Glossary

Scope:
This glossary contains definitions of terms mainly in the following categories:
1] abbreviations;
2] words which have a different meaning in American English than in British English;
3] words that have a different meaning in the Roman way of measuring time than in the Jewish way (or vice versa);
4] names of places in ancient Israel (some with links to maps and/or photos);
5] names of people with their definitions and derivations;
6] terms which have a meaning which is not obvious to a modern reader;
7] names of things which, although they were common in ancient Israel, are not common in the modern world. Links to photos of these things are provided if photos can be found.

Uses:
This glossary also functions as an index by providing links, in each entry, to all of the occurrences of that word in This Good Riddle. Such links are located near the bottom of each detail page of each glossary entry.

Procedure:
Click on a letter to see the words beginning with that letter, then click on a word to see the details. All details have been condensed from the indicated source (or sources).

Abijah or Abia or Abiah = "Jehovah is (my) father"

Abijam is aka Abijah

abomination = "a foul thing"

Abraham = "father of a multitude"

Abram = "exalted father"

Adam = "the red earth"

Ahaz = "he has grasped"

Ahaziah = "Jehovah (Yahu) holds (possesses)"

aka is an abbreviation of the words "also known as".

Alphaeus = "changing"

Amaziah = "Jehovah is mighty"

Aminadab = "one of the prince's people"

Amminadab is aka Aminadab

Amon = "builder"

Andrew = "manly"

angels = "messengers"

apostle = "a delegate"

Aram = "high"

Arimathaea = "heights"

Ark, of Noah or of the Covenant = "wooden box"

Arphaxad = "stronghold of Chaldees"

Asa = "physician, or cure"

Azariah is aka Uzziah

Baptist = "one who administers the rite of baptism"

Barabbas = "son of a father or son of a master"

Bartholomew = "son of Tolmai"

B.C.E. = "Before Common Era"; equivalent to "B.C."

Beelzebub = "lord of the house"

Bethany = "house of dates"

Bethlehem = "house of bread"

Bethphage = "house of unripe figs"

Bethsaida = "house of fish"

beyond Jordan = to the west of the Jordan river.

blasphemy = "slander"

bless = "pray for"

Boaz is aka Booz

Booz = "in him is strength"

bridechamber = "the chamber containing the bridal bed"

Caesar = "severed"

Caesarea Philippi is aka "The Gate of Hell"

Caiaphas = "as comely"

Cainan = "their smith"

Canaanite = "zealous"

candlestick = "Menorah"

Capernaum = "village of comfort"

carpenter = "a worker in wood"

C.E. = "Common Era"; equivalent to "A.D."

centurion = "an officer in the Roman army"

chaff = "the remains of a plant after the kernels are removed by threshing"

charger = "a tablet"

Chorazin = "a furnace of smoke"

Christ = "anointed"

cloke = "outer garment"

coat = "a tunic, an undergarment"

Corn = "any field for food crops, or any food crop or any seed for a food crop"

corner = "a corner"

counsellor = "a member of the Sanhedrin"

crow = "the time when most male chickens start to crow"

cubit = "approximately eighteen inches"

custom = "customs, toll"

Cyrenian = "supremacy of the bridle"

Daniel = "judgment of God"

dash = "induce to sin"

David = "beloved"

Day, to the Jews, means either the time during which the Sun is above the horizon, or it means the nighttime plus the daytime.

Decapolis = "ten cities"

desolation = "a making desolate"

devil = "prone to slander"

dogs = "a little dog"

draught = "a toilet"

Earth = "arable land"

Eber is aka Heber

Eliah is aka Elias

Elias = "my God is Jehovah"

Elijah is aka Elias

Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani = "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?"

Emmanuel = "God with us"

Enoch = "dedicated"

Enos = "mortal man"

Enosh is aka Enos

Esaias = "Jehovah's help"

Esrom = "enclosed"

faint = "to loose"

Fan = "a winnowing shovel"

farthing = "an assarion"

floor = "a threshing floor"

Gadarenes: was an area east of the Jordan river

Galilee = "Circuit"

garner = "granary"

garnished= "adorned"

Gate of Hell = one source of the Jordan river

Gennesaret = "a harp"

Gentiles = "a multitude"

Gethsemane = "an oil press"

ghost = "the combination of a spirit and a soul"

girdle = "a belt"

God of the dead = "Osiris"

Golgotha = "a skull"

Gomorrha = "submersion"

good = "good, well"

gospel = "good tidings"

head = "the head"

heaven = "the sky and its contents"

Heber = "the region beyond"

Hell = "the place of the future punishment"

Henoch is aka Enoch

Herod (the tetrarch) was surnamed "Antipas"

Herodias = "heroic"

Hezekiah = "Jehovah is my strength"

Hezron is aka Esrom

hosanna = "please save (me, us, them)"

house of God = "the tabernacle"

Hymn = "to sing the praise of"

IE = "Internet Explorer".

