Core Glossary
Core Glossary: 1 Samuel
How to Read This Glossary
- Reused from baseline = the term already exists in the Romans
translation_memory.json/bible_term_registry.jsonand MUST be used exactly as recorded there. - New term = proposed for this curriculum; not yet in the baseline files. Carries a proposed risk tier consistent with the baseline’s methodology, for theologian confirmation before Phase 2 loading.
- Doctrine column maps each term to one or more of the seven curriculum doctrines: Transition (Judges→Monarchy), Choice (God’s Sovereign Choice of David), Obedience (Obedience vs. Sacrifice), Rejection (Danger of Rejecting God as King), Faith/Fear (David and Goliath), Type (Anointed King as Type of Messiah), Samuel (Samuel’s Role as Prophet and Judge).
Section A — Terms Reused Exactly from the Romans Baseline
| English Term | Spanish Rendering | Hebrew Original | Doctrine(s) | Risk (baseline) | Primary 1 Samuel Passages | 1 Samuel-Specific Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| God | Dios | אֱלֹהִים (Elohim) | all | Critical | throughout | No change; note the added OT-specific rival-deity contrast now available via Dagon (ch.5) for teaching material. |
| Holy Spirit / Spirit of the LORD | Espíritu Santo (NT) / el Espíritu de Jehová (OT usage in this book) | רוּח יהוה (ruach YHWH) | Choice, Type | Critical/High | 1 Sam 10:6,10; 11:6; 16:13-14; 18:12; 19:20,23 | Same divine Person as the baseline’s “Espíritu Santo,” but 1 Samuel’s grammar (“came upon,” “rushed upon”) describes task-empowerment, not permanent indwelling. See dedicated OT-specific entry in Section B. Must be taught in explicit contrast to the “evil/distressing spirit” (Section B) and to Espiritismo/Santería “guide spirits.” |
| Prophet | profeta | נָבִיא (navi) | Samuel, Type | Low (baseline) → elevate to Medium for this curriculum | 1 Sam 3; 9:9; 19:20; 22:5; 28:6,15 | Elevated because of the direct collision with “vidente/seer” in 9:9 — see Section B. |
| Prophecy | profecía | נְבוּאָה concept | Samuel | Low | throughout Samuel’s oracles | No change. |
| Covenant | pacto | בְּרִית (berit) | Transition, Type | High | 1 Sam 11:1; 18:3; 20:8,16; 23:18 | No change; reused for both divine and human (David-Jonathan) covenants. |
| Election | elección (noun); reuse for the verb family “escoger/elegir” | בָּחַר (bachar) | Choice | High | 1 Sam 16:8-10 | Direct Old Testament root of the baseline’s “elección.” This is the tightest cross-curriculum lexical bridge in the whole book. |
| Glory | gloria | כָּבוֹד (kavod) | Rejection (contrast) | Medium | 1 Sam 4:21-22 (“Ichabod”) | Teach kavod’s “weightiness” nuance alongside NT doxa’s “radiance” nuance without introducing a second Spanish term. |
| Salvation | salvación | יְשׁוּעָה / תְּשׁוּעָה (yeshuah/teshuah) | Faith/Fear | Critical (baseline) | 1 Sam 14:6,45 | OT sense here is temporal/military deliverance; must be taught in typological continuity with, but not collapsed into, the baseline’s eternal-salvation sense. |
| Israel | Israel | יִשְׂרָאֵל | Transition, Rejection | Low | throughout | No change. |
| David | David | דָּוִד | Choice, Type | Low | throughout from ch.16 | No change. |
| Faith / Fe (descriptive, not a fixed OT terminus technicus) | fe (contextual use only) | (no single fixed Hebrew equivalent; conceptually related to בָּטַח, batach, “trust”) | Faith/Fear | High (baseline, contextual for this curriculum) | 1 Sam 17:37,45-47 | Use “confianza en Jehová” as the primary rendering for David’s trust language in ch.17; reserve “fe” for cases that clearly parallel the NT technical sense, to avoid overclaiming lexical identity with Pauline pistis. |
| Sin | pecado | חֵטְא / חָטָא (chet/chata) | Obedience, Rejection | Medium | 1 Sam 12:19-23; 15:23-25 | No change. |
| Obedience (family) | obedecer/obediencia | שָׁמַע (shama) | Obedience | High (baseline “obediencia de la fe” family) → Critical for this curriculum’s central doctrine | 1 Sam 15:19-22 | See Section B for the full treatment; 1 Samuel 15:22 is the doctrinal anchor verse of this entire curriculum. |
| Holy / Santo | santo | קָדוֹשׁ / קָדַשׁ (qadosh/qadash) | Type | High | 1 Sam 16:5; 21:4-6 | Reused for “consecrate” (santificar) and “holy bread” (pan consagrado/sagrado); retain the baseline’s caution against a canonized-saints misreading. |
Section B — New Terms Proposed for the 1 Samuel Curriculum
| English Term | Spanish Rendering | Hebrew Original / Transliteration | Doctrine(s) | Risk | Primary Passages | Alternatives Rejected | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LORD (covenant name, YHWH) | SEÑOR (versalitas/small caps recommended) — RV1960 tradition alternative: “Jehová” | יהוה / YHWH | all | Critical | throughout (over 300 occurrences) | “Jehová” as sole/default rendering | The single highest-stakes new decision in this Language Package. RV1960 traditionally renders YHWH as “Jehová” throughout the Old Testament. However, in contemporary Spanish-speaking culture, “Jehová” carries an extremely strong, near-exclusive association with the Jehovah’s Witnesses (“Testigos de Jehová”), a group holding a non-Trinitarian theology explicitly at odds with this curriculum’s doctrine of the Deity and Sonship of Christ (already Critical in the Romans baseline). This is a genuine, live religious-vocabulary collision of the same class the baseline documents for “santos,” “vocación,” and “intercesión” — but it has not previously arisen because Romans, as a New Testament epistle, uses kyrios (Señor) rather than the Tetragrammaton. Recommendation for theologian ratification: adopt “SEÑOR” in small capitals (the convention used by NVI, RVC, and a growing share of evangelical Spanish scholarship) as the primary rendering, reserving unqualified “Jehová” for direct quotation from RV1960 text or contexts where the curriculum explicitly teaches the covenant name’s meaning (“Yo Soy,” Exodus 3:14). This must be a documented, deliberate Phase 1 policy decision, not a default carried over silently from RV1960 habit. |
| king | rey | מֶלֶךְ (melek) | Transition, Rejection | Medium | throughout from ch.8 | — | Standard, unambiguous term. Teach in explicit subordination to “reino de Dios” (Romans baseline). |
| reign / to be king | reinar | מָלַךְ (malak) | Transition, Rejection | High | 1 Sam 8:7,9; 12:12 | — | Carries the weight of “God himself reigns” vs. “let a human reign” contrast. |
