tabernacle (tab'ar-nak"al), 1. a temporary shelter, as a tent, hut, or booth: Ps. 76:2; Job 36:29; Isa. 4:6. 2. the portable sanctuary carried by the Jews in their wanderings from Egypt to Palestine: Ex. 25-27. It was to be the meeting place for God and His people and thus the center of Jewish life and the holiest place on earth: it housed the ark and other holy objects: also called tabernacle of the congregation (Ex. 29:42), tabernacle of witness (Num. 17:7) and tent of testimony, (Num.9:15). 3. the Jewish temple: Ps. If 5:7 4. figuratively, a) the human body: II Cor. 5:4. b) heaven: Heb.9:11.

tabernacles, feast of, the eight-day festival celebrating the fall harvest: it began on the 15th of Tishri, five days after the days of atonement. Lev. 23:34; Deut. 16:1. The feast commemorated the Jews' wandering in the wilderness and was a reminder of their living in booths (or tabenacles) during that period and of the care and protection given to them by God. Called feast of booths and feast of the ingathering (Ex. 23:16).

tablet (tab'lit), probably, beads of gold worn as an armlet, necklace or brace and, sometimes, having a small perfume box attached to it: Ex. 35:22; Num. 31:50; lsa. 3:20.

tabret (tab'ret) , probably, a kind of small hand drum, as a tambourine, with jingling metal pieces around it: it was played shaking and hitting with the knuckles I Sam. 10:5; 18:6; lsa. 24:8.

tache (tach), a device, as a clasp, hook and eye, etc., for fastening two parts together, as the curtains of the tabernacle Ex. 26:6,11; 36:13,18.

tackling (tak'ling), the rgging, or tackle of a ship: lsa. 33:23; Acts 27: 19.

tale (tal), a tally; count; enumeration Ex. 5:8,18; 1 Sam. 18:27.

talent (tal'ant), 1. a large unit of weight or of money in gold or silver, used by Hebrews, Greeks, and Romans: it varied widely in value at different times and different places; the lowest estimated weight was about 58 pounds: II Kings 23:33. 2. a coin, probably of silver: estimates of its value range from about 500 dollars to over 1,000 dollars: Matt. 25:15.

Talitha cumi (tal'i-tha, or ta-le'tha), Little girl (damsel), arise: an Aramaic expression used by Jesus as He raised the daughter of Janus from death (Mark 5:41).

Tammuz (tam'uz, ta-mooz'), the Ionian and Assyrian god of vegetation whose supposed annual death and resurrection symbolized the winter and spring cycle (Ezek. 8: 14 ): he allegedly died and retired to the underworld as the vegetation dried up in the fall; he was revived and brought back to life in the spring. The Babylonians named the fourth month (July) of their calendar after him; the Jews also adopted the name for their fourth month in post-Biblical times, but it has become the tenth month of the modern Jewish calendar. Tammuz has been identified with Osiris of Egypt, Adonis in Syria and Phoenicia, and Attis in Greece.

tare (tar), a weed, believed to be a kind of darnel, which grows in grain fields and is difficult to distinguish from wheat and rye until it heads near harvest time: some varieties are poisonous: Matt. 13:25-29, 36.

tare (tar), past tense of tear ( to pull apart, wound): II Sam. 13:31; II Kings 2:24, Luke 9:42.

target (tar'git), 1. a shield, probably a large, heavy one: I Kings 10:16; II Chr. 9:15; 14:8. 2. a javelin: I Sam. 17:6.

taskmaster (task'mas"tar), a person who, assigns tasks to others; specifically, an Egyptian overseer appointed by Pharaoh to see that the Hebrews had hard, tiresome work: Pharaoh hoped that this oppressive work would weaken the Hebrews physically and stifle their enthusiasm for escape: Ex. 1:1.1; 3:7; 5:6,10,13,14.

tau (to, tou), the twenty-second letter of the Hebrew alphabet: it appears at the beginning of the twenty-second and last section of Psalm 119.

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Tebeth (te'beth, ta-vath'), the tenth month (December-January) of the Hebrew calendar (Esther 2:16), having 29 days. It is the fourth month of the modern Jewish calendar.

teil tree (tel), a tree of the sumac family yielding turpentine: Isa. 6: 13.

temperance (tem'par-ans), the state or quality of being moderate in indulging the appetites; self-restraint in conduct expression, and desire or passion: Acts 24:25; Gal. 5:23; II Pet. 1:6.

