Important Old Testament Terms

Note: The citation of a source not published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the endnotes does not imply that it or its author is endorsed by the Church or represents the official position of the Church.

A basic understanding of the following terms can help in your study of the Old Testament.

Anoint.To anoint is to apply oil to a person or object. In Old Testament times, anointings were done for sacred, medicinal, and ordinary purposes. Anointings were performed to dedicate a person or object to God. For example, kings, priests, and prophets were anointed with oil to set them apart to serve God.

The Prophet Samuel Anoints David to be King of Israel in Bethlehem, by Balage Balogh

Circumcision.The cutting and removal of the foreskin of the male reproductive organ. This ancient custom has been practiced in different parts of the world by many people. Circumcision was performed by the Israelites as a rite introduced by God to Abraham. It was a sign of the covenant between God and His people. Males were to be circumcised at eight days old.

Covenant.“A sacred agreement between God and a person or group of people. God sets specific conditions, and He promises to bless us as we obey those conditions. When we choose not to keep covenants, we cannot receive the blessings.” Through covenants, we form a special, eternal relationship with God in which He blesses and changes us. Covenants between God and His people play a central role in the Old Testament. The Abrahamic covenant is of particular significance because the blessings promised to Abraham are available to all of God’s children who make and keep covenants with Him.

Idolatry.The worship of idols or an excessive attachment or devotion to anything other than God. The ancient Israelites often disregarded God’s commandment against idol worship. Their idolatry usually involved either worshipping one of the gods of the nations that surrounded them or creating images that represented Jehovah.

Israel.The name God gave to Abraham’s grandson Jacob, which can mean “let God prevail” or “one who prevails with God.” The name Israel can also refer to Jacob’s descendants or to anyone who is a true believer in Jesus Christ. In ancient times, God scattered the children of Israel because of their wickedness and rebellion. He promised that in the last days He would gather Israel. God’s people are gathered as they accept the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jehovah.The Hebrew name for the God of Israel is YHWH, a word that is traditionally transliterated in English as Jehovah. This is the premortal name of Jesus Christ, the God of the Old Testament. Jehovah can mean “He is,” or, in first person, “I Am.” This name thus reflects Jesus Christ’s eternal nature. Around 500 BC, the Israelites began to refrain from speaking the divine name aloud out of reverence. This practice has led to a loss of the original pronunciation of the name. Substitute titles, such as “Adonai” (“my Lord”), were later used whenever YHWH appeared in the Old Testament.

Messiah.“A form of an Aramaic and Hebrew word meaning ‘the anointed.’” This Hebrew word occurs more than 30 times in the Old Testament, although it is rarely translated in English as “Messiah.” It is used to refer to anointed kings, priests, and prophets. Messianic figures took on various meanings over time. The term Messiah came to mean the anointed Prophet, Priest, and King who was of the lineage of David and would come to save His people. David was promised that through his seed God would raise up this King, or Messiah, who would overcome all worldly powers. The Greek equivalent of Messiah is Christos, from which comes the title Christ.

Redemption, Redeemer.The act of redeeming was a common function of ancient life. To redeem was to pay a debt, to buy back, or to purchase someone’s freedom. Such redeemers often had a familial tie to the person they redeemed. On a larger scale, the freeing of the Israelites from captivity in Egypt deepened the religious significance of redemption for God’s people. The Lord Himself promised to redeem His people from Egyptian bondage. Jesus Christ is the Redeemer because His sacrifice frees us from sin and death.

Salvation, Savior.The Hebrew word yāšaʿ in the Old Testament may be translated as “save,” “salvation,” “rescue,” “deliver,” or “help.” It usually refers to God or someone He sends to bring physical deliverance. The importance of the term may be seen in the names of prominent individuals such as Elisha (“God is salvation”), Hosea (“salvation”), Joshua (“Jehovah is salvation”), and Isaiah (“Jehovah is salvation”).

