. ²⁵ All of you had been straying like lost sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls.

1 Peter 2 General Notes

Structure and formatting

Some translations set poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to show that it is poetry. The ULB does this with the poetry that is quoted from the Old Testament in 2:6, 7, 8, and 22.

Special concepts in this chapter

Stones

Peter uses a building made of large stones as a metaphor for the church. Jesus is the cornerstone, the most important stone. The apostles and prophets are the foundation, the part of the building on which all the other stones rest. In this chapter, Christians are the stones that make up the walls of the building. (See: and cornerstone and foundation)

Important figures of speech in this chapter

Milk and babies

When Peter tells his readers to "long for pure spiritual milk," he is using the metaphor of a baby craving his mother's milk. Peter wants Christians to crave God's word the same way a baby craves milk.

1 Peter 2

2:1-3

How did Peter say that Christians need to do to honor God?

[2:1, 2:2]

Peter wrote that Christians needed to stop doing the evil things they did before they believed in Jesus. They needed to do the things that honor God.

They needed to stop having “hateful feelings”(κακία/g2549) and “all kinds of deceit”(δόλος/g1388). Christians needed to not “pretend to be someone they are not“(ὑπόκρισις/g5272). That is, a Christian does not need to pretend they do good things when they do not do good things. Christians need to stop all “jealous desires”(φθόνος/g5355) and “speaking evil of other people”(καταλαλιά/g2636).

Peter then wrote about what Christians needed to do to honor God. He used the metaphor of "milk." He wanted to say that Christians needed to want to learn about God. They needed to think and do the same things Jesus thought and did. In the same way babies want milk to live, Christians need to want to do the things Jesus did to live. In the same way milk gives food to babies, the Bible shows Christians how to know God and the things that honor him. Christians also get their “spiritual food” when they listen to a wise teacher who knows what God wants them to do (See: Ephesians 5:1-10).

Peter wrote that Christians want this because they see and know how good God is to them. Peter used the metaphor of "tasting" to talk about this. That is, when Peter wrote that Christians "tasted" that God is good and kind, he wanted to say that they know this because God was kind to them.

Peter also wanted readers to think about 1:22, where he commanded Christians to love each other. Now, in 2:1-3, he wrote how Christians can do this. That is, he wrote what Christians need to do these things if they want to love each other.

See: 1 Corinthians 3:2

See: Grow in Faith; Hypocrisy (Hypocirte); Metaphor; Grow in Faith

2:4-5

What is the "living stone" about which Peter wrote?

[2:4]

Peter used the metaphor "living stone" to speak about Jesus. He wanted to say that in the same way a stone is solid and good to build a house upon, so Jesus is a solid foundation for people to believe in. In the same way a large stone makes a solid physical base for a building, so Jesus is a foundation for his church. Peter wrote about Jesus as the “living”(ζάω/g2198) stone because God brought him back from the dead after he died on the cross. The same metaphor applies to people who believe in Jesus. That is, when they believe in the living stone, they become living stones.

Peter added to this metaphor by saying that God builds all Christians into a spiritual house. In ancient Israel, people built homes out of stones and clay. In the same way, God builds his kingdom out of people who believe in Jesus. Peter wanted to say that God does not live in a building. The Holy Spirit, who is God, lives in Christians. When Christians do what the Holy Spirit tells them to do, he places them together the way a builder places stones into a house.

These living stones also have something God wants them to do. Peter called them a “household of priests”(ἱεράτευμα/g2406). He wanted to say that they need to worship God. Christians worship God by how they talk and what they do (see: 2: 9). Peter also wanted to say that when Christians worship God, this is the same as “sacrifices”(θυσία/g2378) to God.

When Peter and other Christians talked about Jesus, many people did not believe in Jesus (see: Acts 4:11; Matthew 21:42). But Peter wrote that God “chose”(ἐκλεκτός/g1588) Jesus. So, Jesus has “high value”(ἔντιμος/g1784).

See: Elect (Election); Church; Kingdom of God; Priest (Priesthood) ; Worship; Sacrifice; Elect (Election)

2:6-8

Why did Peter write about the "cornerstone"?

[2:6]

Peter used a metaphor from the Book of Isaiah to say that Jesus is the cornerstone of God's kingdom (see: Isaiah 28:16). The cornerstone is the strongest and most important stone in a building. In the same way, Jesus is the most important part of God's kingdom.

Peter said that people who “believe” or “trust”(πιστεύων/g4100) in Jesus will not be ashamed. They will be given honor. God gave Jesus the highest honor as the cornerstone. In the same way, Christians are given honor by being living stones. That is, God makes them into the spiritual home where God dwells.

However, the people who do not believe in Jesus, the cornerstone, will “stumble”(προσκόπτω/g4350) and fall. That is, they did not do the right thing and God judges them because they did not do what honors God.

See: Stumble (Stumbling Block); Kingdom of God; Faith (Believe in); Shame (Ashamed); Stumble (Stumbling Block)

2:9-10

How did God approve people who believe in Jesus?

[2:9, 2:10]

Peter wrote about how God accepts Christians in six ways: God “chose”(ἐκλεκτός/g1588) to accept Christians because they believe in Jesus (see: Isaiah 43:20-21). God made Christians a royal “priesthood”(ἱεράτευμα/g2406) (see: Exodus 19:5-6). That is, Christians serve and worship God, the King. They show those who do not believe in Jesus who God is and what he does (see: Revelation 20:6). God “set apart”(ἅγιος/g0040) Christians (see: Exodus 19:6). When a person believes in Jesus, God makes them different from those who do not believe in Jesus. That is, Christians show God's goodness by the things that they do to honor God (see: 1:15-16). Christians are people who “belong to God”(περιποίησις/g4047). Because Christians belong to God, they tell other people about the good things God does. Peter wrote that people who are not Christians are in “darkness”(σκότος/g4655). This is a metaphor he used to talk about how they do not know God. Because they do not believe in God, they do things that are sinful and evil. However, God brought Christians out of the darkness and into the “light”(φῶς/g5457). That is, they can know God and honor him by what they do. God brought Christians together to be his people. That is, in the past, they did not worship God. But now, because they believe in Jesus, God brings Christians together to worship him and to do other things together that honor him. They care for each other in ways that good families care for each other. God gave mercy to Christians. That is, God showed great kindness to his people when he forgave their sins. This was a gift God gave to people who did not deserve this gift.

See: Mercy; Faith (Believe in); Priest (Priesthood) ; Serve (Servant, Slave); Worship; Holy (Holiness, Set Apart); Light and Darkness (Metaphor); Mercy

2:11-12

Why did Paul call his readers "foreigners and exiles"?

[2:11]

When Peter wrote that his readers were "foreigners and exiles," he wanted to say that Christians are different than other people. When a person believes in Jesus, God saves them from their sins. He also changes them. Now they do the things that honor God instead of the things that other people in the world want them to do, things that do not honor God. It is as if they become strangers to the world, and they no longer do the things that other people do. So, Peter used the metaphor of "foreigners" to write about this difference.

See: Metaphor; World; Metaphor

How should Christians live in a world in which they are strangers?

[2:12]

Peter wrote that Christians need to live differently than other people in the world because they are strangers in the world. Peter “strongly encouraged”(παρακαλέω/g3870) Christians not to talk or to do things the way they did before they believed in Jesus (see: Colossians 1:13-14). If they keep doing the same things, this will cause conflict inside of them (see: James 4:1-3).

Instead, Christians are to do things in a “good way”(καλός/g2570) among other people. These people will say bad things about the Christian. But if they see the good things the Christian does, they will give God honor (see: Matthew 5:16).

Peter says this honor will be given to God on the "day of his coming." Some scholars think the day of God's coming talks about a time when God will judge the nations of the world. At this time, all people will honor Jesus as their master (see: Philippians 2:10-11). Other scholars think the day of God's coming is the time when God saves someone from his sins and causes him to become part of God's kingdom. This is because God has favored them.

See: Kingdom of God; Faith (Believe in); Day of Judgment; Kingdom of God

2:13-15

Why does Peter instruct Christians to obey earthly rulers?

[2:13]

Peter wrote that Christians need to obey their earthly rulers for two reasons:

Peter said that it was for Jesus. Christians need to obey earthly rulers so that they do not bring dishonor to the name of Jesus because they disobeyed their rulers. Christians understand that earthly rulers were put in their position by God (see: Romans 13:1-7). So, when Christians obey earthly rulers, they are obeying God. They are also following Jesus' example. This brings honor to God. Peter wrote that God deeply wants Christians to do what is good because it will stop people who spoke wrong things about Christians. This means that Christians need to obey their rulers, and continue to do good deeds. That is, unless their rulers try to get them to do something that dishonors God. In this way, people who oppose Christians will not be able to say bad things about them.

See: Name

2:16-17

What did Peter want to say when he wrote that Christians are "free"?

[2:16]

Peter told Christians to do the things that people who are “free”(ἐλεύθερος/g1658) do. That is, that they no longer need to sin (see: Galatians l3:13; Romans 6:6-7) because God forgave their sins. Christians must never use their freedom to “cover up”(ἐπικάλυμμα/g1942) for doing wrong. Instead, Christians serve God. They honor God by how what they do (see: Romans 6:17-19)

See: Serve (Servant, Slave); Sinful Nature; Forgive (Forgiveness, Pardon); Serve (Servant, Slave)

How do Christians show that they are free?

[2:16, 2:17]

Christians show that they are free by what they do. Because Christians are free, they need to respect all people. Christians are to “love”(ἀγαπάω/g0025) each other. They are to “revere”(φοβέω/g5399) and worship God only. Peter says Christians are to "honor the king." That is, they need to show respect to the one who rules their country.

See: Fear of God; Love; Fear of God

2:18-20

What does Peter tell Christians to do to serve God?

[2:18]

Peter wrote that a “household servant”(οἰκέτης/g3610) works for his master, giving them “all respect”(φόβος/g5401). That is, servants voluntarily give respect to their masters the way everyone is to respect their rulers (see:2:17). This is because the Christian has the highest respect for God. Servants should serve masters who are fair or unfair in the same way. This gives honor to God.

See: Serve (Servant, Slave)

What does Peter say is “praiseworthy”?

[2:19]

Peter wrote that it is "praiseworthy" when a Christian is treated unjustly because he believes in Jesus. That is, God is pleased when Christians trust him when they are being treated badly or suffer. Christians do not need to stop doing things that honor God in order to avoid being punished or mistreated by other people. This is because Christians are to do the same types of things that Jesus did.

See: Justice (Just, Unjust); Justice (Just, Unjust)

2:21-25

To what were Christians “called”?

[2:21]

When Peter wrote that Jesus called Christians to "this," he wanted his readers to think about suffering. Some scholars think Jesus called Christians specifically to be falsely accused and mistreatment for simply being Christians. Other scholars think Jesus called Christians specifically to trust God when they suffered for doing what was right (see: John 15:18-20; 2 Timothy 3:12).

See: Suffer

How was Jesus “reviled”?

[2:23]

Jesus was “reviled”(λοιδορέω/g3058) when people spoke evil thing about him. The rulers insulted Jesus, falsely accused him of things he did not do, and made threats with words in anger. Jesus’ trusted God who judges all things in a correct and just way. Jesus did this as an example for Christians to follow (see: 3:9).

What did it mean for a Christian to have “no more part in sin” and to "live for righteousness"?

[2:24]

Paul wrote that Christians needed to have "no more part in sin" and needed to "live for righteousness." He wanted his readers to remember that they no longer have to sin. This is because they believe in Jesus, and God saved them from their sins. Now, they are to do things that honor God. This is what Jesus did. When Jesus died on the cross, he made it possible for people to be at peace with God and to do what God wants them to do. He also made it possible for them to live together with God in heaven forever (see: Isaiah 53:5). None of this is possible before God saves someone from their sins.

See: Heaven; Righteous (Righteousness); Save (Salvation, Saved from Sins); Cross; Heaven

Why did Peter write, “by his bruises you have been healed”?

[2:24]

When Peter wrote "by his bruises you have been healed," he used a metaphor to talk about how God saves people from their sins. The bruises of Jesus came when the soldiers beat him and then hung him on a cross to die. Peter wanted to say that because Jesus suffered physically, people who believe in Jesus no longer need to suffer in a different way. This was not a physical suffering. Instead, if they believe in Jesus, God will save them from their sins and they will be at peace with God. This is a type of healing.

See: Faith (Believe in); Save (Salvation, Saved from Sins); Cross; Faith (Believe in)

What did Peter want readers to think about when he wrote about the "shepherd and guardian of their souls"?

[2:25]

When Peter wrote about readers returning to the "shepherd and guardian of their souls," he wanted them to think about following Jesus. Some scholars think Peter wrote this to the Jewish people who continued to do things that did not honor God’s commands. They think that when some Jewish people believed in Jesus, they began to honor God again. Other scholars think Peter wrote this to both Jews and Gentiles. When he wrote that the Jews and Gentiles “returned”(ἐπιστρέφω/g1994) to the shepherd of their souls, it meant they stopped sinning and started following Jesus, who is the Messiah.

See: Messiah (Christ); Soul; Israel; Gentile; Messiah (Christ)

ULB Translation Questions

Chapter 3

¹ In the same way, you who are wives should submit to your own husbands. Do this so even if some men are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word, through their wives' behavior, ² having been eyewitnesses of your respectful, pure behavior. ³ Do not let your adornment be outward—the braiding of hair, and putting on of gold ornaments, or the clothing you wear. ⁴ Instead, let your adornment be the inner person of the heart with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious before God. ⁵ For this is how holy women long ago who hoped in God adorned themselves, by submitting to their husbands. ⁶ In this way Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are now her children if you do what is good and if you are not afraid of trouble.

⁷ In the same way, you husbands should live with your wives according to understanding, as with a weaker container, a woman. You should give them honor as fellow heirs of the grace of life. Do this so that your prayers will not be hindered.

⁸ Finally, all of you, be likeminded, compassionate, loving as brothers, tenderhearted, and humble. ⁹ Do not pay back evil for evil or insult for insult. On the contrary, continue to bless, because for this you were called, that you might inherit a blessing.

    ¹⁰ "The one who wants to love life

         and see good days

     should stop his tongue from evil

         and his lips from speaking deceit.

    ¹¹ Let him turn away from what is bad and do what is good.

         Let him seek peace and pursue it.

    ¹² The eyes of the Lord see the righteous,

         and his ears hear their prayers.

     But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

¹³ Who is the one who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? ¹⁴ But even if you suffer because of righteousness, you are blessed. Do not fear their threats. Do not be troubled. ¹⁵ Instead, set apart the Lord Christ in your hearts as holy. Always be ready to give an account to anyone who asks about the hope you have— ¹⁶ however, with meekness and respect. Have a good conscience so that in whatever you are spoken of as evil the people who slander your good life in Christ may be put to shame. ¹⁷ It is better, if it should be God's will, that you suffer for doing good than for doing evil. ¹⁸ Christ also suffered once for sins. He who is righteous suffered for us, who were unrighteous, so that he would bring us to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but he was made alive by the Spirit. ¹⁹ By the Spirit, he went and preached to the spirits who are now in prison. ²⁰ They were disobedient when the patience of God was waiting in the days of Noah, in the days of the building of an ark, and God saved a few people—eight souls—by means of the water. ²¹ This is a symbol of the baptism that saves you now—not as a washing away of dirt from the body, but as the appeal of a good conscience to God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. ²² Christ is at the right hand of God. He went into heaven. Angels, authorities, and powers must submit to him.

1 Peter 3 General Notes

Structure and formatting

Some translations set poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to show that it is poetry. The ULB does this with the poetry that is quoted from the Old Testament in 3:10-12.

Special concepts in this chapter

"Outward ornaments"

Most people want to look good so other people will like them and think they are good people. Women are especially careful to look good by wearing nice clothes and jewels. Peter is saying that what a woman thinks and says and does are more important to God than how she looks.

Unity

Peter wanted his readers to agree with each other. More importantly, he wanted them to love each other and be patient with each other.

Important figures of speech in this chapter

Metaphor

Peter quotes a psalm that describes God as if he were a person with eyes, ears, and a face. However, God is a spirit, so he does not have physical eyes or ears or a physical face. But he does know what people do, and he does act against wicked people.

1 Peter 3

3:1-7

Why did Peter write “in this way”?

[3:1]

When Peter wrote "in this way," he wanted people to think about how they could live in the same way Jesus lived. Peter had just written about how Jesus lived. He honored God when he was arrested and crucified (see: 2:21-25). Scholars think Peter wanted Christians to obey their leaders who ruled over them. He wanted Christians to think about how servants were obeyed and respected their masters (see: 2:13-25). Other scholars remind us that no one deserves more honor than Jesus. However, people beat and killed Jesus. Peter wanted Christians to obey their leaders as much as Jesus did.

See: Submit (Submission)

How was a wife to submit to her husband?

[3:1]

Peter did not make rules about how a wife was to submit to her husband. Some scholars think Peter wanted each husband and wife to decide this between themselves. Peter wrote to wives who were Christians. Peter expected the wife to submit to her husband for “the Lord’s sake” (see: 2:13). That is, the wife did this to honor Jesus.

See: Submit (Submission)

Why did Peter write that a husband can be “won without a word”?

[3:1]

Peter wrote that a husband can be "won without a word." He wanted to say that the wife may help the husband to believe in Jesus. Scholars think Peter wrote about a non-Christian husband in this verse. The wife lived in a way that honored God. She did this when she honored and respected her husband. Because she lived in this way, she helped the non-Christian husband to believe in Jesus.

Peter did not want to say the wife had to be silent in the home. Rather, he wanted people to think that what the wife did was more important than what she said (see: 1 Timothy 2:11-12).

What is the "inner person of the heart"?

[3:4]

When Peter wrote the "inner person of the heart", he wanted readers to think about how they thought and felt.

See: Heart (Metaphor); Heart (Metaphor)

How did Peter speak about genuine beauty?

[3:4]

Peter spoke about genuine beauty as not being about how a woman looks. Instead, Peter contrasted the “outward ornaments”(ἔξωθεν/g1855) with the private “inner person”(κρυπτός/g2927). Some scholars think Peter spoke about the things a wife did to make herself beautiful to others. If the wife was concerned with her outward appearance only, then her husband might not see how Jesus changed her life. If the wife was primarily concerned with the ways a Christian thinks and acts, then her husband might see that Jesus made her a better person.

Other scholars think Peter spoke about what Solomon said. In Proverbs, Solomon wrote about how outward beauty did not last, but only the inward beauty (see: Proverbs 31:30).

Advice to translators: In some places, people talk about a woman having two types of beauty. The way a woman looks is a beauty that is on the outside of her. That is, people can see that she is beautiful when they look at her. However, people also talk about a woman being beautiful on the inside. This is a metaphor. She lives in a way that honors God. However, people cannot easily see this by looking at her.

See: Metaphor

Who were the “holy women long ago who hoped in God”?

[3:5]

Peter wrote about "holy women long ago who hoped in God." He was writing about about women in the Old Testament. He spoke about women who trusted what God said. They completely trusted God's promises. Those women “adorned” themselves with certain things. They wore certain things. This is a metaphor. They lived in a way that honored God and other people could see them do this.

See: Metaphor; Old Testament (Law and Prophets); Metaphor

How did Sarah think of Abraham as her lord?

[3:6]

When Sarah called Abraham “lord,” she did this because she respected and honored him. She did this because he was her husband. In ancient times, people often used the word “lord” when they wanted to tell someone they respected and honored the person with whom they spoke. The word “lord” also means master. Why did Peter write “not afraid of trouble”?

Scholars disagree about what Peter wanted to say when he wrote "not afraid of trouble." Perhaps Peter wrote about when a non-Christian husband treated his Christian wife badly. Some scholars think that a Christian wife will not be afraid of any kind of trouble. These scholars think the was treated badly because she was a Christian. Other scholars think Peter wanted Christian wives to do what was right. He wanted them not to be afraid and hate her non-Christian husband.

How does a husband live with his wife “according to understanding”?

[3:7]

A husband lives with his wife "according to understanding" when he knows her very well. Then he lives in a way that honors her by knowing what she needs and wants.

Scholars think the words “according to understanding”(γνῶσις/g1108) also mean that a husband needs to know what the Bible says about a husband and wife (see: Ephesians 5:21-33). This included knowing what God wanted married people to do. He honors God by saying and doing good things that help her.

Why did Peter write “weaker vessel”?

[3:7]

Peter wrote “weaker vessel” to speak about certain things a women physically could not do. When Peter lived, most people thought women were physically weaker than men. Peter did not want to say that women were not as smart as men. Women could honor God as much as men could honor God. Some scholars think that when Peter wrote this, he also wanted to say that men were weak, but in a different way than women.

What is "the grace of life"?

[3:7]

The "grace of life" is God's love and care for people. This is a special gift God gives to people who believe in him.

See: Grace

How are Christian husbands and wives “fellow heirs” of the grace of life?

[3:7]

Christian husbands and wives are "fellow heirs" of the grace of life because they both will live with God forever. This is because they both believe in Jesus.

God values men and women equally (see: Galatians 3:28-29). Peter wrote that men and women are not greater or lesser when speaking about spiritual things. However, in chapter 3, Peter did recognize that in a marriage, the man and woman do different things. That is, the husband has the role of authority within the marriage and the wife the role of helper (see: Genesis 2:18).

See: Inherit (Inheritance, Heir); Inherit (Inheritance, Heir)

3:8-12

Why did Peter write “like-minded”?

[3:8]

Peter wrote "like-minded." He wanted people to think about people who believed what their ancestors. In the Roman Empire, many people were like-minded and worshipped many gods. These are the same gods their ancestors worshipped. However, Peter did not want Christians to do this (see: 1 Peter 1:18). Instead, Peter encouraged Christians to become “like-minded” in another way. He wanted Christians to think the same things about the gospel that the apostles taught.

See: Apostle; Ancestor and Descendant (Fathers, Forefathers, Patriarchs); Gospel; Apostle

Why did Peter write “for this you were called”?

[3:9]

When Peter wrote "for this you were called," he continued to tell Christians that God wants them to be like Jesus. Peter also wrote about this in 1 Peter 2:21. God wants Christians not to attack back people who attack them. The apostle Paul also called Christians to do good things, even if other people do evil things to them (see: Romans 12:17-21). Jesus said Christians should bless and pray for people do evil things to them (see: Luke 6:27-29, 35).

See: Call (Calling)

Why did Peter write that “the eyes of the Lord see the righteous”?

[3:12]

Peter wrote that "the eyes of the Lord see the righteous." He wanted to tell Christians that God knows what happens to them. God will help them in some way. Peter said the same things written in Psalms (see: Psalms 34:12-16). God delivered the righteous out of all their troubles. Many times God delivered the people of Israel.

See: Righteous (Righteousness)

What is "the face of the Lord"?

[3:12]

The "face of the Lord" is a metaphor for God treating someone well. Peter wanted to say that God will not reward people who do wrong things. Instead, he will reward people who trust and obey him.

See: Reward; Reward

3:13-17

Why did Peter write “who is the one who will harm you”?

[3:13]

Peter wrote "who is the one who will harm you." He wanted people to think about how people treat other people who do the right things. Normally, no one will punish a person if they do good. Peter wanted people to think about when Christians are harmed even though they do what God wants.

Peter spoke about people saying Christians do bad things when they do not do these things (see: 1 Peter 2:12, 15). People will insult and want to harm Christian (see: 1 Peter 3:9,14).

Christians will be persecuted. However, God will reward him in the end.

See: Reward; Persecute (Persecution) ; Reward

Why did Peter write “suffer because of righteousness”?

[3:14]

Peter wrote that Christians sometimes suffer even if they do good things. Christians suffer because they do what God wants, God blesses them. Jesus also said this (see: 1 Peter 4:3-4; Matthew 5:11-12). Because of this, Peter encouraged Christians trust God when they suffered (see: Isaiah 8:12-13).

See: Persecute (Persecution); Bless (Blessing); Persecute (Persecution)

How do Christians “set apart the Lord Christ” as holy?

[3:15]

Christians are "set apart the Lord Christ as holy" when they believe in him and worship him. Scholars think that when Jesus was alive, many people knew that he was ‘holy.” So they honored him. These Christians truly believed that Jesus controlled everything. So they trusted him completely. Because of this, Christians were not afraid of how other people treated them. Peter wanted all Christians to do this.

See: Worship; Messiah (Christ); Worship

What is “a good conscience”?

[3:16]

A "good conscience" is when a person does their best not to sin. When they do sin, they repent and ask God to forgive them. In verse 16, Peter wrote about Christians keeping a good conscience when they are insulted for living in a way that honors God.

See: Sin; Conscience; Sin

3:18-22

Why did Peter write that Jesus “suffered once for sins”?

[3:18]

When Peter wrote that Jesus "suffered once for sins," he wanted Christians to know that Jesus died so that people could be at peace with God.

Some scholars think Peter wanted people to think about the Law of Moses. According to the Law of Moses, people needed to offer sacrifices every day. It also required a special sacrifice once a year (see: Hebrews 7:27; 10:1-4). However, when Jesus sacrificed himself, he was punished for people’s sins.

See: Law of Moses; Atone (Atonement); Offer (Offering); Law of Moses

Who were the “spirits...now in prison”?

[3:19]

Scholars are not sure who Peter wrote about when he wrote "spirits...now in prison." Some scholars think Peter was writing about people. Perhaps they were people who lived during the days of Noah, but who thought only about doing evil things. They were in hell when Jesus preached to them.

Other scholars think Peter was writing about demons who disobeyed God.

Other scholars think Peter wrote about people who lived and disobeyed in Noah's time, but

See: Demon; Hell; Preach (Preacher); Demon

What did Jesus preach?

[3:19]

Scholars think Jesus “preached” through Noah. Peter wrote that Noah preached righteousness (see: 2 Peter 2:5). Because of this, these scholars think the message preached during Noah’s day was a message of repentance and faith.

Other scholars think Jesus preached to condemn the people and angels who disobeyed God when Noah lived.

See: Angel; Righteous (Righteousness); Repent (Repentance; Faith (Believe in); Condemn (Condemnation); Angel

When did Jesus preach?

[3:19]

Scholars disagree about when Jesus preached the things Peter wrote about in verse 19. Scholars who think the “spirits” were people, think that the Spirit of Christ, that is to say the Holy Spirit, preached when Noah lived. Other scholars think that the Spirit of Christ spoke to the “spirits” in hell sometime between when he was buried and when he was resurrected.

See: Resurrect (Resurrection); Spirit (Spiritual); Holy Spirit; Hell; Resurrect (Resurrection)

How were "eight souls" saved “by means of the water”?

[3:20]

When Peter wrote "eight souls," he wanted people to think about Noah and his family. "Souls" is a metaphor for people.

When Peter wrote “by means” of the water, he wanted people to think about how God used the flood's water to remove bad people from the world. However, he rescued Noah and his family. God saved those who obeyed him. He saved eight people in Noah's family.

See: Metaphor; Metaphor

How were the flood waters during Noah’s day a symbol of baptism?

[3:21]

Peter wrote about the flood when Noah lived. This was a metaphor or symbol of baptism for Christians. Peter wanted his people to know that God judged people and punished them for their sins with the flood. The ark which Noah built was a symbol of how Jesus saves people from their sins. Eight people of Noah’s day were rescued in the ark from God’s judgment. In some way, people who believe in Jesus and appeal to God for a “good” conscience are rescued. That is, God does not punish them for their sins.

See: Atone (Atonement); Symbol; Baptize (Baptism); Punish (Punishment); Judge (Judgment); Sin; Atone (Atonement)

Why did Peter write “Christ is at the right hand of God”?

[3:22]

Peter wrote "Christ is at the right hand of God" to say that God gave Jesus power and permission to rule everything. In ancient times, when a person sat at the right hand of a king, the king gave the power and permission to rule others.

See: Romans 8:34; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3, 10:12, 12:2

See: Reward

ULB Translation Questions

Chapter 4

¹ Therefore, because Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same intention. For whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin. ² As a result, such a person, for the rest of his time in the flesh, no longer lives for men's desires, but for God's will. ³ For the time that has passed is enough for you to do the desire of the Gentiles, living in sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, drunken celebrations, having wild parties, and committing lawless acts of idolatry. ⁴ They think it is strange that you do not join with them in these floods of reckless behavior, so they speak evil about you. ⁵ They will give an account to the one who is ready to judge the living and the dead. ⁶ For this purpose the gospel was preached also to the dead, so that, although they have been judged in the flesh as humans, they may live in the spirit the way God does.

⁷ The end of all things is coming near. Therefore be of sound mind, and be sober in your thinking for the sake of prayers. ⁸ Above all things, have fervent love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. ⁹ Be hospitable to one another without complaining. ¹⁰ As each one of you has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's grace in its various forms. ¹¹ If anyone speaks, let it be with God's words. If anyone serves, let it be from the strength that God supplies. Do these things so that in all ways God would be glorified through Jesus Christ. May there be to Jesus Christ glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

¹² Beloved, do not regard as strange the testing in the fire that has come upon you, as if something strange were happening to you. ¹³ Instead, however much you experience the sufferings of Christ, rejoice, so that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. ¹⁴ If you are insulted for Christ's name, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. ¹⁵ But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or a meddler. ¹⁶ Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; instead, let him glorify God with that name. ¹⁷ For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God. If it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who disobey God's gospel?

¹⁸ And

     "If it is difficult for the righteous to be saved,

         what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?"

¹⁹ Therefore let those who suffer because of God's will commit their souls to the faithful Creator in well-doing.

1 Peter 4 General Notes

Structure and formatting

Some translations set poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to show that it is poetry. The ULB does this with the poetry that is quoted from the Old Testament in 4:18.

Special concepts in this chapter

Ungodly Gentiles

This passage uses the term "Gentiles" to refer to all ungodly people who are not Jews. It does not include Gentiles who have become Christians. "Sensuality, passion, drunkenness, drunken celebrations, having wild parties, and committing disgusting acts of idolatry" were actions that characterized or typified the ungodly Gentiles. (See: godly)

Martyrdom

It is apparent that Peter is speaking to many Christians who are experiencing great persecution and are facing death for their beliefs.

Other possible translation difficulties in this chapter

"Let it" and "Let none" and "Let him" and "Let those"

Peter uses these phrases to tell his readers what he wants them to do. They are like commands because he wants his readers to obey. But it is as if he is telling one person what he wants other people to do.

1 Peter 4

4:1-6

Why did Peter write “arm yourselves” with the intent of suffering?

[4:1]

Peter told Christians to “arm themselves”(ὁπλίζω/g3695) with the intent of suffering. That is, knowing the would be persecuted. This was a metaphor. A soldier armed himself with weapons and armor. He used this metaphor to tell Christians to think about suffering in the same way Jesus thought about suffering. That is, Christians should be ready to suffer because they believe in Jesus. As Peter wrote earlier, Christians can expect to suffer for doing what is right, just as Jesus did (see: 1 Peter 2:22-23; 3:17-18).

See: Persecute (Persecution); Persecute (Persecution)

How does a Christian who “has suffered in the flesh” cease from sin?

[4:1]

Peter wrote about someone who has suffered in the flesh. Some scholars think Peter was speaking about Christians who suffered for doing what is right (see: 1 Peter 3:17). They think that when a Christian suffers for doing what is right, he has chosen to stop sinning. Other scholars think that when a Christian chooses to obey God, he shows he does not want to sin any more.

Peter did not want to say that a Christian stops sinning completely. A Christian will only stop sinning when they die and are with God in heaven.

See: Heaven; Heaven

Why did Peter write “the rest of his time in the flesh”?

[4:2]

Peter wrote "the rest of his time in the flesh" to speak about the rest of a person’s life on earth.

According to Peter, what were “men’s desires”?

Scholars think that when Peter wrote about "men's desires," he spoke about how people who were not Christians thought. They thought about things they wanted. When they did this, they were doing the wrong thing. Peter also spoke about people doing the wrong things because they did not know the right thing to do. He also spoke earlier about how the things they wanted made “war against the soul” (see: 1 Peter 1:14; 2:11).

See: Soul; Soul

How does a Christian live “for God’s will”?

[4:2]

A Christian lives “for God’s will” when he does what God wants. In this letter, Peter wrote about ways a Christian can do what God wants. Peter told Christians to “love one another” (see: 1:22). He also told Christians to “be hospitable” to one another and to “serve one another” (see: 4:9-10).

Advice to translators: Someone who is hospitable welcomes someone who they do not know. They help people they do not know.

See: Will of God

Who were the “Gentiles” about which Peter wrote?

[4:3]

See: Gentile

Why did Peter write about people living “in sensuality, passion, drunkenness, drunken celebrations, having wild parties”?

[4:3]

Peter wrote about people living “in sensuality, passion, drunkenness, drunken celebrations, having wild parties.” He wanted people to think about someone who did not live in the right way. They did not control themselves. They wanted to sin, so they did evil things.

See: Sin; Sin

What were “disgusting acts of idolatry”?

[4:3]

Peter wrote about "disgusting acts of idolatry." He wanted people to know that some people worshipped idols. A person committed idolatry when they worshipped things in the world or things that people created. They worshipped these things instead of God.

Some scholars think when Peter wrote "disgusting acts," he did not speak about all idolatry. This is because all idolatry is a sin against God. They think Peter spoke about breaking the laws made by the government. That is, even people who were not Christian thought these acts were evil.

See: Sin; Worship; Sin

Why did Peter write “floods of reckless behavior”?

[4:4]

Peter wrote “floods of reckless behavior.” He was writing about people who did more evil things than good things. They lived in a way that was very evil. They loved to sin and constantly sinned. So they did not care that God would punish them for what they did.

See: Sin

Who is "the one who is ready to judge"?

[4:5]

The "one who is ready to judge" is God.

See: Judge (Judgment)

Why did Peter write that people will “give an account” to God?

[4:5]

When Peter wrote about people "giving an account" to God, he wanted people to think about the time when God will judge people who lived their lives in “sensuality” (see: 1 Peter 4:3) and spoke against Christians. He used the metaphor of a trial in court, where people are accused of crimes and they have to respond. He wanted to say that God will judge people who continue to live in the wrong way (see: Matthew 12:36).

See: Metaphor; Metaphor

Why did Peter write “the living and the dead”?

[4:5]

Peter wrote "the living and the dead" so people would know that God will judge everyone who is not a Christian (see: Revelation 20:11-15). This is called the Great White Throne Judgment. Peter wanted to say that nobody can escape this judgment just because they die before it happens.

See: Judge (Judgment)

How was the gospel "preached also to the dead"?

[4:6]

Scholars disagree about how the gospel was "preached also to the dead." Some scholars think Peter spoke about the gospel being preached to those who were alive when the preaching happened, but died by the time Peter wrote this letter. That is, Peter spoke about Christians who were dead when he wrote this. Fewer scholars think Peter spoke about Jesus preaching to people in hell (see: 1 Peter 3:18-19).

The reason the gospel was preached was because God was about to judge people (see: 1 Peter 4:5).

See: Judge (Judgment); Preach (Preacher); Hell; Judge (Judgment)

How are Christians “judged in the flesh as humans”?

[4:6]

When Peter wrote about Christians being "judged in the flesh as humans", he wanted to write about Christians dying. In the beginning, Adam sinned (see: Genesis 3). God punished him and all his descendants. Because of this, all people from then on die (see: Romans 5:12-21). All people are punished or judged in this way. Peter wanted to say that Christians also die.

See: Ancestor and Descendant (Fathers, Forefathers, Patriarchs); Ancestor and Descendant (Fathers, Forefathers, Patriarchs)

Why did Peter write “live in the spirit the way God does”?

[4:6]

Peter wrote "live in the spirit the way God does." He wanted people to think about eternal life. For the Christian, when their body dies, their spirit keeps living and it will always live (see: 1 Corinthians 15:51-53; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). That is, in some way, Christians are able to live forever because of what God did for them through Jesus. Non-Christians also live forever. Their spirit lives in hell forever.

See: Hell; Spirit (Spiritual); Hell

4:7-11

Why did Peter write “the end of all things is coming near”?

