T

T

TABERNACLE [tab´-er-nack-el] — the tent that was used as a place of worship for the nation of Israel during their early history.

TABERNACLES, FEAST OF — a festival observed on the fifteenth day of the seventh month to celebrate the completion of the autumn harvest.Also called the “Feast of Tents” or “feast of Shelters.” There were special prayers said on the first and eighth days, and there were also special offerings (animal sacrifices) made. During this celebration, the Israelites lived in small booths (huts made of palm and willow trees) to remind them of the time they spent wandering in the wilderness and living in temporary shelters (Exod. 23:16; Lev. 23:34–36; Num. 29:12–32; Deut. 16:13–16).

TABITHA [tab´-ith-ah] — a follower of Jesus (Acts 9:36–42). Tabitha is another name for Dorcas.

TABLE — a piece of furniture used to set things on for ceremonies, eating meals, and money changing. The tabernacle had a table of acacia wood decorated with gold. The show-bread was placed on it (Exod. 25:23; Num. 3:31; Heb. 9:2). A table of gold was in the temple (1 Kings 7:48). Ezekiel’s temple had tables for burnt offerings (Ezek. 40:39–43).

TABLET — a word used to describe material used for writing on like the stone tablets given to Moses at Mount Sinai (Exod. 24:12; Deut. 10:1–5). There were also writing tablets made of clay and wood (Ezek. 4:1, NKJV; Luke 1:63, NKJV).

The Bible also uses the word “tablet” as a symbol of God’s law written on the heart (Prov. 3:3; Cor. 3:3).

TALENT — a unit of weight and also money (Exod. 25:39, NKJV; Rev. 16:21, NKJV). (See Weights and Measures of the Bible; also see Money of the Bible.)

TAMAR [ta´-mar] (palm) — the lovely daughter of David. Her mother was Maacah and her brother was Absalom (2 Sam. 13:1–22, 32; 1 Chron. 3:9). Tamar’s half-brother Amnon attacked her. She went to Absalom and told him what happened. He was very upset and angry and wanted Amnon to suffer for the terrible thing that he did. Two years later Absalom got his revenge for Tamar by arranging for Amnon to be killed.

Tamar was also the name of two other women and a city in the Bible.

TANNER — a person who makes leather from animal skins (Acts 9:43, NKJV).

TARRY — to wait; to delay (Heb. 10:37, NKJV).

TARSHISH [tar´-shish] (jasper) — the name of several items in the Old Testament:

1. The Hebrew name for a type of cargo ship used for long voyages (trips across the sea) (1 Kings 10:22, NKJV; Tharshish, KJV).

2. A city or territory where the Phoenicians traded (2 Chron. 9:21, NKJV; Ps. 72:10).

3. One of seven princes of Persia and Media “who had access to the king’s presence” (Esther 1:14).

4. The Hebrew name of a precious stone.

TARSUS [tar´-sus] — the birthplace of Saul (Acts 9:11) who later became the apostle Paul (Acts 21:39; 22:3). Tarsus was the main city of Cilicia, a province of southeast Asia Minor (modern Turkey).

TASKMASTER — a harsh supervisor (Exod. 1:11, NKJV).

TASSEL — a decorative ornament around the hems of the clothes of the Hebrew people. Tassels were worn to remind them of God’s commandments in the Law (Deut. 22:12) and to encourage them to do His will.

TAX, TAXES — a fee or financial contribution (usually mandatory) for the maintenance of government. Taxes probably started as a custom of giving presents for protection from harm (Gen. 32:13–21; 33:10; 43:11).

St. Paul’s Gate at Tarsus. The chief city of Cilicia in eastern Asia Minor, Tarsus was the birthplace of the apostle Paul (Acts 21:39).

When Joseph told the Pharaoh that there would be seven years of famine after seven years of abundance, Pharaoh put him in charge of raising money. Joseph collected a 20 percent tax to buy and store food, and to buy land for Pharaoh (Gen. 47:20–26). This tax was collected during the years of abundance and the years of famine.

TEACH, TEACHING — to cause a person to understand (John 3:2), the act of instructing students or giving knowledge and information. In the New Testament, the concept (idea) of teaching usually means religious instruction.

TEKOA [te-ko´-ah] TEKOAH (trumpet blast) — the birthplace of the prophet Amos, located in Judah (1 Chron. 2:24; 4:5).

