Luke 2:11 names Jesus as both Saviour and Messiah. This post explores how the word ‘saviour’ travelled from Latin and Greek into English, and how its earlier uses for ancient rulers are reshaped in the New Testament to describe Christ alone. Image taken on the cliffs of Anglesey.

A manger is a simple feeding trough, shaped by centuries of language change from Latin through French into English. This entry traces its history and links it with an image taken at Whipsnade, where deer gather around a real trough.

A short exploration of the word ‘town’, from Old English ‘tūn’ meaning an enclosed homestead to the Greek ‘polis’ of Luke’s Gospel. The accompanying image comes from Legoland Denmark’s Small Danish Town display, echoing how communities form around shared life.

A short study of the word ‘census’ in Luke 2, tracing its roots from Roman record keeping to the Greek ‘apographē’. The accompanying image shows a line drawn through homemade gingerbread sensory salt, echoing the act of writing a name into a register.

A word card exploring the history of ‘blessed’ in Scripture, paired with an image taken above Lantic Bay.

Explores the long history of ‘servant’, from Latin slavery to chosen devotion in Luke’s Gospel, and how European translations have softened its meaning.

A clear exploration of the word ‘birth’, tracing its history from Old Norse and Proto-Germanic roots to Greek tiktō in Luke 1.31.

A look at the long journey of ‘throne’, from Greek ‘θρόνος’ to modern English, with a Viking high seat from Stockholm as the accompanying image.

A short exploration of the English word ‘sin’, its Germanic roots, and how it came to be used in Bible translation. This Word Card also untangles the popular archery misconception and shows how the Greek terms actually work.

The story behind ‘pledge’, from Germanic guardianship to the Greek and Latin language of binding promise in Matthew 1.18.

Pregnancy traces back to Latin ‘praegnantia’, meaning ‘carrying before birth’. Other European languages picture the idea through weight, enclosure, and taking together. Greek adds its own structure with ‘syllambanō’. 

Hebrews 12 describes faith as a long race. This word card explores the history of ‘perseverance’ alongside the Greek term in the passage, paired with an image from Nant Ffrancon Pass that echoes the steady climb of the text.

A short look at the word ‘righteous’, its Old English and Hebrew roots, and how Scripture uses the idea of the straight and upright way. Written with an orthodox evangelical understanding of God’s justice and Christ’s fulfilment. 

The phrase ‘wonderful counsellor’ in Isaiah 9 points to the Messiah whose wisdom rises above ordinary human insight. This word card explores the Hebrew ‘pele yo‘etz’, the English forms, and the major European translations that shaped how the title entered English.

A short exploration of how ‘perfect’ first meant something completed or fulfilled, from Latin and Greek roots to European Bible translations in Hebrews 11:40. 

A study of ‘strength’ in Hebrews 11, tracing the Greek and Old English roots behind the idea of weakness becoming strength, with examples from French, Spanish, German, and other European translations.

Old English ‘wilcuma’ meant ‘a wished-for guest’. The Greek ‘δέχομαι’ in Hebrews 11:31 adds another layer — to receive with the right hand. ‘Welcome’ joins will, friendship and faith into one open gesture. 

A reflection on Hebrews 11:27 through the history of the word ‘anger’. From Norse sorrow to Greek fire, this short piece links language, Scripture, and the village beacon that marks the start of Christmas.

From Latin sacer ‘holy’ and facere ‘to make’, ‘sacrifice’ first meant ‘to make something holy’. The Greek ‘προσφέρω’ adds the sense of offering or bringing near to God.

The word ‘country’ once meant the open land beyond the walls. From Latin ‘contrata’ and Greek ‘χώρα’, it described a region or homeland rather than a nation. Hebrews 11:16 speaks of ‘a better country’ — the true homeland God prepares.