Questions tagged [word-study]
Investigation into the meaning or use of an individual word across a specific Biblical text or collection. This can include etymology, morphology, and usage as the word appears in text. This should not be exhaustive for all uses through the entire Bible or testament for frequently used words.
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The Greek word "Stauros" does it mean Cross or Stake?
Cross or Stake: which is the better translation of the Greek?
Example of the use of "Stake."
NWT Matthew 16:24 "Then Jesus said to his disciples: “If anyone wants to come after me, let him disown ...
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In Jeremiah 29:8 what kind of dream was Israel not to listen to?
In Jeremiah, which dreams is God saying to not listen to?
NKJV, Jeremiah 29:8 - For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your ...
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Can men kill/take away our ψυχὴν (psychēn) or not? Matthew 10:28 vs. other passages (word study)
A.
And be not afraid of those killing the body, and are not able to kill the soul [psychēn], but fear rather Him who is able both soul [psychēn] and body to destroy in gehenna
[Matthew 10:28 YLT]
vs....
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In what sense does Paul use the word sanctify in 1 Corinthians 7:14?
(KJV)1 Corinthians 7:14
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
Can a ...
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What is the meaning of "Let" in the phrase "Let there be light"?
Genesis 1:3 (KJV)
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
What's the meaning of the word "let"?
Is the meaning closer to:
cause/effect, i.e. physics-related; or
allow/permit (cf), ...
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What is the exact meaning of הׇיְתָה in Genesis 1:2?
In the first clause of Genesis 1:2 there is a verb הׇיְתָה. Some versions translate it as "was" when it also bears the meaning "to become" and many more. My question is what should הׇיְחׇה be ...
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"In A Beginning" vs. "In THE beginning"? Different implications?
Possibly the most famous phrase in the Hebrew Bible is: "In the beginning." Anyone can recite it without ever having read the Hebrew Bible. But is that the accurate translation? With a background in ...
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Is conscience (συνείδησις) a particularly Pauline idea?
At the end of Hebrews (13:18) Autor petitions his hearers: "Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things." (ESV)
I was reading this recently ...
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In 1 Corinthians 15:28 what does it mean that Jesus is "subjected"?
In this quote from Paul's writings about the post resurrection Jesus; how can Jesus be "subjected" to God if he is God? What does the Greek word for "subjected" mean?
MLVBL 1 Cor. 15:27-28 "But ...
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In what way is the Christ "made a curse" in Gal 3:13?
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree” (Gal 3:13 ESV)
This verse has always intrigued me, especially ...
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What does the phrase "uncleanliness in her" refer to in Deuteronomy 24:1?
Deuteronomy 24:1 (KJV)
When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her ...
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In the New Testament, What is the Origin of "Believe In" and "Believe Into"?
Is there any Extra-Biblical source, (in Classical Greek, or Semitic sources), or a syntactical rule, behind the construction: ["πιστεύων ἐν" and "πιστεύων εἰς" + "Some Leader"]* — Or, is this ...
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In Luke 2:34-35, Is Simeon's Dedication Blessing Sympathetic towards Mary, or Against Her?
Related To: "In Luke 2, Whose Soul is Simeon Suggesting Will be “Pierced”?", (SE Link).
The Question
Given the context and contents of Simeon's "blessing" at Jesus' dedication -
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Is "rape" the correct interpretation of the "עִנִּיתָֽהּ" in Deuteronomy 21:10-14?
Deuteronomy 21:10-14 (NAU)
When you go out to battle against your enemies, and the LORD your God delivers them into your hands and you take them away captive, and see among the captives a beautiful ...
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1 Corinthians 15:6 - What does "Fallen Asleep" really mean?
I'm trying to get a precise meaning /translation to the word ἐκοιμήθησαν from 1 Corinthians 15: 6 that seems to be ancient greek since os took from original greek manuscripts.
I've looked for greek ...
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Is there any fundamental difference between the "spirit" of a human being ("breath of life") and the "spirit" of a disembodied (evil) spirit?
Simply put, I'm interested in knowing if there is any difference at all (in a fundamental sense) between two uses of the word "spirit":
Context 1: "spirit" in the context of the ...
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The word “expanse” in Genesis 1:6-8
In reading Genesis 1:6-8, my understanding from Genesis 1:6 was that the contextual meaning of "the expanse" was a land that separates waters from waters. In 1:7 it seems to be about separation of ...
