Biblical Definitions

(Norville's Bible Dictionary)

PREFACE

This is a Bible Dictionary. This is a dictionary of words, terms, people, places, and things that are either in the Bible or are in some way related to the Bible. The definitions given here are Biblical definitions. The words and terms are defined in the way that the Bible uses them. In other fields these words and terms may carry different meanings. We are not concerned with those other meanings here. Here, we are only concerned with how God uses these words and terms in and relating to His Word.

In a standard dictionary, after the word, the pronunciation of the word, and what part of speech the word is (noun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, etc.), an etymology is usually given. The etymology shows the origin and line of development of the word. Within this etymology oftentimes, are the original meanings of the words that are the parts of the etymology. This is what the word actually means.

Following the etymology and the meanings of the words in the etymology, are the various ways that the word is used (and misused) in speaking and writing. Oftentimes there will be several “definitions.” Sometimes these “definitions” are numbered (1., 2., 3., etc.) and/or lettered (a., b., c., etc.).

It is important to understand when using a dictionary, that words can mean different things in different fields and different contexts. For example, if a person says that they “have a run,” it depends on the context of the conversation. If the person is talking about playing cards, this could mean 5 cards in numerical sequence. If the person is talking about dogs and kennels, this could mean an enclosed area where the dogs can move about freely. If it is a woman talking, and she is looking at her pantyhose, it could mean that her pantyhose have a cut, or hole, or a section that has become separated. If it is a long distance runner speaking, he could mean that he has some sort of a running race coming up.

A dictionary also gives definitions for various fields. The dictionary will say, “in music,” and give the definition of the word as it is used in the music field. The dictionary will say, “in law,” and give the definition of the word as it is used in the law field. The dictionary will say, “in medicine,” and give the definition of the word as it is used in the field of medicine. The dictionary will say, “in aviation,” and give the definition of the word as it is used in the aviation field. Etc., etc., etc.

A standard dictionary also gives definitions for “the fields” of “Christianity” and “the Bible.” The dictionary will say, “in Christianity,” and give the definition of the word as it is (supposedly) used in Christianity. The dictionary will say, “in the Bible,” and give the definition of the word as it is (supposedly) used in the Bible. The problem here is that the people who are usually writing the definitions for “in Christianity,” and “in the Bible,” and such related “fields,” don’t understand the Bible, and thus do not really understand how God is using these words and terms in His Word!

Therefore, (and this is the whole point of this preface), we cannot necessarily go by what a standard dictionary says when we are talking about words and terms that are in the Bible and Christianity, or related to the Bible and Christianity. We have to go by what God says in His Word. The Bible defines itself. In Bible-believing circles we say that, “Scripture interprets Scripture.”

With this having now been said, we can proceed to the Biblical Definitions.


adulterer -- a person who commits adultery.

adultery -- fornication where at least one of the people involved is married.

agnostic -- a person who claims that they don’t know if God exists or not.

Romans 1:18-22 says:

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.

The Word of God says here that all people know that God exists. The existence of God is manifest in them because God has shown it to them. The existence of God is clearly seen by all people, being understood by the things that are made (His creation). Everybody knows that God created the universe and all things in it, and that the things we see did not come into existence by some “Big Bang” and/or evolution. Even His eternal power and Godhead are clearly seen and understood by all people so that all people are without excuse.

The Word of God says that even though all people knew that God exists, some chose to not glorify Him as God and to be unthankful. They then became vain in their imaginations and they darkened their foolish hearts. Claiming to be wise, they became fools.

Therefore, all agnostics are fools and liars and cannot be trusted.

Assyrian Captivity -- the carrying away of the northern kingdom of Israel to Assyria in 722 B.C. when Shalmaneser V, the king of Assyria, conquered the northern kingdom of Israel and carried away its ten tribes to Assyria. This was the end of the northern kingdom of Israel as these tribes never returned to Israel and were “lost.” Because of this, these ten tribes are sometimes referred to as “the ten lost tribes of Israel.”

atheist -- a person who claims that they don’t believe that God exists.

Romans 1:18-22 says:

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.

