Core Glossary
08 — Core Glossary: Deuteronomy
How to Read This Table
- Risk follows the baseline four-tier scale (Critical / High / Medium / Low) and its review-routing implications (Critical/High → human theologian; Medium → native speaker; Low → automated).
- Status indicates whether the term is a baseline reuse (must match
translation_memory.jsonexactly) or a new term proposed for addition to translation memory ahead of Phase 2. - Chapters lists every chapter in Deuteronomy 1-34 where the term is load-bearing.
Master Glossary Table
| # | English Term | Mandarin Rendering | Pinyin | Category | Risk | Original (Hebrew) | Transliteration | Status | Chapters | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | God (generic/Elohim) | 神 | Shén | God | Critical | אֱלֹהִים | Elohim | Baseline reuse | all | Reuse baseline god; monotheism must be made explicit, not assumed, since 神 is also the folk generic noun for any deity/spirit. |
| 2 | LORD (YHWH, the covenant name) | 耶和华 | Yēhéhuá | God | Critical | יהוה | YHWH | New — proposed | all (esp. 5, 6, 28, 32) | Not in Romans baseline (NT does not transliterate the Tetragrammaton). Must be kept distinct from generic 神 to preserve the personal, self-revealing covenant name at the heart of the Shema. |
| 3 | Israel | 以色列 | Yǐsèliè | Covenant | Medium | יִשְׂרָאֵל | Yisra’el | Baseline reuse | all | Reuse baseline israel. |
| 4 | Law / Torah | 律法 | lǜfǎ | Covenant | High | תּוֹרָה | Torah | Baseline reuse | 1, 4, 5, 17, 27, 28, 29, 31 | Reuse baseline law; never equate with Confucian 礼 (ritual propriety) or 法律 (secular civil law). |
| 5 | Covenant | 约 | yuē | Covenant | High | בְּרִית | berit | Baseline reuse | 4, 5, 26, 27, 28, 29 | Reuse baseline covenant; relational, divinely initiated bond, not a commercial contract (合同/契约). |
| 6 | Holy (set apart) | 圣洁 | shèngjié | Sanctification | High | קָדוֹשׁ | qadosh | Baseline reuse | 7, 14, 26 | Reuse baseline holy. |
| 7 | Sin | 罪 | zuì | Sin | High | חַטָּאת / עָוֹן | chatta’ah / avon | Baseline reuse | 4, 9, 24, 29 | Reuse baseline sin; idolatry is treated as covenant-breaking sin, not karmic infraction. |
| 8 | Prophet | 先知 | xiānzhī | Covenant | Low/Critical (context-dependent) | נָבִיא | navi | Baseline reuse | 13, 18, 34 | Reuse baseline prophet; risk escalates to Critical specifically for “the Prophet like Moses” (ch. 18, 34). |
| 9 | Gentiles / Nations (Canaanite) | 外邦人 / 列国 | wàibāngrén / lièguó | Covenant | Medium | גּוֹיִם | goyim | Baseline reuse (with caution) | 7, 9, 12, 20 | Baseline gentiles refers to gospel-era non-Jewish peoples generically; Deuteronomy’s “nations” are specific Canaanite kingdoms under herem judgment. Flag context difference in teaching notes to avoid conflating the two referents. |
| 10 | Hear (Shema, imperative) | 听 | tīng | Faith | Critical | שְׁמַע | shema | New — proposed | 6 (core) | Root of the entire Shema doctrine; hearing that necessarily issues in obedient action. |
| 11 | Hear, O Israel (the Shema title) | 以色列啊，你要听 | Yǐsèliè a, nǐ yào tīng | Faith | Critical | שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל | Shema Yisrael | New — proposed | 6 (core) | Fixed liturgical confession-opening; render identically every occurrence for learner recognition. |
| 12 | One (divine uniqueness) | 独一 | dúyī | God | Critical | אֶחָד | echad | New — proposed | 6 (core) | Exclusive monotheistic confession; must not be read as denying Trinitarian plurality of Persons — requires explicit teaching note. |
| 13 | Love (for God) | 爱 | ài | Faith | High | אָהַב | ahav | New — proposed | 6 (core), 7, 10, 11, 13, 30 | Covenant-loyalty love flowing from God’s prior redemption, not mere sentiment or Confucian relational duty. |
| 14 | Heart | 心 | xīn | Faith | Medium | לֵבָב / לֵב | levav / lev | New — proposed | 6 (core), 9-10, 29, 30 | Seat of will and intellect in Hebrew anthropology, not primarily emotion. |
| 15 | Soul / whole being | 性 / 心意 | xìng / xīnyì | Faith | Medium | נֶפֶשׁ | nephesh | New — proposed | 6 (core) | One’s whole living self, not a compartmentalized “spiritual” part. |
| 16 | Might / strength (all one’s resources) | 力 | lì | Faith | Low | מְאֹד | me’od | New — proposed | 6 (core) | Total capacity devoted to God, holding nothing back. |
| 17 | Statutes | 律例 | lǜlì | Covenant | Medium | חֻקִּים | chuqqim | New — proposed | 6 (core), 4, 5, 26 | Fixed covenant decrees. |
| 18 | Commandments | 诫命 | jièmìng | Covenant | Medium | מִצְוֹת | mitzvot | New — proposed | 6 (core), 5, 8, 11 | Specific covenant directives. |
| 19 | Rules / Judgments / Ordinances | 典章 | diǎnzhāng | Covenant | Medium | מִשְׁפָּטִים | mishpatim | New — proposed | 6 (core), 4 | Case-law justice principles. |
| 20 | Fear (the LORD) | 敬畏 | jìngwèi | Faith | High | יָרֵא | yare | New — proposed | 6 (core), 4, 10, 31 | Reverential submission, not servile terror or fear of impersonal spirits/ghosts. |
| 21 | Keep / observe (covenant obedience) | 谨守 / 遵守 | jǐnshǒu / zūnshǒu | Faith | High | שָׁמַר | shamar | New — proposed | 6 (core), 4, 5, 8 | Vigilant, loving custody of God’s word. |
| 22 | Teach diligently / impress | 殷勤教训 | yīnqín jiàoxùn | Faith | Medium | שִׁנַּנְתָּם | shinnantam | New — proposed | 6 (core), 4, 11 | Repeated, intensive household catechesis. |
| 23 | Sign / frontlets / doorpost markers | 记号 / 额上的经文 / 门框 | jìhao / é shàng de jīngwén / ménkuàng | Faith | Medium | אוֹת / טֹטָפֹת / מְזוּזֹת | ot / totafot / mezuzot | New — proposed | 6 (core), 11 | Memory-and-identity markers of covenant loyalty; must be distinguished from folk protective amulets/talismans (符, 门神). |
