Core Glossary
Hebrews — Core Glossary (Hmong Destination Language)
Legend: Status = REUSED (baseline Romans TM entry, rendering fixed, reused verbatim) or NEW (surfaced in Hebrews, logged for TM-revision review). Risk tiers follow the baseline definitions (Critical / High / Medium / Low). Doctrine references the nine assigned Hebrews doctrines: (1) Superiority over Angels/Moses/Levitical Priesthood, (2) Christ as Great High Priest, (3) New Covenant vs. Old, (4) Once-for-All Atoning Sacrifice, (5) Danger of Apostasy/Warning Passages, (6) Faith of OT Saints, (7) Perseverance and Assurance, (8) Access to God through Christ’s Blood, (G) General/cross-cutting.
A. Divine Persons & Cross-Cutting Terms (Reused from Romans Baseline)
| English Term | Greek | Hmong Rendering | Status | Risk | Doctrine(s) | Chapters | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| God | θεός | Vajtswv | REUSED | Low | G | all | Baseline #1. |
| Lord | κύριος | tus Tswv | REUSED | Low | G | 1,2,7,8,13 | Baseline #2. |
| Jesus Christ | Ἰησοῦς Χριστός | Yexus Khetos | REUSED | Low | 2,3,4 | all | Baseline #3. |
| Father (God) | πατήρ | Leej Txiv | REUSED | Low | 5,7 | 1,12 | Baseline #4. |
| Holy Spirit | πνεῦμα ἅγιον / αἰώνιον | Vaj Ntsuj Plig | REUSED | Critical | 2,4 | 2,6,9,10 | Baseline #5; mandatory “Vaj” prefix never dropped, incl. Heb 9:14 “eternal Spirit.” |
| Son of God | υἱὸς θεοῦ | Leej Tub ntawm Vajtswv | REUSED | Low | 1,2 | 1,4,5,7,10 | Baseline #7. |
| Grace | χάρις | txiaj ntsim | REUSED | Critical | 3 | 2,4,10,12,13 | Baseline #14/Critical entry; never koob hmoov. |
| Peace | εἰρήνη | kev thaj yeeb | REUSED | Low | G | 7,12,13 | Baseline #15. |
| Faith/Believe | πίστις / πιστεύω | kev ntseeg / ntseeg | REUSED | Medium | 6 | 3,4,6,10,11 | Baseline #16; ch.11 structuring term. |
| Promise | ἐπαγγελία | lus cog tseg | REUSED | Low | 3,6,7 | 4,6,7,8,9,10,11 | Baseline #18; kept distinct from covenant (tsab cog lus, new). |
| Law (Mosaic/Divine) | νόμος | Txoj Kevcai (ntawm Vajtswv / Mauxes) | REUSED | Critical | 3 | 7,8,9,10,13 | Baseline #27; mandatory qualifier never dropped, incl. when argued as provisional (ch.7-8). |
| Conscience | συνείδησις | tej kev paub zoo paub phem hauv lub siab | REUSED | Medium | 8 | 9,10,13 | Baseline #29; object of Christ’s blood-cleansing in core passage 9:14. |
| Wrath of God | ὀργὴ θεοῦ | kev npau taws ntawm Vajtswv | REUSED | High | 5 | 3,4,10,12 | Baseline #31. |
| Truth | ἀλήθεια | qhov tseeb | REUSED | Low | G | 10 | Baseline #33. |
| Creation | κτίσις | tej uas raug tsim los | REUSED | Low | 2 | 4,9 | Baseline #35; 9:11 “not of this creation.” |
| Sin (act & condition) | ἁμαρτία | txhaum / kev txhaum | REUSED | High | 4,5 | most chapters | Baseline #36. |
| Propitiation/Atoning Sacrifice | ἱλαστήριον / ἱλάσκομαι | qhov theej txhoj kev txhaum | REUSED | Critical | 2,4 | 2,9 | Baseline #37; also the literal mercy-seat object in 9:5 — teach object-to-reality link. |
| Redemption | ἀπολύτρωσις / λύτρωσις | kev txhiv | REUSED | Medium | 4 | 9 | Baseline #38; qualified “eternal” in 9:12,15. |
| Reckon/Impute | λογίζομαι | suav / suav tias | REUSED | Critical | 6 | 11 | Baseline #40; distinct sense in 11:19 (confident reasoning) vs. forensic imputation — needs contextual note. |
| Death | θάνατος | txoj kev tuag | REUSED | Low | 2,4 | 2,5,7,9,11 | Baseline #44. |
| Baptism | βαπτίζω / βάπτισμα (sg.) | kev cai raus dej | REUSED | High | 3,8 | (implied, not directly named) | Baseline #45; see NEW entry below for the plural “washings” (βαπτισμοί) sense, which must NOT reuse this term unqualified. |
| Sanctification | ἁγιασμός / ἁγιάζω | kev raug ua kom dawb huv | REUSED | High | 4,8 | 2,9,10,13 | Baseline #46; central to core-passage v.13-14 flesh/conscience contrast. |
| Eternal life | ζωὴ αἰώνιος | txoj sia nyob mus ib txhis | REUSED | Low | 7 | 5,9 (pattern) | Baseline #47; pattern reused for “eternal redemption/inheritance.” |
| Hardening | πώρωσις | lub siab tawv | REUSED | Medium | 5 | 3 | Baseline #58; here a present, resistible danger, not completed judgment. |
| Power | δύναμις / κράτος | hwjchim | REUSED | High | 1,2 | 1,2,6,7,11 | Baseline #62; mandatory Vajtswv hwjchim EXCEPT 2:14 where power belongs to the devil — see NEW entry, TRANSLATOR REVIEW flagged. |
| Salvation/Save | σωτηρία / σῴζω | kev cawm dim / cawm | REUSED | High | 2,7 | 1,2,5,6,7,9,10,11 | Baseline #63; anchored to Yexus Khetos, incl. core-passage 9:28. |
| Living Sacrifice (ethical offering) | θυσία (ethical sense) | khoom fij uas muaj txoj sia nyob | REUSED | High | 4 | 13 | Baseline #64; extended to “sacrifice of praise” 13:15. |
| Kingdom of God | βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ | lub Nceeg Vaj ntawm Vajtswv | REUSED | Low | 7 | 1,12 | Baseline #68; qualified “unshakeable” in 12:28. |
| Endurance | ὑπομονή | kev ua siab ntev | REUSED | Low | 7 | 10,12 | Baseline #70. |
| Worship/Serve (cultic) | λατρεύω | pehawm / pab teev | REUSED | High | 2,8 | 8,9,10,12,13 | Baseline #71; object always explicit, incl. core-passage 9:14. |
| Witness | μάρτυς / μαρτυρέω | tus timkhawv | REUSED | Low | 6,7 | 10,11,12 | Baseline #72; “cloud of witnesses” 12:1. |
| Thanksgiving | εὐχαριστῶ (concept) | ua tsaug | REUSED | Low | G | 12,13 | Baseline #73. |
| World | κόσμος | lub ntiajteb | REUSED | Low | 4 | 1,2,4,9,10,11 | Baseline #74; core-passage 9:26. |
| Will of God | θέλημα θεοῦ | Vajtswv lub siab nyiam | REUSED | Medium | 7 | 10,13 | Baseline #77. |
| Spiritual gift | χάρισμα πνευματικόν (concept) | ib yam khoom plig ntawm Vaj Ntsuj Plig | REUSED | Medium | 2 | 2 | Baseline #78; “gifts of the Holy Spirit” 2:4. |
| Scripture | γραφή (concept)/quotations | Vaj Lug Kub | REUSED | Low | G | throughout via OT quotation | Baseline #79; kept distinct from NEW “living Word of God” (λόγος) entry, ch.4. |
| Love | ἀγάπη / φιλαδελφία | kev hlub | REUSED | Low | G | 6,10,13 | Romans-baseline addendum term. |
| Hope | ἐλπίς | kev cia siab | REUSED | Low | 7 | 3,6,7,10,11 | Romans-baseline addendum term; defines faith alongside in 11:1. |
| Mercy | ἔλεος | txoj kev khuv leej | REUSED | Medium | 2 | 2,4,8 | Romans-baseline addendum term; kept distinct from txiaj ntsim/grace. |
| Flesh (neutral) | σάρξ (neutral) | lub cev nqaij tawv | REUSED | Critical | 1,2 | 2,5,7,9,10 | Baseline #23; core-passage v.13 (flesh-level cleansing) and 10:20 (Christ’s flesh = the curtain). |
| Apostle (of Christ, 3:1) | ἀπόστολος | tus Tub Txib | REUSED | Medium | 1 | 3 | Baseline #9; unusual application to Christ Himself, requires teaching note. |
B. Priesthood, Tabernacle & Sacrifice Vocabulary (New — Hebrews-Specific)
| English Term | Greek | Transliteration | Hmong Rendering | Status | Risk | Doctrine(s) | Chapters | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Priest | ἀρχιερεύς | archiereus | tus Tuam Pov Thawj | NEW | Critical | 1,2 | 2-10 | Central office-term; must never blend with txiv neeb (shaman) vocabulary. |
| Priest / Priesthood (office) | ἱερεύς / ἱερωσύνη | hiereus / hierōsynē | pov thawj / kev ua pov thawj | NEW | High | 1,2 | 5,7,8 | Shares the shamanism-avoidance discipline of the High Priest entry. |
| Tabernacle/Tent | σκηνή | skēnē | lub Tsev Ntaub (Sib Ntsib) | NEW | Medium | 1,2 | 9 | Comprehension gap; illustrate as God’s meeting-tent. |
| Holy Place / Most Holy Place | τὰ ἅγια / ἅγια ἁγίων | ta hagia | Lub Chaw Dawb Huv / Lub Chaw Dawb Huv Tshaj Plaws | NEW | Medium-High | 2,8 | 9,10 | Shares dawb huv ritual-purity root already flagged in baseline sanctification entry. |
| Veil/Curtain | καταπέτασμα | katapetasma | daim ntaub thaiv | NEW | Medium | 2,8 | 6,9,10 | 10:20 identifies it typologically with Christ’s flesh — dense teaching point. |
| Ark of the Covenant | κιβωτὸς τῆς διαθήκης | kibōtos tēs diathēkēs | lub Thawv Sib Cog Lus | NEW | Medium | 2 | 9 | Built on the covenant term; comprehension gap only. |
