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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.
Psalm 105:16–22
[Bible Verses]This passage retells, as an act of God's providence, the story of Joseph, who was sold as a slave and imprisoned before becoming ruler in Egypt. It is frequently cited in discussions of suffering, refinement, and providence.
Leviticus 20:13
[Bible Verses]Leviticus 20:13 is a provision in Leviticus 20 that declares sexual relations between men an "abomination" and prescribes the death penalty. It is frequently cited alongside Leviticus 18:22 in church discussions of homosexuality, and interpreters differ over how far it applies today.
1 Peter 2:25
[Bible Verses]In this verse the apostle Peter tells suffering believers that they, once like sheep going astray, have now returned to Christ, "the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls." The verse concludes a passage that draws on Isaiah 53 and is frequently cited in discussions of conversion, shepherd imagery, and the office of bishop.
Ezekiel 34:11–16
[Bible Verses]Ezekiel 34:11–16 is a passage in which God promises that he himself will be the shepherd who seeks out, gathers, and cares for his scattered sheep. It is frequently cited in sermons on Jesus as the "good shepherd" and on the responsibilities of pastors.
Ephesians 1:3
[Bible Verses]Ephesians 1:3 is a verse praising God for having blessed believers with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. It opens the first passage of praise in Ephesians and is frequently cited in discussions of what Scripture means by "blessing."
Psalm 2:12
[Bible Verses]The final verse of Psalm 2, which warns the kings of the earth to submit to the king whom the LORD has installed ("the Son") and pronounces a blessing on those who take refuge in the LORD. It is widely read as a prophecy of Christ and is frequently discussed because of the difficulty of translating the Hebrew word rendered "Son."
Jeremiah 3:23
[Bible Verses]Jeremiah 3:23 is a verse in which the people confess that pagan worship on the hills is in vain and that the salvation of Israel is in the LORD alone. It is cited both as the confession of a repentant people and as a confession of faith expressing reliance on God alone.
The Good Shepherd
[Bible]The Good Shepherd is a figurative expression Jesus used of himself in John 10. It portrays the true leader as a shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep, in contrast to the hireling and the thief.
Purim
[Bible]Purim is a Jewish festival observed on the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month Adar to commemorate the deliverance of the Jews in the Persian period from Haman's plot to annihilate them. It is instituted in Esther 9.
Lampstand
[Bible]The lampstand was a furnishing of pure gold that stood in the Holy Place of the tabernacle and the temple. It had a single central shaft with six branches and held seven lamps. In Hebrew it is called the menorah.
Ephod
[Bible]The ephod was a vest-like outer garment worn by the high priest in the Old Testament. Priests also wore a linen ephod, and the ephod served as a means of inquiring of God's will.
Anointing
[Bible]Anointing is a biblical rite in which oil is poured on or applied to a person or object to set it apart for God. In the Old Testament it was performed when priests, kings, and prophets were installed, and the titles "Messiah" and "Christ" derive from this term.
Twelve Tribes of Israel
[Bible]The Twelve Tribes of Israel are the twelve divisions of the people of Israel descended from the twelve sons of Jacob (Israel). In the Old Testament they were the units by which the land was allotted and the people organized; in the New Testament they serve as a symbol of the whole people of God.
Herodians
[Bible]The Herodians were a group mentioned in the New Testament Gospels and are generally understood to have been supporters of the Herodian dynasty. They are portrayed as joining with the Pharisees in seeking to destroy Jesus or to entrap Him in His words.
Sadducees
[Bible]The Sadducees were a Jewish sect of the New Testament era centered on the high-priestly families and the aristocracy of the Jerusalem temple. Because they rejected the resurrection, angels, and spirits, they came into conflict with Jesus and the apostles.
Essenes
[Bible]The Essenes were a Jewish sect active around the time of Jesus, known for their communal life and strict purity regulations. They are not named in the Bible and are known from extra-biblical sources such as Josephus and Philo.
Samaritans
[Bible]The Samaritans were a people who lived in the region of Samaria in central Palestine, regarded Mount Gerizim as their place of worship, and accepted only the Five Books of Moses as Scripture. In the New Testament period they were bitterly at odds with the Jews.
Hellenistic Jews
[Bible]The Hellenistic Jews were a group mentioned in the book of Acts: Jews whose primary language was Greek, generally those who had lived outside Palestine before coming to Jerusalem. They were found both within and outside the early church.
Adonai
[Bible]Adonai is a Hebrew word meaning "my Lord," used in the Old Testament as a title for God. In Judaism, readers did not pronounce the divine name (YHWH) directly but substituted this word in its place.