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EARNEST — a down payment or guarantee given by a buyer to a seller as part of a contract. This contract was a promise that the full amount would be paid at a later time. Paul wrote, God has “put his Spirit in our hearts to be a guarantee for all he has promised” (2 Cor. 1:22; earnest, KJV) or as a guarantee of our inheritance (2 Cor. 5:5; Eph. 1:14; earnest, KJV).
EARTH, EARTHLY — the planet where mankind lives. God is in control of the entire earth. The Israelites were promised that if they obeyed God’s will and kept His laws, the earth would produce fruitful harvests, but if they were disobedient, the crops would fail and famine would come (Deut. 28).
EAST, MEN OF THE — the people who lived east of Palestine (Job 1:3).
EAST WIND — a destructive desert wind (Gen. 41:27).
EBED-MELECH [e´-bed-me´-lek] (servant of the king) — an Ethiopian eunuch who served Zedekiah, king of Judah. Ebed-Melech saved the prophet Jeremiah from a dungeon (Jer. 38:7–13). Later, Jeremiah told him that he would be saved when the Babylonians captured Jerusalem (Jer. 39:15–18).
EBENEZER [eb-en-e´-zer] (stone of help) — the place where Israel was defeated by the Philistines and the Ark of the Covenant was captured (1 Sam. 5:1).
ECCLESIASTES, BOOK OF — an Old Testament book that was probably written by Solomon. Its name comes from the Greek word ekklesiastes, which means “teacher.”
The Book of Ecclesiastes teaches that just being rich and famous does not bring true happiness. True happiness comes from serving God and following His will for our lives. Another important lesson from Ecclesiastes is that life is to be enjoyed (3:12–13).
EDEN [e´-dun] (delight) — the first place Adam and Eve lived (Gen. 2–3).
Petra, situated in ancient Edom, is the site of numerous buildings carved from red sandstone cliffs by the Nabateans about 300 B.C.
EDICT — an official order (Esther 1:20, NKJV; Heb. 11:23, NKJV).
EDIFY, EDIFICATION — to build up; to strengthen; to encourage (Eph. 4:12, 29, NKJV).
EDOM [e´-dum] (red) — another name for Esau. Esau traded his birthright to his brother Jacob for a meal of red stew (Gen. 25:29–34). Edom is also the name of the land where Esau’s family lived (Gen. 32:3; 36:8).
EDOMITES [e´-dum-ites] — the descendants (family) of Edom or Esau. They were enemies of the Israelites.
EGYPT [e´-jipt] — a large country in the northeast corner of Africa. The Israelites spent 430 years in this land (Exod. 12:40) between the time of Joseph and Moses. Jesus lived in Egypt when he was a baby (Matt. 2:13–15).
ELAM [e´-lam] (highland) — the name of eight or nine men in the Bible, but most of the time it is talking about the son of Shem and grandson of Noah (Gen. 10:22). Elam is also a geographical region east of the Tigris River.
ELDER — a word used all through the Bible, but it means different ideas at different times in biblical history. It can mean age, experience, and authority, as well as a specific leadership role (Acts 20:17–38).
ELEAZAR [el-e-a´-zar] (God is helper) —the name of seven men in the Bible, but most of the time it is talking about Aaron’s third son by his wife Elisheba (Exod. 6:23). Eleazar was the father of Phinehas (Exod. 6:25). Eleazar was consecrated as a priest and made chief of the Levites after his older brothers, Nadab and Abihu, were killed for offering a bad sacrifice (unholy fire) (Lev. 10:1–7).
The Sphinx and the Great Pyramid, timeless symbols of the land of Egypt and its people.
The step pyramid of the Pharaoh Zoser at Saqqarah near Cairo—the oldest known Egyptian pyramid (2700 B.C.)—with accompanying temple.
ELECTION — the process of God inviting people to be part of His kingdom and to receive great benefits of His love and blessings (2 Pet. 1:10, NKJV). The Bible uses the word “election” in three different ways: (1) God’s choice of Israel and the church for special service and privileges, (2) the choice of a specific individual to some office or to perform a special service, and (3) the invitation to be a child of God and receive the gift of eternal life (salvation).
ELI [e´-li] (the Lord is high) — a judge and high priest. When the prophet Samuel was a child, he lived with Eli (1 Sam. 1–4; 14:3).
ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI [e´-li, e´-li, la´-ma, sa-bock´-tan-ni´] — the heartbroken cry of Jesus from the cross (Matt. 27:46). The first two words (Eli, Eli) are spoken in Hebrew and they mean “my God, my God.” The final words (lama sabachthani) are spoken in Aramaic and mean “Why have you left me alone?” These are the words Jesus said at the moment he took the sins of the world upon Himself and had to experience the righteous judgment of God against sin for all human beings. We can see that even in His loneliest, saddest moment He still had faith in God because He cried out to His Father calling Him “My God.”