[4:7]

Peter wrote "the end of all things is coming near." He wanted people to know that Jesus could return to earth at any time.

See: Jesus' Return to Earth

How does a person have a “sound mind”?

[4:7]

A Christian has a “sound mind”(σωφρονέω/g4993) when he thinks about things in a right way. That is, he knows how to live at peace with other Christians (see: Romans 12:3; Titus 1:8).

Why did Peter write that Christians need to be “sober in your thinking”?

[4:7]

Peter wrote that people need to be "sober in your thinking" because he wanted Christians to be aware of things going on around them. He wanted them to look for things that did not honor God. They will know that they should not do these things. They will also pray.

See: Pray (Prayer)

What is “fervent love”?

[4:8]

When Peter wrote about “fervent”(ἐκτενής/g1618) love he wrote about helping other Christians to live in a way that honors God. A Christian needs to do this, even if it means not doing what they want to do. They should serve other Christians. A Christian who has “fervent love” does so even when he is treated unkindly.

See: Love

How does love cover a “multitude of sins”?

[4:8]

Christian love covers a “multitude of sins" because the Christian always seeks to do good to others. That is, this often helps Christians to forgive other people. Peter wanted people to think about being ready to forgive others.

Peter did not want to say that someone who loves can also sin. Instead, he wanted people to forgive others when someone sins against them.

See: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7; Proverbs 10:12

See: Love; Forgive (Forgiveness, Pardon); Love

Why did Peter write “be hospitable to one another”?

[4:9]

Peter wrote "be hospitable to one another" to encourage Christians to willingly open their homes to other Christians. This might be another Christian who is traveling or visiting. Sometimes this meant for a Christian to host a group to worship and to learn about the Bible. Christians should do this without complaining or disputing (see: Philippians 2:14).

See: Galatians 6:10

See: Worship; Worship

How do Christians receive a “gift” ?

[4:10]

Christians receive a "gift" because God gives them something. Peter wrote the word “gift” to show that God freely gives something to each Christian. He did not speak about a gift of money. Instead, he meant God gives them a certain ability that helps them to serve God or other people in some way.

See: Gifts of the Holy Spirit

How do Christians speak “with God’s words”?

[4:11]

Many of the gifts given by God to Christians were speaking gifts, that is gifts the person uses when they speak. A Christian who is given a speaking gift needs to be careful that he truly speaks things that agree with God's word, the Bible.

See: Word of God; Word of God

4:12-19

What is the “testing in the fire” about which Peter spoke?

[4:12]

The "testing in the fire" that Peter wrote about is when a Christian suffers or struggles in life (see: 1 Peter 2:21) because they believe in Jesus. This may happen because other people attack them or persecute them. Peter wanted his people to learn to trust God when they suffered. He wanted them to praise God for the strength he gives them in the middle of the suffering (see: 1 Peter 1:7). Peter wanted Christians to know that they will suffer and struggle.

See: Persecute (Persecution); Persecute (Persecution)

How does a Christian “experience the sufferings of Christ”?

[4:13]

In ancient times, when a person became a Christian, they were often persecuted. They were put into prison or even killed. Other people insulted them, or mocked them, or in some way treated them wrong because they believed in Jesus (see: Acts 5:41; 16:25). This may still happen to Christians now. Peter wanted Christians to know that in some way they share in what Jesus suffered, when this happens to them.

Peter encouraged Christians, however, to “rejoice” when they suffered in this way so that they can rejoice even more when Jesus returns (see: Romans 5:3-5).

See: Rejoice (Joy, Joyful) ; Rejoice (Joy, Joyful)

When will the "revealing of" Jesus’s "glory" happen?

[4:13]

Scholars scholars think Peter spoke about Jesus being “revealed”when he returns to earth. Nobody except God the Father knows when this will happen.

See: God the Father; Jesus' Return to Earth; Reveal (Revelation); God the Father

Why did Peter write about the "Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God” resting on Christians?

[4:14]

Peter wrote about the "Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God" resting on Christians to encourage them. Peter wanted Christians not to be discouraged when people spoke badly about them because they believed in Jesus. Peter told them that the Spirit of God would give them strength to endure when other people ridicule them or unfairly treat them (see: Acts 5:40-42).

See: Persecute (Persecution); Glory (Glorify); Persecute (Persecution)

What is a “meddler”?

[4:15]

A “meddler” is someone who involves himself in other people’s lives without their permission. This includes people who gossip or say things about certain people to other people and it hurts the people they are talking about.

See: Gossip

Why did Peter write “if anyone suffers as a Christian”?

[4:16]

Scholars disagree about why Peter wrote "if anyone suffers as a Christian." Some scholars think Peter wrote about people thinking that Christians are criminals because they believe in Jesus (see: Acts 8:3; 9:1-2). Other scholars think Peter wrote about people being punished because they were Christians.

How does “judgment begin with the household of God"?

[4:17]

When Peter wrote that it is time for "judgment to begin with the household of God," he wanted people to know about how God will treat Christians. The "household of God" is all Christians.

Some scholars think Peter wrote about judgment he wanted Chrsitians to know that this judgment was a type of mercy for Christians. Christians may suffer while they are alive. But God will make them stronger so they can endure the suffering. Then he will judge Christians for the good things they do to serve Jesus.

Other scholars think Peter wanted to say that God’s judgement will begin with Christians. It will be a judgment of mercy on Christians. Then God will judge all people who do not believe in Jesus. This will be a judgment of wrath on non-Christians.

See: Reward; Wrath; Mercy; Reward

Why did Peter tell Christians to “entrust their souls to the faithful Creator”?

[4:19]

Peter told Christians to "entrust their souls to the faithful Creator." He wanted to encourage them to keep trusting in God, no matter what happened to them. Scholars think Peter wanted them to think that all of their suffering was because of God’s will for them. He wanted them to trust that God would make their suffering help them to live more in a way that honored God. (see: Romans 5:3-5).

See: Will of God

ULB Translation Questions

Chapter 5

¹ I am exhorting the elders among you, I, who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and am also one who will share in the glory that will be revealed: ² Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God would have you serve—not for shameful profit but eagerly. ³ Do not act as lords over those allotted to you. Instead, be examples to the flock. ⁴ Then when the Chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive an unfading crown of glory. ⁵ In the same way, you younger men, submit to the older men. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility and serve one another.

     For God is opposed to the proud,

         but he gives grace to the humble.

⁶ Therefore humble yourselves under God's mighty hand so that he may exalt you in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. ⁸ Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil is walking around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Stand against him. Be strong in your faith. You know that your brotherhood in the world is enduring the same sufferings. ¹⁰ After you suffer for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will perfect you, confirm you, strengthen you, and establish you. ¹¹ To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

¹² I regard Silvanus as a faithful brother, and I have written to you briefly through him. I am exhorting you and I am testifying to you that what I have written is the true grace of God. Stand in it. ¹³ The woman who is in Babylon, who is chosen together with you, greets you. Also Mark, my son, greets you. ¹⁴ Greet one another with a kiss of love.

May peace be to you all who are in Christ.

1 Peter 5 General Notes

Structure and formatting

Most people in the ancient Near East would end a letter the way Peter ends this one.

Special concepts in this chapter

Crowns

The crown that the Chief Shepherd will give is a reward, something that people who do something especially good receive. (See: reward)

Important figures of speech in this chapter

Lion

All animals are afraid of lions because they are fast and strong, and they eat almost every other kind of animal. They also eat people. Satan wants to make God's people afraid, so Peter uses the simile of a lion to teach his readers that Satan can harm their bodies, but if they trust in God and obey him, they will always be God's people, and God will care for them.

Babylon

Babylon was the evil nation that in Old Testament times had destroyed Jerusalem, taken the Jews away from their homes, and ruled over them. Peter uses Babylon as a metaphor for the nation that was persecuting the Christians he was writing to. Many scholars think that Peter was referring to Rome because the Romans were persecuting the Christians.

1 Peter 5

5:1-4

Who were the “elders”?

[5:1]

See: Elder

Why did Peter write the word “exhorting”?

[5:1]

Peter wrote "exhort" because he wanted the other elders to work hard to serve the church.

Advice to translators: The word “exhort” meant to encourage or to make a serious request.

See: Church; Church

Why did Peter say he was a “witness of the sufferings of Christ”?

[5:1]

Scholars disagree about why Peter said he was a "witness of the sufferings of Christ." Some scholars think Peter saw Jesus when he was beaten and crucified (see: Luke 22:28, 54-62; John 18:15-27). Other scholars think that Peter was a “witness”(μάρτυς/g3144) because he spoke about how Jesus suffered, but he did not actually see Jesus suffer. Other scholars think Peter both saw Jesus suffer and told other people about the things he saw.

See: Crucify (Crucifixion)

How was Peter “one who will share in the glory that will be revealed”?

[5:1]

Scholars think Peter was “one who will share in the glory that will be revealed” in two different ways: He will share in the glory that God will reveal to all Christians when Jesus returns to earth. He will share in a certain type of glory with Jesus (see: Matthew 19:28). The other apostles will also share this glory.

See: Apostle; Reveal (Revelation); Jesus' Return to Earth; Apostle

What was a “shepherd of God’s flock”?

[5:2]

A “shepherd of God’s flock” was a metaphor. He was writing about the Christian leaders. They taught Christians the word of God. They also warned Christians not to listen to certain teachers who taught the wrong things. These teachers wanted Christians to stop trusting in Jesus.

See: Word of God; Shepherd; Word of God

Why did Peter write that a church leader must not serve for “shameful profit”?

[5:2]

Peter wrote that a Christian leader must not serve for "shameful profit." He wanted them to know why people should become leaders in the church. Peter warned that there were some Christian leaders who wanted to make money because they were Christian leaders. Peter wrote that they shamed themselves if they did this. Instead, he wanted them to simply serve God by teaching and caring for Christians.

Some scholars think Peter spoke about teachers who only wanted to be leaders so that people would honor them. They did not serve God with humility.

See: Church; Church

Why did Peter warn church leaders not to “act as a master over the people in your care”?

[5:3]

Peter warned the church leaders not to "act as a master over the people" in their care to tell them to lead in the church in a way that honors God. That is, he did not want them to act like someone who ordered slaves around. He did not want them to be proud and arrogant. Instead, Peter wanted them to think about helping other Christians to live in a way that honors God.

See: Church; Church

Who is the “Chief Shepherd”?

[5:4]

The “Chief Shepherd” is Jesus, who is the messiah. He alone will judge what the Christian leaders do when He returns to earth.

See: Judge (Judgment); Jesus' Return to Earth; Judge (Judgment)

What is the “crown of glory”?

[5:4]

The "crown of glory" is a metaphor. He was writing about how God will honor people who serve him well. When Peter lived, crowns were given to people as a reward or to show people special honor. Some scholars think Peter used the “crown of glory” as a metaphor to say that God will show special honor to leaders who served him well. Other scholars think Peter used “crown of glory” as a metaphor to say that God will honor all Christians in a special way when Jesus returns.

See: Reward; Glory (Glorify); Metaphor; Jesus' Return to Earth; Reward

5:5-11

Why did Peter write that “God resists the proud”?

[5:5]

Scholars disagree about why Peter wrote that "God resists the proud." When a person “resists”(ἀντιτάσσω/g0498) someone, he opposes what they do. That is, he works against it. Some scholars think Peter wanted to say that God opposes a proud person. They think he used the metaphor about people who opposed each other in battle. Other scholars think Peter wanted to say that God turns his back on proud people. That is, he will not honor or reward them because of their pride. Other scholars think Peter wanted to say that God refuses to listen to proud people.

See: Reward; Metaphor; Reward

How do people humble themselves “under God’s mighty hand”?

[5:6]

People humble themselves "under God's mighty hand" when they decide to follow and serve God. They do this because they understand that he is greater than they are. Some scholars think Peter spoke about people accepting and following the wisdom of God instead of following the ideas of the world. Other scholars think Peter spoke about people following God because God always accomplishes what he wants to do (see: Job 42:1-3; Micah 6:8).

See: Wise (Wisdom, Fool); Wise (Wisdom, Fool)

Why did Peter write that God "may" lift up Christians?

[5:6]

When Peter wrote that God "may" lift up Christians, he wanted people to know that God does not have to do this. Peter wanted people to know that God will do it if they continue to serve God and honor him. However, if they do not continue to serve God and honor him, then God may choose not to reward them.

See: Reward

Why did Peter write that God will "lift up" Christians?

[5:6]

Peter wrote that God will "lift up" Christians to say that God will bless or honor or reward them in some way. That is, he used the metaphor of a person being lifted up out of a hole, or being raised to some high position. God lifts Christians up when he gives a spiritual blessing to them, or allows them to have a closer fellowship with God. God sometimes gives greater responsibility to church leaders who are humble (see: Luke 16:10). This is a way of lifting them up.

See: Church; Reward; Spirit (Spiritual); Bless (Blessing); Fellowship; Church

Why did Peter write that God will lift up Christians “in due time”?

[5:6]

Peter wrote that God will lift up Chrisians "in due time" to say that when God chooses, he will bless or honor or reward them in some way. Many scholars think Peter spoke about God relieving Christians from suffering or hardship when he thinks best.

See: Reward; Reward

Why did Peter write “cast all your anxiety” on God?

[5:7]

Peter wrote "cast all your anxiety" on God to tell Christians to trust God instead of worrying about what is happening to them. Some scholars think that when Peter wrote this, he wanted people to pray and ask God to help people to stop worrying. That is, Christians need to remember that God knows everything and he is the only one who can calm Christians when they worry.

Why did Peter tell Christians to be “sober” and “watchful”?

[5:8]

Peter told Christians to be "sober" and "watchful." He wanted to warn them not to pay attention to any wrong ideas about God. There are many false teachers in the church who spread wrong ideas. Christians may be misled by people who talk about things in the world that do not honor God. Peter warned the Christian must not start believing wrong ideas about God and the Bible.

See: Church

How is the devil like a “roaring lion”?

[5:8]

The devil is like a "roaring lion" because he is very strong. Scholars think Peter used a metaphor to speak about how the devil wants to destroy any person who believes in Jesus. That is, the devil wants Christians to believe the wrong things and do the wrong things.

See: Metaphor; Metaphor

How can Christians “stand against” the devil?

[5:9]

Christians can "stand against" the devil when they keep trusting in Jesus no matter what happens. Some scholars think that to “stand against”(ἀνθίστημι/g0436) the devil is to oppose him. That is, Christians need to keep believing the right things. They need to reject things that are not taught in the Bible. They need to always speak against the devil. Other scholars think Peter encouraged Christians to trust God. That is, Christians need to trust that God gives Christians a way to resist the devil when the devil attacks them.

See: Ephesians 6:10-18; James 4:7

See: Satan (The Devil)

What was "your community of believers"?

[5:9]

When Peter wrote "your community of believers," he spoke about the church. Some scholars think he wanted to speak about a group of Christians living in one place. Other scholars think he wanted to speak about all Christians everywhere.

See: Church

What were “the same sufferings”?

[5:9]

When Peter wrote "the same sufferings," he told Christians that they will experience the same kinds of sufferings as other Christians experienced in their lives. Peter wanted Christians to know that suffering is common for people who believe in Jesus.

See: Suffer

Why did Peter write “after you suffer for a little while”?

[5:10]

Peter wrote "after you suffer for a little while." He wanted Christians to know that when they suffer because they believe in Jesus, it will end. Some scholars think Peter wanted to say that only God knows how long every Christian can endure suffering. That is, God is the only one that knows how difficult the suffering will be for any Christian. So, he will make sure the person does not suffer more than that. Other scholars think Peter wanted to say that Christians can expect to suffer while they live on this earth. However, when Jesus returns to the earth, Christians will not suffer anymore.

See: Jesus' Return to Earth; Jesus' Return to Earth

How will God “perfect” Christians?

[5:10]

Peter wrote that God will "perfect"(καταρτίζω/g2675) Christians. He wanted to say that in some way God will make Christians more like Jesus. Scholars think that God does something while Christians are alive to make them live in the same way Jesus lived. That is, they live in a way that honors God.

Some scholars think God will complete this before the person dies. Other scholars think that God will "perfect" Christians by doing something to them after Jesus returns to earth.

See: Romans 8:29; Philippians 1:6

See: Jesus' Return to Earth

How will God “establish” Christians?

[5:10]

God will "establish" Christians. That is, in some way, God will help Christians them to trust in him more. Some scholars think that when Christians suffer, God uses the suffering to show them how to trust in God more. Other scholars think that God does this by showing people that his promises are true. He does this, even when the Christian is suffering.

How will God “strengthen” Christians?

[5:10]

God will "strengthen" Christians. That is, in some way, God will help Christians them to endure suffering. Some scholars think that when Christians suffer, God uses it to help them trust God’s power more. That is, God uses his power to help them through their suffering. Other scholars think God uses suffering to prepare Christians to endure even more suffering.

See: Grace; Grace

Who is the "woman who is in Babylon"?

[5:13]

Scholars disagree about the "woman who is in Babylon." Some scholars think the woman was Peter's wife. Other scholars think he used "woman" as a metaphor for the church. Other scholars think "Babylon" was the actual city of Babylon. Other scholars think "Babylon" was a metaphor for Rome.

See: Church; Church

See Map: Babylon; Rome

ULB Translation Questions

Language: ไทย (Thai)

Book: 1 Peter

1 Peter

Chapter 1

¹ เปโตร อัครทูตของพระเยซูคริสต์ ถึงพี่น้องต่างชาติที่กระจัดกระจายไปและผู้ที่ถูกเลือกสรรไว้ในแคว้นปอนทัส แคว้นกาลาเทีย แคว้น​คัป​ปา​โด​เซีย แคว้นเอเชีย และแคว้นบิธีเนีย ​ ² ซึ่งทรงเลือกไว้แล้วตามที่พระเจ้าพระบิดาได้ทรงล่วงรู้ไว้ก่อน โดยพระวิญญาณได้ทรงชำระให้บริสุทธิ์เพื่อจะเชื่อฟังพระเยซูคริสต์และได้รับการประพรมด้วยโลหิตของพระองค์ขอให้พระคุณและสันติสุขบังเกิดทวีคูณแก่ท่านทั้งหลายเถิด

³ ขอจงถวายสรรเสริญแด่พระเจ้าและพระบิดาขององค์พระเยซูคริสต์องค์พระผู้เป็นเจ้าของพวกเรา โดยพระเมตตาอันยิ่งใหญ่ พระองค์ได้ประทานการบังเกิดใหม่ให้แก่พวกเราเพื่อจะดำเนินชีวิตในความหวังโดยผ่านการฟื้นคืนพระชนม์ขององค์พระเยซูคริสต์ ⁴ นี่เป็นมรดก ซึ่ง​จะไม่พินาศ ยั่งยืนถาวร และ​ไม่​ร่วง​โรย​ไป ซึ่ง​ได้​เตรียม​ไว้​ใน​สวรรค์​เพื่อ​ท่าน​ทั้ง​หลาย​ ⁵ พวกท่านได้รับการคุ้มครองโดย​ฤทธิ์​เดช​ของ​พระ​เจ้า​​ทางความเชื่อเพื่อความรอดซึ่งพร้อมจะปรากฏในวาระสุดท้าย

⁶ พวกท่านมีความยินดีอย่างยิ่งในเรื่องนี้ ถึงแม้ว่าเวลานี้พวกท่านจำเป็นต้องโศกเศร้าเนื่องจากปัญหาต่างๆ มากมาย ⁷ สิ่งนี้มีไว้เพื่อเป็นการพิสูจน์ความเชื่อของพวกท่านซึ่งมีค่ายิ่งกว่าทองคำที่เสื่อมสลายได้แม้ว่ามันจะถูกทดสอบด้วยไฟก็ตาม สิ่งนี้เกิดขึ้นเพื่อความเชื่อของพวกท่านจะนำไปสู่ผลลัพธ์คือการสรรเสริญ สง่าราศี และเกียรติในวันที่พระเยซูคริสต์ทรงสำแดง

⁸ พวกท่านไม่ได้มองเห็นพระองค์ แต่พวกท่านยังรักพระองค์ พวกท่านไม่ได้มองเห็นพระองค์เวลานี้ แต่พวกท่านเชื่อในพระองค์และชื่นชมยินดีจนเกินกว่าที่จะกล่าวได้ และเต็มไปด้วยสง่าราศี ⁹ บัดนี้พวกท่านกำลังรับสิ่งที่เป็นผลของความเชื่อของพวกท่านเอง คือความรอดแห่งจิตวิญญาณของพวกท่าน ¹⁰ บรรดาผู้เผยพระวจนะได้ค้นหาและสอบถามอย่างละเอียดเกี่ยวกับความรอดนี้ เกี่ยวกับพระคุณที่จะเป็นของพวกท่าน

¹¹ พวกเขาได้ค้นหาเพื่อจะรู้ถึงบุคคลใดและเวลาใดที่พระวิญญาณของพระคริสต์ผู้สถิตอยู่ในพวกเขาได้ตรัสกับพวกเขา สิ่งนี้เกิดขึ้นเมื่อพระวิญญาณกำลังบอกพวกเขาล่วงหน้าเกี่ยวกับความทุกข์ทรมานของพระคริสต์และสิ่งต่างๆ ที่มีสง่าราศีหลังจากนั้น ¹² ​เป็นที่ประจักษ์ต่อผู้เผยพระวจนะว่า พวกเขาไม่ได้ปรนนิบัติสำหรับตัวพวกเขาเอง แต่สำหรับท่านทั้งหลาย เมื่อบรรดาผู้เทศนาข่าวประเสริฐได้แจ้งสิ่งต่างๆ เหล่านี้แก่ท่านแล้วโดยพระวิญญาณบริสุทธิ์ซึ่งส่งมาจากสวรรค์ สิ่งเหล่านี้แม้แต่ทูตสวรรค์ก็ยังปรารถนาจะได้ดู

¹³ จงเตรียมจิตใจของท่านให้พร้อม จงมีสติ วางความหวังของพวกท่านอย่างเต็มเปี่ยมไว้ในพระคุณที่จะถูกประทานมาให้พวกท่านเมื่อพระเยซูคริสต์ทรงได้รับการสำแดง ¹⁴ ดั่งเช่นบุตรที่เชื่อฟัง จงอย่าประพฤติตามความปรารถนาต่างๆ ที่พวกท่านได้ทำตามเมื่อพวกท่านยังขาดความรู้

¹⁵ แต่​เพราะ​พระ​องค์​ผู้​ทรง​เรียก​ท่าน​นั้นบริสุทธิ์ ท่าน​ทั้ง​หลายก็​จงบริสุทธิ์ในการ​ประพฤติทุกอย่างของพวกท่านด้วย​​ ¹⁶ ดังที่​มี​คำ​เขียน​ไว้​แล้ว​ว่า "​จง​เป็น​คน​บริสุทธิ์ เพราะ​เรา​บริสุทธิ์" ¹⁷ ดังนั้นถ้าพวก​ท่านเรียก​พระ​องค์​ว่า ​"พระ​บิดา"​ คือผู้​ทรง​พิพากษา​อย่างยุติธรรมและ​ตาม​การ​กระทำ​ของ​แต่ละคน จงดำเนินชีวิตด้วยความยำเกรงในเวลาที่พวกท่านอยู่ในโลกนี้

¹⁸ ท่านรู้ว่าไม่ใช่ด้วยเงินหรือทองที่เสื่อมสลายได้ไถ่พวกท่านจากการประพฤติอันโง่เขลาซึ่งพวกท่านได้เรียนรู้จากบรรพบุรุษของพวกท่าน ¹⁹ แต่พวกท่านได้รับการไถ่ด้วยพระโลหิตอันประเสริฐของพระคริสต์ ซึ่งเป็นเหมือนลูกแกะที่ปราศจากตำหนิหรือจุดด่างใดๆ

²⁰ พระคริสต์ทรงถูกเลือกไว้ก่อนการวางรากฐานของโลก แต่​เดี๋ยวนี้พระองค์ทรงเปิดเผยต่อพวกท่านใน​วาระ​สุดท้าย​นี้ ²¹ โดยทางพระองค์ พวกท่านจึงเชื่อในพระเจ้าผู้ทรงให้พระคริสต์เป็นขึ้นจากตาย และประทานพระเกียรติสิริให้แก่พระองค์ ดังนั้นความเชื่อและความหวังของพวกท่านจึงอยู่ในพระเจ้า

²² ​ท่าน​ทั้ง​หลาย​ได้​ชำระ​จิตใจ​ของ​ท่าน​ให้​บริสุทธิ์​แล้วโดย​การ​เชื่อ​ฟัง​ความ​จริง นี่คือวัตถุประสงค์ของความรักที่จริงใจแบบพี่น้อง ดังนั้นจงตั้งใจจริงในการรักกันและกัน ²³ ท่าน​ทั้ง​หลาย​ได้​บังเกิด​ใหม่​แล้ว ไม่ใช่​จากเมล็ดที่เน่าเสียง่าย แต่มาจากเมล็ดที่ไม่สามารถย่อยสลายได้ คือ​พระ​วจนะ​ของ​พระ​เจ้า​อัน​ทรง​ชีวิต​และ​ดำรง​อยู่​

²⁴ สำหรับ "เนื้อ​หนังทั้งสิ้นเป็นเหมือน​ต้นหญ้า และ​ศักดิ์ศรีทั้งสิ้น​ของมัน​ก็​เป็น​เหมือน​ดอก​หญ้า ต้นหญ้า​เหี่ยว​แห้ง​ไป และ​ดอก​ก็​ร่วง​โรย​ไป ²⁵ แต่​พระ​วจนะ​ของ​องค์พระ​เจ้า​ยั่งยืน​อยู่​เป็น​นิตย์" นี่​คือ​ข่าว​ประเสริฐ​ที่​ได้​ประกาศ​ให้​ท่าน​ทั้ง​หลาย​ทราบ​แล้ว​

Translation Questions

Chapter 2

¹ เพราะฉะนั้น ท่านทั้งหลายจงละทิ้งความชั่วทั้งหมด การหลอกลวง ความหน้าซื่อใจคด ความริษยาและการใส่ร้ายทุกอย่าง ² เช่นเดียวกับทารกแรกเกิด จงปรารถนาน้ำนมจิตวิญญาณที่ไร้สิ่งเจือปน เพื่อจะทำให้ท่านทั้งหลายเติบโตขึ้นในความรอด ³ ถ้าท่านได้ชิมแล้วว่าองค์พระผู้เป็นเจ้าทรงพระเมตตา

⁴ จงมาหาพระองค์ผู้ซึ่งเป็นศิลาที่มีชีวิต ที่ถูกผู้คนปฏิเสธแล้ว แต่กลับถูกเลือกจากพระเจ้าให้เป็นของมีค่าของพระองค์ ⁵ ดังนั้นท่านทั้งหลายก็เหมือนศิลาที่มีชีวิต ที่กำลังก่อขึ้นเป็นพระนิเวศฝ่ายวิญญาณ เพื่อเป็นปุโรหิตบริสุทธิ์ เพื่อถวายเครื่องบูชาฝ่ายจิตวิญญาณ ที่ชอบพระทัยของพระเจ้าโดยทางพระเยซูคริสต์

⁶ มีคำเขียนไว้ในพระคัมภีร์ว่า "ดูเถิด เราวางศิลาก้อนหนึ่งลงในศิโยน เป็นศิลาหัวมุมที่ทรงเลือก และล้ำค่า ผู้ใดที่เชื่อในพระองค์นั้นก็จะไม่ได้รับความอับอาย"'

⁷ เพื่อเป็นเกียรติแก่ท่านทั้งหลายที่เชื่อ แต่ "ศิลาที่ช่างก่อได้ปฏิเสธนั้น ได้กลายเป็นศิลาที่หัวมุมแล้ว" ⁸ และ "เป็นศิลาที่ทำให้สะดุด และเป็นก้อนหินที่ทำให้พวกเขาล้ม" พวกเขาสะดุดเพราะเขาไม่เชื่อฟังพระวจนะ ตามที่พวกเขาถูกกำหนดให้ทำ

⁹ แต่ท่านทั้งหลายผู้ที่พระองค์ทรงเลือกไว้แล้ว เป็นพวกปุโรหิตหลวง เป็นประชาชาติบริสุทธิ์ เป็นชนชาติที่พระเจ้าทรงครอบครอง เพื่อท่านทั้งหลายจะได้ประกาศการกระทำที่ยอดเยี่ยมของพระองค์ ผู้ได้ทรงเรียกท่านทั้งหลายให้ออกมาจากความมืดมิด เข้าไปสู่ความสว่างอันมหัศจรรย์ของพระองค์ ¹⁰ ครั้งหนี่งท่านทั้งหลายไม่ได้เป็นชนชาติ แต่บัดนี้พวกท่านเป็นชนชาติของพระเจ้าแล้ว พวกท่านไม่ได้รับพระกรุณา แต่บัดนี้ท่านได้รับพระกรุณาแล้ว

¹¹ ท่านที่รักทั้งหลาย ข้าพเจ้าวิงวอนพวกท่านเหมือนพวกท่านเป็นคนต่างชาติและเป็นผู้สัญจร ให้ละเว้นจากความปราถนาของเนื้อหนังที่ทำสงครามกับจิตวิญญาณของพวกท่าน ¹² พวกท่านจงมีการประพฤติที่ดีท่ามกลางคนต่างชาติ เพื่อว่าถ้าพวกเขาติเตียนพวกท่านว่าเป็นคนทำสิ่งที่ชั่วร้ายนั้น พวกเขาอาจสังเกตเห็นการกระทำที่ดีของพวกท่าน และสรรเสริญพระเจ้าในวันซึ่งพระองค์จะเสด็จมา

¹³ จงยอมเชื่อฟังสิทธิอำนาจของมนุษย์ทุกคน เพื่อประโยชน์ขององค์พระผู้เป็นเจ้า เชื่อฟังกษัตริย์ยิ่งใหญ่ที่สุด ¹⁴ และบรรดาเจ้าเมือง ผู้ซึ่งถูกส่งไปลงโทษผู้กระทำชั่วและสรรเสริญผู้ที่ทำความดี ¹⁵ เพราะนี่คือน้ำพระทัยของพระเจ้าที่ว่า ในการทำดีนั้นพวกท่านจะไม่พูดเรื่องไร้สาระของคนโง่ ¹⁶ จงเป็นเหมือนคนที่มีเสรีภาพ แต่อย่าใช้เสรีภาพของท่านเป็นที่ปกปิดความชั่วไว้ แต่จงเป็นเหมือนบรรดาผู้รับใช้ของพระเจ้า ¹⁷ จงให้เกียรติแก่ทุกคน จงรักบรรดาพี่น้อง จงยำเกรงพระเจ้า จงถวายเกียรติแด่กษัตริย์

¹⁸ คนรับใช้ทั้งหลาย จงอยู่ภายใต้นายของท่านด้วยความยำเกรงทุกอย่าง ไม่เพียงแต่จะต้องอยู่ภายใต้นายที่เป็นคนใจดีและสุภาพเท่านั้น แต่ยังรวมถึงนายที่ร้ายด้วย ¹⁹ มันเป็นที่น่าสรรเสริญถ้าผู้ใดทนความเจ็บปวดทุกข์ทรมานในขณะที่ได้รับความอยุติธรรมเพราะการตระหนักถึงพระเจ้า ²⁰ เพราะถ้าหากพวกท่านทำบาปแล้วต้องมาอดทนในขณะที่ถูกลงโทษ อย่างนั้นจะมีความน่าเชื่อถือมากได้อย่างไร? แต่ถ้าพวกท่านทำดีแล้วต้องทนทุกข์ทรมานในขณะที่ถูกลงโทษ นี่จึงเป็นที่น่าสรรเสริญจากพระเจ้า

²¹ เพราะว่าสิ่งนี้เป็นสิ่งที่พวกท่านได้รับการทรงเรียก เพราะว่าพระคริสต์ทรงทนทุกข์ทรมานเพื่อพวกท่าน พระองค์ทรงเป็นแบบอย่างไว้ เพื่อพวกท่านจะได้ทำตามอย่างพระองค์ ²² "พระองค์ไม่ได้ทรงกระทำบาปเลย และไม่พบอุบายในพระโอษฐ์ของพระองค์เลย" ²³ เมื่อเขากล่าวประจานต่อพระองค์ พระองค์ไม่ได้ทรงโต้ตอบเขาด้วยคำหยาบคายเลย เมื่อพระองค์ทรงทนทุกข์ พระองค์ไม่ได้ทรงข่มขู่กลับ แต่พระองค์ทรงมอบพระองค์เองไว้แก่ผู้ทรงพิพากษาอย่างชอบธรรม

²⁴ พระองค์ทรงรับแบกบาปของเราไว้ในพระกายของพระองค์เองที่ต้นไม้นั้น เพื่อที่ว่าเราจะไม่ได้มีส่วนในบาปอีกต่อไป และเพื่อให้เรามีชีวิตอยู่ได้ด้วยความชอบธรรม ด้วยรอยฟกช้ำของพระองค์ทำให้พวกท่านได้รับการเยียวยา ²⁵ พวกท่านทุกคนเป็นเหมือนแกะที่หลงหายไป แต่บัดนี้ท่านได้กลับมาหาผู้เลี้ยงแกะ และผู้เลี้ยงแห่งจิตวิญญาณของพวกท่านแล้ว

Translation Questions

Chapter 3

¹ ด้วยวิธีนี้ พวกท่านที่เป็นภรรยา จงเชื่อฟังสามีของพวกท่าน จงทำเช่นนี้เพราะถ้าสามีบางคนไม่เชื่อฟังพระวจนะ แม้โดยปราศจากคำพูดแต่พวกเขาอาจมาเชื่อได้โดยผ่านทางพฤติกรรมของภรรยาของพวกเขา ² เพราะพวกเขาจะได้เห็นการประพฤติที่จริงใจของพวกท่านด้วยความเคารพ

³ อย่าให้เป็นการประดับภายนอก คือการถักผม ประดับด้วยทองคำ หรือเสื้อผ้าทันสมัย ⁴ แต่จงให้เป็นการประดับภายในจิตใจ และความงามที่ไม่รู้เสื่อมสลายของวิญญาณที่อ่อนโยนและเงียบสงบ ซึ่งเป็นสิ่งที่มีค่าต่อพระพักตร์พระเจ้า

⁵ เพราะว่าบรรดาสตรีผู้บริสุทธิ์ในสมัยก่อนนั้น ผู้ซึ่งหวังในพระเจ้า ก็ได้ประดับกายโดยยอมเชื่อฟังสามีของตน ⁶ เช่นนางซาราห์เชื่อฟังอับราฮัมและเรียกท่านว่านาย เดี๋ยวนี้พวกท่านเป็นลูกหลานของเธอ ถ้าท่านทั้งหลายประพฤติดี และถ้าพวกท่านไม่มีความหวาดกลัวปัญหาใดๆ

⁷ ในทำนองเดียวกันผู้เป็นสามีทั้งหลายก็จงอยู่กินกับภรรยาของพวกท่านด้วยความเข้าใจ ในฐานะผู้หญิงคนหนึ่งซึ่งเป็นเพศที่อ่อนแอกว่า พวกท่านจงให้เกียรติแก่ภรรยาของพวกท่านเหมือนเป็นทายาทร่วมรับชีวิตอันเป็นพระคุณ จงทำเช่นนี้เพื่อคำอธิษฐานของพวกท่านจะได้ไม่มีสิ่งหนึ่งสิ่งใดขัดขวาง

⁸ สุดท้ายนี้ ท่านทั้งหลายจงเป็นน้ำหนึ่งใจเดียวกัน เห็นอกเห็นใจกัน รักกันฉันพี่น้อง มีจิตใจอ่อนโยน และอ่อนน้อมถ่อมตน ⁹ อย่าทำชั่วตอบแทนชั่ว หรืออย่าด่าตอบการด่า แต่ตรงกันข้ามจงอวยพร เพราะพระองค์ได้ทรงเรียกให้พวกท่านกระทำเช่นนั้น เพื่อพวกท่านจะได้รับพระพรเป็นมรดก