| 24 | Redeem / redemption (from Egypt) | 救赎 | jiùshú | Salvation | Critical | גָּאַל / פָּדָה | ga’al / padah | New — proposed | 7, 9, 15, 24 | Historical, this-life deliverance from slavery, the paradigmatic OT type of NT salvation (baseline salvation, 救恩); guard against conflation with Buddhist liberation vocabulary (解脱/超度), already forbidden under baseline. |
| 25 | Remember | 记念 | jìniàn | Faith | High | זָכַר | zakhar | New — proposed | 5, 6-8, 15, 24-26 | Active, covenant-shaping recollection producing present obedience/gratitude — central to “Remembering God’s Redemption.” |
| 26 | Forget | 忘记 | wàngjì | Faith | High | שָׁכַח | shakhach | New — proposed | 4, 6, 8 | Covenant amnesia leading to pride and idolatry; inverse of 记念. |
| 27 | Blessing (covenant) | 福 / 祝福 | fú / zhùfú | Covenant | High | בְּרָכָה | berakhah | New — proposed | 6, 11, 26, 28, 30, 33 | Relational covenant consequence of obedience, not impersonal fortune; shares 福-root folk-fortune collision already flagged under baseline gospel. |
| 28 | Curse (covenant) | 咒诅 | zhòuzǔ | Covenant | High | קְלָלָה / אָרוּר | qelalah / arur | New — proposed | 11, 21, 27, 28, 30 | Relational covenant judgment, not magical misfortune or folk-cursing ritual (符咒). |
| 29 | Other gods / idols | 别神 / 偶像 | bié shén / ǒuxiàng | Idolatry | Critical | אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים | Elohim acherim | New — proposed | 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 17, 28, 29, 31, 32 | Central term for the “Warnings against Idolatry” doctrine across nearly the whole book. |
| 30 | Carved image | 雕刻的像 | diāokè de xiàng | Idolatry | Critical | פֶּסֶל | pesel | New — proposed | 4, 5, 27 | Absolute prohibition on visually representing YHWH. |
| 31 | Jealous God | 忌邪的神 | jìxié de shén | Idolatry | High | אֵל קַנָּא | El qanna | New — proposed | 4, 5, 6, 32 | Relational, protective covenant zeal, not petty human envy (嫉妒). |
| 32 | Devote to destruction / utterly destroy (herem) | 灭绝净尽 | mièjué jìngjìng | Covenant Judgment | High | חֵרֶם | cherem | New — proposed | 2, 3, 7, 13, 20 | Unique, historically bounded holy-war judgment category; must not be generalized as an ongoing warfare ethic, and must not be confused with Buddhist “extinction” vocabulary (灭度, 寂灭). |
| 33 | Treasured possession | 属自己的子民 | shǔ zìjǐ de zǐmín | Election | High | סְגֻלָּה | segullah | New — proposed | 7, 14, 26 | Israel’s identity grounded in God’s electing choice, not their own merit or size. |
| 34 | Holy people / holy nation | 圣洁的国民 | shèngjié de guómín | Sanctification | High | עַם קָדוֹשׁ | am qadosh | New — proposed | 7, 14, 26 | Corporate consecration; parallels baseline saints (圣徒) — must not imply sage-level individual moral perfection. |
| 35 | Circumcise the heart | 心受割礼 | xīn shòu gēlǐ | Sanctification | Critical | מוּל לֵבָב | mul levav | New — proposed | 10, 30 | Inward transformation as ground of obedience; direct OT root of Romans 2:29 (baseline curriculum) — render consistently across both books. |
| 36 | Stiff-necked | 硬着颈项 | yìng zhe jǐngxiàng | Sin | Medium | קְשֵׁה־עֹרֶף | qeshei-oref | New — proposed | 9-10 | Stubborn covenant unfaithfulness. |
| 37 | Sojourner / resident alien | 寄居的 | jìjū de | Ethics | Medium | גֵּר | ger | New — proposed | 10, 14, 16, 24, 26 | Protected class; Israel’s own former identity in Egypt is the motive for their care. |
| 38 | False prophet | 假先知 | jiǎ xiānzhī | Idolatry | High | נָבִיא (שֶׁקֶר) | navi (sheker) | New — proposed | 13, 18 | Tested by doctrinal fidelity, not miraculous sign alone. |
| 39 | Medium / necromancer / one who consults the dead | 招魂的 / 交鬼的 / 过阴的 | zhāohún de / jiāoguǐ de / guòyīn de | Idolatry | Critical | אוֹב וְיִדְּעֹנִי / דֹּרֵשׁ אֶל־הַמֵּתִים | ov ve-yidde’oni / doresh el-ha-metim | New — proposed | 18 | Sharp collision point with Chinese folk spirit-mediums (乩童) and ancestor-consultation; forbidden alternative to God’s authorized prophetic word. |
| 40 | Sorcerer | 行邪术的 | xíng xiéshù de | Idolatry | High | מְכַשֵּׁף | mekhashef | New — proposed | 18 | Forbidden ritual-magic practitioner. |
| 41 | A prophet like me / like Moses | 像我一样的先知 / 像摩西一样的先知 | xiàng wǒ yíyàng de xiānzhī / xiàng Móxī yíyàng de xiānzhī | Christology (typological) | Critical | נָבִיא כָּמֹנִי | navi kamoni | New — proposed | 18, 34 | Singular, climactic prophetic figure fulfilled uniquely in Christ (Acts 3:22); not a repeating office or reincarnation. |
| 42 | Tithe | 十分之一 | shí fēnzhī yī | Ethics/Worship | Medium | מַעְשַׂר | ma’sar | New — proposed | 12, 14, 26 | Gratitude/provision offering, not merit-transaction (guard against 功德 collision, already baseline Critical under grace). |
| 43 | King (under covenant law) | 王 | wáng | Covenant | Medium | מֶלֶךְ | melekh | New — proposed | 17, 28 | Israel’s king is subordinate to, not above, God’s law. |
| 44 | Vow | 许愿 | xǔyuàn | Ethics/Worship | Medium | נֵדֶר | neder | New — proposed | 23 | Binding integrity of one’s word to God, not a transactional temple bargain. |
| 45 | Cursed of God (hanged) | 被神咒诅的 | bèi Shén zhòuzǔ de | Covenant Judgment | High | קִלְלַת אֱלֹהִים | qillelat Elohim | New — proposed | 21 | Directly cited in Galatians 3:13 (future curriculum book); render consistently with 咒诅. |
| 46 | Choose life | 拣选生命 | jiǎnxuǎn shēngmìng | Ethics/Salvation | Critical | וּבָחַרְתָּ בַּחַיִּים | u-vacharta ba-chayyim | New — proposed | 30 | Human responsive choice; must be distinguished by mandatory translator’s note from God’s sovereign election (baseline election, 拣选, Critical) to prevent synergistic/monergistic confusion. |
| 47 | Set before you life and death | 我将生死…摆在你面前 | wǒ jiāng shēngsǐ…bǎi zài nǐ miànqián | Ethics/Salvation | Critical | הַחַיִּים וְהַמָּוֶת נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ | ha-chayyim ve-ha-mavet natati lefaneikha | New — proposed | 30 | The book’s climactic either/or; genuine covenant choice, not fatalistic destiny. |
