Core Glossary
Core Glossary — Matthew (English → Ndebele)
This glossary consolidates every load-bearing theological term identified in analysis/07_semantic_analysis.md, covering the entire book of Matthew, chapter 1 through chapter 28. Terms marked [Baseline TM] are already fixed in the Romans translation_memory.json and must be reused exactly, with no deviation. Terms marked [NEW] are proposed additions to the language package specifically required by Matthew’s curriculum and doctrines, extending but never contradicting the baseline.
Risk tiers follow the baseline doctrine_risk_registry.json definitions:
- Critical — Human theologian review required for every occurrence.
- High — Human theologian review required.
- Medium — Native speaker review recommended.
- Low — Automated review sufficient.
Table 1 — Terms Reused Exactly from the Baseline Romans Translation Memory
| Term | Ndebele | Risk | Doctrine | Key Matthew Chapters | Contextual Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gospel | ivangeli | Medium | Gospel | 4, 9, 24, 26, 28 | Reused without change. |
| grace | umusa | High | Grace | (implicit throughout, esp. reward/merit passages) | Must anchor Matt 5:11-12, 20:1-16 reward language to grace, not merit. |
| faith | ukholo | High | Faith | 8, 9, 14, 15, 17, 21 | Object must remain Christ; note “little faith” (oligopistos) nuance, ch.14. |
| righteousness | ukulunga | Critical | Righteousness of God | 3, 5, 6, 21 | Central to Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees doctrine; forensic/heart righteousness, not scribal conformity. |
| salvation | usindiso | Critical | Salvation | 1, 18, 24 | Underlies ransom (ch.20) and eternal life (ch.19). |
| apostle | umphostoli | Medium | Apostleship | 10 | The Twelve. |
| called | obiziweyo | High | Calling of God | 22 | ”Many are called, but few chosen” (22:14) — distinct from election. |
| calling | ubizo | High | Calling of God | 4 | Disciples’ call to follow. |
| holy | -ngcwele | High | Sanctification | 4, 6 | uMoya oNgcwele. |
| saints | abangcwele | High | The Church as Believers in Christ | (implicit) | All believers. |
| sanctification | ukungcweliswa | High | Sanctification | (implicit) | Ongoing holiness. |
| adoption | ukutholwa njengomntwana | High | Christian Identity in Christ | 5 | Underlies “sons of God” (5:9); rendered with “abantwana” not “iNdodana.” |
| resurrection | ukuvuka kwabafileyo | Critical | Resurrection of Jesus Christ | 12, 16, 17, 20, 22, 26, 27, 28 | Must never be conflated with joining amadlozi; climaxes ch.28. |
| lord | iNkosi | Critical | Lordship of Jesus Christ | throughout | Underlies “King of the Jews” (ch.2, 27). |
| son_of_god | iNdodana kaNkulunkulu | Critical | Sonship of Christ | 3, 14, 16, 17, 26, 27 | Distinct from generic “sons of God” (believers, 5:9) and from Son of Man/Son of David titles. |
| incarnation | ukuba ngumuntu | Critical | Incarnation | 1 | Underlies Immanuel (ch.1) and body/blood (ch.26). |
| peace | ukuthula | Medium | Grace and Peace | 5 (peacemakers) | Underlies “peacemakers” (5:9). |
| church | ibandla | Medium | The Church as Believers in Christ | 16, 18 | First founded 16:18; discipline procedure 18:15-20. |
| kingdom_of_god | umbuso kaNkulunkulu | Medium | The Kingdom of God | (conceptually throughout) | Same referent as Matthew’s distinct phrase kingdom_of_heaven, below. |
| law | umthetho | High | Righteousness of God | 5, 7, 12, 15 | Fulfilled, not abolished (5:17); reinterpreted via love (22:37-40). |
| sin | isono | High | Humanity’s Sinfulness | 1, 26 | ”Forgiveness of sins” (1:21, 26:28). |
| gentiles | abezizwe | Medium | Mission to the Gentiles | (contrast w/ 28:19’s broader “all nations”) | Narrower than Matt 28:19’s panta ta ethnē. |
| glory | udumo | High | Sovereignty of God | 17 (Transfiguration) | |
| obedience_of_faith | ukulalela kokholo | High | Obedience of Faith | (implicit) | |
| power_of_god | amandla kaNkulunkulu | High | God’s Saving Power | 19 | ”With God all things are possible” (19:26); distinct from igunya (authority). |
| messiah | uMesiya | Critical | Lordship of Jesus Christ | 1, 16 | Interchangeable with uKristu; preserve where OT expectation is in view. |
| prophet | umphrofethi | High | Authority of Scripture | 1, 2, 7, 11, 23 | Sharply distinct from false prophet (new term) and from isangoma/inyanga. |
| prophecy | isiphrofetho | Medium | Authority of Scripture | 1, 2, 13, 21 | Underlies the fulfillment formula throughout. |
| covenant | isivumelwano | High | God’s Calling and Election | 26 | ”Blood of the covenant” (26:28). |
| election | ukukhethwa | High | God’s Calling and Election | 22, 24 | ”Many called, few chosen” (22:14); “the elect” (24:22,24,31). |
| intercession | ukuncengela | Critical | Prayer | (implicit; cf. torn veil, ch.27) | Reinforced by the temple veil torn (27:51) — direct access, no intermediary. |
| providence | ukunakekela kukaNkulunkulu | High | Sovereignty of God | 6 | ”Do not be anxious” (6:25-34). |
| mission | umsebenzi wokutshumayela | Medium | Proclamation of the Gospel | 28 | Great Commission. |
| david | uDavida | Low | God’s Calling and Election | 1, 21 | Genealogy; “Son of David” title built on this name. |
| jesus | uJesu | Critical | Lordship of Jesus Christ | throughout | |
| god | uNkulunkulu | Critical | Sovereignty of God | throughout | |
| holy_spirit | uMoya oNgcwele | Critical | Spiritual Gifting | 1, 3, 12, 28 | Blasphemy against the Spirit (12:31-32); Trinitarian baptismal formula (28:19). |
| father | uBaba | High | Sonship of Christ | 3, 5, 6, 7, 26, 28 | Lord’s Prayer (6:9); Gethsemane submission (26:39,42). |
| exhort | ukukhuthaza | Low | Christian Encouragement | (contrast w/ Matt 5:4’s distinct sense of paracalēo, “comfort”) | See translator note under core passage 5:4. |
| seed_of_david | inzalo kaDavida | Medium | Messianic Promise | 1 | Distinct from the new royal title son_of_david, below. |
| imputed_righteousness | ukubalelwa ukulunga | Critical | Justification by Faith | (implicit background to ch.5, 20) | Underlies “ransom” (20:28) and grace/reward tension (20:1-16). |
Table 2 — New Terms Required by the Matthew Curriculum
| Term | Original (Greek) | Ndebele | Transliteration/Retained Form | Risk | Doctrine | Key Chapters | Rendering Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christ (as name/title) | Χριστός | uKristu | Kristu | Critical | Jesus as the Promised Messiah | 1, 16 | Interchangeable with baseline uMesiya; both point exclusively to Jesus. |
| Son of David | υἱὸς Δαυίδ | iNdodana kaDavida | — | Critical | Jesus as the Promised Messiah and Son of David | 1, 9, 15, 20, 21 | Royal messianic title, distinct from baseline seed_of_david (physical descent). |
| Immanuel | Ἐμμανουήλ | uEmanuweli (“uNkulunkulu ulinathi”) | Emanuweli | Critical | Incarnation / direct access to God | 1, 28 | Brackets the whole Gospel (1:23; 28:20); central to countering mediated-access framing. |
| virgin | παρθένος | intombi emsulwa | — | Critical | Incarnation | 1 | Must convey literal virginity, not merely youth/unmarried status. |
| fulfill/fulfillment | πληρόω | ukugcwalisa | — | High | Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy | 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 12, 13, 21, 26, 27 | Signature “fulfillment formula,” load-bearing throughout the whole book. |