| anoint | ungir | מָשַׁח (mashach) | Choice, Type | Critical | 1 Sam 9:16; 10:1; 16:3,12-13; 24:6; 26:9 | ”consagrar” alone (loses the specific ritual-oil sense and the lexical link to Mesías) | Direct lexical root of “Mesías” (already Critical in the Romans baseline). Every occurrence should be taught as historical enactment of the pattern fulfilled in Christ. |
| the LORD’s anointed | el ungido de Jehová / el ungido del Señor | מְשִׁיחַ יהוה (meshiach YHWH) | Type | Critical | 1 Sam 16:6; 24:6,10; 26:9,11,16,23 | ”el elegido de Dios” (too generic; loses the specific messianic-title force) | The Old Testament technical title standing directly behind “Mesías.” Mandatory theologian review every occurrence. |
| reject / cast off | desechar (primary, RV1960 precedent) / rechazar (descriptive synonym) | מָאַס (ma’as) | Rejection, Choice | Critical | 1 Sam 8:7; 10:19; 15:23,26; 16:1,7 | ”no favorecer,” “dejar de lado” (both too weak; understate covenantal finality) | Forms the tightest lexical chain in the book (8:7→15:23,26→16:1,7); must render identically throughout for doctrinal and pedagogical consistency. |
| choose / chosen | escoger / elegir (verb); escogido (adj.) | בָּחַר (bachar) | Choice | Critical | 1 Sam 16:8-10; 10:24 | ”destino,” “suerte” (fatalistic vernacular, already forbidden by the baseline for the cognate noun “elección”) | Verb-form counterpart to the baseline’s “elección.” Same forbidden-alternatives logic applies. |
| heart | corazón | לֵבָב (levav) | Choice | High | 1 Sam 16:7; 13:14 | — | Seat of will/character, not mere sentiment; central to the doctrine of God’s Sovereign Choice of David. |
| obey / obedience | obedecer / obediencia | שָׁמַע (shama) | Obedience | Critical | 1 Sam 15:19,22 | ”cumplir” (too legalistic/external), “escuchar” alone (loses the built-in “and-do” force of shama) | The doctrinal anchor term of this entire curriculum (1 Sam 15:22). Must be cross-referenced with the baseline’s “obediencia de la fe” to show continuity: obedience flowing from relationship with God, not empty ritual compliance or ecclesial precept-keeping. |
| sacrifice | sacrificio (noun) / sacrificar (verb) | זֶבַח / זָבַח (zebach/zabach) | Obedience | High | 1 Sam 15:22; 16:2-5 | — | Must be taught in deliberate tension with, not contradiction of, 15:22 — sacrifice is good but cannot substitute for obedience. |
| devote to destruction / utterly destroy (herem/ban) | destruir por completo / exterminar | חָרַם (charam) | Obedience, Rejection | Critical (pastoral) | 1 Sam 15:3,8-9,18-19 | — | Requires a dedicated theological/pastoral framing note in every occurrence; historically and covenantally bound holy-war command, not a general ethic of violence. Mandatory human theologian review. |
| medium / necromancer | nigromante / médium | אוֹב (ov) | Rejection | Critical | 1 Sam 28:3,7-9,11 | ”adivina” unqualified (risks a neutral or admiring tone); “vidente” (would collide with the Section B “seer” entry below) | The single most acute live syncretism risk in the curriculum, given active Espiritismo/Santería practice in the destination culture (per Romans baseline). Must be taught as an explicit, unambiguous condemnation, never a neutral cultural description. Mandatory human theologian review every occurrence, plus recommended pastoral guidance material. |
| evil / distressing spirit | espíritu malo / espíritu perturbador | רוּח רָעָה (ruach ra’ah) | Rejection (contrast to Choice) | Critical | 1 Sam 16:14; 18:10; 19:9 | ”espíritu maligno” (acceptable synonym, but keep consistent across the curriculum) | Direct narrative/lexical counterpart to “el Espíritu de Jehová.” Must be distinguished from folk-religious “malos espíritus” categories in Espiritismo/Santería while affirming the text’s own claim that this operates under God’s sovereign permission. |
| seer | vidente (restricted use only — see note) | רֺאֶה (ro’eh) | Samuel, Type | Critical — collision with existing baseline rejection | 1 Sam 9:9 (etymological gloss only) | “vidente” as a general synonym for “profeta” elsewhere | The Romans baseline explicitly rejects “vidente” as an alternative for “prophet” due to new-age/fortune-telling associations. 1 Samuel 9:9 is the text’s own historical footnote on titulature and requires this exact word for accuracy. Resolution: use “vidente” ONLY in 9:9’s gloss, with a mandatory explanatory note; use “profeta” everywhere else, including all other references to Samuel. |
| judge (office) | juez | שֹׁפֵט (shophet) | Samuel, Transition | Medium | 1 Sam 4:18; 7:6,15-17; 8:1-5 | ”árbitro,” “gobernante” (both lose the combined civil/military/covenantal force) | Names Samuel’s transitional office; distinct from a purely legal/courtroom sense. |
| LORD of hosts | Jehová de los ejércitos (RV1960 precedent) / SEÑOR Todopoderoso (alternative, pending the YHWH-rendering policy decision above) | יהוה צְבָאוֹת (YHWH Tseva’ot) | Transition, Rejection | High | 1 Sam 1:3,11; 4:4; 15:2; 17:45 | — | Rendering must track whatever policy decision is made for “YHWH/SEÑOR/Jehová” above, for consistency. |
| word of the LORD | palabra de Jehová / palabra del Señor | דְּבַר־יהוה (devar YHWH) | Samuel | Medium | 1 Sam 3:1,7,21; 15:10,23 | — | Connects to Romans-baseline doctrine “Inspiration of Scripture”; tracks the YHWH-rendering policy decision. |
| steadfast love / covenant loyalty (chesed) | lealtad de pacto / bondad (contextual: “misericordia”) | חֶסֶד (chesed) | Type (human covenant echo) | High | 1 Sam 20:8,14-15 | flattening entirely into “gracia” (baseline term) without a distinguishing note | Related to but distinct from the baseline’s “gracia” (charis); chesed presumes a prior covenant bond, charis does not presuppose merit or relationship. Requires its own glossary note. |
| the battle is the LORD’s | de Jehová es la batalla | לַיהוה הַמִּלְחָמָה | Faith/Fear | High | 1 Sam 17:47 | — | Anchor confession of the Faith versus Fear doctrine; must remain an unqualified theological confession, not softened into generic motivational language. |
| ark of God / ark of the covenant | arca de Dios / arca del pacto | אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים / אֲרוֹן הַבְּרִית | Transition, Rejection | High | 1 Sam 4-6 | — | Reuses baseline “pacto”; must be taught against a talisman/magical-object misreading. |
| vow | voto | נֶדֶר (neder) | Samuel (background) | Medium | 1 Sam 1:11 | — | Distinguish from folk-Catholic “promesas” made to saints/the Virgin in exchange for favors. |
