Bible Dictionary: Terms Beginning with F
Exploring biblical terms starting with "F" reveals foundational doctrines about faith, forgiveness, and God's faithfulness. Here's your comprehensive guide to essential biblical vocabulary.
Major Biblical Figures
Felix
Roman governor of Judea who kept Paul imprisoned for two years, hoping for a bribe while trembling at Paul's message about righteousness and judgment.
Festus
Roman governor who succeeded Felix and arranged Paul's appeal to Caesar after Jewish leaders accused him.
Phinehas
Grandson of Aaron whose zealous action stopped a plague by executing an Israelite and Midianite woman committing flagrant sin.
Central Theological Terms
Faith
Complete trust and confidence in God and His promises. Essential for salvation and pleasing God; "the substance of things hoped for."
Faithful/Faithfulness
Steadfast loyalty and reliability. God's faithfulness never fails; believers are called to be faithful in all things.
Fall, The
Humanity's first sin when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, bringing death, corruption, and separation into the world.
Famine
Severe shortage of food, often sent as judgment or to accomplish God's purposes. Seven-year famine brought Joseph's family to Egypt.
Fast/Fasting
Voluntary abstinence from food for spiritual purposes—prayer, repentance, seeking God's will, or mourning.
Father
Male parent; God as the first person of the Trinity. Jesus taught believers to address God as "Our Father."
Fear of the Lord
Reverential awe, respect, and worship of God. The beginning of wisdom and knowledge; motivates obedience.
Feast
Religious celebration or festival commemorating God's acts. Major feasts include Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles.
Fellowship
Intimate communion and shared life. Believers have fellowship with God and one another through Christ.
Firstborn
Oldest son receiving inheritance rights and family leadership. Christ is the firstborn over all creation, preeminent in all things.
Firstfruits
Initial harvest portion offered to God, representing dedication of the whole. Christ is firstfruits of resurrection.
Flesh
Physical body; human nature corrupted by sin. The flesh wars against the Spirit in believers.
Flock
Group of sheep under a shepherd's care. Represents believers under Christ's and pastors' spiritual oversight.
Flood
Deluge in Noah's time that destroyed all life except those in the ark, demonstrating God's judgment on wickedness.
Foot/Feet
Lower extremity representing humility and service. Jesus washed disciples' feet; sitting at someone's feet meant learning from them.
Forbearance
Patient restraint and tolerance. God shows forbearance toward sinners, delaying deserved judgment.
Foreknowledge
God's advance knowledge of all events and people. His foreknowledge doesn't violate human free will.
Foreordination
God's predetermined plan and purpose. He foreordained all things according to His sovereign will.
Forgiveness
Pardoning sin and releasing the offender from deserved punishment. God forgives through Christ; believers must forgive others.
Fornication
Sexual immorality outside marriage. Forbidden as violating God's design for sexual purity within covenant marriage.
Foundation
Base supporting a structure. Christ is the church's foundation; apostles and prophets form the foundation with Christ as cornerstone.
Frankincense
Aromatic resin burned as incense in worship, symbolizing prayer rising to God. Wise men brought frankincense to Jesus.
Free Will
Human ability to make choices. Debates exist about the extent of free will after the Fall regarding salvation.
Freedom
Liberation from bondage. Christ sets believers free from sin's slavery; where the Spirit is, there is freedom.
Fruit
Product or result of something. Spiritual fruit demonstrates genuine faith; the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, etc.
Fulfill/Fulfillment
To complete or bring to realization. Jesus fulfilled prophecy and the law; believers fulfill Christ's law through love.
Places and Regions
Fertile Crescent
Arc of fertile land from Egypt through Canaan to Mesopotamia where early biblical civilizations developed.
Biblical Objects and Symbols
Fig Tree
Common fruit tree often representing Israel or prosperity. Jesus cursed a barren fig tree illustrating fruitless religion.
Fire
Flame used for warmth, cooking, sacrifice, and judgment. Represents God's presence, purification, and the Holy Spirit.
Fisherman
One who catches fish. Jesus called fishermen as disciples, promising to make them "fishers of men."
Flax
Plant whose fibers made linen for priestly garments and whose stalks Rahab used to hide Israelite spies.
Fleece
Sheep's wool, used by Gideon to seek confirmation of God's calling through miraculous signs.
Flood
Noah's worldwide deluge destroying all life outside the ark, prefiguring baptism and final judgment by fire.
Footstool
Support for feet representing complete subjugation. Earth is God's footstool; enemies will become Christ's footstool.
Fortress
Stronghold or fortified place of refuge. God is described as believers' fortress and refuge in trouble.
Fountain
Spring of water representing life, blessing, and spiritual refreshment. Christ offers living water as a fountain.
Fowl
Birds, especially domesticated ones. God provides for fowls; believers are worth more than many sparrows.
Furnace
Oven for smelting metal or baking. Represents testing, purification, and judgment. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego survived the fiery furnace.
Additional Theological Concepts
Faint
To grow weak or lose courage. Those who wait on the Lord won't faint; believers shouldn't faint in doing good.
Fair
Beautiful or just. The bride is fair; God's judgments are fair and righteous altogether.
Fall Away
To apostatize or abandon faith. Warning passages address danger of falling away from God's grace.
False Prophet
One claiming divine inspiration but speaking lies. False prophets lead people astray and face severe judgment.
False Witness
Lying testimony, especially in legal proceedings. The ninth commandment forbids bearing false witness.
Family
Household unit of parents and children. God established family; believers are part of God's family through adoption.