| King of the Jews | βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων | iNkosi yamaJuda | — | Critical | Lordship of Jesus Christ | 2, 27 | Ironic mocking title revealed as literally true; built on baseline lord. |
| worship | προσκυνέω | ukukhonza | — | Critical | Lordship of Jesus Christ | 2, 4, 8, 14, 15, 20, 28 | Must exclude both chieftain-homage and ancestor-veneration readings; worship due to God alone. |
| repentance | μετάνοια / μετανοέω | ukuphenduka | — | High | Kingdom of Heaven / Discipleship | 3, 4, 11, 12 | Transformative turning, not mere remorse or ritual appeasement. |
| baptism | βάπτισμα / βαπτίζω | ukubhabhathizwa / ubhabhathizo | bhabhathizo | Medium | The Great Commission | 3, 28 | Distinct from ritual cleansing rites for ancestors. |
| kingdom of heaven | βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν | umbuso wamazulu | — | High | The Kingdom of Heaven | 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 25 | Same referent as baseline kingdom_of_god; not territorial/ethnic; heaven not the amadlozi spirit-realm. |
| beloved | ἀγαπητός | othandwayo | — | Medium | Sonship of Christ | 3, 17 | Anchor to unique Father-Son relationship, not generic affection. |
| wrath | ὀργή | ulaka lukaNkulunkulu | — | High | Judgment and the End of the Age | 3 | God’s righteous judicial anger, not ancestral displeasure. |
| temptation/testing | πειρασμός / πειράζω | ukulingwa | — | Medium | Discipleship | 4 | Satanic enticement, not fatalistic ancestral testing. |
| follow | ἀκολουθέω | ukulandela | — | High | Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus | 4, 8, 9, 10, 16, 19 | Total, costly life-reorientation, not casual association. |
| disciple / discipleship | μαθητής | umfundi | — | High | Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus | 5 (and throughout) | Committed follower, not academic pupil. |
| teach/teaching | διδάσκω / διδαχή | ukufundisa / imfundiso | — | High | The Authority of Jesus’ Teaching | 5, 7, 28 | Authoritative, unique instruction, not one rabbinic opinion among others. |
| perfect | τέλειος | -phelele (ukuphelela) | — | High | Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees | 5 | Wholehearted, Spirit-enabled devotion, not sinless human achievement. |
| hypocrite | ὑποκριτής | umzenzisi | — | Medium-High | Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees | 6, 15, 23 | Religious pretense, not general dishonesty. |
| forgive/forgiveness | ἀφίημι / ἄφεσις | ukuthethelela | — | High | Church and Church Discipline | 6, 18, 26 | Divine pardon, foundational for church discipline’s restorative aim. |
| judge/judgment | κρίνω / κρίσις | ukwahlulela | — | High | Judgment and the End of the Age | 7, 24, 25 | Distinguish forbidden hypocritical human judgment from legitimate divine eschatological judgment. |
| false prophet | ψευδοπροφήτης | umphrofethi wamanga | — | High | Authority of Scripture | 7, 24 | Distinguished by fruit/character; reinforces baseline prophet’s distinction from isangoma. |
| authority | ἐξουσία | igunya | — | High | The Authority of Jesus’ Teaching | 7, 8, 9, 21, 28 | Distinct from baseline amandla (raw power); rightful mandate to teach/act/forgive. |
| Son of Man | υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου | iNdodana yomuntu | — | Critical | Christology (feeds all listed doctrines) | 8, 9, 10, 12, 16, 17, 20, 24, 25, 26 | Combines genuine humanity with supreme divine authority (Daniel 7 background). |
| mercy | ἔλεος | isihawu | — | High | Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees | 5, 9 | God’s own compassionate character, not social benevolence for reciprocal favor. |
| cross | σταυρός | isiphambano | — | High | Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus | 10, 16, 26, 27 | Costly self-denial as normal discipleship; also Christ’s unique atoning death. |
| soul/life | ψυχή | umphefumulo | — | High | Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus | 10, 16 | Not the amadlozi-continuation concept; the whole self surrendered to Christ. |
| reward | μισθός | umvuzo | — | Medium-High | Grace / Righteousness | 5, 10 | Gracious commendation, not merit-earned wages; must not collide with Grace doctrine. |
| yoke | ζυγός | ijogo | — | Low-Medium | Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees | 11 | Contrast with burdensome legalism. |
| rest | ἀνάπαυσις | ukuphumula | — | Medium | Discipleship | 11 | Found directly in Christ, not through ancestral appeasement. |
| woe | οὐαί | maye / isijeziso esizayo | — | Medium | Judgment and the End of the Age | 11, 23 | Prophetic judgment-pronouncement, not mere lament. |
| Sabbath | σάββατον | iSabatha | Sabatha | Medium | The Authority of Jesus’ Teaching | 12 | Distinct from customary/taboo rest days; reinterpreted under Christ’s authority. |
| demon / unclean spirit | δαιμόνιον / πνεῦμα ἀκάθαρτον | idimoni / umoya omubi | — | Critical | (foundational to Kingdom of Heaven’s advance) | 8, 9, 12, 15, 17 | Must never be conflated with amadlozi (ancestral spirits); hostile, fallen beings opposed to God. |
| blasphemy | βλασφημία | ukuhlambaza | — | High | Authority of Scripture / Holy Spirit | 12, 26 | Willful, hardened rejection of the Spirit’s testimony; handle pastorally. |
| mystery | μυστήριον | imfihlo | — | Medium | The Kingdom of Heaven | 13 | Divine disclosure, not occult/divinatory secret knowledge. |
| end of the age | συντέλεια τοῦ αἰῶνος | ukuphela kwesikhathi / isiphetho somhlaba | — | High | Judgment and the End of the Age | 13, 24, 28 | Definite God-ordained consummation, not a cyclical process. |
| weeping and gnashing of teeth | κλαυθμὸς καὶ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων | ukukhala lokugedla amazinyo | — | Medium | Judgment and the End of the Age | 8, 13, 22, 24, 25 | Recurring formula for final exclusion’s anguish. |
| tradition | παράδοσις | isiko / imfundiso yabadala | — | Medium | Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees | 15 | Human tradition must not override God’s revealed will; parallels law vs. customary law risk. |
| defile | κοινόω | ukungcolisa | — | Medium | Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees | 15 | Heart-level moral defilement, not ritual impurity. |
| keys (of the kingdom) | κλεῖς | izikhiye | — | Medium-High | Church and Church Discipline | 16 | Delegated, derivative authority under Christ. |
| bind and loose | δέω / λύω | ukubopha lokukhulula | — | High | Church and Church Discipline | 16, 18 | Church discipline authority derived from Christ; not independent/magical power. |
| Hades/hell | ᾅδης | iHayidesi / isihogo | Hayidesi | Critical | Church and Church Discipline (church’s indestructibility) | 16 | Realm of the dead/death’s power, distinct from the amadlozi framework. |
| stumbling block | σκάνδαλον | isikhubekiso | — | High | Church and Church Discipline | 18 | Causing another believer to sin or fall away; severe warning. |
| eternal life | ζωὴ αἰώνιος | ukuphila okuphakade | — | Critical | Salvation / Resurrection | 19, 25 | Resurrection-quality life in Christ, not joining the amadlozi. |
| ransom | λύτρον | intengo yokuhlenga | — | Critical | Salvation / Atonement (feeds several listed doctrines) | 20 | Christ’s unique atoning payment; must not resemble ritual appeasement offered to ancestors. |
| servant/slave | διάκονος / δοῦλος | inceku / isigqila | — | Medium | Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus | 18, 20, 23 | Honor-inverting service modeled by Christ himself. |
