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The ABCs

of Old Testament Terms

ARTICLE: 12 MINUTES

As with many thick books, reading the Old Testament is a commitment. Yet the story you will find within it is worthy of every effort you give to reading it.

As you read the Old Testament, you will come across concepts that are foreign to you and themes that may not be immediately apparent upon your first reading. We hope that in giving you some descriptions and definitions of such things here, you will be better equipped to understand and therefore enjoy what you are reading when you open the Old Testament.

If you enjoy this list and want to learn more terms related to the Old Testament, you can check out the ABCs of Leviticus. If you finish the Old Testament and are ready to begin the Newt Testament, check out our ABCs of New Testament Terms for New Bible Readers.

The list below is limited, not comprehensive. Many of the words below are themes that develop in the Old Testament and carry through to the New. Some terms below find their significance in the cultural setting of the Bible, so learning them will help you better follow the story of the Old Testament which unfurled in a time and place in many ways very different from our own.

We hope this list aids you as you discover the Bible, and somehow deepens your study of Scripture, ultimately leading you to trust and treasure Jesus more.

Jump to a Certain Letter:

Anoint

To anoint someone is to set them apart for special ministry or service (e.g., priests, prophets, kings), or to dedicate an item to a certain task. The Israelites dedicated the furniture in the Tabernacle by smearing or pouring anointing oil on that item. Similarly, dedicating someone to a special ministry would include pouring anointing oil on their head. This anointing often signified the presence of the Holy Spirit (e.g., 1 Samuel 16:13). It was also a cultural practice to anoint special guests (e.g., Psalm 23:5). God’s promised Messiah literally means “anointed one” in Hebrew.

Barrenness

In ancient times, a woman’s value was often tied to her ability to bear children. Thus, barrenness was a heavy trial for any woman to endure. A woman who was barren was seen (wrongly!) as cursed by God. However, God often used barren women to dramatically display his power by giving them children despite their physical limitations. Women like Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah, and Samson’s mother were all barren before God opened their wombs.

Covenant

A covenant is a binding promise between two people. In the ancient world, covenants came with stipulations. The Old Testament records several covenants that God made with individuals (e.g., Noah, Abraham, David) and with Israel during Moses’ leadership. This “Mosaic covenant” is the central framework of the Old Testament. The Israelites were meant to be a special people devoted to God and given to unique activities and events that mark this covenantal relationship like ceremonial laws, sacrifices, and rituals. But this covenant was conditioned upon Israel’s obedience to it, as Deuteronomy 28 affirms. This old covenant precedes and foreshadows the new covenant that is inaugurated with Jesus’ death on the cross.

Deliverance

The Old Testament often portrays salvation in terms of the physical deliverance of God’s people from their enemies, like when the Israelites were saved from Egyptian slavery (Exodus 18:10). In fact, this exodus from Egypt is the grand act of God’s salvation in the Old Testament, and God uses it dozens of times to remind the Israelites of his salvation (e.g., Psalm 81:5-7). This physical deliverance from slavery mirrors the spiritual deliverance from bondage to sin that Jesus accomplished for us, as explained in the New Testament (e.g., Galatians 1:4).

Ebenezer

During the leadership of Samuel, the Israelites enjoyed a revival and turned back to God after centuries of vacillating in their allegiance to him. This reformation included military victories over their arch nemesis at the time, the Philistines, wherein Israel recaptured the ark of the covenant and reclaimed several lost cities (1 Samuel 6-7). To commemorate these victories, Samuel set up a stone of remembrance which he named Ebenezer, which literally means “stone of help” in Hebrew (1 Samuel 7:12).
Learn more: What Is an Ebenezer?

Firstborn

In ancient near east culture, the firstborn male in a family had significant advantages, like receiving a double portion of the inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:17) and being “consecrated” before God (Exodus 13:1-2 ESV). However, while “firstborn” can mean the first child in sequence, in the Old Testament it often figuratively means the most significant. For example, Israel is called God’s firstborn (Exodus 4:22), and David, despite being Jesse’s eighth son, is called firstborn (Psalm 89:27). The “firstborn” theme in the Old Testament foreshadows Jesus being the ultimate “firstborn” Son of God, who receives the inheritance and ultimate blessing of God, which he pours out on all who trust in him (Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:15, 18; Hebrews 1:6; Revelation 1:5).

Glory

God’s glory is a dominant Old Testament theme first coming to prominence during the Israelite enslavement in Egypt and God’s stern dealing with Pharaoh (Exodus 14:4). God’s glory was often represented by thick smoke, supernatural fire, and earthquakes (e.g., Exodus 19:18). God’s glory represents all his goodness and holiness, the sum of who he is. In a related way, it refers to the honor that is due him and no one else (Isaiah 42:8).

Hosts

God is called the “Lord of hosts” over 200 times in the Old Testament (e.g., 1 Samuel 15:2 ESV). The Hebrew for “hosts” means armies, which could mean earthly armies, but is most often associated with angelic forces when speaking of God (e.g., Psalm 103:20-21; 148:2). This language is usually employed in military terms and refers to the “many millions” of angels under God’s command (Daniel 7:10 NLT).

