VCE Classical Hebrew key terms

A binding agreement or covenant between two parties, often solemnised with promises and obligations; used of agreements between people and of God's pledged relationship with Israel.

Steadfast loyalty and generous kindness shown within a relationship; often describes God's faithful commitment to a covenant partner rather than a passing emotion.

Rightness in relation to a standard, whether of God's saving justice or of human conduct; in covenant contexts it means acting faithfully toward the other party.

A legal decision, the act of judging, or the body of customary law; can also mean the justice that a society ought to practise.

Instruction or teaching, especially the body of divine command given through Moses; the word covers guidance for living, not only legal rules.

A single commandment or charge laid on a person or community; the plural mitsvot refers to the whole set of commanded obligations.

A prescribed statute or fixed limit, often a rule whose reason is not explained; distinguished from mishpat, which is usually a case-based judgement.

A testimony or solemn witness, used especially of the tablets or ark that attest to the covenant terms; it implies something that stands as evidence.

That which is set apart from ordinary use and belongs to the divine sphere; the opposite of common or profane, and the root behind 'holy' and 'sanctuary'.

A paired status describing fitness or unfitness for contact with holy things; purity is a ritual condition, not simply a moral one.

To cover over, wipe away, or make atonement for guilt; used of rites that restore a broken relationship between people and God.

An offering brought near to the altar; the word comes from the root meaning 'to draw close' and covers animal, grain, and drink offerings.

A raised structure for presenting sacrifices; constructed of earth, stone, or bronze depending on the passage and its setting.

A person who speaks on God's behalf, often conveying warning or promise; the role includes both foretelling and forth-telling to a contemporary audience.

Wind, breath, or spirit; context decides which sense is meant, and the word can describe God's empowering presence or a person's vitality.

Life, self, or living being; the word refers to the whole person as alive rather than to a separable soul.

The heart, treated in biblical idiom as the seat of thought, intention, and decision as well as feeling; the inner directing centre of a person.

To fear or hold in awe; in covenant settings the word often means reverent obedience rather than terror, and the participle describes God-fearers.

To miss the mark, go wrong, or incur guilt; used both of moral failure and of the guilt that results and requires expiation.

To turn, return, or turn back; a key verb for repentance, describing a change of direction away from wrongdoing toward God.

A word, speech, or matter; the range includes spoken utterance, a thing or event, and the prophetic message as a whole.

To say or speak; extremely frequent in narrative and in speech introductions, and often marks the start of direct discourse.

To call, summon, proclaim, or give a name; the sense depends on the preposition that follows, so read the phrase rather than the verb alone.

A name, but also reputation and the revealed character of a person; in religious usage it can stand for God's presence and authority.

Weight, honour, or glory; of God it denotes the visible radiance of divine presence, and of people it means standing and respect.

A servant or slave; the word can describe bonded service, royal officials, or a chosen figure whose whole life is at another's disposal.

A people or nation, usually understood as a group bound by kinship, land, or covenant rather than simply a crowd of individuals.

A nation or people; in later usage it commonly means a people other than Israel, so check the passage's setting before assuming that sense.

Land, territory, or the earth; the promised land is a central referent, but the word can also mean soil or the whole inhabited world.

A long age or unending duration; the word marks extent of time rather than a philosophical notion of timelessness.

A generation, or the people living at one time; used in phrases about continuity across successive generations.

Narrative wayyiqtol forms meaning 'and he said' and 'and it came about'; they typically carry a story forward and mark sequence in prose.

The conjunction 'and', prefixed to words; with a prefixed imperfect it forms the wayyiqtol, the standard narrative verb of Hebrew prose.

Literally 'in the beginning'; the opening word of Genesis and the conventional Hebrew title of that book.

A liturgical cry meaning 'praise Yah', that is, praise the Lord; it appears in psalms as an opening or closing call to worship.

An untranslated marker in the Psalms, probably a musical or liturgical direction; its exact meaning is uncertain and this is acknowledged in scholarship.

A proverb, parable, or taunt saying; the word names a short comparison or pointed saying rather than a narrative story.

Skill, practical wisdom, or discernment; used of craftsmen's ability as well as of moral insight and the personified wisdom of Proverbs.

The Hebrew title of the book of Psalms, meaning 'praises'; individual psalms are often introduced by a superscription giving author or setting.