| Hosanna | Ὡσαννά | Hosana | Hosana | Low | Jesus as the Promised Messiah | 21 | Retained transliteration, per baseline convention for “Abha.” |
| rejected stone/cornerstone | λίθος…κεφαλὴν γωνίας | ilitshe elalahliwe…insika yekhoneni | — | High | Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy | 21 | Specific fulfilled messianic prophecy, not a generic proverb. |
| love | ἀγάπη | uthando | — | High | Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees (positive summary) | 22 | Willed, self-giving, covenantal love, not natural affection or kinship reciprocity. |
| rabbi/teacher | ῥαββί | umfundisi (uRabi) | Rabi | Medium | The Authority of Jesus’ Teaching | 23 | Relativized beneath Christ’s unique teaching authority. |
| sign | σημεῖον | isibonakaliso | — | Medium | Judgment and the End of the Age | 24 | Divinely-given indicator, not a divinatory/occult omen. |
| parousia / coming | παρουσία | ukuza / ukubuya kweNdodana yomuntu | — | Critical | Judgment and the End of the Age | 24 | Christ’s unique, personal, visible future return — not ancestral reappearance or reincarnation. |
| watch/be alert | γρηγορέω | ukulinda / ukuqaphela | — | Medium | Judgment and the End of the Age | 24, 25 | Vigilant hope, not anxious fatalism. |
| talent (stewardship) | τάλαντον | ithalenta | thalenta | Low | Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus | 25 | Stewardship of entrusted gifts/opportunities. |
| eternal punishment | κόλασις αἰώνιος | isijeziso esiphakade | — | Critical | Judgment and the End of the Age | 25 | Final, unending judicial punishment; direct antithesis to eternal life. |
| body (of Christ, Last Supper) | σῶμα | umzimba | — | Critical | (Lord’s Supper; feeds Fulfillment/Atonement doctrines) | 26 | Genuinely given in atoning sacrifice; not assimilated to ancestral ritual meals. |
| blood (of the covenant) | αἷμα | igazi | — | Critical | (Lord’s Supper; feeds Atonement/Covenant doctrines) | 26 | Once-for-all atoning sacrifice; must not be assimilated to ancestral blood-covenant ritual. |
| will (of God) | θέλημα | intando | — | Medium | Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus | 26 | Willing submission to a good sovereign Father, not fatalism. |
| cry of dereliction | Ἠλὶ…λεμὰ σαβαχθανί | Eli, Eli, lema sabaktani (glossed) | Eli Eli lema sabaktani | Critical | (Atonement; feeds Sonship of Christ doctrine) | 27 | Retain untransliterated with gloss, per “Abha” convention; handle with theological care. |
| temple veil | καταπέτασμα | iveyili lethempeli | — | High | (direct access to God; feeds several listed doctrines) | 27 | Dramatic enactment of removed barrier to God’s presence — leverage for direct-access teaching. |
| make disciples | μαθητεύω | ukwenza abafundi | — | High | The Great Commission | 28 | Active discipling through baptism/teaching, not mere informing. |
| all nations | πάντα τὰ ἔθνη | zonke izizwe | — | Medium | The Great Commission | 28 | Broader than baseline gentiles; comprehensively universal, inclusive of Israel. |
Risk Summary for the Matthew Extension
| Risk Tier | Count of New Terms | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | 16 | Christ, Son of David, Immanuel, virgin, King of the Jews, worship, Son of Man, demon/unclean spirit, Hades/hell, eternal life, ransom, parousia/coming, eternal punishment, body, blood, cry of dereliction |
| High | 22 | fulfill/fulfillment, repentance, kingdom of heaven, wrath, follow, disciple, teach/teaching, perfect, forgive/forgiveness, judge/judgment, false prophet, authority, cross, soul/life, blasphemy, end of the age, bind and loose, stumbling block, rejected stone/cornerstone, love, temple veil, make disciples |
| Medium-High | 3 | hypocrite, reward, keys (of the kingdom) |
| Medium | 15 | baptism, beloved, temptation/testing, yoke, rest, woe, Sabbath, mystery, weeping and gnashing of teeth, tradition, defile, rabbi/teacher, sign, watch/be alert, all nations |
| Low-Medium | 1 | yoke (see also Medium above; borderline) |
| Low | 2 | Hosanna, talent |
Total new terms proposed for the Matthew extension: 59, all cross-referenced to the baseline where a related term already exists, and none contradicting an existing baseline rendering.
Cross-Cutting Doctrinal Risk Notes for Ndebele (Matthew-Specific)
-
“Kingdom of heaven” vs. “kingdom of God”: Matthew’s characteristic phrase (
umbuso wamazulu) must be taught as referring to the identical reality as the baseline’skingdom_of_god(umbuso kaNkulunkulu). Do not allow readers to infer two different kingdoms or a spatial afterlife-only referent for “heaven” (amazulu). -
Worship (ukukhonza) is the single highest-frequency Critical-risk term newly introduced by Matthew. Because “ukukhonza” legitimately covers homage to a chief and reverence toward ancestors as well as worship of God, every occurrence (2:2, 2:11, 4:9-10, 8:2, 9:18, 14:33, 15:25, 20:20, 28:9, 28:17) requires confirmation that the worship rendered to Jesus is being taught as the worship due to God alone.
-
Demon/unclean spirit vs. amadlozi: this is a new and severe collision risk not present in the Romans baseline (which does not narrate exorcisms). Every demon/unclean-spirit passage (chs. 8, 9, 12, 15, 17) requires explicit teaching that biblical demons are hostile beings with no positive counterpart among the amadlozi.
-
Blood and body (ch. 26) constitute the single highest new collision risk in the whole Matthew extension, given the centrality of blood-based ritual in establishing or renewing bonds with ancestors in traditional Ndebele religion. This doctrine requires the same theologian-review priority as the baseline’s
intercessionterm. -
The temple veil (27:51) should be actively used as a positive teaching resource: it visually enacts the very doctrine the baseline identifies as most urgent for Ndebele audiences — that Christ has removed, once for all, the barrier that once restricted direct access to God.
This glossary extends, and does not contradict, the baseline translation_memory.json and bible_term_registry.json for Romans. All Table 1 terms must be enforced exactly as recorded in the baseline. All Table 2 terms are proposed for formal addition to the translation memory and bible term registry in the next Phase 1 step.
Critical Risk Terms
Righteousness
Approved rendering: ukulunga
Transliteration: ukulunga
Doctrine: Righteousness of God
Original: δικαιοσύνη
Category: Salvation
Must convey right standing before uNkulunkulu through Christ, not merely good moral or social conduct. Inherited from Romans package; central to Matthew’s Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees doctrine (5:20, 5:48, 6:1-18, 23:1-36) — a Spirit-enabled heart righteousness, not stricter scribal-Pharisaic rule-keeping.
Justification
Approved rendering: ukulungisiswa
Transliteration: ukulungisiswa
Doctrine: Justification by Faith
Original: δικαίωσις
Category: Salvation
Being made/declared righteous; kept distinct from moral improvement. Inherited from Romans package; underlies Matthew’s ransom saying (20:28) and blood of the covenant (26:28).
Salvation
Approved rendering: usindiso
Transliteration: usindiso
Doctrine: Salvation
Original: σωτηρία
Category: Salvation
Must not be reduced to physical rescue or protection from misfortune. Inherited from Romans package; named at Jesus’ birth (1:21, ‘he will save his people from their sins’) and pressed as an urgent question in 19:25-26.