¹⁰ "ผู้ที่ต้องการรักชีวิตและปรารถนาที่จะเห็นวันที่ดี ก็ให้ผู้นั้นยับยั้งลิ้นของตนจากความชั่วและริมฝีปากของเขาจากการพูดล่อลวง ¹¹ ให้เขาหันออกไปจากสิ่งที่ไม่ดีและให้ทำในสิ่งที่ดี ให้เขาแสวงหาความสงบสุขและดำเนินตามนั้น ¹² เพราะว่าพระเนตรขององค์พระผู้เป็นเจ้าทรงเฝ้าดูคนชอบธรรม และพระกรรณของพระองค์สดับฟังคำอ้อนวอนของเขา แต่พระพักตร์ขององค์พระผู้เป็นเจ้าทรงต่อสู้กับคนเหล่านั้นที่ทำความชั่ว"

¹³ ผู้ใดเล่าจะทำร้ายพวกท่านได้ ถ้าพวกท่านใฝ่ใจประพฤติความดี? ¹⁴ แต่ถ้าพวกท่านต้องทนทุกข์ เพราะทำสิ่งถูกต้อง พวกท่านก็เป็นสุข อย่ากลัวอะไรที่พวกเขากลัว อย่าคิดวิตกไปเลย

¹⁵ แต่จงตั้งพระคริสต์องค์พระผู้เป็นเจ้าไว้ในใจของพวกท่านว่าเป็นองค์บริสุทธิ์ จงเตรียมพร้อมเสมอที่จะตอบทุกคนที่ถามพวกท่านว่า ทำไมพวกท่านมีความเชื่อมั่นในพระเจ้า จงทำเช่นนี้ด้วยความอ่อนโยนและความเคารพ ¹⁶ จงมีจิตสำนึกที่ดีเพื่อให้คนที่ดูหมิ่นชีวิตที่ดีของพวกท่านในพระคริสต์จำต้องละอายใจเพราะพวกเขาพูดต่อว่าพวกท่านเหมือนกับว่าพวกท่านเป็นผู้กระทำชั่ว ¹⁷ ถ้าเป็นพระประสงค์ของพระเจ้า การได้รับความทุกข์เพราะทำความดีย่อมดีกว่าเพราะการประพฤติชั่ว

¹⁸ เพราะพระคริสต์ทรงทนทุกข์ครั้งเดียวเพราะความบาป พระองค์ผู้ชอบธรรมต้องทนทุกข์เพื่อเราที่เป็นผู้ไม่ชอบธรรม ก็เพื่อพระองค์จะได้ทรงนำเราไปถึงพระเจ้า ฝ่ายเนื้อหนังพระองค์ก็ทรงสิ้นพระชนม์ แต่พระองค์ทรงมีชีวิตขึ้นโดยพระวิญญาณ ¹⁹ โดยพระวิญญาณ พระองค์ได้เสด็จไปประกาศแก่วิญญาณทั้งหลายที่ในเวลานี้ถูกกักขังอยู่ ²⁰ พวกวิญญาณเหล่านั้นไม่ได้เชื่อฟัง เมื่อครั้งที่พระเจ้าทรงอดทนรอคอยในสมัยของโนอาห์ ในช่วงวันทั้งหลายที่มีการต่อเรือนั้น และพระเจ้าได้ทรงช่วยเพียงไม่กี่คนให้รอดพ้น มีเพียงแปดคนที่รอดพ้นจากน้ำนั้นได้

²¹ นี้คือสัญลักษณ์ของพิธีบัพติศมาที่ช่วยพวกท่านให้รอดพ้นในเวลานี้ ไม่ใช่เป็นการชำระมลทินทางกาย แต่เป็นการวิงวอนต่อพระเจ้าเพื่อจะมีมโนธรรมที่ดี โดยผ่านการคืนพระชนม์ของพระเยซูคริสต์ ²² พระคริสต์ประทับอยู่เบื้องขวาพระหัตถ์ของพระเจ้า พระองค์ได้เสด็จสู่สวรรค์ พวกทูตสวรรค์ พวกผู้มีอำนาจ และผู้มีฤทธิ์เดชทั้งหลายต้องยอมจำนนต่อพระองค์

Translation Questions

Chapter 4

¹ ฉะนั้น โดยเหตุที่พระคริสต์ได้ทรงทนทุกข์ทรมานในเนื้อหนังแล้ว ก็จงเตรียมตัวของพวกท่านเองด้วยความตั้งใจอย่างเดียวกันนี้ เพราะว่าผู้ที่ได้ทนทุกข์ทรมานในเนื้อหนังก็เลิกจากความบาป ² เป็นผลให้บุคคลเช่นนี้ไม่ดำเนินชีวิตที่ยังเหลืออยู่ในเนื้อหนังนี้เพื่อทำตามใจปรารถนาของมนุษย์อีกต่อไป แต่เพื่อพระประสงค์ของพระเจ้า

³ พวกท่านได้ใช้เวลามากพอแล้วในการทำสิ่งที่คนต่างชาติทั้งหลายต้องการทำคือ การใช้ชีวิตอยู่ในกิเลสตัณหา ความลุ่มหลง การมึนเมา การเฉลิมฉลองเมาสุรา การเลี้ยงอย่างหรูหรา และการไหว้รูปเคารพที่เป็นการกระทำอันน่ารังเกียจ ⁴ พวกเขาคิดว่าเป็นเรื่องแปลกประหลาดที่พวกท่านไม่ร่วมประพฤติตัวอย่างเหลวไหลในสิ่งเหล่านี้กับพวกเขา ด้วยเหตุนี้พวกเขาจึงกล่าวร้ายพวกท่าน ⁵ พวกเขาจะต้องให้การแก่พระองค์ผู้ทรงพร้อมแล้วที่จะพิพากษาทั้งคนเป็นและคนตาย ⁶ ด้วยเหตุนี้เอง ข่าวประเสริฐจึงได้ประกาศแก่คนที่ตายไปแล้วด้วย แม้ว่าพวกเขาได้ถูกพิพากษาตามอย่างมนุษย์ในเนื้อหนัง แต่พวกเขาจะมีชีวิตในจิตวิญญาณตามอย่างพระเจ้า

⁷ อวสานของสิ่งทั้งปวงมาใกล้แล้ว เหตุฉะนั้น จงรู้จักสงบใจและมีสติในความคิดของพวกท่านเพื่อเห็นแก่คำอธิษฐานทั้งหลาย ⁸ เหนือสิ่งทั้งปวง จงรักซึ่งกันและกันให้มาก เพราะว่าความรักก็ปกคลุมความผิดบาปมากมายได้ ⁹ จงต้อนรับเลี้ยงดูซึ่งกันและกันโดยไม่บ่น

¹⁰ ตามที่แต่ละคนได้รับของประทาน ก็ให้ใช้ของประทานนั้นเพื่อปรนนิบัติกันและกัน จงใช้ของประทานแห่งพระคุณของพระเจ้าอย่างสัตย์ซื่อในรูปแบบต่างๆ ¹¹ ถ้าผู้หนึ่งผู้ใดจะกล่าว ก็ขอให้กล่าวตามพระวจนะของพระเจ้า ถ้าผู้ใดจะปรนนิบัติ ขอให้ปรนนิบัติตามกำลังซึ่งพระเจ้าประทานนั้น เพื่อว่าพระเจ้าจะทรงได้รับเกียรติในทุกสิ่งโดยทางพระเยซูคริสต์ ขอพระสิริและฤทธานุภาพจงมีแด่พระเยซูคริสต์ตลอดไปเป็นนิตย์ อาเมน

¹² ท่านที่รักทั้งหลาย อย่าประหลาดใจที่มีการทดสอบด้วยไฟเกิดขึ้นกับพวกท่าน อย่าถือว่าเป็นบางสิ่งที่แปลกประหลาดที่กำลังเกิดขึ้นกับพวกท่าน ¹³ แต่ขอให้พวกท่านจงชื่นชมยินดีในการที่พวกท่านได้มีส่วนร่วมในบรรดาความทุกข์ยากของพระคริสต์ เพื่อว่าพวกท่านจะได้มีความชื่นชมยินดีและชื่นใจเมื่อพระสง่าราศีของพระองค์ปรากฏด้วยเช่นกัน ¹⁴ ถ้าพวกท่านถูกด่าว่าเพราะพระนามของพระคริสต์ พวกท่านก็ได้รับพระพร เพราะพระวิญญาณแห่งสง่าราศีและพระวิญญาณของพระเจ้าทรงสถิตอยู่กับพวกท่าน

¹⁵ แต่อย่าให้มีผู้ใดในพวกท่านต้องทุกข์ลำบากเนื่องจากการเป็นฆาตกร เป็นขโมย เป็นคนทำชั่ว หรือเป็นคนที่ชอบวุ่นวายในเรื่องของคนอื่น ¹⁶ แต่ถ้าผู้ใดทนทุกข์เพราะเป็นคริสเตียน ก็อย่าให้ผู้นั้นมีความละอายเลย แต่ให้เขาถวายพระเกียรติแด่พระเจ้าเพราะชื่อนั้น

¹⁷ เพราะเวลาสำหรับการพิพากษาจะต้องเริ่มต้นจากครอบครัวของพระเจ้า หากต้องเริ่มต้นที่พวกเราแล้ว ผลลัพธ์สำหรับคนเหล่านั้นที่ไม่เชื่อฟังข่าวประเสริฐของพระเจ้าจะเป็นอย่างไรหนอ? ¹⁸ และ "ถ้าหากคนชอบธรรมยังรอดพ้นได้อย่างยากเย็นแล้ว อะไรจะเกิดขึ้นกับคนอธรรมและคนบาปเล่า?" ¹⁹ เพราะฉะนั้นขอให้บรรดาผู้ที่ทุกข์ทรมานเพราะพระประสงค์ของพระเจ้า จงฝากจิตวิญญาณของพวกเขาไว้กับองค์พระผู้สร้างผู้ทรงสัตย์ซื่อในการกระทำดีนั้นเถิด

Translation Questions

Chapter 5

¹ ข้าพเจ้ากำลังตักเตือนบรรดาผู้อาวุโสในท่ามกลางพวกท่าน ในฐานะที่ข้าพเจ้าก็เป็นอาวุโส และเป็นพยานถึงความทุกข์ทรมานของพระคริสต์ และมีส่วนที่จะรับสง่าราศีอันจะมาปรากฏด้วย ² จงเลี้ยงฝูงแกะของพระเจ้าที่อยู่ภายใต้การดูแลของพวกท่าน จงเอาใจใส่ดูแล ไม่ใช่ด้วยความฝืนใจ แต่ด้วยความเต็มใจ ตามพระประสงค์ของพระเจ้าที่ต้องการให้พวกท่านรับใช้ ไม่ใช่เพื่อผลกำไรที่น่าอับอาย แต่ด้วยความกระตือรือร้น ³ จงอย่าประพฤติตนเหมื่อนเป็นเจ้านายที่มีอำนาจเหนือคนเหล่านั้นที่พวกท่านดูแลอยู่ แต่จงเป็นแบบอย่างแก่ฝูงแกะนั้น ⁴ และเมื่อพระผู้เลี้ยงยิ่งใหญ่เสด็จมา พวกท่านจะได้รับมงกุฎแห่งสง่าราศีที่ไม่มีวันร่วงโรย

⁵ ในทำนองเดียวกัน พวกท่านที่อ่อนอาวุโส ก็จงยอมเชื่อฟังบรรดาผู้อาวุโส ขอให้พวกท่านทุกคนสวมใส่ความถ่อมใจและรับใช้ซึ่งกันและกัน ด้วยว่าพระเจ้าทรงต่อสู้คนหยิ่งจองหอง แต่พระองค์ประทานพระคุณแก่คนที่ถ่อมใจ ⁶ เหตุฉะนั้น ท่านทั้งหลายจงถ่อมใจลงภายใต้พระหัตถ์อันทรงฤทธิ์ของพระเจ้า เพื่อพระองค์จะได้ทรงยกพวกท่านขึ้นเมื่อถึงเวลาอันควร ⁷ จงมอบทุกสิ่งที่เป็นความกระวนกระวายของพวกท่านไว้กับพระองค์ เพราะว่าพระองค์ทรงห่วงใยพวกท่าน

⁸ จงมีสติ จงเฝ้าระวังให้ดี ด้วยว่าศัตรูของท่านคือมาร วนเวียนอยู่รอบๆ ดุจสิงโตคำราม เที่ยวเสาะหาคนที่มันจะกัดกินได้ ⁹ จงต่อสู้กับศัตรูนั้นด้วยใจมั่นคงในความเชื่อของพวกท่าน พวกท่านรู้ว่าชุมชนของบรรดาผู้เชื่อทั่วโลกก็กำลังอดทนกับความทุกข์ยากในแบบเดียวกันนี้

¹⁰ หลังจากที่พวกท่านต้องทนทุกข์ในชั่วขณะหนึ่ง พระเจ้าแห่งพระคุณทั้งปวง ผู้ได้ทรงเรียกพวกท่านไปสู่ศักดิ์ศรีนิรันดร์ในพระคริสต์ จะทรงกระทำให้พวกท่านดีพร้อม จะทรงก่อร่างพวกท่านขึ้น และเสริมกำลังพวกท่าน ¹¹ ขอพระองค์ทรงครอบครองตลอดไปเป็นนิตย์ อาเมน

¹² ข้าพเจ้าถือว่าสิลวานัส เป็นพี่น้องที่ซื่อสัตย์คนหนึ่ง และข้าพเจ้าได้เขียนจดหมายสั้นๆ ถึงพวกท่านโดยผ่านทางเขา ข้าพเจ้ากำลังเตือนสติและเป็นพยานแก่พวกท่านว่า สิ่งที่ข้าพเจ้าได้เขียนนี้เป็นพระคุณที่แท้จริงของพระเจ้า จงยืนหยัดอยู่ในพระคุณนั้น ¹³ ผู้หญิงคนนั้นที่อยู่ในบาบิโลน ผู้ซึ่งทรงเลือกสรรไว้เช่นเดียวกับพวกท่าน ฝากความคิดถึงมายังพวกท่าน เช่นเดียวกัน มาระโกผู้เป็นบุตรชายของข้าพเจ้าก็ฝากความคิดถึงมายังพวกท่านด้วย ¹⁴ จงทักทายกันด้วยธรรมเนียมจุบเพืแสดงความรักต่อกัน ขอสันติสุขดำรงอยู่กับพวกท่านทุกคนที่อยู่ในพระคริสต์เถิด

Translation Questions

ULB Translation Words

Abraham

Related Words:

Abram

Facts:

Abram was a Chaldean man from the city of Ur who was chosen by God to be the forefather of the Israelites. God changed his name to "Abraham."

• The name "Abram" means "exalted father."
• "Abraham" means "father of many."
• God promised Abraham that he would have many descendants, who would become a great nation.
• Abraham believed God and obeyed him. God led Abraham to move from Chaldea to the land of Canaan.
• Abraham and his wife Sarah, when they were very old and living in the land of Canaan, had a son, Isaac.

(See also: Canaan, Chaldeans, Sarah, Isaac)

Bible References:

• Galatians 03:08
• Genesis 11:29-30
• Genesis 21:04
• Genesis 22:02
• James 02:23
• Matthew 01:02

Word Data:

• Strong's: H87, H85, G11

Forms Found in the English ULB:

Abraham, Abraham's, Abram

Asia

Facts:

In Bible times, "Asia" was the name of a province of the Roman Empire. It was located in the western part of what is now the country of Turkey.

• Paul traveled to Asia and shared the gospel in several cities there. Among these were the cities of Ephesus and Colossae.
• To avoid confusion with modern day Asia, it may be necessary to translate this as, "the ancient Roman province called Asia" or "Asia Province."
• All of the churches referenced in Revelation were in the Roman province of Asia.

(See also: Rome, Paul, Ephesus)

Bible References:

• 1 Corinthians 16:19-20
• 1 Peter 01:1-2
• 2 Timothy 01:15-18
• Acts 06:8-9
• Acts 16:07
• Acts 27:1-2
• Revelation 01:4-6
• Romans 16:05

Word Data:

• Strong's: G773

Forms Found in the English ULB:

Asia

Babylon

Related Words:

Babylonia, Babylonian

Facts:

The city of Babylon was the capital of the ancient region of Babylonia, which was also part of the Babylonian Empire.

• Babylon was located along the Euphrates River, in the same region where the Tower of Babel had been built hundreds of years before.
• Sometimes the word "Babylon" refers to the entire Babylonian Empire. For example, the "king of Babylon" ruled the entire empire, not just the city.
• The Babylonians were a powerful people group who attacked the kingdom of Judah and kept the people in exile in Babylonia for 70 years.
• Part of this region was called "Chaldea" and the people living there were the "Chaldeans." As a result, the term "Chaldea" was often used to refer to Babylonia. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-synecdoche])
• In the New Testament, the term "Babylon" is sometimes used as a metaphor to refer to places, people, and thinking patterns that are associated with idol-worship and other sinful behaviors.
• The phrase "Babylon the Great" or "great city of Babylon" refers metaphorically to a city or nation that was large, wealthy, and sinful, just as the ancient city of Babylon was. (See: Metaphor)

(See also: Babel, Chaldeans, Judah, Nebuchadnezzar)

Bible References:

• 1 Chronicles 09:01
• 2 Kings 17:24-26
• Acts 07:43
• Daniel 01:02
• Ezekiel 12:13
• Matthew 01:11
• Matthew 01:17

Word Data:

• Strong's: H3778, H3779, H8152, H894, H895, H896, G897

Forms Found in the English ULB:

Babylon, Babylon's, Babylonia, Babylonian, Babylonians

Christ

Related Ideas:

Christ Jesus, Jesus Christ, Messiah

Facts:

The terms "Messiah" and "Christ" mean "Anointed One" and refer to Jesus, God's Son.

• Both "Messiah" and "Christ" are used in the New Testament to refer to God's Son, whom God the Father appointed to rule as king over his people, and to save them from sin and death.
• In the Old Testament, the prophets wrote prophecies about the Messiah hundreds of years before he came to earth.
• Often a word meaning "anointed (one)" is used in the Old Testament to refer to the Messiah who would come.
• Jesus fulfilled many of these prophecies and did many miraculous works that proves he is the Messiah; the rest of these prophecies will be fulfilled when he returns.
• The word "Christ" is often used as a title, as in "the Christ" and "Christ Jesus." "Christ" also came to be used as part of his name, as in "Jesus Christ." These names emphasize that God's Son is the Messiah, who will reign forever.
• Jesus the Messiah is the one who was chosen and anointed as a Prophet, High Priest, and King.

Translation Suggestions:

• In many languages "Jesus" and "Christ" are spelled in a way that keeps the sounds or spelling as close to the original as possible. For example, "Jesucristo," "Jezus Christus," "Yesus Kristus", and "Hesukristo" are some of the ways that these names are translated into different languages.
• For the term "Christ," some translators may prefer to use only some form of the term "Messiah" throughout.
• This term could be translated using its meaning, "the Anointed One" or "God's Anointed Savior."
• Many languages use a transliterated word that looks or sounds like "Christ" or "Messiah."
• The transliterated word could be followed by the definition of the term, as in "Christ, the Anointed One."
• Be consistent in how this is translated throughout the Bible so that it is clear that the same term is being referred to.
• Make sure the translations of "Messiah" and "Christ" work well in contexts where both terms occur in the same verse (such as John 1:41).

(See also: Son of God, David, Jesus, anoint)

Bible References:

• 1 John 05:1-3
• Acts 02:35
• Acts 05:40-42
• John 01:40-42
• John 03:27-28
• John 04:25
• Luke 02:10-12
• Matthew 01:16

Word Data:

• Strong's: H4899, G3323, G5547

Forms Found in the English ULB:

Christ, Christ Jesus, Jesus Christ, Messiah

Christian

Definition:

Some time after Jesus went back to heaven, people made up the name "Christian" which means, "follower of Christ."

• It was in the city of Antioch where Jesus' followers were first called "Christians."
• A Christian is a person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God, and who trusts Jesus to save him from his sins.
• In our modern times, often the term "Christian" is used for someone who identifies with the Christian religion, but who is not really following Jesus. This is not the meaning of "Christian" in the Bible.
• Because the term "Christian" in the Bible always refers to someone who truly believes in Jesus, a Christian is also called a "believer."

Translation Suggestions:

• This term could be translated as "Christ-follower" or "follower of Christ" or perhaps something like, "Christ-person."
• Make sure that the translation of this term is translated differently than terms used for disciple or apostle.
• Be careful to translate this term with a word that can refer to everyone who believes in Jesus, not just certain groups.
• Also consider how this term is translated in a Bible translation in a local or national language.

(See also: Antioch, Christ, church, disciple, believe, Jesus, Son of God)

Bible References:

• 1 Corinthians 06:7-8
• 1 Peter 04:16
• Acts 11:26
• Acts 26:28

Word Data:

• Strong's: G5546

Forms Found in the English ULB:

Christian, Christians

Galatia

Related Words:

Galatian

Facts:

In New Testament times, Galatia was a large Roman province located in the central part of what is now the country of Turkey.

• Part of Galatia bordered the Black Sea, which was to the north. It was also bordered by the provinces of Asia, Bithynia, Cappadocia, Celicia, and Pamphylia.
• The apostle Paul wrote a letter to the Christians who lived in the province of Galatia. This letter is the New Testament book called "Galatians."
• One reason that Paul wrote his letter to the Galatians was to emphasize again the gospel of salvation by grace, not by works.
• The Jewish Christians there were incorrectly teaching the Gentile Christians there that it was necessary for believers to keep certain Jewish laws.

(See also: Asia, believe, Cilicia, good news, Paul, work)

Bible References:

• 1 Corinthians 16:1-2
• 1 Peter 01:1-2
• 2 Timothy 04:9-10
• Acts 16:6-8
• Galatians 01:01

Word Data:

• Strong's: G1053, G1054

Forms Found in the English ULB:

Galatia, Galatians

Gentile

Facts:

The term "Gentile" refers to anyone who is not a Jew. Gentiles are people who are not descendants of Jacob.

• In the Bible, the term "uncircumcised" is also used figuratively to refer to Gentiles because many of them did not circumcise their male children as the Israelites did.
• Because God chose the Jews to be his special people, they thought of the Gentiles as outsiders who could never be God's people.
• The Jews were also called "Israelites" or "Hebrews" at different times in history. They referred to anyone else as a "Gentile."
• Gentile could also be translated as "not a Jew" or "non-Jewish" or "not an Israelite" (Old Testament) or "non-Jew.".
• Traditionally, Jews would neither eat with nor associate with Gentiles, which at first caused problems within the early church.

(See also: Israel, Jacob, Jew)

Bible References:

• Acts 09:13-16
• Acts 14:5-7
• Galatians 02:16
• Luke 02:32
• Matthew 05:47
• Matthew 06:5-7
• Romans 11:25

Word Data:

• Strong's: H1471, G1482, G1484

Forms Found in the English ULB:

Gentile, Gentiles

God

Related Ideas:

the living God

Facts:

In the Bible, the term "God" refers to the eternal being who created the universe out of nothing. God exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God's personal name is "Yahweh."

• God has always existed; he existed before anything else existed, and he will continue to exist forever.
• He is the only true God and has authority over everything in the universe.
• God is perfectly righteous, infinitely wise, holy, sinless, just, merciful, and loving.
• He is a covenant-keeping God, who always fulfills his promises.
• People were created to worship God and he is the only one they should worship.
• God revealed his name as "Yahweh," which means "he is" or "I am" or "the One who (always) exists."
• The Bible also teaches about false "gods," which are nonliving idols that people wrongly worship.

Translation Suggestions:

• Ways to translate "God" could include "Deity" or "Creator" or "Supreme Being."
• Other ways to translate "God" could be "Supreme Creator" or "Infinite Sovereign Lord" or "Eternal Supreme Being."
• Consider how God is referred to in a local or national language. There may also already be a word for "God" in the language being translated. If so, it is important to make sure that this word fits the characteristics of the one true God as described above.
• Many languages capitalize the first letter of the word for the one true God, to distinguish it from the word for a false god.
• Another way to make this distinction would be to use different terms for "God" and "god."
• The phrase "I will be their God and they will be my people" could also be translated as "I, God, will rule over these people and they will worship me."

(See also: create, god, God the Father, Holy Spirit, god, Son of God, Yahweh)

Bible References:

• 1 John 01:07
• 1 Samuel 10:7-8
• 1 Timothy 04:10
• Colossians 01:16
• Deuteronomy 29:14-16
• Ezra 03:1-2
• Genesis 01:02
• Hosea 04:11-12
• Isaiah 36:6-7
• James 02:20
• Jeremiah 05:05
• John 01:03
• Joshua 03:9-11
• Lamentations 03:43
• Micah 04:05
• Philippians 02:06
• Proverbs 24:12
• Psalms 047:09

Word Data:

• Strong's: H136, H410, H426, H430, H433, H2623, H3069, H4136, H6697, G112, G516, G932, G935, G2098, G2124, G2128, G2152, G2153, G2299, G2304, G2312, G2314, G2315, G2316, G2317, G2318, G2319, G2320, G4151, G5207, G5377, G5463, G5537, G5538

Forms Found in the English ULB:

God, God's, the living God

God the Father

Related Ideas:

Father, heavenly Father, my Father

Facts:

The terms "God the Father" and "heavenly Father" refer to Yahweh, the one true God. Another term with the same meaning is "Father," used most often when Jesus was referring to him.

• God exists as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Each one is fully God, and yet they are only one God. This is a mystery that mere humans cannot fully understand.
• God the Father sent God the Son (Jesus) into the world, and he sends the Holy Spirit to his people.
• Anyone who believes in God the Son becomes a child of God the Father, and God the Holy Spirit comes to live in that person. This is another mystery that human beings cannot fully understand.

Translation Suggestions:

• In translating the phrase "God the Father," it is best to translate "Father" with the same word that the language naturally uses to refer to a human father.
• The term "heavenly Father" could be translated by "Father who lives in heaven" or "Father God who lives in heaven" or "God our Father from heaven."
• Usually "Father" is capitalized when it refers to God.

(See also: father, God, heaven, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Son of God)

Bible References:

• 1 Corinthians 08:4-6
• 1 John 02:01
• 1 John 02:23
• 1 John 03:01
• Colossians 01:1-3
• Ephesians 05:18-21
• Luke 10:22
• Matthew 05:16
• Matthew 23:09

Word Data:

• Strong's: H1, H2, G3962

Forms Found in the English ULB:

Father, God the Father, heavenly Father, my Father

Greek

Related Words:

Grecian

Facts:

The term "Greek" refers to the language spoken in the country of Greece. It is also a person from the country of Greece. Greek was also spoken throughout the Roman Empire. The term "Grecian" means "Greek-speaking."

• Since most non-Jewish people in the Roman Empire spoke Greek, Gentiles are often referred to as "Greeks" in the New Testament, especially when contrasted with Jews.
• The phrase "Grecian Jews" referred to Jews who spoke Greek in contrast to the "Hebraic Jews" who spoke only Hebrew, or perhaps Aramaic.
• Other ways to translate "Grecian" could include, "Greek-speaking" or "culturally Greek" or "Greek."
• When referring to non-Jews, "Greek" could be translated as "Gentile."

(See also: Aram, Gentile, Greece, Hebrew, Rome)

Bible References:

• Acts 06:1
• Acts 09:29
• Acts 11:20
• Acts 14:1-2
• Colossians 03:11
• Galatians 02:3-5
• John 07:35

Word Data:

• Strong's: H3125, G1672, G1673, G1674, G1675, G1676

Forms Found in the English ULB:

Greek, Greeks, Grecian

Holy Spirit

Related Ideas:

Spirit, Spirit of God, Spirit of the Lord, Spirit of the Lord Yahweh

Facts:

These terms all refer to the Holy Spirit, who is God. The one true God exists eternally as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

• The Holy Spirit is also referred to as "the Spirit" and "Spirit of Yahweh" and "Spirit of truth."
• Because the Holy Spirit is God, he is absolutely holy, infinitely pure, and morally perfect in all his nature and in everything he does.
• Along with the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit was active in creating the world.
• When God's Son, Jesus, returned to heaven, God sent the Holy Spirit to his people to lead them, teach them, comfort them, and enable them to do God's will.
• The Holy Spirit guided Jesus and he guides those who believe in Jesus.

Translation Suggestions:

• This term could simply be translated with the words used to translate "holy" and "spirit."
• Ways to translate this term could also include "Pure Spirit" or "Spirit who is Holy" or "God the Spirit."

(See also: holy, spirit, God, lord, God the Father, Son of God, gift)

Bible References:

• 1 Samuel 10:10
• 1 Thessalonians 04:7-8
• Acts 08:17
• Galatians 05:25
• Genesis 01:1-2
• Isaiah 63:10
• Job 33:04
• Matthew 12:31
• Matthew 28:18-19
• Psalms 051:10-11

Word Data:

• Strong's: H3068, H6944, H7307, G40, G4151

Forms Found in the English ULB:

Holy Spirit, Spirit, Spirit of God, Spirit of the Lord, Spirit of the Lord Yahweh

Jesus

Related Ideas:

the Lord Jesus

Facts:

Jesus is God's Son. The name "Jesus" means "Yahweh saves."

• In a miraculous way, the Holy Spirit caused the eternal Son of God to be born as a human being. His mother was told by an angel to call him "Jesus" because he was destined to save people from their sins.
• Jesus did many miracles that revealed that he is God and that he is the Christ, or the Messiah.

Translation Suggestions:

• In many languages "Jesus" is spelled in a way that keeps the sounds or spelling as close to the original as possible. For example, "Jesu," "Jezus," "Yesus", and "Hesu" are some of the ways that this name is translated into different languages.
• Also consider how this names are spelled in a nearby local or national language.

(See also: Christ, God, God the Father, high priest, kingdom of God, Mary, Savior, Son of God)

Bible References:

• 1 Corinthians 06:11
• 1 John 02:02
• 1 John 04:15
• 1 Timothy 01:02
• 2 Peter 01:02
• 2 Thessalonians 02:15
• 2 Timothy 01:10
• Acts 02:23
• Acts 05:30
• Acts 10:36
• Hebrews 09:14
• Hebrews 10:22
• Luke 24:20
• Matthew 01:21
• Matthew 04:03
• Philippians 02:05
• Philippians 02:10
• Philippians 04:21-23
• Revelation 01:06

Word Data:

• Strong's: G2424

Forms Found in the English ULB:

Jesus, the Lord Jesus

Noah

Facts:

Noah was a man who lived over 4,000 years ago, at the time when God sent a worldwide flood to destroy all the evil people in the world. God told Noah to build a gigantic ark in which he and his family could live while the flood waters covered the earth.

• Noah was a righteous man who obeyed God in everything.
• When God told Noah how to build the gigantic ark, Noah built it exactly the way God told him to.
• Inside the ark, Noah and his family were kept safe, and later their children and grandchildren filled the earth with people again.
• Everyone born since the time of the flood is a descendant of Noah.

(See also: descendant, ark)

Bible References:

• Genesis 05:30-31
• Genesis 05:32
• Genesis 06:08
• Genesis 08:01
• Hebrews 11:7
• Matthew 24:37

Word Data:

• Strong's: H5146, G3575

Forms Found in the English ULB:

Noah, Noah's

Peter

Related Words:

Cephas, Simon

Facts:

Peter was one of Jesus' twelve apostles. He was an important leader of the early Church.

• Before Jesus called him to be his disciple, Peter's name was Simon.
• Later, Jesus also named him "Cephas," which means "stone" or "rock" in the Aramaic language. The name Peter also means "stone" or "rock" in the Greek language.
• God worked through Peter to heal people and to preach the good news about Jesus.
• Two books in the New Testament are letters that Peter wrote to encourage and teach fellow believers.

(See also: disciple, apostle)

Bible References:

• Acts 08:25
• Galatians 02:6-8
• Galatians 02:12
• Luke 22:58
• Mark 03:16
• Matthew 04:18-20
• Matthew 08:14
• Matthew 14:30
• Matthew 26:33-35

Word Data:

• Strong's: G2786, G4074, G4613, G4826

Forms Found in the English ULB:

Peter, Simon Peter, Cephas, Simon son of Jonah, Simon, Simon's

Pontus

Facts:

Pontus was a Roman province during the time of the Roman Empire and the early Church. It was located along the southern coast of the Black Sea, in the northern part of what is now the country of Turkey.

• As recorded in the book of Acts, people from the province of Pontus were in Jerusalem when the Holy Spirit first came to the apostles on the Day of Pentecost.
• A believer named Aquila was from Pontus.
• When Peter was writing to Christians who were scattered into different regions, Pontus was one of the regions he mentioned.

(See also: Aquila, Pentecost)

Bible References:

• 1 Peter 01:1-2
• Acts 02:09

Word Data:

• Strong's: G4193, G4195

Forms Found in the English ULB:

Pontus

Sarah

Facts:

• Sarah was Abraham's wife.
• Her name was originally "Sarai," but God changed it to "Sarah."
• Sarah gave birth to Isaac, the son God had promised to give her and Abraham.

(See also: Abraham, Isaac)

Bible References:

• Genesis 11:30
• Genesis 11:31
• Genesis 17:15
• Genesis 25:9-11

Word Data:

• Strong's: H8283, H8297, G4564

Forms Found in the English ULB:

Sarah, Sarah's, Sarai

Zion

Related Ideas:

Mount Zion

Definition:

Originally, the term "Zion" or "Mount Zion" referred to a stronghold or fortress that King David captured from the Jebusites. Both these terms became other ways of referring to Jerusalem.

• Mount Zion and Mount Moriah were two of the hills that the city of Jerusalem was located on. Later, "Zion" and "Mount Zion" became used as general terms to refer to both of these mountains and to the city of Jerusalem. Sometimes they also referred to the temple that was located in Jerusalem.
• David named Zion, or Jerusalem, the "City of David." This is different from David's hometown, Bethlehem, which was also called the City of David.
• The term "Zion" is used in other figurative ways, to refer to Israel or to God's spiritual kingdom or to the new, heavenly Jerusalem that God will create.

(See also: Abraham, David, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Jebus)

Bible References:

• 1 Chronicles 11:05
• Amos 01:02
• Jeremiah 51:35
• Psalm 076:1-3
• Romans 11:26

Word Data:

• Strong's: H6726, G4622

Forms Found in the English ULB:

Mount Zion, Zion

adversary

Related Ideas:

enemy, hostile, hostility, opponent, oppose, opposition

Definition:

An "adversary" is a person or group who is opposed to someone or something. The term "enemy" has a similar meaning.

• Your adversary can be a person who tries to oppose you or harm you.
• When two nations fight, each can be called an "adversary" of the other.
• In the Bible, the devil is referred to as an "adversary" and an "enemy."
• Adversary may be translated as "opponent" or "enemy," but it suggests a stronger form of opposition.
• Someone who is "hostile" wants to fight other people. Such a person has "hostile intent" or acts with "hostility."

Bible References:

• 1 Timothy 05:14
• Isaiah 09:11
• Job 06:23
• Lamentations 04:12
• Luke 12:59
• Matthew 13:25

Word Data:

• Strong's: H340, H341, H6146, H6862, H6887, H6965, H7379, H7790, H7854, H8130, H8324, G476, G480, G485, G498, G2189, G2190, G5227

Forms Found in the English ULB:

adversaries, adversary, enemies, enemies', enemy, enemy's, hostile, hostilities, hostility, opponent, opponents, oppose, opposed, opposes, opposition

afflict

Related Ideas:

affliction, difficulty

Definition:

The term "afflict" means to cause someone distress or suffering. An "affliction" is the disease, emotional grief, or other disaster that results from this.

• God afflicted his people with sickness or other hardships in order to cause them to repent of their sins and turn back to him.
• God caused afflictions or plagues to come on the people of Egypt because their king refused to obey God.
• To "be afflicted with" means to be suffering some kind of distress, such as a disease, persecution, or emotional grief.