| Mercy Seat (physical object) | ἱλαστήριον | hilastērion | qhov theej txhoj kev txhaum | REUSED (dual sense) | Critical | 2,4 | 9 | Same phrase as baseline propitiation entry; teach object-to-reality relationship explicitly. |
| Cherubim | χερουβίμ | cheroubim | cov timtswv muaj tis | NEW | Low-Medium | 2 | 9 | Reuses “angel” term (timtswv). |
| Blood | αἷμα | haima | ntshav | NEW | Critical | 2,4,8 | 2,9,10,12,13 | Must always anchor to Yexus Khetos; contrast shamanic blood-appeasement sacrifice at every occurrence. |
| Sacrifice/Offering (general) | θυσία / προσφορά | thysia / prosphora | khoom fij | NEW (extends REUSED fij domain) | Critical | 2,4 | 5,7,9,10,13 | Distinguish OT repeatable animal sacrifice (khoom fij tsiaj) from Christ’s self-offering (nws tus kheej khoom fij) and from ethical “living/praise sacrifice” (baseline #64). |
| Once for All | ἅπαξ / ἐφάπαξ | hapax / ephapax | ib zaug xwb / tas li | NEW — MANDATORY QUALIFIER | Critical | 4 | 6,7,9,10 | Structural qualifier, same enforcement tier as baseline’s Vajtswv hwjchim; never omitted from any reference to Christ’s sacrifice/blood/death. |
| Often / Many Times (contrast term) | πολλάκις | pollakis | ntau zaus | NEW | Critical (by contrast) | 4 | 9,10 | The negative pole of the once-for-all qualifier; must stay visually/lexically distinct from ib zaug xwb. |
| Cleanse/Purify | καθαρίζω | katharizō | ntxuav kom dawb huv | NEW | High | 4,8 | 9,10 | Shares baptism/sanctification’s dawb huv collision risk. |
| Sprinkle (ritual application of blood) | ῥαντίζω | rhantizō | nchos | NEW | Medium | 4 | 9,10 | Real Hmong shamanic-sprinkling parallel; contrast function explicitly (external ritual vs. Christ’s internal cleansing). |
| Forgiveness/Remission | ἄφεσις | aphesis | kev zam txim | NEW | High | 4,5 | 9,10 | Hmong custom expects compensatory ritual/restitution; teach as gratuitous, Christ-secured, requiring no further payment. |
| Bear Sins (sacrificial substitution) | ἀναφέρω ἁμαρτίας | anapherō hamartias | ris tej kev txhaum coj mus fij | NEW | High | 4 | 9 | Distinguish from ordinary burden-bearing idiom and from shamanic scapegoat-transfer ritual. |
| Copy/Pattern/Shadow | ὑπόδειγμα / ἀντίτυπος / σκιά | hypodeigma / antitypos / skia | qauv / duab qauv | NEW | Medium | 1,2,3 | 8,9,10 | Typological pattern-fulfillment thinking; comprehension gap, no collision. |
| Perfect/Perfection (complete, bring to goal) | τελειόω | teleioō | ua kom tiav / ua kom zoo tag nrho | NEW | High | 1,2,4 | 2,5,7,9,10,11,12 | Distinct from sanctification (dawb huv); a forensic-and-vocational completion category. |
| Judgment | κρίσις | krisis | kev txiav txim | NEW | Medium | 5,7 | 9,10 | Universal, God-ward; distinct from village/clan court judgment despite the idiom bridge. |
| Devil/Satan | διάβολος | diabolos | dab ntxwg nyoog | NEW | Critical | 1,2 | 2 | Accurate existing term, but risk is default Hmong appeasement-posture toward any dab; teach confrontation/defeat, not appeasement. |
| Power held by the Devil | κράτος τοῦ θανάτου | kratos tou thanatou | (tus muaj) hwjchim ntawm txoj kev tuag (dab ntxwg nyoog) | NEW — flagged exception | Critical | 1,2 | 2 | [TRANSLATOR REVIEW NEEDED]: baseline’s mandatory Vajtswv hwjchim qualifier does NOT apply here; subject must be explicitly marked as the devil, not God. |
C. Covenant & Mediation Vocabulary (New — Hebrews-Specific)
| English Term | Greek | Transliteration | Hmong Rendering | Status | Risk | Doctrine(s) | Chapters | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Covenant (general) | διαθήκη | diathēkē | tsab cog lus | NEW | Critical | 3 | 7,8,9,10,12,13 | Central organizing term; kept distinct from baseline lus cog tseg (promise, one-sided pledge). |
| New Covenant | διαθήκη καινή | diathēkē kainē | Tsab Cog Lus Tshiab | NEW | Critical | 3 | 8,9,12 | Built on the covenant term. |
| Old/First Covenant | ἡ πρώτη διαθήκη | hē prōtē diathēkē | Tsab Cog Lus Qub / thawj tsab cog lus | NEW | Critical | 3 | 8,9 | Built on the covenant term. |
| Testament-wordplay (legal will activated by death) | διαθήκη (legal sense) | diathēkē | (untranslatable pun; teaching note only) | NEW — flagged | Medium-High | 3,4 | 9 (vv.16-17) | [TRANSLATOR REVIEW NEEDED]: lexical gap, not resolvable by alternate rendering; requires explicit teaching note. |
| Mediator | μεσίτης | mesitēs | tus ua nruab nrab | NEW | Medium | 3 | 8,9,12 | Positive bridge via Hmong go-between/negotiator role; teach uniqueness of Christ’s mediatorship. |
| Oath | ὅρκος | horkos | lus twv | NEW | Medium | 3,7 | 6,7 | Distinct from lus cog tseg (promise); God’s oath is self-guaranteeing. |
| Rest (eschatological) | κατάπαυσις / σαββατισμός | katapausis / sabbatismos | txoj kev so (ntawm Vajtswv) | NEW | High | 1,7 | 3,4 | Future, spiritual inheritance; not mere physical relaxation or Canaan-conquest alone. |
| Partakers (of Christ, calling, discipline) | μέτοχοι | metochoi | cov tau koom nrog (Khetos) | NEW | Medium | 7 | 3,6,12 | Comprehension-level; no traditional-religion collision. |
| Firstborn | πρωτότοκος | prōtotokos | tus thawj tug tub | NEW | Low-Medium | 1 | 1,12 | Positive bridge via Hmong birth-order custom; teach rank-supremacy, not literal chronological birth. |
| Radiance / Exact Imprint (Christ’s deity) | ἀπαύγασμα / χαρακτήρ | apaugasma / charaktēr | qhov ci ntsa iab / tus sawv cev tseeb ntawm Vajtswv | NEW | Medium | 1 | 1 | High doctrinal density (full deity of Christ); comprehension gap, not collision. |
| Founder/Author (of salvation) | ἀρχηγός | archēgos | tus pib thiab coj txoj kev cawm dim | NEW | Medium | 2 | 2 | Distinct from Christ merely “starting a movement.” |
| Attendant/Servant (Moses, distinct from doulos) | θεράπων | therapōn | tus tu (haujlwm rau Vajtswv) | NEW | Medium | 1 | 3 | Deliberately NOT rendered qhev (baseline bondservant term); kept lexically separate. |
| Falling Away / Apostasy | παραπίπτω (concept) | parapiptō | kev tso kev ntseeg tseg / kev thim rov qab (ntawm Vajtswv) | NEW | Critical | 5 | 3,6,10,12 | Must be distinguished from ordinary Hmong religious-reversion pattern (returning to pehawm dab); highest-stakes term in the curriculum. |
| Willful/Deliberate Sin | ἑκουσίως ἁμαρτάνειν | hekousiōs hamartanein | txhaum tim txhaum ntsheev | NEW | High | 5 | 10 | Distinct from ordinary moral failure; part of the apostasy-warning cluster. |
| Unbelief | ἀπιστία | apistia | kev tsis ntseeg | NEW | Medium | 5,6 | 3 | Direct negation of baseline faith term. |
| Draw Near / Access | προσέρχομαι | proserchomai | txav los ze (rau Vajtswv) | NEW | Medium-High | 8 | 4,7,10,12 | Always anchored to Christ’s blood; not a technique or attainment. |
| Boldness/Confidence | παρρησία | parrēsia | kev ua siab loj (los ntawm ntshav Yexus) | NEW | Medium | 8 | 4,10 | Christ-secured confidence, not mere social bravado. |
| Discipline (fatherly) | παιδεία | paideia | kev qhuab qhia / kev cai ntuas | NEW | Medium-High | 7 | 12 | Contrast with ancestor/spirit-appeasement framing of suffering; God’s discipline evidences sonship, not anger requiring appeasement. |
| Ceremonial Washings (plural, distinct from Christian baptism) | βαπτισμοί | baptismoi | tej kev ntxuav raws li kevcai (Yudas) | NEW — flagged | High | 8 | 6,9,10 | [TRANSLATOR REVIEW NEEDED]: must NOT reuse the singular Christian kev cai raus dej term unqualified; risk of implying baptism is one of many repeatable rites. |
| Living Word of God (distinct from written Scripture) | λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ | logos tou theou | Txoj Lus ntawm Vajtswv (muaj sia thiab muaj hwjchim) | NEW | Medium | 7 | 4 | Kept lexically distinct from Vaj Lug Kub (the written Scriptures, baseline #79). |
