Bible names turned into adjectives

When I started to take seminary classes a few years ago, I figured I would pretty much understand the lingo. I had gone to church since I was a child and I had taught Sunday School for a while, so I thought I’d be okay. Well, in some ways yes, and in some ways no. One thing I observed was, as in any other field or profession, theologians have their own vocabulary, so to speak.

One example of this that caught my ear early on was that many professors have a penchant for turning Bible names into adjectives. Now, if you attend church at least semi-regularly, you’ve heard some examples of this. Perhaps you recall a preacher making reference to the Mosaic Law (i.e. of Moses), the Davidic covenant (of David, of course), or the Pauline epistles (the New Testament books written by the apostle Paul). Okay, fine. But I was recently reading a “scholarly article” that described a priesthood as “Melchizedekian” (Melchizedek was a character who visited Abraham in the book of Genesis). Call me a cynic, but the only reason I can think of as to why you would need to use the word “Melchizedekian” is if you wanted everyone to know how smart you are (or, in other words, to make an ostentatious show of your erudition).

But “Melchizedekian” isn’t the only example (maybe just the worst). Some sound a little funny—like Adamic (pronounced uh-DAM-ik), as in, “we all inherit Adamic guilt.” When I first heard an instructor say this, I did a double-take because I thought he was cursing. Then there is Aaronic, like the Aaronic priesthood of Moses’ brother, Aaron (isn’t it Aaronic, now don’t you think?). The list goes on: Petrine (Peter), Johannine (John), Solomonic, etc. Some even take it beyond Bible characters. In a church history class I got kind of lost as the professor kept referring to “Thomistic” thought, the word appearing on the overhead slide. I briefly panicked, because the only “Thom” I could think of was Thom McAn, and I was sure he wasn’t referring to him. The subject of this adjective was of course the great Christian philosopher Thomas Aquinas (how could I have been so silly?).

So, in the spirit of “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em,” I am starting my own list of adjectives (and maybe a noun here or there) derived from biblical names. Hey, maybe I will keep a running list and update you from time to time. Maybe I’ll even try a few out in public conversation, just to see what the reaction is. Then again, maybe I won’t.

1. If you are describing an exceedingly attractive woman, you could say that her beauty is Estheric, after the beautiful Queen Esther. Or, you could simply say, “She’s Estherical!”

2. Older people who are still living a Godly life after all these years are “Enochers” (I’ll let you look up Genesis 5:21-24).

3. You remember the book of Job, where Job’s three friends visited him and went to great lengths to try to convince Job of his supposed sin. That said, guess the vocabulary word in this sentence: “His lengthy, critical harangue was Bildadic in scope.”

4. If the things of Paul are Pauline, then I think it’s only fair to say that things pertaining to Joseph are “Josephine.” Actually, this one may already be in use.

5. The shortest book in the New Testament is Philemon. Thus, a very short letter to someone could be described as “Philemonic.” I would pronounce it as fill-uh-MON-ik, as in, “Parliament’s curt denunciation of the Prime Minister’s economic policy came to be known as the ‘London Philemonic.’” (Sorry.)

6. And lastly (for now): That bullfrog was Jeremiahic (jeh-ruh-MY-ick).