Translation Suggestions:

• To afflict someone could be translated as "cause someone to experience troubles" or "cause someone to suffer" or "cause suffering to come."
• In certain contexts "afflict" could be translated as "happen to" or "come to" or "bring suffering."
• A phrase like "afflict someone with leprosy" could be translated as "cause someone to be sick with leprosy."
• When a disease or disaster is sent to "afflict" people or animals, this could be translated as "cause suffering to."
• Depending on the context, the term "affliction" could be translated as "calamity" or "sickness" or "suffering" or "great distress."
• The phrase "afflicted with" could also be translated as "suffering from" or "sick with."

(See also: leper, plague, suffer)

Bible References:

• 2 Thessalonians 01:06
• Amos 05:12
• Colossians 01:24
• Exodus 22:22-24
• Genesis 12:17-20
• Genesis 15:12-13
• Genesis 29:32

Word Data:

• Strong's: H205, H3013, H3905, H3906, H5221, H6031, H6039, H6040, H6041, H6862, H6869, H6887, H7451, H7489, G1453, G2346, G2347, G2852, G3804, G4912

Forms Found in the English ULB:

afflict, afflicted, afflicting, affliction, afflictions, difficulties

age

Related Ideas:

aged, from ancient times, old age

Definition:

The term "age" refers to the length of time a person has lived. The term "aged" describes a person who is very old. The term "age" is also used to refer generally to a time period.

• Jesus refers to "this age" as the present time when evil, sin, and disobedience fill the earth.
• There will be a future age when righteousness will reign over a new heaven and a new earth.
• Other words used to express an extended period of time include "era" and "season."
• The phrase "ancient times" refers to times long ago.

Translation Suggestions:

• Depending on the context, the term "age" could also be translated as "era" or "number of years old" or "time period" or "time."
• The phrase "at a very old age" could be translated as "when he was very old" or "when he had lived a very long time."
• The phrase "this present evil age" means "during this time right now when people are very evil."

Bible References:

• 1 Chronicles 29:28
• 1 Corinthians 02:07
• Hebrews 06:05
• Job 05:26

Word Data:

• Strong's: H5769, H7872, G165, G166, G1074

Forms Found in the English ULB:

age, aged, ages, from ancient times, old age

amen

Related Ideas:

let it be so

Definition:

The term "amen" is a word used to emphasize or call attention to what a person has said. It is often used at the end of a prayer. Sometimes it is translated as "truly."

• When used at the end of a prayer, "amen" communicates agreement with the prayer or expresses a desire that the prayer be fulfilled.
• In his teaching, Jesus used "amen" to emphasize the truth of what he said. He often followed that by "and I say to you" to introduce another teaching that related to the previous teaching.
• When Jesus uses "amen" this way, some English versions (and the ULB) translate this as "verily" or "truly."

Translation Suggestions:

• Consider whether the target language has a special word or phrase that is used to emphasize something that has been said.
• When used at the end of a prayer or to confirm something, "amen" could be translated as "let it be so" or "may this happen" or "that is true."
• When Jesus says, "truly I tell you," this could also be translated as "Yes, I tell you sincerely" or "That is true, and I also tell you."
• The phrase "truly, truly I tell you" could be translated as "I tell you this very sincerely" or "I tell you this very earnestly" or "what I am telling you is true."

(See also: fulfill, true)

Bible References:

• Deuteronomy 27:15
• John 05:19
• Jude 01:24-25
• Matthew 26:33-35
• Philemon 01:23-25
• Revelation 22:20-21

Word Data:

• Strong's: H543, G281

Forms Found in the English ULB:

amen, let it be so

angel

Related Ideas:

archangel

Definition:

An angel is a powerful spirit being whom God created. Angels exist to serve God by doing whatever he tells them to do. The term "archangel" refers to the angel who rules or leads all the other angels.

• The word "angel" literally means "messenger."
• The term "archangel" literally means "chief messenger." The only angel referred to in the Bible as an "archangel" is Michael.
• In the Bible, angels gave messages to people from God. These messages included instructions about what God wanted the people to do.
• Angels also told people about events that were going to happen in the future or events that had already happened.
• Angels have God's authority as his representatives and sometimes in the Bible they spoke as if God himself was speaking.
• Other ways that angels serve God are by protecting and strengthening people.
• A special phrase, "angel of Yahweh," has more than one possible meaning: 1) It may mean "angel who represents Yahweh" or "messenger who serves Yahweh." 2) It may refer to Yahweh himself, who looked like an angel as he talked to a person. Either one of these meanings would explain the angel's use of "I" as if Yahweh himself was talking.

Translation Suggestions:

• Ways to translate "angel" could include "messenger from God" or "God's heavenly servant" or "God's spirit messenger."
• The term "archangel" could be translated as "chief angel" or "head ruling angel" or "leader of the angels."
• Also consider how these terms are translated in a national language or another local language.
• The phrase "angel of Yahweh" should be translated using the words for "angel" and "Yahweh." This will allow for different interpretations of that phrase. Possible translations could include "angel from Yahweh" or "angel sent by Yahweh" or "Yahweh, who looked like an angel."

(See also: chief, head, messenger, Michael, ruler, servant)

Bible References:

• 2 Samuel 24:16
• Acts 10:3-6
• Acts 12:23
• Colossians 02:18-19
• Genesis 48:16
• Luke 02:13
• Mark 08:38
• Matthew 13:50
• Revelation 01:20
• Zechariah 01:09

Word Data:

• Strong's: H47, H4397, G32, G743, G2465

Forms Found in the English ULB:

angel, angels, archangel

apostle

Related Ideas:

apostleship

Definition:

The "apostles" were men sent by Jesus to preach about God and his kingdom. The term "apostleship" refers to the position and authority of those who were chosen as apostles.

• The word "apostle" means "someone who is sent out for a special purpose." The apostle has the same authority as the one who sent him.
• Jesus' twelve closest disciples became the first apostles. Other men, such as Paul and James, also became apostles.
• By God's power, the apostles were able to boldly preach the gospel and heal people, and were able to force demons to come out of people.

Translation Suggestions:

• The word "apostle" can also be translated with a word or phrase that means "someone who is sent out" or "sent-out one" or "person who is called to go out and preach God's message to people."
• It is important to translate the terms "apostle" and "disciple" in different ways.
• Also consider how this term was translated in a Bible translation in a local or national language.

(See also: authority, disciple, James (son of Zebedee), Paul, the twelve)

Bible References:

• Jude 01:17-19
• Luke 09:12-14

Word Data:

• Strong's: G651, G652, G2491, G5376, G5570

Forms Found in the English ULB:

apostle, apostles, apostles', apostleship

appoint

Related Ideas:

appointment, direct, predetermine, put in place, reserve, select, set in place, set over, set up, set under

Definition:

The terms "appoint" and "appointed" refer to choosing someone to fulfill a specific task or role.

• To "be appointed" can also refer to being "chosen" to receive something, as in "appointed to eternal life." That people were "appointed to eternal life" means they were chosen to receive eternal life.
• The phrase "appointed time" refers to God's "chosen time" or "planned time" for something to happen.
• The word "appoint" may also mean to "command" or "assign" someone to do something.
• To "predetermine" something is to decide beforehand that it will happen and make sure that it happens.

Translation Suggestions:

• Depending on the context, ways to translate "appoint" could include "choose" or "assign" or "formally choose" or "designate."
• The term "appointed" could be translated as "assigned" or "planned" or "specifically chose."
• The phrase "be appointed" could also be translated as "be chosen."

Bible References:

• 1 Samuel 08:11
• Acts 03:20
• Acts 06:02
• Acts 13:48
• Genesis 41:33-34
• Numbers 03:9-10

Word Data:

• Strong's: H561, H977, H2163, H2706, H2708, H3198, H3245, H3259, H4150, H4152, H4483, H4487, H4662, H5258, H5414, H5975, H6485, H6680, H6942, H6966, H7760, H7761, H7896, G322, G606, G2525, G2749, G2820, G3724, G4296, G4384, G4400, G4929, G5021, G5083, G5087

Forms Found in the English ULB:

appoint, appointed, appointed by lot, appointment, appoints, area ... reserved, directed, predetermined, put ... in place, reserved, selected, selects, set ... in place, set ... over, set ... up, set under

ark

Related Ideas:

chest

Definition:

The term "ark" literally refers to a rectangular wooden box that is made to hold or protect something. An ark can be large or small, depending on what it is being used for.

• In the English Bible, the word "ark" is first used to refer to the very large, rectangular, wooden boat that Noah built to escape the worldwide flood. The ark had a flat bottom, a roof, and walls.
• Ways to translate this term could include "very large boat" or "barge" or "cargo ship" or "large, box-shaped boat."
• The Hebrew word that is used to refer to this huge boat is the same word used for the basket or box that held baby Moses when his mother put him in the Nile River to hide him. In that case it is usually translated as "basket."
• In the phrase "ark of the covenant," a different Hebrew word is used for "ark." This could be translated as "box" or "chest" or "container."
• When choosing a term to translate "ark," it is important in each context to consider what size it is and what it is being used for.

(See also: ark of the covenant, basket)

Bible References:

• 1 Peter 03:20
• Exodus 16:33-36
• Exodus 30:06
• Genesis 08:4-5
• Luke 17:27
• Matthew 24:37-39

Word Data:

• Strong's: H727, H8392, G2787

Forms Found in the English ULB:

ark, chest

ash

Related Ideas:

powder

Definitions:

The term "ash" or "ashes" refers to the grey powdery substance that is left behind after wood is burned. It is sometimes used figuratively to refer to something that is worthless or useless.

• In the Bible sometimes the word "dust" is used when speaking about ashes. It can also refer to the fine, loose dirt that can form on dry ground.
• An "ash heap" is a pile of ashes.
• In ancient times, sitting in ashes was a sign of mourning or grieving.
• When grieving, it was the custom to wear rough, scratchy sackcloth and sit in ashes or sprinkle the ashes on the head.
• Putting ashes on the head was also a sign of humiliation or embarrassment.
• Striving for something worthless, is said to be like "feeding on ashes."
• When translating "ashes," use the word in the project language that refers to the burned-up remains after wood has burned.
• Note that an "ash tree" is a completely different term.

(See also: fire, sackcloth)

Bible References:

• 1 Kings 20:10
• Jeremiah 06:26
• Psalms 102:09
• Psalms 113:07

Word Data:

• Strong's: H80, H665, H6083, H6368, H7834, G2868, G4700, G5077, G5522

Forms Found in the English ULB:

ash, ashes, powder

authority

Related Ideas:

authority to judge, place in charge, put in charge, right

Definition:

The term "authority" refers to the power of influence and control that someone has over someone else.

• Kings and other governing rulers have authority over the people they are ruling.
• The word "authorities" can refer to people, governments, or organizations that have authority over others.
• The word "authorities" can also refer to spirit beings who have power over people who have not submitted themselves to God’s authority.
• Masters have authority over their servants or slaves. Parents have authority over their children.
• Governments have the authority or right to make laws that govern their citizens.

Translation Suggestions:

• The term "authority" can also be translated as "control" or "right" or "qualifications."
• Sometimes "authority" is used with the meaning of "power."
• When "authorities" is used to refer to people or organizations who rule people, it could also be translated as "leaders" or "rulers" or "powers."
• The phrase "by his own authority" could also be translated as, "with his own right to lead" or "based on his own qualifications."
• The expression, "under authority" could be translated as, "responsible to obey" or "having to obey others' commands."

(See also: citizen, command, obey, power, ruler)

Bible References:

• Colossians 02:10
• Esther 09:29
• Genesis 41:35
• Jonah 03:6-7
• Luke 12:05
• Luke 20:1-2
• Mark 01:22
• Matthew 08:09
• Matthew 28:19
• Titus 03:01

Word Data:

• Strong's: H2940, H4475, H4910, H4915, H6486, H6666, H6680, H7980, H7990, H8633, G831, G1413, G1849, G1850, G2003, G2525, G2715, G2917, G2963, G5247

Forms Found in the English ULB:

authorities, authority, authority to judge, places ... in charge, put ... in charge, puts ... in charge, right, was ... in charge, were ... in charge

beg

Related Ideas:

ask, beggar, needy

Definition:

The term "beg" means to urgently ask someone for something. It often refers to asking for money, but it is also commonly used to refer to pleading for something.

• Often people beg or plead when they strongly need something, but don't know if the other person will give them what they ask for.
• A "beggar" is someone who regularly sits or stands in a public place to ask people for money.
• Depending on the context, this term could be translated as, "plead" or "urgently ask" or "demand money" or "regularly ask for money."

(See also: plead)

Bible References:

• Luke 16:20
• Mark 06:56
• Matthew 14:36
• Psalm 045:12-13

Word Data:

• Strong's: H34, H577, H1245, H6035, H7592, G154, G1189, G1871, G2065, G3726, G3870, G4319, G4434

Forms Found in the English ULB:

ask, asking, asks, beg, beggar, begged, begging, needy

believe

Related Ideas:

be persuaded, belief, believer, have faith, persuade, persuasive

Definition:

The terms "believe" and "believe in" are closely related, but have slightly different meanings:

• believe
  • To believe something is to accept or trust that it is true.
  • To believe someone is to acknowledge that what that person has said is true.
  • To persuade someone is to get that person to believe that something is true.
• believe in
  • To "believe in" someone means to "trust in" that person. It means to trust that the person is who he says he is, that he always speaks the truth, and that he will do what he has promised to do.
  • When a person truly believes in something, he will act in such a way that shows that belief.
  • The phrase "have faith in" usually has the same meaning as "believe in."
  • To "believe in Jesus" means to believe that he is the Son of God, that he is God himself who also became human and who died as a sacrifice to pay for our sins. It means to trust him as Savior and live in a way that honors him.

In the Bible, the term "believer" refers to someone who believes in and relies on Jesus Christ as Savior.

• The term "believer" literally means "person who believes."
• The term "Christian" eventually came to be the main title for believers because it indicates that they believe in Christ and obey his teachings.

The term "unbelief" refers to not believing something or someone.

• In the Bible, "unbelief" refers to not believing in or not trusting in Jesus as one's Savior.
• A person who does not believe in Jesus is called an "unbeliever."

Translation Suggestions:

Translating "believe" and "believe in":
* To "believe" could be translated as to "know to be true" or "know to be right." * To "believe in" could be translated as "trust completely" or "trust and obey" or "completely rely on and follow."

Translating "believer":
* Some translations may prefer to say "believer in Jesus" or "believer in Christ." * This term could also be translated by a word or phrase that means "person who trusts in Jesus" or "someone who knows Jesus and lives for him." * Other ways to translate "believer" could be "follower of Jesus" or "person who knows and obeys Jesus." * The term "believer" is a general term for any believer in Christ, while "disciple" and "apostle" were used more specifically for people who knew Jesus while he was alive. It is best to translate these terms in different ways, in order to keep them distinct.

Translating "unbelief" and "unbeliever": * Other ways to translate "unbelief" could include "lack of faith" or "not believing." * The term "unbeliever" could be translated as "person who does not believe in Jesus" or "someone who does not trust in Jesus as Savior."

(See also: believe, apostle, Christian, disciple, faith, trust)

Bible References:

• Genesis 15:06
• Genesis 45:26
• Job 09:16-18
• Habakkuk 01:5-7
• Mark 06:4-6
• Mark 01:14-15
• Luke 09:41
• John 01:12
• Acts 06:05
• Acts 09:42
• Acts 28:23-24
• Romans 03:03
• 1 Corinthians 06:01
• 1 Corinthians 09:05
• 2 Corinthians 06:15
• Hebrews 03:12
• 1 John 03:23

Word Data:

• Strong's: H539, H3948, H6601, G544, G569, G3982, G4100, G4102, G4103

Forms Found in the English ULB:

am persuaded, belief, believe, believed, believer, believers, believes, believing, has faith, persuade, persuaded, persuading, persuasiveness, were persuaded

blemish

Related Ideas:

defect, unblemished

Definitions:

The term "blemish" refers to a physical defect or imperfection on an animal or person. It can also refer to spiritual imperfections and faults in people.

• For certain sacrifices, God instructed the Israelites to offer an animal with no blemishes or defects.
• This is a picture of how Jesus Christ was the perfect sacrifice, without any sin.
• Believers in Christ have been cleansed from their sin by his blood and are considered to be without blemish.
• Ways to translate this term could include "defect" or "imperfection" or "sin," depending on the context.
• Something that is "unblemished" does not have any blemishes or defects.

(See also: believe, clean, sacrifice, sin)

Bible References:

• 1 Peter 01:19
• 2 Peter 02:13
• Deuteronomy 15:19-21
• Numbers 06:13-15
• Song of Solomon 04:07

Word Data:

• Strong's: H3971, H8400, H8549, G299, G3470

Forms Found in the English ULB:

blemish, blemishes, defect, unblemished

bless

Related Ideas:

happier, happy

Definition:

To "bless" someone or something means to cause good and beneficial things to happen to the person or thing that is being blessed.

• Blessing someone also means expressing a desire for positive and beneficial things to happen to that person.
• In Bible times, a father would often pronounce a formal blessing on his children.
• When people "bless" God or express a desire that God be blessed, this means they are praising him.
• The term "bless" is sometimes used for consecrating food before it is eaten, or for thanking and praising God for the food.

Translation Suggestions:

• To "bless" could also be translated as to "provide abundantly for" or to "be very kind and favorable toward."
• "God has brought great blessing to" could be translated as "God has given many good things to" or "God has provided abundantly for" or "God has caused many good things to happen to".
• "He is blessed" could be translated as "he will greatly benefit" or "he will experience good things" or "God will cause him to flourish."
• "Blessed is the person who" could be translated as "How good it is for the person who."
• Expressions like "blessed be the Lord" could be translated as "May the Lord be praised" or "Praise the Lord" or "I praise the Lord."
• In the context of blessing food, this could be translated as "thanked God for the food" or "praised God for giving them food" or "consecrated the food by praising God for it."

(See also: praise)

Bible References:

• 1 Corinthians 10:16
• Acts 13:34
• Ephesians 01:03
• Genesis 14:20
• Isaiah 44:03
• James 01:25
• Luke 06:20
• Matthew 26:26
• Nehemiah 09:05
• Romans 04:09

Word Data:

• Strong's: H833, H835, H8055, H1288, H1293, G1757, G2127, G2128, G2129, G3106, G3107, G3108, G3741

Forms Found in the English ULB:

bless, blessed, blesses, blessing, blessings, happier, happy

blood

Related Ideas:

bleeding

Definition:

The term "blood" refers to the red liquid that comes out of a person's skin when there is an injury or wound. Blood brings life-giving nutrients to a person's entire body.

• Blood symbolizes life and when it is shed or poured out, it symbolizes the loss of life, or death.
• When people made sacrifices to God, they killed an animal and poured its blood on the altar. This symbolized the sacrifice of the animal's life to pay for people's sins.
• Through his death on the cross, Jesus' blood symbolically cleanses people from their sins and pays for the punishment they deserve for those sins.
• The expression "flesh and blood" refers to human beings.
• The expression "own flesh and blood" refers to people who are biologically related.

Translation Suggestions:

• This term should be translated with the term that is used for blood in the target language.
• The expression "flesh and blood" could be translated as "people" or "human beings."
• Depending on the context, the expression "my own flesh and blood" could be translated as "my own family" or "my own relatives" or "my own people."
• If there is an expression in the target language that is used with this meaning, that expression could be used to translate "flesh and blood."

(See also: flesh)

Bible References:

• 1 John 01:07
• 1 Samuel 14:32
• Acts 02:20
• Acts 05:28
• Colossians 01:20
• Galatians 01:16
• Genesis 04:11
• Psalms 016:4
• Psalms 105:28-30

Word Data:

• Strong's: H1818, H5332, G129, G130, G131

Forms Found in the English ULB:

bleeding, blood

body

Related Ideas:

bodily, body of Christ, carcass, corpse

Definition:

The term "body" literally refers to the physical body of a person or animal. This term is also used figuratively to refer to an object or whole group that has individual members.

• Often the term "body" refers to a dead person. Sometimes this is referred to as a "dead body" or a "corpse." The dead body of an animal is called a "carcass."
• When Jesus said to the disciples at his last Passover meal, "This (bread) is my body," he was referring to his physical body that would be "broken" (killed) to pay for their sins.
• In the Bible, Christians as a group are referred to as the "body of Christ." Just as a physical body has many parts, the "body of Christ" has many individual members. Each individual believer has a special function in the body of Christ to help the whole group work together to serve God and bring him glory.
• Jesus is also referred to as the "head" (leader) of the "body" of his believers. Just as a person's head tells his body what to do, so Jesus is the one who guides and directs Christians as members of his "body."

Translation Suggestions:

• The best way to translate this term would be with the word that is most commonly used to refer to a physical body in the project language. Make sure that the word used is not an offensive term.
• When referring collectively to believers, for some languages it may be more natural and accurate to say "spiritual body of Christ."
• When Jesus says, "This is my body," it is best to translate this literally, with a note to explain it if needed.
• Some languages may have a separate word when referring to a dead body, such as "corpse" for a person or "carcass" for an animal. Make sure the word used to translate this makes sense in the context and is acceptable.

(See also: head, spirit)

Bible References:

• 1 Chronicles 10:12
• 1 Corinthians 05:05
• Ephesians 04:04
• Judges 14:08
• Numbers 06:6-8
• Psalm 031:09
• Romans 12:05

Word Data:

• Strong's: H990, H1320, H1472, H1480, H1655, H3409, H4191, H5038, H5315, H6297, H7607, G4430, G4561, G4954, G4983

Forms Found in the English ULB:

bodies, bodily, body, carcass, carcasses, corpse, corpses

born again

Related Ideas:

born from God, born from him, new birth

Definition:

The term "born again" was first used by Jesus to describe what it means for God to change a person from being dead spiritually to being alive spiritually. The terms "born of God" and "born of the Spirit" also refer to a person being given new spiritual life.

• All humans are born spiritually dead and are given a "new birth" when they accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.
• At the moment of the spiritual new birth, God's Holy Spirit begins to live in the new believer and empowers him to produce good spiritual fruit in his life.
• It is God's work to cause a person to be born again and become his child.
• Jesus uses the metaphor of being born again to speak of the time when he returns and rules over the earth.

Translation Suggestions:

• Other ways to translate "born again" could include "born anew" or "born spiritually."
• It is best to translate this term literally and use the normal word in the language that would be used for being born.
• The term "new birth" might be translated as "spiritual birth."
• The phrase "born of God" could be translated as "caused by God to have new life like a newborn baby" or "given new life by God."
• In the same way, "born of the Spirit" could be translated as "given new life by the Holy Spirit" or "empowered by the Holy Spirit to become God's child" or "caused by the Spirit to have new life like a newborn baby."

(See also: Holy Spirit, save)

Bible References:

• 1 John 03:09
• 1 Peter 01:03
• 1 Peter 01:23
• John 03:04
• John 03:07
• Titus 03:05

Word Data:

• Strong's: G313, G509, G1080, G3824

Forms Found in the English ULB:

born again, born from God, born from him, born of God, new birth

brother

Related Ideas:

brotherhood

Definition:

The term "brother" usually refers to a male person who shares at least one biological parent with another person.

• In the Old Testament, the term "brothers" is also used as a general reference to relatives, such as members of the same tribe, clan, or people group.
• In the New Testament, the apostles often used "brothers" to refer to fellow Christians, including both men and women, since all believers in Christ are members of one spiritual family, with God as their heavenly Father.
• A few times in the New Testament, the apostles used the term "sister" when referring specifically to a fellow Christian who was a woman, or to emphasize that both men and women are being included. For example, James emphasizes that he is talking about all believers when he refers to "a brother or sister who is in need of food or clothing."

Translation Suggestions:

• It is best to translate this term with the literal word that is used in the target language to refer to a natural or biological brother, unless this would give wrong meaning.
• In the Old Testament especially, when "brothers" is used very generally to refer to members of the same family, clan, or people group, possible translations could include "relatives" or "clan members" or "fellow Israelites."
• In the context of referring to a fellow believer in Christ, this term could be translated as "brother in Christ" or "spiritual brother."
• If both males and females are being referred to and "brother" would give a wrong meaning, then a more general kinship term could be used that would include both males and females.
• Other ways to translate this term so that it refers to both male and female believers could be "fellow believers" or "Christian brothers and sisters."
• Make sure to check the context to determine whether only men are being referred to, or whether both men and women are included.

(See also: apostle, God the Father, sister, spirit)

Bible References:

• Acts 07:26
• Genesis 29:10
• Leviticus 19:17
• Nehemiah 03:01
• Philippians 04:21
• Revelation 01:09

Word Data:

• Strong's: H251, H252, H264, H1730, H2993, H7453, G80, G81, G2385, G2500, G4613, G5360, G5569

Forms Found in the English ULB:

brother, brother's, brotherhood, brothers, brothers'

call

Related Ideas:

appeal to, invite, summon

Definition:

The terms "call to" and "call out" mean to say something loudly to someone who is not nearby. To "call" someone means to summon that person. There are also some other meanings.

• To "call out" to someone means to shout or speak loudly to someone far away. It can also mean to ask someone for help, especially God.
• Often in the Bible, "call" has a meaning of "summon" or "command to come" or "request to come."
• God calls people to come to him and be his people. This is their "calling."
• When God "calls" people, it means that God has appointed or chosen people to be his children, to be his servants and proclaimers of his message of salvation through Jesus.
• This term is also used in the context of naming someone. For example, "His name is called John," means, "He is named John" or "His name is John."
• To be "called by the name of" means that someone is given the name of someone else. God says that he has called his people by his name.
• A different expression, "I have called you by name" means that God has specifically chosen that person.
• To appeal to someone is to ask someone to do something.
• To invite someone is to ask them to do something that they might like to do.

Translation Suggestions:

• The term "call" could be translated by a word that means "summon," which includes the idea of being intentional or purposeful in calling.
• The expression "call out to you" could be translated as "ask you for help" or "pray to you urgently."
• When the Bible says that God has "called" us to be his servants, this could be translated as, "specially chose us" or "appointed us" to be his servants.
• "You must call his name" can also be translated as, "you must name him."
• "His name is called" could also be translated as, "his name is" or "he is named."
• To "call out" could be translated as, "say loudly" or "shout" or "say with a loud voice." Make sure the translation of this does not sound like the person is angry.
• The expression "your calling" could be translated as "your purpose" or "God's purpose for you" or "God's special work for you."
• To "call on the name of the Lord" could be translated as "seek the Lord and depend on him" or "trust in the Lord and obey him."
• To "call on" an official is to tell him to do what he is supposed to do as part of his job.
• To "call for" something could be translated by "demand" or "ask for" or "command."
• The expression "you are called by my name" could be translated as, "I have given you my name, showing that you belong to me."
• When God says, "I have called you by name," this could be translated as, "I know you and have chosen you."

(See also: pray)

Bible References:

• 1 Kings 18:24
• 1 Thessalonians 04:07
• 2 Timothy 01:09
• Ephesians 04:01
• Galatians 01:15
• Matthew 02:15
• Philippians 03:14

Word Data:

• Strong's: H2199, H3259, H4744, H6817, H7121, H7123, H7769, H7773, G154, G1528, G1793, G1941, G1951, G2028, G2046, G2564, G2821, G2822, G2840, G2919, G3004, G3106, G3333, G3343, G3603, G3686, G3687, G3870, G4341, G4377, G4779, G4867, G5455, G5537, G5581

Forms Found in the English ULB:

appeal to, appealed to, appealing to, call, called, called on, called out, calling, calling out, calls, calls out, invite, invited, summon, summoned, summoning

children

Related Ideas:

child, childhood, childless

Definition:

In the Bible, the term "child" is often used to generally refer to someone who is young in age, including an infant. * The word "childhood" refers to the time that a person is a child. * The word "childless" describes a person who has no children. * The word "children" is the plural form of "child."

The words "child" and "children" also have several figurative uses.

• In the Bible, disciples or followers are sometimes called "children."
• Often the term "children" is used to refer to a person's descendants.
• The phrase "children of" can refer to being characterized by something. Some examples of this would be:
  • children of the light
  • children of obedience
  • children of the devil
• This term can also refer to people who are like spiritual children. For example, "children of God" refers to people who belong to God through faith in Jesus.

Translation Suggestions:

• The term "children" could be translated as "descendants" when it is referring to a person's great-grandchildren or great-great-grandchildren, etc.
• Depending on the context, "children of" could be translated as, "people who have the characteristics of" or "people who behave like."
• If possible, the phrase, "children of God" should be translated literally since an important biblical theme is that God is our heavenly Father. A possible translation alternate would be, "people who belong to God" or "God's spiritual children."
• When Jesus calls his disciples "children," this could also be translated as, "dear friends" or "my beloved disciples."
• When Paul and John refer to believers in Jesus as "children," this could also be translated as "dear fellow believers."
• The phrase, "children of the promise" could be translated as, "people who have received what God promised them."

(See also: descendant, promise, son, spirit, believe, beloved)

Bible References:

• 1 John 02:28
• 3 John 01:04
• Galatians 04:19
• Genesis 45:11
• Joshua 08:34-35
• Nehemiah 05:05

Word Data:

• Strong's: H1069, H1121, H1123, H1129, H1397, H1580, H2029, H2030, H2056, H2145, H2233, H2945, H3173, H3205, H3206, H3243, H3490, H4392, H5288, H5290, H5759, H5953, H6185, H7908, H7909, H7921, G730, G815, G1025, G1064, G3439, G3515, G3516, G3808, G3812, G3813, G3816, G4690, G5040, G5041, G5042, G5043, G5044, G5207, G5388

Forms Found in the English ULB:

child, childhood, childless, children

commit

Related Ideas:

commitment

Definition:

The terms "commit" and "commitment" refer to making a decision or promising to do something.

• A person who promises to do something is also described as being "committed" to doing it.
• To "commit" to someone a certain task means to assign that task to that person. For example, in 2 Corinthians Paul says that God has "committed" (or "given") to us the ministry of helping people be reconciled to God.
• To "commit" something to someone is to give that thing completely to that person.
• To "commit" someone to another person is to put someone either in the care of or under the guard of that other person.
• The terms "commit" and "committed" also often refer to doing a certain wrong action such as "commit a sin" or "commit adultery" or "commit murder."
• The expression "committed to him the task" could also be translated as "gave him the task" or "entrusted to him the task" or "assigned the task to him."
• The term "commitment" could be translated by, "task that was given" or "promise that was made," depending on the context.

(See also: adultery, faithful, promise, sin)

Bible References:

• 1 Chronicles 28:07
• 1 Peter 02:21-23
• Jeremiah 02:12-13
• Matthew 13:41
• Psalm 058:02

Word Data:

• Strong's: H539, H817, H1361, H1497, H1500, H1540, H1556, H2181, H2388, H2398, H2399, H2403, H4560, H4603, H5003, H5753, H5766, H5771, H6213, H6466, H7683, H7760, H7847, G264, G2038, G2716, G3429, G3431, G3860, G3872, G3908, G4102, G4203

Forms Found in the English ULB:

commit, commitment, commits, committed, committing

compassion

Related Ideas:

compassionate, deal gently with, pity, sympathy

Definition:

The term "compassion" refers to a feeling of concern for people, especially for those who are suffering. A "compassionate" person cares about other people and helps them.

• The word "compassion" usually includes caring about people in need, as well as taking action to help them.
• The Bible says that God is compassionate, that is, he is full of love and mercy.
• In Paul's letter to the Colossians, he tells them to "clothe themselves with compassion." He is instructing them to care about people and to actively help others who are in need.
• To have "sympathy" for someone is to understand how that person feels and to want to help him.

Translation Suggestions:

• The literal meaning of "compassion" is "bowels of mercy." This is an expression that means "mercy" or "pity." Other languages may have their own expression that means this.
• Ways of translating "compassion" could include, "a deep caring for" or "helpful mercy."
• The term "compassionate" could also be translated as, "caring and helpful" or "deeply loving and merciful."

Bible References:

• Daniel 01:8-10
• Hosea 13:14
• James 05:9-11
• Jonah 04:1-3
• Mark 01:41
• Romans 09:14-16

Word Data:

• Strong's: H2550, H2580, H2603, H5150, H5162, H5164, H7349, H7355, H7356, G1653, G3356, G3627, G4697, G4834, G4835

Forms Found in the English ULB:

compassion, compassionate, compassions, deal gently with, pitied, pity, sympathy

confirm

Related Ideas:

carry out, cause someone to believe firmly, confirmation, guarantee

Definition:

The terms "confirm" and "confirmation" refer to stating or assuring that something is true or sure or trustworthy.

• In the Old Testament, God tells his people that he will "confirm" his covenant with them. This means he is stating that he will keep the promises he made in that covenant.
• When a king is "confirmed" it means that the decision to make him king has been agreed upon and supported by the people.
• To confirm what someone wrote means to say that what was written is true.
• The "confirmation" of the gospel means teaching people about the good news of Jesus in such a way that it shows that it is true.
• To give an oath "as confirmation" means to solemnly state or swear that something is true or trustworthy.
• Ways to translate "confirm" could include, "state as true" or "prove to be trustworthy" or "agree with" or "assure" or "promise," depending on the context.
• To "carry out" a promise is to do what one has promised to do.

(See also: covenant, oath, trust)

Bible References:

• 1 Chronicles 16:15-18
• 2 Corinthians 01:21
• 2 Kings 23:3
• Hebrews 06:16-18

Word Data:

• Strong's: H1396, H3045, H3559, H4390, H4672, H5414, H5975, H6213, H6965, G950, G951, G3315, G4741, G4972

Forms Found in the English ULB:

carry out, cause ... to believe firmly, confirm, confirmation, confirmed, confirms, guaranteed

conscience

Definition:

The conscience is the part of a person's thinking through which God makes him aware that he is doing something sinful.

• God gave people a conscience to help them know the difference between what is right and what is wrong.
• A person who obeys God is said to have a "pure" or "clear" or "clean" conscience.
• If a person has a "clear conscience" it means that he is not hiding any sin.
• If someone ignores their conscience and no longer feels guilty when he sins, this means his conscience is no longer sensitive to what is wrong. The Bible calls this a "seared" conscience, one that is "branded" as if with a hot iron. Such a conscience is also called "insensitive" and "polluted."
• Possible ways to translate this term could include, "inner moral guide" or "moral thinking."

Bible References:

• 1 Timothy 01:19
• 1 Timothy 03:09
• 2 Corinthians 05:11
• 2 Timothy 01:03
• Romans 09:01
• Titus 01:15-16

Word Data:

• Strong's: G4893

Forms Found in the English ULB:

conscience, consciences

cornerstone

Definition:

The term "cornerstone" refers to a large stone that has been specially cut and placed in the corner of the foundation of a building.

• All the other stones of the building are measured and placed in relation to the cornerstone.
• It is very important for the strength and stability of the whole structure.
• In the New Testament, the Assembly of believers is metaphorically compared to a building which has Jesus Christ as its "cornerstone."
• In the same way that the cornerstone of a building supports and determines the position of the whole building, so Jesus Christ is the cornerstone on which the Assembly of believers is founded and supported.

Translation Suggestions:

• The term "cornerstone" could also be translated as "main building stone" or "foundation stone."
• Consider whether the target language has a term for a part of a building's foundation that is the main support. If so, this term could be used.
• Another way to translate this would be, "a foundation stone used for the corner of a building."
• It is important to keep the fact that this is a large stone, used as a solid and secure building material. If stones are not used for constructing buildings, there may be another word that could be used that means "large stone" (such as "boulder") but it should also have the idea of being well-formed and made to fit.

Bible References:

• Acts 04:11
• Ephesians 02:20
• Matthew 21:42
• Psalms 118:22

Word Data:

• Strong's: H68, H6438, H7218, G204, G1137, G2776, G3037

Forms Found in the English ULB:

cornerstone, cornerstones

crown

Related Ideas:

crest, garland, wreath

Definition:

A crown is a decorative, circular headpiece worn on the head of rulers such as kings and queens. The term to "crown" means to put a crown on someone's head; figuratively it means to "honor."