ELIEZER [el-e-e´-zer] (my God is helper) —Eliezer of Damascus was the name of Abraham’s head servant (Gen. 15:2). If Abraham had not had a son, Eliezer would have been Abraham’s heir.
ELIJAH [e-li´-jah] (the Lord is my God) —the son of Jeroham, a Benjamite (1 Chron. 8:27); another man named Elijah was the son of Harim (Ezra 10:21). It believed that he is the same Elijah who divorced his foreign wife after the Captivity in Babylon (Ezra 10:26). The most important man named Elijah was a prophet who lived in the ninth century B.C. during the time of Ahab and Ahaziah in the northern kingdom of Israel. Elijah was a very good man and the Israelites had great respect for him.
ELISHA [e-li´-shah] (my God saves) — an early Hebrew prophet who took Elijah’s place (1 Kings 19:16). The period of his ministry dates from about 850 to 800 B.C. Elisha’s work consisted of presenting the Word of God through prophecy, advising kings, anointing kings, helping the needy, and performing several miracles.
ELIZABETH [e-liz´-a-beth] (God is my oath) — the wife of the priest Zechariah. Zechariah and Elizabeth had been unable to have children (Luke 1:6–7). God performed a miracle and they had a son who came to be known as John the Baptist.
EMMANUEL [em-man´-uel] — another way of saying Immanuel (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:23).
EMMAUS [em´-ma-us] (warm wells) — a small town (village) in Judea where Jesus showed Himself to two disciples after His resurrection. Jesus went with them to Emmaus, and they invited Him to stay there with them (Luke 24:28).
ENCHANTMENT — the practice of magic or sorcery. In the Bible, enchantment is used as a word that can mean several things, including fortunetelling, calling up demons, and controlling evil spirits. Most ancient civilizations believed in enchantment, but the Mosaic Law said these practices were bad (abominations) and forbidden (Deut. 18:10–12).
EN-GEDI [en-ghe´-di] (spring of a kid) —an oasis on the western shore of the Dead Sea about thirty-five miles southeast of Jerusalem. It contained many hideouts where David sometimes hid when he was fleeing from King Saul (1 Sam. 23:29–24:1).
Statue of the prophet Elijah at the Muhraqah on Mount Carmel, commemorating his victory over the pagan worshipers of Baal.
ENMITY — a deep-seated animosity or hatred. The apostle Paul said that the human mind in its natural state is in “enmity against God” (Rom. 8:7, NKJV). This enmity can only be changed by the redeeming power of Christ.
ENOCH [e´-nok] (initiated or dedicated) —the firstborn son of Cain (Gen. 4:17–18). Enoch was also the name of a city built by Cain in the land of Nod and named after his son (Gen. 4:17). The son of Jared was also named Enoch and he was the father of Methuselah (Gen. 5:18–24).
ENSAMPLE — model, example (Phil. 3:17).
ENVY — a feeling of resentment and jealousy toward others because of their possessions or good qualities. Christians are warned to be careful not to commit the sin of envy (Rom. 13:13; 1 Pet. 2:1).
EPHAH [e´-fah] — a unit for measuring volume (Judg. 6:19, NKJV). Ephah is also the name of two men, one woman, and a tribe in the Bible.
EPHESIANS [e-fe´-zheuns] — people who were born in or who lived in Ephesus (Acts 19:35).
EPHESIANS, EPISTLE TO THE — one of four shorter epistles written by the apostle Paul while he was in prison; the other three are Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon.
In this letter to the Ephesians, Paul wants them to understand how important God’s plan is and how important it is for there to be peace and unity in the church. He also explains how family members should behave and how Christians need to stand strong against Satan.
EPHESUS [ef´-e-sus] — a large and important city on the west coast of Asia Minor. The apostle Paul started a church there.
EPHOD OF HIGH PRIEST [e´-fod] — a vest worn by the high priest when he was at the altar (Exod. 28:4–14, NKJV; 39:2–7, NKJV). The ephod was made of fine linen interwoven with some threads of pure gold and other threads that were blue, purple, and scarlet in color. It was worn over a blue robe (Exod. 28:31–35).
The great theater of the city of Ephesus, showing the marble boulevard leading to the nearby harbor, now silted in because of erosion.
