Semantic Analysis
Semantic Analysis: Exodus (Full Book) — English → Spanish
Methodological Note on Original Language
Exodus was composed in Biblical Hebrew, not Koine Greek. Per the pipeline’s instruction to analyze “the original Koine Greek,” this document supplies the Hebrew original (the actual source language) as the primary “original word” field for every term, paired with its Septuagint (LXX) Greek rendering as the Koine Greek witness — the same Greek textual tradition the New Testament writers themselves quote and echo when citing Exodus (e.g., Romans 9:15-18 citing Exodus 33:19 and 9:16). This dual apparatus lets this Language Package extension speak the same “original-language” register as the baseline Romans package while remaining textually honest about Exodus’s Hebrew origin. Every term entry below therefore includes: Hebrew original + transliteration, LXX Greek + transliteration, literal meaning, semantic range, English variants, contextual theological meaning, and destination-language (Spanish) rendering risk.
Terms already fixed in the baseline translation_memory.json (e.g., gracia, fe, santo/santos, santificación, salvación, llamado, Señor, gloria, ley, pecado, pacto, elección, intercesión, poder de Dios, profeta, Mesías, Dios, Espíritu Santo, Padre, Israel, misión) are marked [BASELINE REUSE] and MUST be rendered exactly as recorded in that file. This document only adds new fields of theological nuance specific to how these terms function in Exodus; it never overrides the baseline rendering.
PART 1 — CORE PASSAGE: Exodus 12:1-14 (Verse-by-Verse)
Exodus 12:1
“Y habló el SEÑOR a Moisés y a Aarón en la tierra de Egipto, diciendo:”
LORD (YHWH)
- Hebrew: יְהוָה (YHWH) — Transliteration: Yahweh (traditionally read Adonai)
- LXX Greek: Κύριος — Transliteration: Kyrios
- Literal meaning: God’s personal covenant name, likely tied to the verb הָיָה (“to be”); the self-existent “I AM” (see Exodus 3:14 below).
- Semantic range: The proper covenant name, distinct from Elohim (generic “God”) and Adonai (“Lord/Master”). Occurs continuously through Exodus 1-40.
- English variants: LORD (small caps), Yahweh, Jehovah.
- Contextual theological meaning: God speaks to Moses and Aaron in His own covenant-identity, grounding the Passover instructions in the authority of the God who bound Himself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and is about to act as Redeemer.
- Spanish rendering / risk: CRITICAL. Recommend “el SEÑOR” (small caps/versalitas), the modern-Spanish-Bible convention (NVI, RVA2015, DHH, Biblia de las Américas) that visually distinguishes the Tetragrammaton from generic lowercase “señor”/κύριος (already the baseline term for Christ’s lordship, Romans 10:9). RV1960 instead transliterates “Jehová.” This curriculum standardizes on “el SEÑOR” and documents “Jehová” as an accepted RV1960-tradition variant. NEVER collapse YHWH into lowercase “señor” (generic master), and never let learners assume Exodus’s YHWH and Romans’ “Señor Jesús” are merely homonyms rather than the same divine identity revealed progressively.
Moisés / Aarón / Egipto — Low risk. Standard, universally fixed Spanish Bible proper names (Moisés, Aarón, Egipto). No rendering ambiguity.
Exodus 12:2
“Este mes os será principio de los meses; será para vosotros el primero en los meses del año.”
month / year (calendar reset)
- Hebrew: חֹדֶשׁ (chodesh, “month/new moon”) / שָׁנָה (shanah, “year”)
- LXX Greek: μήν (mēn) / ἐνιαυτός (eniautos)
- Literal meaning: the lunar month; the yearly cycle.
- Semantic range: ordinary calendrical vocabulary, but here repurposed as the founding date of Israel’s sacred calendar.
- English variants: month, new moon, year.
- Contextual theological meaning: Israel’s entire time-reckoning is reoriented around the redemptive act about to occur — redemption becomes the hinge of history, not merely a past event remembered within an already-existing calendar.
- Spanish rendering/risk: Medium. “Mes”/“año” are unambiguous; the risk is purely catechetical — teach that this calendar reset signals redemption’s centrality, not merely translate the words.
Exodus 12:3
“Hablad a toda la congregación de Israel, diciendo: En el diez de este mes tomará para sí cada uno un cordero según las familias de los padres, un cordero por familia.”
congregation/community of Israel
- Hebrew: עֵדָה (edah) — LXX: συναγωγή (synagōgē)
- Literal meaning: an assembly gathered for a purpose.
- Semantic range: the whole covenant people considered corporately, not a subset.
- English variants: congregation, community, assembly.
- Contextual theological meaning: Passover is a corporate, covenant-wide ordinance — no household is exempt or optional.
- Spanish rendering/risk: Medium. “Congregación”/“comunidad de Israel” — standard; ensure “congregación” here is not read through a modern denominational-congregation lens.
lamb
- Hebrew: שֶׂה (seh, a lamb or young goat from the flock; cf. v.5) — LXX: πρόβατον (probaton); also ἀμνός/ἀρνίον (“lamb”) elsewhere in Scripture.
- Literal meaning: a lamb or young goat, taken from the flock.
- Semantic range: sacrificial substitute victim; later the fixed typological title for Christ (Juan 1:29, “el Cordero de Dios”; 1 Corintios 5:7, “Cristo, nuestra Pascua, ha sido sacrificado”).
- English variants: lamb, sheep.
- Contextual theological meaning: the Passover lamb is a substitutionary sacrifice whose blood shields the household from the judgment falling on Egypt — the book’s central Passover/Atonement typology.
- Spanish rendering/risk: CRITICAL. “Cordero” — lexically unambiguous and shared across all Spanish Bible traditions. NEW term (not in baseline Romans package); add to translation memory. Risk is catechetical: must be taught explicitly as substitutionary and sacrificial, not merely a festive meal ingredient, so learners connect Éxodo 12 directly to Cristo as the true Cordero.
household/family (father’s house)
- Hebrew: בֵּית אָבֹת (beit avot, “house of the fathers”) — LXX: οἶκος πατριῶν
- Contextual theological meaning: redemption is mediated through the family unit; every household must have its own substitute.
- Spanish rendering/risk: Low-Medium. “Familia”/“casa paterna” — standard.
Exodus 12:4
“Mas si la familia fuere pequeña que no baste a comer el cordero, entonces él y su vecino inmediato a su casa tomarán uno según el número de las personas…”
proportional participation (counted by persons) — Hebrew: מִכְסַת נְפָשת (mikhsat nefashot, “number/count of persons”) — Medium. Contextual meaning: every individual must be accounted for in the redemptive meal — none excluded, none merely nominal participants. Spanish: “según el número de las personas” — standard; teach the inclusivity principle explicitly.
Exodus 12:5
“El animal será sin defecto, macho, de un año; lo tomaréis de las ovejas o de las cabras.”
without blemish/defect
- Hebrew: תָּמִים (tamim) — LXX: τέλειον / ἄμωμον
- Literal meaning: complete, whole, unblemished, perfect.
- Semantic range: physical perfection in sacrificial contexts; moral integrity elsewhere (Génesis 17:1, “sé perfecto/intachable”).
- English variants: without blemish, without defect, unblemished, perfect.
- Contextual theological meaning: the victim’s physical perfection prefigures Christ’s moral and sinless perfection as the true Passover Lamb (1 Pedro 1:19, “cordero sin mancha y sin contaminación”).
- Spanish rendering/risk: HIGH. “Sin defecto”/“sin mancha” — must be rendered to preserve the sacrificial-perfection sense (not “de buena calidad” or merely “sano”), and should be taught forward into the NT’s identical “sin mancha” language for Christ.
Exodus 12:6
“…y lo guardaréis hasta el día catorce de este mes; y lo inmolará toda la congregación de Israel entre las dos tardes.”
slaughter/sacrifice
- Hebrew: שָׁחַט (shachat) — LXX: σφάζω (sphazō)
- Literal meaning: to slaughter ritually, to sacrifice.