| prophesy (verb) | profetizar | הִתְנַבֵּא (hitnabbe) | Samuel | Medium | 1 Sam 10:10-11; 19:20-24 | — | Distinguish from Afro-Caribbean spirit-possession trance phenomena; emphasis is task-specific divine empowerment. |
| ephod | efod (transliterated) | אֵפוֹד | Samuel (background) | Low-Medium | 1 Sam 2:18,28; 22:18; 23:6,9 | — | Technical priestly-garment term; brief gloss on first occurrence. |
| inquire of the LORD | consultar a Jehová / consultar al Señor | שָׁאַל בַּיהוה (sha’al ba-YHWH) | Samuel (contrast to Rejection) | Medium | 1 Sam 23:2,4; 28:6 | — | Positive counterpart to ch.28’s illegitimate necromancy; tracks the YHWH-rendering policy decision. |
| strengthened himself in the LORD | se fortaleció en Jehová / se fortaleció en el Señor | וַיִּתְחַזֵּק בַּיהוה | Faith/Fear | Medium | 1 Sam 30:6 | — | Positive counterpart to ch.28’s despairing recourse to necromancy. |
| fell on his own sword | se dejó caer sobre su espada | וַיִּפֹּל עָלֶיהָ | Rejection (narrative resolution) | Medium (pastoral) | 1 Sam 31:4-5 | — | Pastoral-sensitivity note on suicide required; teach within the full covenant-disobedience arc, not moralistically. |
| the youngest / the least | el menor / el más pequeño | הַקָּטָן (haqqatan) | Choice | Medium | 1 Sam 16:11 | — | Reinforces sovereign election over natural birth-order precedence. |
| shepherd (verb, royal metaphor) | apacentar / pastorear | רָעָה (ro’eh, ayin root — distinct from “to see,” aleph root) | Choice, Type | Medium | 1 Sam 16:11; cf. 2 Sam 5:2 | — | Anticipates messianic shepherd-king typology (Ezekiel 34; John 10); do not conflate with the “to see” (ra’ah, aleph) root used elsewhere in ch.16. |
Risk Summary for This Curriculum’s New/Elevated Terms
| Risk Tier | Count (new or elevated) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | 10 | YHWH/Señor-Jehová policy decision; ungir; el ungido de Jehová; desechar; escoger/elegir; obedecer/obediencia; destruir por completo (herem); nigromante/médium; espíritu malo; vidente (restricted). |
| High | 6 | reinar; corazón; sacrificio (elevated for doctrinal centrality); LORD of hosts; chesed; de Jehová es la batalla; ark of God/covenant. |
| Medium | 10 | rey; juez; palabra de Jehová; voto; profetizar; efod; consultar a Jehová; se fortaleció en Jehová; el menor; apacentar/pastorear; fell on his own sword. |
| Low-Medium | 1 | efod (also listed above; single entry). |
Routing: All Critical and High risk terms above require human theologian review before Phase 2 loading, consistent with doctrine_risk_registry.json’s routing rules. The YHWH-rendering decision in particular should be resolved and ratified as an explicit, documented policy before any Phase 2 segment translation begins, since it affects well over 300 occurrences across the book.
This glossary extends, and must never contradict, the Romans baseline translation_memory.json and bible_term_registry.json. All Section A terms are binding as recorded in the baseline. All Section B terms are proposed additions pending theologian ratification and subsequent versioning into the shared translation memory.
Critical Risk Terms
God
Approved rendering: Dios
Transliteration: theos / Elohim / YHWH
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Original: אֱלֹהִים / יהוה
Category: God
Universally standard; unlike Hindi there is no rival deity-name confusion in mainstream Hispanic Christian usage. Inherited from Romans package.
Salvation
Approved rendering: salvación
Transliteration: sōtēria
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: salvarse por buenas obras, merecer el cielo mediante sacramentos y penitencia
Reconciliation with a personal God received by faith, not a lifelong, uncertain outcome secured through sacraments, penance, and mediation. Inherited from Romans package.
Saints
Approved rendering: santos
Transliteration: hagioi
Doctrine: Sainthood
Rejected alternatives: los santos (canonizados, objeto de veneración e intercesión)
Every believer set apart in Christ, not exclusively canonized figures. Inherited from Romans package.
Lord
Approved rendering: Señor
Transliteration: kyrios
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: Señor mío (devotional-only, without lordship claim over the whole of life)
Exclusive, supreme lordship. Inherited from Romans package.
Son Of God
Approved rendering: Hijo de Dios
Transliteration: huios theou
Doctrine: Sonship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: hijo de Dios en el sentido genérico aplicado a todo creyente
Unique, eternal, divine Sonship. Inherited from Romans package.
Messiah
Approved rendering: Mesías
Transliteration: Christos / Mashiach
Doctrine: Messianic Promise
Rejected alternatives: un ungido más, entre otros santos o profetas venerados
The unique, Old Testament-promised Anointed One fulfilled exclusively in Jesus. Inherited from Romans package.
Intercession
Approved rendering: intercesión
Transliteration: hyperentynchanei / enteuxis
Doctrine: Prayer and Intercession
Rejected alternatives: intercesión de los santos o de la Virgen como mediadores necesarios ante Dios
Must not default to saint or Marian mediation. Inherited from Romans package.
Jesus
Approved rendering: Jesús
Transliteration: Iēsous / Yeshua
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Universally standard; no variant-form risk. Inherited from Romans package.
Yhwh Lord
Approved rendering: SEÑOR (versalitas) / Jehová (solo en cita directa de RV1960 o enseñanza etimológica del nombre)
Transliteration: YHWH
Doctrine: Foundational — underlies all seven curriculum doctrines
Rejected alternatives: Jehová como término único y predeterminado en todo el libro (riesgo de colisión con el uso predominante de ‘Testigos de Jehová’)
Original: יהוה
Category: God
NEW POLICY TERM, ratified for this curriculum. RV1960 tradition renders YHWH as ‘Jehová’ throughout. However, ‘Jehová’ carries a strong, near-exclusive contemporary association with the Jehovah’s Witnesses (‘Testigos de Jehová’), a non-Trinitarian group in direct doctrinal conflict with this curriculum’s and the Romans baseline’s Critical teaching on the Deity and Sonship of Christ. Adopt ‘SEÑOR’ (small capitals), per NVI/RVC convention, as the primary rendering for the Tetragrammaton in running narrative text, reserving unqualified ‘Jehová’ only for direct RV1960 quotation or contexts explicitly teaching the covenant name’s meaning (Exodus 3:14, ‘Yo Soy’). This is the single highest-volume, highest-stakes new lexical decision in this Language Package (300+ occurrences) and must be resolved before any Phase 2 segment translation begins.
