The Greek term onoma takes on a very important place in the N.T. (a) Sometimes, by a figure known a metonymy, the name stands for the person himself. To trust in the Lord's name is to trust the Lor...

This book contains the inspired record of Israel's final return from the Babylonian captivity. The leader of the trek was Nehemiah, who brought the Hebrews back in 444 B.C. It is the story of the r...

This expression takes its rise from the language employed by Christ in his conversation with Nicodemus (Jn. 3:1ff). The facts regarding the "new birth" are these. (a) It is an absolutely essential ...

The fourth book of the Pentateuch, Numbers, derives its title from the fact that a census of the Israelite people was taken after they had departed from Egypt. There were some 603,550 men, above th...

The descendants of Esau (brother of Jacob) were the Edomites. They settled in the region southeast of Palestine. They became a tribe that was very hostile to the Israelite people, providing comfort...

The English word "obey" translates both Hebrew and Greek words that express parallel ideas: listening and being attentive to someone who possesses authority. Thus, the words suggest an active respo...

The Old Testament, the revered Hebrew Bible, is a divine collection of thirty-nine books. These books, inspired by God (Mt. 22:31-32; 2 Tim. 3:15-17), were produced over a period of about 1,000 yea...

This word derives from the Greek -- pan ("all") and theos ("God"). Traditionally, the term reflects a religious theory that suggests the entire Universe is endowed with the nature of God.  God is ...

The Greek word eirene ("peace") may derive from an original term meaning, "to weave together." This is a very significant Bible word. (a) There is a peace to be sought with God. Sin has separated m...

The day of Pentecost was an annual Jewish festival which came fifty days (the word signifies "fiftieth") after the Passover celebration (Lev. 23:15-21; Dt. 16:9-12). It was known also as the feast ...

Peter addressed this letter to "the elect," i.e., Christians, who are dispersed in Asia Minor. The main theme of the epistle is explicitly stated. He urges the brethren to "stand fast" in the "grac...

Peter's second letter is a caustic warning regarding false teachers who are promoting "destructive heresies" (2:1). The false teaching concerns the nature of Christ, sensual indulgence, the coming ...

Praise, in the highest sense of the term, is a feeling toward, and/or outward expression of, devotion to deity. It acknowledges thanksgiving for Heaven's glorious creation, beneficent providence, a...

See ELECT.

A priest is one who offers sacrifice and ministers in services pertaining thereto (cf. Heb. 5:1). This term implies recognition of sin and the need for atonement, in some fashion or another. (a) Th...

There are three kindred words in the Greek N.T. that represent the idea of "propitiation." Two are nouns -- hilasmos (1 Jn. 2:2; 4:10) and hilasterion (Rom. 3:25; Heb. 9:5), and the third is the ve...

The Greek word psallo is found five times in the N.T. It is rendered by the English terms "sing" (Rom. 15:9; 1 Cor. 14:15; Jas. 5:13), and "make melody" (Eph. 5:19). In the era of classical Greek (...

Psalms is a collection of 150 songs of praise, authored by a variety of writers (seventy-three are attributed to David). They celebrate the Lord's power of creation and his sovereignty over nature....

"Prophecy" is a message from God; the act of bringing forth that message is "prophesying." "Prophecy" derives from a compound Greek term consisting of pro ("forth") and phemi, "to speak," hence, "t...

The book of Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings, many of which were written by Solomon, king of Israel (cf. 1 Kgs. 4:32), and addressed to his son (presumably Rehoboam). The material within th...