- Semantic range: distinct from ordinary killing (הָרַג, harag); reserved for cultic slaughter of a sacrificial victim.
- English variants: slaughter, kill, sacrifice, slay.
- Contextual theological meaning: a deliberate substitutionary death — the lamb dies in the place of the household.
- Spanish rendering/risk: HIGH. Recommend “sacrificar”/“inmolar” over a flattening generic “matar” (kill), which would lose the cultic/substitutionary register.
between the two evenings (twilight) — Hebrew: בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם (beyn ha’arbayim) — Low-Medium, chronological detail; “al atardecer”/“entre las dos tardes” — standard.
Exodus 12:7
“Y tomarán de la sangre, y untarán en los dos postes y en el dintel de las casas…”
blood
- Hebrew: דָּם (dam) — LXX: αἷμα (haima)
- Literal meaning: blood, the life-substance of a sacrificial victim.
- Semantic range: throughout Torah, blood = life poured out, the divinely appointed means of atonement (Levítico 17:11, “la vida está en la sangre… para hacer expiación”).
- English variants: blood.
- Contextual theological meaning: blood applied to the doorframe is the visible sign of substitutionary death that turns away God’s judgment (v.13); the direct type of Christ’s blood securing believers from wrath (Romanos 5:9; 1 Pedro 1:19).
- Spanish rendering/risk: CRITICAL. “Sangre” — universally standard, but this is the linchpin term connecting Passover typology to substitutionary atonement, the curriculum’s core doctrine. NEW term; add to translation memory (not present in the baseline Romans package, though presupposed by Romanos 3:25/5:9). Must never be taught as a mere narrative detail.
doorposts/lintel — Hebrew: מְשׁקוֹף (mashqof, lintel) / mezuzot (posts) — LXX: φλιά. Low risk, architectural terms; note the sign is publicly visible on the house, marking a household set apart by faith-obedience.
Exodus 12:8
“Y aquella noche comerán la carne asada al fuego, y panes sin levadura; con hierbas amargas lo comerán.”
unleavened bread
- Hebrew: מַצּוֹת (matzot) — LXX: ἄζυμα (azyma)
- Literal meaning: bread made without leaven/yeast.
- Semantic range: symbol of haste (no time for dough to rise); later symbol of purity/removal of moral corruption (1 Corintios 5:6-8, “seamos… panes sin levadura de sinceridad y de verdad”).
- English variants: unleavened bread, bread without yeast.
- Spanish rendering/risk: HIGH. “Panes sin levadura” — standard rendering; the doctrinal weight must be taught forward, connecting “levadura” to corrupting sin influence in Pauline usage.
bitter herbs
- Hebrew: מְרֹרִים (merorim) — LXX: πικρίδες (pikrides)
- Literal meaning: bitter plants/herbs.
- Contextual theological meaning: memorializes the bitterness of Egyptian bondage.
- Spanish rendering/risk: Medium. “Hierbas amargas” — standard; needs contextual explanation, not lexical caution.
Exodus 12:9
“No comeréis de él crudo, ni cocido en agua, sino asado al fuego; comeréis también su cabeza, y sus piernas, y sus intestinos.”
wholeness of the roasted victim (head, legs, entrails) — no single Hebrew technical term, but the prescribed manner (roasted whole, not dismembered/boiled) signals the sacrifice’s integrity and completeness — Medium risk; teach as foreshadowing the wholeness/non-fragmentation of Christ’s sacrifice (cf. Juan 19:36, “hueso suyo no será quebrado,” of the Passover lamb typology applied to Christ). Spanish: “asado al fuego… con su cabeza, sus piernas y sus entrañas” — standard.
Exodus 12:10
“Ninguna cosa dejaréis de él hasta la mañana; y lo que quedare hasta la mañana, lo quemaréis en el fuego.”
nothing left till morning; burn the remainder — Medium risk. Contextual theological meaning: nothing sacrificial may be left to corrupt or be treated commonly; holiness requires complete consumption or complete destruction, not partial/casual treatment of what is set apart. Spanish: “no dejaréis nada… lo quemaréis” — standard; teach the holiness-of-completeness principle.
Exodus 12:11
“Y lo comeréis así: ceñidos vuestros lomos, vuestro calzado en vuestros pies, y vuestro bastón en vuestra mano; y lo comeréis apresuradamente, porque es la Pascua del SEÑOR.”
haste — Hebrew: חִפָּזוֹן (chippazon) — LXX: μετὰ σπουδῆς. Contextual theological meaning: a posture of readiness and faith-filled obedience awaiting God’s imminent redemptive act. Medium risk; “apresuradamente”/“con premura” — standard.
Passover
- Hebrew: פֶּסַח (pesach), from the verb פָסַח (pasach, “to pass over, to spare, to protect”) — LXX: πάσχα (pascha), a direct Hebrew transliteration rather than a translation.
- Literal meaning: “a passing over” / “a sparing.”
- Semantic range: (1) the historical tenth-plague event where YHWH passed over/spared blood-marked households; (2) the annual memorial feast; (3) the NT typological title for Christ’s atoning death (1 Corintios 5:7, “Cristo, nuestra Pascua, ha sido sacrificado por nosotros”).
- English variants: Passover, Pasch.
- Contextual theological meaning: names the entire redemptive event and its perpetual memorial, fulfilled directly in Christ.
- Spanish rendering/risk: CRITICAL — SYNCRETISM/COLLISION RISK. “Pascua” is the same word Spanish uses for the Christian celebration of Easter (“Pascua de Resurrección,” “Domingo de Pascua”), which in Spain and much of Latin America also carries secular springtime associations (chocolate eggs, school holidays, “vacaciones de Pascua”). This dual reference is theologically fitting (Christ fulfills Passover — 1 Corintios 5:7) but creates real learner-confusion risk: (a) collapsing the Exodus 12 festival into modern Easter customs; (b) assuming “Pascua” always means Easter Sunday and missing its Old Testament referent entirely. MUST be taught with explicit clarifying language — “la Pascua judía” / “la fiesta de la Pascua” for the Exodus 12 festival, expressly distinguished from (and then connected to, as fulfillment) “la Pascua cristiana” (Easter) — never assumed self-evident.
Exodus 12:12
“Pues yo pasaré aquella noche por la tierra de Egipto, y heriré a todo primogénito en la tierra de Egipto, así en los hombres como en los animales; y haré juicio contra todos los dioses de Egipto. Yo soy el SEÑOR.”
firstborn
- Hebrew: בְּכוֹר (bekor) — LXX: πρωτότοκον (prōtotokon)
- Literal meaning: the first male offspring, bearing rights of inheritance and consecration.
- Semantic range: legal/familial primacy; consecrated status (Éxodo 13:2, “conságrame todo primogénito”); typological title for Christ (Colosenses 1:15,18, “primogénito de toda creación… de entre los muertos”) and for the corporate people of God (Hebreos 12:23).
- English variants: firstborn, first-born son.
- Contextual theological meaning: the tenth plague’s judgment falls on the firstborn representing the whole family’s life and future; Israel’s firstborn are spared by substitutionary blood and later formally redeemed (Éxodo 13:13; 34:20).
- Spanish rendering/risk: CRITICAL. “Primogénito” — standard, unambiguous, but must be taught with its full redemptive-typological weight carried forward into the NT.
judgment on the gods of Egypt — Hebrew: implied by אֱלֹהֵי מִצְרַיִם (“gods of Egypt”) — LXX: πάντες οἱ θεοὶ Αἰγύπτου. Contextual theological meaning: the plagues, climaxing here, are framed as YHWH’s direct confrontation and defeat of Egypt’s pantheon, demonstrating His supremacy over every rival religious claim. Spanish rendering/risk: HIGH. “Haré juicio contra todos los dioses de Egipto” — teach with historical specificity (Egyptian religion), not flattened into generic anti-idolatry moralism, to preserve the text’s polemical force; relevant analogically to any destination-culture folk-religious or syncretistic frameworks (see doctrine registry note on Afro-Caribbean and folk-Catholic practices already flagged in the baseline).