| 48 | The word is very near you | 这话离你甚近 | zhè huà lí nǐ shén jìn | Faith | Critical | קָרוֹב אֵלֶיךָ הַדָּבָר מְאֹד | qarov eleikha ha-davar me’od | New — proposed | 30 | Quoted verbatim in Romans 10:8 (baseline curriculum); must match that rendering exactly. |
| 49 | The Rock (divine title) | 磐石 | pánshí | God | High | צוּר | Tsur | New — proposed | 32 | Divine-faithfulness title later applied typologically to Christ (1 Cor 10:4, future curriculum book). |
| 50 | Demons / no-gods | 鬼魔 | guǐmó | Idolatry | Critical | שֵׁדִים | shedim | New — proposed | 32 | Idols unmasked as powerless demonic non-entities; must not imply continuity with Chinese ancestor-spirit veneration. |
| 51 | I kill and I make alive | 我使人死，我使人活 | wǒ shǐ rén sǐ, wǒ shǐ rén huó | God | High | אָמִית וַאֲחַיֶּה | amit va-achayeh | New — proposed | 32 | Absolute divine sovereignty over life/death; distinct from, but a backdrop to, baseline resurrection (复活) — do not conflate. |
| 52 | Vengeance is mine | 伸冤在我 | shēnyuān zài wǒ | Ethics | Medium | לִי נָקָם | li naqam | New — proposed | 32 | Quoted in Romans 12:19 (baseline curriculum); render consistently. |
| 53 | Spirit of wisdom | 智慧的灵 | zhìhuì de líng | God/Leadership | High | רוּח חָכְמָה | ruach chokhmah | New — proposed | 34 | Spirit-given leadership enablement for Joshua; must not be conflated with the indwelling Holy Spirit (baseline holy_spirit, 圣灵) of NT theology. |
| 54 | No prophet like Moses arose again | 以色列中再没有兴起像摩西的先知 | Yǐsèliè zhōng zài méiyǒu xīngqǐ xiàng Móxī de xiānzhī | Christology (typological) | Critical | וְלֹא־קָם נָבִיא עו�ד…כְּמֹשֶׁה | ve-lo-qam navi od…ke-Moshe | New — proposed | 34 | Deliberate canonical “open loop” resolved only in Christ (Acts 3:22); pairs with #41. |
Summary by Risk Tier
| Risk Tier | Count | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | 16 | Human theologian review required for every occurrence |
| High | 19 | Human theologian review required |
| Medium | 15 | Native speaker review recommended |
| Low | 4 | Automated review sufficient |
Terms Requiring Translation Memory Addition Before Phase 2
All rows marked “New — proposed” above (49 of 54 terms) must be added to translation_memory.json — following the baseline’s term-addition procedure in 12_ai_translation_requirements.md (“If a new theological term is encountered that is not in translation memory”) — before any Phase 2 segment translation of Deuteronomy begins. Critical and High risk new terms additionally require theologian sign-off before the translation memory version is incremented.
Terms Reused Exactly from the Romans Baseline (No Modification Permitted)
神 (god), 律法 (law), 约 (covenant), 圣洁 (holy), 罪 (sin), 先知 (prophet), 外邦人 (gentiles, context-flagged), 拣选 (election — cf. #46 collision note), 圣灵 (holy_spirit, referenced for contrast at #53), 复活 (resurrection, referenced for contrast at #51), 阿们 (amen, ch. 27), 咒诅-adjacent forbidden-alternatives logic inherited from baseline salvation/grace forbidden-substitution rules (功德, 解脱, 超度 remain forbidden wherever redemption/blessing vocabulary appears in Deuteronomy).
See 07_semantic_analysis.md for full verse-by-verse (core passage) and chapter-by-chapter argumentation supporting every entry above.
Critical Risk Terms
God
Approved rendering: 神
Transliteration: Shén
Doctrine: Deity of God / The Shema
Rejected alternatives: 上帝, 天, 老天爷
Inherited from Romans package, unmodified. In Deuteronomy this term is load-bearing precisely through its constant pairing with 耶和华 (‘耶和华你的神’) — the pairing, not either term alone, carries the book’s monotheistic argument. Monotheism must be made explicit in teaching, never assumed, since 神 is also the ordinary Mandarin noun for any deity/spirit.
Sanctification
Approved rendering: 成圣
Transliteration: chéngshèng
Doctrine: Circumcision of the Heart (parallel doctrine)
Rejected alternatives: 修身, 修炼
Inherited from Romans package, unmodified. Cited here because Deuteronomy 30:6’s God-performed heart-circumcision is conceptually parallel and must resist the same Neo-Confucian self-cultivation (修身/修炼) collision already flagged Critical in the baseline.
Messiah
Approved rendering: 基督
Transliteration: Jīdū
Doctrine: Messianic Promise / The Coming Prophet like Moses
Rejected alternatives: 弥勒, 救世主式泛称
Inherited from Romans package, unmodified. Cited in Deuteronomy teaching materials wherever the Prophet-like-Moses promise (Deut 18:15-19) is connected to its NT fulfillment (Acts 3:22); never conflate with 弥勒 (Maitreya).
Grace
Approved rendering: 恩典
Transliteration: ēndiǎn
Doctrine: Obedience Motivated by Love not Merit
Rejected alternatives: 功德, 造化, 福气, 阴德
Inherited from Romans package, unmodified. Deuteronomy 7:7-8 and 9:4-6 are the OT anchor texts for this doctrine’s rejection of merit-based standing; NEVER use 功德/阴德 when explaining why Israel’s election and land-gift precede, rather than result from, obedience.
Resurrection
Approved rendering: 复活
Transliteration: fùhuó
Doctrine: Divine Sovereignty over Life and Death (contrast)
Rejected alternatives: 轮回, 投胎, 还魂
Inherited from Romans package, unmodified. Cited here strictly for CONTRAST: Deut 32:39 (‘I kill and I make alive’) asserts general divine sovereignty over life and death and must not be conflated with, or presented as, the specific once-for-all bodily resurrection doctrine this term names.
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: 圣灵
Transliteration: Shènglíng
Doctrine: Spirit of Wisdom (contrast)
Rejected alternatives: 祖灵, 灵
Inherited from Romans package, unmodified. Cited here strictly for CONTRAST: Deut 34:9’s ‘spirit of wisdom’ (智慧的灵) imparted to Joshua is a specific, one-time leadership-succession enablement and must never be conflated with 圣灵, the indwelling third Person of the Trinity.