TEMPERANCE — control over worldly desires. The meaning of the word “temperate” is more than the kind of self-control a person shows by not drinking alcoholic beverages. The temperance of the Bible is a self-control that masters all kinds of desires and allows the Christian to work toward their spiritual reward (1 Cor. 9:24–27, NKJV).

TEMPEST — a violent storm (Matt. 8:24, NKJV).

TEMPLE — a building for worship. Temples were used to worship all kinds of false gods as well as the one true God. The place where the temple was located was considered holy, or sacred.

TEMPTATION — an invitation to sin with the promise of a better outcome from following the way of disobedience. God does not tempt people, nor can He be tempted (James 1:13). The supreme tempter is Satan (Matt. 4:3; 1 Cor. 7:5; 1 Thess. 3:5). He uses peoples’ weaknesses against them (James 1:14) and leads them to destruction.

TEMPTATION OF CHRIST — the forty-day period in the wilderness when Jesus was tempted by the devil (Matt. 4:1–13; Mark 1:12–13). Jesus’ first temptation (to turn stones to bread) was to use His divine power to satisfy His own physical needs. The second (to jump off the temple) was to perform a miracle so the people would follow Him. The third was to gain possession of the world by worshiping Satan.

The mound of Tekoa south of Jerusalem—home of the prophet Amos (Amos 1:1).

The Temple

Date

Description

Reference

The Tabernacle (Mobile Temple)

B.C

Detailed plan received by Moses from the Lord

Constructed by divinely appointed artisans

Desecrated by Nadab and Abihu

Exod. 35:30–40:38;

Solomon’s Temple

B.C.

Planned by David

Constructed by Solomon

Destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar

Zerubbabel’s Temple

B.C.

Envisioned by Zerubbabel

Constructed by Zerubbabel and the elders of the Jews

Desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanes

Ezra 3:1–8; 4:1–14;

Herod’s Temple

B.C.

A.D.

Zerubbabel’s temple restored by Herod the Great

Destroyed by the Romans

Mark 13:2, 14–23;

Luke 1:11–20; 2:22–38; 2:42–51; 4:21–24;

The Present Temple

Present Age

Found in the heart of the believer

The body of the believer is the Lord’s only temple until the Messiah returns

The Temple of Revelation 11

Tribulation Period

To be constructed during the Tribulation by the Antichrist

To be desecrated and destroyed

Ezekiel’s (Millennial) Temple

Millennium

Envisioned by the prophet Ezekiel

To be built by the Messiah during His millennial reign

Ezek. 40:1–42:20;

The Eternal Temple of His Presence

The Eternal Kingdom

The greatest temple of all (“The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple”)

A spiritual temple

The temple (Gk. hieron) is a place of worship, a sacred or holy space built primarily for the national worship of God.

The temple of Hephaestus (Vulcan) in Athens is one of the best-preserved Greek temples from ancient times.

The only reason Satan tempted Jesus was to try to stop Jesus from completing His mission. Satan knew that Jesus’ death would destroy his (Satan’s) power and he needed that power to make people worship him instead of God.

TEN COMMANDMENTS — the rules for living given to the Israelites by God through Moses (Exod. 20:1–17).

TENDER EYED — timid; eye weakness (Gen. 29:17, KJV).

TERAH [te´-rah] — the father of Abraham (Gen. 11:26–27; Luke 3:34; Thara, KJV). Terah was also the name of an Israelite camp in the wilderness (Num. 33:27–28; Tarah, KJV).

TERAPHIM [ter´-ra-fim] — figurines or images in human form used in the ancient world as household gods.

TERRESTRIAL — of the earth (1 Cor. 15:40).

TERRIBLE — horrible; scary (Heb. 12:21, NKJV).

TESTAMENT — a written document that explains what is to happen to a person’s personal property after they die. In the Bible, the word “testament” is used to mean “covenant” or “agreement” (promise) (Matt. 26:28; 2 Cor. 3:6; Rev. 11:19).

TESTIFY — to tell as a witness (Acts 2:40, KJV).

TESTIMONY — witness (John 3:32, NKJV); the Law (Exod. 25:21, NKJV).

TETRARCH [tet´-rark] (ruler of a fourth part) — the ruler or governor of a fourth part of a country. Many countries were divided into parts for efficient government, especially under the Roman Empire. (Luke 3:1, NKJV).