“I am the LORD” — Hebrew: אֲנִי יְהוָה (ani YHWH) — LXX: ἐγὼ κύριος. See YHWH/SEÑOR entry at 12:1. This self-identification formula recurs as a refrain throughout Exodus (see chs. 6-10 below) — CRITICAL, self-authenticating divine speech.
Exodus 12:13
“Y la sangre os será por señal en las casas donde vosotros estéis; y veré la sangre, y pasaré de vosotros, y no habrá en vosotros plaga de mortandad, cuando hiera la tierra de Egipto.”
sign — Hebrew: אוֹת (ot) — LXX: σημεῖον (sēmeion). Contextual theological meaning: a divinely appointed, visible marker distinguishing the redeemed household — faith made visible through obedient action (applying the blood), not merely private belief. Medium-High risk; “señal” — standard.
“pass over” (verbal form, sparing) — Hebrew: פָסַח (pasach), the verbal root behind “Pascua” (see 12:11). Spanish rendering/risk: CRITICAL. RV1960 renders “pasaré de vosotros”; other versions “os pasaré de largo.” Translation-choice risk: the Spanish construction must unambiguously convey “I will pass over/by you [without striking you],” never merely “I will pass through you,” which could wrongly imply the plague still touches the household. God’s sparing is grounded strictly in the presence of the blood-sign, not any merit of the household — a direct substitutionary transaction, foundational to the whole curriculum’s atonement doctrine.
plague — Hebrew: נֶגֶף (negeph, “blow, plague”); cf. also “the destroyer” (מַשְׁחִית, mashchit) in v.23 — LXX: πληγή/ὄλεθρος. Medium risk; “plaga”/“mortandad” — standard.
Exodus 12:14
“Y este día os será en memoria, y lo celebraréis como fiesta solemne para el SEÑOR durante vuestras generaciones; por estatuto perpetuo lo celebraréis.”
memorial — Hebrew: זִכָּרוֹן (zikkaron) — LXX: μνημόσυνον (mnēmosynon). Contextual theological meaning: perpetual corporate remembrance that re-presents the redemptive event to every generation, not mere historical record. Medium-High risk; “memorial” — standard, teach the participatory (not merely commemorative) sense.
feast/festival to the LORD — Hebrew: חַג (chag) — LXX: ἑορτή (heortē). Medium risk; “fiesta solemne al SEÑOR” — standard.
statute forever / lasting ordinance — Hebrew: חֻקַּת עוֹלָם (chuqqat olam) — LXX: νόμιμον αἰώνιον. Semantic range: a permanent binding decree; ties directly to the Mosaic Covenant/Law doctrine. Spanish rendering/risk: HIGH. “Estatuto perpetuo”/“rito perpetuo” — risk that learners read this as a literally unending obligation on the church without the New Covenant’s typological fulfillment (Hebreos 8-10; Colosenses 2:16-17). Must be paired with a teaching note: the ordinance’s form was for Israel under the Mosaic Covenant; its substance is fulfilled once for all in Christ, our Passover.
PART 2 — CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER STUDY, EXODUS 1-40
Chapter 1 — Oppression in Egypt
| Terms | Variants | Theological meaning | Spanish risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| bondage/hard labor עֲבֹדָה (avodah) δουλεία / ἐργασία service, labor, servitude | ranges from ordinary “work” to “slavery” to cultic “service/worship” (same root reused in ch.5, 8-10) bondage, servitude, hard labor, service | Sets up “Deliverance from Bondage to Sin” doctrine’s historical type: literal, crushing forced labor under a false lord (Pharaoh) | High — “esclavitud”/“servidumbre dura”; flag now, because the same root later means “serve/worship the LORD” (ch.5), a wordplay largely lost in Spanish — must be taught explicitly |
| fear of God יִרְאַת אֱלֹהִים (yir’at Elohim) φόβος τοῦ θεοῦ reverent awe/moral submission before God | the Hebrew midwives’ fear of God overriding fear of Pharaoh fear of God | First appearance of the “Fear of the Lord” doctrine thread — reverence producing righteous defiance of ungodly authority | Medium — reuse concept, define fully at ch.20 |
Faraón, hijos de Israel — Low risk, standard proper nouns.
Chapter 2 — Moses’ Birth and Call to Compassion
| Term | Hebrew | LXX | Meaning | Range | Variants | Theological meaning | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moisés (name) | מֹשֶׁה (Mosheh), “drawn out [of water]“ | Μωυσῆς | drawn out | proper name with narrative etymology | Moses | Foreshadows Moses as the one “drawn out” who will himself draw Israel out of bondage — Mediator/Deliverer doctrine begins here | Low — standard name; teach the etymological foreshadowing as a teaching note only |
| cry/groaning | נְאָקָה / זְעָקָה (ne’aqah/ze’aqah) | κραυγή / στεναγμός | groaning, crying out | Israel’s suffering ascends to God as a cry that moves Him to act | groan, cry, cry out | God “hears” and “remembers” — introduces the Exodus-as-Redemption motif: redemption is God’s initiative in response to helpless crying, not human achievement | Medium |
| remember the covenant | זָכַר (zakar) + בְּרִית [BASELINE: pacto] | ἐμνήσθη τῆς διαθήκης | to remember, to act on a prior commitment | covenant memory triggers covenant action | remember | God’s redemptive action is covenant-grounded, not arbitrary — anticipates the Mosaic Covenant doctrine | Medium — “acordarse del pacto”; reuse pacto [BASELINE REUSE] |
Chapter 3 — The Burning Bush and the Divine Name
| Term | Hebrew | LXX | Meaning | Range | Variants | Theological meaning | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I AM WHO I AM | אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה (‘ehyeh ‘asher ‘ehyeh) | Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν (Egō eimi ho ōn) | “I will be/am what I will be/am” | self-existence, eternal presence, covenant faithfulness; root of the name YHWH itself | I AM WHO I AM, I AM THAT I AM, I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE | The foundational self-revelation of God’s Name and Character — the doctrinal anchor for “The Character and Name of God (I AM)”; echoed in Christ’s ἐγώ εἰμι sayings (Juan 8:58) | CRITICAL. Recommend RV1960-precedent “YO SOY EL QUE SOY” as the fixed rendering. Must be taught alongside the SEÑOR/YHWH entry (12:1) as two facets of one self-revelation: the Name (YHWH) and its meaning (I AM). Do not paraphrase into a philosophical “Ser Supremo” abstraction — the text is relational self-disclosure, not metaphysical speculation |
| holy ground | אַדְמַת קֹדֶשׁ (admat qodesh) | γῆ ἁγία | ground set apart by God’s presence | space made holy by divine encounter, not inherently sacred terrain | holy ground | Introduces the “Holiness and Fear of the Lord” doctrine — holiness as derivative from God’s presence, not a property of the physical location itself (guards against sacred-site/pilgrimage-shrine thinking) | High — reuse santo [BASELINE REUSE]; teach the derivative-holiness principle explicitly given Latin American popular piety’s attachment to sacred sites/shrines |
| Angel of the LORD | מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה (mal’akh YHWH) | ἄγγελος κυρίου | messenger/angel of YHWH | in several OT texts this figure speaks and acts with full divine authority/identity, distinct from a created angel; widely read by Christian tradition as a pre-incarnate appearance of the Son | Angel of the LORD, the LORD’s angel | Directly relevant to Mediator doctrine and to Christ’s eternal Sonship (baseline: son_of_god, Critical) — teach with care as a type/possible Christophany, not a mere created intermediary | High — “el Ángel del SEÑOR”; must not be confused with a generic guardian angel or with the veneration of angels/saints as intercessors (cf. baseline’s intercesión caution) |
