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Hebrews 11:17–19
[Bible Verses]A passage in the roll of the faithful in Hebrews 11 that treats Abraham's offering of Isaac. It is regarded as an example of faith in the resurrection amid the tension between God's promise and his command, and it is frequently cited as a basis for reading the offering of Isaac as a foreshadowing of the death and resurrection of Christ.
Bronze Serpent
[Bible]The bronze serpent was a serpent of bronze that Moses made at God's command and set on a pole so that Israelites bitten by fiery serpents in the wilderness might live. The account appears in Numbers 21, and in John 3 it becomes an image pointing to the cross of Jesus.
Romans 8:32
[Bible Verses]A verse in which Paul argues that, because God gave up his own Son, he will also graciously give believers all things. It is frequently quoted as an assurance of God's love, and interpreters differ over the extent of the atonement and the meaning of "all things."
Job 9:32–33
[Bible Verses]A passage in which Job laments that there is no "daysman," or arbiter, to decide between God and himself. Christian tradition often reads it as an expression of longing for Christ the Mediator, and the passage also raises questions of translation and textual tradition.
Psalm 51:16–17
[Bible Verses]A passage from Psalm 51, traditionally known as David's psalm of repentance, in which the psalmist confesses that the sacrifice God desires is not an animal offering but "a broken and a contrite heart." It is frequently cited in discussions of worship and repentance that place the heart before outward form.
Parable of the Tares
[Bible]The Parable of the Tares is a parable of Jesus about the kingdom of God and the final judgment. In it, an enemy sows tares in a wheat field, and the owner lets them grow alongside the wheat until the harvest. It appears only in the Gospel of Matthew.
Levites
[Bible]The Levites were members of the Israelite tribe descended from Levi, the son of Jacob. Rather than receiving land as an inheritance, they were set apart for the work of the tabernacle and the temple. Among them, the descendants of Aaron became priests.
Midian
[Bible]Midian was a people said to descend from Midian, the son of Abraham and Keturah. In the Bible they appear both as the family into which Moses married and, during the period of the judges, as an enemy that oppressed Israel.
The Love Chapter
[Bible]The Love Chapter is the name given to 1 Corinthians 13 in the New Testament. In this chapter Paul describes, in an almost hymnlike manner, the necessity, character, and permanence of love as a more excellent way than the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Hallelujah
[Bible]Hallelujah is a Hebrew exclamation meaning "Praise the LORD." In the Old Testament it appears only in the Psalms, and in the New Testament only in Revelation 19. Today it is widely used in churches as an expression of praise and as a greeting.
Dead Sea Scrolls
[Bible]The Dead Sea Scrolls are ancient Jewish documents discovered beginning in 1947 in caves around Qumran, northwest of the Dead Sea. They include the oldest extant Hebrew manuscripts of the Old Testament and are an important resource for the study of the biblical text.
Paradise
[Bible]Paradise is a New Testament term for the place where the righteous dead are with Christ, or for the blessed place where God dwells. The word derives from a term originally meaning "an enclosed garden."
Antichrist
[Bible]In the Epistles of John, "antichrist" refers to anyone who denies or opposes Christ. Christian tradition has linked the term to an adversary expected at the end of the age and has interpreted it in a variety of ways.
Davidic Covenant
[Bible]The Davidic covenant is God's promise, delivered to David through the prophet Nathan, to establish his house (dynasty) and throne forever. It forms an important foundation for Old Testament messianic expectation and for the New Testament understanding of Jesus.
Casting Lots
[Bible]Casting lots was a customary way of settling matters that people found difficult to decide for themselves by drawing marked objects. In the Bible it was used to divide land, assign duties, and choose an apostle, and its outcome was accepted as the will of God.
Shamgar
[People]Shamgar is a figure from the period of the judges recorded in the Book of Judges. Coming after Ehud, he is said to have delivered Israel by killing six hundred Philistines with an ox goad.
Agag
[People]Agag was a king of the Amalekites during the reign of King Saul. First Samuel 15 records that Saul disobeyed God's command by sparing him, an act that led to Saul's rejection as king.
Maachah
[People]Maachah was the wife of Rehoboam, king of Judah, and the mother of Abijah (Abijam). During the reign of King Asa, she was removed from her position as queen mother for making an abominable image for Asherah.
Necho
[People]Necho was a king (pharaoh) of Egypt in the late seventh century BC. After King Josiah of Judah died at Megiddo in an encounter with him, Necho replaced the king of Judah. He was later defeated by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon at the Battle of Carchemish.
Lawyer (New Testament)
[Bible]In the New Testament, especially the Gospel of Luke, a lawyer was an expert who studied and interpreted the Law of Moses. The best-known example is the lawyer who asked Jesus how to inherit eternal life, which prompted the parable of the Good Samaritan.