The Word of God says here that all people know that God exists. The existence of God is manifest in them because God has shown it to them. The existence of God is clearly seen by all people, being understood by the things that are made (His creation). Everybody knows that God created the universe and all things in it, and that the things we see did not come into existence by some “Big Bang” and/or evolution. Even His eternal power and Godhead are clearly seen and understood by all people so that all people are without excuse.

The Word of God says that even though all people knew that God exists, some chose to not glorify Him as God and to be unthankful. They then became vain in their imaginations and they darkened their foolish hearts. Claiming to be wise, they became fools.

Therefore, all atheists are fools and liars and cannot be trusted.

Atonement, Day of -- the 10th day of the 7th month on the Jewish calendar (Ethanim or Tishri 10th). (definition to come)

Babylonian Captivity -- a period of 70 years (605 - 535 B.C.) which began when the Babylonian Empire conquered the southern kingdom of Judah and took some of the Jews captive to Babylon. It ended when the Persian Empire conquered the Babylonian Empire and allowed the Jews to return to their homeland of Judah.

bastard (illegitimate child) -- a child who is conceived (comes into existence) outside of wedlock. (A child who is “born” outside of wedlock may or may not be a bastard. If a married woman conceives a child in wedlock, and while pregnant gets divorced or becomes a widow, and then gives birth to the child while she is unmarried, the child is NOT a bastard.)

Booths, Feast of (see Tabernacles, Feast of ).

church -- The word “church” is used several different ways. (see church building, church service, local church, universal church )

church building -- a building where the local church (the pastor and the congregation) meets. Called “church” for short.

church service -- a meeting where people are gathered together to praise and worship God, to be taught the Word of God, to pray, to fellowship with each other, etc. Called “church” for short.

cubit -- a unit of measurement equal to the distance from the end of a man’s elbow to the tip of his middle finger. This varied slightly from one people to another as different peoples are of slightly different statures, but the average was about ½ of a meter.

days of unleavened bread -- the 13th day through the 21st day of the 1st month on the Jewish calendar (Abib or Nisan 13th through 21st). (Matthew 26:17; Mark 14:12; Luke 22:7; Acts 12:3; 20:6) Under the Old Covenant during the Day of Passover (Nisan 14th) and the Feast of Passover (Nisan 15th through 21st), the Jews were forbidden to eat, or even to have, any leavened bread in their homes (Exodus12:8,17-20). That is why this feast is sometimes called the “Feast of Unleavened Bread.” In order to make sure that there was no leaven in their homes by sunset on the 13th of Nisan (Sunset on the 13th would signify the start of the 14th.), the Jews made sure that there was no leaven in their homes by sunset on the 12th of Nisan (Sunset on the 12th would signify the start of the 13th.). This gave them a one day “cushion” before the 14th in case they found any leaven in their homes on the 13th. They also killed the Passover lamb and prepared for the Passover meal during the day of the 13th. Then when the evening arrived (meaning it was now the 14th) they all celebrated the Passover meal together.

Note: It is important to note that in the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible, words that are not in the original Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek are in italics. The italicized words are words that were added by the translators in order to make the text read smoothly in English. The translators did an outstanding job in translating the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek words into English. However, in some cases where they added the italicized words, the italicized words were added incorrectly. This is exactly why the translators added these words in italics. The translators wanted us to know that these words were not in the original languages that the Bible was written in. They wanted us to know that these italicized words were NOT inspired by God. They wanted us to know that these italicized words that they added may not be correct.

Dedication, Feast of the (see Hanukkah, Feast of).

divers (DIY-vers) -- Old English word for diverse (diy-VERS or di-VERS).

fault -- a flaw or weakness. A fault is NOT a sin.

feasts (sometimes called festivals ) -- There were three feasts instituted by God (Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles) under the Old Covenant. The Jews later added two of their own (Purim and Hanukkah), bringing the total number of feasts that the Jews celebrated to five. Under the New Covenant we no longer observe the three Old Covenant feasts that God instituted, and there are no New Covenant feasts instituted by God.

The three feasts instituted by God (Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles) were given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai with the rest of the Old Covenant commandments in 1445 B.C., and were a part of the Old Covenant. These three feasts are sometimes referred to as the “feasts of peregrination” because they required all the male Israelites to travel to Jerusalem to celebrate them. (Exodus 34:23; Leviticus 16:16) All three feasts began with a Sabbath Day and ended with a Sabbath Day. (The Feast of Pentecost was only a one day feast, so the feast was a Sabbath Day.)