Idolatry

The besetting sin of the Israelites was turning to the false gods of the nations around them. Idols of wood, stone, and precious metal were made to aid in the worship of these false deities, in direct violation of both the first and second commandments (Exodus 20:3-6). The Bible openly mocks idols, noting that they can neither see nor hear (Psalm 115:4-8). All who worship idols “shall be put to shame” (Isaiah 44:11 ESV). Lest we judge them too quickly, idolatry was not just the besetting sin of the Israelites—it’s the besetting sin of us all! Idolatry is anytime we look to, treat, or worship something other than God as though it is God.

Judge/Judgment

The Bible teaches that God our Creator has the right to judge his creatures. He is “the Judge of all the earth” (Genesis 18:25 ESV). This is a common theme throughout Scripture, whether it be God judging a specific nation (e.g. Egypt), ruler (e.g. Nebuchadnezzar), or even the whole world (the Great Flood). Specific sins are also singled out for God’s judgment like sexual immorality and adultery (Hebrews 13:4) and even grumbling (James 5:9), as well as “the secrets of men” (Romans 2:16 ESV). God’s judgment is impartial (1 Peter 1:17); he judges “the living and the dead” (1 Peter 4:5 ESV).

Kinsman-Redeemer

The Mosaic law made provision for people who had to sell their property under dire circumstances and could not later buy it back. Someone in their own family, a kinsman, could redeem the property in their stead (Leviticus 25:25). This idea of a kinsman-redeemer is most clearly seen in the book of Ruth, where Boaz purchases land previous lost by Naomi, the mother-in-law of Ruth (Ruth 4:9). This concept of a kinsman-redeemer foreshadows Jesus, a Savior who comes from his own people to redeem them (Colossians 3:13).

Law

God’s law was central to the covenant he made with his chosen people at Mount Sinai during Moses’ leadership. This Mosaic law contains 613 commands and is generally referred to as the old covenant. In the old covenant, God gave the Israelites regulations for how to manage their community, offer sacrifices to atone for their sins, and conduct their lives in a way that honored God. The Old Testament uses various synonyms to describe these laws, such as precepts, commands, decrees, and statutes (e.g., Psalm 19:7-9 NIV). The capstone of this Mosaic law is the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17).

Messiah

The Old Testament made many promises about a future Savior and King known as the “Anointed One,” who would come to save his people from their sins and usher in an eternal kingdom (e.g., Daniel 9:25 ESV). The Hebrew for this term is Messiah, which surprisingly appears infrequently in the Old Testament, even as the concept is repeated in numerous ways. For example, the coming “Seed” of Eve who will crush the Serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15 NKJV), the promised “Prophet” like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-19 NKJV), and the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53, all point to this messianic figure. The so-called Messianic Psalms (e.g., Psalm 2, 22, 110) prophecy about Bethlehem (Micah 5:2-5), and the “son of man” who comes on the clouds (Daniel 7:13-14 ESV) all point to this Person, whom the New Testament reveals as Jesus.

Name

Names are important in the Bible and say a lot about a person, especially when that name is changed by God (e.g., Abraham, Genesis 17:5), or God commands parents to give a certain name to their newborn (e.g., Isaac, Genesis 17:19). Names for God are often used in the Old Testament to express specific divine attributes, like El-Shaddai (God Almighty, Genesis 17:1 NLT), Jehovah Jireh (God the Provider, Genesis 22:14 KJV), and El-Elyon (God Most High, Psalm 78:35 NLT). God also gives us his own name in Exodus 3:13-14—Yahweh, which means, “I am who I am.”

Oracle

In ancient times, priests and prophets uttered oracles (or supernaturally inspired messages) about the will of gods or God. For instance, the false prophet Balaam delivered oracles for a fee (Numbers 23-24); the false prophets during Jeremiah’s time did likewise (Lamentations 2:14). Conversely, Agur and King Lemur declared wise oracles of godly wisdom, inspired by God’s Spirit to be preserved as Scripture (Proverbs 30-31). The prophet Isaiah declared oracles against the enemies of Israel (Isaiah 13-19), as did other prophets (e.g., Nahum 1:1, Zechariah 9:1). Oracles delivered by God’s prophets were as sure as God’s nature, as they were inspired by God’s Spirit (2 Samuel 23:1-2).

Prophet

An Old Testament prophet was someone who spoke on God’s behalf and by his command. While they occasionally predicted future events, the prophets largely looked back to the covenant God made with Israel, declaring its curses when the nation turned away from God, and affirming its blessings when Israel repented of its sin. The last 17 books of the Old Testament are records of the prophetic ministries of several prophets. However, there were also prophets who did not write Scripture like Nathan, Elijah, and Elisha.

Quietness

In our most overwhelming circumstances in life, it is often best to come to God quietly, patiently waiting for his provision and deliverance. We see this theme in the Old Testament. King David quieted himself before the Lord (Psalm 131), and the prophet Isaiah implored King Hezekiah to do the same, even as he refused to do so (Isaiah 30:15-17). Such quiet resting in God brings peace to his children (Isaiah 32:17); it also is the heart of wisdom (Ecclesiastes 4:6).