temple (tem'pal), 1. a building for the worship of a god or gods: I Chr. 10:l0; Joel 3:5. 2. any of the three buildings dedicated to the worship of God, successively built in Jerusalem on the same site: the first one was built by Solomon (I Kings 5-8) about 1,000 B.C, and was destroyed by the Babylonians in about I B.C. (II Kings 25); the second one was begun by Zerubbabel about 516 B.C., after the Jews had returned from Exile, andwas finished in the time of Ezra (Ezra 1-6); this temple stood until it was replaced by a temple begun by Herod in about 20 B.C, (finished about A.D. 60). The temple of Ezekiel (Ezek. 40-47) was an ideal  structure envisioned by him to be built in Jerusalem when ideal conditions for it prevailed. 3. figuratively, a) the body of Jesus: John 2:19. b) the body of a true Christian: I Cor. 6: 19. c) a Christian church as a dwelling place for God, and in which He might be consulted: Eph. 2:21.

temporal (tem'par-al), lasting only for a time; temporary: distinguished from eternal. II Cor. 4: 18.

tempt (tempt), 1. to test; subject to a trial, or questions, problems, etc. in order to determine the qualifications of another: -as, God tempted men (Gen. 22: 1) to ascertain their faithfulness and men tempted God and Jesus (Deut. 6: 16; Matt. 22: 18) in an effort to obtain proof of their divine power, patience, or presence. 2. to induce or try to persuade (a person) to do something evil: I Cor. 7:5; James 1:13.

temptation (temp-ta'shan), 1. a test, or trial to prove the value or ascertain the nature of something: Deut. 4:34; 7:19; 29:3. 2. an attempt to persuade a person to commit sin or submit to any kind of evil enticement by offering some apparent advantage: James 1:12.

Ten Commandments, the ten rules of living and religious observance given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai: see Ex. 20:2-7 and Deut. 5:6-22.

tender eyed, suffering from poor vision; afficted with an eye disease: Gen. 29:1.7.

tenon (ten'an), a projecting part cut on the end of a piece of wood for insertion into a corresponding hole in another piece to make a joint: Ex. 26:17; 36:22.

tent of meeting, the tabernacle (sense 2).

testament (tes'ta-mant), 1. a binding and solemn agreement; covenant (Matt. 26:28; Mark 14:24); especially, a) the Old Testament, that division of the Bible which includes the covenant between God and man brought about through the work of Moses. b) the New Testament, that division of the Bible which includes the new covenant (Jer.31:31) which God promised to establish with man through Jesus: I Cor. 3:6. 2. a will; legal statement of a person's wishes concerning the disposal of his property after death: Heb. 9:17.

testimony (tes'ta-mo-ne), 1. pl. testimonies, the precepts or commands of God, especially the Ten Commandments or the entire book of the law: Deut. 4:45; 6: 17, 20; Ps. 25: 10. 2. the tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments: Ex. 25: 16-21. 3. the ark of the covenant in which these tablets were placed: Ex. 16:34; 27:21. 4. a declaration or statement made to establish a fact: Matt. 10: 18; Acts 14:3. 5. any form of evidence; proof: Ruth 4:7.

teth (teth, tes), the ninth letter of the Hebrew alphabet: it appears at the beginning of the ninth section of Psalm 119.

tetrarch (tet'rark), in the Roman Empire, the ruler of a part (originally a fourth part) of a kingdom or province: in Biblical use, any prince, governor, or other petty ruler subordinate to the king (Matt. 14:1; Luke 3:1,19; Acts 13:1).

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thank offering, a variety of the peace offering signifying the acceptance of an thanks for blessings received: II Chr. 29;31; 33:16.

thankworthy (thangk'wur-the), worthy of approval, credit, or applause; deserving praise: I Pet. 2: 19.

thenceforth (thens-forth'), from that time onward; thereafter: Matt. 5:13. Used in the phrase from thenceforth which has the same meaning: II Chr. 32:23; John 19:12.

thistle (this'al ), any of various plant with prickly or spiny leaves and heads of white, purple, pink, or yellow flowers Gen. 3:18; II Kings 14:9; II Chr. 25:18. See also thorn. 

thitherward (thith'ar-ward), to or toward that place or direction: Judg. 18: 15; Jer. 50:5.

thorn (thorn), 1. any of various small trees or shrubs bearing very short, hard leafless stems that come to a sharp point: often planted as hedges (Hos. 2: 6) or dried and used as fuel (Ps. 58:9). 2. one of these sharp, pointed stems. Used figuratively (often with thistle, Gen. 3:18; Hos. 10:8) for the worthlessness of the people (II Sam. 23:6; Nab. 1: 10), as instrument of punishment (Judg. 8:7,16), for distress and desolation (Isa. 7: 23,25), and to depict God's wrathful judgment (Ps. 118:12). 3. a hook inserted into the head of a large fish in such a way that will  neither kill it nor allow it to escape: Job 41:2. -thorn in the eye (or side), a persistent cause of annoyance, irritation, etc. (Num. 33:55; Josh. 23:13): the "thorn in the flesh" mentioned by Paul (II Cor. 21:7) may have been some type of physical ailment with which he had become afflicted.

threshingfloor, a level, open patch of ground on which grain was threshed sometimes by flailing but more often by the treading of oxen and the crushing action of a wooden sledge which they pulled: a threshingfloor was usually located in an elevated area where breezes were more likely to blow away the chaff: II Sam. 6:6; Jer. 51:33.