| Anchor (soul-metaphor) | ἄγκυρα | ankyra | lub thav nyiaj | NEW | Low-Medium | 7 | 6 | Comprehension gap (non-maritime culture); illustrative note required. |
| Forerunner | πρόδρομος | prodromos | tus taug kev ua ntej | NEW | Low | 7 | 6 | Stable, low risk. |
| Assurance/Substance (of faith) | ὑπόστασις | hypostasis | kev ntseeg tas lub siab / lub hauv paus ruaj khov | NEW | Medium | 6 | 11 | Dense philosophical term; teaching gloss needed. |
| Strangers and Exiles | ξένοι καὶ παρεπίδημοι | xenoi kai parepidēmoi | qhua thiab neeg tsiv teb tsaws chaw | NEW | Low | 6,7 | 11 | Strong positive cultural bridge (Hmong refugee/migration history); enrichment note recommended. |
| Root of Bitterness | ῥίζα πικρίας | rhiza pikrias | cag ntawm kev daj siab | NEW | Low-Medium | 5,7 | 12 | Comprehension-level idiom transfer. |
D. Full-Book Chapter Coverage Confirmation
| Chapter | New Terms Contributed | Reused Baseline Terms Present | Coverage Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | angel, firstborn, radiance/exact imprint | Son of God, glory, kingdom of God | Reviewed — contributes new terms |
| 2 | devil, founder/author of salvation, power-held-by-devil (flagged) | flesh (neutral), blood, sanctification, propitiation, salvation | Reviewed — contributes new terms |
| 3 | attendant (theropon), hardening (context-shift), unbelief, rest (introduced) | faith, Law (implied) | Reviewed — contributes new terms |
| 4 | rest (developed), Sabbath rest, living Word of God, throne of grace (compound) | grace, faith | Reviewed — contributes new terms |
| 5 | high priest (developed), Melchizedek (introduced), perfect/perfection (introduced), milk/solid food | obedience, salvation | Reviewed — contributes new terms |
| 6 | falling away (introduced), oath, anchor, forerunner, curtain (introduced), ceremonial washings (introduced) | promise, faith, hope | Reviewed — contributes new terms |
| 7 | priesthood (office), tithe, unchangeable, Melchizedek (developed) | Law (provisional argument), power | Reviewed — contributes new terms |
| 8 | new/old covenant (introduced), Law-on-hearts (compound), obsolete | promise, priestly minister | Reviewed — contributes new terms |
| 9 | (core passage vv.11-28 — full verse-by-verse above) + vv.1-10: tabernacle furniture, ark, mercy seat (object sense), cherubim | virtually all Critical/High terms converge here | Reviewed — highest-density chapter, core passage anchor |
| 10 | draw near, boldness, ceremonial washings (developed), willful sin, judgment (developed) | endurance, hope, wrath | Reviewed — contributes new terms |
| 11 | assurance/substance, strangers and exiles, reckon (context-shift) | faith (structuring term), hope, witness | Reviewed — contributes new terms |
| 12 | discipline, unshakeable kingdom (compound), root of bitterness, Zion/heavenly Jerusalem (proper nouns) | endurance, witness, wrath | Reviewed — contributes new terms |
| 13 | attendant/obey-leaders (context reuse), sacrifice of praise (compound), “outside the camp” | love, living sacrifice, grace | Reviewed — contributes new terms |
Coverage confirmation: All 13 chapters of Hebrews reviewed first to last; no chapter silently omitted. Every chapter contributes at least one new theological term or a doctrinally significant reuse/extension of a baseline Romans term, consistent with the full-book-coverage mandate.
Critical Risk Terms
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: Vaj Ntsuj Plig
Transliteration: pneuma hagion / pneuma hagiōsynēs / pneuma aiōnion
Doctrine: Sanctification and Life in the Spirit
Rejected alternatives: bare ntsuj plig (no Vaj prefix) — rejected, denotes an animistic wandering human soul
Fixed collocation; ‘Vaj’ prefix mandatory at every occurrence. Inherited from Romans package. Critical for Henplais 9:14 (‘eternal Spirit,’ a Trinitarian statement of the Spirit’s role in Christ’s self-offering, core passage) and 2:4, 6:4, 10:29.
Grace
Approved rendering: txiaj ntsim
Transliteration: charis
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Rejected alternatives: koob hmoov (fortune/blessing tied to fate and ritual correctness) — PERMANENTLY FORBIDDEN for this sense
Inherited from Romans package. Critical at Henplais 4:16 (‘throne of grace’), 12:15,28, 13:9,25; must retain full unmerited-favor force, never softened toward koob hmoov.
Law Mosaic Divine
Approved rendering: Txoj Kevcai (ntawm Vajtswv / Mauxes)
Transliteration: nomos
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old
Rejected alternatives: bare ‘Txoj Kevcai’ without qualifier — rejected, collapses into kev cai dab qhuas (ancestral spirit-worship customs), imported loanword for ‘law’ — rejected, would be doctrinally inert
Qualifier mandatory at every occurrence without exception, including Henplais 7-8’s argument that the Law’s ritual system is provisional (dropping the qualifier there risks implying the Torah is discardable ancestral custom rather than a purposeful divine administration). Inherited from Romans package; used in Henplais 7,8,9,10,13.
Propitiation Atoning Sacrifice
Approved rendering: qhov theej txhoj kev txhaum
Transliteration: hilastērion / hilaskomai
Doctrine: Christ as the Great High Priest
Rejected alternatives: transliterated loanword — rejected, would be opaque and prevent contrast-teaching against shamanic appeasement, bare ‘qhov theej’ without qualifying clause — rejected, reads as one appeasement among many
Inherited from Romans package. Used theologically at Henplais 2:17; kept distinct in usage-note from the literal mercy-seat object sense at 9:5 (see ‘mercy_seat_object’ below) — teach the object-to-reality relationship explicitly.
Reckon Impute
Approved rendering: suav / suav tias
Transliteration: logizomai
Doctrine: Justification by Faith
Inherited from Romans package (forensic-imputation sense). See also the new ‘reckon_confident_reasoning’ entry below for the distinct, non-forensic sense at Henplais 11:19 (Abraham’s confident reasoning about resurrection power) — the same Hmong verb, two theologically distinct operations requiring a mandatory contextual note.
Flesh Neutral Descent Body
Approved rendering: lub cev nqaij tawv
Transliteration: sarx (neutral)
Doctrine: Access to God through Christ’s Blood
Rejected alternatives: bare nqaij used unmarked for both senses — rejected, collapses neutral and moral senses of flesh
Inherited from Romans package. Load-bearing at core-passage Henplais 9:13 (the merely external, bodily level of OT ritual cleansing, setting up the flesh/conscience contrast completed in 9:14) and at 10:20 (Christ’s flesh identified typologically with the sanctuary curtain). Also used 2,5,7. Must never slip into the moral periphrasis.
Flesh Moral Sinful Nature
Approved rendering: kev xav/kev ua raws li lub cev nqaij tawv
Transliteration: sarx (moral)
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Rejected alternatives: bare nqaij tawv reused unmarked from neutral sense — rejected, undermines the flesh/Spirit contrast
Inherited from Romans package. Logged for completeness/cross-book consistency; less prominent in Hebrews itself than in Romans 6-8, but must remain available and distinct from ‘flesh_neutral_descent_body’ if invoked in supplementary curriculum material drawing on both books.
Devil Satan
Approved rendering: dab ntxwg nyoog
Transliteration: diabolos
Doctrine: The Superiority of Christ over Angels, Moses, and the Levitical Priesthood
NEW. An accurate, existing Hmong Christian term distinguishing Satan from ordinary dab, but the accuracy is itself the risk: Hmong traditional religion’s default posture toward any dab-class being is ritual appeasement/negotiation, never confrontation-and-defeat. Henplais 2:14’s claim that Christ DESTROYS this being (holding ‘the power of death’) must be taught with strong contrastive force — Christ conquers and disarms, He does not offer tribute.