| sign | אוֹת (ot) | σημεῖον | sign | see 12:13 | sign | God authenticates His call to Moses with signs | Medium |
Chapter 4 — Signs, Aaron as Spokesman, and the Hardening Motif Begins
| Term | Hebrew | LXX | Meaning | Range | Variants | Theological meaning | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| staff/rod | מַטֶּה (matteh) | ῥάβδος | staff, rod, also “tribe” | shepherd’s staff becomes an instrument of divine authority and judgment (turns to serpent; later divides the sea, ch.14) | staff, rod | Symbol of delegated divine authority through Moses the mediator | Low-Medium |
| harden the heart | כָּבֵד / חָזַק (kaved/chazaq, lit. “to be heavy/strong”) | κατισχύω / βαρύνω | to make heavy, stubborn, strong | first appears here (4:21) regarding Pharaoh’s heart, developed fully chs. 7-14 | harden, stubborn, obstinate | Introduces a theologically weighty tension between divine sovereignty and human responsibility, central background to the “Deliverance from Bondage to Sin” doctrine (bondage of the will) | High — “endurecer el corazón”; must be taught with both divine-sovereignty and human-responsibility poles held together, not flattened into either pure fatalism (“estaba destinado”) or pure human autonomy |
| spokesman/mouth | פֶּה (peh, “mouth”) | στόμα | mouth | Aaron functions as Moses’ mouthpiece | mouth, spokesman | Early picture of shared/delegated mediation, developed further at ch.18-19 (Mediator doctrine) | Medium |
Chapter 5 — “Let My People Go” and the Wordplay of Service
| Term | Hebrew | LXX | Meaning | Range | Variants | Theological meaning | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ”Let my people go” | שַׁלַּח (shalach, “send away, let go”) | ἐξαπόστειλον | to send away, release | the thesis-demand of the entire book | let go, release, send away | The programmatic phrase of Exodus-as-Redemption: God demands release from a false lord so His people may serve their true Lord | CRITICAL — “deja ir a mi pueblo”; this phrase should be flagged for consistent, verbatim rendering across all Exodus curriculum materials, parallel to the baseline’s treatment of Romans 1:16-17 and 10:9-10 as fixed thesis statements |
| serve/worship | עָבַד (avad) — same root as “slave” (ch.1’s avodah) | λατρεύω / δουλεύω | to serve, to work for, to worship | the Hebrew text plays on the SAME root for “slave labor to Pharaoh” and “worship/service to YHWH” — Israel is not being freed from all service, but transferred from a false master’s service to the true Master’s service | serve, worship, work for | Core to Deliverance-from-Bondage doctrine: freedom in Exodus is not autonomy but a change of lordship — echoes Romans 6’s “slaves to sin” vs. “slaves to righteousness” (already in Romans curriculum) | High — the wordplay (same Hebrew root for “slave” and “worship”) is largely invisible in Spanish (“esclavitud” vs. “servir/adorar”); MUST be surfaced in teaching notes so learners see that Exodus reframes freedom as a change of master, not the absence of one |
Chapter 6 — The Divine Name Renewed and the Promise of Redemption
| Term | Hebrew | LXX | Meaning | Range | Variants | Theological meaning | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Shaddai | אֵל שַׁדַּי | ὁ θεός (LXX generally translates rather than transliterates) | traditionally “God Almighty”; etymology debated | a patriarchal-era divine title (Genesis) now explicitly linked to the fuller revelation of YHWH | God Almighty, El Shaddai | Continues “Character and Name of God” doctrine: God’s names accumulate revelation without contradiction — El Shaddai of the patriarchs and YHWH of the Exodus are the same God keeping the same promise | Critical — transliterate as “El Shaddai” with gloss “Dios Todopoderoso,” consistent with RV1960 tradition |
| redeem (kinsman-redeemer sense) | גָּאַל (ga’al) | λυτρόομαι (lytroomai) | to redeem as a near relative, buying back what belongs to the family | familial, covenantal redemption — a ga’al has the right/obligation to redeem a relative from debt-slavery or reclaim family property (cf. Ruth, Boaz) | redeem | Foundational term for “The Exodus as Redemption” doctrine. God acts as Israel’s kinsman-Redeemer, redeeming what is covenantally His own, not a stranger performing a rescue | CRITICAL — “redimir”; distinct Hebrew root from padah (ch.13, ransom-payment sense) — Spanish “redimir” collapses both roots into one word; a teaching note distinguishing “redención por parentesco/pacto” (ga’al) from “redención por rescate pagado” (padah) is required so the fuller richness of biblical redemption vocabulary is not lost |
Chapters 7-10 — The Plagues: Hardening, Signs, and “That You May Know”
Chapters 7-10 largely reuse and develop terms already introduced (hardening of Pharaoh’s heart, ch.4/7; signs and wonders). New load-bearing terms:
| Term | Hebrew | LXX | Meaning | Range | Variants | Theological meaning | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| signs and wonders | אֹתוֹת וּמוֹפְתִים (otot u-moftim) | σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα | signs and wonders | miraculous acts authenticating divine speech/action | signs and wonders, miracles | Establish YHWH’s supremacy over Egypt’s magicians and gods, grounding “Character and Name of God” doctrine in demonstrated power | Medium — “señales y prodigios/maravillas” — standard |
| ”that you may know that I am the LORD” | לְמַעַן תֵּדַע כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָה | ἵνα εἰδῇς ὅτι ἐγὼ κύριος | so that you may know that I am YHWH | recurring covenant-lawsuit refrain throughout the plague narrative (7:17; 8:10,22; 9:14,29; etc.) | that you may know | The plagues are revelatory, not merely punitive — God acts so that both Egypt and Israel know His identity and character | High — “para que sepas/sepáis que yo soy el SEÑOR”; consistent rendering required across all plague narrative segments, parallel to the baseline’s insistence on verbatim consistency for Romans 1:16-17 and 8:28 |
| distinguish/set apart (between Israel and Egypt) | פָּלָה (palah) | διαστέλλω | to make a distinction, to set apart | God distinguishes His covenant people from the surrounding nation even amid shared plagues | make a distinction, set apart | Anticipates the “holy nation” / election language of ch.19 and the baseline’s elección doctrine [BASELINE REUSE] | Medium-High |
| Egyptian magicians | חַרְטֻמִּים (chartummim) | ἐπαοιδοί | magician-priests, sacred scribes | Egypt’s religious-magical establishment, defeated by YHWH’s superior power | magicians, sorcerers | Reinforces the “judgment on the gods of Egypt” theme (12:12) | Low-Medium |
Chapters 8-10 introduce no additional new theological vocabulary beyond hardening, signs/wonders, and the “that you may know” refrain already tabulated; reviewed and confirmed no further load-bearing terms.
Chapter 11 — The Final Plague Announced
| Term | Hebrew | LXX | Meaning | Range | Variants | Theological meaning | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| firstborn | see 12:12 above | anticipatory announcement of the tenth plague | Critical — reuse from core-passage entry | ||||
| distinguish | see ch.7-10 | Israel visibly marked out ahead of the event | Medium-High — reuse |
No further new terms; chapter reviewed and confirmed to anticipate the core passage rather than introduce independent vocabulary.
