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.