THADDAEUS [that-de´-us] — one of the twelve apostles of Jesus (Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18). Also called Lebbaeus (Matt. 10:3) and Judas the son of James (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13). But he is not Judas Iscariot (John 14:22). Not much is known about this apostle, but some scholars believe he wrote the Epistle of Jude.

THANK OFFERING — an offering (sacrifice) made when a person received a blessing from God without having asked for it (2 Chron. 29:31; 33:16).

THANKSGIVING — giving thanks to God for what He does for us (1 Thess. 5:18).

THENCE — from there (Gen. 11:8, KJV).

THEOPHILUS [the-off´-i-lus] (lover of God) — Luke dedicated the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts to a Christian man named Theophilus (Luke 1:1; Acts 1:1).

THESSALONIANS, EPISTLES TO THE — two letters written by the apostle Paul. The major theme of 1 and 2 Thessalonians is the return of Christ to earth. Another important theme is the believers’ responsibilities of the present. In other words, they were to stay focused on their daily life and not worry about the future. Both epistles are written to help establish and strengthen a young church during difficult times (1 Thess. 3:2, 13; 2 Thess. 2:17; 3:3).

The ancient walls of Thessalonica, a city in Macedonia where Paul founded a church (Acts 17:1–4; 1 Thess. 1:1).

THESSALONICA [thes-sa-lo-ni´-cah] — a city in Macedonia visited by the apostle Paul (Acts 17:1, 11, 13; 27:2; Phil. 4:16).

THISTLES, THORNS — a sticker plant, these words are also used as symbols for trouble (Matt. 7:16; 2 Kings 14:9).

THITHER — there (1 Sam. 10:22, KJV).

THOMAS [tom´-us] (twin) — one of the twelve apostles of Jesus; also called Didymus, the Greek word for “twin” (Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15). Thomas is probably best known for his inability to believe that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead. Because of his inability to believe, he earned the name “doubting Thomas.”

A threshing floor in Samaria. The oxen are dragging a weighted sled over the harvest to separate the grain from the stalks.

THONGS — straps (Acts 22:25, NKJV).

THORN IN THE FLESH — a reference to some extreme difficulty “in the flesh” that the apostle Paul encountered in his ministry (2 Cor. 12:7, NKJV).

THRESH, THRESHING — removing the kernel of grain from its stalk. Some farmers would beat the stalks to remove the grain; other farmers would walk their animals over the grain to thresh it.

THRESHING FLOOR — a flat surface prepared for threshing grain. The threshing floor was usually located at the edge of a village on a large flat rock. When no flat rock was available, the threshing floor would be prepared by clearing an area of ground and pounding the earth to create a hard surface.

THRONG — a crowd (Mark 5:31, NKJV).

THYATIRA [thi-a-ti´-rah] — a city of the province of Lydia in western Asia Minor (modern Turkey). Thyatira wasn’t a large city, but it was a busy city in New Testament times. The apostle Paul’s first convert in Europe was “a certain woman named Lydia . . . a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira” (Acts 16:14).

TIBERIAS, SEA OF — a body of water also known as Chinnereth and the Sea of Galilee (Num. 34:11, NKJV; John 6:1, NKJV).

TIDINGS — news, information (Luke 2:10, NKJV; Rom. 10:15, NKJV).

TIGLATH-PILESER [tig´-lath-pi-le´-zur] (the firstborn of [the god] Esharra is my confidence) — a king of Assyria (ruled 745–727 B.C.) and a king of Babylonia (729–727 B.C.). When he was the king of Babylonia, he used the name Pul (2 Kings 15:19). He is also called Tilgath-Pilneser (1 Chron. 5:6, 26; 2 Chron. 28:20).

A stone carving of Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria, from his excavated palace at Nimrud.

TIGRIS [ti´-gris] — a major river of southwest Asia. The Tigris joins the Euphrates River north of Basra. The Tigris and Euphrates flow beside each other for hundreds of miles in the “Land of the Two Rivers,” or Mesopotamia. The Tigris is the same as Hiddekel (Gen. 2:14, KJV, NKJV), one of the four branches of the river that flowed from the Garden of Eden.

TILL — to plow (Gen. 2:5, NKJV).

TIMBREL — a musical instrument kind of like a tambourine (Ps. 81:2, NKJV).

TIME — a measurable period during which an action or condition exists or continues. Among the Hebrew people, units of time were measured in hours, days, weeks, months, and years.