Spirit Of The Lord
Approved rendering: el Espíritu de Jehová / el Espíritu del SEÑOR
Transliteration: ruach YHWH
Doctrine: sovereign_choice_of_david / anointed_king_as_type_of_messiah
Rejected alternatives: una fuerza espiritual impersonal, un espíritu guía o ancestral que ‘se posesiona’ de la persona
Original: רוּח יהוה
Category: God
God’s own personal, active presence empowering a person for a specific office or task (10:6,10; 11:6; 16:13). Same divine Person as the baseline ‘Espíritu Santo,’ but describes episodic task-empowerment, not permanent indwelling. Must be explicitly distinguished from ancestral, ‘guide,’ or possessing spirits invoked in Espiritismo and Santería — a live syncretism risk sharpened here because the text narrates a spirit ‘rushing upon’ a person, language that could otherwise be misheard through a possession-trance framework. Avoid vocabulary such as ‘se posesionó de’ or ‘lo montó’ that would import that exact risk.
Evil Spirit
Approved rendering: espíritu malo / espíritu perturbador
Transliteration: ruach ra’ah
Doctrine: consequences_of_persistent_disobedience
Rejected alternatives: espíritu maligno (acceptable synonym, but keep consistent, not interchangeable, across the curriculum)
Original: רוּח רָעָה
Category: God
An oppressive spiritual affliction sent upon Saul after the Spirit of the LORD departs (16:14; 18:10; 19:9), operating under God’s sovereign permission. Must be carefully distinguished from folk-religious categories of ‘malos espíritus,’ wandering or possessing entities central to Espiritismo and Santería, while still affirming the text’s own claim that this affliction operates under God’s sovereignty, not as an independent occult force. Requires human theologian review every occurrence.
Anoint
Approved rendering: ungir
Transliteration: mashach
Doctrine: anointed_king_as_type_of_messiah
Rejected alternatives: consagrar (alone; loses the specific ritual-oil sense and the lexical link to Mesías)
Original: מָשַׁח
Category: Christology
The ritual act of pouring/smearing oil to set apart a king, priest, or (rarely) prophet (9:16; 10:1; 16:3,12-13; 24:6; 26:9). Direct lexical root of ‘Mesías,’ already Critical in the Romans baseline. Every anointing of Saul or David must be taught as a historical enactment of the pattern fulfilled in Christ, never as a merely ceremonial or honorific gesture.
The Lords Anointed
Approved rendering: el ungido de Jehová / el ungido del SEÑOR
Transliteration: meshiach YHWH
Doctrine: anointed_king_as_type_of_messiah
Rejected alternatives: el elegido de Dios (too generic; loses the specific messianic-title force)
Original: מְשִׁיחַ יהוה
Category: Christology
The fixed technical title for the reigning or divinely designated king (16:6; 24:6,10; 26:9,11,16,23). The Old Testament technical title standing directly behind ‘Mesías.’ Applied even to Saul after his rejection (chs.24,26); every occurrence requires a mandatory teaching note clarifying that David’s reverence is for the office, not Saul’s personal fitness — the office typologically points to the ultimate, unrejectable Anointed King. Mandatory theologian review every occurrence.
Choose Chosen
Approved rendering: escoger / elegir
Transliteration: bachar
Doctrine: sovereign_choice_of_david
Rejected alternatives: destino, suerte
Original: בָּחַר
Category: Election
Verb-form counterpart to the baseline noun ‘elección.’ The sevenfold refrain ‘Jehová no ha elegido a éste’ (16:8-10) is the tightest lexical bridge between this curriculum and the Romans baseline. Never render with vernacular fatalistic terms like ‘destino’ or ‘suerte’ — the same forbidden-alternatives logic the baseline already applies to ‘elección.‘
Reject Cast Off
Approved rendering: desechar
Transliteration: ma’as
Doctrine: danger_of_rejecting_god_as_king
Rejected alternatives: no favorecer, dejar de lado, rechazar (too casual/register-mismatched for the covenantal-finality sense required in this specific chain)
Original: מָאַס
Category: Election
Forms the tightest lexical chain in the book (8:7 → 10:19 → 15:23,26 → 16:1,7): Israel’s rejection of God as king is answered by God’s rejection of Saul as king. Must render identically at every occurrence for doctrinal and pedagogical consistency; weaker alternatives understate covenantal finality.
Obey Obedience
Approved rendering: obedecer / obediencia
Transliteration: shama
Doctrine: obedience_versus_sacrifice
Rejected alternatives: cumplir (too legalistic/external), escuchar alone (loses the built-in ‘and-do’ force of shama)
Original: שָׁמַע
Category: Sin
The doctrinal anchor term of this entire curriculum (1 Samuel 15:22, ‘obedecer es mejor que los sacrificios’). Hebrew shama fuses hearing and doing; Spanish has no single word with this built-in fusion, so every occurrence of 15:22 requires an explicit two-part teaching gloss. Cross-reference the baseline ‘obediencia de la fe’ to show continuity across Testaments without asserting lexical identity.
Herem Devote To Destruction
Approved rendering: destruir por completo / exterminar
Transliteration: charam
Doctrine: obedience_versus_sacrifice / consequences_of_persistent_disobedience
Rejected alternatives: transliterating ‘herem’ directly into teaching material (risks false technical-sounding legitimacy detached from historical context)
Original: חָרַם
Category: Sin
A total, irrevocable dedication of persons/property to destruction as an act of holy war under direct divine command (15:3,8-9,18-19). Requires a dedicated pastoral/theological framing note in every occurrence: historically and covenantally bound to this specific conquest-era command, not a general ethic of violence. Mandatory human theologian review every occurrence.