Jesus
Approved rendering: 耶稣
Transliteration: Yēsū
Doctrine: The Coming Prophet like Moses (fulfillment reference)
Inherited from Romans package, unmodified. Cited in teaching notes wherever Deuteronomy’s Prophet-like-Moses promise (18:15-19) and its NT fulfillment (Acts 3:22) are discussed.
Yhwh The Lord
Approved rendering: 耶和华
Transliteration: Yēhéhuá
Doctrine: The Shema and Exclusive Love for God
Rejected alternatives: 上帝 (for this package), 天, 老天爷, 神 (used alone where the personal name is intended)
Original: יהוה
Category: God
NEW — not present in the Romans baseline (Koine Greek NT does not transliterate the Tetragrammaton). The personal, self-revealed covenant name of God, appearing over 500 times in Deuteronomy. Must remain visually and conceptually distinct from generic 神 in every occurrence; the pairing ‘耶和华你的神’ is the grammatical backbone of the book’s anti-idolatry argument. Losing the distinction collapses the Shema into a generic-deity claim, exactly the kind of unmarked polytheistic accommodation Chinese folk religion readily makes.
Hear Shema
Approved rendering: 听
Transliteration: tīng
Doctrine: The Shema and Exclusive Love for God
Rejected alternatives: 聆听 (alone, too passive), 听见 (mere audition)
Original: שְׁמַע
Category: Faith
NEW. The imperative root of the entire Shema doctrine — hearing that necessarily issues in obedient action, not passive audition. Every teaching occurrence must make the hear-and-obey unity explicit.
Hear O Israel Title
Approved rendering: 以色列啊，你要听
Transliteration: Yǐsèliè a, nǐ yào tīng
Doctrine: The Shema and Exclusive Love for God
Original: שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל
Category: Faith
NEW. Fixed liturgical title-phrase of Israel’s foundational confession (Deut 6:4). Must render identically at every occurrence, parallel to how ‘耶稣是主’ must render identically for the Romans salvation confession.
One Echad
Approved rendering: 独一
Transliteration: dúyī
Doctrine: The Shema and Exclusive Love for God
Rejected alternatives: 一 (bare numeral, insufficient), 唯一 (considered, retains slightly more ‘only one of its kind’ than covenantal-exclusivity force)
Original: אֶחָד
Category: God
NEW. Asserts YHWH’s exclusive, categorical uniqueness (Deut 6:4), not merely supreme rank within a pantheon. CRITICAL: Chinese folk religion readily accommodates many deities in separate domains (城隍, 灶神, 土地公, ancestral spirits) without exclusivity claims. Mandatory teaching note required on every occurrence: (1) 独一 = categorical exclusivity, not top rank; (2) this monotheistic confession does not deny later Trinitarian plurality of Persons.
Redemption From Egypt
Approved rendering: 救赎
Transliteration: jiùshú
Doctrine: Remembering God’s Redemption
Rejected alternatives: 解脱, 超度
Original: גָּאַל / פָּדָה
Category: Salvation
NEW. God’s historical deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt, the recurring motive-ground for covenant obedience and ethical generosity. CRITICAL: NEVER render with 解脱 (Buddhist liberation from samsara) or 超度 (a posthumous rite for the dead) — this is a historical, this-life deliverance of a living people, not an escape from suffering achieved through ritual or practice.
Other Gods Idols
Approved rendering: 别神 / 偶像
Transliteration: bié shén / ǒuxiàng
Doctrine: Warnings against Idolatry
Original: אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים
Category: Idolatry
NEW. Central term for the book’s most pervasive doctrine. Must always be taught as illegitimate rivals to the one true God, not neutral ‘other options’ or one tier within a spiritual hierarchy that also includes YHWH — directly confronting the functional-pantheon accommodation of Chinese folk religion.
Carved Image Pesel
Approved rendering: 雕刻的像
Transliteration: diāokè de xiàng
Doctrine: Warnings against Idolatry
Original: פֶּסֶל
Category: Idolatry
NEW. Absolute prohibition on any humanly-fashioned image of YHWH (Deut 4:16-18; 5:8; 27:15), since he revealed himself at Horeb in voice, not visible form. Must never be softened into a critique of poor technique; the prohibition is categorical, directly confronting the widespread practice of housing carved/cast deity images (神像) in home shrines and temples.
Circumcise The Heart
Approved rendering: 心受割礼
Transliteration: xīn shòu gēlǐ
Doctrine: Circumcision of the Heart
Rejected alternatives: 修身式的心受割礼, 修炼
Original: מוּל לֵבָב
Category: Sanctification
NEW. Inward transformation of disposition (Deut 10:16; 30:6). CRITICAL: must render consistently with Romans 2:29’s identical concept (Romans baseline curriculum). In Deut 30:6 God himself performs this act; must not be confused with Neo-Confucian self-cultivation (修身/修炼).
Medium Necromancer
Approved rendering: 招魂的 / 交鬼的 / 过阴的
Transliteration: zhāohún de / jiāoguǐ de / guòyīn de
Doctrine: Prohibition of Occult Practices
Original: אוֹב וְיִדְּעֹנִי / דֹּרֵשׁ אֶל־הַמֵּתִים
Category: Idolatry
NEW. Occult practitioners claiming to contact the dead or spirits, explicitly forbidden (Deut 18:10-11). CRITICAL: the sharpest live cultural collision in the book — spirit mediums (乩童), ancestor consultation, and ghost-communication rites remain active practices in many Mandarin-speaking communities. Every occurrence requires human theologian review naming the actual contemporary practice, not an abstracted ancient category.
Prophet Like Moses
Approved rendering: 像我一样的先知 / 像摩西一样的先知
Transliteration: xiàng wǒ yíyàng de xiānzhī / xiàng Móxī yíyàng de xiānzhī
Doctrine: The Coming Prophet like Moses
Rejected alternatives: 转世式的先知继承 (reincarnation-succession framing)
Original: נָבִיא כָּמֹנִי
Category: Christology
NEW. The singular, climactic prophetic figure (Deut 18:15-19), fulfilled uniquely and finally in Christ (Acts 3:22). CRITICAL: must never be taught as a repeating prophetic office or a reincarnated succession — NEVER use 转世 in connection with this term.
Choose Life
Approved rendering: 拣选生命
Transliteration: jiǎnxuǎn shēngmìng
Doctrine: Choosing Life over Death
Rejected alternatives: 选择生命 (flagged in 06_linguistic_gap_analysis.md as an alternative pending theologian decision — retained provisionally pending sign-off), 命运
Original: וּבָחַרְתָּ בַּחַיִּים
Category: Ethics
NEW. CRITICAL: 拣选 is reserved elsewhere in this Language Package exclusively for God’s sovereign election (see election entry above). Deut 30:19 uses the same verb with Israel as the choosing subject. MANDATORY: every occurrence requires a translator’s note distinguishing this human, responsive choice from God’s prior gracious election, to avoid synergistic distortion (self-election apart from grace) or monergistic flattening (denying real human responsibility). OPEN ITEM flagged in 06_linguistic_gap_analysis.md Ranked Ambiguity #1: theologian sign-off required before Phase 2 lock-in on whether to retain 拣选生命 (with mandatory note, current default) or replace with 选择生命.
