Altar

"altar." This noun has cognates in Aramaic, Syriac, and Arabic. In each of these languages the consonantal root is mdbh. Mizbeah occurs about 396 time…

Circumcise (To)

"to circumcise, cut off." This verb occurs more than 30 times in the Old Testament. Its usage is continued in rabbinic and modern Hebrew. However, the…

Congregation

"congregation." This word may have etymologically signified a "company assembled together" for a certain purpose, similar to the Greek words synagoge …

Death

"death." This word appears 150 times in the Old Testament. The word mawet occurs frequently as an antonym of hayyîm ("life"): "I call heaven and earth…

Die (To)

"to die, kill." This verb occurs in all Semitic languages (including biblical Aramaic) from the earliest times, and in Egyptian. The verb occurs about…

Fear (To)

"to be afraid, stand in awe, fear." This verb occurs in Ugaritic and Hebrew (both biblical and post-biblical). The Bible attests it approximately 330 …

Go Forth

"to come forth, go out, proceed, go forth, bring out, come out." This verb occurs in all Semitic languages, including biblical Aramaic and Hebrew. It …

Go Out (To)

"to come forth, go out, proceed, go forth, bring out, come out." This verb occurs in all Semitic languages, including biblical Aramaic and Hebrew. It …

God

"god." This term was the most common general designation of deity in the ancient Near East. While it frequently occurred alone, ’el was also combined …

Hasten

"to hasten; make haste." This verb, along with various derivatives, is common to both ancient and modern Hebrew. It occurs approximately 70 times in t…

Hasten (To)

"to hasten, make haste." This verb and various derivatives are common to both ancient and modern Hebrew. Mahar occurs approximately 70 times in the He…

Instruction

"instruction; chastisement; warning." This noun occurs 50 times, mainly in Proverbs. The first occurrence is in Deut 11:2: "…I speak not with your chi…

Make Haste

"to hasten, make haste." This verb and various derivatives are common to both ancient and modern Hebrew. Mahar occurs approximately 70 times in the He…

Make Haste (To)

"to hasten; make haste." This verb, along with various derivatives, is common to both ancient and modern Hebrew. It occurs approximately 70 times in t…

Slaughter (To)

"to slaughter, sacrifice." This word is a common Semitic term for sacrifice in general, although there are a number of other terms used in the Old Tes…

Wonder

"wonder; sign; portent." The 36 appearances of this word are in all periods of biblical literature except wisdom literature. Poetical literature manif…