Thummim, see Urim and Thummim.

thyine (thi'in), a Near Eastern tree of the pine family, with hard, fragrant wood, yielding a slightly aromatic resin: the wood (Rev. 18:12) was highly valued for use in furniture and inlaid work.

tillage (till'ij), 1. the cultivation of land in preparation for raising crops: I Chr. 27: 26. 2. the land that is cultivated: Provo 13:23. 3. a region of cultivated land, or farm land: Neh. 10.37.

tinkling ornament, the decorative chain, probably with small bells attached, that fastened the anklet (or ornament of the legs) of one leg with that of the other worn by women, only permitting them to make short, jerky steps which caused the chain or bells to tinkle. The wearing of such ornaments was regarded as an ostentatious display: Isa.3:16,18.

tire (tir), an ornamental headdress worn on ceremonial occasions, as by a bride. groom: Ezek.24:17,23.

Tirshatha (tilr'sha-tha, tilr-she'tha), an honorary Persian title probably equivalent 1 to "governor": Ezra 2:63; Neh. 8:9; 10:1.

tithe (tith), one tenth of a person's annual gain paid for the support of the Levites (Lev. 27:30-33): it was in the form of produce from one's land, a portion of the increase in one's flock, etc., or the equivalent in money, especially the latter if the person lived so far away as to make the payment in material goods impractical (Deut. 14:24-26). The Levites were also required to pay a tithe by giving one tenth of their income for the support of the priests (Num. 18:26-28). Another tithe, probably a second one, was instituted in order to supply provisions for the festivals (IIChr.31:4-12). By New Testament times the hardships endured by the people under the Romans made it difficult for them to tithe, but the laws were still observed (Luke 11:42). Jesus reminded the Pharisees that although they strictly observed tithing they had "omitted the weightier matters of the law" (Matt. 23:23).

tittle (tit'al), a dot or other small mark used as a diacritic, or to distinguish between letters of nearly the same form. Used figuratively by Jesus in pointing out that even the most minute requirement of the law will endure: Matt. 5: 18; Luke 16:17.

tongue (tung), 1. the human tongue: Judg. 7:5; Mark 7:33. 2. the tongue of an animal: Job 20:16; Ps. 68:23. 3. a human being, especially in terms of the ideas expressed in speech: Isa. 45:23; 54:17. 4. a particular language or dialect: Gen. 10:5; John 5:2. 5. the people speaking such a language or dialect: Isa. 66: 18. 6. a manner or style of speaking in regard to tone, meaning, intention, etc.: Prov. 12:18; Hos. 7:16.

tongues, gift of, a spiritual gift mentioned many times in the New Testament, particularly in Acts and in the epistles of Paul: Acts 2:1-13; 10:44-46; 19:6; I Cor. 12; 14:14-17. The gift appeared as the disciples were assembled in the Upper Room on the day of Pentecost, and as the Holy Spirit descended upon them (Acts 2:4). Many Jews of the dispersion were astonished to hear the disciples speaking in the various languages or dialects represented in the audience (Acts 2:5-13). Some scholars are of the opinion that the phenomena described in Acts 2:1-13 were similar to those in I Cor. 12-15 and were unintelligible ecstatic utterances. However, it has been pointed out that the manifestation in Acts may have been a temporary irresistible experience, while at Corinth it appears to have been a continuing experience under the control of the speaker, and it was necessary to have an interpreter: I Cor. 14:5,13,27). The significance and importance of this gift are variously interpreted.

topaz (to'paz"), probably, a yellowish-green variety of chrysolite called "peridot" today: Ex. 28:17; 39:10; Rev. 21:20.

topheth (to'fit, to'fet), a place where human sacrifices by fire were made to Molech: one such location was in the valley of Hinnom (II Kings 23:10): Jeremiah sees the name being changed in the future to the valley of slaughter (Jer. 19:6).

torment, place of, the place into which the wicked are to be cast at the Last Judgment: Luke 16:28.

tormentor (tor-men'tir), a jailor, especially one who administered torture: Matt. 18:34. Torture was frequently used to extort confessions: Acts 22:24.

tow (to), the coarse and broken fibers of hemp, flax, etc. ready for spinning: it burns readily: Judg. 16:9; Isa. 1:31; 43:17.