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John 1:18 can monogenes theos refer to God? [duplicate]
Apparently there are several variations of the verse from John 1:18, but the main difference between the different renderings is the μονογενὴς θεός (monogenes theos, "the only God") versus ὁ ...
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In John 1:14 what is meant by "glory as of an only begotten of a father"?
[John 1:14 YLT] (14) And the Word [IE: "utterance"] became flesh, and did tabernacle among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of an only begotten of a father, full of grace and truth.
[...
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In Proverbs 31:1 what is meant by "oracle" (מַשָּׂא, χρηματισμός)?
NET Bible Proverbs 31:1 The words of King Lemuel,
an oracle (מַשָּׂא) that his mother taught him:
LXX οἱ ἐμοὶ λόγοι εἴρηνται ὑπὸ θεοῦ βασιλέως χρηματισμός ὃν ἐπαίδευσεν ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ
BHS ...
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What is the significance of Acts 10:13, 11:7 "make sacrificial slaughter"
The verses say,
και εγενετο φωνη προς αυτον αναστας πετρε θυσον και φαγε
and became a sound/voice to him arise Peter make-sacrificial-slaughter and eat
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Revelation: Why might John use word frequency patterns - do they to convey hermeneutic meaning?
Richard Bauckham observes how John uses certain words and phrases either four times, seven times, or two times, along with certain multiples, such as fourteen and twenty-eight. Gregory K. Beale ...
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Should Jehovah or Yahweh be the English text of the New Testament? [closed]
Should God’s name Jehovah or Yahweh appear in the English New Testament text were there is a quote from the Old Testament, for example at Matthew 22:44 & Romans 10:13?
Roman 10:13
“For all ...
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Philippians 2:12 - How should "Work Out" be interpreted?
1. Question
In Phil 2:12, How should "Work" be translated, and why is "Out" injected?
Setting aside doctrinal presuppositions of faith/work/eternal salvation --
Phil 2:12, NASB - ...
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Is the Valley of Hinnom adequately translated as hell? [closed]
Transliteration vs. Translation vs.Travesty vs. Allegory
Gehenna or Valley of Hinnom or Djennem or Hell?
Through the prophecy and book of Jeremiah the Valley of Hinnom (ge hinnom) east of Jerusalem ...
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Why does Job use "bless" to mean "curse"?
This is bizarre to me, and as far as I can find HALOT (a Hebrew lexicon) doesn't even mention it.1 There are 8 instances of brk – the normal word for "bless" – in Job.2 The ESV is ...
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The lexicology of Pharaoh's heart
In the narrative of Exodus 4-14 (spanning from the time of Moses's initial assignment until the crossing of the Red Sea), there are three different verbs used to describe the action against and/or the ...
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Did Jesus read minds or perceive them?
In this passage, most English translations say "knowing their thoughts". In the footnote it says "perceiving" their thoughts. I feel like this is a pretty monumental difference as perceiving thoughts ...
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What evidence is there that "morphe theou" in Philippians 2:6 means "God's nature"?
Is there any evidence that μορφῇ θεοῦ (morphe theou) in Philippians 2:6 means the "nature" of God the Father?
ὃς ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ, — SBLGNT
Several ...
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What is the difference between "eretz" and "adamah" in Gen 2:6?
These two words are variably translated as ground, earth, land etc. How should we understand the difference between the words in this passage?
Genesis 2:6
And a mist was going up from the land (...
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In Matthew 18:34, what does the Greek word βασανισταῖς (“torturers”) mean?
At the end of the parable of the unmerciful servant, the master has him jailed and handed over to be tortured:
34 And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should ...
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How did “Sirens” arise in the Septuagint translation of Isaiah 13:21?
I am reading in the book of Isaiah at chapter 13 verse 21 in the King James Bible , and I notice in this bible, and in other English bible translations, that owls and jackals are commonly mentioned.
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What does the word harpagmos mean in Philippians 2:6?
MOUNCE renders it:
who, although he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with
God a thing to be grasped,
Westcott and Hort / [NA27 variants] ὃς ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων οὐχ
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Are bats described as birds?
Leviticus 11:13,19 reads:
And these you shall detest among the birds . . . the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture . . . and the bat. (ESV translation)
Does the bible describe bats as ...
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In Romans 11:4 why did Paul use χρηματισμός to introduce his quotation from the Elijah narrative?