Life And Death Set Before
Approved rendering: 我将生死…摆在你面前
Transliteration: wǒ jiāng shēngsǐ…bǎi zài nǐ miànqián
Doctrine: Choosing Life over Death
Rejected alternatives: 命运式的生死
Original: הַחַיִּים וְהַמָּוֶת נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ
Category: Ethics
NEW. The book’s climactic either/or (Deut 30:15, 19). Must render as a genuine, weighty covenant choice, not fatalistic destiny (命运).
Word Very Near You
Approved rendering: 这话离你甚近
Transliteration: zhè huà lí nǐ shén jìn
Doctrine: Choosing Life over Death
Original: קָרוֹב אֵלֶיךָ הַדָּבָר מְאֹד
Category: Faith
NEW. God’s covenant word is accessible, not hidden or requiring esoteric quest (Deut 30:11-14). CROSS-REFERENCE: quoted verbatim by Paul in Romans 10:6-8 (Romans baseline curriculum). This rendering must be verified against, and kept identical to, the produced Romans 10:8 segment translation.
Demons No Gods
Approved rendering: 鬼魔
Transliteration: guǐmó
Doctrine: Warnings against Idolatry
Original: שֵׁדִים
Category: Idolatry
NEW. Idols unmasked as powerless demonic non-entities, not legitimate rival deities (Deut 32:17). CRITICAL: 鬼 is deeply embedded in Chinese ancestor-veneration and folk practice (hungry ghosts, 中元节 Ghost Festival, ancestral spirits requiring appeasement). Must never imply continuity with, or legitimize, ancestor-spirit engagement — these are hostile spiritual beings powerless before YHWH.
No Prophet Like Moses Arose Again
Approved rendering: 以色列中再没有兴起像摩西的先知
Transliteration: Yǐsèliè zhōng zài méiyǒu xīngqǐ xiàng Móxī de xiānzhī
Doctrine: The Coming Prophet like Moses
Original: וְלֹא־קָם נָבִיא עוֹד בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּמֹשֶׁה
Category: Christology
NEW. The closing editorial statement (Deut 34:10-12) affirming Moses’ unmatched prophetic stature within the OT era; deliberately creates an unresolved canonical tension with 18:15, resolved only in Christ (Acts 3:22). Teaching materials must preserve this open-loop framing, not resolve it prematurely within the Deuteronomy unit.
Obedience From Love
Approved rendering: 因爱而生的顺服
Transliteration: yīn ài ér shēng de shùnfú
Doctrine: Obedience Motivated by Love not Merit
Rejected alternatives: 孝顺, 功德式的顺服
NEW COINAGE (per 06_linguistic_gap_analysis.md), the Deuteronomy-specific structural parallel to the baseline’s 因信而生的顺服 (obedience_of_faith). Names love-flowing-from-prior-grace as obedience’s motive (Deut 6:5; 7:7-8; 30:6, 16, 20). Mandatory translator’s note required on every Deut 6, 10, 11, 28 blessing-conditioned-on-obedience passage, distinguishing this from Confucian filial-duty obedience (孝顺) and Buddhist merit-transaction obedience (功德式的顺服).
High Risk Terms
Law
Approved rendering: 律法
Transliteration: lǜfǎ
Doctrine: Covenant Renewal
Rejected alternatives: 礼, 道德规范, 法律
Inherited from Romans package, unmodified. Refers to the whole Mosaic covenant instruction (Torah) re-taught in Deuteronomy to the generation entering the land. Never equate with Confucian 礼 (ritual propriety) or secular 法律.
Sin
Approved rendering: 罪
Transliteration: zuì
Doctrine: Warnings against Idolatry
Rejected alternatives: 报应, 罪犯式的罪
Original: חַטָּאת / עָוֹן
Category: Sin
Inherited from Romans package, unmodified. In Deuteronomy, idolatry and covenant unfaithfulness are the paradigmatic sins; must be taught as moral offense against a personal covenant God, not impersonal karmic retribution (报应).
Holy
Approved rendering: 圣洁
Transliteration: shèngjié
Doctrine: Separation unto God’s Service / Holy People
Rejected alternatives: 清净, 圣人般的
Original: קָדוֹשׁ
Category: Sanctification
Inherited from Romans package, unmodified. Applied to Israel corporately in Deut 7:6, 14:2, 21, 26:19; avoid Daoist/Buddhist ritual-stillness connotations (清净).
Saints
Approved rendering: 圣徒
Transliteration: shèngtú
Doctrine: Holy People (parallel doctrine)
Rejected alternatives: 圣人, 高僧
Inherited from Romans package, unmodified. Cited here because Deuteronomy’s corporate ‘holy people’ (圣洁的国民, Deut 7, 14, 26) is the OT parallel to this NT term; both must avoid the elevated Confucian 圣人 (sage) category.
Covenant
Approved rendering: 约
Transliteration: yuē
Doctrine: Covenant Renewal
Rejected alternatives: 合同, 契约
Original: בְּרִית
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package, unmodified. Relational, divinely initiated bond renewed at Horeb, Moab, and Shechem; never a negotiated commercial contract (合同/契约) between equal parties.
Election
Approved rendering: 拣选
Transliteration: jiǎnxuǎn
Doctrine: Effectual Calling / Treasured Possession
Rejected alternatives: 天命, 命运, 缘分
Inherited from Romans package, unmodified. CRITICAL CROSS-REFERENCE: this verb is DOUBLE-BOOKED in the Deuteronomy curriculum. It is reserved here for God’s own sovereign, gracious choice of Israel (Deut 7:6-8, treasured_possession_segullah). It is ALSO used in the established CUV rendering of Deut 30:19’s human ‘choose life’ (see choose_life entry). Every occurrence of either sense requires the mandatory disambiguating translator’s note specified under choose_life; this entry must never be silently reassigned to the human-choice sense without that note.
Father
Approved rendering: 父
Transliteration: fù
Doctrine: God as Father
Rejected alternatives: 祖先, 老天爷
Inherited from Romans package, unmodified. Relevant to Deut 32:6 (‘Is not he your Father who created you?’). Distinguish from ancestor veneration (祭祖) and never use 祖先/老天爷.
Obedience Of Faith
Approved rendering: 因信而生的顺服
Transliteration: yīn xìn ér shēng de shùnfú
Doctrine: Obedience Motivated by Love not Merit (parallel)
Rejected alternatives: 孝顺, 礼法遵从
Inherited from Romans package, unmodified. Cited as the NT structural parallel to this curriculum’s coined obedience_from_love entry (因爱而生的顺服); both resist collapsing obedience into 孝顺 (filial duty owed as a debt).