• Crowns are usually made of gold or silver, and are embedded with precious gems such as emeralds and rubies.
• A crown is a symbol of a king's power and wealth.
• By contrast, the crown made of thorn branches that the Roman soldiers placed on Jesus' head was meant to mock him and hurt him.
• If a person is "crowned," this means that a crown was put on his head.
• In ancient times, winners of athletic contests would be awarded a crown made out of olive branches. The apostle Paul mentions this crown in his second letter to Timothy.
• A "crest" is a crown or a piece of metal or expensive wood with a design on it or something else that people recognize as a symbol of the king or another official. A person whom the official wants to honor will wear the "crest" or put it on the animal that he rides or that pulls his chariot.
• A "garland" and "a wreath" are a crown or necklace made of flowers or leaves.

Sometimes "crown" is used figuratively. * The figurative use of to "crown" means to honor someone. We honor God by obeying him and praising him to others. This is like putting a crown on him and acknowledging that he is King. * Pauls calls fellow believers his "joy and crown." In this expression, "crown" is used figuratively to mean that Paul has been greatly blessed and honored by how these believers have remained faithful in serving God.

Translation Suggestions:

• When used figuratively, "crown" could be translated as "prize" or "honor" or "reward."
• The figurative use of to "crown" could be translated as to "honor" or to "decorate."
• The expression, "he was crowned with glory and honor" could be translated as, "glory and honor were bestowed on him" or "he was given glory and honor" or "he was endowed with glory and honor."

(See also: glory, king, olive)

Bible References:

• John 19:03
• Lamentations 05:16
• Matthew 27:29
• Philippians 04:01
• Psalms 021:03
• Revelation 03:11

Word Data:

• Strong's: H3803, H3804, H5145, H5849, H5850, H6936, G1238, G4735, G4737

Forms Found in the English ULB:

crest, crown, crowned, crowns, garland, wreath

darkness

Related Ideas:

dark, darken, gloom

Definition:

The terms "darkness" and "gloom" literally means an absence of light. There are also several figurative meanings of these terms:

• As a metaphor, "darkness" means "impurity" or "evil" or "spiritual blindness."
• It also refers to anything related to sin and moral corruption.
• The expression "dominion of darkness" refers to all that is evil and ruled by Satan.
• The term "darkness" can also be used as a metaphor for death.
• People who do not know God are said to be "living in darkness," which means they do not understand or practice righteousness.
• God is light (righteousness) and the darkness (evil) cannot overcome that light.
• The place of punishment for those who reject God is sometimes referred to as "outer darkness."
• The term "gloom" can be used as a metaphor for sadness.

Translation Suggestions:

• It is best to translate this term literally, with a word in the project language that refers to the absence of light. This could also be a term that refers to the darkness of a room with no light or to the time of day when there is no light.
• For the figurative uses, it is also important to keep the image of darkness in contrast to light, as a way to describe evil and deception in contrast to goodness and truth.
• Depending on the context, other ways to translate this could be, "darkness of night" (as opposed to "light of day") or "not seeing anything, like at night" or "evil, like a dark place".

(See also: corrupt, dominion, kingdom, light, redeem, righteous)

Bible References:

• 1 John 01:06
• 1 John 02:08
• 1 Thessalonians 05:05
• 2 Samuel 22:12
• Colossians 01:13
• Isaiah 05:30
• Jeremiah 13:16
• Joshua 24:7
• Matthew 08:12

Word Data:

• Strong's: H652, H653, H2816, H2821, H2822, H2825, H3990, H3991, H4285, H5890, H6205, H6751, H6937, G2217, G4652, G4653, G4654, G4655, G4656

Forms Found in the English ULB:

dark, darken, darkened, darker, darkness, gloom, thick darkness, turned dark

day

Related Ideas:

daily, daytime, morning, today

Definition:

The term "day" literally refers to a period of time lasting 24 hours beginning at sundown. It is also used figuratively.

• For the Israelites and the Jews, a day began at sunset of one day and ended at sunset of the next day.
• Sometimes the term "day" is used figuratively to refer to a longer period of time, such as the "day of Yahweh" or "last days."
• Some languages will use a different expression to translate these figurative uses or will translate "day" nonfiguratively.
• Other translations of "day" could include, "time" or "season" or "occasion" or "event," depending on the context.

(See also: judgment day, last day)

Bible References:

• Acts 20:06
• Daniel 10:04
• Ezra 06:15
• Ezra 06:19
• Matthew 09:15

Word Data:

• Strong's: H3117, H3118, H3119, H6242, G2250, G4594

Forms Found in the English ULB:

daily, day, day's, days, days', daytime, morning, today

death

Related Ideas:

breathed their last, dead, deadly, deadness, deathly, die, lethal, mortal, stop breathing

Definition:

This term is used to refer to both physical and spiritual death. Physically, it refers to when the physical body of a person stops living. Spiritually, it refers to sinners being separated from a holy God because of their sin.

1. Physical death

• To "die" means to stop living. Death is the end of physical life.
• A person's spirit leaves his body when he dies.
• When Adam and Eve sinned, physical death came into the world.
• The expression "put to death" refers to killing or murdering someone, especially when a king or other ruler gives an order for someone to be killed.
• The words "deadly" and "lethal" describe something that causes someone to die.
• Something that is "mortal" can die; it does not live forever.

2. Spiritual death

• Spiritual death is the separation of a person from God.
• Adam died spiritually when he disobeyed God. His relationship with God was broken. He became ashamed and tried to hide from God.
• Every descendant of Adam is a sinner, and is spiritually dead. God makes us spiritually alive again when we have faith in Jesus Christ.

Translation Suggestions:

• To translate the words "die," death," and dead," it is usually best to use the everyday, natural word or expression in the target language that refers to death. This is true both when “death” refers to physical death and when it refers to spiritual death.
• In some languages, to "die" may be expressed as to "not live." The term "dead" may be translated as "not alive" or "not having any life" or "not living."
• The expression "the dead" is a nominal adjective that refers to people who have died. Some languages will translate this as "dead people" or "people who have died."
• The expression "put to death" could also be translated as "kill" or "murder" or "execute."

(See also: believe, faith, life, spirit)

Bible References:

• 1 Corinthians 15:21
• 1 Thessalonians 4:17
• Acts 10:42
• Acts 14:19
• Colossians 2:15
• Colossians 2:20
• Genesis 2:15-17
• Genesis 34:27
• Matthew 16:28
• Romans 5:10
• Romans 5:12
• Romans 6:10

Word Data:

• Strong's: H6, H1478, H1826, H1934, H2491, H4191, H4192, H4193, H4194, H4463, H5038, H5315, H6297, H6757, H7496, H7523, H7819, H8045, H8546, H8552, G336, G337, G520, G599, G615, G622, G1634, G2079, G2253, G2286, G2287, G2288, G2289, G2348, G2837, G2966, G3498, G3499, G3500, G4430, G4880, G4881, G5053, G5054

Forms Found in the English ULB:

about to die, breathed ... last, causes ... death, dead, deadly, deadness, death, deathly, deaths, die, die with, died, dies, dying, fatal, lethal, mortal, stop breathing, stops breathing

devour

Definition:

The term "devour" means to eat or consume in an aggressive manner.

• Using this word in a figurative sense, Paul warned believers to not devour one another, meaning to not attack or destroy each other with words or actions (Galatians 5:15).
• Also in a figurative sense, the term "devour" is often used with a meaning of "completely destroy" as when talking about nations devouring each other or a fire devouring buildings and people.
• This term could also be translated as "completely consume" or "totally destroy."

Bible References:

• 1 Peter 05:08
• Amos 01:10
• Exodus 24:17
• Ezekiel 16:20
• Luke 15:30
• Matthew 23:13-15
• Psalms 021:09

Word Data:

• Strong's: H398, H399, H400, H402, H1104, H1105, H3615, H3857, H3898, H7462, G2068, G2666, G2719, G5315

Forms Found in the English ULB:

devour, devoured, devouring, devours

disobey

Related Ideas:

disobedient

Definition:

The term "disobey" means to not obey what someone in authority has commanded or instructed. A person who does this is being "disobedient."

• A person who does something he was told not to do is disobeying.
• To disobey also means to refuse to do something that was commanded.
• The term "disobedient" is also used to describe the character of someone who habitually disobeys or rebels. It means that they are sinful or wicked.
• The term "disobedience" means "the act of not obeying" or "behavior that is against what God wants."
• A "disobedient people" could be translated by "people who keep on disobeying" or "people who do not do what God commands."

(See also: authority, evil, sin, obey)

Bible References:

• 1 Kings 13:21
• Acts 26:19
• Colossians 03:07
• Luke 01:17
• Luke 06:49
• Psalms 089:30-32

Word Data:

• Strong's: H4784, H5674, G506, G543, G544, G545, G3847, G3876

Forms Found in the English ULB:

disobedience, disobedient, disobey, disobeyed, disobeying, disobeys

dominion

Related Ideas:

control, dominate, subjugate

Definition:

The term "dominion" refers to power, control, or authority over people, animals, or land.

• Jesus Christ is said to have dominion over all the earth, as prophet, priest, and king.
• Satan's dominion has been defeated forever by Jesus Christ's death on the cross.
• At creation, God said that man is to have dominion over fish, birds, and all creatures on the earth.

Translation Suggestions:

• Depending on the context, other ways to translate this term could include "authority" or "power" or "control."
• The phrase "have dominion over" could be translated as "rule over" or "manage."

(See also: authority, power)

Bible References:

• 1 Peter 05:10-11
• Colossians 01:13
• Jude 01:25

Word Data:

• Strong's: H4474, H4475, H4910, G4912, H4915, H7287, H7985, G1849, G2634, G2904, G2963

Forms Found in the English ULB:

control, controls, dominate, dominion, dominions, subjugate

drunk

Related Ideas:

intoxicated, drink much, drunkard, drunkenness

Definitions:

The term "drunk" means to be intoxicated from drinking too much of an alcoholic beverage.

• A "drunkard" is a person who is often drunk. This kind of person could also be referred to as an "alcoholic."
• The Bible tells believers not to be drunk with alcoholic drinks, but to be controlled by God's Holy Spirit.
• The Bible teaches that drunkenness is unwise and influences a person to sin in other ways.
• Other ways to translate "drunk" could include "inebriated" or "intoxicated" or "having too much alcohol" or "filled with fermented drink."

(See also: wine)

Bible References:

• 1 Corinthians 05:11-13
• 1 Samuel 25:36
• Jeremiah 13:13
• Luke 07:34
• Luke 21:34
• Proverbs 23:19-21

Word Data:

• Strong's: H5433, H5435, H7301, H7686, H7910, H7937, H7941, H7943, H8354, H8358, G3178, G3182, G3183, G3184, G3630, G3632

Forms Found in the English ULB:

be ... intoxicated, became drunk, become drunk, drank freely, drink much, drunk, drunkard, drunkards, drunkenness, get drunk

elder

Definition:

Elders are spiritually mature men who have responsibilities of spiritual and practical leadership among God's people.

• The term "elder" came from the fact that elders were originally older men who, because of their age and experience, had greater wisdom.
• In the Old Testament, the elders helped lead the Israelites in matters of social justice and the Law of Moses.
• In the New Testament, Jewish elders continued to be leaders in their communities and also were judges for the people.
• In the early Christian churches, Christian elders gave spiritual leadership to the local assemblies of believers.
• Elders in these churches included young men who were spiritually mature.
• This term could be translated as "older men" or "spiritually mature men leading the church."

Bible References:

• 1 Chronicles 11:1-3
• 1 Timothy 03:1-3
• 1 Timothy 04:14
• Acts 05:19-21
• Acts 14:23
• Mark 11:28
• Matthew 21:23-24

Word Data:

• Strong's: H1419, H2205, H7868, G1087, G3187, G4244, G4245, G4850

Forms Found in the English ULB:

elder, elders

endure

Related Ideas:

endurance, patient endurance, put up with, resist, stand

Definition:

The term "endure" means to last a long time or to bear something difficult with patience.

• It also means to stand firm when times of testing come, without giving up.
• The term "endurance" can mean "patience" or "bearing up under a trial" or "persevering when being persecuted."
• The encouragement to Christians to "endure to the end" is telling them to obey Jesus, even if this causes them to suffer.
• To "endure suffering" can also mean to "experience suffering."

Translation Suggestions:

• Ways to translate the term "endure" could include "persevere" or "keep believing" or "continue to do what God wants you to do" or "stand firm."
• In some contexts, to "endure" could be translated as to "experience" or to "go through."
• With the meaning of lasting for a long time, the term "endure" could also be tranlsated as "last" or "continue." The phrase "will not endure" could be translated as "will not last" or "will not continue to survive."
• Ways to translate "endurance" could include "perseverance" or "continuing to believe" or "remaining faithful."

(See also: persevere)

Bible References:

• 2 Timothy 02:11-13
• James 01:03
• James 01:12
• Luke 21:19
• Matthew 13:21
• Revelation 01:09
• Romans 05:3-5

Word Data:

• Strong's: H386, H3201, H3557, H5331, H5375, H5975, H6965, G430, G907, G1526, G2005, G2076, G2594, G3306, G4722, G5278, G5281, G5297, G5342

Forms Found in the English ULB:

endurance, endure, endured, endures, enduring, patient endurance, put up with, resist, stand

envy

Related Ideas:

covet, covetousness, envious, greed

Definition:

The term "envy" refers to being jealous of someone because of what that person possesses or because of that person's admirable qualities.

• Envy is normally a negative feeling of resentment because of another person's success, good fortune, or possessions.
• To "covet" means to have a strong desire to have someone else's property, or even someone else's spouse. Often a person who covets something is willing to sin to get it.
• "Greed" is a strong, selfish desire to have something. Often a person who is greedy wants more of what he already has.

(See also: jealous)

Bible References:

• 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
• 1 Peter 02:01
• Exodus 20:17
• Mark 07:20-23
• Proverbs 03:31-32
• Romans 01:29

Word Data:

• Strong's: H183, H2530, H7065, H7068, H7342, G1937, G2205, G2206, G3788, G4123, G4124, G4190, G5354, G5355

Forms Found in the English ULB:

covet, coveted, coveting, covetousness, envied, envious, envy, envying, greed, greedy

evil

Related Ideas:

deal violently, displeasing, evil actions, evil deeds, evil plans, fraudulent, harm, harmful, violate, violence, violent, wicked, wicked deeds, wickedly, wickedness, wretched, wretchedly

Definition:

The terms "evil" and "wicked" both refer to anything that is opposed to God's holy character and will.

• While "evil" may describe a person's character, "wicked" may refer more to a person's behavior. However, both terms are very similar in meaning.
• The term "wickedness" refers to the state of being that exists when people do wicked things.
• The results of evil are clearly shown in how people mistreat others by killing, stealing, slandering and being cruel and unkind.

Translation Suggestions:

• Depending on the context, the terms "evil" and "wicked" can be translated as "bad" or "sinful" or "immoral."
• Other ways to translate these could include "not good" or "not righteous" or "not moral."
• Make sure the words or phrases that are used to translate these terms fit the context that is natural in the target language.

(See also: disobey, sin, good, righteous, demon)

Bible References:

• 1 Samuel 24:11
• 1 Timothy 06:10
• 3 John 01:10
• Genesis 02:17
• Genesis 06:5-6
• Job 01:01
• Job 08:20
• Judges 09:57
• Luke 06:22-23
• Matthew 07:11-12
• Proverbs 03:07
• Psalms 022:16-17

Word Data:

• Strong's: H205, H1100, H1431, H1681, H1942, H2154, H2554, H2555, H5765, H2162, H2248, H2254, H3238, H3399, H3415, H4849, H5753, H5766, H5767, H5771, H5807, H5999, H6090, H6184, H6293, H7451, H7455, H7489, H7561, H7562, H7563, H7564, H7701, H8133, G92, G93, G94, G932, G983, G984, G987, G988, G2549, G2551, G2554, G2555, G2556, G2559, G2560, G2635, G2636, G4151, G4189, G4190, G4191, G4550, G5337

Forms Found in the English ULB:

deal violently, deal worse, displeasing, do ... evil, do ... violence, done ... violence, evil, evil actions, evil deeds, evil plans, evils, fraudulent, harm, harmful, violate, violated, violates, violence, violent, wicked, wicked deeds, wickedly, wickedness, wretched, wretchedly, wretches

evildoer

Related Ideas:

do harm, do evil, harmed, work out evil

Definition:

The term "evildoer" is a general reference to people who do sinful and wicked things.

• It can also be a general word for people who do not obey God.
• This term could be translated using the word for "evil" or "wicked," with the word for "doing" or "making" or "causing" something.

(See also: evil)

Bible References:

• 1 Peter 02:13-17
• Isaiah 09:16-17
• Luke 13:25-27
• Malachi 03:13-15
• Matthew 07:21-23

Word Data:

• Strong's: H205, H3637, H6213, H6466, H7451, H7489, G93, G458, G2038, G2040, G2554, G2555

Forms Found in the English ULB:

did ... harm, do ... harm, doing evil, doing harm, evildoer, evildoers, harmed, work out evil

exalt

Related Ideas:

exaltation, high position, leadership position, lifted up

Definition:

To exalt is to lift up. Often exalt means to praise or honor someone or something. It can also mean to put someone in an honored position of leadership.

• In the Bible, the term "exalt" is most often used for honoring God.
• When a person exalts himself, it means he thinks about himself in a proud or arrogant way.

Translation Suggestions:

• Ways to translate "exalt" could include "highly praise" or "honor greatly" or "extol" or "speak highly of."
• In some contexts it could be translated by a word or phrase that means "put in a higher position" or "give more honor to" or "talk about proudly."
• "Do not exalt yourself" could also be translated as "Do not think of yourself too highly" or "Do not brag about yourself."
• "Those that exalt themselves" could also be translated as "Those who think proudly about themselves" or "Those who boast about themselves."

(See also: praise, worship, glory, boast, proud)

Bible References:

• 1 Peter 05:5-7
• 2 Samuel 22:47
• Acts 05:31
• Philippians 02:9-11
• Psalms 018:46

Word Data:

• Strong's: H1361, H1362, H1364, H4791, H4984, H5375, H5549, H5927, H7311, H7426, H7682, G5229, G5251, G5311, G5312

Forms Found in the English ULB:

exalt, exaltation, exalted, exalting, exalts, high position, leadership positions, lifted up, lofty

exhort

Related Ideas:

exhortation, urge

Definition:

The term "exhort" means to strongly encourage and urge someone to do what is right. Such encouragement is called "exhortation."

• The purpose of exhortation is to persuade other people to avoid sin and follow God's will.
• The New Testament teaches Christians to exhort each other in love, not harshly or abruptly.

Translation Suggestions:

• Depending on the context, "exhort" could also be translated as "strongly urge" or "persuade" or "advise."
• Make sure the translation of this term does not imply that the exhorter is angry. The term should convey strength and seriousness, but should not refer to angry speech.
• In most contexts, the term "exhort" should be translated differently than "encourage," which means to inspire, reassure, or comfort someone.
• Usually this term will also be translated differently from "admonish," which means to warn or correct someone for his wrong behavior.

Bible References:

• 1 Thessalonians 02:3-4
• 1 Thessalonians 02:12
• 1 Timothy 05:02
• Luke 03:18

Word Data:

• Strong's: H5927, H6484, G3867, G3870, G3874

Forms Found in the English ULB:

exhort, exhortation, exhortations, exhorted, exhorting, urge, urged

exile

Definition:

The term "exile" refers to people being forced to live somewhere away from their home country.

• People are usually sent into exile for punishment or for political reasons.
• A conquered people may be taken into exile to the country of the conquering army, in order to work for them.
• The "Babylonian exile" (or "the exile") is a period in Bible history when many Jewish citizens of the region of Judah were taken from their homes and forced to live in Babylon. It lasted 70 years.
• The phrase "the exiles" refers to people who are living in exile, away from their home country.

Translation Suggestions:

• The term to "exile" could also be translated as to "send away" or to "force out" or to "banish."
• The term "the exile" could be translated with a word or phrase that means "the sent away time" or "the time of banishment" or "the time of forced absence" or "banishment."
• Ways to translate "the exiles" could include "the exiled people" or "the people who were banished" or "the people exiled to Babylon."

(See also: Babylon, Judah)

Bible References:

• 2 Kings 24:14
• Daniel 02:25-26
• Ezekiel 01:1-3
• Isaiah 20:04
• Jeremiah 29:1-3

Word Data:

• Strong's: H1123, H1473, H1540, H1541, H1546, H1547, H3212, H3318, H5080, H7617, H7622, G3927

Forms Found in the English ULB:

exile, exiled, exiles

face

Related Ideas:

before, facedown, facial, presence, surface

Definition:

The word "face" literally refers to the front part of a person's head. This term also has several figurative meanings.

• The expression "your face" is often a figurative way of saying "you." Similarly, the expression "my face" often means "I" or "me."
• In a physical sense, to "face" someone or something means to look in the direction of that person or thing.
• To "face each other" means to "look directly at each other."
• Being "face to face" means that two people are seeing each other in person, at a close distance.
• When Jesus "steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem," it means that he very firmly decided to go.
• To "set one's face against" people or a city means to firmly decide to no longer support, or to reject that city or person.
• The expression "face of the land" refers to the surface of the earth and often is a general reference to the whole earth. For example, a "famine covering the face of the earth" refers to a widespread famine affecting many people living on earth.
• The figurative expression "do not hide your face from your people" means "do not reject your people" or "do not desert your people" or "do not stop taking care of your people."

Translation Suggestions:

• If possible, it is best to keep the expression or use an expression in the project language that has a similar meaning.
• The term to "face" could be translated as to "turn toward" or to "look at directly" or to "look at the face of."
• The expression "face to face" could be translated as "up close" or "right in front of" or "in the presence of."
• Depending on the context, the expression "before his face" could be translated as "ahead of him" or "in front of him" or "before him" or "in his presence."
• The expression "set his face toward" could be translated as "began traveling toward" or "firmly made up his mind to go to."
• The expression "hide his face from" could be translated as "turn away from" or "stop helping or protecting" or "reject."
• To "set his face against" a city or people could be translated as "look at with anger and condemn" or "refuse to accept" or "decide to reject" or "condemn and reject" or "pass judgment on."
• The expression "say it to their face" could be translated as "say it to them directly" or "say it to them in their presence" or "say it to them in person."
• The expression "on the face of the land" could also be translated as "throughout the land" or "over the whole earth" or "living throughout the earth."

Bible References:

• Deuteronomy 05:04
• Genesis 33:10

Word Data:

• Strong's: H600, H639, H2122, H6440, H8389, G3799, G4383, G4750

Forms Found in the English ULB:

before, face, faced, facedown, faces, facial, facing, presence, surface

faith

Definition:

In general, the term "faith" refers to a belief, trust or confidence in someone or something.

• To "have faith" in someone is to believe that what he says and does is true and trustworthy.
• To "have faith in Jesus" means to believe all of God's teachings about Jesus. It especially means that people trust in Jesus and his sacrifice to cleanse them from their sin and to rescue them from the punishment they deserve because of their sin.
• True faith or belief in Jesus will cause a person to produce good spiritual fruits or behaviors because the Holy Spirit is living in him.
• Sometimes "faith" refers generally to all the teachings about Jesus, as in the expression "the truths of the faith."
• In contexts such as "keep the faith" or "abandon the faith," the term "faith" refers to the state or condition of believing all the teachings about Jesus.

Translation Suggestions:

• In some contexts, "faith" can be translated as "belief" or "conviction" or "confidence" or "trust."
• For some languages these terms will be translated using forms of the verb "believe."
• The expression "keep the faith" could be translated by "keep believing in Jesus" or "continue to believe in Jesus."
• The sentence "they must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith" could be translated by "they must keep believing all the true things about Jesus that they have been taught."
• The expression "my true son in the faith" could be translated by something like "who is like a son to me because I taught him to believe in Jesus" or "my true spiritual son, who believes in Jesus."

(See also: believe, faithful)

Bible References:

• 2 Timothy 04:07
• Acts 06:7
• Galatians 02:20-21
• James 02:20

Word Data:

• Strong's: H529, H530, G1680, G3640, G4102, G4103

Forms Found in the English ULB:

faith

faithful

Related Ideas:

faithfully, faithfulness, reliable

Definition:

To be "faithful" to God means to consistently live according to God's teachings. It means to be loyal to him by obeying him.The state or condition of being faithful is "faithfulness."

• A person who is faithful can be trusted to always keep his promises and to always fulfill his responsibilities to other people.
• A faithful person perseveres in doing a task, even when it is long and difficult.
• Faithfulness to God is the consistent practice of doing what God wants us to do.

The term "unfaithful" describes people who do not do what God has commanded them to do. The condition or practice of being unfaithful is "unfaithfulness."

• The people of Israel were called "unfaithful" when they began to worship idols and when they disobeyed God in other ways.
• In marriage, someone who commits adultery is "unfaithful" to his or her spouse.
• God used the term "unfaithfulness" to describe Israel's disobedient behavior. They were not obeying God or honoring him.

Translation Suggestions:

Translating "faithful" and "faithfulness" * In many contexts, "faithful" can be translated as "loyal" or "dedicated" or "dependable." * In other contexts, "faithful" can be translated by a word or phrase that means "continuing to believe" or "persevering in believing and obeying God." * Ways that "faithfulness" could be translated could include "persevering in believing" or "loyalty" or "trustworthiness" or "believing and obeying God."

Translating "unfaithful" and "unfaithfulness" * Depending on the context, "unfaithful" could be translated as "not faithful" or "unbelieving" or "not obedient" or "not loyal." * The phrase "the unfaithful" could be translated as "people who are not faithful (to God)" or "unfaithful people" or "those who disobey God" or "people who rebel against God." * The term "unfaithfulness" could be translated as "disobedience" or "disloyalty" or "not believing or obeying." * In some languages, the term "unfaithful" is related to the word for "unbelief."

(See also: adultery, believe, disobey, faith, believe)

Bible References:

• Genesis 24:49
• Leviticus 26:40
• Numbers 12:07
• Joshua 02:14
• Judges 02:16-17
• 1 Samuel 02:9
• Psalm 012:1
• Proverbs 11:12-13
• Isaiah 01:26
• Jeremiah 09:7-9
• Hosea 05:07
• Luke 12:46
• Luke 16:10
• Colossians 01:07
• 1 Thessalonians 05:24
• 3 John 01:05

Word Data:

• Strong's: H529, H530, H539, H540, H571, H2181, H2616, H2623, H4603, H4820, G569, G4102, G4103

Forms Found in the English ULB:

faithful, faithful one, faithful people, faithfully, faithfulness, reliable, show ... self ... faithful

fear

Related Ideas:

afraid, alarmed, anxiety, coward, dismay, dread, fainthearted, fearful, fearlessly, fearsome, frighten, timid, unafraid

Definition:

The terms "fear" and "afraid" refer to the unpleasant feeling a person has when there is a threat of harm to himself or others.

• The term "fear" can also refer to a deep respect and awe for a person in authority.
• The phrase "fear of Yahweh," as well as related terms "fear of God" and "fear of the Lord," refer to a deep respect of God and the showing of that respect by obeying him. This fear is motivated by knowing that God is holy and hates sin.
• The Bible teaches that a person who fears Yahweh will become wise.
• "Anxiety" is fear about the future, what is going to happen.
• To be "alarmed" is to be surprised and afraid because something bad has suddenly happened.
• "Dread" is great fear.
• Someone who is "timid" is afraid to act because something bad might happen as a result.
• Someone who is "unafraid" is not afraid.

Translation Suggestions:

• Depending on the context, to "fear" can be translated as to "be afraid" or to "deeply respect" or to "revere" or to "be in awe of."
• The term "afraid" could be translated as "terrified" or "scared" or "fearful."
• The sentence "The fear of God fell on all of them" could be translated as "Suddenly they all felt a deep awe and respect for God" or "Immediately, they all felt very amazed and revered God deeply" or "Right then, they all felt very afraid of God (because of his great power)."
• The phrase "fear not" could also be translated as "do not be afraid" or "stop being afraid."
• Note that the phrase "fear of Yahweh" does not occur in the New Testament. The phrase "fear of the Lord" or "fear of the Lord God" is used instead.

(See also: amazed, awe, lord, power, Yahweh)

Bible References:

• 1 John 04:18
• Acts 02:43
• Acts 19:15-17
• Genesis 50:21
• Isaiah 11:3-5
• Job 06:14
• Jonah 01:09
• Luke 12:05
• Matthew 10:28
• Proverbs 10:24-25

Word Data:

• Strong's: H367, H926, H928, H1204, H1481, H1672, H1674, H1763, H2119, H2729, H2730, H2731, H2844, H2849, H2865, H3016, H3025, H3372, H3373, H3374, H4032, H4034, H4035, H4116, H4172, H6206, H6342, H6343, H6345, H6427, H7264, H7267, H7297, H7390, H7461, H7493, H8175, G870, G1167, G1168, G1169, G1568, G1630, G1719, G2125, G5398, G5399, G5401

Forms Found in the English ULB:

afraid, alarmed, anxiety, cowards, dismay, dismayed, dread, dreaded, fainthearted, fear, feared, fearful, fearful thing, fearlessly, fears, fearsome, frighten, frightened, timid, unafraid

fig

Definition:

A fig is a small, soft, sweet fruit that grows on trees. When ripe, this fruit can be a variety of colors, including brown, yellow, or purple.

• Fig trees can grow 6 meters in height and their large leaves provide pleasant shade. The fruit is about 3-5 centimeters long.
• Adam and Eve used the leaves from fig trees to make clothing for themselves after they had sinned.
• Figs can be eaten raw, cooked, or dried. People also chop them into small pieces and press them into cakes to eat later.
• In Bible times, figs were important as a source of food and income.
• The presence of fruitful fig trees is frequently mentioned in the Bible as a sign of prosperity.
• Several times Jesus used fig trees as an illustration to teach his disciples spiritual truths.

Bible References:

• Habakkuk 03:17
• James 03:12
• Luke 13:07
• Mark 11:14
• Matthew 07:17
• Matthew 21:18

Word Data:

• Strong's: H1061, H6291, H8384, G3653, G4808, G4810

Forms Found in the English ULB:

fig, figs

fir

Definition:

A fir tree is a kind of tree that stays green all year and has cones that contain seeds.

• Fir trees are also referred to as "evergreen" trees.
• In ancient times, the wood of fir trees was used for making musical instruments and for building structures such as boats, houses, and the temple.
• Some examples of fir trees mentioned in the Bible are pine, cedar, cypress, and juniper.

(See also: cedar, cypress)

Bible References:

• Ezekiel 27:4-5
• Isaiah 37:24-25
• Isaiah 41:19-20
• Isaiah 44:14
• Isaiah 60:12-13
• Psalms 104:16-18

Word Data:

• Strong's: H766, H1265, H1266

Forms Found in the English ULB:

fir, firs

fire

Related Ideas:

blazing, fiery, firebrands, inflame, kindle

Definition:

Fire is the heat, light, and flames that are produced when something is burned.

• A fire that is "blazing" is very hot and has large flames.
• A "fire brand" is a piece of burning wood.
• To "set on fire" or "set fire to" something is to make it start burning with fire.
• To "inflame" something is to make it start burning.
• To "kindle" a fire is to start that fire burning.
• The final judgment of unbelievers is in the fire of hell.

The word "fire" and ideas related to fire are also used figuratively. * The term "fire" can refer to judgment or purification. * The phrase "baptize with fire" could also be translated as "cause to experience suffering in order to be purified." * Fire is used to refine gold and other metals. In the Bible, this process is used to explain how God refines people through difficult things that happen in their lives.

(See also: pure)

Bible References:

• 1 Kings 16:18-20
• 2 Kings 01:10
• 2 Thessalonians 01:08
• Acts 07:29-30
• John 15:06
• Luke 03:16
• Matthew 03:12
• Nehemiah 01:3

Word Data:

• Strong's: H217, H398, H784, H800, H801, H1197, H1200, H1513, H1814, H2734, H2740, H3341, H3857, H4168, H5135, H6315, G439, G440, G1067, G2741, G2618, G4442, G4443, G4447, G4448, G4451, G5394, G5457

Forms Found in the English ULB:

blazing, fiery, fire, firebrands, fires, flaming, kindle, kindled, kindles, set fire to, set ... on fire, sets ... on fire

flesh

Related Ideas:

fleshly, human, living creatures, meat, physical

Definition:

In the Bible, the term "flesh" literally refers to the soft tissue of the physical body of a human being or animal.

• The Bible also uses the term "flesh" in a figurative way to refer to all human beings or all living creatures.
• In the New Testament, the term "flesh" can be used to talk about something that is associated with being human. For example, to decide something according to the flesh means to decide something according to human standards.
• In the New Testament, the term "flesh" can be used to refer to the sinful nature of human beings. This is often used in contrast to their spiritual nature.
• The expression "own flesh and blood" refers to someone who is biologically related to another person, such as a parent, sibling, child, or grandchild.
• The expression "flesh and blood" can also refer to a person's ancestors or descendants.
• The expression "one flesh" refers to the physical uniting of a man and woman in marriage.

Translation Suggestions:

• In the context of an animal's body, "flesh" could be translated as "body" or "skin" or "meat."
• When it is used to refer generally to all living creatures, this term could be translated as "living beings" or "everything that is alive."
• When referring in general to all people, this term could be translated as "people" or "human beings" or "everyone who lives."
• The expression "flesh and blood" could also be translated as "relatives" or "family" or "kinfolk" or "family clan." There may be contexts where it could be translated as "ancestors" or "descendants."
• Some languages may have an expression that is similar in meaning to "flesh and blood."
• The expression "become one flesh" could be translated as "unite sexually" or "become as one body" or "become like one person in body and spirit." The translation of this expression should be checked to make sure it is acceptable in the project language and culture. . It should also be understood that this is figurative, and does not mean that a man and a woman who "become one flesh" literally become one person.

Bible References:

• 1 John 02:16
• 2 John 01:07
• Ephesians 06:12
• Galatians 01:16
• Genesis 02:24
• John 01:14
• Matthew 16:17
• Romans 08:08

Word Data:

• Strong's: H120, H829, H1320, H1321, H2878, H7607, H7683, G2907, G4559, G4561

Forms Found in the English ULB:

flesh, fleshly, human, humans, living creatures, meat, physical

flock

Related Ideas:

herd

Definition:

In the Bible, "flock" refers to a group of sheep or goats and "herd" refers to a group of cattle, oxen, or pigs.

• Different languages may have different ways of naming groups of animals or birds.
• For example, in English the term "herd" can also be used for sheep or goats, but in the Bible text it is not used this way.
• The term "flock" in English is also used for a group of birds, but it can not be used for pigs, oxen, or cattle.
• Consider what terms are used in your language to refer to different groups of animals.
• For verses that refer to "flocks and herds" it may be better to add "of sheep" or "of cattle" for example, if the language does not have different words to refer to different kinds of animal groups.

(See also: goat, cow, pig, sheep, )

Bible References:

• 1 Kings 10:28-29
• 2 Chronicles 17:11
• Deuteronomy 14:22-23
• Luke 02:8-9
• Matthew 08:30
• Matthew 26:31

Word Data:

• Strong's: H504, H951, H1241, H2835, H4029, H4735, H4830, H5349, H5739, H6251, H6629, H7473, H7716, H7462, H7794, G34, G4167, G4168

Forms Found in the English ULB:

flock, flocking, flocks, herd, herds

fool

Related Ideas:

folly, foolish, foolishly, foolishness, insane, insanity, out of his mind, senseless, stupid, thoughtless, unwise

Definition:

The term "fool" refers to a person who often makes wrong choices, especially choosing to disobey. The term "foolish" describes a person or behavior that is not wise.

• In the Bible, the term "fool" usually refers to a person who does not believe or obey God. This is often contrasted to the wise person, who trusts in God and obeys God.
• In the Psalms, David describes a fool as a person who does not believe in God, one who ignores all the evidence of God in his creation.
• The Old Testament book of Proverbs also gives many descriptions of what a fool, or foolish person, is like.
• The term "folly" refers to an action that is not wise because it is against God's will. Often "folly" also includes the meaning of something that is ridiculous or dangerous.
• A person who is "insane" or suffering from "insanity" is unable to know truth from error, right from wrong, or good from evil and often acts without knowing what he is doing.
• Something that is hollow has nothing on its inside.

