Bible Dictionary
Explore biblical people, places, events, objects, ideas, and other terms. Search the dictionary directly, browse alphabetically, or narrow the list by category or Testament.
TOU
People & Groups - Old Testament
Tou, also called Toi, was king of Hamath. After David defeated Hadarezer, Tou sent a message of congratulations and presents through his son.
Tou, Or Toi
People & Groups - Old Testament
Tou, also called Toi, was king of Hamath. He sent his son to David with gifts after David’s victory over Hadadezer.
Tow
Agriculture & Daily Life - Old Testament
Tow is the coarse, short fiber separated from flax. Scripture uses it as a picture of material that catches fire easily, and possibly of a flax wick.
Tower
Government & Society - Both
A tower was a fortified structure, watch-post, or elevated place of defense. Towers were also built in vineyards as shelters for those guarding the crops.
TOWER OF IVORY
Objects & Symbols - Old Testament
The Tower of Ivory is mentioned only in Song of Solomon 7:4. If the reading is correct, it may refer to an ivory-adorned tower-like structure or furnishing; the exact identification is uncertain.
TOWER OF LEBANON
Places & Geography - Old Testament
The Tower of Lebanon is mentioned in Song of Solomon 7:4 as looking toward Damascus. It is understood as a prominent tower-like feature in the eastern Lebanon range, possibly associated with the summit region of Hermon.
TOWER OF SHECHEM
Places & Geography - Old Testament
The Tower of Shechem was one of the fortified strongholds of Shechem, together with the Beth-millo and Beth-berith. During Abimelech’s attack, its defenders abandoned it and took refuge in the Beth-millo, where they were destroyed.
Tower of the furnaces
Places & Geography - Old Testament
The Tower of the Furnaces was a tower in Jerusalem mentioned in Nehemiah’s account of the city wall. Its name probably reflected its proximity to the bakers’ quarter.
Towers
Government & Society - Both
Biblical towers served various purposes, including defense, watchfulness, and protection of vineyards. Scripture names towers associated with places such as Babel, Jerusalem, Lebanon, and Siloam.
TOWN
Places & Geography - Both
Town is a general biblical term for a settled place smaller or less urban than a major city. It can translate several Hebrew and Greek words referring to unwalled settlements, dependent communities, villages, or places between a city and a village.
Town Clerk
Government & Society - New Testament
The town clerk was the prominent civic official at Ephesus who quieted the crowd during the disturbance caused by Demetrius. He supervised city records and publicly read official laws and decrees.
Trachonitis
Places & Geography - New Testament
Trachonitis was a rugged, volcanic region northeast of the Jordan, associated with the territory of Argob. In New Testament times it belonged to the tetrarchy of Philip.
Tradition
Scripture - New Testament
Tradition is teaching handed down from one generation to another, orally or in writing. Scripture condemns human traditions when they nullify God’s command, while also using the term positively for apostolic instruction faithfully delivered to the church.
TRAFFIC, TRAFFICKER
Agriculture & Daily Life - Both
Traffic or trafficking means trade, commerce, or the business of traveling merchants and peddlers. Scripture uses the term for commercial activity involving merchants, foreign trade, and the accumulation of wealth through buying and selling.
TRAGACANTH
Agriculture & Daily Life - Old Testament
Tragacanth is a gum-producing substance suggested as one possible meaning of the spice mentioned in Genesis 37:25. The exact identification is uncertain; another possibility is storax.
TRAIN
Christian Life - Both
Train can refer to education or instruction, as in training a child in Proverbs 22:6. It can also mean an accompanying army or the flowing skirts of a robe, as in the vision of God’s glory in Isaiah 6.
Trance
Prophecy - Both
A trance is an extraordinary state in which ordinary awareness is suspended or reduced and a person receives an intense vision or impression. Peter and Paul experienced such states in connection with divine revelation.
TRANSFIGURATION
Jesus Christ - New Testament
The Transfiguration was the moment when Jesus’ appearance became radiant before Peter, James, and John, while Moses and Elijah appeared and the Father’s voice identified Him as His beloved Son. It confirmed Jesus’ divine glory and His fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets before His death and resurrection.
TRANSFIGURATION, MOUNT OF
Places & Geography - New Testament
The Mount of Transfiguration is the unnamed high mountain where Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James, and John. Its precise location is not stated; proposals have included Tabor, Hermon, and a mountain in Upper Galilee.
Transfiguration, the
Jesus Christ - New Testament
The Transfiguration was the event in which Jesus’ appearance became radiant before Peter, James, and John on a mountain. Moses and Elijah appeared with Him, and the Father’s voice affirmed Jesus as His beloved Son.
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