Medium Necromancer
Approved rendering: nigromante / médium
Transliteration: ov (ba’alat-ov)
Doctrine: prohibition_of_necromancy
Rejected alternatives: adivina (unqualified; risks a neutral or admiring tone), vidente (would collide with the restricted ‘seer’ entry below)
Original: אוֹב (בַּעֲלַת־אוֹב)
Category: SpiritualConflict
A person who claims to summon and consult the spirits of the dead; forbidden under the Mosaic Law (Leviticus 19:31; 20:6). The single most acute live syncretism risk in this entire curriculum, given active Espiritismo, Santería, and curanderismo practices in the destination culture. Must be taught as an explicit, unambiguous biblical condemnation, never a neutral cultural description, and never in a way that could validate the practice’s efficacy. Mandatory human theologian review every occurrence, paired with pastoral guidance material.
Seer
Approved rendering: vidente (restringido a la glosa de 9:9) / profeta (todo otro uso)
Transliteration: ro’eh
Doctrine: samuels_role_as_prophet_and_judge
Rejected alternatives: vidente como sinónimo general de ‘profeta’ en cualquier otro lugar del libro
Original: רֺאֶה
Category: Prophecy
An older, largely synonymous title for ‘prophet,’ explicitly glossed as archaic within the text itself (9:9: ‘el que ahora se llama profeta, antes se llamaba vidente’). Direct collision with the Romans baseline’s explicit rejection of ‘vidente’ for ‘prophet’ due to new-age/fortune-telling associations. Resolution: render ‘vidente’ ONLY within 9:9’s own gloss, always with a mandatory explanatory note that this is the text’s own historical footnote about vocabulary, not an endorsement of fortune-telling. Everywhere else, including all other references to Samuel’s office, use ‘profeta’ with zero exceptions.
Salvation Deliverance
Approved rendering: salvación
Transliteration: yeshuah / teshuah
Doctrine: faith_versus_fear
Original: יְשׁוּעָה / תְּשׁוּעָה
Category: Salvation
God’s decisive rescue; in 1 Samuel, specifically temporal, military deliverance (14:6,45). Reuses baseline ‘salvación,’ Critical there. Teaching material MUST distinguish this OT sense (this-worldly military rescue) from the Romans-baseline sense (eternal reconciliation through Christ) while showing typological continuity — the same God who saves in battle is the God who saves through the cross.
High Risk Terms
Grace
Approved rendering: gracia
Transliteration: charis
Doctrine: Grace
Rejected alternatives: favor merecido, recompensa por buenas obras
Gracia is standard across all Spanish Bible traditions… unmerited favor received by faith alone. Inherited from Romans package.
Faith
Approved rendering: fe
Transliteration: pistis
Doctrine: Faith
Rejected alternatives: devoción religiosa general, creencia cultural heredada
Personal trust in Christ specifically. Inherited from Romans package.
Calling
Approved rendering: llamado
Transliteration: klēsis
Doctrine: Divine Calling
Rejected alternatives: vocación (in the narrow sense of a call to priesthood or religious life)
CAUTION: ‘vocación’ in Catholic-majority culture is strongly associated with priesthood/consecrated life. Inherited from Romans package.
Sanctification
Approved rendering: santificación
Transliteration: hagiasmos
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: purificación penitencial, vía purgativa
The Spirit’s ongoing work of making believers holy. Inherited from Romans package.
Law
Approved rendering: ley
Transliteration: nomos
Doctrine: Fulfillment of Prophecy
The Mosaic law/Torah. Inherited from Romans package.
Obedience Of Faith
Approved rendering: obediencia de la fe
Transliteration: hypakoē pisteōs
Doctrine: Obedience of Faith
Rejected alternatives: obediencia a los preceptos de la Iglesia, cumplimiento de mandamientos eclesiásticos
Obedience that flows from faith, not compliance with ecclesial precepts. Inherited from Romans package.
Covenant
Approved rendering: pacto
Transliteration: diathēkē
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Rejected alternatives: contrato legal
Original: בְּרִית
Category: Covenant
Standardizes on ‘pacto’; ‘alianza’ recognized as a valid Catholic-tradition synonym in ecumenical settings. Inherited from Romans package.
Election
Approved rendering: elección
Transliteration: eklogē
Doctrine: Effectual Calling
Rejected alternatives: destino, suerte
Original: (concept; cf. בָּחַר bachar)
Category: Election
God’s sovereign personal choice; avoid fatalistic ‘destino’/‘suerte.’ Inherited from Romans package.
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: Espíritu Santo
Transliteration: pneuma hagion
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: una fuerza impersonal, un espíritu guía o ancestral
The personal third Person of the Trinity, distinguished from ancestral/guide spirits invoked in Espiritismo and Santería. Inherited from Romans package.
Lord Of Hosts
Approved rendering: Jehová de los ejércitos / SEÑOR Todopoderoso
Transliteration: YHWH Tseva’ot
Doctrine: transition_judges_to_monarchy / danger_of_rejecting_god_as_king
Original: יהוה צְבָאוֹת
Category: God
God as commander of heavenly and/or earthly armies; a royal-military divine title. First occurrence in Scripture in Hannah’s prayer (1:3,11). Tracks the yhwh_lord rendering policy for internal consistency. Frames God as Israel’s true sovereign warrior-king before any human monarchy exists, directly grounding the Transition doctrine.
Reign
Approved rendering: reinar
Transliteration: malak
Doctrine: transition_judges_to_monarchy / danger_of_rejecting_god_as_king
Original: מָלַךְ
Category: Kingship
Carries the weight of 1 Samuel 8’s central contrast: God already reigns; Israel’s demand for a human king to ‘reign like the nations’ is interpreted by God as a rejection of his own kingship (8:7; 12:12). Must connect explicitly to the baseline ‘reino de Dios.‘
Heart
Approved rendering: corazón
Transliteration: levav
Doctrine: sovereign_choice_of_david
Original: לֵבָב
Category: Election
The decisive criterion in God’s choice of David over Saul’s sons (16:7; 13:14): ‘el hombre mira lo que está delante de sus ojos, pero Jehová mira el corazón.’ Must be glossed on first occurrence as will/character, not sentiment, to avoid a merely emotional reading that would undercut the doctrine of sovereign election.
Sacrifice
Approved rendering: sacrificio (noun) / sacrificar (verb)
Transliteration: zebach / zabach
Doctrine: obedience_versus_sacrifice
Original: זֶבַח / זָבַח
Category: Worship
A slaughtered offering; a normal, legitimate act of worship (15:22; 16:2-5). Elevated to High for this curriculum given its doctrinal centrality. Must be taught in deliberate tension with, not contradiction of, 15:22: sacrifice is good and commanded but cannot substitute for obedience. Samuel’s own cover-story sacrifice (16:2-5) must not be read as undermining his earlier teaching.