Power Held By Devil
Approved rendering: (tus muaj) hwjchim ntawm txoj kev tuag (dab ntxwg nyoog)
Transliteration: kratos tou thanatou
Doctrine: The Superiority of Christ over Angels, Moses, and the Levitical Priesthood
Rejected alternatives: mechanically applying the mandatory ‘Vajtswv hwjchim’ qualifier here — FORBIDDEN, this power belongs explicitly to the devil, not God
NEW — HARD-CODED EXCEPTION to the ‘power’ entry’s mandatory qualifier rule. [TRANSLATOR REVIEW NEEDED already resolved as a permanent exception]: at Henplais 2:14 the subject must be explicitly marked as dab ntxwg nyoog so no reader infers God’s power is in view. This is the single highest-risk MECHANICAL (pattern-matching) failure point identified for automated Phase 2 generation in this Language Package.
High Priest
Approved rendering: tus Tuam Pov Thawj
Transliteration: archiereus
Doctrine: Christ as the Great High Priest
Rejected alternatives: any blending with txiv neeb (shaman/spirit-medium) vocabulary or posture — PERMANENTLY FORBIDDEN
NEW. The letter’s single most frequently recurring office-term (Henplais 2-10) and the central term of Doctrine 2. The only culturally-proximate Hmong role that mediates between the human and spirit realms through ritual is the txiv neeb; this term must be taught and reinforced at every occurrence as an entirely distinct, non-shamanic, once-for-all, sympathetic yet fully sufficient office.
Mercy Seat Object
Approved rendering: qhov theej txhoj kev txhaum
Transliteration: hilastērion
Doctrine: Christ as the Great High Priest
REUSED (dual sense) from the ‘propitiation_atoning_sacrifice’ entry. In Henplais 9:5 this phrase refers to the literal gold cover of the ark (the physical object), distinct from its theological fulfillment in Christ (2:17, and Romans 3:25). A teaching note must make the object-to-reality relationship explicit rather than letting hearers assume two unrelated meanings of the same Hmong phrase.
Blood
Approved rendering: ntshav
Transliteration: haima
Doctrine: The Once-for-All Atoning Sacrifice
NEW. Hmong traditional religion practices animal-blood sacrifice/offering (fij tsiaj) to appease ancestral/nature spirits. ‘The blood of Christ’ must ALWAYS be anchored explicitly to Yexus Khetos AND to the ‘once_for_all’ qualifier within the same sentence or immediately adjacent clause; used Henplais 2,9,10,12,13. Same collision family as ‘propitiation_atoning_sacrifice’.
Sacrifice Offering General
Approved rendering: khoom fij
Transliteration: thysia / prosphora
Doctrine: The Once-for-All Atoning Sacrifice
Rejected alternatives: bare unmodified ‘fij’ in any doctrinally load-bearing content — FORBIDDEN
NEW, extends the fij domain flagged in the Romans baseline (‘living_sacrifice’). Must distinguish OT repeatable animal sacrifice (khoom fij tsiaj), Christ’s self-offering (nws tus kheej khoom fij), and ethical ‘living/praise sacrifice’ — and must never blur into the forbidden fourth sense, spirit-appeasement offerings (fij dab). Used Henplais 5,7,9,10,13.
Once For All
Approved rendering: ib zaug xwb / tas li
Transliteration: hapax / ephapax
Doctrine: The Once-for-All Atoning Sacrifice
Rejected alternatives: omission in any space-constrained context (titles, headers, quiz options) — FORBIDDEN
NEW — MANDATORY STRUCTURAL QUALIFIER, same enforcement tier as the Romans baseline’s ‘Vajtswv hwjchim’ and ‘raug suav tias ncaj ncees’. The single most doctrinally load-bearing adverb in the letter. If dropped from any reference to Christ’s sacrifice/blood/death/entry into the sanctuary (Henplais 6,7,9,10, esp. core passage 9:12,26,28), the argument collapses into ‘one more sacrifice in an ongoing system’ — exactly the shamanic-appeasement misreading the book exists to prevent.
Often Many Times
Approved rendering: ntau zaus
Transliteration: pollakis
Doctrine: The Once-for-All Atoning Sacrifice
Rejected alternatives: conflating with ‘ib zaug xwb’ or its co-text — FORBIDDEN
NEW. The explicit contrastive counterpart to ‘once_for_all’, describing the repeatable OT sacrificial system (Henplais 9:25-26; 10:1-4,11). Must remain sharply, visually distinct from the once-for-all qualifier so hearers never conflate the two systems.
Offer Up Self Offering
Approved rendering: muab nws tus kheej fij
Transliteration: prospherō
Doctrine: Christ as the Great High Priest
NEW, reuses the fij domain. Christ’s act of offering Himself as both priest and offering (core-passage Henplais 9:14, 9:25) — a theological density absent from Romans, which must be taught explicitly so the self-offering is not read as one more appeasement gift among many.
Shedding Of Blood
Approved rendering: kev ua kom ntshav lo
Transliteration: haimatekchysia
Doctrine: The Once-for-All Atoning Sacrifice
NEW, compound built on ‘blood’; inherits its full risk profile. The pouring-out of blood as the necessary basis of forgiveness (core-passage Henplais 9:22).
Covenant General
Approved rendering: tsab cog lus
Transliteration: diathēkē
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old
Rejected alternatives: conflating with ‘lus cog tseg’ (promise, one-sided pledge) — FORBIDDEN, a covenant is a two-party, death-sealed pact
NEW. Central organizing term of the letter and of Doctrine 3, recurring in Henplais 7,8,9,10,12,13. Hmong culture has a genuine bridge concept — solemn alliance-pacts sealed by shared drink or blood between clans/families — a positive resonance point, but also a risk of reducing God’s unilaterally-initiated, grace-grounded covenant to a merely negotiated social bargain unless explicitly taught otherwise.
New Covenant
Approved rendering: Tsab Cog Lus Tshiab
Transliteration: diathēkē kainē
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old
NEW, built on ‘covenant_general’. The Jeremiah-31 covenant inaugurated by Christ’s blood, superior to the Mosaic covenant. Chapters 8 and 9 are the letter’s major covenant-vocabulary concentration points (also 12); risk profile fully inherited from ‘covenant_general’.
Old First Covenant
Approved rendering: Tsab Cog Lus Qub / thawj tsab cog lus
Transliteration: hē prōtē diathēkē
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old
Rejected alternatives: framing as discardable custom rather than a divinely-purposeful, provisional administration — FORBIDDEN
NEW, built on ‘covenant_general’. The Mosaic covenant, rendered obsolete by the New Covenant (Henplais 8,9). Must be taught as divinely-instituted and purposeful in its own redemptive-historical moment, even as the text argues for its supersession.
Falling Away Apostasy
Approved rendering: kev tso kev ntseeg tseg / kev thim rov qab (ntawm Vajtswv)
Transliteration: parapiptō (concept)
Doctrine: The Danger of Apostasy and Warning Passages
Rejected alternatives: conflation with ‘rov qab mus pehawm dab’ (ordinary, reversible religious reversion) — FORBIDDEN without explicit severity-contrast teaching note
NEW. The single highest-stakes term-cluster in the curriculum. Hmong culture’s usual category for religious change is a bounded, ritually-marked, REVERSIBLE ‘return to the ancestors’ customs’ — Hebrews (Henplais 3,6,10,12, esp. 6:4-6) describes something categorically more severe and, in 6:4-6, textually terminal. Requires the single most extensive teaching note in the whole curriculum.
Reckon Confident Reasoning
Approved rendering: suav / suav tias
Transliteration: logizomai (11:19 sense)
Doctrine: Faith of the Old Testament Saints
Rejected alternatives: silently merging with the forensic-imputation sense of ‘reckon_impute’ — FORBIDDEN, these are two theologically distinct operations sharing one Hmong verb
NEW — DISTINCT SENSE of the ‘reckon_impute’ entry. Abraham’s confident reasoning that God was able to raise Isaac from the dead (Henplais 11:19), NOT forensic justification. Mandatory contextual note required at every occurrence of this sense so learners do not conflate it with the Romans 4-5 imputed-righteousness doctrine.
High Risk Terms
Human Spirit Soul
Approved rendering: ntsuj plig
Transliteration: pneuma (anthropological)
Doctrine: Sanctification and Life in the Spirit
Rejected alternatives: Vaj Ntsuj Plig — forbidden for this referent, reserved exclusively for the Holy Spirit
Never capitalized/prefixed with ‘Vaj’. Inherited from Romans package; used in Henplais 12:23 (‘spirits of the righteous made perfect’) — a genuine anthropological use that must not be confused with the divine Person.
Wrath Of God
Approved rendering: kev npau taws ntawm Vajtswv
Transliteration: orgē theou
Doctrine: The Danger of Apostasy and Warning Passages
Rejected alternatives: unqualified ‘npau taws’ associated only with capricious spirit/ancestor anger — rejected without explicit contrast teaching
Inherited from Romans package; used in Henplais 3,4 (wilderness generation) and 10,12 (fiery-judgment warnings), intensified by the apostasy-warning context.
