What does paloma mean in the Bible?

In the Bible, "paloma" meaning dove holds profound and repeated spiritual significance, appearing as a powerful symbol across both the Old and New Testaments. While the word paloma itself is Spanish, the Hebrew word is "yonah" and the Greek is "peristera," both translated as dove or pigeon. The first and most famous biblical dove appears in the story of Noah and the Ark, where Noah sends out a dove that returns with an olive branch, signaling the end of the flood and becoming the eternal symbol of peace, hope, and God's reconciliation with humanity. In the Song of Solomon, the dove is a term of endearment representing love, purity, and beauty. Most importantly, in the New Testament, at the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, the Holy Spirit descends "like a dove" upon him, establishing the dove as the embodiment of the Holy Spirit, divine presence, gentleness, and anointing. Because of these passages, in Hispanic Christian traditions, La Paloma is directly associated with the Holy Spirit and with the Virgin Mary as a vessel of peace and purity, making the name deeply sacred.