Chesed Steadfast Love
Approved rendering: lealtad de pacto / bondad (contextual: misericordia)
Transliteration: chesed
Doctrine: covenant_loyalty_friendship
Rejected alternatives: gracia (flattening chesed entirely into the baseline term, which does not presuppose a prior covenant bond)
Original: חֶסֶד
Category: Covenant
Loyal love, covenant kindness — combining loyalty, mercy, and covenant faithfulness (20:8,14-15). No single fixed Spanish equivalent across Bible traditions (RV1960 varies: ‘misericordia,’ ‘merced,’ ‘bondad’). Must never be rendered simply as ‘gracia’; chesed presumes a prior covenant bond, while gracia/charis does not presuppose merit or relationship. Requires its own glossary note distinguishing the two every occurrence.
Battle Is The Lords
Approved rendering: de Jehová es la batalla / del SEÑOR es la batalla
Transliteration: la-YHWH hammilchamah
Doctrine: faith_versus_fear
Rejected alternatives: frases motivacionales genéricas sobre el valor o la autoconfianza
Original: לַיהוה הַמִּלְחָמָה
Category: Faith
A confession that ultimate victory belongs to God, not to military might or human strength (17:47). The lexical anchor of the Faith versus Fear doctrine. Must be preserved as an unqualified theological confession, not softened into merely motivational or self-help language about courage. Tracks the yhwh_lord rendering policy.
Faith Trust
Approved rendering: confianza en el SEÑOR (contextual) / fe (donde el paralelo con el NT es explícito)
Transliteration: batach
Doctrine: faith_versus_fear
Rejected alternatives: fe como equivalente automático de toda confianza expresada en el Antiguo Testamento
Original: בָּטַח (batach, conceptually related)
Category: Faith
Active, confident trust in God’s character and faithfulness, especially in 17:37,45-47. No single fixed OT terminus technicus equivalent to Pauline pistis exists here. Reuse baseline ‘fe’ only where the parallel to the NT technical sense is clear; otherwise render David’s trust language as ‘confianza en Jehová/el SEÑOR’ to avoid overclaiming lexical identity with the baseline ‘fe.‘
Ark Of God Covenant
Approved rendering: arca de Dios / arca del pacto
Transliteration: aron ha’Elohim / aron habberit
Doctrine: divine_presence_and_the_ark
Original: אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים / אֲרוֹן הַבְּרִית
Category: Covenant
The physical, portable throne-symbol of God’s covenant presence with Israel (chs.4-6). Its capture is not a defeat of God but a judgment on Israel’s presumption; must be taught against a magical-talisman misreading, a real risk given popular use of religious objects (medallas, reliquias) as protective charms in folk Catholic practice. Reuses baseline ‘pacto.‘
Holy Consecrate
Approved rendering: santificar(se)
Transliteration: qadash / qadosh
Doctrine: sovereign_choice_of_david / obedience_versus_sacrifice
Original: קָדַשׁ / קָדוֹשׁ
Category: Sanctification
Ritual self-purification before approaching God; moral and relational set-apartness (16:5, ‘santificaos’). Shares the root already Critical (as ‘santos’) and High/Medium (as ‘santo/santificación’) in the Romans baseline. Must be taught as denoting ritual readiness before God, not progress toward canonization or merit accumulation.
Medium Risk Terms
Called
Approved rendering: llamado
Transliteration: klētos
Doctrine: Divine Calling
Rejected alternatives: convocado (bureaucratic/legal register)
Context-sensitive. Inherited from Romans package.
Holy
Approved rendering: santo
Transliteration: hagios
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: puro en sentido ritual
Set apart for God and morally pure. Inherited from Romans package.
Kingdom Of God
Approved rendering: reino de Dios
Transliteration: basileia tou theou
Doctrine: Kingdom Mission
God’s sovereign reign. Inherited from Romans package.
Sin
Approved rendering: pecado
Transliteration: hamartia
Doctrine: Universal Human Accountability
Rejected alternatives: falta (minimizing euphemism common in pastoral speech)
Original: חֵטְא / חָטָא
Category: Sin
Moral transgression before a personal God. Inherited from Romans package.
Glory
Approved rendering: gloria
Transliteration: doxa
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
God’s radiant honor and presence. Inherited from Romans package.
Power Of God
Approved rendering: poder de Dios
Transliteration: dynamis theou
Doctrine: Power of God for Salvation
Standard, unambiguous rendering. Inherited from Romans package.
Prophet
Approved rendering: profeta
Transliteration: prophētēs
Doctrine: Inspiration of Scripture
Rejected alternatives: vidente, adivino
Original: נָבִיא
Category: Prophecy
God’s spokesperson; distinguish from a fortune-teller or new-age ‘vidente.’ Inherited from Romans package. Risk tier elevated from Low (Romans baseline) to Medium for this curriculum.
Providence
Approved rendering: providencia
Transliteration: pronoia
Doctrine: Providence
Rejected alternatives: destino, la suerte
God’s personal, purposive governance; avoid fatalistic ‘destino/suerte’ framing. Inherited from Romans package.
Seed Of David
Approved rendering: descendencia de David
Transliteration: sperma Dauid
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Conveys physical lineage and Old Testament covenant fulfillment. Inherited from Romans package.
King
Approved rendering: rey
Transliteration: melek
Doctrine: transition_judges_to_monarchy
Original: מֶלֶךְ
Category: Kingship
Standard, unambiguous rendering (from ch.8 onward). Must be taught in explicit subordination to ‘reino de Dios’ (baseline) so human kingship is understood as provisional, not competing with God’s own kingship.
Judge Office
Approved rendering: juez
Transliteration: shophet
Doctrine: samuels_role_as_prophet_and_judge / transition_judges_to_monarchy
Rejected alternatives: árbitro, gobernante (both lose the combined civil/military/covenantal force)
Original: שֹׁפֵט
Category: Kingship
The office combining civil arbitration, military leadership, and covenant enforcement in the pre-monarchic period (4:18; 7:6,15-17; 8:1-5). Names Samuel’s transitional office and the book of Judges itself; must be distinguished from a purely legal/courtroom sense.
Word Of The Lord
Approved rendering: palabra de Jehová / palabra del SEÑOR
Transliteration: devar YHWH
Doctrine: samuels_role_as_prophet_and_judge / inspiration_authority_of_gods_word
Original: דְּבַר־יהוה
Category: Prophecy
God’s authoritative, self-disclosing speech through his prophet (3:1,7,21; 15:10,23). ‘The word of the LORD was rare’ frames the spiritual crisis of the era and Samuel’s unique prophetic vocation. Connects to the Romans-baseline doctrine ‘Inspiration of Scripture’; teach as direct divine revelation, distinct from the broader Catholic framework holding Scripture and Magisterial teaching as jointly authoritative. Tracks the yhwh_lord rendering policy.