Sin Act And Condition
Approved rendering: txhaum / kev txhaum
Transliteration: hamartia
Doctrine: The Once-for-All Atoning Sacrifice
Inherited from Romans package. Hebrews requires teaching sin as an objective guilt-condition decisively put away (not merely covered) by Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice; used across most chapters (2,3,4,5,6,9,10,11,12,13).
Baptism
Approved rendering: kev cai raus dej
Transliteration: baptizō / baptisma
Doctrine: Access to God through Christ’s Blood
Rejected alternatives: transliterated loanword (‘npativ’ style) — rejected, sidesteps the kevcai collision, baptism-as-testimony-only catechesis — rejected, loses union-with-Christ doctrine
Inherited from Romans package. Reserved EXCLUSIVELY for the singular Christian rite; must never be applied to the plural Old Testament ceremonial washings (see new ‘ceremonial_washings_plural’ entry below, which requires a distinguishing qualifier) — a sharpened enforcement of the baseline rule, since Hebrews introduces the exact plural collision case (6:2, 9:10, 10:22) the baseline rule anticipated.
Sanctification
Approved rendering: kev raug ua kom dawb huv
Transliteration: hagiasmos
Doctrine: Christ as the Great High Priest
Rejected alternatives: treating dawb huv as a repeatable ritual-cleansing state — rejected
Inherited from Romans package. Central to the core passage’s Henplais 9:13-14 flesh/conscience contrast: the OT’s external, repeatable, flesh-level sanctification versus Christ’s internal, permanent, conscience-level sanctification. Also used 2,10,13.
Power
Approved rendering: hwjchim
Transliteration: dynamis / kratos
Doctrine: The Superiority of Christ over Angels, Moses, and the Levitical Priesthood
Rejected alternatives: bare, unqualified hwjchim — FORBIDDEN, identical to a shaman’s (txiv neeb) ritual power
Inherited from Romans package. Mandatory ‘Vajtswv hwjchim’ qualifier applies at Henplais 1,4,6,7,11 EXCEPT at 2:14, where the power belongs to the devil, not God — see new ‘power_held_by_devil’ entry below, a hard-coded exception to this rule.
Salvation Save
Approved rendering: kev cawm dim / cawm
Transliteration: sōtēria / sōzō
Doctrine: Access to God through Christ’s Blood
Rejected alternatives: unanchored ‘dim’ (escape) parallel to shamanic ua neeb soul-rescue — rejected without explicit Christ-anchoring
Inherited from Romans package. Always anchored explicitly to Yexus Khetos; used in Henplais 1,2,5,6,7,9,10,11, culminating at the core-passage climax 9:28 (Christ’s appearing ‘to save those who are eagerly waiting for him’).
Living Sacrifice
Approved rendering: khoom fij uas muaj txoj sia nyob
Transliteration: thysia zōsa
Doctrine: The Once-for-All Atoning Sacrifice
Rejected alternatives: unqualified ‘fij’ identical to offering language for ancestors/spirits — rejected without explicit ethical-devotion framing
Inherited from Romans package. Extended in Hebrews to ‘sacrifice of praise’ at 13:15 (see new ‘sacrifice_of_praise’ entry) — both must retain the same discipline: explicitly ethical/devotional, never atoning, never appeasement-adjacent.
Worship Serve Cultic
Approved rendering: pehawm / pab teev
Transliteration: latreuō
Doctrine: Access to God through Christ’s Blood
Rejected alternatives: bare, unanchored pehawm — FORBIDDEN, identical verb used for pehawm dab (ancestor/spirit veneration)
Inherited from Romans package. Object must always be stated (‘pehawm Vajtswv uas muaj txoj sia nyob’ — serve the LIVING God, core passage 9:14); also used 8,10,12,13.
Angel
Approved rendering: tus timtswv
Transliteration: angelos
Doctrine: The Superiority of Christ over Angels, Moses, and the Levitical Priesthood
NEW. Already an existing, stable Hmong Christian hymnody term, not a novel coinage — the lexical choice itself is safe. Risk lies in Hmong traditional cosmology’s dense population of mediating spirit-beings (dab) that are propitiated and negotiated with; must be taught at every occurrence (Henplais 1,2,12,13) as a created, worshipping, non-object-of-worship being, entirely unlike dab, and that unlike angels, Christ Himself is worshiped (1:6).
Priest Priesthood Office
Approved rendering: pov thawj / kev ua pov thawj
Transliteration: hiereus / hierōsynē
Doctrine: The Superiority of Christ over Angels, Moses, and the Levitical Priesthood
NEW, inherits the shamanism-avoidance discipline of ‘high_priest’. The office-language (Henplais 5,7,8) must carry the same non-shamanic teaching discipline as the person-term, since Hmong hearers otherwise have no non-shamanic ritual-mediator category available.
Cleanse Purify
Approved rendering: ntxuav kom dawb huv
Transliteration: katharizō
Doctrine: The Once-for-All Atoning Sacrifice
NEW. Shares the same ‘dawb huv’ ritual-purity collision documented for baptism/sanctification; must be taught as pointing forward to Christ’s superior cleansing (core-passage 9:14), not an end in itself. Used Henplais 9:22-23; 10:2.
Forgiveness Remission
Approved rendering: kev zam txim
Transliteration: aphesis
Doctrine: The Once-for-All Atoning Sacrifice
NEW. Release/remission of sins secured without further sacrifice (Henplais 9:22, core passage; 10:18). Hmong customary ethics expects compensatory ritual/restitution for wrongdoing; must be taught as gratuitous, Christ-secured, requiring no further payment.
Bear Sins
Approved rendering: ris tej kev txhaum coj mus fij
Transliteration: anapherō hamartias
Doctrine: The Once-for-All Atoning Sacrifice
NEW. Christ’s act of bearing/carrying up the sins of many so as to remove them (core-passage Henplais 9:28). Must not collapse into ordinary Hmong ‘bearing another’s burden/debt’ idiom, nor into shamanic scapegoat-transfer ritual; requires explicit teaching distinguishing substitutionary sin-bearing from both.
Putting Away Of Sin
Approved rendering: kev muab kev txhaum tshem tawm
Transliteration: athetēsis hamartias
Doctrine: The Once-for-All Atoning Sacrifice
NEW, inherits risk from ‘sin_act_and_condition’. The decisive annulment of sin accomplished once for all (core-passage Henplais 9:26). Must be distinguished from mere ritual removal/covering of guilt (the OT pattern) and taught as sin’s decisive, final undoing.
Sacrifice Of Praise
Approved rendering: khoom fij qhuas Vajtswv
Transliteration: thysia aineseōs
Doctrine: The Once-for-All Atoning Sacrifice
NEW, reuses the fij domain and extends the Romans baseline ‘living_sacrifice’ pattern. Praise/thanksgiving offered to God, explicitly not atoning (Henplais 13:15). Must retain the same discipline: explicitly ethical/devotional, never atoning, never appeasement-adjacent.
Law Written On Hearts
Approved rendering: Txoj Kevcai (ntawm Vajtswv) sau rau hauv lub siab
Transliteration: nomous epi kardias
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old
NEW, reuses the mandatory ‘law_mosaic_divine’ qualifier plus lub siab (heart/liver, the standard Hmong seat of the will). A positive, hope-filled use of the Law term (Jeremiah 31, quoted Henplais 8:10) that must not be flattened by the caution applied to the Law’s condemning function elsewhere; teach as the SAME Law now written by the Spirit on the heart, not a different, lesser law.
Transgression
Approved rendering: kev fav xeeb ntawm Txoj Kevcai
Transliteration: parabasis
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old
NEW, qualifying phrase built on ‘sin_act_and_condition’ anchored specifically to the first covenant. Violation of the first covenant’s law, requiring redemption (core-passage Henplais 9:15).
Ceremonial Washings Plural
Approved rendering: tej kev ntxuav raws li kevcai (Yudas)
Transliteration: baptismoi
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old
Rejected alternatives: reusing the singular Christian ‘kev cai raus dej’ unqualified for this plural sense — FORBIDDEN
NEW — FLAGGED, [TRANSLATOR REVIEW NEEDED: 6:2, 9:10, 10:22]. Repeated Jewish ceremonial ablutions, a DIFFERENT sense from the singular Christian baptism rite. Must never reuse the ‘baptism’ entry’s rendering unqualified, or Christian baptism will appear to be one of many repeatable purification rites.
Willful Deliberate Sin
Approved rendering: txhaum tim txhaum ntsheev
Transliteration: hekousiōs hamartanein
Doctrine: The Danger of Apostasy and Warning Passages
NEW, connects directly to the apostasy warning cluster. Sinning knowingly and deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth (Henplais 10:26). Must be distinguished from ordinary moral failure to preserve the severity of the warning.
Consuming Fire
Approved rendering: cov nplaim taws uas nqes los kub tag nrho
Transliteration: pyr katanaliskon
Doctrine: The Danger of Apostasy and Warning Passages
NEW, reuses the ‘wrath_of_god’ family. God’s judicial holiness described as a consuming fire, closing the ch.12 warning (Henplais 12:29). Inherits the need to contrast God’s righteous, judicial anger with capricious, appeasable spirit-anger.