Chapter 12 (vv. 15-51) — Beyond the Core Passage: The Exodus Itself
The core passage (12:1-14) is treated fully in Part 1 above. The remainder of chapter 12 introduces:
| Term | Hebrew | LXX | Meaning | Range | Variants | Theological meaning | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| the Exodus / going out | יָצָא (yatsa, “to go out”); the noun Exodus itself derives from Greek ἔξοδος (exodos, “the way out”), the LXX’s title for this book | ἔξοδος | to go out, departure, exit | the foundational redemptive-historical event that names the entire book | Exodus, the going out, the departure | The book’s title term and the historical anchor for “The Exodus as Redemption” doctrine — a real, dated, geographic deliverance, the pattern for every subsequent biblical redemption image (including the NT’s use of “exodus” language for Christ’s saving work, cf. Luke 9:31) | CRITICAL — “salida”/“éxodo”; when referring to the book, retain “Éxodo” per standard Spanish Bible book-naming convention; when referring to the event within the narrative, “la salida de Egipto” is standard |
| circumcision | מוּל (mul) | περιτέμνω | to circumcise | the covenant-sign required before a foreigner may eat the Passover (12:43-49) | circumcise, circumcision | Marks covenant boundary — Passover participation requires covenant identification, not mere physical proximity | Medium — “circuncisión”; teach as covenant-boundary marker, relevant background for later NT circumcision/faith debates (Romans, Galatians) already in the curriculum library |
| foreigner/sojourner | גֵּר (ger) | πάροικος / ἀλλογενής | resident alien, sojourner | one living among Israel without native covenant status by birth | foreigner, sojourner, stranger, alien | Distinguished from gentiles [BASELINE REUSE, “gentiles”] — a ger is a resident sojourner within Israel’s community under covenant provisions, a related but distinct category | Medium — “extranjero”/“forastero”; do not conflate with baseline’s “gentiles” without a clarifying note on the difference (resident sojourner vs. nations at large) |
| mixed multitude | עֵרֶב רַב (erev rav) | ἐπίμικτος | a mixed crowd | non-Israelites who departed with Israel | mixed multitude, mixed crowd | Minor narrative detail; low doctrinal weight | Low |
Chapter 13 — Consecration of the Firstborn and the Guiding Pillar
| Term | Hebrew | LXX | Meaning | Range | Variants | Theological meaning | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| redeem (ransom-payment sense) | פָּדָה (padah) | λυτρόομαι | to redeem by payment/substitution, to ransom | distinct root from ga’al (ch.6); here specifically the redemption/ransom of the firstborn by a substitute payment or offering | redeem, ransom | Critical for “Exodus as Redemption”: every firstborn (spared at Passover) now belongs to the LORD and must be formally redeemed — direct typological anchor for Christ’s ransom (Marcos 10:45, “dar su vida en rescate por muchos”) | CRITICAL — “redimir”/“rescatar”; flag the distinction from ga’al (ch.6) as above; consistent glossary entry needed distinguishing “redención-parentesco” (ga’al) from “redención-rescate” (padah) |
| consecrate/sanctify | קָדַּשׁ (qadash) [BASELINE ROOT: santo] | ἁγιάζω | to set apart as holy | dedicating the firstborn to God’s exclusive service | consecrate, sanctify, dedicate | Reinforces Holiness doctrine: redemption results in consecration — being saved from results in being set apart for | High — reuse santo/santificación [BASELINE REUSE] |
| pillar of cloud / pillar of fire | עַמּוּד עָנָן / עַמּוּד אֵשׁ (ammud anan / ammud esh) | στῦλος νεφέλης / στῦλος πυρός | column of cloud/fire | visible, continuous sign of God’s guiding presence with the people | pillar of cloud, pillar of fire | First major visual anchor for “The Tabernacle and God’s Presence” doctrine — God’s presence is not abstract but perceptibly, continually with His redeemed people | High — “columna de nube”/“columna de fuego”; teach as a preview of the fuller indwelling-presence theology realized in the tabernacle (chs. 25-40) and ultimately in Christ (Juan 1:14) and the Spirit |
Chapter 14 — Crossing the Sea
| Term | Hebrew | LXX | Meaning | Range | Variants | Theological meaning | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| salvation/deliverance | יְשׁוּעָה (yeshuah) [BASELINE: salvación] | σωτηρία (sōtēria) | deliverance, rescue | God’s decisive rescue at the sea, historically concrete | salvation, deliverance, victory | Direct Old Testament root of the NT’s σωτηρία vocabulary (baseline salvación, Critical) — this is the paradigmatic OT salvation event | CRITICAL — reuse salvación [BASELINE REUSE]; teach explicitly that Exodus 14’s salvation is physical-historical deliverance from a real enemy, the pattern (not merely a loose analogy) for the NT’s spiritual salvation from sin and death |
| the LORD will fight for you | LORD as divine warrior (יְהוָה אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה, ch.15:3) | κύριος πολεμήσει | the LORD will war on your behalf | God as Israel’s warrior-deliverer, requiring no military contribution from the people (“stand still and see”) | the LORD will fight for you | Reinforces Moses-as-mediator/deliverer doctrine by contrast: the true Deliverer is God Himself, Moses is His instrument, not an independent hero | Medium |
| Red Sea | יַם־סוּף (Yam Suph, lit. “Sea of Reeds”) | ἐρυθρὰ θάλασσα | Sea of Reeds / Red Sea | geographic identity debated among scholars but doctrinally immaterial | Red Sea, Sea of Reeds | Site of the paradigmatic salvation event | Low — “Mar Rojo,” the fixed traditional Spanish Bible rendering |
Chapter 15 — The Song of Moses
| Term | Hebrew | LXX | Meaning | Range | Variants | Theological meaning | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| redeemed people | עַם־זוּ גָּאָלְתָּ (“the people you have redeemed,” from ga’al) | λαὸν ὃν ἐλυτρώσω | the people you have redeemed | worship response to the redemption accomplished at the sea | redeemed people | Reinforces the ga’al redemption term (ch.6); redemption produces doxology, not merely relief | Critical — reuse ga’al entry |
| ”the LORD who heals you” (YHWH Rapha) | יְהוָה רֹפְאֶךָ (YHWH Ropheka) | ἐγὼ κύριος ὁ ἰώμενός σε | the LORD, your healer | a covenant self-revelation title tied to obedience (15:26) | the LORD who heals | Continues “Character and Name of God” doctrine through a compound covenant-name; God’s healing is covenantal, not magical | Medium-High — SYNCRETISM RISK. In regions with active curanderismo (folk healing) and Afro-diasporic healing/initiatory practices (already flagged in the baseline’s spiritual_gifts entry), “el SEÑOR que te sana” risks assimilation into a folk-healing framework of ritual cures. Must be taught as covenant-relational healing tied to obedience to God’s word, not a formula, charm, or ritual-healer’s power |
| bitterness (Marah) | מָרָה (marah, “bitter”) | πικρία | bitter, bitterness | place name and theme — the bitterness of trial in the wilderness | bitterness | Minor; sets up the wilderness-testing motif | Low |
Chapter 16 — Manna, Quail, and the Sabbath Introduced
| Term | Hebrew | LXX | Meaning | Range | Variants | Theological meaning | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| manna | מָן (man) | μάννα | ”what is it?” (traditional folk etymology) | miraculous bread-like provision | manna | Type of divine provision fulfilled in Christ, “el pan verdadero del cielo” (Juan 6:32-35) | Low-Medium — transliterate “maná”; needs explanatory gloss, no destination-culture collision |
| bread from heaven | לֶחֶם מִן־הַשָּׁמַיִם (lechem min-hashamayim) | ἄρτος ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ | bread from heaven | God’s direct, daily provision | bread from heaven | Direct typological bridge to Christ as the Bread of Life | Medium |