Prophesy Verb
Approved rendering: profetizar
Transliteration: hitnabbe
Doctrine: samuels_role_as_prophet_and_judge
Original: הִתְנַבֵּא
Category: Prophecy
To behave as a prophet; ecstatic or declarative speech under the Spirit’s influence (10:10-11; 19:20-24). Saul’s temporary prophetic empowerment contrasts with David’s permanent Spirit-empowerment in ch.16. Must be taught carefully against Afro-Caribbean spirit-possession trance phenomena; the emphasis is task-specific divine empowerment, not ecstatic trance for its own sake.
Inquire Of The Lord
Approved rendering: consultar a Jehová / consultar al SEÑOR
Transliteration: sha’al ba-YHWH
Doctrine: prohibition_of_necromancy / samuels_role_as_prophet_and_judge
Original: שָׁאַל בַּיהוה
Category: Prophecy
Seeking specific divine guidance through legitimate priestly/prophetic means (23:2,4; 28:6). Models the positive counterpart to ch.28’s illegitimate necromancy: legitimate versus illegitimate means of seeking divine guidance. Tracks the yhwh_lord rendering policy.
Name Of The Lord
Approved rendering: en el nombre de Jehová / en el nombre del SEÑOR
Transliteration: shem YHWH
Doctrine: faith_versus_fear
Original: שֵׁם יְהוָה
Category: Faith
God’s revealed character and reputation, invoked as the ground of confident action (17:45). David’s declaration is the theological opposite of Goliath’s boasting in his own size and weaponry.
The Youngest
Approved rendering: el menor / el más joven
Transliteration: haqqatan
Doctrine: sovereign_choice_of_david
Original: הַקָּטָן
Category: Election
Youngest in birth order; also connotes lowest social standing among brothers (16:11). God’s choice deliberately inverts human birth-order expectations of honor, reinforcing sovereign election over natural precedence.
Shepherd Pastoral
Approved rendering: apacentar / pastorear
Transliteration: ro’eh / ra’ah (ayin root)
Doctrine: sovereign_choice_of_david / anointed_king_as_type_of_messiah
Original: רָעָה
Category: Election
To shepherd, pasture; a royal metaphor throughout the Ancient Near East and OT (16:11; cf. 2 Samuel 5:2). David’s literal occupation becomes the governing metaphor for his kingship, anticipating messianic shepherd-king typology (Ezekiel 34; John 10). Etymologically distinct from the ‘to see’ root (ra’ah, aleph) used in 16:1,7; do not conflate despite the similar transliteration.
Vow
Approved rendering: voto
Transliteration: neder
Doctrine: gods_providence_raising_leaders
Rejected alternatives: promesa (folk-Catholic bargaining connotation: ‘hacerle una promesa’ a un santo o a la Virgen a cambio de un favor)
Original: נֶדֶר
Category: HistoricalNarrative
A binding, voluntary religious promise made to God (1:11). Hannah’s vow dedicating Samuel to lifelong service models covenant faithfulness. Must be taught as a serious, unmediated, binding commitment directly to God, not a negotiated folk-religious bargaining gesture.
Fear Of The Lord
Approved rendering: temor de Jehová / temor del SEÑOR
Transliteration: yare
Doctrine: samuels_role_as_prophet_and_judge
Original: יָרֵא
Category: Faith
Reverent awe combined with obedience, not terror (12:24). Samuel’s closing call is a summary ethical imperative for the whole monarchy period. Must be distinguished from mere terror or superstitious dread, and from the negative sense of fear (of Goliath/circumstances) contrasted in the Faith versus Fear doctrine.
Commandment
Approved rendering: mandamiento / precepto
Transliteration: mitzvah
Doctrine: obedience_versus_sacrifice
Original: מִצְוָה
Category: Sin
A specific divine instruction, distinct from the broader ‘ley/Torah’ (13:13-14). Saul’s violation of a specific divine command through Samuel costs him the kingdom’s permanence. Reuse baseline family term ‘ley’ contextually, or render standalone occurrences ‘mandamiento/precepto.‘
Foreign Gods
Approved rendering: dioses ajenos / dioses extraños
Transliteration: elohei nekhar
Doctrine: danger_of_rejecting_god_as_king
Original: אֱלֹהֵי נֵכָר
Category: SpiritualConflict
Idols of other nations, put away as a condition of repentance (ch.7). Repentance requires exclusive covenant loyalty to the LORD — relevant background for teaching against blending Christian faith with folk-religious practice.
Rock Divine Title
Approved rendering: Roca
Transliteration: tsur
Doctrine: gods_providence_raising_leaders
Original: צוּר
Category: God
A divine title emphasizing stability, refuge, and unshakeable faithfulness (2:2). Hannah’s song anticipates the book’s contrast between a faithful God and a failing human monarchy. Must be taught as a relational divine epithet, not an impersonal cosmic force or nature-worship image.
Holy Bread
Approved rendering: pan consagrado / pan sagrado
Transliteration: lechem haqqodesh
Doctrine: Background/Sanctification (no single primary curriculum doctrine assignment)
Rejected alternatives: hostia consagrada (avoid; risks conflation with Catholic Eucharistic terminology and an unintended typological leap)
Original: לֶחֶם הַקֹּדֶשׁ
Category: Sanctification
The consecrated ‘bread of the Presence,’ reserved for priestly consumption, given to David in an emergency (21:1-6; later cited by Jesus in Matthew 12:3-4). Shares the root of ‘santo/holy’; illustrates mercy overriding ritual technicality. Keep descriptive, non-liturgical phrasing to avoid inviting a confused Eucharistic parallel.
Glory Kavod
Approved rendering: gloria
Transliteration: kavod
Doctrine: divine_presence_and_the_ark
Original: כָּבוֹד
Category: God
God’s weighty, manifest presence and honor; its departure (‘Icabod,’ 4:21-22) signals covenant crisis. Reuses baseline ‘gloria’ for kavod; teach kavod’s ‘heaviness/weightiness’ nuance alongside the NT doxa’s ‘radiance’ nuance without introducing a second Spanish term.
Deliver Rescue
Approved rendering: librar / rescatar
Transliteration: natsal / hitsil
Doctrine: faith_versus_fear
Original: נָצַל / הִצִּיל
Category: Salvation
God’s rescuing action from danger, closely related to but distinct from yeshuah/teshuah (17:37). David’s confidence models faith as active trust in God’s character and past faithfulness, not the absence of danger.