Resurrection
Approved rendering: ukuvuka kwabafileyo
Transliteration: ukuvuka kwabafileyo
Doctrine: Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Original: ἀνάστασις
Category: Eschatology
Bodily, historical, once-for-all rising; must never be conflated with joining the amadlozi. Inherited from Romans package; narrated as accomplished fact in Matthew 28 after repeated prediction (12:40, 16:21, 17:23, 20:19, 26:32).
Lord
Approved rendering: iNkosi
Transliteration: iNkosi
Doctrine: Lordship of Jesus Christ
Original: κύριος
Category: Christology
Exclusive, supreme lordship, exceeding the historical royal title carried by Ndebele kings. Inherited from Romans package; in Matthew underlies ‘iNkosi yamaJuda’ (2:2, 27:11-37).
Son Of God
Approved rendering: iNdodana kaNkulunkulu
Transliteration: iNdodana kaNkulunkulu
Doctrine: Sonship of Christ
Original: υἱὸς θεοῦ
Category: Christology
Christ’s unique, eternal, co-equal divine Sonship. Inherited from Romans package; confessed at 14:33, 16:16, 27:54; must remain sharply distinct from the generic ‘sons of God’ identity of believers (5:9).
Incarnation
Approved rendering: ukuba ngumuntu
Transliteration: ukuba ngumuntu
Doctrine: Incarnation
Original: ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο
Category: Christology
God the Son permanently becoming human, not temporary spirit-possession. Inherited from Romans package; grounded in Matthew’s virgin conception/Immanuel naming (1:18-23) and the body given at the Last Supper (26:26).
Messiah
Approved rendering: uMesiya
Transliteration: uMesiya
Doctrine: Jesus as the Promised Messiah and Son of David
Original: Χριστός / מָשִׁיחַ
Category: Christology
The Anointed One fulfilled exclusively in Jesus. Inherited from Romans package; interchangeable with the new term ‘uKristu,’ preserve where the specific Jewish messianic-expectation background is in view, as in the genealogy (1:1, 1:16-17) and Peter’s confession (16:16).
Intercession
Approved rendering: ukuncengela
Transliteration: ukuncengela
Doctrine: Prayer
Original: ὑπερεντυγχάνει / ἔντευξις
Category: Faith
CRITICAL: prayer on behalf of others; Christ alone mediates, with no need for ancestral intermediaries. Inherited from Romans package; reinforced dramatically in Matthew by the torn temple veil (27:51).
Jesus
Approved rendering: uJesu
Transliteration: uJesu
Doctrine: Lordship of Jesus Christ
Original: Ἰησοῦς / יֵשׁוּעַ
Category: Christology
Standard, well-established Nguni Bible transliteration. Inherited from Romans package; given at 1:21 with its own meaning explained (‘he will save his people from their sins’).
God
Approved rendering: uNkulunkulu
Transliteration: uNkulunkulu
Doctrine: Sovereignty of God
Original: θεός / אֱלֹהִים / יהוה
Category: God
CRITICAL: the established Nguni term for the Supreme Being; the risk is traditional framing as remote and reached only through amadlozi. Inherited from Romans package; Matthew’s Immanuel theme (1:23, 28:20) and torn veil (27:51) both directly counter this framing.
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: uMoya oNgcwele
Transliteration: uMoya oNgcwele
Doctrine: Spiritual Gifting
Original: πνεῦμα ἅγιον
Category: God
The third Person of the Trinity, personal and divine, never amadlozi or a possessing spirit. Inherited from Romans package; present at the virgin conception (1:18,20), John’s prediction (3:11), Jesus’ baptism (3:16), the blasphemy warning (12:31-32), and the baptismal formula (28:19).
Imputed Righteousness
Approved rendering: ukubalelwa ukulunga
Transliteration: ukubalelwa ukulunga
Doctrine: Justification by Faith
Original: ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην
Category: Salvation
Righteousness credited by faith, not earned. Inherited from Romans package; undergirds the grace/reward tension in Matthew 20:1-16 and the ransom saying of 20:28.
Christ
Approved rendering: uKristu
Transliteration: uKristu
Doctrine: Jesus as the Promised Messiah and Son of David
Original: Χριστός
Category: Christology
NEW TERM. Used as title and increasingly as proper name (1:1, 1:16, 16:16, 16:20, 26:63). Interchangeable with ‘uMesiya’; both must be taught as pointing exclusively to Jesus, not one anointed figure among others.
Son Of David
Approved rendering: iNdodana kaDavida
Transliteration: iNdodana kaDavida
Doctrine: Jesus as the Promised Messiah and Son of David
Original: υἱὸς Δαυίδ
Category: Christology
NEW TERM. Royal messianic title (1:1, 9:27, 12:23, 15:22, 20:30-31, 21:9, 21:15, 22:42) asserting Jesus’ legal and royal right to David’s throne. Distinct from ‘inzalo kaDavida’ (physical descent); reinforces, never rivals, Christ’s supreme lordship.
Immanuel
Approved rendering: uEmanuweli (uNkulunkulu ulinathi)
Transliteration: uEmanuweli
Doctrine: Incarnation
Original: Ἐμμανουήλ
Category: Christology
NEW TERM. “God with us” (1:23, citing Isaiah 7:14; echoed 28:20). One of the most doctrinally important renderings in the whole curriculum: directly asserts uNkulunkulu is not remote or reached only through amadlozi, but personally present through Christ.
Virgin
Approved rendering: intombi emsulwa
Transliteration: intombi emsulwa
Doctrine: Incarnation
Original: παρθένος
Category: Christology
NEW TERM. Matthew 1:23. Must unambiguously convey sexual virginity, not merely youthful unmarried status, to preserve the miraculous conception and guard against readings of ordinary paternity or temporary spirit-possession.
King Of The Jews
Approved rendering: iNkosi yamaJuda
Transliteration: iNkosi yamaJuda
Doctrine: Lordship of Jesus Christ
Original: βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων
Category: Christology
NEW TERM. Brackets the Gospel from birth (2:2) to death (27:11, 29, 37). Built on the Critical ‘lord’ term; the mocking irony must not undercut Christ’s genuine supreme kingship, exceeding the historical weight ‘iNkosi’ carries for Ndebele kings.
Worship
Approved rendering: ukukhonza
Transliteration: ukukhonza
Doctrine: Worship Due to God Alone
Original: προσκυνέω
Category: Worship
NEW TERM, highest-frequency Critical collision in Matthew. Occurs at least ten times (2:2, 2:11, 4:9-10, 8:2, 9:18, 14:33, 15:25, 20:20, 28:9, 28:17). ‘Ukukhonza’ also covers chiefly homage and amadlozi reverence; every occurrence describing worship of Jesus must make explicit this is worship due to God alone.
Son Of Man
Approved rendering: iNdodana yomuntu
Transliteration: iNdodana yomuntu
Doctrine: Sonship of Christ
Original: υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου
Category: Christology
NEW TERM. Jesus’ most frequent self-designation (~30 occurrences), drawing on Daniel 7:13-14. Combines humility (8:20) with supreme divine authority (9:6, 24:30); must not be reduced to mere self-reference or confused with an ancestor/spirit-being.
Demon
Approved rendering: idimoni / umoya omubi
Transliteration: idimoni
Doctrine: Demonic Opposition to the Kingdom
Original: δαιμόνιον / πνεῦμα ἀκάθαρτον
Category: Spiritual Warfare
NEW TERM, one of the highest-risk terms in the whole curriculum. Recurring chs. 8, 9, 12, 15, 17. Must be sharply distinguished from amadlozi, regarded in tradition as benevolent/neutral intermediaries, never evil beings to be cast out.
