Key Concepts

(alphabetical order)

Attribution - All videos are the property of the BibleProject.com

Compassion

Compassion is a deeply emotional word used to convey the strong bond between a parent and their child. In this video, we look at this rich Hebrew word, the first one God uses to describe himself in Exodus 34:6-7. God is portrayed as a compassionate parent throughout Scripture—both as a mother and a father, and his compassion is embodied in the person of Jesus.

Covenants

The Bible’s main way of talking about God’s relationship to humanity is the image of a partnership. This video on covenants traces the way God entered into a series of formal relationships with various human partners in order to rescue the world through Jesus, the ultimate covenant partner.

Eternal Life

Jesus offered people eternal life. But what does that mean? Explore the meaning of a phrase that invites us into God’s life now and in the age to come.

Faithful

The word emet is a common word used to describe God in the Bible. It can be translated as “faithfulness” or “truth.” So when the authors say that God is “full of emet,” they are saying that he is trustworthy and faithful—we can trust him. But trusting isn’t always an easy thing. In this video, we look at why we can trust that God is full of emet.

Grace

What does it mean to say that the God of the Bible is gracious? In this video, we’ll look at the Hebrew words for grace and understand it to be a rich concept that has profound implications for how we see God. When we look to the biblical meaning of grace and understand God as gracious, we see a God who loves to give generous gifts to undeserving people.

Heart

Different cultures have different conceptions of the human heart, what it is and what it does, and the biblical authors are no exception. In this video, we'll explore the ancient Hebrew words for "heart" as well as the different ideas of what our hearts represent. There is no biblical word that captures better the essence of human thought, feeling, and desire than this rich and wonderful word.

Heaven & Earth

What does the Bible really teach about heaven, and what is heaven’s relationship to earth? In this video, we explore the surprising biblical viewpoint that heaven and earth were meant to overlap, and how Jesus is on a mission to bring them together once and for all.

Holiness

In this video, we explore the paradox that God’s holiness presents to human beings. God is the unique and set-apart Creator of all reality and the author of all goodness. However, that goodness can become dangerous to humans who are mortal and morally corrupt. Ultimately, this paradox is resolved by Jesus, who embodies God’s holiness that comes to heal His creation.

Iniquity

Iniquity is a biblical word that very few people use anymore, and even fewer people know what it means! In this video, we’ll explore the significance of this word in ancient Hebrew, and discover a whole new way to think about our selfish decisions and their consequences.

Joy

In this video, we explore the unique type of joy to which God’s people are called. It’s more than happy mood, but rather a choice to trust that God will fulfill his promises.

Justice

"Justice" is a felt need in our world today and a controversial topic. But what is justice, exactly, and who gets to define it? In this video, we'll explore the biblical theme of Justice and discover how it's deeply rooted in the story-line of the Bible that leads to Jesus.

Law (Biblical Law)

Have you ever wondered why there are so many ancient biblical laws in the first books of the Bible? What are modern readers supposed to do with them, and why are some of them so odd? In this video, we explore why the laws were given to ancient Israel and how they fit into the overall storyline of the Bible.

Love

Let's talk about love, Old Testament style! In this video, we'll explore the various ways the Hebrew authors used the word "love," and how they depicted God as the ultimate source and goal of all human love.

Love - Agape Love

The word “love” is one of the sloppiest words in our language, as it primarily refers to a feeling that happens to a person. In the New Testament, “love” or "Agape" refers to a way of treating people that was defined by Jesus himself: seeking the well-being of others regardless of their response.

Love - Loyal Love

The Hebrew word khesed is one of the most common descriptions of God in the Hebrew Bible, and it’s almost impossible to translate into any other language! This word is rich with meaning, combining the ideas of love, loyalty, and generosity. Join us as we explore this fascinating Hebrew word and how it shapes our understanding of God’s character.

7th Day - Sabbath

On page one of the Bible, God orders a beautiful world out of chaotic darkness within a sequence of six days. And on the seventh day, God rests. This introduces the major biblical theme of patterns of seven that conclude with God and humans resting together as partners. In this video, we explore the theme of seventh day rest and the biblical concept of Sabbath. We also look at why Jesus adopted this idea as a major part of his own mission to bring God's Kingdom to earth.

Sin

The word “sin” is one of the most common bad words in the Bible, but what does it really mean? In this video, we’ll explore the concept of “moral failure” that underlies this important biblical word. Get ready to discover a profound and realistic portrait of the human condition.

Slow To Anger

What does it mean to say that God is slow to anger? In the Bible, God’s anger is a just response to human evil, which is motivated by God’s justice and love. In this video, we’ll explore God’s anger and justice in the biblical story and see how it all leads to Jesus.

Soul

We explore the Hebrew word "nephesh" that often gets translated as "soul." The English word usually refers to a non-material essence of a human that survives after death, but nephesh means something different. It is referring to humans as living, breathing, physical beings, or just to life itself. Prepare to be surprised at the biblical meaning of this fascinating word.

Strength

What does it mean to love God "with all of your strength"? In this final installment of our videos on the Shema, we explore the Hebrew word underneath this phrase. And spoiler alert: "strength" is only one of many ways this rich word could be translated.

The Tree of Life

In the opening pages of the Bible, God gives humanity a gift that they quickly forfeit—eternal life that comes by eating from the tree of life. In this video, we explore the meaning of this powerful image and how sacred trees play a key role throughout the story of the Bible. It all leads up to Jesus himself, who died upon a tree so that he could become a new tree of life for all humanity.

Transgression

"Transgression" is one of those Bible words that seems clear until you have to explain it to somebody. In this video, we'll explore the fascinating and sophisticated meaning of this biblical "bad word." Get ready for a sobering reflection on human nature.

The Temple

In this video, we explore how Israel’s temple in the Bible is described as the place where God’s space and humanity’s space are one. In fact, the whole biblical drama can be told as a story about God’s temple. In the opening pages of Genesis, God creates a cosmic temple, and in the person of Jesus, God takes up personal residence in his temple-world. By the end of the biblical story, all of creation has become God’s sacred temple.

Water of Life

In the beginning of the Bible, God transforms a desolate wilderness into a garden through a stream that waters the ground and brings life wherever it goes. This image gets developed throughout the biblical story as wells, cisterns, rain, and rivers all become images of God’s creative power. In this video, we’ll explore the “water of life” theme through the biblical story and see how it leads to Jesus, who presents himself as the one bringing living water to a world that is desperately thirsty.