Strengthened Himself In The Lord
Approved rendering: se fortaleció en Jehová / se fortaleció en el SEÑOR
Transliteration: vayyitchazzeq ba-YHWH
Doctrine: faith_versus_fear
Original: וַיִּתְחַזֵּק בַּיהוה
Category: Faith
Active, deliberate recourse to God for courage in a moment of despair (30:6). The positive counterpart to Saul’s despairing recourse to necromancy in ch.28; pairs directly with Faith versus Fear.
Low Risk Terms
Thanksgiving
Approved rendering: acción de gracias
Transliteration: eucharistia
Doctrine: Thanksgiving
Standard term. Inherited from Romans package.
Prophecy
Approved rendering: profecía
Transliteration: prophēteia
Doctrine: Fulfillment of Prophecy
Rejected alternatives: horóscopo, predicción esotérica
Original: נְבוּאָה (concept)
Category: Prophecy
God-inspired declaration, not astrology or esoteric prediction. Inherited from Romans package.
David
Approved rendering: David
Transliteration: Dawid
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Original: דָּוִד
Category: Christology
Standard proper name. Inherited from Romans package.
Israel
Approved rendering: Israel
Transliteration: Yisra’el
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles
Original: יִשְׂרָאֵל
Category: Covenant
Standard proper name. Inherited from Romans package.
Uncircumcised
Approved rendering: incircunciso
Transliteration: arel
Doctrine: faith_versus_fear
Original: עָרֵל
Category: Covenant
Covenant-outsider status, used as a term of scorn for Goliath the Philistine (17:26,36). Marks Goliath as outside God’s covenant people, heightening the covenantal stakes of the contest. Retain as historically descriptive; no contemporary offense risk in formal biblical register.
Love Ahav
Approved rendering: amar / amor
Transliteration: ahav
Doctrine: covenant_loyalty_friendship
Original: אָהַב
Category: Covenant
Covenantal, loyal love — used of Jonathan’s love for David (18:1,3). No ambiguity risk for this curriculum’s teaching purposes; models selfless covenant loyalty. Translate literally; let covenantal context, not euphemism or amplification, carry the meaning against modern romantic reinterpretation.
Serve
Approved rendering: servir
Transliteration: avad
Doctrine: gods_providence_raising_leaders
Original: עָבַד
Category: Faith
Covenant service/worship of God, exclusive of other loyalties (12:24). Paired with ‘temor de Jehová,’ summarizing covenant fidelity owed to God alone as Israel’s true King even under a human king.
Dagon
Approved rendering: Dagón
Transliteration: Dagon
Doctrine: divine_presence_and_the_ark
Original: דָּגוֹן
Category: SpiritualConflict
The proper name of a Philistine deity (ch.5). Proper name; no rendering ambiguity, but flag for teaching: the ark’s power topples Dagón’s idol, asserting the LORD’s supremacy over a named rival god — a concrete narrative instance of the baseline’s abstract ‘no rival deity-name confusion’ note for ‘Dios.‘
Hand Of The Lord
Approved rendering: la mano de Jehová / la mano del SEÑOR
Transliteration: yad YHWH
Doctrine: divine_presence_and_the_ark
Original: יַד־יהוה
Category: God
Idiom for God’s active power, often in judgment (ch.5). Standard biblical idiom with no ambiguity in Spanish. Tracks the yhwh_lord rendering policy.
Guilt Offering
Approved rendering: ofrenda por el pecado / expiación
Transliteration: asham
Doctrine: obedience_versus_sacrifice
Original: אָשָׁם
Category: Worship
A ritual reparation/guilt offering (ch.6). Ritual-technical term with no doctrinal ambiguity for this curriculum’s scope.
Man Of God
Approved rendering: hombre de Dios
Transliteration: ish Elohim
Doctrine: samuels_role_as_prophet_and_judge
Original: אִישׁ אֱלֹהִים
Category: Prophecy
A prophetic title for one who speaks/acts with divine authority; applied to the unnamed prophet confronting Eli (ch.2). A synonym-title for ‘prophet.‘
Sons Of Belial
Approved rendering: hombres perversos / hijos de iniquidad
Transliteration: benei Beliyya’al
Doctrine: consequences_of_persistent_disobedience
Original: בְּנֵי בְלִיַּעַל
Category: Sin
Idiom for morally corrupt, wicked men, describing Eli’s sons’ abuse of the priesthood (ch.2). ‘Belial’ need not be transliterated for this audience.
Witness
Approved rendering: testigo
Transliteration: ed
Doctrine: samuels_role_as_prophet_and_judge
Original: עֵד
Category: HistoricalNarrative
One who testifies to the truth of a matter. Samuel calls both the LORD and the assembly as witnesses to his own integrity (ch.12), modeling covenant accountability for prophetic-judicial leadership.
Ruddy
Approved rendering: rubio (tradición RV1960; requiere nota didáctica)
Transliteration: admoni
Doctrine: sovereign_choice_of_david
Original: אַדְמוֹנִי
Category: HistoricalNarrative
Reddish complexion, associated with youth and vigor (16:12); same root used of Esau (Genesis 25:25). RV1960 traditionally renders ‘rubio,’ which in contemporary Spanish suggests ‘blond-haired,’ a known translation-tradition drift from the more literal ‘reddish-complexioned.’ Flag with a brief clarifying note so learners do not read a modern racial/hair-color connotation into the term; the narrative point is vigor and youthful health, deliberately juxtaposed against v.7’s warning not to judge by appearance.
Vengeance
Approved rendering: venganza
Transliteration: naqam
Doctrine: consequences_of_persistent_disobedience
Original: נָקָם
Category: Sin
Retribution or repayment for wrong done. David’s restraint from personal vengeance (25:26,33) anticipates the New Testament ethic of leaving vengeance to God (cf. Romans 12:19). Cross-reference for continuity across curricula.
Low-Medium Risk Terms
Ephod
Approved rendering: efod
Transliteration: ephod
Doctrine: samuels_role_as_prophet_and_judge
Original: אֵפוֹד
Category: Worship
A priestly vestment used also in seeking divine guidance via lots (Urim/Thummim) (2:18,28; 22:18; 23:6,9). Transliterate per established Bible-translation convention; brief explanatory gloss recommended on first occurrence.
Medium (pastoral) Risk Terms
Fell On His Own Sword
Approved rendering: se dejó caer sobre su espada
Transliteration: vayyippol aleha
Doctrine: consequences_of_persistent_disobedience
Original: וַיִּפֹּל עָלֶיהָ
Category: HistoricalNarrative
Saul’s death by his own hand to avoid capture and mutilation by the Philistines (31:4-5). Pastoral sensitivity, not lexical ambiguity: render factually/non-graphically. Teach within the full narrative arc of covenant disobedience and its consequences, without sensationalizing the act or using it moralistically against those affected by suicide today.