Sacrifice of a Lamb, by Robert T. Barrett

Sacrifice.After Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden, the Lord commanded them to offer sacrifices. This law included offering the firstborn of their flocks, which symbolized the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The Lord commanded His people to live the law of sacrifice throughout the Old Testament. This practice continued until the death of Jesus Christ, who was the great and last sacrifice.

Notes

1. See Bible Dictionary, “Anoint,” Gospel Library.

2. See J. D. Douglas and Merrill C. Tenney, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary, rev. ed. (2011), 85.

3. See Guide to the Scriptures, “Anoint,” Gospel Library.

4. See Genesis 17:10–14. See also Tremper Longman III and Mark L. Strauss, The Baker Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words (2023), 152–53. In Hebrew, the phrase that describes making a covenant is literally to “cut a covenant.” While the origin of this phrase is the sacrifice of an animal to ratify a covenant, circumcision may also echo this idiom of covenant making (see Jared T. Parker, “Cutting Covenants,” in The Gospel of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament, ed. D. Kelly Ogden and others (2009), 119–20).

5. Topics and Questions, “Covenants,” Gospel Library.

6. See Russell M. Nelson, “The Everlasting Covenant,” Liahona, Oct. 2022, 5–6.

7. See “The Abrahamic Covenant,” in Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Russell M. Nelson, Gospel Library.

8. See Guide to the Scriptures, “Idolatry,” Gospel Library.

9. See Bible Dictionary, “Idol,” Gospel Library.

10. See Bible Dictionary, “Israel,” Gospel Library.

11. Sometimes called the house of Israel or the children of Israel.

12. See Guide to the Scriptures, “Israel,” Gospel Library.

13. See Topics and Questions, “Gathering of Israel,” Gospel Library.

14. The word Jehovah is a Latinized combination of the consonants of the Hebrew name YHWH or JHVH with the vowels of the Hebrew word Adonai, which means “my Lord” (see Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler, The Jewish Study Bible, 2nd ed. [2014], 103–4, note on Exodus 3:14–15.

15. Scholars think the most likely pronunciation is “Yahweh” (see Dana M. Pike, “The Name and Titles of God in the Old Testament,” Religious Educator, vol. 11, no. 1 [2010], 19–20).

16. See Bible Dictionary, “Jehovah,” Gospel Library; Guide to the Scriptures, “Jehovah,” Gospel Library; Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and others, Jehovah and the World of the Old Testament: An Illustrated Reference for Latter-day Saints (2009), 16–17.

17. Guide to the Scriptures, “Messiah,” Gospel Library.

18. For example, see Leviticus 4:3, 5, 16; 1 Samuel 16:13; 24:6. In these verses, “anointed” is translated from the same Hebrew root word as “Messiah.”

19. See 1 Nephi 10:4–6, 10–11; Longman and Strauss, Baker Expository Dictionary, entry 4899, 54–55.

20. See 2 Samuel 7:16; Psalm 89:20–39; Isaiah 9:1–6; 11:1–10; Matthew 1:1; 21:9; Luke 1:32–33.

21. See Guide to the Scriptures, “Messiah,” Gospel Library.

22. See Longman and Strauss, Baker Expository Dictionary, 654.

23. See Exodus 6:6; see also 1 Nephi 10:5. Redeemer is one of the most common titles for Jesus Christ in the Book of Mormon, used around 40 times. (In comparison, Savior is used 12 times.) The title is never used in the New Testament, although the idea of redemption through Jesus Christ is prevalent.

24. See Psalm 69:1. The New Testament word hosanna contains a form of the word yāšaʿ and can be translated as “please save us” (Guide to the Scriptures, “Hosanna,” Gospel Library).

25. See Exodus 14:13.

26. See Deuteronomy 28:31.

27. See Judges 3:31.

28. See 2 Samuel 14:4.

29. See Longman and Strauss, Baker Expository Dictionary, 704–5.

30. See Guide to the Scriptures, “Sacrifice,” Gospel Library. See also Alma 34:10–14.