Fan
Tool for winnowing grain, separating wheat from chaff, symbolizing judgment separating righteous from wicked.
Fashion
To form or shape. God fashioned humanity; believers shouldn't fashion themselves according to worldly patterns.
Father Abraham
Patriarch and father of faith whose trust in God serves as model for believers of all nations.
Fatherless
Orphans without paternal protection. God defends the fatherless; caring for them demonstrates pure religion.
Fault
Defect, error, or sin. Believers should confess faults to one another; Christ was without fault.
Favor
Approval, kindness, or blessing. Noah found favor with God; Mary received favor; believers have favor through Christ.
Feast of Dedication
Jewish festival commemorating temple rededication after Maccabean revolt, also called Hanukkah. Jesus attended this feast.
Feast of Tabernacles
Seven-day harvest celebration when Israel dwelt in booths, remembering wilderness wandering and God's provision.
Feast of Unleavened Bread
Week-long festival following Passover, eating bread without yeast symbolizing sin's removal.
Feigned
Pretended or hypocritical. Peter warns against false teachers with feigned words exploiting believers.
Fervent
Intensely passionate or zealous. Prayers should be fervent and effective; love should be fervent among believers.
Fetters
Chains or shackles restraining prisoners. Demons broke fetters; Samson burst bonds; Christ frees captives.
Fidelity
Faithfulness and loyalty, especially in marriage covenant or service to God.
Field
Cultivated land for crops. Jesus used fields in parables; the field is the world where gospel seed is sown.
Fiery Trial
Severe testing or persecution. Peter encourages believers not to be surprised by fiery trials proving faith.
Fig
Fruit symbolizing peace and prosperity. "Under his vine and fig tree" described security and blessing.
Filthiness
Moral or spiritual corruption. Believers must lay aside all filthiness and receive God's Word with meekness.
Finger of God
Expression denoting divine power. The law was written by God's finger; Jesus cast out demons by God's finger.
Firmament
Expanse or sky created by God, separating waters above from waters below in creation account.
Fisher of Men
Metaphor for evangelism. Jesus called disciples to become fishers of men, catching people for God's kingdom.
Flame
Burning fire representing God's holiness, judgment, and purifying presence. God appeared as flames at Sinai.
Flattery
Insincere praise to manipulate. Wicked flatter with their lips; believers should avoid flattering words.
Fleshpots
Cooking vessels in Egypt representing the comforts Israel remembered despite their slavery.
Flog
To whip or beat as punishment. Jesus was flogged before crucifixion; apostles were flogged for preaching.
Flood Waters
Overwhelming deluge destroying the earth in Noah's day, prefiguring judgment and salvation through Christ.
Fold
Enclosure for sheep. Jesus has other sheep not of this fold He must bring; there will be one flock, one shepherd.
Folly
Foolishness or lack of wisdom. The fool says there's no God; folly is bound in children's hearts.
Fool
One lacking wisdom or rejecting God. The fool despises instruction; foolishness leads to destruction.
Footsteps
Path or way of walking. Believers should follow in Christ's footsteps, imitating His example.
Forbid
To prohibit or prevent. Jesus said, "Forbid them not" regarding children coming to Him; nothing can forbid God's purposes.
Foreign Gods
Idols and deities of other nations. Israel repeatedly turned to foreign gods, provoking God's judgment.
Forerunner
One going ahead to prepare the way. John the Baptist was Christ's forerunner; Jesus is our forerunner into heaven.
Forfeiture
Loss of something due to breach of obligation. Gaining the world while forfeiting one's soul is ultimate loss.
Form
Shape, appearance, or essential nature. Christ took the form of a servant; godliness without power is mere form.
Fortify
To strengthen or reinforce. Nehemiah fortified Jerusalem's walls; believers should be fortified through God's Word.
Forward
Onward or ahead. Paul pressed forward toward the goal; believers look forward to Christ's return.
Foster
To nurture and care for. Mordecai fostered Esther; God fosters His children's spiritual growth.
Foundation Stone
Chief cornerstone determining building alignment. Christ is the foundation stone the builders rejected.
Fowler
Bird hunter using traps and snares. Satan is like a fowler; God delivers believers from the fowler's snare.
Fragment
Small piece or remainder. Jesus commanded gathering fragments after feeding miracles, wasting nothing.
Frame
To construct or fashion. God framed the worlds by His word; humans are fearfully and wonderfully framed.
Fraud
Deceit or cheating. Believers shouldn't defraud others; withholding wages is fraud condemned by James.
Freewill Offering
Voluntary gift to God beyond required sacrifices, given from a generous heart motivated by love.
Friend
Close companion. Abraham was God's friend; Jesus calls disciples friends; true friends love at all times.
Fringe
Tassels on Israelite garments reminding them of God's commandments and their call to holiness.
Fruitful
Productive and multiplying. God commanded humanity to be fruitful; abiding in Christ produces spiritual fruit.
Fugitive
One fleeing danger or justice. Cain became a fugitive and wanderer on the earth; David fled from Saul.
Fulfill
To accomplish or bring to completion. Christ fulfilled law and prophecy; believers fulfill God's will.
Fullness
Complete measure or abundance. Christ's fullness dwells bodily; believers receive from His fullness.
Fury
Intense anger or wrath. God's fury burns against wickedness; believers should put away fury and wrath.
More Key Figures
Fortunatus
Corinthian Christian who visited Paul and refreshed his spirit through fellowship and service.
Groups and Peoples
Philippians
Christians in Philippi who supported Paul's ministry financially and received his joyful letter from prison.