Love For God
Approved rendering: 爱
Transliteration: ài
Doctrine: The Shema and Exclusive Love for God / Obedience Motivated by Love not Merit
Rejected alternatives: 仁, 义, 礼 (Confucian relational-duty framings)
Original: אָהַב
Category: Faith
NEW. Covenantal love: loyal, whole-person devotion flowing from God’s prior redemptive act (Deut 6:5; 7:7-8), not mere sentiment. Must resist two reductions: filial/romantic sentiment, and Confucian relational duty (仁/义/礼) cultivated by moral effort within a hierarchy.
Fear The Lord
Approved rendering: 敬畏
Transliteration: jìngwèi
Doctrine: The Shema and Exclusive Love for God
Rejected alternatives: 怕鬼式的惧怕, 报应式的恐惧
Original: יָרֵא
Category: Faith
NEW. Reverential awe and submission toward YHWH (Deut 6:2; 10:12), generationally transmitted. Must be distinguished from generic fear of ghosts/spirits (怕鬼) and fatalistic dread of impersonal cosmic retribution (报应).
Keep Observe Shamar
Approved rendering: 谨守 / 遵守
Transliteration: jǐnshǒu / zūnshǒu
Doctrine: Covenant Renewal / Obedience Motivated by Love not Merit
Original: שָׁמַר
Category: Faith
NEW. Vigilant, protective custody of God’s covenant word — guarding a trust, not mere rule-following, reflecting the Hebrew root’s literal ‘to guard/watch over’ sense.
Remember Zakhar
Approved rendering: 记念
Transliteration: jìniàn
Doctrine: Remembering God’s Redemption
Rejected alternatives: 纪念 (secular commemoration homophone), 扫墓/祭祖-style memorial
Original: זָכַר
Category: Faith
NEW. Active, covenant-shaping recollection that produces present obedience and gratitude, not passive nostalgia or ancestral memorial ritual. Standardize on the CUV character 记, never the secular commemoration homophone 纪.
Forget Shakhach
Approved rendering: 忘记
Transliteration: wàngjì
Doctrine: Remembering God’s Redemption
Original: שָׁכַח
Category: Faith
NEW. Covenant amnesia leading to pride, self-sufficiency, and idolatry (Deut 8:11-17); the direct inverse of 记念, taught as spiritually dangerous, not a neutral cognitive lapse.
Blessing Covenant
Approved rendering: 福 / 祝福
Transliteration: fú / zhùfú
Doctrine: Blessings and Curses of the Covenant
Rejected alternatives: 祈福式的福 (fortune obtained through ritual technique)
Original: בְּרָכָה
Category: Covenant
NEW. Relational covenant consequence of obedience (Deut 11, 27, 28, 30), not impersonal good fortune, feng shui prosperity, or ancestral merit. Shares the folk-fortune collision already flagged under baseline gospel. Must never stand alone without an explicit obedience-anchoring clause in Deut 11/28/30 contexts.
Curse Covenant
Approved rendering: 咒诅
Transliteration: zhòuzǔ
Doctrine: Blessings and Curses of the Covenant
Rejected alternatives: 下咒式的诅咒, 符咒
Original: קְלָלָה / אָרוּר
Category: Covenant
NEW. Relational covenant judgment (Deut 11, 27, 28), not magical misfortune or a folk-cursing ritual (符咒/下咒). Must never stand alone without an explicit disobedience-anchoring clause.
Jealous God El Qanna
Approved rendering: 忌邪的神
Transliteration: jìxié de shén
Doctrine: Warnings against Idolatry
Rejected alternatives: 嫉妒的神 (ordinary human jealousy)
Original: אֵל קַנָּא
Category: Idolatry
NEW. God’s exclusive covenant zeal (Deut 4:24; 5:9; 6:15; 32:16, 21) — relational, protective zeal for exclusive worship, not petty human envy (嫉妒).
Herem Devoted Destruction
Approved rendering: 灭绝净尽
Transliteration: mièjué jìngjìng
Doctrine: Herem — Covenant Judgment Against Idolatrous Nations
Rejected alternatives: 灭度, 寂灭 (Buddhist final-extinction vocabulary)
Original: חֵרֶם
Category: Covenant Judgment
NEW. A unique, historically bounded holy-war judgment category (chs. 2-3, 7, 13, 20, 25). 灭 overlaps Buddhist final-extinction/cessation vocabulary; must always be taught as bounded covenant judgment against specific nations for specific sins, never a generalizable warfare ethic or a cosmic self-extinguishing concept.
Treasured Possession Segullah
Approved rendering: 属自己的子民
Transliteration: shǔ zìjǐ de zǐmín
Doctrine: Obedience Motivated by Love not Merit
Original: סְגֻלָּה
Category: Election
NEW. Israel’s identity as God’s personally-held possession, grounded in his electing choice (Deut 7:6-8; 14:2; 26:18), not their own merit or size — parallel to the baseline grace doctrine’s rejection of the merit-ledger worldview (功德).
Holy People Am Qadosh
Approved rendering: 圣洁的国民
Transliteration: shèngjié de guómín
Doctrine: Warnings against Idolatry / Holy People
Original: עַם קָדוֹשׁ
Category: Sanctification
NEW. Israel’s corporate consecration to God (Deut 7:6; 14:2, 21; 26:19; 28:9); parallels baseline saints, must not imply individual sage-level moral perfection (Confucian 圣人).
False Prophet
Approved rendering: 假先知
Transliteration: jiǎ xiānzhī
Doctrine: Testing False Prophets by Doctrinal Fidelity
Original: נָבִיא (שֶׁקֶר) / חֹלֵם חֲלוֹם
Category: Idolatry
NEW. One enticing toward idolatry under false prophetic claim (Deut 13:1-5); tested by doctrinal fidelity, not miraculous sign alone — even confirmed signs/wonders do not validate a prophet who calls Israel toward other gods.
Sorcerer Mekhashef
Approved rendering: 行邪术的
Transliteration: xíng xiéshù de
Doctrine: Prohibition of Occult Practices
Rejected alternatives: 法力 (do not use as the translation itself)
Original: מְכַשֵּׁף
Category: Idolatry
NEW. Ritual practitioner using incantations/spells (Deut 18:10), forbidden as a rival source of spiritual power to God’s authorized word.
Cursed Of God Hanged
Approved rendering: 被神咒诅的
Transliteration: bèi Shén zhòuzǔ de
Doctrine: Blessings and Curses of the Covenant
Original: קִלְלַת אֱלֹהִים
Category: Covenant Judgment
NEW. The visible divine curse resting on one executed and exposed by hanging (Deut 21:22-23). Directly cited in Galatians 3:13 (future curriculum book); must render consistently with 咒诅 to preserve this typological connection.