Rest Eschatological
Approved rendering: txoj kev so (ntawm Vajtswv)
Transliteration: katapausis
Doctrine: The Superiority of Christ over Angels, Moses, and the Levitical Priesthood
NEW. God’s promised spiritual rest, exceeding the Sabbath and the conquest of Canaan, still open to enter by faith (Henplais 3:11,18; 4:1,3,4,5,6,8,9,10,11). Must be anchored with the qualifier ‘(ntawm Vajtswv)’ and taught as a future, spiritual inheritance, not mere physical relaxation.
Perfect Perfection
Approved rendering: ua kom tiav / ua kom zoo tag nrho
Transliteration: teleioō
Doctrine: Christ as the Great High Priest
Rejected alternatives: merging with sanctification vocabulary (dawb huv) — rejected, this is a distinct forensic-and-vocational completion category
NEW. A major recurring Hebrews-specific term applied both to Christ’s own vocational perfecting through suffering and to believers’ completion (Henplais 2,5,7,9,10,11,12), which the old covenant could never achieve.
Medium Risk Terms
Faith Believe
Approved rendering: kev ntseeg / ntseeg
Transliteration: pistis / pisteuō
Doctrine: Faith of the Old Testament Saints
Inherited from Romans package. Structuring term of Henplais 11’s entire roll call; also used 3,4,6,10. Must retain connection to ‘hope’ at 11:1’s definition.
Conscience
Approved rendering: tej kev paub zoo paub phem hauv lub siab
Transliteration: syneidēsis
Doctrine: Access to God through Christ’s Blood
Inherited from Romans package. In the core passage (Henplais 9:13-14), this is the object cleansed and upgraded from mere external ‘flesh’ to internal ‘conscience’ — the single most important exegetical move in the core passage; also used 9,10,13.
Redemption
Approved rendering: kev txhiv
Transliteration: apolytrōsis
Doctrine: The Once-for-All Atoning Sacrifice
Inherited from Romans package. See also the new ‘redemption_eternal’ entry below for the qualified ‘eternal redemption’ pattern at Henplais 9:12.
Hardening
Approved rendering: lub siab tawv
Transliteration: pōrōsis
Doctrine: Perseverance and Assurance
Inherited from Romans package. In Henplais 3:8,13,15 and 4:7, used in a PRESENT, RESISTIBLE-danger sense addressed to real-time hearers, distinct from the Romans-baseline usage describing Israel’s past, already-completed judicial hardening (Romans 11) — a documented sense-distinction is mandatory.
Will Of God
Approved rendering: Vajtswv lub siab nyiam
Transliteration: thelēma theou
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Inherited from Romans package; used in Henplais 10:7,9,10,36 and 13:21.
Spiritual Gift
Approved rendering: ib yam khoom plig ntawm Vaj Ntsuj Plig
Transliteration: charisma pneumatikon
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Inherited from Romans package; used at Henplais 2:4 (signs and gifts accompanying gospel preaching).
Mercy
Approved rendering: txoj kev khuv leej
Transliteration: eleos
Doctrine: Christ as the Great High Priest
Rejected alternatives: txiaj ntsim (grace) used interchangeably for mercy — rejected, mercy and grace are theologically distinct emphases
Inherited from Romans package (baseline addendum); used in Henplais 2:17 and 4:16 (throne of grace, mercy received).
Apostle
Approved rendering: tus Tub Txib
Transliteration: apostolos
Doctrine: The Superiority of Christ over Angels, Moses, and the Levitical Priesthood
Inherited from Romans package. Unusual application: at Henplais 3:1 Christ Himself is titled ‘apostle of our confession’ — a distinct, additional teaching note beyond the baseline’s usual ecclesial-office framing is required.
Ministering Spirits
Approved rendering: cov timtswv uas ua haujlwm pab Vajtswv
Transliteration: leitourgika pneumata
Doctrine: The Superiority of Christ over Angels, Moses, and the Levitical Priesthood
NEW, built on the leitourgos root (Romans baseline priestly_minister family) and the ‘angel’ entry. Angels described as spirits who render service (Henplais 1:14). Must retain distinction from both the human anthropological ntsuj plig and the divine Vaj Ntsuj Plig — angels are neither.
Tabernacle Tent
Approved rendering: lub Tsev Ntaub (Sib Ntsib)
Transliteration: skēnē
Doctrine: Christ as the Great High Priest
NEW. Comprehension gap (tent-shrine architecture unfamiliar), not a collision; illustrate as God’s meeting-tent with His people, distinct from an ordinary dwelling tent. Used Henplais 8,9,13.
Veil Curtain
Approved rendering: daim ntaub thaiv
Transliteration: katapetasma
Doctrine: Access to God through Christ’s Blood
NEW. The barrier separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place; typologically identified with Christ’s flesh at Henplais 10:20 — a theologically dense identification requiring a dedicated teaching note, not a lexical fix. Used 6,9,10.
Ark Of Covenant
Approved rendering: lub Thawv Sib Cog Lus
Transliteration: kibōtos tēs diathēkēs
Doctrine: Christ as the Great High Priest
NEW, built on ‘covenant_general’. The sacred chest housed in the Most Holy Place (Henplais 9). Comprehension gap (a specific sacred chest with no native equivalent) plus inherited covenant-term sensitivity.
Melchizedek
Approved rendering: Melexixedes / raws li kev ua pov thawj ntawm Melexixedes
Transliteration: Melchisedek / taxis Melchisedek
Doctrine: Christ as the Great High Priest
NEW. Proper name transliterated (low risk); the typological argument (a king-priest outside the Levitical line, combining offices Israel kept separate, Henplais 5,6,7) is a comprehension gap requiring dedicated teaching, not a collision.
Attendant Servant Moses
Approved rendering: tus tu (haujlwm rau Vajtswv)
Transliteration: therapōn
Doctrine: The Superiority of Christ over Angels, Moses, and the Levitical Priesthood
Rejected alternatives: qhev (baseline bondservant/doulos term) — deliberately rejected for this referent
NEW. Moses’ honored attendant-status in God’s house (Henplais 3:5), distinct from the total-ownership bondservant metaphor. Must be kept lexically separate from ‘servant_slave_doulos’ so Moses’ status is not demeaned nor does it overshadow Christ’s superior ‘Son’ status in the same passage.
Unblemished
Approved rendering: tsis muaj ib qhov phem
Transliteration: amōmos
Doctrine: The Once-for-All Atoning Sacrifice
NEW. Ritual-sacrifice adjective applied to Christ Himself (core-passage Henplais 9:14). Comprehension bridge via the OT unblemished-animal requirement; must not be flattened to mere moral ‘goodness,’ losing the sacrificial-qualification sense.
Sprinkle
Approved rendering: nchos
Transliteration: rhantizō
Doctrine: The Once-for-All Atoning Sacrifice
NEW. The OT ritual act of sprinkling blood/water for ceremonial cleansing (Henplais 9:13,19,21; 10:22, core passage). Real Hmong shamanic sprinkling parallel exists; the FUNCTION (external ritual vs. Christ’s internal, once-for-all cleansing) must be explicitly contrasted.
Redemption Eternal
Approved rendering: kev txhiv nyob mus ib txhis
Transliteration: lytrōsis aiōnia
Doctrine: The Once-for-All Atoning Sacrifice
NEW, extends ‘redemption’ with the baseline’s ‘eternal + noun’ pattern. The eternal buying-back from bondage/debt secured through Christ’s blood (core-passage Henplais 9:12). Good economic-legal bridge via Hmong debt-redemption custom; needs anchoring to Christ as the price-payer.
Dead Works
Approved rendering: tej haujlwm uas tsis muaj txiaj ntsig
Transliteration: nekra erga
Doctrine: The Once-for-All Atoning Sacrifice
NEW. Futile, death-bound old-covenant ritual observances contrasted with living service (Henplais 6:1; 9:14, core passage). Must avoid implying these are merely ‘bad deeds’ (moral sins) rather than specifically futile ritual observances.
Mediator
Approved rendering: tus ua nruab nrab
Transliteration: mesitēs
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old
NEW. Good cultural bridge via the recognized Hmong go-between/negotiator role in marriage arrangements and clan disputes (Henplais 8,9,12); must be taught that Christ’s mediatorship is unique and salvific, not merely diplomatic.
Oath
Approved rendering: lus twv
Transliteration: horkos
Doctrine: Perseverance and Assurance
NEW. God’s sworn, self-guaranteeing oath, distinct from an ordinary promise (Henplais 6:13-17; 7:20-21). Hmong oath-taking customs provide a positive bridge, but God’s oath, unlike a witnessed human oath, is self-guaranteeing.
Unbelief
Approved rendering: kev tsis ntseeg
Transliteration: apistia
Doctrine: The Danger of Apostasy and Warning Passages
NEW, direct negation of ‘faith_believe’. The unbelieving heart that fell short of God’s rest in the wilderness generation, warned against as a present danger (Henplais 3:12,19).
Judgment
Approved rendering: kev txiav txim
Transliteration: krisis
Doctrine: The Danger of Apostasy and Warning Passages
NEW. The universal, God-ward judgment every person faces after death (core-passage Henplais 9:27), and the fearful judgment awaiting willful apostasy (10:27). Distinct from any village or clan court despite an available idiom bridge; must be taught with that distinction.