Hades
Approved rendering: amasango eHayidesi / isihogo
Transliteration: iHayidesi
Doctrine: The Church and Church Discipline
Original: ᾅδης
Category: Eschatology
NEW TERM. “The gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (16:18); the realm of the dead/death’s power, kept distinct from the amadlozi/spirit-world framework, not a place of ongoing communication with departed ancestors.
Eternal Life
Approved rendering: ukuphila okuphakade
Transliteration: ukuphila okuphakade
Doctrine: Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus
Original: ζωὴ αἰώνιος
Category: Salvation
NEW TERM. 19:16, 29; 25:46. Resurrection-quality life granted through union with Christ, not the traditional hope of the deceased joining the amadlozi.
Ransom
Approved rendering: intengo yokuhlenga
Transliteration: intengo yokuhlenga
Doctrine: The Atoning Ransom and Blood of Christ
Original: λύτρον
Category: Salvation
NEW TERM. “A ransom for many” (20:28); Christ’s unique, sufficient, once-for-all payment liberating believers from bondage to sin — must never resemble a payment or offering made to appease ancestral spirits.
Parousia
Approved rendering: ukuza / ukubuya kweNdodana yomuntu
Transliteration: parousia
Doctrine: Judgment and the End of the Age
Original: παρουσία
Category: Eschatology
NEW TERM. 24:3, 27, 37, 39; Christ’s unique, personal, visible future return, never confused with an ancestral spirit’s reappearance or any cyclical reincarnation notion.
Eternal Punishment
Approved rendering: isijeziso esiphakade
Transliteration: isijeziso esiphakade
Doctrine: Judgment and the End of the Age
Original: κόλασις αἰώνιος
Category: Eschatology
NEW TERM. 25:46, cf. 25:41; final, unending judicial punishment, the direct antithesis to eternal life — not comparable to ancestral displeasure or a curse liftable through ritual means.
Body
Approved rendering: umzimba
Transliteration: umzimba
Doctrine: The Atoning Ransom and Blood of Christ
Original: σῶμα
Category: Salvation
NEW TERM. “This is my body” (26:26); must not be reframed using language resembling ritual offerings shared with ancestral spirits.
Blood
Approved rendering: igazi
Transliteration: igazi
Doctrine: The Atoning Ransom and Blood of Christ
Original: αἷμα
Category: Salvation
NEW TERM, single highest collision risk in the entire Matthew extension. “This is my blood of the covenant” (26:28); blood-based ritual is central to bonding with amadlozi in tradition — Christ’s blood must be taught as a once-for-all, sufficient, unrepeatable sacrifice directly with uNkulunkulu, never assimilated to ancestral blood-ritual.
Cry Of Dereliction
Approved rendering: Eli, Eli, lema sabaktani (uNkulunkulu wami, uNkulunkulu wami, kungani ungitshiyile?)
Transliteration: Eli, Eli, lema sabaktani
Doctrine: Sonship of Christ
Original: Ἠλὶ Ἠλὶ, λεμὰ σαβαχθανί
Category: Christology
NEW TERM. 27:46; retained untranslated with mandatory immediate gloss, per the baseline’s ‘Abha’ convention; handle with theological care, avoiding any suggestion the Father-Son relationship was itself severed.
High Risk Terms
Grace
Approved rendering: umusa
Transliteration: umusa
Doctrine: Grace
Original: χάρις
Category: Salvation
Well-established Nguni Bible term for unmerited favor; must not be softened into reciprocal kindness or a reward for correctly honoring the ancestors. Inherited from Romans package; in Matthew the doctrine analysis elevates this doctrine’s practical risk to Critical because of the reward language in 5:3, 5:11-12, and 20:1-16, where ‘umvuzo’ must not collapse grace into merit.
Faith
Approved rendering: ukholo
Transliteration: ukholo
Doctrine: Faith
Original: πίστις
Category: Faith
Standard term for belief/trust; object must remain Christ. Inherited from Romans package; Matthew adds the compound ‘ukholo oluncinane’ (little faith, 14:31; 6:30; 8:26; 16:8) describing genuine but wavering faith, still faith and not unbelief.
Called
Approved rendering: obiziweyo
Transliteration: obiziweyo
Doctrine: Calling of God
Original: κλητός
Category: Salvation
God’s own sovereign summons, not an ancestral spirit’s call to mediumship. Inherited from Romans package; Matthew 22:14’s ‘many are called, but few are chosen’ requires distinguishing this general gospel invitation from ‘election.‘
Calling
Approved rendering: ubizo
Transliteration: ubizo
Doctrine: Calling of God
Original: κλῆσις
Category: Salvation
Noun form of ‘called’; same distinction from a spirit’s call to mediumship applies. Inherited from Romans package; embodied in Jesus’ sovereign summons of the first disciples (4:18-22).
Holy
Approved rendering: -ngcwele
Transliteration: ngcwele
Doctrine: Sanctification
Original: ἅγιος
Category: Sanctification
Set-apart purity before uNkulunkulu, distinct from ritual purity before amadlozi. Inherited from Romans package; chiefly in ‘uMoya oNgcwele’ (1:18-20, 3:11, 28:19).
Saints
Approved rendering: abangcwele
Transliteration: abangcwele
Doctrine: The Church as Believers in Christ
Original: ἅγιοι
Category: Church
All believers, not an ancestor-like elite. Inherited from Romans package; applies corporately to Matthew’s ‘ibandla’ (16:18, 18:17).
Sanctification
Approved rendering: ukungcweliswa
Transliteration: ukungcweliswa
Doctrine: Sanctification
Original: ἁγιασμός
Category: Sanctification
The Spirit’s ongoing holiness-work, distinct from ritual cleansing for ancestors. Inherited from Romans package; connects to Matthew’s call to ‘perfect’ (teleios) wholehearted devotion, 5:48.
Adoption
Approved rendering: ukutholwa njengomntwana
Transliteration: ukutholwa njengomntwana
Doctrine: Christian Identity in Christ
Original: υἱοθεσία
Category: Salvation
Full inheritance rights, not a lesser status. Inherited from Romans package; underlies Matthew 5:9’s ‘sons of God,’ deliberately rendered with ‘abantwana’ rather than ‘iNdodana’ to avoid confusion with Christ’s unique Sonship.
Law
Approved rendering: umthetho
Transliteration: umthetho
Doctrine: Righteousness of God
Original: νόμος
Category: Covenant
The Mosaic Law, not customary law or ancestral taboo. Inherited from Romans package; Jesus fulfills, not abolishes it (5:17-20), reinterprets Sabbath law (12:1-14), and summarizes it as love (22:34-40).
Sin
Approved rendering: isono
Transliteration: isono
Doctrine: Humanity’s Sinfulness
Original: ἁμαρτία
Category: Sin
Moral transgression before a personal God, distinct from ritual impurity or offense against ancestors. Inherited from Romans package; named at Jesus’ birth (1:21) and in the cup of the new covenant (26:28).
Glory
Approved rendering: udumo
Transliteration: udumo
Doctrine: Sovereignty of God
Rejected alternatives: inkazimulo
Original: δόξα
Category: God
God’s radiant presence and honor. Inherited from Romans package; displayed at the Transfiguration (17:1-8) as a temporary unveiling of Christ’s pre-existing divine glory, not an external spirit taking possession of him.
Obedience Of Faith
Approved rendering: ukulalela kokholo
Transliteration: ukulalela kokholo
Doctrine: Obedience of Faith
Original: ὑπακοὴ πίστεως
Category: Faith
Obedience flowing from faith, not works-based compliance. Inherited from Romans package; reflected throughout Matthew’s discipleship material (e.g. 7:24-27, doing Jesus’ words).