| Sabbath/rest | שַׁבָּת (shabbat, from שָׁבַת, “to cease, rest”) | σάββατον | cessation, rest | first explicit institution of the seventh-day rest pattern, tied here to manna-gathering and formalized at Sinai (ch.20) | Sabbath, rest day | Central to “The Mosaic Covenant and Law” doctrine; rest as gift and command rooted in God’s own pattern (Genesis 2) and in redemption from unceasing slave-labor (cf. Deuteronomio 5:15) | CRITICAL/HIGH — “sábado”/“reposo”; teach as covenant sign distinguishing Israel, and as freedom FROM the unceasing labor of slavery — not to be flattened into a generic “day off” nor confused with the Catholic/Protestant Sunday-observance debates without a clear historical-theological note |
Chapter 17 — Water from the Rock and the Amalek Battle
| Term | Hebrew | LXX | Meaning | Range | Variants | Theological meaning | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| the Rock (divine epithet) | צוּר (tsur) | πέτρα | rock, cliff | metaphor for God as a stable, life-giving, protecting source, later applied messianically (1 Corintios 10:4, “la roca era Cristo”) | Rock, my Rock | Ties directly into NT typology already present in the Romans curriculum’s Christological vocabulary | Medium |
| ”The LORD is my Banner” (YHWH Nissi) | יְהוָה נִסִּי | κύριός μου καταφυγή | the LORD is my banner/rallying point | a compound covenant-name of victory | the LORD is my Banner | Another “Character and Name of God” compound-name entry; God as the rallying standard of His people’s victory | Medium |
Chapter 18 — Jethro’s Counsel and Delegated Judges
| Term | Hebrew | LXX | Meaning | Range | Variants | Theological meaning | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| judges | שֹׁפְטִים (shophetim) | κριταί | those who judge/govern | delegated legal-governmental authority under Moses | judges | Begins the delegation of Moses’ sole mediatorial burden, anticipating priesthood and covenant-administration structures (chs. 19-24, 28) — relevant to “Moses as Mediator” doctrine, showing mediation’s structure without diminishing Moses’ unique role at Sinai | Medium |
Chapter 19 — Arrival at Sinai and the Covenant Proposal
| Term | Hebrew | LXX | Meaning | Range | Variants | Theological meaning | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| kingdom of priests | מַמְלֶכֶת כֹּהֲנִים (mamlechet kohanim) | βασίλειον ἱεράτευμα | a royal priesthood, a kingdom of priests | Israel corporately mediates God’s presence/knowledge to the nations | kingdom of priests, royal priesthood | Foundational for “Moses as Mediator” and priestly-nation theology, echoed directly in 1 Pedro 2:9 for the church | HIGH. “Reino de sacerdotes”/“real sacerdocio” — in Catholic-majority Spanish-speaking contexts, “sacerdotes” carries strong associations with the ordained, celibate, sacramentally-empowered priesthood. Must be taught with an explicit clarifying note distinguishing this corporate/priestly-nation calling (and its NT fulfillment in 1 Pedro 2:9’s universal priesthood of believers) from the specific ordained Catholic priesthood, without denying continuity of the underlying “mediating access to God” concept |
| holy nation | גּוֹי קָדוֹשׁ (goy qadosh) [BASELINE ROOT: santo] | ἔθνος ἅγιον | a holy nation | corporate, national holiness/set-apartness | holy nation | Reinforces Holiness doctrine at a national-covenant level | High — reuse santo [BASELINE REUSE] |
| treasured possession | עַם סְגֻלָּה (am segullah) | λαὸς περιούσιος | a special/treasured people | God’s elective choice of Israel as uniquely His own | treasured possession, special people, own possession | Reinforces elección [BASELINE REUSE] doctrine at the national level | High |
| theophany at Sinai (thick cloud, thunder, trumpet, fire) | עָנָן כָּבֵד / קֹלֹת וּבְרָקִים / שׁוֹפָר (anan kaved, qolot u-veraqim, shofar) | νεφέλη γνόφου / φωναὶ καὶ ἀστραπαί / σάλπιγξ | thick cloud, voices/thunders and lightnings, trumpet | terrifying manifestation of divine holiness at covenant-giving | thick cloud, thunder and lightning, trumpet blast | Grounds “Holiness and the Fear of the Lord” doctrine in an unforgettable historical sensory event, not abstraction | High — teach as historically concrete, not merely symbolic; the terror is theologically appropriate, not to be softened |
Chapter 20 — The Ten Commandments
| Term | Hebrew | LXX | Meaning | Range | Variants | Theological meaning | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| the Ten Commandments / Ten Words | עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים (aseret ha-devarim, lit. “ten words”) | δέκα λόγοι (deka logoi, “Decalogue”) | ten words/statements | the covenant’s core stipulations | Ten Commandments, Ten Words, Decalogue | Foundational text for “The Mosaic Covenant and Law” doctrine. Not a generic ethical code but the stipulations of a specific covenant relationship already established by redemption (20:2, “Yo soy el SEÑOR tu Dios, que te sacó de la tierra de Egipto” — law follows grace, it does not earn it) | CRITICAL — “los Diez Mandamientos”/“el Decálogo”; MUST be taught with 20:2 as the interpretive frame: law is covenant response to prior redemption, never the means of securing it — directly parallel to the baseline’s grace-vs-merit caution for Romans 3-5 |
| jealous God | אֵל קַנָּא (El Qanna) | θεὸς ζηλωτής | jealous, zealous God | covenant exclusivity — God’s righteous demand for undivided loyalty, not petty envy | jealous God, zealous God | Reinforces exclusive Lordship parallel to baseline’s lord/Señor entry; God’s “jealousy” is covenant-faithfulness language, not human insecurity | HIGH. “Dios celoso” — in everyday Spanish, “celoso” carries a strong connotation of possessive, insecure human jealousy (as in romantic jealousy), which can read as an unworthy or petty divine trait if untaught. Must be explicitly glossed as righteous covenant zeal/exclusivity, not psychological insecurity |
| graven image/idol | פֶּסֶל (pesel) | εἴδωλον / γλυπτόν | carved image, idol | any manufactured representation of deity for worship | graven image, idol, carved image | Anchors the prohibition against idolatry central to Israel’s unique calling; directly relevant background for Latin American popular piety’s use of religious images/statues (santos, la Virgen) — see doctrine registry’s saints/intercession cautions | High — “ídolo”/“imagen de talla”; requires a careful pastoral note distinguishing the biblical prohibition (worshiping a manufactured image as or in place of God) from the veneration practices around religious statuary common in the destination culture — the curriculum should teach the text’s actual claim without either overstating or flattening the comparison |
| covet | חָמַד (chamad) | ἐπιθυμέω | to desire strongly, covet | inward desire for what belongs to another | covet, desire | Extends the Law’s demand to the heart’s internal orientation, not merely external acts | Medium — “codiciar”; standard |
Chapters 21-23 — The Book of the Covenant (Case Law)
| Term | Hebrew | LXX | Meaning | Range | Variants | Theological meaning | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Book of the Covenant | סֵפֶר הַבְּרִית (sefer ha-berit) [BASELINE ROOT: pacto] | βιβλίον διαθήκης | book of the covenant | the written record of covenant stipulations | Book of the Covenant | Extends “Mosaic Covenant and Law” doctrine into concrete case law governing daily life | High — reuse pacto [BASELINE REUSE] |
| Hebrew servant/slave laws | עֶבֶד עִבְרִי (eved ivri) | παῖς Ἑβραῖος | Hebrew bondservant | regulations limiting/humanizing servitude among Israelites | Hebrew servant, bondservant | Nuances the Bondage doctrine: God who redeemed Israel from slavery now regulates how Israelites may (not) enslave one another — teaches that redeemed people must not re-impose the bondage from which they were freed | Medium — “siervo hebreo”; note the redemption-shapes-ethics principle |
| eye for eye (lex talionis) | עַיִן תַּחַת עַיִן (ayin tachat ayin) | ὀφθαλμὸν ἀντὶ ὀφθαλμοῦ | eye for eye | principle of proportional, judicially-administered retribution — NOT personal vengeance | eye for eye, an eye for an eye | Establishes measured, impartial justice under the Law, later contrasted (not contradicted) by Christ’s teaching on personal retaliation (Mateo 5:38-39) | Medium — “ojo por ojo”; teach as judicial proportionality, not endorsement of personal vengeance, to avoid a common popular misreading |