Assurance Substance
Approved rendering: kev ntseeg tas lub siab / lub hauv paus ruaj khov
Transliteration: hypostasis
Doctrine: Faith of the Old Testament Saints
NEW. The ‘substance’ or ‘ground’ underlying faith’s confidence in things hoped for (Henplais 11:1). Dense philosophical term requiring a teaching gloss; no traditional-religion collision, purely a comprehension gap.
Partakers
Approved rendering: cov tau koom nrog (Khetos)
Transliteration: metochoi
Doctrine: Perseverance and Assurance
NEW. Those who share in Christ, in the heavenly calling, and in divine discipline (Henplais 3:1,14; 6:4; 12:8). Comprehension-level; no traditional-religion collision.
Boldness Confidence
Approved rendering: kev ua siab loj (los ntawm ntshav Yexus)
Transliteration: parrēsia
Doctrine: Access to God through Christ’s Blood
Rejected alternatives: dropping the parenthetical blood-anchor as a stylistic simplification — FORBIDDEN, collapses into ordinary social bravado
NEW. Confidence to enter God’s presence, secured specifically by the blood of Jesus (Henplais 10:19; cf. 4:16). The parenthetical anchor is structurally mandatory, not optional.
Copy Pattern Shadow
Approved rendering: qauv / duab qauv
Transliteration: hypodeigma / antitypos / skia
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old
NEW. Typological terms for the earthly sanctuary/system as pattern of the heavenly reality (Henplais 8:5; 9:23-24; 10:1). Typology/pattern-fulfillment thinking is not native to Hmong custom but is comprehensible with a teaching illustration (e.g., a tailor’s paper pattern vs. the finished garment).
Radiance Exact Imprint
Approved rendering: qhov ci ntsa iab ntawm Vajtswv lub yeeb koob / tus sawv cev tseeb ntawm Vajtswv tus kheej
Transliteration: apaugasma tēs doxēs / charaktēr tēs hypostaseōs
Doctrine: The Superiority of Christ over Angels, Moses, and the Levitical Priesthood
NEW. Descriptions of Christ as sharing God’s own glory and nature exactly (Henplais 1:3). High doctrinal density (full deity of Christ); no traditional-religion collision, but needs a first-occurrence explanatory note to avoid being read as mere reflected/borrowed glory.
Founder Author Of Salvation
Approved rendering: tus pib thiab coj txoj kev cawm dim
Transliteration: archēgos
Doctrine: Christ as the Great High Priest
NEW. Christ as the pioneering, sole efficient cause of salvation (Henplais 2:10; 12:2). Comprehension-level; must avoid implying Christ merely ‘started a movement.‘
Living Word Of God
Approved rendering: Txoj Lus ntawm Vajtswv (muaj sia thiab muaj hwjchim)
Transliteration: logos tou theou
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Rejected alternatives: merging with ‘Vaj Lug Kub’ (the written Scripture) — rejected, different theological emphasis
NEW. God’s active, piercing, personified Word (Henplais 4:12), a distinct emphasis from the written Scriptures as a body of text. The ‘hwjchim’ component here correctly takes the mandatory ‘Vajtswv hwjchim’-pattern qualifier since the power in view is God’s own Word’s power.
Obedience Learned Through Suffering
Approved rendering: kev mloog lus uas Yexus kawm los ntawm kev raug tsim txom
Transliteration: hypakoē (learned through suffering, 5:8)
Doctrine: Christ as the Great High Priest
NEW, reuses the obedience family (cf. Romans baseline ‘obedience_of_faith’ root). Christ, though sinless, ‘learned obedience through what he suffered’ (Henplais 5:8). Theologically dense (sinless Christ’s obedience learned through suffering) but no traditional-religion collision; teaching note recommended, not a lexical caution.
Obey Leaders
Approved rendering: mloog cov thawj coj lus
Transliteration: peithesthe tois hēgoumenois
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
NEW, reuses the ‘kev mloog lus’ obedience family. Closing exhortation to obey church leaders (Henplais 13:17). Comprehension-level; no traditional-religion collision, ordinary ecclesial-office application.
Low Risk Terms
God
Approved rendering: Vajtswv
Transliteration: theos
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Rejected alternatives: Ntuj (impersonal sky/heaven) — rejected, lacks personal deity sense, dab (spirit) — rejected, denotes false/lesser spirit
Established compound (king+lord). Inherited from Romans package; reused verbatim throughout Hebrews (all chapters).
Lord
Approved rendering: tus Tswv
Transliteration: kyrios
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Stable existing usage; applied to God and Christ. Inherited from Romans package; reused in Henplais 1,2,7,8,13.
Jesus Christ
Approved rendering: Yexus Khetos
Transliteration: Iēsous Christos
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Standard transliteration baseline. Inherited from Romans package; the mandatory anchor point for every salvation/blood/sacrifice qualifier in Hebrews.
Father God
Approved rendering: Leej Txiv
Transliteration: patēr
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Honorific already settled. Inherited from Romans package; used in Henplais 1 (Son’s exaltation) and 12 (fatherly discipline, Doctrine: Perseverance and Assurance).
Son Of God
Approved rendering: Leej Tub ntawm Vajtswv
Transliteration: huios theou
Doctrine: The Superiority of Christ over Angels, Moses, and the Levitical Priesthood
Rejected alternatives: diminished-sonship renderings found in sectarian materials — rejected, must preserve full deity
Honorific parallel to Leej Txiv. Inherited from Romans package; foundational to Henplais 1’s superiority-over-angels argument and reused in 4,5,7,10.
Peace
Approved rendering: kev thaj yeeb
Transliteration: eirēnē
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Inherited from Romans package; used in Henplais 7,12,13 (closing benediction).
Promise
Approved rendering: lus cog tseg
Transliteration: epangelia
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old
Inherited from Romans package. Must be kept lexically distinct from the new Hebrews-specific ‘covenant_general’ term (tsab cog lus) — a one-sided pledge, not a two-party, death-sealed pact. Used in Henplais 4,6,7,8,9,10,11.
Truth
Approved rendering: qhov tseeb
Transliteration: alētheia
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Inherited from Romans package; used in Henplais 10:26 (knowledge of the truth, willfully rejected).
Creation
Approved rendering: tej uas raug tsim los
Transliteration: ktisis
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Inherited from Romans package; used in Henplais 4,9 — at 9:11 signals the heavenly tabernacle’s transcendence of the created order, a slightly heavier weight than its Romans usage but no new collision.
Death
Approved rendering: txoj kev tuag
Transliteration: thanatos
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Inherited from Romans package; used in Henplais 2,5,7,9,11, including 9:27’s universal human appointment and 2:14-15’s devil’s dominion Christ breaks.
Eternal Life
Approved rendering: txoj sia nyob mus ib txhis
Transliteration: zōē aiōnios
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Inherited from Romans package; its ‘eternal + noun’ pattern is reused for ‘eternal redemption’ (Henplais 9:12) and ‘eternal inheritance’ (9:15). Used 5,9.
Kingdom Of God
Approved rendering: lub Nceeg Vaj ntawm Vajtswv
Transliteration: basileia tou theou
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Inherited from Romans package; qualified ‘unshakeable’ (tsis muaj leej twg yuav dhia tau) at Henplais 12:28, echoing 1:8.
Endurance
Approved rendering: kev ua siab ntev
Transliteration: hypomonē
Doctrine: Perseverance and Assurance
Inherited from Romans package; used in Henplais 10:36 and 12:1,7.
Witness
Approved rendering: tus timkhawv
Transliteration: martys / martyreō
Doctrine: Faith of the Old Testament Saints
Inherited from Romans package; the OT saints ‘commended’ by faith (11:2,4,5,39) and the ‘cloud of witnesses’ (12:1); also used 10.
Thanksgiving
Approved rendering: ua tsaug
Transliteration: eucharistō
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Inherited from Romans package; used in Henplais 12,13 (sacrifice of praise context).
World
Approved rendering: lub ntiajteb
Transliteration: kosmos
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Inherited from Romans package; used in Henplais 1,2,4,9,10,11, including core-passage 9:26.
Scripture
Approved rendering: Vaj Lug Kub
Transliteration: graphē
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Inherited from Romans package. Used throughout Hebrews via extensive OT quotation; kept lexically distinct from the new ‘living_word_of_god’ entry below (Henplais 4:12), which personifies God’s active, piercing Word rather than the written text.
Love
Approved rendering: kev hlub
Transliteration: agapē / philadelphia
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Inherited from Romans package (baseline addendum); used in Henplais 6:10, 10:24, 13:1 (brotherly love).
Hope
Approved rendering: kev cia siab
Transliteration: elpis
Doctrine: Faith of the Old Testament Saints
Inherited from Romans package (baseline addendum). Secured as ‘an anchor for the soul’ at Henplais 6:19; defines faith alongside at 11:1; also used 3,7,10. Must be taught as confident expectation grounded in God’s promise, not mere optimism.
Heir
Approved rendering: tus qub txeeg qub teg
Transliteration: klēronomos
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Inherited from Romans package. Christ as heir of all things (Henplais 1:2); believers as heirs of promise/eternal inheritance (6:12, 9:15, 11:7). Strong positive resonance with Hmong lineage-inheritance custom.