Remnant

Much like a seamstress making a dress would have pieces of fabric left over, so too God likens Israel to a remnant. Despite his gracious covenant with the nation, the Israelites consistently turned against God. Consequently, the nation was ravaged by its enemies, and only a small portion of one tribe remained. But God promised that this “surviving remnant” would once again flourish (2 Kings 19:30-31 ESV) and the prophet Isaiah predicted that a remnant would return after their exile to Babylon (Isaiah 10:20-21), which they did (Nehemiah 1:3). The remnant theme has spiritual meaning as well. God revealed himself to the whole nation of Israel, yet only a portion of them had true faith in God (like Boaz in his generation). The remnant of Israel highlighted in the final book of the Bible are those Israelites who have put their faith in Jesus Christ (Revelation 12:17 KJV). The biblical concept of the remnant encourages us; for we trust that God will always preserve a group of those who know and love and trust him.

Shepherd

Ancient near eastern civilizations were typically agrarian, living off the land and their animals. Shepherds were a staple of such cultures, tasked with caring for flocks of goats or sheep. The image of a shepherd became synonymous with the idea of care and protection, and it was often used to signify God’s provision for his people (e.g., Psalm 23). However, God often used it negatively when condemning selfish leaders who misled his people (e.g., Jeremiah 23:1-2). Jesus borrows from this imagery when he calls himself the Good Shepherd (John 10:11-15).

Tribe

Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, had twelve sons who eventually became the twelve tribes of Israel. This was the beginning of the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham to multiply his offspring into many nations (Genesis 49:28). Each tribe had its own territory allotted in the Promised Land and the twelve together constituted one nation (Israel) under one law. The number twelve is significant throughout the Bible. Jesus also chose twelve men to be his original disciples, reflecting the twelve tribes of Israel.

Unleavened

When the Israelites fled Egypt, they had to leave quickly. God commanded the Israelites to eat bread without leaven, or yeast, as part of their last meal in Egypt, signifying the haste with which they must leave the land (Exodus 12:8-11). The seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread was also instituted at this time, as an annual reminder of this first Passover (vv. 14-20). Leaven is often used metaphorically in the Bible to refer to something that starts small but spreads quickly, like the kingdom of God (Matthew 13:33) or false teaching (Matthew 16:6).

Vow

Oath taking or vows are an important feature in the Old Testament, signifying a person’s seriousness in the claims or promises he makes. God takes vows seriously, especially ones made to him. A person who “swears to his own hurt” yet keeps his oath is considered righteous (Psalm 15 ESV). The Mosaic law had clear stipulations for vows (Leviticus 27), and special vows like the Nazirite vow included strict requirements like an unshaven head and abstaining from alcohol (Numbers 6:1-21). Vow keeping is important because it reflects God’s nature (Number 23:19).

Worship

God created us so that we could have a relationship with him. Since God is our Creator, and is awesome, we worship him! The word “worship” in the Bible doesn’t mean raising your hands and singing praise songs, as some use the word. Rather, it can be literally translated as “to bow down.” It’s an expression of honoring God. And God himself determines how we are to worship him. We cannot be like Cain who decided for himself how best to serve God and was chastised by God for it (Genesis 4:5-7). Old Testament worship typically required making a sacrifice on an altar; false worship involved making idols and bowing down to them (Deuteronomy 5:8-10). Beyond the rituals of worship found in the Mosaic law, God wanted a worship that was heartfelt and sincere (Micah 6:6-8). Jesus later teaches that God the Father is seeking those who will worship him “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).

eXile

After King Solomon died, Israel was split into northern and southern kingdoms. The north was eventually destroyed by the Assyrian empire in 722 BC, but the south was conquered by King Nebuchadnezzar of the Babylonians in 586 BC, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem were exiled to Babylon. This exile lasted 70 years until the Persian emperor Cyrus decreed that the Jews were allowed to return to their homeland (Ezra 1:1-4). Israel’s exile was God’s judgment on their sin and a demonstration of his faithfulness to the covenant he had made with them (see Deuteronomy 28).

Yahweh

Yahweh is God’s own personal name which he reveals to Moses at the burning bush. It is represented by the four Hebrew consonants, YHWH, which mean “I am” (Exodus 3:14 ESV). These four letters, known as the Tetragrammaton, are often translated in Bible versions as Lord or transliterated as Yahweh in English or the Latin-German derivative Jehovah. YHWH occurs nearly 7,000 times in the Old Testament as the dominant name for God throughout the Old Testament. Jesus identifies himself as YHWH in the New Testament on several occasions (John 8:24; John 8:58; John 10:30).

Zion

Mount Zion is the mountain on which Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, is built (2 Samuel 5:7). Zion became synonymous with the city and symbolizes God’s presence and reign among his people as an inheritance “forever and ever” (Psalm 48:14 ESV).

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