The Rock Tsur
Approved rendering: 磐石
Transliteration: pánshí
Doctrine: Divine Sovereignty over Life and Death
Original: צוּר
Category: God
NEW. Divine title emphasizing stability, faithfulness, refuge (Deut 32:4, 15, 18, 30-31). Later applied typologically to Christ in 1 Corinthians 10:4 (‘the Rock was Christ,’ future curriculum book); must render consistently to preserve that continuity.
I Kill And I Make Alive
Approved rendering: 我使人死，我使人活
Transliteration: wǒ shǐ rén sǐ, wǒ shǐ rén huó
Doctrine: Divine Sovereignty over Life and Death
Original: אֲנִי אָמִית וַאֲחַיֶּה
Category: God
NEW. God’s absolute, unrivaled sovereignty over life and death (Deut 32:39). Must not be conflated with the baseline resurrection (复活); this is the general theological backdrop against which resurrection later becomes intelligible, not the resurrection doctrine itself.
Spirit Of Wisdom
Approved rendering: 智慧的灵
Transliteration: zhìhuì de líng
Doctrine: The Coming Prophet like Moses (leadership succession)
Rejected alternatives: 通灵 (mediumistic channeling)
Original: רוּח חָכְמָה
Category: God
NEW. God-given capacity for skilled, discerning leadership imparted to Joshua (Deut 34:9). Must not be conflated with the indwelling Holy Spirit (圣灵) of NT doctrine, nor with folk notions of a spirit-guided or channeling craft (通灵).
Covenant Renewal Reaffirm
Approved rendering: 重申圣约
Transliteration: chóngshēn shèngyuē
Doctrine: Covenant Renewal
Rejected alternatives: 续约, 续签 (contract-renewal/extension vocabulary)
NEW COINAGE (per 06_linguistic_gap_analysis.md). No existing Mandarin compound captures ‘the same covenant, re-ratified with a new generation’ at Moab and Shechem (Deut 29-30, 27). Built from the already-fixed 约 rather than from commercial contract vocabulary; NEVER use 续约/续签, which import expiring, negotiated-term connotations foreign to a gracious, divinely-initiated bond.
A Heart To Understand
Approved rendering: 明白的心
Transliteration: míngbái de xīn
Doctrine: Circumcision of the Heart
NEW. The God-given capacity for covenant comprehension and responsiveness, noted as still lacking in Deut 29:4; anticipates the circumcised heart of ch. 30 and is echoed in Romans 11:8 (Romans baseline curriculum) — check consistency once Romans 11 segments are cross-referenced.
Medium Risk Terms
Prophet
Approved rendering: 先知
Transliteration: xiānzhī
Doctrine: The Coming Prophet like Moses
Rejected alternatives: 算命先生
Original: נָבִיא
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package, unmodified. Risk escalates to Critical specifically when referring to the singular promised ‘prophet like Moses’ (see prophet_like_moses entry below); this general entry governs the office generically (chs. 13, 18, 34).
Prophecy
Approved rendering: 预言
Transliteration: yùyán
Doctrine: Fulfillment of Prophecy
Rejected alternatives: 算卦, 占卜
Inherited from Romans package, unmodified. Deuteronomy’s linear, one-time historical fulfillment pattern must not be read through the cyclical dynastic-rise-and-fall pattern (治乱循环) common in Chinese historiography.
Gentiles
Approved rendering: 外邦人
Transliteration: wàibāngrén
Doctrine: Nations / Herem Judgment (contextual)
Rejected alternatives: 夷人, 外国人
Inherited from Romans package, unmodified. In Deuteronomy the referent (גּוֹיִם) is often the specific, historically-bounded Canaanite nations under herem judgment (chs. 7, 20), narrower than the Romans-era gospel usage; teaching notes must flag this narrower referent so learners do not read NT universalism back into Deuteronomy’s holy-war passages, or vice versa.
Israel
Approved rendering: 以色列
Transliteration: Yǐsèliè
Doctrine: Covenant People
Original: יִשְׂרָאֵל
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package, unmodified. Established CUV proper-name form; addressed throughout Deuteronomy as Moses’ audience on the plains of Moab.
Heart Levav
Approved rendering: 心
Transliteration: xīn
Doctrine: The Shema and Exclusive Love for God
Original: לֵבָב / לֵב
Category: Faith
NEW. Seat of will, intellect, and moral decision in Hebrew anthropology, not primarily emotion. Mandarin 心 carries comparable volitional weight (心意, 用心), but teaching should clarify the difference from English ‘heart’s’ feeling-first connotation.
Soul Nephesh
Approved rendering: 性 / 心意
Transliteration: xìng / xīnyì
Doctrine: The Shema and Exclusive Love for God
Rejected alternatives: 魂 (detachable-spirit connotation)
Original: נֶפֶשׁ
Category: Faith
NEW. One’s whole living self, following the CUV idiom ‘尽性.’ Must not be read through a Daoist/Buddhist body-soul dualism in which a detachable spirit (灵/魂) survives or transmigrates apart from the body.
Statutes Chuqqim
Approved rendering: 律例
Transliteration: lǜlì
Doctrine: Covenant Renewal
Original: חֻקִּים
Category: Covenant
NEW. Fixed, authoritative covenant decrees, distinct from case-law judgments (典章). Established Chinese Bible-translation compound; low folk-religion collision.
Commandments Mitzvot
Approved rendering: 诫命
Transliteration: jièmìng
Doctrine: Covenant Renewal
Original: מִצְוֹת
Category: Covenant
NEW. Specific covenant directives given through Moses. Consistent with Decalogue-context vocabulary already implicit in the Romans baseline register.
Rules Mishpatim
Approved rendering: 典章
Transliteration: diǎnzhāng
Doctrine: Covenant Renewal
Rejected alternatives: 法律 (secular civil law)
Original: מִשְׁפָּטִים
Category: Covenant
NEW. Case-law rulings applying covenant justice to concrete community situations; must not be softened to secular 法律.
Teach Diligently Shinnantam
Approved rendering: 殷勤教训
Transliteration: yīnqín jiàoxùn
Doctrine: Generational Transmission of Covenant Law
Original: שִׁנַּנְתָּם
Category: Faith
NEW. Intensive, repeated household catechesis (‘sharpened’ like a blade), not a single formal lesson.
Sign Frontlets Doorposts
Approved rendering: 记号 / 额上的经文 / 门框
Transliteration: jìhao / é shàng de jīngwén / ménkuàng
Doctrine: Generational Transmission of Covenant Law
Rejected alternatives: 符 (protective amulet), 门神 (door-guardian image), 春联 (New Year couplet)
Original: אוֹת / טֹטָפֹת / מְזוּזֹת
Category: Faith
NEW. Body-worn and household covenant-memory markers (Deut 6:8-9). Must be taught as memory-and-identity markers of covenant loyalty, never as magically efficacious protective talismans (符, hùshēnfú) or fortune-inviting door decorations (门神, 春联).