Power Of God
Approved rendering: amandla kaNkulunkulu
Transliteration: amandla kaNkulunkulu
Doctrine: God’s Saving Power
Original: δύναμις θεοῦ
Category: God
God’s power for salvation and mighty acts, distinct from spiritual power associated with izinyanga/izangoma. Inherited from Romans package; Matthew 19:26, ‘with God all things are possible.’ Deliberately distinct from the new term ‘igunya’ (authority) below.
Prophet
Approved rendering: umphrofethi
Transliteration: umphrofethi
Doctrine: Authority of Scripture
Rejected alternatives: isangoma
Original: προφήτης
Category: Covenant
Sharply distinguished from isangoma or inyanga. Inherited from Romans package; used of John the Baptist (11:9), Old Testament prophets fulfilled by Jesus (1:22, 2:5), and warnings about how prophets are treated (5:12, 23:29-37).
Covenant
Approved rendering: isivumelwano
Transliteration: isivumelwano
Doctrine: God’s Calling and Election
Original: διαθήκη
Category: Covenant
A relational covenant bond. Inherited from Romans package; climaxes in Matthew 26:28, ‘this is my blood of the covenant’ — see the ‘blood’ entry below for the associated collision risk.
Election
Approved rendering: ukukhethwa
Transliteration: ukukhethwa
Doctrine: God’s Calling and Election
Original: ἐκλογή
Category: Salvation
God’s sovereign, personal choice, not impersonal fate. Inherited from Romans package; reflected in ‘many are called, but few are chosen’ (22:14) and ‘the elect’ preserved through end-times tribulation (24:22, 24, 31).
Providence
Approved rendering: ukunakekela kukaNkulunkulu
Transliteration: ukunakekela kukaNkulunkulu
Doctrine: Sovereignty of God
Original: πρόνοια
Category: God
God’s personal, purposive governance, not fatalistic resignation. Inherited from Romans package; grounds Jesus’ teaching against anxiety (6:25-34).
Father
Approved rendering: uBaba
Transliteration: uBaba
Doctrine: Sonship of Christ
Original: πατήρ
Category: God
God as personal Father, anchored to the specific Father-Son relationship. Inherited from Romans package; central to the Lord’s Prayer (6:9) and Gethsemane’s submission (‘not my will, but yours,’ 26:39, 42).
Fulfillment
Approved rendering: ukugcwalisa
Transliteration: ukugcwalisa
Doctrine: Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy
Original: πληρόω
Category: Prophecy
NEW TERM. Matthew’s signature fulfillment formula (1:22, 2:15, 2:17, 2:23, 4:14, 5:17, 8:17, 12:17, 13:35, 21:4, 26:56, 27:9). Must convey deliberate divine sovereign fulfillment, not vague coincidence or divinatory-style discernment of hidden meaning.
Repentance
Approved rendering: ukuphenduka
Transliteration: ukuphenduka
Doctrine: The Kingdom of Heaven
Original: μετάνοια / μετανοέω
Category: Kingdom
NEW TERM. John’s and Jesus’ opening summons (3:2, 4:17) and the woes against unrepentant cities (11:20-24). Must convey transformative reorientation, not mere regret or ritual appeasement of ancestral displeasure.
Kingdom Of Heaven
Approved rendering: umbuso wamazulu
Transliteration: umbuso wamazulu
Doctrine: The Kingdom of Heaven
Original: βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν
Category: Kingdom
NEW TERM, Matthew’s characteristic phrase (~32 occurrences: 3:2, 4:17, 5:3-10, 13:1-52, 18:1-4, etc.). Same referent as baseline ‘umbuso kaNkulunkulu’; ‘amazulu’ must not be read as the amadlozi spirit-realm, and ‘umbuso’ carries the historical weight of the Ndebele kingdom under Mzilikazi/Lobengula.
Wrath
Approved rendering: ulaka lukaNkulunkulu
Transliteration: ulaka lukaNkulunkulu
Doctrine: Judgment and the End of the Age
Original: ὀργή
Category: Eschatology
NEW TERM. ‘The wrath to come’ (3:7). God’s own righteous judicial anger, not capricious anger or ancestral displeasure requiring appeasement.
Follow
Approved rendering: ukulandela
Transliteration: ukulandela
Doctrine: Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus
Original: ἀκολουθέω
Category: Discipleship
NEW TERM. The paradigmatic call-and-response pattern (4:18-22, 8:19-22, 9:9, 19:27-29); total, costly life-reorientation, not casual association.
Disciple
Approved rendering: umfundi / abafundi
Transliteration: umfundi
Doctrine: Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus
Original: μαθητής
Category: Discipleship
NEW TERM. The Beatitudes (5:1-2) are addressed specifically to disciples, not the crowd; committed follower, not merely an academic pupil.
Teach
Approved rendering: ukufundisa / imfundiso
Transliteration: ukufundisa
Doctrine: The Authority of Jesus’ Teaching
Original: διδάσκω / διδαχή
Category: Authority
NEW TERM. Opens the Sermon on the Mount (5:2), climaxes at 7:28-29; authoritative instruction, distinguished from a scribe’s, rabbi’s, or elder’s teaching.
Perfect
Approved rendering: -phelele (ukuphelela)
Transliteration: ukuphelela
Doctrine: Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees
Original: τέλειος
Category: Sanctification
NEW TERM. “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (5:48); wholehearted, Spirit-enabled devotion, not attainable sinless human achievement (which would collide with Justification by Faith).
Forgive
Approved rendering: ukuthethelela
Transliteration: ukuthethelela
Doctrine: The Church and Church Discipline
Original: ἀφίημι / ἄφεσις
Category: Church
NEW TERM. The Lord’s Prayer (6:12) and the parable of the unforgiving servant (18:21-35); divine pardon graciously extended, not a settled social debt or cancelled kinship obligation.
Judge
Approved rendering: ukwahlulela
Transliteration: ukwahlulela
Doctrine: Judgment and the End of the Age
Original: κρίνω / κρίσις
Category: Eschatology
NEW TERM. “Judge not” (7:1) forbids censorious human judgment while presupposing God’s own coming judgment (chs. 24-25); each sense must be disambiguated by surrounding context.
False Prophet
Approved rendering: umphrofethi wamanga
Transliteration: umphrofethi wamanga
Doctrine: Authority of Scripture
Original: ψευδοπροφήτης
Category: Prophecy
NEW TERM. Warned against at 7:15-20 and 24:11, 24; sharpens the umphrofethi/isangoma distinction by requiring discernment even within claimed Christian prophetic ministry.
Authority
Approved rendering: igunya
Transliteration: igunya
Doctrine: The Authority of Jesus’ Teaching
Original: ἐξουσία
Category: Authority
NEW TERM. Climactic at 7:29; recurring 8:9, 9:6, 9:8, 21:23-27, 28:18. Deliberately distinct from baseline ‘amandla’ (raw power); rightful mandate distinguishing Jesus from scribal opinion and from izangoma/izinyanga.
Mercy
Approved rendering: isihawu
Transliteration: isihawu
Doctrine: Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees
Original: ἔλεος
Category: Righteousness
NEW TERM. The Beatitude of 5:7 and Jesus’ citation of Hosea 6:6 (9:13, 12:7); God’s own compassionate character, not social benevolence exchanged for reciprocal favor within kinship networks.
Cross
Approved rendering: isiphambano
Transliteration: isiphambano
Doctrine: Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus
Original: σταυρός
Category: Discipleship
NEW TERM. First a discipleship requirement (10:38, 16:24), later Christ’s own literal cross (chs. 26-27); must carry costly, potentially fatal self-denial without collapsing Christ’s unique atoning death into the general metaphor.