| angel of His presence / “my Name is in him” | מַלְאָךְ (mal’akh) עִם שְׁמִי בְקִרְבּוֹ (23:20-21) | ἄγγελός μου… τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ | the angel bearing God’s name | continuity with ch.3’s Angel of the LORD — an intermediary bearing full divine authority/identity | angel of my presence | Reinforces Mediator doctrine and possible Christophany typology | High — reuse ch.3 Ángel del SEÑOR entry |
| three annual feasts (Unleavened Bread, Harvest/Weeks, Ingathering) | חַג הַמַּצּוֹת / חַג הַקָּצִיר / חַג הָאָסִיף | ἑορτὴ τῶν ἀζύμων κτλ. | the three pilgrimage feasts | annual covenant-calendar rhythms, of which Passover/Unleavened Bread is the first and paradigmatic | Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of Harvest/Weeks, Feast of Ingathering/Tabernacles | Extends the Passover’s calendrical logic (12:2) into the whole covenant year | Medium |
Chapter 24 — Covenant Ratification
| Term | Hebrew | LXX | Meaning | Range | Variants | Theological meaning | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| blood of the covenant | דַּם־הַבְּרִית (dam ha-berit) | αἷμα τῆς διαθήκης | the blood [that ratifies/seals] the covenant | sacrificial blood formally ratifying a covenant relationship | blood of the covenant | CRITICAL direct link between Passover’s substitutionary blood (12:7,13) and the Mosaic Covenant’s ratification, and forward to Christ’s words at the Last Supper (“esta es mi sangre del pacto,” Mateo 26:28/Marcos 14:24) — the phrase must render identically here and in any Gospel curriculum material for cross-document consistency, per the baseline’s cross-document consistency rules | CRITICAL — “la sangre del pacto”; reuse sangre and pacto [BASELINE REUSE for pacto] — flag for verbatim consistency across the whole curriculum library |
| glory of the LORD | כְּבוֹד יְהוָה (kevod YHWH) [BASELINE: gloria] | δόξα κυρίου | weighty radiance/manifest presence of God | visible manifestation of divine presence, often as fire/cloud | glory of the LORD | First explicit appearance of the Presence-glory that will fill the tabernacle (ch.40) | Medium — reuse gloria [BASELINE REUSE] |
| covenant meal | אכל וישתה (they ate and drank) in God’s presence | ἔφαγον καὶ ἔπιον | ratification meal | covenant fellowship shared in God’s own presence | ate and drank before God | Anticipates the “God’s Presence” doctrine’s relational, not merely legal, character | Medium |
Chapters 25-31 — Tabernacle Instructions
| Term | Hebrew | LXX | Meaning | Range | Variants | Theological meaning | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tabernacle/dwelling place | מִשְׁכָּן (mishkan, from שָׁכַן, “to dwell”) | σκηνή (skēnē) | dwelling place, tent-dwelling | God’s portable sanctuary among His people | tabernacle, dwelling place | CRITICAL, core term for “The Tabernacle and God’s Presence” doctrine. God chooses to dwell among a redeemed, sinful people — the direct OT root of Juan 1:14, “el Verbo… habitó [ἐσκήνωσεν, from the same root] entre nosotros” | CRITICAL — “tabernáculo”; standard Spanish Bible term, unambiguous, but its full doctrinal weight (God’s dwelling with His people, not merely a shrine) must be taught explicitly, tying forward to the Incarnation [BASELINE REUSE, Critical] and to the church as God’s dwelling (Efesios 2:22) |
| Ark of the Covenant | אֲרוֹן הַבְּרִית (aron ha-berit) [BASELINE ROOT: pacto] | κιβωτὸς τῆς διαθήκης | chest/box of the covenant | the central object of the Most Holy Place, containing the covenant tablets | Ark of the Covenant | The tangible focal point of God’s presence and covenant | CRITICAL — “el arca del pacto” |
| mercy seat / atonement cover | כַּפֹּרֶת (kapporet, from כָּפַר kaphar, “to atone, cover, appease”) | ἱλαστήριον (hilastērion — the SAME Greek term Paul uses of Christ in Romanos 3:25) | the atoning cover of the Ark | the specific place where atoning blood is applied annually (Levítico 16) | mercy seat, atonement cover | The single most direct lexical bridge in the whole book to the curriculum’s “Passover and Substitutionary Atonement” doctrine — Paul in Romanos 3:25 calls Christ Himself the ἱλαστήριον, the true mercy seat/place of atonement, a term the baseline’s escalation rules already flag (“atonement/propitiation language, Romans 3:25”) without having a fixed translation-memory entry. This gap must now be closed | CRITICAL — recommend standardizing on “propiciatorio” (the RV1960/RVA2015 term, matching this curriculum’s register preference), explicitly cross-referenced to Romanos 3:25’s “propiciación.” NEVER flatten to a merely functional “cubierta” (lid/cover) that loses the atoning sense |
| veil/curtain (sanctuary) | פָּרֹכֶת (parochet) | καταπέτασμα | the inner curtain separating Holy Place from Most Holy Place | marks restricted access to God’s immediate presence | veil, curtain | Theological significance: limited access under the Old Covenant, torn at Christ’s death (Mateo 27:51) opening direct access | High — “velo”/“cortina”; note this is a DIFFERENT Hebrew word from the veil over Moses’ face in ch.34 (masveh) — do not conflate the two “veils” in Spanish, where both might default to “velo” |
| high priest | כֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל (kohen ha-gadol) | ἀρχιερεύς | chief/high priest | the singular mediating office with access to the Most Holy Place | high priest | Ties to Moses-as-Mediator doctrine and forward to Christ as final High Priest (already implicit in the curriculum library’s Hebrews-adjacent material) | High — “sumo sacerdote”; requires a clarifying note distinguishing this OT Levitical office (and its NT fulfillment in Christ alone) from the ordained Catholic priesthood’s ongoing sacramental role, paralleling the ch.19 “kingdom of priests” caution |
| anoint/anointing | מָשַׁח (mashach) [BASELINE ROOT: Mesías] | χρίω (chriō) | to pour oil on, consecrate by oil | ordination/consecration to office (priest, king, prophet); root of “Mashiach/Messiah/Christ” | anoint, anointing | CRITICAL direct lexical link to the baseline’s fixed Mesías entry — the priestly/tabernacle anointing (ch.29-30) is the OT background for “the Anointed One” title fulfilled in Jesus | CRITICAL — “ungir”/“unción”; must be explicitly cross-referenced to baseline Mesías [BASELINE REUSE] so learners see the etymological and typological link |
| cherubim | כְּרוּבִים (kerubim) | χερουβίμ | guardian angelic figures | flank the mercy seat, echo Eden’s guardian cherub (Génesis 3:24) | cherubim | Minor risk of popular-culture “cute baby angel” (putto) imagery distorting the biblical picture of awesome guardian beings | Medium — “querubines”; brief clarifying note recommended |
| anointing oil / incense | שֶׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה / קְטֹרֶת (shemen ha-mishchah / qetoret) | ἔλαιον χρίσματος / θυμίαμα | consecration oil / incense | ritual elements of tabernacle worship | anointing oil, incense | Incense as a symbol of prayer ascending to God (cf. Salmo 141:2) | Medium — “aceite de la unción”/“incienso”; note that shared vocabulary with Catholic liturgical incense use is not a doctrinal problem in itself, but the Exodus text’s specific meaning (prayer ascending, priestly mediation) should be taught on its own terms |
Chapter 32 — The Golden Calf
| Term | Hebrew | LXX | Meaning | Range | Variants | Theological meaning | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| golden calf | עֵגֶל זָהָב (egel zahav) | μόσχος χρυσοῦς | golden calf | idolatrous image, likely evoking Egyptian/Canaanite bull-deity iconography | golden calf | The paradigmatic covenant-breaking idolatry, immediately after the Ten Commandments’ first prohibition — establishes the pattern of Israel’s recurring unfaithfulness that the whole Old Testament narrates | Critical — “becerro de oro”; standard, unambiguous |
| Moses’ intercession | Moses “entreated”/stood in the breach (חִלָּה, chillah; cf. Salmo 106:23, “se puso en la brecha”) [BASELINE ROOT: intercesión] | ἱκέτευσε | to plead, intercede on behalf of | Moses stands between God’s wrath and the people, pleading for mercy on covenant grounds | intercede, plead, stand in the breach | Direct type of Christ’s greater intercession (baseline intercesión, Critical) — reinforces that biblical intercession is a mediator standing before God on others’ behalf, distinct from petitioning a departed saint | Critical — reuse intercesión [BASELINE REUSE]; strongly reinforce the baseline’s caution against the saints/Marian-intercession default reading — Moses here is the OT type of Christ’s direct mediatorial intercession, not a model for petitioning departed holy figures |