Romans 11:4 (NA28 | ESV):
ἀλλὰ τί λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ χρηματισμός; κατέλιπον ἐμαυτῷ ἑπτακισχιλίους ἄνδρας, οἵτινες οὐκ ἔκαμψαν γόνυ τῇ Βάαλ.
But what is God’s reply to him? (literally: what does the ...
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What factors define meaning of "little ones" in Deuteronomy?
In Deu. 20:13-14, it is written,
13 And when the Lord your God gives it into your hand, you shall put all its males to the sword, 14 but the women and the little ones, the livestock, and everything ...
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What are the "stones of fire" in Ezekiel 28?
An interesting phrase occurs in Ezekiel 28:14:
You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.
and again in ...
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How should Ezekiel 3:19 be translated, "delivered your soul" or "saved your life"?
I'm trying to understand the "Watchman" passage in Ezekiel 3:16-21 (largely repeated in 33:1-9). Excerpting from 3:18-19 (ESV):
If....you give him no warning....in order to save his life (ləḥayyōtô)...
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What basis do we have for defining Sabbatismos in Hebrews 4:9?
The word, Sabbatismos occurs in the Greek NT only once.
Strongest Strong's defines it as Sabbath rest; Sabbath observance.
Thayer's/Strong's defines it as a Sabbath keeping.
Various English ...
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Does the word Satan ever show up in the New Testament?
Satan is a Hebrew word that means adversary. The New Testament is written in Greek.
So I guess not.
It seems that they have another word. Diabolos or something that means the devil.
Is that devil ...
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What does it mean "to quench" in 1 Thessalonians 5:19?
In 1 Thessalonians 5:19 we read:
Quench not the Spirit. (KJV)
According to Strong's, "Quench" is the word 4570 σβέννυμι, which means "I extinguish, quench, I suppress, thwart."
The dictionary ...
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In Romans 2:9-10 and Romans 2:14 does Paul use ἔθνη and Ἕλληνες interchangeably?
I'm trying to figure out if ἔθνη (Gentiles) and Ἕλληνες (Greeks)1 envision different (presumably overlapping) groups, emphasize different aspects of the same group, or are simply interchangeable.2,3
...
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What exactly is meant by "works" in John 14:12?
John is, in my honest opinion, one of the most fascinating books of the Bible. This fascinating aspect of John often comes attached with a difficulty of interpretation as well. My concern starts with ...
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Matthew 16:24 & Hebrews 12:2 > What are the possible interpretations of the σταυρός (cross) in Greek in the Bible?
Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his σταυρὸν and follow me.
Hebrews 12:2
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our ...
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What is the meaning of "Lechem Oini" "לֶחֶם עֹנִי"?
Deuteronomy 16:3
לא תֹאכַל עָלָיו חָמֵץ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תֹּאכַל עָלָיו מַצּוֹת לֶחֶם
עֹנִי כִּי בְחִפָּזוֹן יָצָאתָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לְמַעַן תִּזְכֹּר אֶת
יוֹם צֵאתְךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם כֹּל יְמֵי ...
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In Romans 6:7, why is δεδικαίωται translated "freed" in many English versions?
Romans 6:7 invariably discusses a believer's freedom from sin in most English translations:
NET ©
(For someone who has died has been freed from sin.)
NIV ©
because anyone who has died has ...
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What does λῃστής [= lēstēs] mean in Mark 11:17?
Mark 11:17 reads (NET emphasis mine):
καὶ ἐδίδασκεν καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς· οὐ γέγραπται ὅτι ὁ οἶκος μου οἶκος προσευχῆς κληθήσεται πᾶσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν; ὑμεῖς δὲ πεποιήκατε αὐτὸν σπήλαιον λῃστῶν.
Then he ...
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Is κεχαριτωμένη synonymous with πλήρης χάριτος?
Is κεχαριτωμένη synonymous with πλήρης χάριτος?
Why did Jerome translate the Greek word κεχαριτωμένη into Latin as gratia plena (full of grace) in Luke 1:28?
καὶ εἰσελθὼν πρὸς αὐτὴν εἶπεν Χαῖρε, ...
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To what do the "parchments" (and tangentially the "books") refer in 2 Tim 4:13?
The Scripture in Question
In 2 Timothy 4:13 it says this (NKJV):
Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come—and the
books, especially the parchments.
The Greek is the ...
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Hebrews 8:12 - Does God actually forget?
Hebrews 8:12
For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
Does this verse indicate that recall of certain items becomes impossible in ...
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