Soul Life
Approved rendering: umphefumulo
Transliteration: umphefumulo
Doctrine: Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus
Original: ψυχή
Category: Discipleship
NEW TERM. “Whoever finds his life will lose it” (10:39, 16:25-26); the whole self surrendered to Christ, not the traditional idlozi concept of the soul continuing after death.
Reward
Approved rendering: umvuzo
Transliteration: umvuzo
Doctrine: Grace
Original: μισθός
Category: Salvation
NEW TERM. Beatitudes’ closing promise (5:11-12) and the mission discourse (10:41-42); must be taught alongside ‘umusa’ so ‘umvuzo’ is not misunderstood as earned pay.
Blasphemy
Approved rendering: ukuhlambaza
Transliteration: ukuhlambaza
Doctrine: Authority of Scripture
Original: βλασφημία
Category: Sin
NEW TERM. The ‘unforgivable sin’ (12:31-32); willful, hardened rejection of the Spirit’s testimony to Christ, not ordinary doubt; handle pastorally.
End Of The Age
Approved rendering: ukuphela kwesikhathi / isiphetho somhlaba
Transliteration: isiphetho somhlaba
Doctrine: Judgment and the End of the Age
Original: συντέλεια τοῦ αἰῶνος
Category: Eschatology
NEW TERM. Occurs at 13:39-40, 49, 24:3, 28:20; a definite, God-ordained historical consummation, not a cyclical or impersonal cosmic process.
Bind And Loose
Approved rendering: ukubopha lokukhulula
Transliteration: ukubopha lokukhulula
Doctrine: The Church and Church Discipline
Original: δέω / λύω
Category: Church
NEW TERM. 16:19; restated at 18:18. Authority exercised under and derived from Christ’s own authority for discipline and restoration, not to be confused with binding/loosing rituals performed by traditional healers or diviners addressing spiritual bondage.
Stumbling Block
Approved rendering: isikhubekiso
Transliteration: isikhubekiso
Doctrine: The Church and Church Discipline
Original: σκάνδαλον
Category: Church
NEW TERM. 18:6-9; the severity of leading a fellow believer, especially a vulnerable one, into sin or away from faith.
Rejected Stone
Approved rendering: ilitshe elalahliwe ngabakhi, laba yinsika yekhoneni
Transliteration: ilitshe elalahliwe
Doctrine: Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy
Original: λίθος…κεφαλὴν γωνίας
Category: Prophecy
NEW TERM. 21:42, citing Psalm 118:22; must preserve the specific messianic-prophetic force, not a generic proverb about underestimated things.
Love
Approved rendering: uthando
Transliteration: uthando
Doctrine: Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees
Original: ἀγάπη / ἀγαπήσεις
Category: Righteousness
NEW TERM. The Great Commandment (22:37-40); willed, self-giving, covenantal love reflecting God’s own character, not natural affection, romantic love, or reciprocal kinship obligation.
Temple Veil
Approved rendering: iveyili lethempeli
Transliteration: iveyili lethempeli
Doctrine: Christ as Sole Mediator
Original: καταπέτασμα
Category: Salvation
NEW TERM. The curtain torn at Christ’s death (27:51); should be actively leveraged in teaching as the clearest image for why believers no longer need any intermediary — human priest or ancestral spirit — to approach uNkulunkulu.
Make Disciples
Approved rendering: ukwenza abafundi
Transliteration: ukwenza abafundi
Doctrine: The Great Commission
Original: μαθητεύω
Category: Church
NEW TERM. The Great Commission’s central verb (28:19); active discipling through baptism and ongoing teaching, not merely informing people about Jesus or securing a one-time decision.
Medium Risk Terms
Gospel
Approved rendering: ivangeli
Transliteration: ivangeli
Doctrine: Gospel
Original: εὐαγγέλιον
Category: Salvation
Standard Nguni loanword, consistent with Zulu Bible usage. Inherited from Romans package; in Matthew ties to ‘the gospel of the kingdom’ (4:23, 9:35, 24:14) and the Great Commission (26:13, 28:19-20).
Apostle
Approved rendering: umphostoli
Transliteration: umphostoli
Doctrine: Apostleship
Original: ἀπόστολος
Category: Church
Standard loanword for delegated New Testament authority. Inherited from Romans package; in Matthew specifically the Twelve, commissioned and named at 10:2-4.
Peace
Approved rendering: ukuthula
Transliteration: ukuthula
Doctrine: Grace and Peace
Original: εἰρήνη
Category: Salvation
Relational peace with God through justification. Inherited from Romans package; underlies the peacemakers Beatitude (5:9, ‘abenzi bokuthula’).
Spiritual Gifts
Approved rendering: izipho zoMoya
Transliteration: izipho zoMoya
Doctrine: Spiritual Gifting
Original: χαρίσματα
Category: Church
Spirit-given enablements, distinct from inherited mediumship gifts. Inherited from Romans package; not heavily developed in Matthew’s narrative but retained for cross-curriculum consistency.
Church
Approved rendering: ibandla
Transliteration: ibandla
Doctrine: The Church as Believers in Christ
Rejected alternatives: isonto
Original: ἐκκλησία
Category: Church
‘Ibandla’ preferred over the building-oriented ‘isonto.’ Inherited from Romans package; first founded in Matthew 16:18 and given a discipline procedure in 18:15-20.
Kingdom Of God
Approved rendering: umbuso kaNkulunkulu
Transliteration: umbuso kaNkulunkulu
Doctrine: The Kingdom of God
Original: βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Kingdom
God’s sovereign reign, not a territorial kingdom. Inherited from Romans package; identical referent to Matthew’s characteristic ‘kingdom of heaven’ — see new term below.
Gentiles
Approved rendering: abezizwe
Transliteration: abezizwe
Doctrine: Mission to the Gentiles
Original: ἔθνη
Category: Church
Non-Jewish peoples/nations. Inherited from Romans package; narrower than Matthew 28:19’s comprehensively universal ‘panta ta ethnē’ (see ‘all_nations’ below).
Prophecy
Approved rendering: isiphrofetho
Transliteration: isiphrofetho
Doctrine: Authority of Scripture
Original: προφητεία
Category: Covenant
God-inspired declaration, distinct from divinatory prediction. Inherited from Romans package; underlies Matthew’s signature fulfillment formula (see ‘fulfillment’ below).
Mission
Approved rendering: umsebenzi wokutshumayela
Transliteration: umsebenzi wokutshumayela
Doctrine: Proclamation of the Gospel
Original: ἀποστολή / πέμπω
Category: Church
Being sent to proclaim the gospel. Inherited from Romans package; culminates in Matthew’s Great Commission (28:16-20).
Israel
Approved rendering: uIsrayeli
Transliteration: uIsrayeli
Doctrine: Universal Need for Salvation
The covenant people. Inherited from Romans package; used across Matthew (2:6, 2:20-21, 8:10, 9:33, 10:6, 10:23, 15:24, 19:28, 27:9) alongside the Universal Need for Salvation doctrine’s Jew/Gentile care.
Seed Of David
Approved rendering: inzalo kaDavida
Transliteration: inzalo kaDavida
Doctrine: Messianic Promise
Original: σπέρμα Δαυίδ
Category: Covenant
Physical descent from David. Inherited from Romans package; traced through Matthew’s genealogy (1:1-17); distinct from the new royal title ‘Son of David’ below, which asserts kingship claim rather than mere lineage.
Baptism
Approved rendering: ukubhabhathizwa / ubhabhathizo
Transliteration: ubhabhathizo
Doctrine: The Great Commission
Original: βάπτισμα / βαπτίζω
Category: Church
NEW TERM. John’s baptism of repentance (3:6, 11) anticipates the Trinitarian baptismal formula of the Great Commission (28:19); distinguish from ritual washing/cleansing rites for ancestors.
