Neutral Terms
We replace traditional (and sometimes misleading) terms with ones that are neutral and more literal. This frees readers from loaded terms and centuries of religious dogma.
Many common Bible terms have acquired new meanings over the centuries – connotations that were unknown to the original authors. Therefore, the traditional translation of certain verses have become mistranslations, even if the words are technically correct. For example, people thinking that Christ is Jesus’ last name, when it actually means Anointed One.
Also, many traditional terms were mistranslations from the moment they first appeared in English, so we replace them with accurate translations. For example, Ark of the Covenant should be Chest of Proofs.
Index
- Angel = Messenger
- Ark = Chest
- Ark of the Covenant = Chest of Proofs
- Baptism/Baptized = Immersion/Immersed
- Breastplate of Judgment = Word of Judgment
- Christ = Anointed One
- Consecrated = Perfected
- Crucifixion = Execution
- Devil = Slanderer/Opposer/Evil One
- Epistle = Letter
- Exodus = Departure
- Feast of Dedication = Festival of Rededication
- Festival of Tabernacles = Festival of Temporary Structures
- Flood = Downpour
- Garden of Eden = Paradise of Delights
- Gehenna = Garbage Dump
- Hell = Place of the Dead
- Holy Spirit = The Breath
- Leprosy = Skin Disease/Infection
- Lucifer = Morning Star
- New Testament = Christian Era
- Old Testament = Jewish Era
- Satan = Slanderer
- Tabernacle = Tent of Proofs
- Umim and Thummim = Revelation and Truth
- Worship = Bow Down
A
Angel
Messenger
The Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic word for ‘angel’ and ‘messenger’ is the same. Popular imagery of angels depict them with wings and halos. While spirits are depicted with wings in certain visions, in other accounts angels look like ordinary men. Therefore, using ‘messenger’ does not implant a picture in the readers’ mind that may be inaccurate in some situations.
Ark
Chest
The Bible does not describe what Noah built as a boat or ship, but as an ark. Indeed, it has no sails, no oars, and no rudder, appearing to be nothing more than a large box. Since nobody knows what ark means these days, we use chest.
Ark of the Covenant
Chest of Proofs
The literal name for the Ark of the Covenant is Chest of Proofs because it proofs of YHWH’s interactions with the Israelites.
B
Baptism/Baptized
Immersion, Immersed
Many people today think that baptism is being sprinkled with water when you’re a baby. However, baptism was originally full immersion in water. early Christians even used the Mikveh pools inside synagogues for this purpose. To avoid people mistakenly thinking of ‘sprinkling’, our translation uses the terms immersion and immersed.
Breastplate (or Breastpiece) of Judgment
Word of Judgment
We use the literal translation from our source manuscript. A word can be used to give a judgment, whereas a breastplate is a piece of clothing.
C
Christ
Anointed One
Many people think that Christ is Jesus’ last name. It isn’t. It is a Greek term that literally means ‘the anointed one’. So to fix this misunderstanding, we use the term ‘Anointed One’ instead of ‘Christ.’
Consecrated
Perfected
The ancient words literally mean perfected. It is much clearer what the author means when we say made perfect or perfected, because nobody ever says ‘consecrated’ in normal everyday English – but we all understand what it means when we say that something is ‘perfect.’
It’s easier to understand when this means regarded as perfect through Jesus’ sacrifice, whereas being called ‘consecrated’ makes it sound like one has been granted some special, mystical status.
Covenant
Sacred Agreement
Nobody talks about ‘covenants’ in modern English. We use the term ‘sacred agreement’ instead when the context is a covenant with God. If it’s between two people, we use the term ‘agreement’.
Crucifixion
Execution
The original texts don’t use a specific word for being nailed to a cross – they simply describe it as an execution in various ways, such as to be ‘raised up’ or ‘staked’. The term ‘crucifixion’ was added later.
D
Devil
Slanderer, Opposer, or Evil One
People think of ‘the Devil’ as a red creature presiding over Hell Fire, with a horns and a pitchforked tail. None of this is from the Bible, so not only do we use different terms, but we also use more accurate terms that reflect the original languages. Learn more.
E
Epistle
Letter
Epistle is a very formal and old-fashioned word for a formal letter, or some kind of story written in the form of a letter. Very few people know what it means, so we say ‘letter.’
Exodus
Departure
While the word ‘Exodus’ is well-known to most Christians, a unique word was not used by the ancient peoples. The exodus, or any exodus, was just a departure from somewhere. Using unique words, that the ancient peoples clearly didn’t think was necessary, adds an unnecessary complication – especially for new Christians who have come from non-Christian backgrounds.
F
Feast (or Festival) of Dedication
Festival of Rededication
A small change, but an important one.
Festival of Tabernacles
Festival of Temporary Structures
Also called the Festival of Shelters (NLT), or the Feast of Booths (ESV). It’s not the Festival of Tents because, technically, they were probably not tents as we understand them today, but rather temporary structures with rigid frames.
Flood
Downpour, Great Downpour
The exact word used describes the rain falling, not the results, so we use downpour instead of flood. It may seem like a small difference, but it may be significant that the Bible names it after the destructive means rather than the outcome.
G
Garden of Eden
Paradise of Delights
The Greek Septuagint uses the word for Paradise, so we use that term instead. There is a difference between a garden and a paradise.
Gehenna
Garbage Dump
Gehenna is a valley outside of Jerusalem where people used to burn their garbage and was recognized as the local garbage dump. By using this more accurate term, we leave it up to the reader to decide what it represents.
H
Hell
Place of the Dead
The words commonly mistranslated as ‘Hell’ just mean the grave in a general sense; the common place where we all go when we die.
Holy Spirit, The
The breath, the holy breath
In the original languages, the Holy Spirit is called the breath. Further, there was no distinction between the lowercase and uppercase letters in Greek when the Bible was written. Hebrew and Aramaic still don’t have this distinction.
L
Leprosy
Skin Disease, Infection
The Hebrew word tzaraath and Greek word lepra described various skin conditions, clothing mold, and dry rot in walls – not the disease we know today as leprosy (Hansen’s Disease). Using ‘leprosy’ is misleading because it makes readers think of a specific bacterial infection, when the original text was describing a much broader category of any skin disease, infection, or mold that discolored surfaces.
Lucifer
Morning Star
Lucifer was never a name for the Slanderer. It was a mistake and a mistranslation.
N
New Testament
Christian Era
By saying ‘New Testament,’ some get the mistaken impression that only the ‘New Testament’ is beneficial today. This is incorrect.
O
Old Testament
Jewish Era
By saying ‘Old Testament’ some get the mistaken impression that only the ‘New Testament’ is beneficial today. This is incorrect.
S
Satan
Slanderer
This is not a name, but a description. It’s a word that literally means Slanderer. No proper noun is ever given to this character, so we don’t need to give him a name (and it’s not Lucifer).
T
Tabernacle / Tent of Meeting
Tent of Proofs
The Greek Septuagint calls it the Tent of Proofs, so we use that term instead.
U
Umim and Thummim
Revelation and Truth
This is not because Umim and Thummim are mistranslations, as that’s the name used in the Hebrew texts. However, those names were always something of a mystery.
However, the Greek Septuagint calls them Revelation and Truth. Since we think that Jewish translators living 2,300 (or so) years closer to these events ought to know better than us today, we use their terminology.
W
Worship
Bow Down
The ancient texts never really use the word ‘worship’ – they use words meaning ‘bow down’ or ‘kissing the hand.’
When modern Bibles say ‘worship,’ this is nothing more than an interpretation of the translator.