Stiff Necked
Approved rendering: 硬着颈项
Transliteration: yìng zhe jǐngxiàng
Doctrine: Circumcision of the Heart
Original: קְשֵׁה־עֹרֶף
Category: Sin
NEW. Stubborn refusal to yield to God (Deut 9:6, 13, 27), likened to an ox resisting the yoke. Low folk-religion collision.
Sojourner Ger
Approved rendering: 寄居的
Transliteration: jìjū de
Doctrine: Care for the Vulnerable
Original: גֵּר
Category: Ethics
NEW. Protected class under covenant law (Deut 10:18-19; 24:17-22), grounded in Israel’s own former identity in Egypt.
Tithe Ma Sar
Approved rendering: 十分之一
Transliteration: shí fēnzhī yī
Doctrine: Obedience Motivated by Love not Merit
Rejected alternatives: 功德式的奉献 (merit-purchasing donation)
Original: מַעְשַׂר
Category: Ethics
NEW. Gratitude-and-provision offering supporting Levites, festivals, and the poor (Deut 12, 14, 26); must be distinguished from Buddhist/folk temple donation understood as merit-accumulation (功德).
King Melekh
Approved rendering: 王
Transliteration: wáng
Doctrine: Kingship under Covenant Law
Rejected alternatives: 天子 (Son of Heaven, imperial title)
Original: מֶלֶךְ
Category: Covenant
NEW. A future human monarch explicitly subordinated to covenant law (Deut 17:14-20), required to personally copy and read it. Contrast with the impersonal, revocable Mandate of Heaven (天命) basis of Chinese imperial legitimacy; NEVER use 天子.
Vow Neder
Approved rendering: 许愿
Transliteration: xǔyuàn
Doctrine: Vows and Covenant Integrity
Original: נֵדֶר
Category: Ethics
NEW. A voluntary, binding promise to God (Deut 23:21-23). 许愿 is also the standard term for a temple wish-vow made in transactional exchange for a deity’s favor; biblical vow-keeping must be taught as personal integrity in keeping one’s word to a covenant God, not a negotiated bargain.
Vengeance Is Mine
Approved rendering: 伸冤在我
Transliteration: shēnyuān zài wǒ
Doctrine: Divine Sovereignty over Life and Death
Original: לִי נָקָם
Category: Ethics
NEW. God reserves ultimate retributive justice to himself (Deut 32:35). CROSS-REFERENCE: quoted in Romans 12:19 (Romans baseline curriculum); render consistently.
Land Inheritance Possess
Approved rendering: 得为业
Transliteration: dé wéi yè
Doctrine: The Land as Covenant Inheritance
Rejected alternatives: 征服式的占地 (secular conquest framing)
NEW. Taking permanent, settled ownership of the land as a covenant inheritance granted by God’s promise (Deut 1:8, 21; 6:1, 3), not secular conquest booty.
High Places Bamot
Approved rendering: 邱坛
Transliteration: qiūtán
Doctrine: Centralized and Proper Worship
NEW. Canaanite open-air hilltop cultic sites (Deut 12:2-3) associated with idol worship; Israel must destroy, never adapt, these for YHWH-worship.
Place The Lord Will Choose
Approved rendering: 耶和华所选择的地方
Transliteration: Yēhéhuá suǒ xuǎnzé de dìfang
Doctrine: Centralized and Proper Worship
NEW. The single, divinely-designated site of legitimate sacrificial worship (Deut 12); rejects decentralized high-place worship. No physical site itself possesses independent ritual potency.
Sabbath Deut
Approved rendering: 安息日
Transliteration: ānxī rì
Doctrine: Sabbath and Periodic Release
NEW entry for Deuteronomy (not present as a standalone term in the Romans baseline). In Deut 5:12-15, Sabbath rest is rooted explicitly in the Exodus redemption, not merely a creation ordinance or a generic wellness practice — rest as the sign of a freed, redeemed people.
Release Shemittah
Approved rendering: 豁免 / 安息年
Transliteration: huòmiǎn / ānxī nián
Doctrine: Sabbath and Periodic Release
NEW. The seventh-year cancellation of debts and release of Israelite slaves (Deut 15), enacting covenant grace economically, mirroring God’s own gracious redemption of Israel from slavery (15:15).
Firstfruits
Approved rendering: 初熟之物
Transliteration: chūshú zhī wù
Doctrine: Remembering God’s Redemption
NEW. The earliest, best portion of harvest offered with a recited confession of God’s redemptive history (Deut 26:5-10) — worship as remembered-redemption liturgy.
Altar Mizbeach
Approved rendering: 祭坛
Transliteration: jìtán
Doctrine: Covenant Renewal
NEW. The physical, public locus where the covenant is formally re-ratified through sacrifice at Shechem (Deut 27).
Entice
Approved rendering: 引诱
Transliteration: yǐnyòu
Doctrine: Testing False Prophets by Doctrinal Fidelity
NEW. Seduction toward covenant unfaithfulness, even by close family (Deut 13); the threat of idolatry can arise from within the most intimate relationships.
Be Strong And Courageous
Approved rendering: 你当刚强壮胆
Transliteration: nǐ dāng gāngqiáng zhuàngdǎn
Doctrine: Generational Transmission of Covenant Law
NEW. Commissioning formula (Deut 31:6, 8) grounded not in Joshua’s own ability but in God’s promised presence — covenant-grounded, not self-generated, courage.
Low Risk Terms
Might Meod
Approved rendering: 力
Transliteration: lì
Doctrine: The Shema and Exclusive Love for God
Original: מְאֹד
Category: Faith
NEW. Total capacity/resources devoted without remainder to loving God, following the CUV idiom ‘尽力.’ Low collision risk.
Amen Liturgical
Approved rendering: 阿们
Transliteration: āmen
Doctrine: Covenant Renewal (liturgical response)
NEW entry for Deuteronomy (transliteration standard already established in the baseline AI instructions but not previously a dedicated TM term entry). Used for the assembly’s corporate liturgical response to the Ebal/Gerizim curses (Deut 27:15-26); consistent with established Christian transliteration convention.
Clean Unclean
Approved rendering: 洁净的 / 不洁净的
Transliteration: jiéjìng de / bù jiéjìng de
Doctrine: Holy People (dietary marker)
NEW. Ritual-dietary categorization (Deut 14), not a statement of moral guilt; a visible marker of Israel’s set-apart identity.
City Of Refuge
Approved rendering: 逃城
Transliteration: táo chéng
Doctrine: Judicial Justice and the Law of Witnesses
NEW. A designated city offering legal protection for unintentional manslaughter (Deut 19); covenant justice distinguishes intent, not blanket vengeance.
Two Or Three Witnesses
Approved rendering: 两三个见证人
Transliteration: liǎng sān gè jiànzhèng rén
Doctrine: Judicial Justice and the Law of Witnesses
NEW. Evidentiary due-process standard (Deut 19:15), later echoed in NT church-discipline procedure (Matthew 18:16; 2 Corinthians 13:1, future curriculum books).
Referenced passages