| wrath of God | חֲרוֹן אַף (charon aph, lit. “burning of the nostril/anger”) | ὀργή | burning anger | God’s righteous judicial response to covenant-breaking, not capricious rage | wrath, burning anger | Necessary counterpart to grace and atonement doctrines — sin has real, weighty consequences that only substitutionary atonement (Passover, tabernacle sacrifice) can address | High — “ira de Dios”; teach as righteous and judicial, not impulsive |
Chapter 33 — Moses Seeks God’s Presence
| Term | Hebrew | LXX | Meaning | Range | Variants | Theological meaning | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| face/presence | פָּנִים (panim, lit. “face”) | πρόσωπον | face, presence | idiom for God’s personal, relational presence (“mi presencia irá contigo,” “muéstrame tu gloria”) | face, presence | CRITICAL for the “Tabernacle and God’s Presence” doctrine — the whole tabernacle project exists to secure God’s panim, His personal presence, among a sinful people without destroying them | Critical — “rostro”/“presencia”; central teaching term, must not be flattened to a merely locational sense (“estar cerca”) but taught as full relational divine presence |
| glory | כָּבוֹד (kavod) [BASELINE: gloria] | δόξα | weight, honor, radiant presence | see ch.24 | glory | Moses’ request “muéstrame tu gloria” (33:18) intensifies the presence theme | Critical — reuse gloria [BASELINE REUSE] |
| tent of meeting (temporary, outside camp) | אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד (ohel mo’ed) | σκηνὴ τοῦ μαρτυρίου | tent of meeting/testimony | a provisional meeting-place distinct from the not-yet-built tabernacle | tent of meeting | Shows the seriousness of the golden-calf breach — God’s presence is not to be presumed upon automatically even by a covenant people | Medium |
Chapter 34 — Covenant Renewed and God’s Name Proclaimed
| Term | Hebrew | LXX | Meaning | Range | Variants | Theological meaning | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| proclamation of God’s Name (34:6-7) | Full formula: יְהוָה יְהוָה אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן… (YHWH YHWH El rachum ve-channun…) | κύριος κύριος ὁ θεὸς οἰκτίρμων καὶ ἐλεήμων… | ”YHWH, YHWH, God merciful and gracious…“ | the single most-quoted OT self-description of God’s character throughout the rest of the Old Testament | the LORD’s self-proclamation of His character | CRITICAL — this is the definitive “Character and Name of God” text; every subsequent OT appeal to God’s mercy (e.g., Nehemías 9:17; Jonás 4:2; Salmo 103:8) quotes this formula. Foundational alongside “I AM” (ch.3) | CRITICAL — must be rendered as a fixed, memorable formula and cross-referenced wherever quoted elsewhere in Scripture curricula |
| merciful | רַחוּם (rachum) | οἰκτίρμων | compassionate, merciful (from a root associated with womb/deep compassion) | tender, parental compassion | merciful, compassionate | Part of the ch.34:6-7 formula | High — “misericordioso” |
| gracious | חַנּוּן (channun) [BASELINE ROOT: gracia] | ἐλεήμων | gracious, showing favor | unmerited kindness/favor | gracious | Directly related to baseline gracia [BASELINE REUSE] | High — reuse gracia root |
| steadfast love / covenant loyalty | חֶסֶד (chesed) | ἔλεος (frequently, though the range exceeds any single Greek or Spanish equivalent) | loyal, covenant-bound love; a love that keeps its commitments | combines love, mercy, loyalty, and faithfulness — one of the hardest OT terms to render in any target language | steadfast love, lovingkindness, mercy, faithful love | CRITICAL translation challenge. No single Spanish word captures chesed’s combination of emotional warmth and covenant obligation | CRITICAL — no word is rejected outright, but flag that Spanish renderings vary by tradition: “misericordia” (RV1960, most common), “amor” / “amor fiel” / “fidelidad amorosa” (some modern versions), “lealtad” (emphasizing the covenant-obligation sense). This curriculum should standardize on “misericordia” for consistency with RV1960/RVA2015 register, but MUST teach, at every occurrence, that chesed means covenant-loyal love, not mere pity or emotional sentiment — the term is doing more theological work than “misericordia” alone conveys |
| veil over Moses’ face | מַסְוֶה (masveh) — a DIFFERENT Hebrew word from the sanctuary veil (parochet, ch.26) | κάλυμμα | covering, veil (over Moses’ radiant face) | distinct narrative image from the tabernacle’s inner curtain | veil | 2 Corintios 3:13-16 directly interprets this veil typologically (the veil removed in Christ) — theologically rich but a DIFFERENT term from the sanctuary veil | Medium — “velo”; flag explicitly that Spanish will use the same word “velo” for two distinct Hebrew terms (masveh here vs. parochet in chs. 26-40) — a teaching note, not a translation change, is required to prevent conflation |
Chapters 35-40 — Tabernacle Construction and Completion
| Term | Hebrew | LXX | Meaning | Range | Variants | Theological meaning | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| freewill offering | נְדָבָה (nedavah) | ἑκούσιον (hekousion) | voluntary/freewill gift | the people’s willing, abundant contribution to the tabernacle’s construction | freewill offering, voluntary offering | Contrast with forced labor under Pharaoh (ch.1,5) — redeemed people give willingly to build God’s dwelling, unlike the coerced labor of bondage | Low-Medium — “ofrenda voluntaria” |
| filled with the Spirit (craftsmanship) | רוּח (ruach) — “lo he llenado del Espíritu de Dios” (31:3; cf. 35:31) [BASELINE ROOT: Espíritu Santo] | πνεῦμα θεῖον σοφίας | Spirit-empowerment for skilled work | Bezalel and Oholiab are Spirit-filled for artistic/technical craftsmanship, not primarily for prophecy or moral regeneration | filled with the Spirit, Spirit of wisdom | An important nuance for baseline’s Espíritu Santo [BASELINE REUSE, Critical]: this is a genuine, personal work of the same Spirit, but in a distinct mode (equipping for skilled labor/service) from the fuller NT indwelling/regenerating/sanctifying ministry. Must be taught as a real point of continuity (same Spirit, same Giver) without implying the OT craftsmen experienced NT-pattern regeneration | High — reuse Espíritu Santo [BASELINE REUSE]; add teaching note on the distinct-but-continuous mode of the Spirit’s work here versus Romans 8’s indwelling Spirit |
| the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle | וּכְבוֹד יְהוָה מָלֵא אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּן (Exodus 40:34-35) [BASELINE ROOT: gloria] | καὶ ἡ δόξα κυρίου ἔπλησε τὴν σκηνήν | the glory of YHWH filled the tabernacle | the climactic fulfillment of the entire tabernacle project — God’s promised presence (ch.33) is now realized | the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle | CRITICAL, the book’s theological climax. Direct forerunner to 1 Reyes 8:10-11 (Solomon’s temple), and to the Incarnation (Juan 1:14) and Pentecost (Hechos 2) as escalating fulfillments of God dwelling with His people | CRITICAL — reuse gloria [BASELINE REUSE] and tabernáculo; this verse should be flagged for the same verbatim cross-document consistency treatment the baseline gives Romans 8:28 and 10:9-10, given its status as Exodus’s climactic verse |
| pillar of cloud/fire (continuing) | see ch.13 | Guidance continues beyond Sinai, into the wilderness journey ahead | High — reuse ch.13 entry |
This document extends, and does not contradict, the baseline Romans Language Package. All [BASELINE REUSE] terms must be rendered exactly as recorded in translation_memory.json. New terms identified above are formalized with risk tiers in analysis/08_core_glossary.md and must be added to translation_memory.json and bible_term_registry.json before Phase 2 translation begins.