Translation Suggestions:

• The term "fool" could be translated as "foolish person" or "unwise person" or "senseless person" or "ungodly person."
• Ways to translate "foolish" could include "lacking understanding" or "unwise" or "senseless."

(See also: wise)

Bible References:

• Ecclesiastes 01:17
• Ephesians 05:15
• Galatians 03:03
• Genesis 31:28
• Matthew 07:26
• Matthew 25:08
• Proverbs 13:16
• Psalms 049:13

Word Data:

• Strong's: H191, H196, H200, H1197, H1198, H1984, H2973, H3684, H3687, H3688, H3689, H3690, H5014, H5034, H5036, H5039, H5528, H5529, H5530, H5531, H6612, H8417, H8604, G453, G454, G781, G801, G877, G878, G2757, G3150, G3154, G3471, G3472, G3473, G3474, G3912, G3913

Forms Found in the English ULB:

act of disgraceful folly, acted ... foolishly, disgraceful folly, folly, fool, foolish, foolishness, fools, insane, insanity, out of ... mind, senseless, spoken ... foolishly, stupid, thoughtless, unwise

foreigner

Related Ideas:

alien, barbarian, foreign, sojourn, sojourner, stranger, tenant

Definition:

The term "foreigner" refers to a person living in a country that is not his own. Another name for a foreigner is an "alien."

• In the Old Testament, this term especially refers to anyone who came from a different people group than the people he was living among.
• A foreigner is also a person whose language and culture is different from those of a particular region.
• For example, when Naomi and her family moved to Moab, they were foreigners there. When Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth later moved to Israel, Ruth was called a "foreigner" there because she was not originally from Israel.
• The apostle Paul told the Ephesians that before they knew Christ, they were "foreigners" to God's covenant.
• Sometimes "foreigner" is translated as "stranger," but it should not refer only to someone who is unfamiliar or unknown.
• A "sojourner" is a person who is living in one country that is not his but waiting for the chance to move to his own country.
• A "barbarian" is a person from another country who does not speak the local language or obey the local customs and so the natives do not like or respect him.
• A "strangers" are persons who do not know each other.
• To be "alienated" is to no longer be living in loving relationship with another. For example, a husband and wife who are no longer living together but are not divorced are "alienated" or "estranged."
• A "tenant" is a person who rents his dwelling place.

Bible References:

• 2 Chronicles 02:17
• Acts 07:29-30
• Deuteronomy 01:15-16
• Genesis 15:12-13
• Genesis 17:27
• Luke 17:18
• Matthew 17:24-25

Word Data:

• Strong's: H312, H628, H1471, H1481, H1616, H2114, H3937, H4033, H5236, H5237, H6154, H8453, G241, G245, G246, G526, G915, G3581, G3927, G3941

Forms Found in the English ULB:

alien, alienated, alienates, barbarian, foreign, foreigner, foreigners, live as a foreigner, living as foreigners, sojourn, sojourned, sojourner, sojourners, sojourning, stranger, strangers, tenant, tenants

foreknow

Related Ideas:

foreknowledge

Definition:

The verb "foreknow" means to know something before it happens.

• God is not limited by time. He knows everything that happens in the past, present, and future.
• This word is often used in the context of God knowing already who will be saved through receiving Jesus as Savior.

Translation Suggestions:

• The term "foreknew" could also be translated as, "knew before" or "knew ahead of time" or "knew beforehand" or "already knew."
• The term "foreknowledge" could be translated as, "knowing before" or "knowing ahead of time" or "already knowing" or "knowing in advance."

(See also: know, predestine)

Bible References:

• Romans 08:29
• Romans 11:02

Word Data:

• Strong's: G4267, G4268

Forms Found in the English ULB:

foreknew, foreknowledge, foreknown

found

Related Ideas:

establish, foundation, founder

Definition:

The verb "found" means build, create, or lay a base for. The phrase "founded on" means supported by or based on. A "foundation" is the base of support on which something is built or created.

• The foundation of a house or building must be strong and dependable in order to support the entire structure.
• The term "foundation" can also refer to the beginning of something or to the time when something was first created.
• In a figurative sense, believers in Christ are compared to a building that is founded on the teachings of the apostles and prophets, with Christ himself being the cornerstone of the building.
• A "foundation stone" was a stone that was laid as part of the foundation. These stones were tested to make sure they were strong enough to support an entire building.
• To "establish" something is for a person to start or make or create something that he wants to endure for a long time.

Translation Suggestions:

• The phrase "before the foundation of the world" could be translated as "before the creation of the world" or "before the time when the world first existed" or "before everything was first created."
• The term "founded on" could be translated as "securely built on" or "firmly based on."
• Depending on the context, "foundation" could be translated as "strong base" or "solid support" or "beginning" or "creation."

(See also: cornerstone, create)

Bible References:

• 1 Kings 06:37-38
• 2 Chronicles 03:1-3
• Ezekiel 13:13-14
• Luke 14:29
• Matthew 13:35
• Matthew 25:34

Word Data:

• Strong's: H134, H553, H787, H2713, H3245, H3247, H3248, H3559, H3772, H4143, H4144, H4146, H4328, H4349, H4527, H5975, H7760, H8356, G747, G950, G1457, G2310, G2311, G2602

Forms Found in the English ULB:

established, establishes, found, foundation, foundations, founded, founder, founds, lay ... foundation, lay ... foundations

free

Related Ideas:

freedom, freeman, liberty, volunteer, without cost, without paying for it

Definition:

The terms "free" or "freedom" refer to not being in slavery, or any other kind of bondage. Another word for "freedom" is "liberty."

• The expression to "set someone free" or to "free someone" means to provide a way for someone to no longer be in slavery or captivity.
• In the Bible, these terms are often used figuratively to refer to how a believer in Jesus is no longer under the power of sin.
• Having "liberty" or "freedom" can also refer to no longer being required to obey the Law of Moses, but instead being free to live by the teachings and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
• To "volunteer" is to freely and willingly agree to do something.

Translation Suggestions:

• The term "free" could be translated with a word or phrase that means "not bound" or "not enslaved" or "not in slavery" or "not in bondage."
• The term "freedom" or "liberty" could be translated with a word or phrase that means "the state of being free" or "the condition of not being a slave" or "not being bound."
• The expression to "set free" could be translated as to "cause to be free" or to "rescue from slavery" or to "release from bondage."
• A person who has been "set free" has been "released" or "taken out of" bondage or slavery.

(See also: bind, enslave, servant)

Bible References:

• Galatians 04:26
• Galatians 05:01
• Isaiah 61:1
• Leviticus 25:10
• Romans 06:18

Word Data:

• Strong's: H1865, H2600, H2666, H2668, H2670, H3318, H4800, H5068, H5069, H5071, H5337, H5352, H5355, H5425, H5674, H5800, H6299, H6340, H6362, H7342, H7971, G425, G525, G558, G629, G630, G859, G1344, G1432, G1657, G1658, G1659, G1849, G3089, G3955, G4506, G5483

Forms Found in the English ULB:

free, freed, freedom, freeing, freely, freely gave, freeman, frees, liberty, set ... free, volunteer, volunteered, without cost, without paying for it

gift

Related Ideas:

give, gracious gift

Definition:

The term "gift" refers to anything that is given or offered to someone. A gift is given without the expectation of getting anything in return

• Money, food, clothing, or other things given to poor people are called "gifts."
• In the Bible, an offering or sacrifice given to God is also called a gift.
• The gift of salvation is something God gives us through faith in Jesus.
• In the New Testament, the term "gifts" is also used to refer to special spiritual abilities that God gives to all Christians for serving other people.

Translation Suggestions:

• The general term for "gift" could be translated with a word or phrase that means "something that is given."
• In the context of someone having a gift or special ability that comes from God, the term "gift from the Spirit" could be translated as "spiritual ability" or "special ability from the Holy Spirit" or "special spiritual skill that God gave."

(See also: spirit, Holy Spirit)

Bible References:

• 1 Corinthians 12:01
• 2 Samuel 11:08
• Acts 08:20
• Acts 10:04
• Acts 11:17
• Acts 24:17
• James 01:17
• John 04:9-10
• Matthew 05:23
• Matthew 08:4

Word Data:

• Strong's: H814, H4503, H4864, H4976, H4978, H4979, H4991, H5379, H7810, H7964, H8641, G331, G1390, G1394, G1431, G1434, G1435, G3311, G5485, G5486

Forms Found in the English ULB:

gift, gifts, give, gracious gift

gird

Definition:

The term "gird" means to fasten something around something else. It often refers to wrapping a belt or sash around the waist to keep a robe or tunic in place.

• The phrase "gird up the loins" refers to tucking the bottom of a garment into a belt to allow a person to move more freely, usually to do work.
• This phrase can also mean "get ready to work" or to be prepared to do something difficult.
• The phrase "gird the sword" means to tuck the sword into one's belt in order to carry it.

Picture of Girding a sword:

Translation Suggestions

• The expression "gird up the loins" could be translated using an expression in the target language that has the same meaning. Or it could be translated as "prepare yourself for action" or "get yourself ready."
• The term "girded with" could be translated as "encircled by" or wrapped with" or "belted with."

(See also: loins)

Bible References:

• 1 Peter 01:13
• Job 38:03

Word Data:

• Strong's: H640, H247, H2290, H2296, H5401, H8151, G328, G1241, G2224, G4024

Forms Found in the English ULB:

gird, girded, girding, girds

glory

Related Ideas:

beautiful, beauty, glorify, glorious, take pride

Definition:

In general, the term "glory" means honor, splendor, and extreme greatness. Anything that has glory is said to be "glorious."

• Sometimes "glory" refers to something of great value and importance. In other contexts it communicates splendor, brightness, or judgment.
• For example, the expression "glory of the shepherds" refers to the lush pastures where their sheep had plenty of grass to eat.
• Glory is especially used to describe God, who is more glorious than anyone or anything in the universe. Everything in his character reveals his glory and his splendor.
• The expression to "glory in" means to boast about or take pride in something.

The term "glorify" means to show or tell how great and important something or someone is. It literally means to "give glory to."

• People can glorify God by telling about the wonderful things he has done.
• They can also glorify God by living in a way that honors him and shows how great and magnificent he is.
• When the Bible says that God glorifies himself, it means that he reveals to people his amazing greatness, often through miracles.
• God the Father will glorify God the Son by revealing to people the Son's perfection, splendor, and greatness.
• Everyone who believes in Christ will be glorified with him. When they are raised to life, they will be changed to reflect his glory and to display his grace to all creation.

Translation Suggestions:

• Depending on the context, different ways to translate "glory" could include "splendor" or "brightness" or "majesty" or "awesome greatness" or "extreme value."
• The term "glorious" could be translated as "full of glory" or "extremely valuable" or "brightly shining" or "awesomely majestic."
• The expression "give glory to God" could be translated as "honor God's greatness" or "praise God because of his splendor" or "tell others how great God is."

• The expression "glory in" could also be translated as "praise" or "take pride in" or "boast about" or "take pleasure in."

• "Glorify" could also be translated as "give glory to" or "bring glory to" or "cause to appear great."

• The phrase "glorify God" could also be translated as "praise God" or "talk about God's greatness" or "show how great God is" or "honor God (by obeying him)."
• The term "be glorified" could also be translated as, "be shown to be very great" or "be praised" or "be exalted."

(See also: exalt, obey, praise)

Bible References:

• Exodus 24:17
• Numbers 14:9-10
• Isaiah 35:02
• Luke 18:43
• Luke 02:09
• John 12:28
• Acts 03:13-14
• Acts 07:1-3
• Romans 08:17
• 1 Corinthians 06:19-20
• Philippians 02:14-16
• Philippians 04:19
• Colossians 03:1-4
• 1 Thessalonians 02:05
• James 02:1-4
• 1 Peter 04:15-16
• Revelation 15:04

Word Data:

• Strong's: H117, H142, H155, H1342, H1926, H1927, H1935, H1984, H2896, H3367, H3513, H3519, H3520, H5278, H6286, H6643, H7623, H8231, H8597, G1391, G1392, G1740, G1741, G2570, G2744, G4888

Forms Found in the English ULB:

beautiful, beauty, glories, glorified, glorifies, glorify, glorifying, glorious, glory, take pride

god

Related Ideas:

disgusting figure, false god, goat idols, goddess, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry

Definition:

A false god is something that people worship instead of the one true God. The term "goddess" refers specifically to a female false god.

• These false gods or goddesses do not exist. Yahweh is the only God.
• People sometimes make objects into idols to worship as symbols of their false gods.
• In the Bible, God's people frequently turned away from obeying him in order to worship false gods.
• Demons often deceive people into believing that the false gods and idols they worship have power.
• Baal, Dagon, and Molech were three of the many false gods that were worshiped by people in Bible times.
• Asherah and Artemis (Diana) were two of the goddesses that ancient peoples worshiped.

An idol is an object that people make so they can worship it. Something is described as "idolatrous" if it involves giving honor to something other than the one true God.

• People make idols to represent the false gods that they worship.
• These false gods do not exist; there is no God besides Yahweh.
• Sometimes demons work through an idol to make it seem like it has power, even though it does not.
• Idols are often made of valuable materials like gold, silver, bronze, or expensive wood.
• An "idolatrous kingdom" means a "kingdom of people who worship idols" or a "kingdom of people who worship earthly things."
• The term "idolatrous figure" is another word for a "carved image" or an "idol."

Translation Suggestions:

• There may already be a word for "god" or "false god" in the language or in a nearby language.
• The term "idol" could be used to refer to false gods.
• In English, a lower case "g" is used to refer to false gods, and upper case "G" is used to refer to the one true God. Other languages also do that.
• Another option would be to use a completely different word to refer to the false gods.
• Some languages may add a word to specify whether the false god is described as male or female.

(See also: God, Asherah, Baal, Molech, demon, image, kingdom, worship)

Bible References:

• Genesis 35:02
• Exodus 32:01
• Psalms 031:06
• Psalms 081:8-10
• Isaiah 44:20
• Acts 07:41
• Acts 07:43
• Acts 15:20
• Acts 19:27
• Romans 02:22
• Galatians 04:8-9
• Galatians 05:19-21
• Colossians 03:05
• 1 Thessalonians 01:09

Word Data:

• Strong's: H205, H367, H410, H426, H430, H457, H1322, H1544, H1892, H3649, H4656, H4906, H5236, H5566, H6090, H6091, H6456, H6459, H6673, H6736, H6754, H7723, H8163, H8251, H8267, H8441, H8655, G1140, G1493, G1494, G1495, G1496, G1497, G2299, G2712

Forms Found in the English ULB:

disgusting figure, disgusting figures, false god, goat idols, god, goddess, gods, idol, idol's, idolater, idolaters, idolatrous, idolatry, idols, idols'

godly

Related Ideas:

godless, godless actions, godlessness, godliness, ungodliness, ungodly

Definition:

The term "godly" is used to describe a person who acts in a way that honors God and shows what God is like. "Godliness" is the character quality of honoring God by doing his will.

• A person who has godly character will show the fruits of the Holy Spirit, such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and self control.
• The quality of godliness shows that a person has the Holy Spirit and is obeying him.

The terms "ungodly" and "godless" describe people who are in rebellion against God. Living in an evil way, without thought of God, is called "ungodliness" or "godlessness."

• The meanings of these words are very similar. However, "godless" and "godlessness" may describe a more extreme condition in which people or nations do not even acknowledge God or his right to rule them.
• God pronounces judgment and wrath on ungodly people, on everyone who rejects him and his ways.

Translation Suggestions:

• The phrase "the godly" could be translated as "godly people" or "people who obey God."
• The adjective "godly" could be translated as "obedient to God" or "righteous" or "pleasing to God."
• The phrase "in a godly manner" could be translated as "in a way that obeys God" or "with actions and words that please God."

• Ways to translate "godliness" could include "acting in a way that pleases God" or "obeying God" or "living in a righteous manner."

• Depending on the context, the term "ungodly" could be translated as "displeasing to God" or "immoral" or "disobeying God."

• The terms "godless" and "godlessness" literally mean that the people are "without God" or "having no thought of God" or "acting in a way that does not acknowledge God."
• Other ways to translate "ungodliness" or "godlessness" could be "wickedness" or "evil" or "rebellion against God".

(See also evil, honor, obey, righteous, righteous)

Bible References:

• Job 27:10
• Proverbs 11:09
• Acts 03:12
• 1 Timothy 01:9-11
• 1 Timothy 04:07
• 2 Timothy 03:12
• Hebrews 12:14-17
• Hebrews 11:7
• 1 Peter 04:18
• Jude 01:16

Word Data:

• Strong's: H120, H2611, H2612, H5760, H7563, G763, G764, G765, G2124, G2150, G2152, G2153, G2317

Forms Found in the English ULB:

godless, godless actions, godlessness, godliness, godly, godly life, ungodliness, ungodly

gold

Related Ideas:

golden, goldsmith, purest gold

Definition:

Gold is a yellow, high quality metal that was used for making jewelry and religious objects. It was the most valuable metal in ancient times.

• In Bible times, many different kinds of objects were made out of solid gold or were covered with a thin layer of gold.
• These objects included earrings and other jewelry, and idols, altars, and other objects used in the tabernacle or temple, such as the ark of the covenant.
• In Old Testament times, gold was used as a means of exchange in buying and selling. It was weighed on a scale to determine its value.
• Later on, gold and other metals such as silver were used to make coins to use in buying and selling
• When referring to something that is not solid gold, but only has a thin covering of gold, the term "golden" or "gold-covered" or "gold-overlaid" could also be used.
• Sometimes an object is described as "gold-colored," which means it has the yellow color of gold, but may not actually be made of gold.
• A "goldsmith" is a person who takes gold and makes it into useful things like jewelry.

(See also: altar, ark of the covenant, god, silver, tabernacle, temple)

Bible References:

• 1 Peter 01:07
• 1 Timothy 02:8-10
• 2 Chronicles 01:15
• Acts 03:06
• Daniel 02:32

Word Data:

• Strong's: H1220, H1722, H2091, H2742, H3800, H5458, H6337, H6884, H6885, G5552, G5553, G5554, G5557

Forms Found in the English ULB:

gold, golden, goldsmith, goldsmiths, purest gold

good

Related Ideas:

best, better, fair, good things, goodness, improved, prefer, proper, well

Definition:

The word "good" has different meanings depending on the context. Many languages will use different words to translate these different meanings.

• In general, something is good if it fits with God's character, purposes, and will.
• Something that is "good" could be pleasing, excellent, helpful, suitable, profitable, or morally right.
• Land that is "good" could be called "fertile" or "productive."
• A "good" crop could be a "plentiful" crop.
• A person can be "good" at what they do if they are skillful at their task or profession, as in, the expression, "a good farmer."
• In the Bible, the general meaning of "good" is often contrasted with "evil."
• The term "goodness" usually refers to being morally good or righteous in thoughts and actions.
• The goodness of God refers to how he blesses people by giving them good and beneficial things. It also can refer to his moral perfection.
• Actions that are "proper" are those that are good and right for the situation in which they are done.
• "Goods" are good things, valuable possessions.
• To "prefer" something is to think it is better than other things.

Translation Suggestions:

• The general term for "good" in the target language should be used wherever this general meaning is accurate and natural, especially in contexts where it is contrasted to evil.
• Depending on the context, other ways to translate this term could include "kind" or "excellent" or "pleasing to God" or "righteous" or "morally upright" or "profitable."
• "Good land" could be translated as "fertile land" or "productive land"; a "good crop" could be translated as a "plentiful harvest" or "large amount of crops."
• The phrase "do good to" means to do something that benefits others and could be translated as "be kind to" or "help" or "benefit" someone.
• To "do good on the Sabbath" means to "do things that help others on the Sabbath."
• Depending on the context, ways to translate the term "goodness" could include "blessing" or "kindness" or "moral perfection" or "righteousness" or "purity."

(See also: evil, holy, profit, righteous)

Bible References:

• Galatians 05:22-24
• Genesis 01:12
• Genesis 02:09
• Genesis 02:17
• James 03:13
• Romans 02:04

Word Data:

• Strong's: H155, H410, H1580, H1926, H2532, H2617, H2623, H2895, H2896, H2898, H3190, H3191, H3276, H3787, H3966, H4399, H5232, H6743, H7225, H7368, H7399, H7999, H8231, H8232, G14, G15, G18, G19, G515, G744, G865, G979, G1342, G1380, G1832, G2095, G2097, G2106, G2107, G2108, G2109, G2140, G2163, G2293, G2565, G2567, G2570, G2573, G2986, G3140, G4147, G4632, G4851, G5224, G5358, G5543, G5544, G5623

Forms Found in the English ULB:

best, better, do ... good, fair, good, good things, goodness, goods, improved, made ... better, prefer, proper, seemed good, well

governor

Related Ideas:

deputy, govern government, high officials, proconsul

Definition:

A "governor" is a person who rules over a state, region, or territory. To "govern" means to guide, lead, or manage them.

• The term "proconsul" was a more specific title for a governor who ruled over a Roman province.
• In Bible times, governors were appointed by a king or emperor and were under his authority.
• A "government" consists of all the rulers who govern a certain country or empire. These rulers make laws that guide the behavior of their citizens so that there is peace, safety, and prosperity for all the people of that nation.

Translation Suggestions:

• The word "governor" can also be translated as "ruler" or "overseer" or "regional leader" or "one who rules over a small territory."
• Depending on the context, the term "govern" could also be translated as, "rule over" or "lead" or "manage" or supervise."
• The term "governor" should be translated differently than the terms for "king" or "emperor", since a governor was a less powerful ruler who was under their authority.
• The term "proconsul" could also be translated as, "Roman governor" or "Roman provincial ruler."

(See also: authority, king, power, province, Rome, ruler)

Bible References:

• Acts 07:9-10
• Acts 23:22
• Acts 26:30
• Mark 13:9-10
• Matthew 10:18
• Matthew 27:1-2

Word Data:

• Strong's: H323, H324, H1777, H2280, H4951, H5148, H5333, H5460, H6346, H6347, H6486, H7989, H8269, H8660, G445, G446, G746, G1481, G2232, G2233, G2230, G4232

Forms Found in the English ULB:

deputy, govern, government, governments, governor, governors, high officials, proconsul, proconsuls, provincial governors

grace

Related Ideas:

generous, gracious, graciously

Definition:

The word "grace" refers to help or blessing that is given to someone who has not earned it. The term "gracious" describes someone who shows grace to others.

• God's grace toward sinful human beings is a gift that is freely given.
• The concept of grace also refers to being kind and forgiving to someone who has done wrong or hurtful things.
• The expression to "find grace" is an expression that means to receive help and mercy from God. Often it includes the meaning that God is pleased with someone and helps him.

Translation Suggestions:

• Other ways that "grace" could be translated include "divine kindness" or "God's favor" or "God's kindness and forgiveness for sinners" or "merciful kindness."
• The term "gracious" could be translated as "full of grace" or "kind" or "merciful" or "mercifully kind."
• The expression "he found grace in the eyes of God" could be translated as "he received mercy from God" or "God mercifully helped him" or "God showed his favor to him" or "God was pleased with him and helped him."

Bible References:

• Acts 04:33
• Acts 06:08
• Acts 14:04
• Colossians 04:06
• Colossians 04:18
• Genesis 43:28-29
• James 04:07
• John 01:16
• Philippians 04:21-23
• Revelation 22:20-21

Word Data:

• Strong's: H2580, H2587, H2589, H2603, G5485, G5543

Forms Found in the English ULB:

act of grace, generous, grace, gracious, graciously, graciously given

hand

Related Ideas:

handbreadth, handful, lay a hand on

Definition:

There are several figurative ways that "hand" is used in the Bible:

• To "hand" something to someone means to put something into that person's hands.
• The term "hand" is often used in reference to God's power and action, such as when God says "Has not my hand made all these things?"
• Expressions such as "hand over to" or "deliver into the hands of" refer to causing someone to be under the control or power of someone else.

• Some other figurative uses of "hand" include:

• To "lay a hand on" means to "harm."

• To "save from the hand of" means to stop someone from harming someone else.
• The position of being "on the right hand" means "on the right side" or "to the right."

• The expression "by the hand of" someone means "by" or "through" the action of that person. For example, "by the hand of the Lord" means that the Lord is the one who caused something to happen.

• Placing hands on someone is often done while speaking a blessing over that person.

• The term "laying on of hands" refers to placing a hand on a person in order to dedicate that person to God's service or to pray for healing.
• When Paul says "written by my hand," it means that this part of the letter was physically written down by him, rather than spoken to someone else to write down.

Translation Suggestions

• These expressions and other figures of speech could be translated using other figurative expressions that have the same meaning. Or the meaning could be translated using direct, literal language (see examples above).
• The expression "handed him the scroll" could also be translated as "gave him the scroll" or "put the scroll in his hand." It was not given to him permanently, but just for the purpose of using it at that time.
• When "hand" refers to the person, such as in "the hand of God did this," it could be translated as "God did this."
• An expression such as "delivered them into the hands of their enemies" or "handed them over to their enemies," could be translated as, "allowed their enemies to conquer them" or "caused them to be captured by their enemies" or "empowered their enemies to gain control over them."
• To "die by the hand of" could be translated as "be killed by."
• The expression "on the right hand of" could be translated as "on the right side of."
• In regard to Jesus being "seated at the right hand of God," if this does not communicate in the language that it refers to a position of high honor and equal authority, a different expression with that meaning could be used. Or a short explanation could be added: "on the right side of God, in the position of highest authority."

(See also: adversary, bless, captive, honor, power)

Bible References:

• Acts 07:25
• Acts 08:17
• Acts 11:21
• Genesis 09:05
• Genesis 14:20
• John 03:35
• Mark 07:32
• Matthew 06:03

Word Data:

• Strong's: G710, G1188, G2176, G2902, G4084, G5495, G5496, G5497, H2026, H2651, H2947, H2948, H3027, H3028, H3231, H3233, H3709, H7126, H7138, H8042, H8168

Forms Found in the English ULB:

by the hand of, fist, from the hand of, hand, handbreadth, handed, handful, handfuls, handing, hands, lay a hand on, lays his hand on

head

Definition:

In the Bible, the word "head" is used with several figurative meanings.

• Often this term is used to refer to a ruler or to someone who has authority over people, as in "you have made me the head over nations."
• Jesus is called the "head of the church." Just as a person's head guides and directs the members of its body, so Jesus guides and directs the members of his "body," the Church.
• The New Testament teaches that a husband is the "head" or authority of his wife. He is given the responsibility of leading and guiding his wife and family.
• The term "head" can also represent the whole person, as in "this gray head," referring to an elderly person, or as in "the head of Joseph," which refers to Joseph.
• The expression "no razor will ever touch his head" means" he will never cut or shave his hair."
• The expression "let their blood be on his own head" means that the man is responsible for their deaths and will receive the punishment for that.
• The expression "heads of grain" refers to the top parts of a wheat or barley plant that contains the seeds.
• The term "head" can also refer to the beginning or source of something, as in the "head of the street."

Translation Suggestions

• Depending on the context, the term "head" could be translated as "ruler" or "the one who leads and directs" or "the one who is responsible for."
• The expression "head of" can refer to the whole person and so this expression could be translated using just the person's name. For example, "the head of Joseph" could simply be translated as "Joseph."
• The expression "will be on his own head" could be translated as "will be on him" or "he will be punished for" or "he will be held responsible for" or "he will be considered guilty for."
• Depending on the context, other ways to translate this term could include "beginning" or "source" or "ruler" or "leader" or "top."

(See also: grain)

Bible References:

• 1 Chronicles 01:51-54
• 1 Kings 08:1-2
• 1 Samuel 09:22
• Colossians 02:10
• Colossians 02:19
• Numbers 01:04

Word Data:

• Strong's: H441, H1538, H4425, H4761, H4763, H5110, H5324, H6285, H6915, H6936, H7139, H7144, H7146, H7217, H7226, H7218, H7541, H7636, H7641, H7872, G346, G755, G2775, G2776, G4719

Forms Found in the English ULB:

head, heads

heal

Related Ideas:

cure, healer, health, healthy, make fresh, make well, recover, unhealthy

Definition:

The terms "heal" and "cure" both mean to cause a sick, wounded, or disabled person to be healthy again.

• A person who is "healed" or "cured" has been "made well" or "made healthy."
• Healing can happen naturally since God gave our bodies the ability to recover from many kinds of wounds and diseases. This kind of healing usually happens slowly.
• However, certain conditions, such as being blind or paralyzed, and certain serious diseases, such as leprosy, however do not heal on their own. When people are healed of these things, it is a miracle that usually happens suddenly.
• For example, Jesus healed many people who were blind or lame or diseased, and they became well right away.
• The apostles also healed people miraculously, such as when Peter caused a crippled man to immediately be able to walk.
• A person who is "healthy" has no disease. It may be that he has been healed or that he has simply not been ill for a long time.
• Health can be a metaphor for anything that is good or trustworthy. "Healthy teaching" is teaching that people can depend on to be true and helpful and morally good.

(See also: miracle)

Bible References:

• Acts 05:16
• Acts 08:06
• Luke 05:13
• Luke 06:19
• Luke 08:43
• Matthew 04:23-25
• Matthew 09:35
• Matthew 13:15

Word Data:

• Strong's: H724, H1369, H1455, H2280, H2421, H2492, H2896, H3545, H4832, H4974, H7495, H7499, H7500, H7725, H7965, H8549, H8585, H8644, H622, G1295, G1743, G2322, G2323, G2386, G2390, G2392, G3647, G4982, G5198, G5199

Forms Found in the English ULB:

cure, cured, heal, healed, healer, healers, healing, healings, heals, health, healthy, made ... fresh, made ... well, make ... fresh, recovered, unhealthy

heart

Related Ideas:

kidneys

Definition:

In the Bible, the term "heart" is often used figuratively to refer to a person's thoughts, emotions, desires, or will.

• To have a "hard heart" is a common expression that means a person stubbornly refuses to obey God.
• The expressions "with all my heart" or "with my whole heart" mean to do something with no holding back, with complete commitment and willingness.
• The expression "take it to heart" means to treat something seriously and apply it to one's life.
• The term "brokenhearted" describes a person who is very sad. That person has been deeply hurt emotionally.
• The kidneys are also used as a synecdoche for the physical inner organs and as a metonym for a person's innermost thoughts and emotions.

Translation Suggestions

• Some languages use a different body part such as "stomach" or "liver" to refer to these ideas.
• Other languages may use one word to express some of these concepts and another word to express others.
• If "heart" or other body part does not have this meaning, some languages may need to express this literally with terms such as "thoughts" or "emotions" or "desires" or "inner self".
• Depending on the context, "with all my heart" or "with my whole heart" could be translated as "with all my energy" or "with complete dedication" or "completely" or "with total commitment."
• The expression "take it to heart" could be translated as "treat it seriously" or "carefully think about it."
• The expression "hard-hearted" could also be translated as "stubbornly rebellious" or "refusing to obey" or "continually disobeying God."
• Ways to translate "brokenhearted" could include "very sad" or "feeling deeply hurt."

(See also: hard)

Bible References:

• 1 John 03:17
• 1 Thessalonians 02:04
• 2 Thessalonians 03:13-15
• Acts 08:22
• Acts 15:09
• Luke 08:15
• Mark 02:06
• Matthew 05:08
• Matthew 22:37

Word Data:

• Strong's: H2436, H2504, H2910, H3519, H3629, H3820, H3821, H3823, H3824, H3825, H3826, H4578, H5315, H7307, H7356, G1282, G1271, G2133, G2588, G2589, G4641, G4698, G5590

Forms Found in the English ULB:

heart, hearts, kidneys

heaven

Related Ideas:

heavenly, in midair, overhead, sky

Definition:

The term that is translated as "heaven" usually refers to where God lives. The same word can also mean "sky," depending on the context.

• The term "heavens" refers to everything we see above the earth, including the sun, moon, and stars. It also includes the heavenly bodies, such as far-off planets, that we can't directly see from the earth.
• The term "sky" refers to the blue expanse above the earth that has clouds and the air we breathe. Often the sun and moon are also said to be "up in the sky."
• In some contexts in the Bible, the word "heaven" could refer to either the sky or the place where God lives.
• When "heaven" is used figuratively, it is a way of referring to God. For example, when Matthew writes about the "kingdom of heaven" he is referring to the kingdom of God.

Translation Suggestions:

• When "heaven" is used figuratively, it could be translated as "God."
• For "kingdom of heaven" in the book of Matthew, it is best to keep the word "heaven" since this is distinctive to Matthew's gospel.
• The terms "heavens" or "heavenly bodies" could also be translated as, "sun, moon, and stars" or "all the stars in the universe."
• The phrase, "stars of heaven" could be translated as "stars in the sky" or "stars in the galaxy" or "stars in the universe."

(See also: kingdom of God)

Bible References:

• 1 Kings 08:22-24
• 1 Thessalonians 01:8-10
• 1 Thessalonians 04:17
• Deuteronomy 09:01
• Ephesians 06:9
• Genesis 01:01
• Genesis 07:11
• John 03:12
• John 03:27
• Matthew 05:18
• Matthew 05:46-48

Word Data:

• Strong's: H7834, H8064, H8065, G932, G2032, G3321, G3770, G3771, G3772

Forms Found in the English ULB:

heaven, heavenly, heavens, in midair, overhead, skies, sky

heir

Definition:

An "heir" is a person who legally receives property or money that belonged to a person who has died.

• In Bible times, the main heir was the firstborn son, who received most of the property and money of his father.
• The Bible also uses "heir" in a figurative sense to refer to person who as a Christian receives spiritual benefits from God, his spiritual father.
• As God's children, Christians are said to be "joint heirs" with Jesus Christ. This could also be translated as "co-heirs" or "fellow heirs" or "heirs together with."
• The term "heir" could be translated as "person receiving benefits" or whatever expression is used in the language to communicate the meaning of someone who receives property and other things when a parent or other relative dies.

(See also: firstborn, inherit)

Bible References:

• Galatians 04:1-2
• Galatians 04:07
• Genesis 15:01
• Genesis 21:10-11
• Luke 20:14
• Mark 12:07
• Matthew 21:38-39

Word Data:

• Strong's: H1121, H3423, G2816, G2818, G2820, G4789

Forms Found in the English ULB:

heir, heirs

holy

Related Ideas:

holiness, sacred, unholy

Definition:

The terms "holy" and "holiness" refer to the character of God that is totally set apart and separated from everything that is sinful and imperfect.

• Only God is absolutely holy. He makes people and things holy.
• A person who is holy belongs to God and has been set apart for the purpose of serving God and bringing him glory.
• An object that God has declared to be holy is one that he has set apart for his glory and use, such as an altar that is for the purpose of offering sacrifices to him.
• People cannot approach him unless he allows them to, because he is holy and they are merely human beings, sinful and imperfect.
• In the Old Testament, God set apart the priests as holy for special service to him. They had to be ceremonially cleansed from sin in order to approach God.
• God also set apart as holy certain places and things that belonged to him or in which he revealed himself, such as his temple.
• Believers in Jesus are holy people, not because of what they have done, but rather because of their faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ. He is the one who makes them holy.
• When people of any religion, true or false, consider something "sacred," they consider it holy according to their religion.

Literally, the term "unholy" means "not holy." It describes someone or something that does not honor God.

• This word is used to describe someone who dishonors God by rebelling against him.
• A thing that is called "unholy" could be described as being common, profane or unclean. It does not belong to God.

The term "sacred" describes something that relates to worshiping God or to the pagan worship of false gods.

• In the Old Testament, the term "sacred" was often used to describe the stone pillars and other objects used in the worship of false gods. This could also be translated as "religious."
• "Sacred songs" and "sacred music" refer to music that was sung or played for God's glory. This could be translated as "music for worshiping Yahweh" or "songs that praise God."
• The phrase "sacred duties" referred to the "religious duties" or "rituals" that a priest performed to lead people in worshiping God. It could also refer to the rituals performed by a pagan priest to worship a false god.
• The phrase "sacred gifts" refers to things that someone has set apart for God and then given to God at the temple.