On the shoulders of the ephod, there were two onyx stones set in gold. The names of the twelve tribes of Israel were engraved on these stones. The front of the vest, also called the breastplate, was fastened to the shoulder straps by two golden chains (Exod. 28:14) and by a blue cord (Exod. 28:28). Associate priests were allowed to wear ephods at a later point in time (1 Sam. 22:18).
EPHRAIM [e´-fra-im] (doubly fruitful) —the second son of Joseph. His mother was Asenath.
When Ephraim was born, Joseph chose the name Ephraim because it meant “fruitful” (Gen. 41:52). Joseph was a foreigner (a Hebrew) in Egypt but God blessed him and he earned a high position in the Egyptian government. Joseph had two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Eventually Ephraim’s thousands of descendants (family) settled in the land of Canaan. They were one of the largest tribes in Israel (Gen. 48:17; Num. 1:10).
EPICUREANS [ep-i-cu-re´-ans] — Greek philosophers who attended a school founded by Epicurus about 306 B.C. The Epicureans cared about practical things, not spiritual things. Their main interest in life was pleasure. They believed they could find happiness by seeking physical and mental pleasure and avoiding the things that caused pain (Acts 17:16–33).
EPISTLE — a letter of correspondence between two or more people or groups. Several books of the New Testament were originally written as epistles (2 Pet. 3:16). An epistle is almost the same as a letter, except an epistle is usually more formal and a letter is more personal.
The spring at En-Gedi, where David hid from King Saul (1 Sam. 24:1).
ER [ur] — the name of three men in the Bible:
1. A son of Judah (Gen. 38:3, 6–7).
2. A son of Shelah, the youngest son of Judah (1 Chron. 4:21)
3. An ancestor of Jesus who lived between the time of David and Zerubbabel (Luke 3:28).
ESAU [e´-saw] — a son of Isaac and Rebekah and the twin brother of Jacob. Esau was also known as Edom (Gen. 25:24–28; Deut. 2:4–8).
Esau was a hunter and outdoorsman. He was his father’s favorite and his brother Jacob was his mother’s favorite (Gen. 25:27–28).
Esau was more honest and dependable than Jacob, but he committed a great sin by ignoring the importance of his birthright. A birthright allowed the oldest son to inherit most of the father’s property and the right to lead the family after the father’s death. To the ancient Hebrews, a birthright actually had a high spiritual value. Esau did not have the faith to accept his privileges and responsibilities. It was an insult to sell this important gift for a small meal (Heb. 12:16–17).
Top: An epistle, or letter, in the Greek language from the third century A.D., written to a person named Aphrodite.
Bottom: Reverse side of the letter to Aphrodite, showing how two pieces of papyrus were pressed together in crisscross fashion to produce a piece of writing material.
ESCHATOLOGY [es-ca-tol´-ogy] — the study of what will happen at the end of time, especially the Second Coming of Christ. The word comes from two Greek words, eschatos (last) and logos (study). A simple definition would be “the study of last things.”
ESTABLISH — to make; to strengthen; to confirm (Prov. 8:28, NKJV; Heb. 13:9, NKJV).
ESTHER [es´-tur] (star) — the Jewish queen of the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes). Esther saved her people, the Jews, from a plot to kill them. After her mother and father died, Esther’s cousin Mordecai raised her. Her Jewish name was Hadassah, which means “myrtle” (Esther 2:7).
ESTHER, BOOK OF — a historical book of the Old Testament named for its main character, Queen Esther of Persia. It was her courage and quick thinking that saved the Jewish people from disaster. The Book of Esther is a reminder of how God always keeps His promises.
Some Bible scholars believe Esther has no place in the Bible because it never mentions the word “God.”
The Book of Esther is valuable because it teaches important spiritual lessons about fasting (4:16) and God’s protection of His people (4:14). The book also teaches a valuable lesson about God’s power and timing.
ESTRANGE, ESTRANGED — to make unknown, to become unloved (Jer. 19:4).
ETERNAL LIFE — a person’s new life in Jesus Christ. This is God’s gift to all believers. The idea of eternal life is implied by the prophets in their pictures of the glorious future promised to God’s people (John 3:16).
ETHIOPIA [e-the-o´-pe-ah] (burnt face) —the Greek name for the ancient nation south of Egypt (Acts 8:26–40). Its Hebrew name was Cush. Modern Ethiopia (Abyssinia), in the horn of East Africa, is hundreds of miles away from ancient Ethiopia.
ETHIOPIAN — a person who was born in or lived in Ethiopia (Jer. 13:23, NKJV).
EUNUCH [yu´-nuk] — a male servant of a royal household in Bible times.