The two feasts instituted by the Jews (Purim and Hanukkah) were first celebrated in 473 B.C. and 164 B.C. respectively, and were NOT a part of the Old Covenant.

While it is not wrong for a Christian to celebrate the Feast of Purim or the Feast of Hanukkah with the Jewish people, it is wrong for a Christian to observe any of the three God instituted Old Covenant feasts. Since all three Old Covenant feasts pointed to the coming of Jesus Christ, observing an Old Covenant feast is akin to saying that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, has not come yet.

(For a brief explanation of each of the five feasts, see each individual feast: i.e. Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles, Purim, Hanukkah .)

Note 1: The Day of Trumpets, the 1st day of the 7th month on the Jewish calendar, was NOT a feast day. Many so-called “Bible scholars” and “Bible study helps” wrongly refer to the Day of Trumpets as a feast day.

Note 2: Some Jews of today claim to still observe the three Old Testament feasts that were instituted by God. (Some even claim that there were more than three, but this is contrary to the written Word of God.) However, they do not observe them according to the commandments (including the dates) of the Old Testament of the Bible. Instead, they have made up their own traditions (including the dates) in “observing” them. They call them “Pesach” (pronounced PAY-sokk) for Passover, “Shavuot” (pronounced shah-VOO-oht) for Pentecost, and “Sukkot” (pronounced soo-KOHT) for Tabernacles. (There are various spellings and pronunciations for these Jewish words.)

festivals (see feasts ).

Firstfruits, Day of (Yom Bikkurim; yohm BIKK-ur-im) -- There were two different days of firstfruits under the Old Covenant. There was the Day of Firstfruits of the Barley Harvest , the 2nd day of the Feast of the Passover, which was the 16th day of the 1st month, Abib or Nisan 16th, and there was the Day of Firstfruits of the Wheat Harvest , the Feast of Pentecost, which was the 6th day of the 3rd month, Sivan 6th. There were exactly 7 weeks from the Day of Firstfruits of the Barley Harvest to the Day of Firstfruits of the Wheat Harvest. This is why the Day of Firstfruits of the Wheat Harvest is sometimes called the “Feast of Weeks.”

(For a brief explanation of each of the two days of firstfruits, see each individual day: i.e. Firstfruits of Barley Harvest, Firstfruits of Wheat Harvest .)

Firstfruits of Barley Harvest, Day of -- The Day of Firstfruits of Barley Harvest was the 2nd day of the Feast of Passover, Abib or Nisan 16th, which celebrated the reaping of the barley harvest by offering the firstfruits of the barley harvest unto the Lord. (Leviticus 23:7-14) The 1st day of the Feast of Passover, Abib or Nisan 15th, was a Sabbath Day (“a holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.,” verse 7), and the next day (“the morrow after the Sabbath,” verse 11), was the day that the firstfruits of the barley harvest were offered.

Note: There are some who have claimed that the only Sabbath Days mentioned in the Bible are the Weekly Sabbaths, the Saturday Sabbaths, and they deny the existence of the other seven Sabbath Days mentioned in the Old Testament. They say that “holy convocations” where “ye shall do no servile work therein” are not necessarily Sabbaths. Therefore, they conclude that the Day of Firstfruits of Barley Harvest was celebrated on the Sunday following the Weekly Sabbath that occurred during the Feast of Passover, thus being on a different date every year. This is implausible. Not only is the Word of God very clear that a “holy convocation” where “ye shall do no servile work therein” is a Sabbath Day (Leviticus 23:24-25), but this would mean that about once every seven years when the Feast of Passover began on a Sunday, that the Day of Firstfruits of Barley Harvest would be celebrated after the Feast of Passover had concluded! This is preposterous. This is error. This is contrary to the Word of God as the Day of Firstfruits of Barley Harvest is a part of the Feast of Passover.

Firstfruits of Wheat Harvest, Day of (see Pentecost, Feast of ).

fornication (sexual sin) -- any kind of sexual activity outside of marriage. (see What is Fornication?)

fornicator -- a person who commits fornication.

furlong -- a unit of measurement equal to 200 meters (400 cubits).

gigolo -- a whoremonger who receives payment for committing fornication. (Payment could be in any form such as money, food, clothing, housing, transportation, employment, entertainment, special favors, etc.)