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traffick ( traf'ik), buying and selling; trade: I Kings 10:15; Ezek. 28:5. Today this word is spelled traffic.

transfiguration (trans-fig-yoo-ra'shan), the glorified change in the appearance of Jesus on the mountain in the presence of three
of His disciples ( Matt. 17; Mark 9) having the effect of impressing them with His divine nature and convincing them that He was sent by God the Father.

transgression (trans-gresh'an), the breaking of a law or commandment; sin in various degrees, as through ignorance, disloyalty, treachery, or rebellion: Ex. 34:7; I Sam. 14:33; Ps. 59:5; lsa.43:27.

translate (trans"-lat'), to change from one place, position, or condition to another; transfer (II Sam. 3:10); especially, to convey to heaven without causing one to experience death (Heb. 11:5).

treatise (tre'tis ), a story or narrative: Acts 1:1.

tree of knowledge, a tree in the garden of Eden whose fruit Adam and Eve were forbidden to eat: Gen. 2:9,17. Our first parents disobeyed the command of God by eating the forbidden fruit and were expelled from the garden. What this tree was or what it symbolized has been variously interpreted. 

tree of life, 1. a tree in the garden of  Eden bearing fruit which, if eaten would confer everlasting life: Gen. 2:9. 2. a tree in the heavenly Jerusalem whose leaves are for healing the nations: Rev. 22:2. 3. figuratively, an exhilarating experience: Prov. 3:18; 11:30; 13:12; 15:4.

trespass (tres'pas, tres'pas" ), an offense or sin committed against another man or against God (II Chr. 24.:18), sometimes indicating an error or a guilty act that was not deliberate or carried out with malice: God requires man to forgive trespasses committed against him if he is to receive divine forgiveness for his own trespasses: Matt. 18:35; Mark 11:26; Luke 17:3,4.

trespass offering, an offering made to atone for transgressions against God or against one's fellowman, usually for an inadvertent violation of the law committed through ignorance, for damage to a neighbors property or his character, etc.: Lev. 5:14-6:7. The sacrifice consisted of an animal and, in the case of property damage a fine equivalent to the monetary loss incurred plus one fifth. Special trespass offerings were made in the cleansing ceremonies of lepers (Lev. 14:12) and defiled Nazarites (Num. 6:12).

tribe (trib) , a group of persons, families, or clans descended from a common ancestor and forming, together with their slaves, adopted strangers, etc. a community (Matt. 24:30); especially, any of the twelve divisions of the Israelites: Ex. 28:21; Josh. 14:3.

tributary (trib'yoo-ter-e), pl. tributaries, a person compelled to work at forced labor: Deut. 20: 11; Judg. 1 :30,33,35.

tribute (trib'ut), 1. a tax: as, a) that paid by one ruler or nation to another acknowledgment of subjugation or for protection from invasion (II Kings 23:33). b ) that paid on goods or commodities consumed (Ezra 4:13; 7:24); c) that paid to God on a particular occasion or for a particular purpose (Num. 31:28; De 16: 10); d) that paid by all Jews to Romans as a temple tax (Matt. 17:25; Mark 12:14). 2. forced labor: Deut. 20:11; Judg. 1:28; I Kings 5:13.

trode (trod), past tense of tread: Judg. 9:27; II Kings 7:17.

trow (tro, trou), to think; suppose; imagine: Luke 17:9.

trucebreaker (troos'briik-ar), a person who is unwilling to be bound by a truce or enter into an agreement; one who refuses to be appeased or placated: II Tim. 3:3.

trump (trump), a sound made by a trumpet or as by a trumpet: I Cor. 15:52; I Thess. 4:16.

trumpet (trum'pet), a wind instrument wood or metal, either curved or straight used in the temple ritual (I Chr. 16:6) for giving signals before making a public announcement (II Kings 9:13), as an alarm announcing danger (Amos 3:6), a signal for battle (Judg. 3:27), etc.

trumpets, feast of, a festival held on the first day of the seventh month (Tishri) commemorating the re-gathering of Israelites in their homeland: it was celebrated by the blowing of horns from morning to evening, the public reading of the law, and general rejoicing: Lev. 23:24,25; Num. 29:1-6; Neh. 8:2,9-12.

turtledove (tir'tal-duv), a kind of wild dove or pigeon noted for its plaintive cooing and the affection it shows for its mate (Ps. 74:19): turtledoves were abundant in Palestine and the poor were permitted to use them for sacrifices (Gen. 15:9; Lev. 1:14). Also called turtle (Num. 6:10; Song 2:12; Jer. 8:7).

tutor (too'tar), a legal guardian of a person not legally old enough to manage his own affairs and his own property: Gal. 4:2.

tzaddi (tsa'de), the eighteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet: it appears at the beginning of the eighteenth section of Psalm 119.
 

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