Beloved
Approved rendering: othandwayo
Transliteration: othandwayo
Doctrine: Sonship of Christ
Original: ἀγαπητός
Category: God
NEW TERM. Spoken at Jesus’ baptism (3:17) and repeated at the Transfiguration (17:5); must anchor to the unique Father-Son relationship, not generic parental affection.
Temptation
Approved rendering: ukulingwa
Transliteration: ukulingwa
Doctrine: Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus
Original: πειρασμός / πειράζω
Category: Discipleship
NEW TERM. Jesus’ wilderness testing (4:1-11); satanic enticement resisted through Scripture, not fatalistic testing sent by ancestral forces.
Hypocrite
Approved rendering: umzenzisi
Transliteration: umzenzisi
Doctrine: Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees
Original: ὑποκριτής
Category: Righteousness
NEW TERM. Repeated condemnation of religious performance for human approval (6:2, 5, 16; 15:7; 23:13-29); specifically religious pretense, not general dishonesty.
Yoke
Approved rendering: ijogo
Transliteration: ijogo
Doctrine: Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees
Original: ζυγός
Category: Discipleship
NEW TERM. “My yoke is easy, my burden is light” (11:29-30); standard agrarian metaphor contrasting Christ’s authority with burdensome Pharisaic legalism.
Rest
Approved rendering: ukuphumula
Transliteration: ukuphumula
Doctrine: Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus
Original: ἀνάπαυσις
Category: Discipleship
NEW TERM. “Come to me… and I will give you rest” (11:28-29); rest found directly and only in Christ, not through appeasing ancestors or ritual obligation.
Woe
Approved rendering: maye / isijeziso esizayo
Transliteration: maye
Doctrine: Judgment and the End of the Age
Original: οὐαί
Category: Eschatology
NEW TERM. Pronounced against unrepentant cities (11:20-24) and structuring the seven woes (ch.23); a prophetic judgment-pronouncement, not ordinary lament.
Sabbath
Approved rendering: iSabatha
Transliteration: iSabatha
Doctrine: The Law
Original: σάββατον
Category: Covenant
NEW TERM. Jesus asserts authority over the Sabbath (12:1-14, ‘the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath’); distinguished from customary rest days or taboo-restricted days.
Mystery
Approved rendering: imfihlo
Transliteration: imfihlo
Doctrine: The Kingdom of Heaven
Original: μυστήριον
Category: Kingdom
NEW TERM. “The mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” (13:11); divine disclosure of a previously hidden plan, not occult secret knowledge accessed through divination.
Weeping And Gnashing Of Teeth
Approved rendering: ukukhala lokugedla amazinyo
Transliteration: ukukhala lokugedla amazinyo
Doctrine: Judgment and the End of the Age
Original: κλαυθμὸς καὶ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων
Category: Eschatology
NEW TERM. Recurring formula (8:12, 13:42, 50, 22:13, 24:51, 25:30) for the anguish of final exclusion from the kingdom; render consistently across all occurrences.
Tradition
Approved rendering: isiko / imfundiso yabadala
Transliteration: isiko
Doctrine: The Law
Original: παράδοσις
Category: Righteousness
NEW TERM. “Tradition of the elders” (15:2-6); critiques a specific first-century Jewish interpretive tradition elevated above God’s command, not customary practice as such.
Defile
Approved rendering: ukungcolisa
Transliteration: ukungcolisa
Doctrine: Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees
Original: κοινόω
Category: Righteousness
NEW TERM. 15:11, 18-20; heart-level moral defilement, not ritual/ceremonial impurity requiring cleansing rites before ancestors.
Keys
Approved rendering: izikhiye
Transliteration: izikhiye
Doctrine: The Church and Church Discipline
Original: κλεῖς
Category: Church
NEW TERM. “Keys of the kingdom of heaven” (16:19); delegated, derivative authority under Christ’s own authority (igunya), not independent or magical power.
Servant Slave
Approved rendering: inceku / isigqila
Transliteration: inceku
Doctrine: Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus
Original: διάκονος / δοῦλος
Category: Discipleship
NEW TERM. 20:26-28, 18:23-35, 23:11; honor-inverting service modeled by Christ; ensure the positive sense is clear since ‘isigqila’ could otherwise carry only negative connotations.
Rabbi
Approved rendering: umfundisi (uRabi)
Transliteration: uRabi
Doctrine: The Authority of Jesus’ Teaching
Original: ῥαββί
Category: Authority
NEW TERM. “You are not to be called rabbi” (23:8); relativizes every human religious-teacher title beneath Christ’s own unique teaching authority.
Sign
Approved rendering: isibonakaliso
Transliteration: isibonakaliso
Doctrine: Judgment and the End of the Age
Original: σημεῖον
Category: Eschatology
NEW TERM. 24:3, 24, 30; a divinely-given, Scripture-interpreted indicator, not a divinatory omen sought through izangoma.
Watch
Approved rendering: ukulinda / ukuqaphela
Transliteration: ukulinda
Doctrine: Judgment and the End of the Age
Original: γρηγορέω
Category: Eschatology
NEW TERM. 24:42; 25:13; vigilant readiness anchored to confident hope in Christ’s certain return, not anxious fatalism.
Will Of God
Approved rendering: intando
Transliteration: intando
Doctrine: Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus
Original: θέλημα
Category: Discipleship
NEW TERM. “Not my will, but yours be done” (26:39, 42); willing personal submission to a good sovereign Father, not fatalistic resignation to impersonal fate.
All Nations
Approved rendering: zonke izizwe
Transliteration: zonke izizwe
Doctrine: The Great Commission
Original: πάντα τὰ ἔθνη
Category: Church
NEW TERM. 28:19; comprehensively universal scope, inclusive of Israel too — distinguish contextually from baseline ‘abezizwe’ (Gentiles specifically).
Low Risk Terms
Thanksgiving
Approved rendering: ukubonga
Transliteration: ukubonga
Doctrine: Christian Encouragement
Original: εὐχαριστία
Category: Faith
Standard, low-ambiguity term. Inherited from Romans package; reflected in the Beatitudes’ ‘rejoice and be glad’ (5:12).
Fellowship
Approved rendering: ubudlelwano
Transliteration: ubudlelwano
Doctrine: Fellowship of Believers
Original: κοινωνία
Category: Church
Shared participation in Christ and with other believers. Inherited from Romans package; reflected in ‘where two or three are gathered in my name’ (18:20).
David
Approved rendering: uDavida
Transliteration: uDavida
Doctrine: God’s Calling and Election
Original: דָּוִד
Category: Covenant
Proper name; standard Nguni Bible transliteration. Inherited from Romans package; opens Matthew’s genealogy (1:1, 1:6, 1:17) and undergirds both ‘Son of David’ and ‘seed of David’ titles.
Exhort
Approved rendering: ukukhuthaza
Transliteration: ukukhuthaza
Doctrine: Christian Encouragement
Original: παρακαλέω
Category: Faith
To encourage or urge. Inherited from Romans package; note Matthew 5:4’s ‘shall be comforted’ uses the same Greek root in its comfort/console sense (‘ukududuzwa’), a separate contextual entry, not a substitution for this term.
Hosanna
Approved rendering: Hosana
Transliteration: Hosana
Doctrine: Jesus as the Promised Messiah and Son of David
Original: Ὡσαννά
Category: Christology
NEW TERM. 21:9, 15; retained as a transliterated liturgical exclamation, paralleling the baseline’s retained ‘Abha.‘
Talent
Approved rendering: ithalenta
Transliteration: ithalenta
Doctrine: Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus
Original: τάλαντον
Category: Discipleship
NEW TERM. 25:14-30; faithful stewardship of entrusted resources/opportunities in anticipation of Christ’s return.