Hanukkah, Feast of (Feast of the Dedication, Feast of Lights) -- the 25th day of the 9th month through the 2nd day of the 10th month on the Jewish calendar (Chislev 25th through Tebeth 2nd). (definition to come)

harlot (prostitute) -- a whore who receives payment for committing fornication. (Payment could be in any form such as money, food, clothing, housing, transportation, employment, entertainment, special favors, etc.)

Harvest, Feast of (see Pentecost, Feast of ).

holy kiss -- a kiss on the cheek.

homosexual -- a person who commits homosexuality.

homosexuality -- fornication where the people involved are of the same sex.

illegitimate child (bastard) -- a child who is conceived (comes into existence) outside of wedlock. (A child who is “born” outside of wedlock may or may not be an illegitimate child. If a married woman conceives a child in wedlock, and while pregnant gets divorced or becomes a widow, and then gives birth to the child while she is unmarried, the child is NOT an illegitimate child.)

Ingathering, Feast of (see Tabernacles, Feast of ).

kilometer -- a unit of measurement equal to 1,000 meters (5 furlongs). “Kilo” means “thousand.”

leaven -- fermented dough; dough with ferment in it. The ferment in the dough would normally be yeast.

leavened bread -- bread made with leaven (fermented dough) in it. The fermentation then spreads through the entire batch of dough causing the dough to rise.

liar -- a person who tells lies.

lie -- a false statement spoken by a person who knows it to be false. Lying is a sin.

Lights, Feast of (see Hanukkah, Feast of ).

local church -- a pastor and a congregation. Usually just called a “church.”

logos (LOH-gohs) -- the Greek word for the “written word (of God).”

Lord’s Day -- the first day of the week; Sunday. So named because this is the day of the week on which the Lord rose from the dead. (In Bible times a day went from sunset to sunset--approximately 6:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. It is true that Jesus rose from the dead just after sunset at the conclusion of the Weekly Sabbath (Saturday). But since it was after sunset, this would be Sunday, the first day of the week. Therefore, the Lord did rise from the dead on the first day of the week. On our modern calendar we change from one day to the next at midnight (12:00 A.M.). So on our modern calendar, Jesus’ rising from the dead would be said to have taken place just after 6:00 P.M. Saturday evening.)

Lots, Feast of (see Purim, Feast of ).

lust -- inordinate desire.

meter -- a unit of measurement that is 1/10,000,000 (one ten-millionth) of the distance from the equator to either the north or south pole. 1 meter = 2 cubits.

misspeak -- to say something incorrect accidentally. Misspeaking is NOT lying and thus is NOT a sin. (past tense--misspoke)

mistake -- an error that is committed accidentally. A mistake is NOT a sin.

Passover, Day of -- the 14th day of the 1st month on the Jewish calendar (Abib or Nisan 14th). (definition to come)

Passover, Feast of (Feast of Unleavened Bread) -- the 15th day through the 21st day of the 1st month on the Jewish calendar (Abib or Nisan 15th through 21st). (definition to come)

Pentecost, Feast of (Feast of Weeks, Feast of Harvest, Day of Firstfruits of Wheat Harvest) -- The Feast of Pentecost, or Feast of Weeks, or Feast of Harvest, or Day of Firstfruits of Wheat Harvest as it is sometimes called (Acts 2:1; Exodus 34:22; 23:16), was one of the three Old Testament feasts instituted by God. (The other two being the Feast of Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles.) This feast was a one day feast observed on the 6th day of the 3rd month on the Jewish calendar (Sivan 6th). We have no record of what the name of the 3rd month was originally, but from the time of the Babylonian Captivity on, the 3rd month was called “Sivan.” The word “Pentecost” is from the Greek word “pentecoste” (penn-tay-cahs-TAY) and means “fiftieth.” The feast was so named because it was observed on the 50th day after the 1st day of the Feast of Passover. Many “Bible study helps” say that Pentecost is “the fiftieth day after Passover.” But this is very loose and unclear terminology, as this could mean “50 days after the Day of Passover” (50 days after Nisan 14th), or “50 days after the beginning of the Feast of Passover” (50 days after Nisan 15th), or “50 days after the end of the Feast of Passover” (50 days after Nisan 21st). The Bible explains that the first day of the Feast of Passover is a Sabbath Day, and that the Feast of Pentecost is 50 days after this day. (Leviticus 23:7,15-16)