Translation Suggestions:

• Ways to translate "holy" might include "set apart for God" or "belonging to God" or "completely pure" or "perfectly sinless" or "separated from sin."

• To "make holy" is often translated as "sanctify" in English. It could also be translated as "set apart (someone) for God's glory."

• Ways to translate "unholy" could include "not holy" or "not belonging to God" or "not honoring to God" or "not godly."

• In some contexts, "unholy" could be translated as "unclean."

(See also: Holy Spirit, consecrate, sanctify, set apart)

Bible References:

• Genesis 28:22
• 2 Kings 03:02
• Lamentations 04:01
• Ezekiel 20:18-20
• Matthew 07:6
• Mark 08:38
• Acts 07:33
• Acts 11:08
• Romans 01:02
• 2 Corinthians 12:3-5
• Colossians 01:22
• 1 Thessalonians 03:13
• 1 Thessalonians 04:07
• 2 Timothy 03:15
• 1 Timothy 05:10
• 2 Corinthians 09:12-15
• Revelation 16:06
• Revelation 20:9-10

Word Data:

• Strong's: H2455, H2623, H4676, H4720, H6918, H6922, H6942, H6944, H6948, G37, G38, G39, G40, G41, G42, G462, G2150, G2413, G2839, G3741, G3742

Forms Found in the English ULB:

holier, holiest, holiness, holy, holy duties, honored as holy, makes ... holy, sacred, sacred gifts, sacred places, unholy

honor

Related Ideas:

dignified, esteem, held in honor, highly regarded, honorable, of high standing, places of honor, recognition

Definition:

The terms "honor" and to "honor" refer to giving someone respect, esteem, or reverence.

• Honor is usually given to someone who is of higher status and importance, such as a king or God.
• God instructs Christians to honor others.
• Children are instructed to honor their parents in ways that include respecting them and obeying them.
• The terms "honor" and "glory" are often used together, especially when referring to Jesus. These may be two different ways of referring to the same thing.
• Ways of honoring God include thanking and praising him, and showing him respect by obeying him and living in a way that shows how great he is.
• To "esteem" someone is to consider him worthy of great honor.

Translation Suggestions:

• Other ways to translate "honor" could include "respect" or "esteem" or "high regard."
• The term to "honor" could be translated as to "show special respect to" or to "cause to be praised" or to "show high regard for" or to "highly value."

(See also: dishonor, glory, glory, praise)

Bible References:

• 1 Samuel 02:8
• Acts 19:17
• John 04:44
• John 12:26
• Mark 06:04
• Matthew 15:06

Word Data:

• Strong's: H1420, H1921, H1922, H1923, H1926, H1935, H2082, H2142, H3366, H3367, H3368, H3372, H3373, H3374, H3444, H3513, H3519, H3655, H3678, H5081, H5082, H5375, H5457, H6213, H6286, H6437, H6942, H6944, H6965, H7236, H7613, H7812, H8597, H8416, G820, G1391, G1392, G1741, G1784, G2151, G2233, G2570, G3170, G4411, G4586, G5091, G5092, G5093, G5399

Forms Found in the English ULB:

dignified, esteem, held in honor, highly regarded, honor, honorable, honored, honoring, honors, of high standing, places of honor, recognition

hope

Definition:

Hope is strongly desiring something to happen. Hope can imply either certainty or uncertainty regarding a future event.

• In the Bible, the term "hope" also has the meaning of "trust," as in "my hope is in the Lord." It refers to a sure expectation of receiving what God has promised his people.
• To have "no hope" means to have no expectation of something good happening. It means that it is actually very certain that it will not happen.

Translation Suggestions:

• In some contexts, the term to "hope" could also be translated as to "wish" or to "desire" or to "expect."
• The expression "nothing to hope for" could be translated as "nothing to trust in" or "no expectation of anything good"
• To "have no hope" could be translated as "have no expectation of anything good" or "have no security" or "be sure that nothing good will happen."
• The expression "have set your hopes on" could also be translated as "have put your confidence in" or "have been trusting in."
• The phrase "I find hope in your Word" could also be translated as "I am confident that your Word is true" or "Your Word helps me trust in you" or "When I obey your Word, I am certain to be blessed."
• Phrases such as "hope in" God could also be translated a, "trust in God" or "know for sure that God will do what he has promised" or "be certain that God is faithful."

(See also: bless, confidence, good, obey, trust, word of God)

Bible References:

• 1 Chronicles 29:14-15
• 1 Thessalonians 02:19
• Acts 24:14-16
• Acts 26:06
• Acts 27:20
• Colossians 01:05
• Job 11:20

Word Data:

• Strong's: H982, H983, H986, H1891, H2976, H3176, H3689, H4009, H4723, H7663, H7664, H8431, H8615, G1679, G1680, G2070, G4276

Forms Found in the English ULB:

hope, hoped, hopes, look to ... in hope, uselessly hope

house

Related Ideas:

home, residence

Definition:

The term "house" is often used figuratively in the Bible.

• Sometimes it means "household," referring to the people who live together in one house.
• Often "house" refers to a person's descendants or other relatives. For example, the phrase "house of David" refers to all the descendants of King David.
• The terms "house of God" and "house of Yahweh" refer to the tabernacle or temple. These expressions can also refer generally to where God is or dwells.
• In Hebrews 3, "God's house" is used as a metaphor to refer to God's people or, more generally, to everything pertaining to God.
• A "residence" is any place in which people live without plans to move to another place.

Translation Suggestions

• Depending on the context, "house" could be translated as "household" or "people" or "family" or "descendants" or "temple" or "dwelling place."
• The phrase "house of David" could be translated as "clan of David" or "family of David" or "descendants of David." Related expressions could be translated in a similar way.
• Different ways to translate "house of Israel" could include "people of Israel" or "Israel's descendants" or "Israelites."
• The phrase "house of Yahweh" could be translated as "Yahweh's temple" or "place where Yahweh is worshiped" or "place where Yahweh meets with his people" or "where Yahweh dwells."
• "House of God" could be translated in a similar way.

(See also: David, descendant, house of God, household, kingdom of Israel, tabernacle, temple, Yahweh)

Bible References:

• Acts 07:42
• Acts 07:49
• Genesis 39:04
• Genesis 41:40
• Luke 08:39
• Matthew 10:06
• Matthew 15:24

Word Data:

• Strong's: H1004, H1005, H4585, H5116, G3609, G3613, G3614, G3624

Forms Found in the English ULB:

home, homes, house, house's, houses, residence

household

Related Ideas:

household members

Definition:

The term "household" refers to all the people who live together in a house, including family members and all their servants.

• Managing a household would involves directing the servants and also taking care of the property.
• Sometimes "household" can refer figuratively to the whole family line of someone, especially his descendants.

(See also: house)

Bible References:

• Acts 07:10
• Galatians 06:10
• Genesis 07:01
• Genesis 34:19
• John 04:53
• Matthew 10:25
• Matthew 10:36
• Philippians 04:22

Word Data:

• Strong's: H1004, H5657, G2322, G3609, G3614, G3615, G3616, G3623, G3624, G3626

Forms Found in the English ULB:

household, household members, households, members of household

humble

Related Ideas:

humbly, humility, lowliness of mind

Definition:

The term "humble" describes a person who does not think of himself as better than others. He is not proud or arrogant. Humility is the quality of being humble.

• To be humble before God means to understand one's weakness and imperfection in comparison with his greatness, wisdom and perfection.
• When a person humbles himself, he puts himself in a position of lower importance.
• Humility is caring about the needs of others more than one's own needs.
• Humility also means serving with a modest attitude when using one's gifts and abilities.
• The phrase "be humble" could be translated as "don't be prideful."
• "Humble yourself before God" could be translated as "Submit your will to God, recognizing his greatness."

(See also: proud)

Bible References:

• James 01:21
• James 03:13
• James 04:10
• Luke 14:11
• Luke 18:14
• Matthew 18:04
• Matthew 23:12

Word Data:

• Strong's: H1792, H3665, H6031, H6035, H6038, H6041, H6800, H6819, H7511, H7807, H7812, H8213, H8214, H8215, H8217, H8467, G858, G4236, G4239, G4240, G5011, G5012, G5013, G5391

Forms Found in the English ULB:

humble, humbled, humbles, humbling, humbly, humility, lowliness of mind

in Christ

Related Ideas:

in Christ Jesus, in Jesus, in the Lord, in the Lord Jesus, into Christ

Definition:

The phrase "in Christ" and related terms refer to the state or condition of being in relationship with Jesus Christ through faith in him.

• Other related terms include "in Christ Jesus, in Jesus Christ, in the Lord Jesus, in the Lord Jesus Christ."
• Possible meanings for the term "in Christ" could include "because you belong to Christ" or "through the relationship you have with Christ" or "based on your faith in Christ."
• These related terms all have the same meaning of being in a state of believing in Jesus and being his disciple.
• Note: Sometimes the word "in" belongs with the verb. For example, "share in Christ" means to "share in" the benefits that come from knowing Christ. To "glory in" Christ means to be glad and give praise to God for who Jesus is and what he has done. To "believe in" Christ means to trust him as Savior and know him.

Translation Suggestions:

• Depending on the context, different ways to translate "in Christ" and "in the Lord" (and related phrases) could include:

• "who belong to Christ"

• "because you believe in Christ"
• "because Christ has saved us"
• "in service to the Lord"
• "relying on the Lord"

• "because of what the Lord has done."

• People who "believe in" Christ or who "have faith in" Christ believe what Jesus taught and are trusting him to save them because of his sacrifice on the cross that paid the penalty for their sins. Some languages may have one word that translates verbs like "believe in" or "share in" or "trust in."

(See also: Christ, lord, Jesus, believe, faith)

Bible References:

• 1 John 02:05
• 2 Corinthians 02:17
• 2 Timothy 01:01
• Galatians 01:22
• Galatians 02:17
• Philemon 01:06
• Revelation 01:10
• Romans 09:01

Word Data:

• Strong's: G2962, G5547

Forms Found in the English ULB:

in Christ, in Christ Jesus, in Jesus, in him, in the Lord, in the Lord Jesus, into Christ

inherit

Related Ideas:

heritage, inheritance,legacy

Definition:

The term "inherit" refers to receiving something valuable from a parent or other person because of a special relationship with that person. The "inheritance" is what is received.

• A physical inheritance that is received may be money, land, or other kinds of property.
• A spiritual inheritance is everything that God gives people who trust in Jesus, including blessings in the present life as well as eternal life with him.
• The Bible also calls God's people his inheritance, which means that they belong to him; they are his valued possession.
• God promised Abraham and his descendants that they would inherit the land of Canaan, that it would belong to them forever.
• There is also a figurative or spiritual sense in which people who belong to God are said to "inherit the land." This means that they will prosper and be blessed by God in both physical and spiritual ways.
• In the New Testament, God promises that those who trust in Jesus will "inherit salvation" and "inherit eternal life." It is also expressed as, "inherit the kingdom of God." This is a spiritual inheritance that lasts forever.

• There are other figurative meanings for these terms:

• The Bible says that wise people will "inherit glory" and righteous people will "inherit good things."

• To "inherit the promises" means to receive the good things that God has promised to give his people.
• This term is also used in a negative sense to refer to foolish or disobedient people who "inherit the wind" or "inherit folly." This means they receive the consequences of their sinful actions, including punishment and worthless living.

Translation Suggestions:

• As always, consider first whether there are already terms in the target language for the concept of an heir or an inheritance, and use those terms.
• Depending on the context, other ways that the term "inherit" could be translated might include "receive" or "possess" or "come into possession of."
• Ways to translate "inheritance" could include "promised gift" or "secure possession."
• When God's people are referred to as his inheritance this could be translated as "valued ones belonging to him."
• The term "heir" could be translated with a word or phrase that means "privileged child who receives the father's possessions" or "person chosen to receive (God's) spiritual possessions or blessings."
• The term "heritage" could be translated as "blessings from God" or "inherited blessings."

(See also: heir, Canaan, Promised Land)

Bible References:

• 1 Corinthians 06:09
• 1 Peter 01:04
• 2 Samuel 21:03
• Acts 07:4-5
• Deuteronomy 20:16
• Galatians 05:21
• Genesis 15:07
• Hebrews 09:15
• Jeremiah 02:07
• Luke 15:11
• Matthew 19:29
• Psalm 079:01

Word Data:

• Strong's: H2490, H2506, H3423, H3425, H4181, H5157, H5159, G2816, G2817, G2819

Forms Found in the English ULB:

heritage, inherit, inheritance, inheritances, inherited, legacy

is written

Definition:

The phrase "as it is written" or "what is written" occurs frequently in the New Testament and usually refers to commands or prophecies that were written in the Hebrew scriptures.

• Sometimes "as it is written" refers to what was written in the Law of Moses.
• Other times it is a quote from what one of the prophets wrote in the Old Testament.
• This could be translated "as it is written in the Law of Moses" or "as the prophets wrote long ago" or "what it says in God's laws that Moses wrote down long ago".
• Another option is to keep "It is written" and give a footnote that explains what this means.

(See also: command, law of Moses, prophet, word of God)

Bible References:

• 1 John 05:13-15
• Acts 13:29
• Exodus 32:15-16
• John 21:25
• Luke 03:4
• Mark 09:12
• Matthew 04:06
• Revelation 01:03

Word Data:

• Strong's: H874, H3789, G1125

Forms Found in the English ULB:

are ... written, had ... been written, has ... been written, have ... been written, is ... written, is it ... written, it is written, it was written, Moses ... wrote, was written, were ... written

joy

Related Ideas:

enjoy, enjoyment, glad, gladness, greet, joyful, joyfulness, jubilant, merry-hearted, rejoice, source of gladness

Definition:

Joy is a feeling of delight or deep satisfaction that comes from God. The related term "joyful" describes a person who feels very glad and is full of deep happiness.

• A person feels joy when he has a deep sense that what he is experiencing is very good.
• God is the one who gives true joy to people.
• Having joy does not depend on pleasant circumstances. God can give people joy even when very difficult things are happening in their lives.
• Sometimes places are described as joyful, such as houses or cities. This means that the people who live there are joyful.
• To "salute" is to greet a high-ranking government or military official.
• "Jubilant" is another word for "joyful."

The term "rejoice" means to be full of joy and gladness.

• This term often refers to being very happy about the good things that God has done.
• It could be translated as "be very happy" or "be very glad" or "be full of joy."
• When Mary said "my soul rejoices in God my Savior," she meant "God my Savior has made me very happy" or "I feel so joyful because of what God my Savior has done for me."

Translation Suggestions:

• The term "joy" could also be translated as "gladness" or "delight" or "great happiness."
• The phrase, "be joyful" could be translated as "rejoice" or "be very glad" or it could be translated "be very happy in God's goodness."
• A person who is joyful could be described as "very happy" or "delighted" or "deeply glad."
• A phrase such as "make a joyful shout" could be translated as "shout in a way that shows you are very happy."
• A "joyful city" or "joyful house" could be translated as "city where joyful people live" or "house full of joyful people" or "city whose people are very happy."

Bible References:

• Nehemiah 08:10
• Psalm 048:02
• Isaiah 56:6-7
• Jeremiah 15:15-16
• Matthew 02:9-10
• Luke 15:07
• Luke 19:37-38
• John 03:29
• Acts 16:32-34
• Romans 05:1-2
• Romans 15:30-32
• Galatians 05:23
• Philippians 04:10-13
• 1 Thessalonians 01:6-7
• 1 Thessalonians 05:16
• Philemon 01:4-7
• James 01:02
• 3 John 01:1-4

Word Data:

• Strong's: H1288, H1523, H1524, H1525, H2287, H2302, H2304, H2305, H2654, H2896, H2898, H3190, H4885, H5727, H5937, H5947, H5965, H5970, H6342, H6670, H7440, H7442, H7444, H7445, H7797, H7832, H7965, H8055, H8056, H8057, H8342, H8643, G20, G21, G782, G2165, G2167, G2744, G4640, G4796, G4913, G5463, G5479

Forms Found in the English ULB:

be glad, be merry, enjoy, enjoyed, enjoying, enjoyment, enjoys, glad, gladness, greet, greeted, greeting, greetings, greets, joy, joyful, joyful shouting, joyfully, joyfulness, jubilant, make ... glad, makes ... glad, merry-hearted, rejoice, rejoiced, rejoiced greatly, rejoices, rejoices greatly, rejoicing, shout for joy, shout joyfully, shout of joy, shouts of joy, source of gladness, was merry

judge

Related Ideas:

act of judging, consider, decide, decision, give justice, give judgment, judgment, judgment seat

Definition:

The terms "judge" and "judgment" often refer to making a decision about whether something is morally right or wrong.

• The "judgment of God" often refers to his decision to condemn something or someone as sinful.
• God's judgment usually includes punishing people for their sin.
• The term "judge" can also mean "condemn." God instructs his people not to judge each other in this way.
• Another meaning is "arbitrate between" or "judge between," as in deciding which person is right in a dispute between them.
• In some contexts, God's "judgments" are what he has decided is right and just. They are similar to his decrees, laws, or precepts.
• "Judgment" can refer to the ability to make decisions. A person with "sound judgment" is wise, able to make good decisions, while a person who lacks "judgment" does not have the wisdom to make wise decisions.
• The "judgment seat" is a place where a judge sits while he listens to testimonies and gives his decision.

Translation Suggestions:

• Depending on the context, ways to translate to "judge" could include to "decide" or to "condemn" or to "punish" or to "decree."
• The term "judgment" could be translated as "punishment" or "decision" or "opinion" or "verdict" or "decree" or "condemnation."
• In some contexts, the phrase "in the judgment" could also be translated as "on judgment day" or "during the time when God judges people."

(See also: decree, judge, judgment day, justice, law, law of Moses)

Bible References:

• 1 John 04:17
• 1 Kings 03:09
• Acts 10:42-43
• Isaiah 03:14
• James 02:04
• Luke 06:37
• Micah 03:9-11
• Psalm 054:01

Word Data:

• Strong's: H148, H430, H1777, H1778, H1779, H1781, H1782, H2664, H2713, H2742, H2803, H2940, H3198, H4406, H4941, H6414, H6416, H6417, H6419, H6485, H7081, H7378, H7379, H7663, H7760, H8196, H8199, H8201, G350, G968, G1097, G1106, G1252, G1341, G1345, G1348, G1380, G1492, G2233, G2917, G2919, G2920, G2922, G2923, G4997, G5272

Forms Found in the English ULB:

acts of judgment, consider, considered, considering, decide, decided, decided on, decision, give justice, giving judgment, have decided, insightful decisions, judge, judged, judges, judging, judgment, judgment seat, judgments, renders judgment, will judge

judge

Definition:

A judge is a person who decides what is right or wrong when there are disputes between people, usually in matters that pertain to the law.

• In the Bible, God is often referred to as a judge because he is the one perfect judge who makes the final decisions about what is right or wrong.
• After the people of Israel entered the land of Canaan and before they had kings to rule them, God appointed leaders called "judges" to lead them in times of trouble. Often these judges were military leaders who rescued the Israelites by defeating their enemies.
• The term "judge" could also be called "decision-maker" or "leader" or "deliverer" or "governor," depending on the context.

(See also: governor, judge, law of Moses)

Bible References:

• 2 Timothy 04:08
• Acts 07:27
• Luke 11:19
• Luke 12:14
• Luke 18:1-2
• Matthew 05:25
• Ruth 01:01

Word Data:

• Strong's: H148, H430, H1777, H1778, H1779, H1781, H1782, H6414, H6416, H6419, H8199, G350, G1252, G1348, G2919, G2922, G2923

Forms Found in the English ULB:

judge, judges, the judge, the judges, their judges, you judges

kin

Related Ideas:

kindred, kinfolk, kinsman, relative

Definition:

The term "kin" refers to a person's blood relatives, considered as a group. The word "kinsman" refers specifically to a male relative.

• "Kin" can only refer to a person's close relatives, such as parents and siblings, or it can also include more distant relatives, such as an aunts, uncles, or cousins.
• In ancient Israel, if a man died, his nearest male relative was expected to marry his widow, manage his property, and help carry on his family name. This relative was called a "kinsman-redeemer."
• This term "kin" could also be translated as, "relative" or "family member."

Bible References:

• Romans 16:9-11
• Ruth 02:20
• Ruth 03:09

Word Data:

• Strong's: H251, H1350, H1353, H1730, H4129, H4130, H4138, H4940, H7138, H7607, G1085, G4773

Forms Found in the English ULB:

kin, kindred, kinfolk, kinsfolk, kinsman, kinsmen, relative, relatives

kind

Definition:

The terms "kind" and "kinds" refer to groups or classifications of things that are connected by shared characteristics.

• In the Bible, this term is specifically used to refer to the distinctive kinds of plants and animals that God made when he created the world.
• Often there are many different variations or species within each "kind." For example, horses, zebras, and donkeys are all members of the same "kind," but they are different species.
• The main thing that distinguishes each "kind" as a separate group is that members of that group can reproduce more of their same "kind." Members of different kinds cannot do that with each other.

Picture showing Kinds:

Translation Suggestions

• Ways to translate this term could include "type" or "class" or "group" or "animal (plant) group" or "category."

Bible References:

• Genesis 01:21
• Genesis 01:24
• Mark 09:29
• Matthew 13:47

Word Data:

• Strong's: H2178, H4327, G1085

Forms Found in the English ULB:

kind, kinds

king

Related Ideas:

kingly, kingship

Definition:

The term "king" refers to a man who is the supreme ruler of a city, state, or country.

• A king was usually chosen to rule because of his family relation to previous kings.
• When a king died, it was usually his oldest son who became the next king.
• In ancient times, the king had absolute authority over the people in his kingdom.
• Rarely the term "king" was used to refer to someone who was not a true king, such as "King Herod" in the New Testament.
• In the Bible, God is often referred to as a king who rules over his people.
• The "kingdom of God" refers to God's rule over his people.
• Jesus was called "king of the Jews," "king of Israel," and "king of kings."
• When Jesus comes back, he will rule as king over the world.
• This term could also be translated as "supreme chief" or "absolute leader" or "sovereign ruler."
• The phrase "king of kings" could be translated as "king who rules over all other kings" or "supreme ruler who has authority over all other rulers."

(See also: authority, Herod Antipas, kingdom, kingdom of God)

Bible References:

• 1 Timothy 06:15-16
• 2 Kings 05:18
• 2 Samuel 05:03
• Acts 07:9-10
• Acts 13:22
• John 01:49-51
• Luke 01:05
• Luke 22:24-25
• Matthew 05:35
• Matthew 14:09

Word Data:

• Strong's: H4427, H4428, H4430, G935, G936, G937

Forms Found in the English ULB:

king, king's, kingly, kings, kingship, made ... king, set up ... king, set up kings

kiss

Definition:

A kiss is an action in which one person puts his lips to another person's lips or face. This term can also be used figuratively.

• Some cultures kiss each other on the cheek as a form of greeting or to say goodbye.
• A kiss can communicate deep love between two people, such as a husband and wife.
• The expression to "kiss someone farewell" means to say goodbye with a kiss.
• Sometimes the word "kiss" is used to mean "say goodbye to." When Elisha said to Elijah, "Let me first go and kiss my father and mother," he wanted to say goodbye to his parents before leaving them to follow Elijah.

Bible References:

• 1 Thessalonians 05:25-28
• Genesis 27:26-27
• Genesis 29:11
• Genesis 31:28
• Genesis 45:15
• Genesis 48:10
• Luke 22:48
• Mark 14:45
• Matthew 26:48

Word Data:

• Strong's: H5390, H5401, G2705, G5368, G5370

Forms Found in the English ULB:

kiss, kissed, kisses, kissing

know

Related Ideas:

knowledge, make known, unknowingly, unknown

Definition:

To "know" means to understand something or to be aware of a fact. The expression "make known" is an expression that means to tell information.

• The term "knowledge" refers to information that people know. It can apply to knowing things in both the physical and spiritual worlds.
• To "know about" God means to understand facts about him because of what he has revealed to us.
• To "know" God means to have a relationship with him. This also applies to knowing people.
• To know God's will means to be aware of what he has commanded, or to understand what he wants a person to do.
• To "know the Law" means to be aware of what God has commanded or to understand what God has instructed in the laws he gave to Moses.
• Sometimes "knowledge" is used as a synonym for "wisdom," which includes living in a way that is pleasing to God.
• The "knowledge of God" is sometimes used as a synonym for the "fear of Yahweh."
• If a person does something "unknowingly," he does it without knowing that he is doing it.

Translation Suggestions

• Depending on the context, ways to translate "know" could include "understand" or "be familiar with" or "be aware of" or "be acquainted with" or "be in relationship with."
• Some languages have two different words for "know," one for knowing facts and one for knowing a person and having a relationship with him.
• The term "make known" could be translated as "cause people to know" or "reveal" or "tell about" or "explain."
• To "know about" something could be translated as "be aware of" or "be familiar with."
• The expression "know how to" means to understand the process or method of getting something done. It could also be translated as "be able to" or "have the skill to."
• The term "knowledge" could also be translated as "what is known" or "wisdom" or "understanding," depending on the context.
• To "train for" an activity is to learn now to do it well. To train for war is to learn by practice how to be a good fighter.

(See also: law of Moses, reveal, understand, wise)

Bible References:

• 1 Corinthians 02:12-13
• 1 Samuel 17:46
• 2 Corinthians 02:15
• 2 Peter 01:3-4
• Deuteronomy 04:39-40
• Genesis 19:05
• Luke 01:77

Word Data:

• Strong's: H502, H1843, H1844, H1847, H1875, H2713, H2372, H3045, H3046, H3925, H4093, H4486, H5046, H5234, H5475, H5869, G50, G56, G1097, G1107, G1108, G1492, G1834, G1921, G1922, G1987, G2467, G5319, G2589, G2657, G4267, G4894, G5318

Forms Found in the English ULB:

knew, know, know ... beforehand, knowing, knowledge, known, knows, made ... known, made known, make ... known, makes known, unknowingly, unknown

lamb

Related Ideas:

Lamb of God

Definition:

The term "lamb" refers to a young sheep. Sheep are four-legged animals with thick, woolly hair, used for sacrifices to God. Jesus is called the "Lamb of God" because he was sacrificed to pay for people's sins.

• These animals are easily led astray and need protecting. God compares human beings to sheep.
• God instructed his people to sacrifice physically perfect sheep and lambs to him.
• Jesus is called the "Lamb of God" who was sacrificed to pay for people's sins. He was a perfect, unblemished sacrifice because he was completely without sin.

Translation Suggestions:

• If sheep are known in the language area, the name for their young should be used to translate the terms "lamb" and "Lamb of God."
• "Lamb of God" could be translated as "God's (sacrificial) Lamb," or "Lamb sacrificed to God" or "(sacrificial) Lamb from God."
• If sheep are not known, this term could be translated as "a young sheep" with a footnote that describes what sheep are like. The note could also compare sheep and lambs to an animal from that area that lives in herds, that is timid and defenseless, and that often wanders away.
• Also consider how this term is translated in a Bible translation of a nearby local or national language.

(See also: sheep, shepherd)

Bible References:

• 2 Samuel 12:03
• Ezra 08:35-36
• Isaiah 66:3
• Jeremiah 11:19
• John 01:29
• John 01:36
• Leviticus 14:21-23
• Leviticus 17:1-4
• Luke 10:03
• Revelation 15:3-4

Word Data:

• Strong's: H3532, H3535, H3733, H3775, H6251, H7716, G721, G2316

Forms Found in the English ULB:

Lamb, Lamb of God, lamb, lambs

law

Related Ideas:

lawbreaker, lawgiver, lawyer, principle

Definition:

A "law" is a legal rule that is usually written down and enforced by someone in authority. A "principle" is a guideline for decision-making and behavior.

• Often the term "law" refers to the "law of Moses." This is the commands and instructions that God gave the Israelites.
• God is the lawgiver, the one who made the laws and commanded people to obey them.
• A "lawyer" is a person who studies the law and understands it well.
• Both "law" and "principle" can refer to a general rule or belief that guides a person's behavior.
• A person who "is principled" is a person who does what is good.

(See also: law of Moses)

Bible References:

• Deuteronomy 04:02
• Esther 03:8-9
• Exodus 12:12-14
• Genesis 26:05
• John 18:31
• Romans 07:1

Word Data:

• Strong's: H1285, H1881, H1882, H2706, H2708, H2710, H4687, H4941, H5715, H7560, H7771, H8451, G1785, G3544, G3548, G3551, G3848, G4747

Forms Found in the English ULB:

law, lawbreaker, lawbreakers, lawgiver, laws, lawyer, principle, principled, principles

life

Related Ideas:

alive, come to life, conduct, exist, fresh, life-giving, lifetime, live, revive, survive, survivor

Definition:

All these terms refer to being physically alive, not dead. They are also used figuratively to refer to being alive spiritually. The following discusses what is meant by "physical life" and "spiritual life."

1. Physical life

• Physical life is the presence of the spirit in the body. God breathed life into Adam's body, and he became a living being.
• A "life" can also refer to an individual person as in "a life was saved".
• Sometimes the word "life" refers to the experience of living as in, "his life was enjoyable."
• It can also refer to a person's lifespan, as in the expression, "the end of his life."
• The term "living" may refer to being physically alive, as in "my mother is still living." It may also refer to dwelling somewhere as in, "they were living in the city."
• In the Bible, the concept of "life" is often contrasted with the concept of "death."
• To "revive" is for someone who is dead or almost dead to live again, or to take something or someone who is dead or almost dead and make him live again.
• A person who "survives" has almost died for some reason but is still alive.
• The same Hebrew words can be translated "fresh" water or "living" water.
• Things that are "lifeless" either have never been alive or were once alive but are now dead.
• The way a person "conducts" himself or his life is the way he lives his life, most importantly the morally good or bad things he does.

2. Spiritual life

• A person has spiritual life when he believes in Jesus. God gives that person a transformed life with the Holy Spirit living in him.
• This life is also called "eternal life" to indicate that it does not end.
• The opposite of spiritual life is spiritual death, which means being separated from God and experiencing eternal punishment.

Translation Suggestions:

• Depending on the context, "life" can be translated as "existence" or "person" or "soul" or "being" or "experience."
• Depending on the context, the term "live" could be translated by "dwell" or "reside" or "exist."
• The expression "end of his life" could be translated as "when he stopped living."
• The expression "spared their lives' could be translated as "allowed them to live" or "did not kill them."
• The expression "they risked their lives" could be translated as "they put themselves in danger" or "they did something that could have killed them."
• Depending on the context, the expression "give life" could also be translated as "cause to live" or "give eternal life" or "cause to live eternally." The word "life-giving" can be translated as "something that causes to live" or "something that gives life."

(See also: death, eternity)

Bible References:

• 2 Peter 01:03
• Acts 10:42
• Genesis 02:07
• Genesis 07:22
• Hebrews 10:20
• Jeremiah 44:02
• John 01:04
• Judges 02:18
• Luke 12:23
• Matthew 07:14

Word Data:

• Strong's: H2416, H2417, H2418, H2421, H2425, H2465, H2673, H3351, H3824, H3885, H4241, H5315, H5397, H5564, H6106, H7611, H8141, H8300, G326, G386, G390, G895, G979, G980, G981, G982, G1127, G1236, G1514, G2198, G2222, G2225, G2227, G2450, G3118, G4176, G4684, G4748, G4763, G4800, G4806, G5171, G5225, G5590

Forms Found in the English ULB:

alive, come to life, conduct, conducted, existed, fresh, keep ... alive, life, life-giving, lifeless, lifetime, live, lived, lives, living, revive, revived, survive, survived, survivor, survivors

light

Related Ideas:

bright, brightness, enlighten, shine

Definition:

There are several figurative uses of the term "light" in the Bible. It is often used as a metaphor for righteousness, holiness, and truth.

• Jesus said, "I am the light of the world" to express that he brings God's true message to the world and rescues people from the darkness of their sin.
• Christians are commanded to "walk in the light," which means they should be living the way God wants them to and avoiding evil.
• The apostle John stated that "God is light" and in him there is no darkness at all.
• Light and darkness are complete opposites. Darkness is the absence of all light.
• Jesus said that he was "the light of the world" and that his followers should shine like lights in the world by living in a way that clearly shows how great God is.
• "Walking in the light" represents living in a way that pleases God, doing what is good and right. Walking in darkness represents living in rebellion against God, doing evil things.

Translation Suggestions:

• When translating, it is important to keep the literal terms "light" and "darkness" even when they are used figuratively.
• It may be necessary to explain the comparison in the text. For example, "walk as children of light" could be translated as, "live openly righteous lives, like someone who walks in bright sunlight."
• Make sure that the translation of "light" does not refer to an object that gives light, such as a lamp. The translation of this term should refer to the light itself.

(See also: darkness, holy, righteous, true)

Bible References:

• 1 John 01:07
• 1 John 02:08
• 2 Corinthians 04:06
• Acts 26:18
• Isaiah 02:05
• John 01:05
• Matthew 05:16
• Matthew 06:23
• Nehemiah 09:12-13
• Revelation 18:23-24

Word Data:

• Strong's: H216, H217, H3313, H3974, H5051, H5094, H5105, H5216, G681, G796, G1391, G1645, G2985, G2986, G3088, G5338, G5457, G5458, G5460, G5462

Forms Found in the English ULB:

bright, brightness, enlighten, enlightened, light, lighting, lights, shining

like

Related Ideas:

according to, alike, as, as if, compare, in the same way, just as, liken, likeness, likewise, resemble, similar, similarly, unlike

Definition:

The terms "like" and "likeness" refer to something being the same as, or similar to, something else.

• To "compare" two things is to look at how they are the same or how they are different.
• The word "like" is also often used in a figurative expressions called a "simile" in which something is compared to something else, usually highlighting a shared characteristic. For example, "his clothes shined like the sun" and "the voice boomed like thunder."
• To "be like" or "sound like" or "look like" something or someone means to have qualities that are similar to the thing or person being compared to.
• People were created in God's "likeness," that is, in his "image." It means that they have qualities or characteristics that are "like" or "similar to" qualities that God has, such as the ability to think, feel, and communicate.
• To have "the likeness of" something or someone means to have characteristics that look like that thing or person.
• The word "likewise" means "in the same way," referring to something that the speaker has just said.
• The word "unlike" means "not like."

Translation Suggestions

• In some contexts, the expression "the likeness of" could be translated as "what looked like" or "what appeared to be."
• The expression "in the likeness of his death" could be translated as "sharing in the experience of his death" or "as if experiencing his death with him."
• The expression "in the likeness of sinful flesh" could be translated as "being like a sinful human being" or to "be a human being." Make sure the translation of this expression does not sound like Jesus was sinful.
• "In his own likeness" could also be translated as to "be like him" or "having many of the same qualities that he has."
• The expression "the likeness of an image of perishable man, of birds, of four-footed beasts and of creeping things" could be translated as "idols made to look like perishable humans, or animals, such as birds, beasts, and small, crawling things."

(See also: beast, flesh, image of God, image, perish)

Bible References:

• Ezekiel 01:05
• Mark 08:24
• Matthew 17:02
• Matthew 18:03
• Psalms 073:05
• Revelation 01:12-13

Word Data:

• Strong's: H1819, H1823, H3644, H4915, H7737, H8403, H8544, G1503, G1504, G2509, G2531, G3664, G3665, G3666, G3667, G3668, G3669, G3697, G4793, G4833, G5108, G5615, G5616, G5618, G5619

Forms Found in the English ULB:

according to, alike, as, as if, be ... like, become ... like, compare, in the same way, is ... like, just as, like, liken, likeness, likenesses, likewise, resemble, resembled, similar to, similarly, the same, the same way, unlike

lion

Related Ideas:

lioness

Definition:

A lion is a large, cat-like, that has animal, with powerful teeth and claws for killing and tearing apart its prey.

• Lions have powerful bodies and great speed to catch their prey. Their fur is short and golden-brown.
• Male lions have a mane of hair that encircles their heads.
• Lions kill other animals to eat them and can be dangerous to human beings.
• When King David was a boy, he killed lions that tried to attack the sheep he was caring for.
• Samson also killed a lion, with his bare hands.
• A "lioness" is a female lion.