Immanuel is aka as Emmanuel

Isaac = "to laugh"

Isaiah is aka Esaias

Iscariot = "men of Kerioth"

Israel = "he shall be a prince of God"

Jacob = "heel-catcher or supplanter"

Jairus = "whom God enlightens"

James = "supplanter"

Jared = "descent"

Jeconiah = "Jehovah will establish"

Jehoiakim = "Jehovah raises up"

Jehoram or Joram = "Jehovah is exalted"

Jehoshaphat = "Jehovah has judged"

Jered is aka Jared

Jericho = "place of fragrance"

Jerusalem = "set ye double peace"

Jesse = "wealthy"

Jesus = "Jehovah is salvation"

Joash = "given by the Lord"

John = "Jehovah is a gracious giver"

Jonah is aka Jonas

Jonas = "dove"

Jordan = "the descender"

Joseph = "let him add"

Joses = "exalted"

Josiah = "whom Jehovah heals"

Jotham = "Jehovah is perfect"

Juda = "he shall be praised"

Judaea = "he shall be praised"

Judah is aka Juda

Judas is aka Juda

Kenan is aka Cainan

KJV is an abbreviation for the King James Version of the Christian Bible which contains the Jewish Bible and the Christian extension of it. The Christians call the former the "Old Testament" and the latter the "New Testament".

Lamech = "why thus with thee?"

latchet = "a thong of leather"

Lazarus = "whom God helps"

Legion = "a body of soldiers"

Levi = "joined"

lilies = "a flower, the lily"

Lord = "the owner"

love = "love, desire"

Magdalene = "a tower"

Mahalaleel = "praise of God"

Maleleel is aka Mahalaleel

mammon ="treasure"

Manasseh = "causing to forget"

Martha = "she was rebellious"

Mary = "their rebellion"

Mathusala = "when he dies, there shall be an emission"

Matthew = "gift of Jehovah"

Methuselah is aka Mathusala

MHG = "Most High God", that is, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

millstone = "of or for an ass"

mites = "an eighth of an assarion"

Moses = "drawing out"

multitude is derived from two different Greek words, see details

Naasson = "enchanter"

Nachor = "snorting"

Nahor is aka Nachor

Nahshon is aka Naasson

Naphtali is aka Nephthalim

Nazareth = "the guarded one"

Nephthalim = "wrestling"

Nineve is aka Nineveh

Nineveh ="offspring of ease: offspring abiding"

Noah is aka Noe

Noe = "rest"

Obed = "serving"

offence = "a snare, trap, or trap trigger"
offend = "to put a snare or trap in the way"

Olives = "an olive tree"

parables = "a placing of one thing by the side of another"

passover = "the paschal sacrifice, lamb and feast"

Peleg is aka Phalec

penny = "containing ten"

Perez is aka Phares

Peter = "a rock"

Phalec = "division"

Phares = "a breach"

Pharez is aka Phares

Pharisees ="to make distinct"

Philip = "lover of horses"

Pilate = "armed with a spear"

potter = "a potter"

pray = "beg"

preparation is called Friday in the Roman way of measuring time, except that it starts at sundown on what is called Thursday in the Roman way.

priest = "one who offers sacrifices"

publicans ="a renter or farmer of taxes"

Rachel = "ewe or sheep"

Ragau = "associate ye"

Ram is aka Aram

Rama is aka Ramah

Ramah = "a hill"

reed = "a staff or measuring rod"

Rehoboam = "a people has enlarged"

repent = "to change one's mind"

Reu is aka Ragau

Sabbath = "a weekly sacred Jewish festival"

sackcloth = "a course cloth"

Sadducees = "the righteous"

Sala = "sprout"

Salah is aka Sala

Salathiel = "I have asked of God"

Salma is aka Salmon

Salmon = "raiment"

Saruch = "intertwined"

Satan = "adversary "

scribes = "learned in the Mosaic law"

Sem = "name"

Serug is aka Saruch

Seth = "compensation"

Shealtiel is aka Salathiel

Shelah is aka Sala

Shem is aka Sem

Sheth is aka Seth

shewbread = "a setting forth of a thing";

Shimon is aka Simon

ship = "a small vessel"

Sidon = "hunting"

Simon = "heard"

sin = "to be without a share in"

Sion = "a parched place"

skull = "cranium"

Sodom = "burning"

Solomon = "peaceful"

soul = "memory"

spikenard = "pertaining to belief"

spirit = "volition"

straight = "straight, level"

strait = "narrow"

swept = "to sweep"

synagogue = "a bringing together"

tabernacle = "tent"

temple ="a sacred place"

Terah is aka Thara

Thaddaeus = "large hearted, courageous"

Thara = "station"

Thomas = "a twin"

transgression = "a going over"

tittle = "a diacritical point"

tribulation = "a pressing"

Tyre = "a rock"

Uzziah = "my strength is Jehovah"

veil = "curtain"

watch = "the time allotted for a particular sentry to be on duty"

way of the sea = "the northern boundary of ancient Israel"

wilderness = "a pasture"

world = "cosmos" or "eon"

Zabulon = "a habitation"

Zacharias = "remembered of Jehovah"

Zebedee = "my gift"

Zebulun is aka Zabulon

Zerubbabel is aka Zorobabel

Zion is aka Sion

Zorobabel = "born at Babel"

This page was last updated on 2006-06-19