The Feast of Pentecost was a Sabbath Day (Leviticus 23:21) which celebrated the reaping of the wheat harvest by offering the firstfruits of the wheat harvest unto the Lord. (Exodus 34:22; Leviticus 23:16-20)

Note: There is a tradition which claims that Moses received the commandments of the Old Covenant from God on Mount Sinai on the day of the Feast of Pentecost (Sivan 6th) in 1445 B.C. Not only can this not be substantiated by the Bible, but Pentecost is only a one day feast, whereas Moses spent 40 days--twice--(for a total of 80 days) on Mount Sinai receiving the Old Testament commandments.

polyandrist -- a female who commits polyandry. King David’s wife, Michal, was a polyandrist. (I Samuel 18:27; 25:44; II Samuel 3:15-16)

polyandry -- the act or practice of having multiple (two or more) husbands at the same time. (Since the creation of Adam and Eve, this has always been a sin.)

polygamist -- a person who commits polygamy.

polygamy -- the act or practice of having multiple (two or more) spouses at the same time. (Since the creation of Adam and Eve, this has always been a sin.)

polygynist -- a male who commits polygyny.

polygyny -- the act or practice of having multiple (two or more) wives at the same time. (Since the creation of Adam and Eve, this has always been a sin.)

prostitute (harlot) -- a whore who receives payment for committing fornication. (Payment could be in any form such as money, food, clothing, housing, transportation, employment, entertainment, special favors, etc.)

Purim, Feast of (Feast of Lots) -- the 14th & 15th days of the 12th month on the Jewish calendar (Adar 14th & 15th). (definition to come)

rhema (RAY-muh) -- the Greek word for the “spoken word (of God).”

Sabbath -- a day of rest that was mandated under the Old Covenant. There were various Sabbath days observed under the Old Covenant, the most well-known of which, was the Weekly Sabbath which occurred every Saturday.

sexual sin (fornication) -- any kind of sexual activity outside of marriage. (see What is Fornication?)

sin -- the act of transgressing (breaking, disobeying) the Word of God--either the written Word (logos), or the spoken Word (rhema). A person cannot commit a sin “by accident.” Sinning is a willful act. A sin is NOT a mistake. A sin is NOT a fault. (see What is Sin?)

sinner -- This word is used two different ways in the Scriptures: 1) Sometimes it is used in the traditional sense of “one who sins.” In this sense it could apply to anyone who sins--unbelievers as well as believers who are committing sins. 2) Sometimes this word is used in referring to a person who is a sinner by nature --a person who is not born again and thus has the nature of sin in him. A person who has been born again is a Christian and is NOT a sinner by nature any more. The Bible says that such a person (a person who has been born again) has the nature of God inside of him and he is righteous by nature. A Christian is NOT “a sinner saved by grace,” and so should never confess this. A Christian has been saved by grace and thus is no longer a sinner.

Tabernacles, Feast of (Feast of Booths, Feast of Ingathering) -- the 15th day through the 22nd day of the 7th month on the Jewish calendar (Ethanim or Tishri 15th through 22nd). (definition to come)

Trumpets, Day of -- the 1st day of the 7th month on the Jewish calendar (Ethanim or Tishri 1st). (definition to come)

universal church -- all people who are Christians. Called “church” for short.

unleavened bread -- bread made without using leaven (fermented dough).

Unleavened Bread, Feast of (see Passover, Feast of ).

viper -- venomous snake.

Weekly Sabbath -- a day of rest that that was mandated under the Old Covenant and took place on the last day of the week; Saturday. So named to distinguish it from the seven other Sabbath days that were observed under the Old Covenant. The Weekly Sabbath Day has NEVER been moved to Sunday.

Weeks, Feast of (see Pentecost, Feast of ).

whore -- a female who commits fornication.

whoremonger -- a male who commits fornication.

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This page last updated July 6, 2008.