EUPHRATES [yu-fra´-teze] — the longest river of Western Asia and one of two major rivers in Mesopotamia. The river begins in the mountains of Armenia in modern-day Turkey. It then heads west toward the Mediterranean Sea, turns to the south, swings in a wide bow through Syria, and then flows some one thousand miles southeast to join the Tigris River before it empties into the Persian Gulf.
EUTYCHUS [yu´-tik-us] (fortunate) — a young man of Troas who was sitting in a tall building listening to the apostle Paul preach. He went to sleep and fell from the building and died from the fall. Paul performed a miracle and brought Eutychus back to life (Acts 20:9–10).
EVANGELIST, EVANGELIZE — a person authorized to share the gospel of Christ with others; to tell others about Jesus. The exact meaning of the word evangelist is “one who proclaims good tidings” (Eph. 4:11, NKJV; 2 Tim. 4:5, NKJV).
EVE [eev] (life-giving) — the first woman (Gen. 3:20; 4:1), created from one of Adam’s ribs to be “a helper” to him (Gen. 2:18–22).
EVERLASTING — lasting forever, eternal. The Bible speaks of the everlasting God (Isa. 40:28, NKJV), Father (Isa. 9:6, NKJV), King (Jer. 10:10, NKJV), and Redeemer (Isa. 63:16, NKJV). The Lord is a God of everlasting kindness (Isa. 54:8, NKJV), love (Jer. 31:3, NKJV), and mercy (Ps. 100:5, NKJV; 103:17, NKJV) who has established an everlasting covenant with His people (Heb. 13:20, NKJV). His kingdom is everlasting (2 Pet. 1:11, NKJV), as is His salvation (Ps. 45:17, NKJV).
EVIL — a force that opposes God and His work (Rom. 7:8–19).
EVIL ONE — Satan, the devil (John 17:15; 1 John 3:12).
EWE — a female sheep (Lev. 14:10, NKJV).
EXALT — to lift up (Exod. 15:2, NKJV).
EXCEEDING — abundant; more than is needed (Eph. 1:19, NKJV).
EXECRATION — an oath or curse (Jer.42:18;44:12).
EXHORT, EXHORTATION — a message of warning or encouragement used to motivate a person or group of people to do something. The apostle Paul often exhorted his fellow Christians to live out their calling as ministers of the Lord Jesus (Rom. 12:8, NKJV; 2 Cor. 8:17, NKJV).
EXILE — to place a person or group of people in captivity and remove them from their homeland.
EXODUS, THE — the journey of the Israelites out of captivity, led by Moses.
EXODUS, BOOK OF — an important Old Testament book about the nation of Israel. It takes its name from the event known as the Exodus, the dramatic deliverance of the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt.
The Bible’s entire message of redemption begins with the covenant relationship between God and His people described in this book. The Book of Exodus is a dramatic testimony to the power of God. The signs and plagues sent by God to break Pharaoh’s stubbornness are clear demonstrations of His power. The Book of Exodus also shows the weakness of Egypt’s false gods. The puny idols of Egypt are powerless before the mighty God of Israel.
EXORCIST — one who drives away demons (Acts 19:13, NKJV).
EXPEDIENT, EXPEDIENCY — doing what is necessary to reach a specific goal (John 11:50, NKJV; 18:14, NKJV).
EXTOL — to exalt or praise; to glorify (Ps. 68:4, NKJV).
EYESERVICE — the outward show of service, in order to impress others. The apostle Paul spoke harshly against this kind of action (Eph. 6:6, NKJV; Col. 3:22, NKJV).
EZEKIEL [ih-zeek´-e-uhl] (God will strengthen) — a prophet who was taken captive and sent to Babylon in 597 B.C. He shows us just how ugly and serious our sin is.
EZEKIEL, BOOK OF — a prophetic book of the Old Testament. The Book of Ezekiel is named for its author, the prophet Ezekiel, who received his prophetic messages from God in a series of visions. He addressed these prophecies to the Jewish exiles in Babylonia, where he lived among them.
The rugged Sinai Desert, through which the Israelites passed during the Exodus from Egypt.
EZRA [ez´-rah] ([God is] a help) — the name of three men in the Bible:
1. A descendant of Judah (1 Chron. 4:17)
2. A scribe and priest who led the captives in Jerusalem to make a new commitment to God’s Law.
3. A priest who returned from the Captivity with Zerubbabel (Neh. 12:1, 13).
EZRA, BOOK OF — a historical book of the Old Testament that tells about the resettlement of the Jewish people in their homeland after their long exile in Babylonia. The book is named for its author and central figure, Ezra the priest, who led the exiles in a new commitment to God’s Law after their return.