TIMOTHY [tim´-o-thy] (honored by God) —a friend and coworker of the apostle Paul. He is mentioned as joint sender in six of Paul’s epistles (letters) (2 Cor. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:1; 1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1; Philem. 1).

TIMOTHY, EPISTLES TO — two letters written by the apostle Paul. These letters, along with the Epistle to Titus, form a trilogy called the Pastoral Epistles. These letters are called Pastoral Epistles because they deal with matters affecting pastors and congregations. In these letters to Timothy, Paul’s main concern is to teach his young associate to guard the spiritual heritage that he has received (1 Tim. 6:20; 2 Tim. 1:12–14; 2:2) by establishing sound doctrine in the church.

TISHBITE, TISHBE [tish´-bite] — a name given to Elijah the prophet (1 Kings 17:1; 21:17; 2 Kings 9:36).

TITHE — the act of giving a tenth of one’s income or property as an offering to God (Mal. 3:8–10, NKJV).

TITTLE — a decorative stroke on the letters of the Hebrew alphabet (Matt. 5:18; Luke 16:17; stroke, NRSV; the smallest stroke, NASB; the least stroke of a pen, NIV). The word “tittle” comes from a Greek word that means “little horn.” Jesus meant that even the smallest detail of the law of Moses would never fail or pass away.

TITUS [ti´-tus] — a “partner and fellow worker” (2 Cor. 8:23) of the apostle Paul. He is the author of the Book of Titus in the New Testament.

TITUS, EPISTLE TO — one of three Pastoral Epistles written by the apostle Paul. The others are 1 and 2 Timothy. They are the only letters of Paul addressed to individuals (Philemon is addressed “to the church in your house,” 2). The purpose of the epistle to Titus was to warn against false teaching and to provide guidance for one of Paul’s younger associates on sound doctrine and good works.

TOIL — strenuous labor; hard work (Gen. 5:29, NKJV; Matt. 6:28, NKJV).

TOKEN — a sign or symbol. Rahab the harlot begged the two spies to give her a “true token” that her family would be spared when Joshua attacked Jericho (Josh. 2:12, NKJV).

TOLERABLE, TOLERATE — able to bear (Matt. 10:15, NKJV).

TOLL — a tax (Ezra 4:13, KJV).

TOMB — a special burial place for the dead. In Palestine, ordinary people were buried in shallow graves covered by stones or a stone slab. Important or wealthy people were placed in tombs.

TONGUES, GIFT OF — the power to speak in an unknown language. The Holy Spirit is the giver of this power (Isa. 28:11, NKJV; Mark 16:17, NKJV; Acts 2:4, NKJV; 1 Cor. 12 and 14, NKJV).

TORAH [tor-rah´] — guidance or direction from God to His people. In earlier times, the term “Torah” referred directly to the five books of Moses, or the Pentateuch.

TORMENT — to inflict physical pain or mental agony. Job cried out to his three friends,“How long will you torment my soul?” (Job 19:2, NKJV). The rich man in Jesus’ story of the rich man and Lazarus used the words “place of torment” to describe hell (Luke 16:28, NKJV).

TOW — a word for the leftover product of flax used to make linen (Judg. 16:9, KJV; yarn, NKJV; Isa. 1:31, KJV; tinder, NKJV, NIV).

TOWER — a tall building used for protection. Some landowners used watchtowers to look over their crops (Isa. 5:2; Matt. 21:33; Mark 12:1). In the wilderness, towers were used to watch for bandits or robbers (2 Kings 17:9; 2 Chron. 26:10). In cities, towers were part of the walls that were built to keep out enemies (2 Chron. 14:7; Neh. 3:1).

TRADITION — the customs and practices from the past that are passed on as accepted standards of behavior for the present. Jesus criticized the Pharisees for slavishly following their traditions and making them more authoritative than the Scripture (Matt. 15:2, NKJV; Mark 7:3, NKJV).

TRAIN — the lowest hem on the back of an outer garment (Isa. 6:1, NKJV). The outer garment worn by the Hebrew people was a long, loosely fitting robe without any sleeves. The back of the robe was pulled up between the legs of the person wearing it and tied around their waist by a belt or girdle when they were working. When the back of the robe was pulled up and tied like this it was called “girded.” When the back of the robe was hanging down it was called a “train.” A person with a long train on their robe or cloak was probably wealthy.

This massive stone tower was part of the defense system of the ancient city of Jericho. It dates back to about 6000 B.C., long before Joshua and his army destroyed the city.

TRANSFIGURATION — a display of God’s glory in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ (Matt. 17:1–8).

TRANSFIGURED — changed (Mark 9:2, NKJV).

TRANSFORM, TRANSFORMED — to completely change. In Romans 12:2 the apostle Paul told Christians, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (NKJV). Followers of Christ should not behave like the people in the world. Believers should always be praying and studying God’s Word, so the power of the Holy Spirit can change them and help them be more like Jesus (2 Cor. 3:18, NKJV).

TRANSGRESS, TRANSGRESSION —the breaking of a law or a rule, not following a command, or failing to perform a duty (job). In the Old Testament, a transgression could be accidental (Ps.32:1, NKJV). In the New Testament, a transgression was always done on purpose (Rom. 4:15, NKJV; 1 Tim. 2:14, NKJV; Heb. 2:2, NKJV).

TRANSLATE, TRANSLATION — to take a person out of a situation or place and put them in a different situation or place. In the Bible, the word “translation” or the idea of translation is used in three different ways: (1) the physical translation of Enoch (Gen. 5:24; Heb. 11:5, KJV) and Elijah (2 Kings 2:11) to heaven without them dying; (2) the spiritual translation of Christians from “the power of darkness” into “the kingdom of God” (Col. 1:13, KJV); and (3) the future physical translation and transformation of Christians at the Second Coming of Christ, or “the rapture” (1 Cor. 15:51–57; Phil. 3:21; 1 Thess. 4:13–18).

Translation is a special act of God. It is a permanent action that happens because of a person’s faith.

TRAVAIL — to suffer great physical or mental pain. Rachel travailed in childbirth and she died while giving birth to Benjamin (Gen. 35:16–19, KJV).

TREACHEROUS — tricky; deceitful (Hos. 6:7, NKJV).

TREAD — to trample (trodden, Lam. 1:15, KJV).

TREASON — a conspiracy; a plan to go against a person or group like a king or government (1 Kings 16:20, NKJV).

TREASURE, TREASURY — something of value; a place for storing valuables (Gen. 43:23, NKJV; Deut. 32:34, NKJV; Esther 3:9; 4:7; Ezra 5:17, NKJV).

TREE OF KNOWLEDGE — one of two special trees planted by God in the Garden of Eden. The “tree of knowledge of good and evil” was a symbol for all of the knowledge of God. God knew that Adam and Eve wouldn’t understand all of this knowledge and that they wouldn’t be able to handle the power that comes from having all of that knowledge, so He told Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit of that tree (Gen. 2:17). The other tree in the garden was the tree of life and they were allowed to eat all they wanted from it (Gen. 2:9). But the tempter (Satan) tricked them by making them think that if they ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge, it would make them exactly like God (Gen. 3:5). They decided to disobey God and eat the fruit. Instead of knowing everything and being equal to God, they only received knowledge of their guilt and shame and condemnation. This act of disobeying God was the first sin in the world.

TREE OF LIFE — the tree in the Garden of Eden that provided life (Gen. 2:9, 17; 3:1–24). Before Adam and Eve sinned, they were allowed to eat the fruit from this tree.After they sinned, they had to leave the Garden of Eden and no longer had access to the tree of life.

TRESPASS — the violation of a law (Gen. 31:36, NKJV; Exod. 22:9, NKJV; Mark 11:25–26, NKJV; Eph. 2:1, 5, NKJV; 2 Cor. 5:19, NKJV).

TRIAL — a test or temptation. If a person passed the test or worked through the temptation, it proved that the person had real faith. Since good things can happen when a person gets through a trial, Christians are told to be happy about their trials (James 1:2, NKJV; 1 Pet. 4:12–13, NKJV). Christ gave us the example of how trials should be handled when He didn’t give in to Satan’s temptations. He was able to remain strong because He knew the Word of God (scripture) and what God expected Him to do (God’s will) (Luke 4:1–13).

TRIBE — a social group made up of many clans and families. People became part of a tribe through covenant, marriage, adoption, or slavery. The nation of Israel was a tribal society (Num. 1; 2; 26; Josh. 13–21; Judg. 19–21) and there were also many tribes in the nations next to Israel (Gen. 25:13–16).

TRIBULATION — great difficulty and suffering; also persecution. Tribulation is part of God’s process for making the world right again. His Son went through great suffering, and His people have to go through a great deal of tribulation from the world (Rom. 5:3, NKJV; Acts 14:22, NKJV). This tribulation happens because of a conflict (fight) between God and the devil (Gen. 3:15). The Bible tells us that this fight will end with the devil being thrown into the lake of fire to suffer eternal tribulation (Rev. 20:10).

TRIBULATION, THE GREAT — a short but intense period of distress and suffering at the end of time. The exact phrase, “the great tribulation,” is found only once in the Bible (Rev. 7:14, NKJV). The great tribulation is not the same as the general tribulation a believer faces in the world (Matt. 13:21, NKJV; John 16:33, NKJV; Acts 14:22, NKJV). It is also different from God’s wrath (anger and punishment) on the unbelievers of the world at the end of time (Mark 13:24, NKJV; Rom. 2:5–10, NKJV; 2 Thess. 1:6, NKJV).

The great tribulation is the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecies (Dan. 7–12). It will be a time of evil. There will be people claiming to be “Jesus Christ” and there will be many false prophets (Mark 13:22). Natural disasters will happen all over the world.

TRIBUTE — a fee or financial contribution levied on (charged to) a person by a ruler or a country. A tribute is also the same as a tax (Ezra 4:20, NKJV).

TRINITY — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in the unity of the Godhead. The doctrine of the trinity means that there is one God who operates as three different persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Although the word “trinity” does not appear in the Bible, the concept (idea) is mentioned in the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19) and in the benediction (closing or end) of the apostle Paul’s Second Epistle (letter) to the Corinthians (2 Cor. 13:14).

TRIUMPH — the joy felt over a victory (Ps. 47:1, NKJV).

TRIUMPHAL ENTRY — Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem on the Sunday (Palm Sunday) before His crucifixion (Matt. 21:1–9, NKJV; Mark 11:1–10, NKJV; Luke 19:29–38, NKJV; John 12:12–16, NKJV).

TROAS [tro´-as] — an important city on the coast of Mysia, in northwest Asia Minor (modern Turkey), visited at least three times by the apostle Paul (Acts 16:8, 11; 20:5–6; 2 Cor. 2:12; 2 Tim. 4:13).

TROPHIMUS [trof´-ih-mus] — a Gentile Christian who lived in Ephesus. He traveled with Paul to Jerusalem at the end of Paul’s third missionary journey (Acts 20:4).

TROUGH — a place that holds food or water for animals (Exod. 2:16).

TRUE, TRUTH — an actual fact; faithfulness to a rule or standard. God said that He is “merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth” (Exod. 34:6, NKJV).

Ruins of Roman baths at Troas—the city where Paul received a vision to evangelize Macedonia (Acts 16:6–10).

Roman ruins at the ancient city of Tyre, with buildings of the modern city in the background.

TRUMPETS, FEAST OF — a Hebrew festival that celebrated the new civil year (Num. 29:1).

TUMULT — a riot (Matt. 27:24, NKJV).

TUNIC — a loose-fitting garment; a piece of clothing sort of like a short dress or long shirt (Mark 6:9, NIV).

TURBAN — a long piece of linen cloth wound around the head and fastened in the back to form a type of headdress worn by men in Bible times (Job 29:14). The headdress worn by the priests of the nation of Israel was not a turban (Exod. 28:39).

TURTLEDOVE — another name for dove. Poor people used turtledoves for their sacrifices because they could not afford lambs or other more expensive animals (Lev. 12:6–8, NKJV).

TWELVE, THE — a phrase that identified the group of twelve disciples that had close relationships with Jesus (Mark 4:10). Early in His ministry, Jesus picked twelve of His followers and called them “apostles” (Luke 6:12–16). They are also called the “twelve disciples” (Matt. 10:1). Jesus appointed (chose) them to travel with Him, to preach, to heal, and to cast out demons (Mark 3:14–15).

TWO-EDGED — sharp on both sides, like a sword (Heb. 4:12, NKJV).

TYCHICUS [tik´-ik-us] — a faithful friend, coworker, and messenger of the apostle Paul (Eph. 6:21–22; Col. 4:7–8). Tychicus traveled with other disciples from Macedonia to Troas, where he waited for the apostle Paul’s arrival (Acts 20:4).

TYRE [tire] (rock) — an ancient city of the Phoenicians located north of Israel. Tyre was the principal seaport of the Phoenician coast.

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