Glory
Approved rendering: lub yeeb koob
Transliteration: doxa
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Inherited from Romans package; used of Christ (1:3, 2:9), Moses and the old sanctuary furnishings (3:3, 9:5), and believers’ calling (2:10).
Tabernacle Furniture
Approved rendering: teeb / rooj mov / mov coj ua pov thawj xa rau Vajtswv
Transliteration: lychnia / trapeza / artoi tēs protheseōs
Doctrine: Christ as the Great High Priest
NEW. Lampstand/table/bread of the Presence furnishings of the Holy Place (Henplais 9). Comprehension gap only, no doctrinal weight.
Not Made With Hands
Approved rendering: tsis yog neeg ua
Transliteration: ou cheiropoiētos
Doctrine: Christ as the Great High Priest
NEW. Descriptive qualifier distinguishing the heavenly sanctuary from human construction, Henplais 9:11 (core passage), 9:24. Stable, no collision.
Tithe
Approved rendering: ib feem kaum
Transliteration: dekatē
Doctrine: The Superiority of Christ over Angels, Moses, and the Levitical Priesthood
NEW. A tenth-portion offering given to Melchizedek/Levi (Henplais 7). Comprehension gap only, easily explained arithmetically.
Hyssop
Approved rendering: ib yam nroj tsuag me me uas Yudas siv rau kev fij
Transliteration: hyssōpos
Doctrine: The Once-for-All Atoning Sacrifice
NEW. A small bushy plant used in OT sprinkling rites (Henplais 9:19, core passage). Pure comprehension gap (botanically unfamiliar plant), no doctrinal weight.
Obsolete Becoming Old
Approved rendering: qub thiab yuav ploj mus
Transliteration: palaioō
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old
NEW. The Old Covenant’s description as growing obsolete and about to vanish (Henplais 8:13). Stable descriptive phrase, no collision.
Strangers And Exiles
Approved rendering: qhua thiab neeg tsiv teb tsaws chaw
Transliteration: xenoi kai parepidēmoi
Doctrine: Faith of the Old Testament Saints
NEW. The OT saints’ self-description as strangers and exiles seeking a heavenly homeland (Henplais 11:13). A STRONG POSITIVE cultural bridge, resonant with Hmong refugee/migration history; recommended as a teaching-enrichment amplifier, not merely a neutral gloss.
Forerunner
Approved rendering: tus taug kev ua ntej
Transliteration: prodromos
Doctrine: Perseverance and Assurance
NEW. Christ who has entered the heavenly sanctuary ahead of believers (Henplais 6:20). Stable, low risk.
Second Coming Appear Again
Approved rendering: yuav rov qab los zaum ob
Transliteration: ek deuterou ophthēsetai
Doctrine: The Once-for-All Atoning Sacrifice
NEW. Christ’s promised return to those who eagerly await Him (core-passage Henplais 9:28, the final verse of the core passage). Stable, already-established Hmong Christian eschatological expectation; no collision.
Low-Medium Risk Terms
Cherubim
Approved rendering: cov timtswv muaj tis
Transliteration: cheroubim
Doctrine: The Superiority of Christ over Angels, Moses, and the Levitical Priesthood
NEW, built on ‘angel’ entry. Winged angelic beings overshadowing the mercy seat (Henplais 9:5). Comprehension gap only (unfamiliar iconography); no traditional-religion collision distinct from the angel entry’s own risk.
Vessels Of Ministry
Approved rendering: tej twj siv rau kev pab Vajtswv
Transliteration: skeuē tēs leitourgias
Doctrine: Christ as the Great High Priest
NEW, built on the leitourgos root. Cultic implements used in tabernacle service (Henplais 9:21).
Outside The Camp
Approved rendering: sab nraud ntawm lub yeej
Transliteration: exō tēs parembolēs
Doctrine: Christ as the Great High Priest
NEW. The location of Christ’s suffering, applied typologically to the sin-offering burned outside the camp (Henplais 13:13). Comprehension gap; minor typological link back to ch.9’s sacrificial system.
Inaugurate Covenant
Approved rendering: pib siv / txhawb kom pib
Transliteration: enkainizō
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old
NEW. To put a covenant into force (Henplais 9:18, core passage). Comprehension gap only.
Root Of Bitterness
Approved rendering: cag ntawm kev daj siab
Transliteration: rhiza pikrias
Doctrine: The Danger of Apostasy and Warning Passages
NEW. A metaphor for a corrupting influence that could cause someone to fall short of grace (Henplais 12:15). Comprehension-level idiom transfer, no collision.
Better Resurrection
Approved rendering: kev sawv hauv qhov tuag rov qab los uas zoo dua
Transliteration: kreittōn anastasis
Doctrine: Faith of the Old Testament Saints
NEW. The resurrection hope for which some OT saints endured martyrdom, superior to mere earthly rescue (Henplais 11:35). Comprehension-level, building on the established Hmong Christian resurrection concept.
Sabbath Rest
Approved rendering: kev so raws li Hnub Xanpatau
Transliteration: sabbatismos
Doctrine: The Superiority of Christ over Angels, Moses, and the Levitical Priesthood
NEW, built on ‘rest_eschatological’. The Sabbath-shaped rest still awaiting God’s people (Henplais 4:9). Sabbath transliterated ‘Xanpatau’, an already-established Hmong Bible term.
Firstborn
Approved rendering: tus thawj tug tub
Transliteration: prōtotokos
Doctrine: The Superiority of Christ over Angels, Moses, and the Levitical Priesthood
NEW. Christ’s rank of supremacy over creation and the angels (Henplais 1:6; 12:23). Positive bridge via Hmong birth-order/inheritance customs; must be taught as supremacy-in-rank, not literal chronological birth among created things, to avoid an Arian-adjacent misreading.
Anchor Soul Metaphor
Approved rendering: lub thav nyiaj
Transliteration: ankyra
Doctrine: Perseverance and Assurance
NEW. Hope described as an anchor of the soul, sure and steadfast (Henplais 6:19). Comprehension gap (highland agrarian Hmong culture is non-maritime), resolvable with an illustrative note.
Milk Solid Food
Approved rendering: kua mis / mov nyoob
Transliteration: gala / stera trophē
Doctrine: Faith of the Old Testament Saints
NEW. Metaphor for spiritual immaturity versus maturity (Henplais 5:12-14). Comprehension-only metaphor transfer, transfers cleanly via existing food-staple vocabulary.
Consummation Of Ages
Approved rendering: thaum tim nrho txhua tiam neeg tas
Transliteration: synteleia tōn aiōnōn
Doctrine: The Once-for-All Atoning Sacrifice
NEW. The end/culmination of the ages, when Christ appeared to put away sin (core-passage Henplais 9:26). Eschatological comprehension gap only.
Medium-High Risk Terms
Holy Place Most Holy Place
Approved rendering: Lub Chaw Dawb Huv / Lub Chaw Dawb Huv Tshaj Plaws
Transliteration: ta hagia / hagia hagiōn
Doctrine: Access to God through Christ’s Blood
NEW. Shares the ‘dawb huv’ root already flagged in the baseline sanctification entry for its folk ritual-purity overtones; must be taught as God’s own holy dwelling, not a purified physical location reachable by ritual technique. Used Henplais 9 (core passage — the heavenly sanctuary Christ entered) and 10.
Testament Wordplay
Approved rendering: (untranslatable pun; teaching note required, no fixed lexical rendering)
Transliteration: diathēkē (legal-testament sense)
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old
Rejected alternatives: any single Hmong word chosen to silently resolve the wordplay — FORBIDDEN, would drop the writer’s actual argument
NEW — FLAGGED, [TRANSLATOR REVIEW NEEDED: diathēkē wordplay, Henplais 9:16-17]. Hmong ‘tsab cog lus’ does not carry an inherent ‘last will/testament activated by death’ legal sense the way diathēkē does; this is lexically untranslatable and requires a dedicated teaching note, never an alternate permanent rendering.
Discipline Fatherly
Approved rendering: kev qhuab qhia / kev cai ntuas
Transliteration: paideia
Doctrine: Perseverance and Assurance
Rejected alternatives: framing consistent with ancestor/spirit-displeasure-requiring-appeasement suffering-explanations — FORBIDDEN
NEW. God’s loving, formative correction of His sons, evidence of genuine sonship (Henplais 12:5-11). Must be carefully distinguished from Hmong traditional belief that misfortune/suffering is punishment sent by displeased ancestors/spirits requiring ritual appeasement. Prefer ‘kev qhuab qhia’ over ‘kev cai ntuas’ where the passage is already dense with other kevcai-root terms, to reduce cluster load.
Draw Near Access
Approved rendering: txav los ze (rau Vajtswv)
Transliteration: proserchomai
Doctrine: Access to God through Christ’s Blood
Rejected alternatives: bare ‘txav los ze’ with no blood-anchor — FORBIDDEN, reads as an achievable spiritual technique
NEW. The core vocabulary of Doctrine 8 (Henplais 4:16; 7:19,25; 10:1,22; 11:6; 12:22). Must ALWAYS be anchored to ‘through the blood of Christ’ / ‘through the curtain, that is, his flesh’ to prevent being heard as a technique or achievable attainment rather than a Christ-secured, already-granted standing.