(See also: David, leopard, Samson, sheep)

Bible References:

• 1 Chronicles 11:22-23
• 1 Kings 07:29
• Proverbs 19:12
• Psalms 017:12
• Revelation 05:05

Word Data:

• Strong's: H738, H739, H744, H3715, H3833, H3918, H7826, H7830, G3023

Forms Found in the English ULB:

lion, lion's, lioness, lionesses, lions, lions'

loins

Related Ideass:

side, thigh, waist

Definition:

The term "loins" refers to the part of the body of an animal or person that is between the lower ribs and the hip bones, also known as the lower abdomen.

• The expression "gird up the loins" refers to preparing to work hard. It comes from the custom of tucking the bottom of one's robe into a belt around the waist in order to move with ease.
• The term "loins" is often used in the Bible to refer to the lower back part of an animal that was sacrificed.
• In the Bible, the term "loins" often refers figuratively and euphemistically to a man's reproductive organs as the source of his descendants.
• The expression "will come from your loins" could also be translated as, "will be your offspring" or "will be born from your seed" or "God will cause to come from you."
• When referring to a part of the body, this could also be translated as "abdomen" or "hips" or "waist," depending on the context.

(See also: descendant, gird, offspring)

Bible References:

• 1 Peter 01:13
• 2 Chronicles 06:09
• Deuteronomy 33:11
• Genesis 37:34
• Job 15:27

Word Data:

• Strong's: H2504, H3409, H3689, H4975, G3751

Forms Found in the English ULB:

loins, hips, side, thigh, thighs, waist

lord

Related Ideas:

landowner, Lord, master, master of the house, mistress, owner, owner of a house, sir

Definition:

The term "lord" refers to someone who has ownership or authority over other people.

• This word is sometimes translated as "master" when addressing Jesus or when referring to someone who owns slaves.
• Some English versions translate this as "sir" in contexts where someone is politely addressing someone of higher status.

When "Lord" is capitalized, it is a title that refers to God. (Note, however, that when it is used as a form of addressing someone or it occurs at the beginning of a sentence it may be capitalized and have the meaning of "sir" or "master.")

• In the Old Testament, this term is also used in expressions such as "Lord God Almighty" or "Lord Yahweh" or "Yahweh our Lord."
• In the New Testament, the apostles used this term in expressions such as "Lord Jesus" and "Lord Jesus Christ," which communicate that Jesus is God.
• The term "Lord" in the New Testament is also used alone as a direct reference to God, especially in quotations from the Old Testament. For example, the Old Testament text has "Blessed is he who comes in the name of Yahweh" and the New Testament text has "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord."
• In the ULB and UDB, the title "Lord" is only used to translate the actual Hebrew and Greek words that mean "Lord." It is never used as a translation of God's name (Yahweh), as is done in many translations.

Translation Suggestions:

Translating "lord": * * The term "lord" can be translated with the equivalent of "master" when it refers to a person who owns slaves. It can also be used by a servant to address the person he works for. * When it refers to Jesus, if the context shows that the speaker sees him as a religious teacher, it can be translated with a respectful address for a religious teacher, such as "master." * If the person addressing Jesus does not know him, "lord" could be translated with a respectful form of address such as "sir." This translation would also be used for other contexts in which a polite form of address to a man is called for.

Translating "Lord": * When referring to God the Father or to Jesus, this term is considered a title, written as "Lord" (capitalized) in English. * In the appropriate contexts, many translations capitalize the first letter of this term to make it clear to the reader that this is a title referring to God. * When "Lord" refers to Jesus Christ (the Son of God), it should be translated with the same word that is used for "Lord" when it refers to God the Father. Or if it is translated with different words, both words should express the same degree of honor. * Some languages translate "Lord" as "Master" or "Ruler" or some other term that communicates ownership or supreme rule. * For places in the New Testament where there is a quote from the Old Testament, the term "Lord God" could be used to make it clear that this is a reference to God.

(See also: God, Jesus, ruler, Yahweh)

Bible References:

• Genesis 39:02
• Joshua 03:9-11
• Psalms 086:15-17
• Jeremiah 27:04
• Lamentations 02:02
• Ezekiel 18:29
• Daniel 09:09
• Daniel 09:17-19
• Malachi 03:01
• Matthew 07:21-23
• Luke 01:30-33
• Luke 16:13
• Romans 06:23
• Ephesians 06:9
• Philippians 02:9-11
• Colossians 03:23
• Hebrews 12:14
• James 02:01
• 1 Peter 01:03
• Jude 01:05
• Revelation 15:04

Word Data:

• Strong's: H113, H136, H1167, H1376, H1404, H4756, H5633, H7218, H7980, H8323, G1203, G2634, G2961, G2962, G3617

Forms Found in the English ULB:

Lord, Lord's, landowner, lord, lord's, lords, master, master of the house, master's, masters, mistress, owner, owner of a house, sir, sirs

love

Related Ideas:

brotherly love

Definition:

To love another person is to care for that person and do things that will benefit him. There are different meanings for "love" some languages may express using different words:

1. The kind of love that comes from God is focused on having good things happen to others even when those good things do not happen to the one who loves. This kind of love cares for others, no matter what they do. God himself is love and is the source of true love.

2. Jesus showed this kind of love by sacrificing his life in order to rescue us from sin and death. He also taught his followers to love others sacrificially.

3. When people love others with this kind of love, they act in ways that show they are thinking of what will cause the others to thrive. This kind of love especially includes forgiving others.

4. In the ULB, the word "love" refers to this kind of sacrificial love, unless a Translation Note indicates a different meaning.

5. Another word in the New Testament refers to brotherly love, or love for a friend or family member.

6. This term refers to natural human love between friends or relatives.

7. The term can also be used in such contexts as, "They love to sit in the most important seats at a banquet." This means that they "like very much" or "greatly desire" to do that.

8. The word "love" can also refer to romantic love between a man and a woman.

9. In the figurative expression "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated," the term "loved" refers to God's choosing of Jacob to be in a covenant relationship with him. This could also be translated as "chosen." Although Esau was also blessed by God, he wasn't given the privilege of being in the covenant. The term "hated" is used figuratively here to mean "rejected" or "not chosen."

Translation Suggestions:

• Unless indicated otherwise in a Translation Note, the word "love" in the ULB refers to the kind of sacrificial love that comes from God.
• Some languages may have a special word for the kind of unselfish, sacrificial love that God has. Ways to translate this might include, "devoted, faithful caring" or "care for unselfishly" or "love from God." Make sure that the word used to translate God's love can include giving up one's own interests to benefit others and loving others no matter what they do.
• Sometimes the English word "love" describes the deep caring that people have for friends and family members. Some languages might translate this with a word or phrase that means, "like very much" or "care for" or "have strong affection for."
• In contexts where the word "love" is used to express a strong preference for something, this could be translated by "strongly prefer" or "like very much" or "greatly desire."
• Some languages may also have a separate word that refers to romantic or sexual love between a husband and wife.
• Many languages must express "love" as an action. So for example, they might translate "love is patient, love is kind" as, "when a person loves someone, he is patient with him and kind to him."

(See also: covenant, death, sacrifice, save, sin)

Bible References:

• 1 Corinthians 13:07
• 1 John 03:02
• 1 Thessalonians 04:10
• Galatians 05:23
• Genesis 29:18
• Isaiah 56:06
• Jeremiah 02:02
• John 03:16
• Matthew 10:37
• Nehemiah 09:32-34
• Philippians 01:09
• Song of Solomon 01:02

Word Data:

• Strong's: H157, H158, H159, H160, H1730, H2245, H2532, H2617, H2836, H3039, H4261, H5689, H5690, H7355, H7356, H7453, H7474, G25, G26, G5360, G5361, G5362, G5363, G5365, G5367, G5368, G5369, G5377, G5383, G5388

Forms Found in the English ULB:

brotherly love, love, loved, loves, loving

lust

Related Ideas:

crave, desire, lustful, lusting, passion, sensual, sensuality

Definition:

Lust is a very strong desire, usually for something sinful or immoral. To lust is to have lust.

• In the Bible, "lust" usually referred to sexual desire for someone other than one's own spouse.
• Sometimes this term was used in a figurative sense to refer to worshiping idols.
• Depending on the context, "lust" could be translated as "wrong desire" or "strong desire" or "wrongful sexual desire" or "strong immoral desire" or to "strongly desire to sin."
• The phrase to "lust after" could be translated as to "wrongly desire" or to "think immorally about" or to "immorally desire."
• To "crave" is to desire strongly.
• "Sensuality" is the desire to satisfy sensual desires, to experience sensual pleasures, particularly sexual pleasure.

(See also: adultery, god)

Bible References:

• 1 John 02:16
• 2 Timothy 02:22
• Galatians 05:16
• Galatians 05:19-21
• Genesis 39:7-9
• Matthew 05:28

Word Data:

• Strong's: H183, H185, H1730, H2181, H2183, H2530, H2532, H2656, H5178, H5315, H5375, H5689, H5691, H5869, H7843, G766, G1014, G1937, G1939, G3713, G3715, G3806

Forms Found in the English ULB:

crave, craves, desirable, desire, desired, desires, lust, lusted, lustful, lusting, lusts, passion, sensual, sensuality

meek

Related Ideas:

gentle, gentleness, meekness

Definition:

The term "meek" describes a person who is gentle, submissive, and willing to suffer injustice. Meekness is the ability to be gentle even when harshness or force might seem appropriate.

• Meekness is often associated with humility.
• This term could also be translated as "gentle" or "mild-mannered" or "sweet-tempered."
• The term "meekness" could be translated as "gentleness" or "humility."

(See also: humble)

Bible References:

• 1 Peter 03:15-17
• 2 Corinthians 10:1-2
• 2 Timothy 02:25
• Matthew 05:05
• Matthew 11:29
• Psalms 037:11

Word Data:

• Strong's: H6035, H6037, G4235, G4236, G4239, G4240

Forms Found in the English ULB:

gentle, gentleness, meek, meekness

mercy

Related Ideas:

kindness, merciful, spare

Definition:

The terms "mercy" and "merciful" refer to helping people who are in need, especially when they are in a lowly or humbled condition.

• The term "mercy" can also include the meaning of not punishing people for something they have done wrong.
• A powerful person such as a king is described as "merciful" when he treats people kindly instead of harming them.
• To "be merciful" or "spare" someone who has done wrong to another means to forgive that person.
• An evil person who "spares" those who have done nothing wrong does not do the same wrong to them that he has done to others.
• We show mercy when we help people who are in great need.
• God is merciful to us, and he wants us to be merciful to others.

Translation Suggestions:

• Depending on the context, "mercy" could be translated as "kindness" or "compassion" or "pity."
• The term "merciful" could be translated as "showing pity" or "being kind to" or "forgiving."
• To "show mercy to" or "have mercy on" could be translated as "treat kindly" or "be compassionate toward."

(See also: compassion, forgive)

Bible References:

• 1 Peter 01:3-5
• 1 Timothy 01:13
• Daniel 09:17
• Exodus 34:06
• Genesis 19:16
• Hebrews 10:28-29
• James 02:13
• Luke 06:35-36
• Matthew 09:27
• Philippians 02:25-27
• Psalms 041:4-6
• Romans 12:01

Word Data:

• Strong's: H2550, H2551, H2603, H2604, H2617, H3722, H7349, H7355, H7356, H7359, H8467, G1653, G1655, G1656, G2433, G2436, G3628, G3629, G4698, G5363, G5544

Forms Found in the English ULB:

kindness, mercies, merciful, mercy, spare, spared, spares, tender mercy

mighty

Related Ideas:

Mighty One, mightily, mighty host, mighty men, mighty work

Definition:

The terms "mighty" and "might" refer to having great strength or power.

• Often the word "might" is another word for "strength." When talking about God, it can mean "power."
• The phrase "mighty men" often refers to men who are courageous and victorious in battle. David's band of faithful men who helped protect and defend him were often called "mighty men."
• The phrase "the Might One" refers to God.
• The phrase "a mighty one" can refer to God or to a man.
• The phrase "mighty works" usually refers to the amazing things God does, especially miracles.
• This term is related to the term "almighty," which is a common description for God, meaning that he has complete power.

Translation Suggestions:

• Depending on the context, the term "mighty" could be translated as "powerful" or "amazing" or "very strong."
• The phrase "his might" could be translated as "his strength" or "his power."
• In Acts 7, Moses is described as a man who was "mighty in word and deed." This could be translated as "Moses spoke powerful words from God and did miraculous things" or "Moses spoke God's word powerfully and did many amazing things."
• Depending on the context, "mighty works" could be translated as "amazing things that God does" or "miracles" or "God doing things with power."
• The term "might" could also be translated as "power" or "great strength."
• Do not confuse this term with the English word that is used to express a possibility, as in "It might rain."

(See also: Almighty, miracle, power, strength)

Bible References:

• Acts 07:22
• Genesis 06:4
• Mark 09:38-39
• Matthew 11:23

Word Data:

• Strong's: H46, H47, H117, H202, H352, H386, H410, H533, H650, H1219, H1368, H1369, H1396, H1397, H1419, H2220, H2389, H2428, H3201, H3524, H3581, H3966, H4101, H5794, H5797, H5808, H6099, H6105, H6108, H6184, H7227, H7580, H8623, H8624, G1411, G1415, G1498, G2478, G2479, G2900, G2904, G3167, G3173

Forms Found in the English ULB:

Mighty One, might, mightier, mightily, mighty, mighty host, mighty men, mighty one, mighty ones, mighty work, mighty works

mind

Related Ideas:

expect, intention, likeminded, mindful, sober, think

Definition:

The term "mind" refers to the part of a person that thinks and makes decisions.

• The mind of each person is the total of his or her thoughts and reasoning.
• To "have the mind of Christ" means to think and act as Jesus Christ would think and act. It means being obedient to God the Father, obeying the teachings of Christ, being enabled to do this through the power of the Holy Spirit.
• To "change his mind" means someone made a different decision or had a different opinion than he had previously.
• To "expect" something is to think that it will happen.
• To "think" can mean to use one's mind to form ideas.
• To "think" can also mean to have a belief or opinion about something.
• To "intend" or "have an intention" to do something is to decide or to plan to do that thing. That thing may be good or evil, and the person may or may not want to do it, but he plans to do it.
• A person who is "sober" is able to think clearly, especially in contrast to a person who has harmed his mind by drinking to much wine.

Translation Suggestions

• The term "mind" could also be translated as "thoughts" or "reasoning" or "thinking" or "understanding."
• The expression "keep in mind" could be translated as "remember" or "pay attention to this" or "be sure to know this."
• The expression "heart, soul, and mind" could also be translated as "what you feel, what you believe, and what you think about."
• The expression "call to mind" could be translated as "remember" or "think about."
• The expression "double-minded" could also be translated as "doubting" or "unable to decide" or "with conflicting thoughts."

(See also: believe, heart, soul)

Bible References:

• Luke 10:27
• Mark 06:51-52
• Matthew 21:29
• Matthew 22:37
• James 04:08

Word Data:

• Strong's: H226, H1079, G1380, H1843, H3629, H3820, H3824, H3825, H4093, H4150, H5162, H6419, H6725, H6734, H7217, H7725, G364, G1271, G1374, G1839, G2233, G2657, G3328, G3525, G3539, G3540, G3563, G4102, G4993, G5280, G5426, G5427, G5590

Forms Found in the English ULB:

expect, expected, intention, likeminded, mind, minded, mindful, minds, sober, think, think carefully about, thinks, thought, thoughts

name

Related Ideas:

fame, nameless, notorious, reputation

Definition:

In the Bible, the word "name" was used in several figurative ways.

• In some contexts, "name" could refer to a person's reputation, as in "let us make a name for ourselves."
• The term "name" could also refer to the memory of something. For example, "cut off the names of the idols" means to destroy those idols so that they are no longer remembered or worshiped.
• Speaking "in the name of God" meant speaking with his power and authority, or as his representative.
• The "name" of someone could refer to the entire person, as in "there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved."
• People who are "nameless" are unimportant, so few people know about them or care about them.
• A person who is "notorious" is one who has a reputation for evil or foolishness.

Translation Suggestions:

• An expression like "his good name" could be translated as "his good reputation."
• Doing something "in the name of" could be translated as "with the authority of" or "with the permission of" or "as the representative of" that person.
• The expression "make a name for ourselves" could be translated "cause many people to know about us" or "make people think we are very important."
• The expression "call his name" could be translated as "name him" or "give him the name."
• The expression "those who love your name" could be translated as "those who love you."
• The expression "cut off the names of idols" could be translated as "get rid of pagan idols so that they are not even remembered" or "cause people to stop worshiping false gods" or "completely destroy all idols so that people no longer even think about them."

(See also: call)

Bible References:

• 1 John 02:12
• 2 Timothy 02:19
• Acts 04:07
• Acts 04:12
• Acts 09:27
• Genesis 12:02
• Genesis 35:10
• Matthew 18:05

Word Data:

• Strong's: H5344, H7761, H8034, H8036, G2028, G2564, G3140, G3141, G3686, G3687, G5122

Forms Found in the English ULB:

fame, name, name's, named, nameless, names, notorious, reputation

nation

Definition:

A nation is a large group of people ruled by some form of government. The people of a nation often have the same ancestors and share a common ethnicity.

• A "nation" usually has a well-defined culture and territorial boundaries.
• In the Bible, a "nation" could be a country (like Egypt or Ethiopia), but often it is more general and refers to a people group, especially when used in the plural. It is important to check the context.
• Nations in the Bible included the Israelites, the Philistines, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Canaanites, the Romans, and the Greeks, among many others.
• Sometimes the word "nation" was used figuratively to refer to the ancestor of a certain people group, as when Rebekah was told by God that her unborn sons were "nations" that would fight against each other. This could be translated as "the founders of two nations" or the "ancestors of two people groups."
• The word translated as "nation" was also sometimes used to refer to "Gentiles" or to people who do not worship Yahweh. The context usually makes the meaning clear.

Translation Suggestions:

• Depending on the context, the word "nation" could also be translated as "people group" or "people" or "country."
• If a language has a term for "nation" that is distinct from these other terms, then that term can be used wherever it occurs in the Bible text, as long as it is natural and accurate in each context.
• The plural term "nations" can often be translated as "people groups."
• In certain contexts, this term could also be translated as "Gentiles" or "nonJews."

(See also: Assyria, Babylon, Canaan, Gentile, Greek, people group, Philistines, Rome)

Bible References:

• 1 Chronicles 14:15-17
• 2 Chronicles 15:06
• 2 Kings 17:11-12
• Acts 02:05
• Acts 13:19
• Acts 17:26
• Acts 26:04
• Daniel 03:04
• Genesis 10:2-5
• Genesis 27:29
• Genesis 35:11
• Genesis 49:10
• Luke 07:05
• Mark 13:7-8
• Matthew 21:43
• Romans 04:16-17

Word Data:

• Strong's: H523, H524, H1471, H3816, H4940, H5971, G246, G1074, G1085, G1484

Forms Found in the English ULB:

nation, nations

obey

Related Ideas:

follow, give ear, hear, hold securely, hold to, keep, listen, obedience, obedient

Definition:

The term "obey" means to do what is required or commanded. The term "obedient" describes someone who obeys. "Obedience" is the characteristic that an obedient person has.

• Usually the term "obey" is used in the context of obeying the commands or laws of a person in authority.
• For example, people obey laws which are created by the leaders of a country, kingdom, or other organization.
• Children obey their parents, slaves obey their masters, people obey God, and citizens obey the laws of their country.
• When someone in authority commands people not to do something, the people obey by not doing that.
• To "observe" a law or command is to obey it.
• Other words used to refer to obeying someone or something are: follow, give ear, hear, hold securely, hold to, keep, listen.

Translation Suggestions:

• Ways to translate "obey" could include a word or phrase that means "do what is commanded" or "follow orders" or "do what God says to do."
• The term "obedient" could be translated as "doing what was commanded" or "following orders" or "doing what God commands."

(See also: citizen, command, disobey, kingdom, law)

Bible References:

• Acts 05:32
• Acts 06:7
• Genesis 28:6-7
• James 01:25
• James 02:10
• Luke 06:47
• Matthew 07:26
• Matthew 19:20-22
• Matthew 28:20

Word Data:

• Strong's: H2388, H3349, H4928, H5341, H6213, H7181, H8085, H8086, H8104, G191, G2722, G2902, G3980, G3982, G5083, G5084, G5218, G5219, G5255, G5292, G5293, G5426, G5442

Forms Found in the English ULB:

following, give ... ear, hear, heard, hold ... securely, hold to, keep, keeps, kept, listen, listened, listened to, obedience, obedient, obediently, obey, obeyed, obeying, obeys

overseer

Related Ideas:

overseer, supervise, supervisor, visitation

Definition:

The term "overseer" refers to a person who is in charge of the work and welfare of other people.

• In the Old Testament, an overseer had the job of making sure the workers under him did their work well.
• In the New Testament, overseers were leaders of the early Christian church. Their work was to take care of the spiritual needs of the church, making sure the believers received accurate biblical teaching.
• Paul refers to an overseer as being like a shepherd who takes care of the believers in a local church, who are his "flock."
• The overseer, like a shepherd, keeps watch over the flock. He guards and protects the believers from false spiritual teaching and other evil influences.
• In the New Testament, the terms "overseers," "elders," and "shepherds/pastors" are different ways of referring to the same spiritual leaders.
• The word "supervisor" is another word for an overseer.
• The word "visitation" refers to an overseer coming to make sure that the workers over whom he has charge are working well.

Translation Suggestions

• Other ways to translate this term could be "caretaker" or "manager."
• When referring to a leader of a local group of God's people, this term could be translated with a word or phrase that means "spiritual supervisor" or "someone who takes care of the spiritual needs of a group of believers" or "person who oversees the spiritual needs of the Church."

(See also: church, elder, pastor, shepherd)

Bible References:

• 1 Chronicles 26:31-32
• 1 Timothy 03:02
• Acts 20:28
• Genesis 41:33-34
• Philippians 01:01

Word Data:

• Strong's: H3256, H6485, H6486, H6496, H7287, H7860, H8104, H8269, G1983, G1984, G1985

Forms Found in the English ULB:

oversee, overseeing, overseen, overseer, overseers, oversees, supervise, supervised, supervisor, supervisors, visitation

partial

Related Ideas:

partiality

Definition:

The terms "be partial" and "show partiality" refer to making a choice to treat certain people as more important than other people.

• This is similar to showing favoritism, which means to treat some people better than others.
• Usually partiality or favoritism is shown to people because they are richer or more popular than other people.
• God instructs his people to not show partiality or favoritism to people who are rich or of high status.
• In his letter to the Romans, Paul teaches that God judges people fairly and with no partiality.
• The book of James teaches that it is wrong to treat rich people better than poor people.

(See also: favor)

Bible References:

• Deuteronomy 01:17
• Malachi 02:09
• Mark 12:13-15
• Matthew 22:16
• Romans 02:10-12

Word Data:

• Strong's: H5234, H5375, H6440, G991, G2983, G4299, G4381, G4382, G4383

Forms Found in the English ULB:

be partial, partial, partiality, show partiality

peace

Related Ideas:

peaceable, peaceful, peacemaker, quiet

Definition:

The term "peace" refers to a state of being or a feeling of having no conflict, anxiety, or fearfulness. A person who is "peaceful" feels calm and assured of being safe and secure.

• "Peace" can also refer to a time when people groups or countries are not at war with each other. These people are said to have "peaceful relations."
• To "make peace" with a person or a group of people means to take actions to cause fighting to stop.
• A "peacemaker" is someone who does and says things to influence people to live at peace with each other.
• To be "at peace" with other people means being in a state of not fighting against those people.
• A good or right relationship between God and people happens when God saves people from their sin. This is called having "peace with God."
• The greeting "grace and peace" was used by the apostles in their letters to their fellow believers as a blessing.
• The term "peace" can also refer to being in a good relationship with other people or with God.
• A person who is "peaceable" acts in a way that enables him to live in peace with other people. He acts "peaceably."
• To "quiet" someone is to get them to be at peace. To quiet a quarrel is to get the people to stop quarreling and be at peace with each other.

Bible References:

• 1 Thessalonians 05:1-3
• Acts 07:26
• Colossians 01:18-20
• Colossians 03:15
• Galatians 05:23
• Luke 07:50
• Luke 12:51
• Mark 04:39
• Matthew 05:09
• Matthew 10:13

Word Data:

• Strong's: H5117, H7961, H7962, H7965, H7999, H8001, H8002, H8003, H8252, H8535, G269, G1514, G1515, G1516, G1517, G1518, G2272

Forms Found in the English ULB:

peace, peaceable, peaceably, peaceful, peacefully, peacemakers, quiet, quiets

people of God

Related Ideas:

God's people, people for God's possession

Definition:

The term "people of God" refers to people whom God has called out from the world to have a special relationship with him.

• When God says "my people" he is talking about the people whom he has chosen and who have a relationship with him.
• God's people are chosen by him and are set apart from the world to live in a way that is pleasing to him. He also calls them his children.
• In the Old Testament, "people of God" refers to the nation of Israel which was chosen by God and set apart from among the other nations of the world to serve and obey him.
• In the New Testament, "people of God" especially refers to all those who believe in Jesus and are called the Church. This includes both Jews and Gentiles.

Translation Suggestions:

• The term "people of God" could be translated as "God's people" or "the people who worship God" or "people who serve God" or "people who belong to God."
• When God says "my people" other ways to translate it could include "the people I have chosen" or "the people who worship me" or "the people who belong to me."
• Similarly, "your people" could be translated as "the people who belong to you" or "the people you chose to belong to you."
• Also "his people" could be translated as "the people who belong to him" or "the people God chose to belong to himself."

(See also: Israel, people group)

Bible References:

• 1 Chronicles 11:02
• Acts 07:34
• Acts 07:51-53
• Acts 10:36-38
• Daniel 09:24-25
• Isaiah 02:5-6
• Jeremiah 06:20-22
• Joel 03:16-17
• Micah 06:3-5
• Revelation 13:7-8

Word Data:

• Strong's: H430, H5971, G2316, G2992

Forms Found in the English ULB:

God's people, my people, people for God's possession, people of God

perfect

Related Ideas:

perfecter, perfection, perfectly

Definition:

The term "perfect" describes something that has no flaw. To "perfect" something means to work at it until it is excellent and without flaws.

• Only God and what he does is absolutely perfect.
• When Christians study the Bible and obey it, they become perfect and mature because they become more like Christ in their character.
• Being perfect and mature means that a Christian is obedient; it does not mean that he is sinless.
• The term "perfect" also has the meaning of being "complete" or "whole."

Translation Suggestions:

• The term "perfect" could be translated as "without flaw" or "without error" or "flawless" or "without fault" or "not having any faults."
• The term "perfectly" could be translated "completely" or "fully."

Bible References:

• Hebrews 12:02
• James 03:02
• Matthew 05:46-48
• Psalms 019:7-8

Word Data:

• Strong's: H3615, H3632, H3634, H4359, H4390, H8003, H8503, H8535, H8537, H8549, H8552, G2005, G2038, G2675, G2676, G3647, G4135, G4137, G5046, G5047, G5048, G5050, G5055

Forms Found in the English ULB:

perfect, perfected, perfecter, perfection, perfectly

perish

Related Ideas:

imperishable, perishable

Definition:

The term "perish" means to die or be destroyed, usually as the result of violence or other disaster.

• The word "perish" can also be a metaphor for being punished in hell either presently or in the future.
• Something that is "imperishable" will never perish.

Translation Suggestions:

• Depending on the context, ways to translate this term could include "die" or "be destroyed" or "be punished in hell" or "will be punished in hell."
• When perish is a metaphor, make sure that the translation of "perish" does not only mean "cease to exist."

(See also: death, eternity)

Bible References:

• 1 Peter 01:23
• 2 Corinthians 02:16-17
• 2 Thessalonians 02:10
• Jeremiah 18:18
• Psalms 049:18-20
• Zechariah 09:5-7
• Zechariah 13:08

Word Data:

• Strong's: H6, H7, H622, H1197, H1478, H1820, H1826, H5486, H5595, H7921, H8045, G599, G622, G684, G853, G5356

Forms Found in the English ULB:

imperishable, perish, perishable, perished, perishes, perishing

pit

Related Ideas:

pitfall, quarry

Definition:

A "pit" is a deep hole that has been dug in the ground. A "pitfall" is a trap made of a pit that is hidden with a cover. A "quarry" is a pit from which people take valuable stones.

• People dig pits for the purpose of trapping animals or finding water.
• A pit can also be used as a temporary place to hold a prisoner.
• Sometimes the phrase "the pit" refers to the grave or to hell. Other times it may refer to "the abyss."
• The term "pit" is also used figuratively in phrases such as, "pit of destruction" which describes being trapped in a disastrous situation or being deeply involved in sinful, destructive practices.

(See also: abyss, hell, prison)

Bible References:

• Genesis 37:21-22
• Job 33:18
• Luke 06:39
• Proverbs 01:12

Word Data:

• Strong's: H875, H953, H1356, H1475, H2352, H4087, H4113, H4379, H6354, H7585, H7745, H7816, H7825, H7845, H7882, G12, G999, G5421

Forms Found in the English ULB:

pit, pitfall, pits, quarry

possess

Related Ideas:

belongings, dispossess, possession, property

Definitions:

The terms "possess" and "possession" usually refer to owning something. They can also mean to gain control over something or occupy an area of land.

• In the Old Testament, "possess" is often used in the context of "possessing" or "taking possession of" an area of land.
• When Yahweh commanded the Israelites to "possess" the land of Canaan, it meant that they should go into the land and live there. This involved first conquering the Canaanite peoples who were living on that land.
• Yahweh told the Israelites that he had given them the land of Canaan as "their possession." This could also be translated as "their rightful place to live."
• The people of Israel were also called Yahweh's "special possession." This means that they belonged to him as his people whom he had specifically called to worship and serve him.
• The term "dispossess" meant "take someone's property."

Translation Suggestions:

• The term "possess" could also be translated as "own" or "have" or "have charge over."
• "Possessions" are also called "belongings" and "property."
• The phrase "take possession of" could be translated as "take control of" or "occupy" or "live on," depending on the context.
• When Yahweh calls the Israelites "my special possession" this could also be translated as "my special people" or "people who belong to me" or "my people whom I love and rule."
• The sentence, "they will become their possession" when referring to land, means "they will occupy the land" or "the land will belong to them."
• The phrase "as your possession" could also be translated as "as something that belongs to you" or "as a place where your people will live."
• The phrase "dispossess them" can be translated as "take their land" or "make them leave their land."

(See also: Canaan, worship)

Bible References:

• 1 Chronicles 06:70
• 1 Kings 09:17-19
• Acts 02:45
• Deuteronomy 04:5-6
• Genesis 31:36-37
• Matthew 13:44

Word Data:

• Strong's: H270, H272, H2505, H2631, H3018, H3027, H3423, H3424, H3425, H3426, H4180, H4181, H4672, H4735, H5157, H5159, H5459, G979, G1139, G2697, G2722, G2932, G2933, G2935, H3520, G4041, G4047, G4632, G5224, G5225

Forms Found in the English ULB:

belongings, dispossess, possess, possessed, possesses, possessing, possession, possessions, property, took possession, valuable possessions

power

Related Ideas:

ability, able, mastered, can, capable, could, impossible, incapable, powerful, won, unable

Definition:

The term "power" refers to the ability to do things or make things happen, often using great strength. "Powers" refers to people or spirits who have great ability to cause things to happen.

• The "power of God" refers to God's ability to do everything, especially things that are not possible for people to do.
• God has complete power over everything that he has created.
• God gives his people power to do what he wants, so that when they heal people or do other miracles, they do this by the power of God.
• Because Jesus and the Holy Spirit are also God, they have this same power.

Translation Suggestions:

• Depending on the context, the term "power" could also be translated as "ability" or "strength" or "energy" or "ability to do miracles" or "control."
• Possible ways to translate the term "powers" could include "powerful beings" or "controlling spirits" or "those who control others."
• An expression like "save us from the power of our enemies" could be translated as "save us from being oppressed by our enemies" or "rescue us from being controlled by our enemies." In this case, "power" has the meaning of using one's strength to control and oppress others.

(See also: Holy Spirit, Jesus, miracle)

Bible References:

• 1 Thessalonians 01:05
• Colossians 01:11-12
• Genesis 31:29
• Jeremiah 18:21
• Jude 01:25
• Judges 02:18
• Luke 01:17
• Luke 04:14
• Matthew 26:64
• Philippians 03:21
• Psalm 080:02

Word Data:

• Strong's: H410, H1368, H1369, H1370, H2220, H2393, H2428, H2632, H3027, H3201, H3581, H4475, H4910, H5794, H5797, H5807, H6109, H6184, H7980, H7981, H7983, H7989, H8592, H8633, G1410, G1411, G1415, G1743, G1754, G1832, G1849, G1850, G2159, G2478, G2479, G2480, G2904, G3168

Forms Found in the English ULB:

ability, able, am ... able, are ... able, are ... possible, be ... unable, be able, be mastered, can, cannot, capable, could, could not, impossible, incapable, is ... able, may ... be able, miraculous powers, possible, power, powerful, powerfully, powers, was ... able, were ... able, will ... be able, won

praise

Related Ideas:

praiseworthy

Definition:

To praise someone is to express admiration and honor for that person. Something that is praiseworthy is good and deserves to be praised.

• People praise God because of how great he is and because of all the amazing things he has done as the Creator and Savior of the world.
• Praise for God often includes being thankful for what he has done.
• Music and singing is often used as a way to praise God.
• Praising God is part of what it means to worship him.

Translation Suggestions:

• The term to "praise" could also be translated as to "speak well of" or to "highly honor with words" or to "say good things about."
• The noun "praise" could be translated as "spoken honor" or "speech that honors" or "speaking good things about."

(See also: worship)

Bible References:

• 2 Corinthians 01:03
• Acts 02:47
• Acts 13:48
• Daniel 03:28
• Ephesians 01:03
• Genesis 49:8
• James 03:9-10
• John 05:41-42
• Luke 01:46
• Luke 01:64-66
• Luke 19:37-38
• Matthew 11:25-27
• Matthew 15:29-31

Word Data:

• Strong's: H1288, H1289, H1319, H1984, H2142, H2167, H7121, H8416, G1392, G1843, G2127, G2128, G2129, G2980, G3170, G3853, G5485, G5567

Forms Found in the English ULB:

praise, praised, praises, praiseworthy, praising, sing praise, sing praises

pray

Related Ideas:

prayer

Definition:

The terms "pray" and "prayer" refer to talking with God. These terms are used to refer to people trying to talk to a false god.

• People can pray silently, talking to God with their thoughts, or they can pray aloud, speaking to God with their voice. Sometimes prayers are written down, such as when David wrote his prayers in the Book of Psalms.
• Prayer can include asking God for mercy, for help with a problem, and for wisdom in making decisions.
• Often people ask God to heal people who are sick or who need his help in other ways.
• People also thank and praise God when they are praying to him.
• Praying includes confessing our sins to God and asking him to forgive us.
• Talking to God is sometimes called "communing" with him as our spirit communicates with his spirit, sharing our emotions and enjoying his presence.
• This term could be translated as "talking to God" or "communicating with God." The translation of this term should be able to include praying that is silent.

(See also: god, forgive, praise)

Bible References:

• 1 Thessalonians 03:09
• Acts 08:24
• Acts 14:26
• Colossians 04:04
• John 17:09
• Luke 11:1
• Matthew 05:43-45
• Matthew 14:22-24

Word Data:

• Strong's: H577, H1156, H2470, H3908, H6279, H6293, H6419, H6739, H7592, H7879, H8034, H8605, G154, G1162, G1189, G1783, G2065, G2171, G2172, G3870, G4335, G4336

Forms Found in the English ULB:

heard ... prayer, pray, prayed, prayer, prayers, praying, prays, urgently pray

preach

Related Ideas: