Hebrew Class

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			HEBREW CLASS
Home PageWhat's New Basics on Hebraic Roots Scripture Study Helps Nuggets from the Word What the Bible Really Says About... Photo Gallery of Israel Return of the Rest of Israel Hebrew Class Media Materials Available Recommended Reading and Links New Bible Translation Sabbath Liturgy		Glossary of Basic Vocabulary Learning Hebrew may seem daunting. After all, in it, me means "who", who means "he", and he means "she"! It has a different alphabet. It is read from right to left. But it does follow very logical patterns that make each next step easier.It even appears to have been the original human language; the names of everyone prior to the tower of Babel make sense only in Hebrew. So it is thus the "pure language" to which Yahweh promises He will eventually return everyone who wants to call on Him. (Zephaniah 3:9) In any case, it is the language that most of the authors of Scripture wrote in, and those who wrote in Greek (if indeed that was the original version) still thought in Hebraic terms, as evidenced by the kind of non-Greek idioms they used. So if you want to really be sure you are understanding the Bible properly, Hebrew is the key language to learn. Even the exceptions to the rules can teach us deep spiritual truths. While there is a name for each number, Hebrew numerals are usually written using letters and combinations of letters. Therefore, each word has a numeric value when all its letter values are added together. This is called Gematria. ("Ch" is pronounced like "kh"; vowels are much like Spanish, and the apostrophe stands for the "schwa", a very short, unstressed vowel.) Adam: Human being, mankind, humanity Adon, Adonai: Master (often a substitute for YHWH) Am: A people (particular ethnicity/group) Aviv: Springtime (when green ear of barley is visible) Avodah: Service, worship, spiritual work Bikkur: Firstborn, firstfruit Baruch: Blessed (Barchu = bless! plural) Basar: Flesh, meat, good news Bat: Daughter (suburb, hill around Jerusalem) Ben: Son, descendant (plural B'nei=children) Beit, Beth: House, household, place Beit ha Miqdash: "House of the Sanctuary"--the Temple Beit Knesset: House of assembly = synagogue B'rit: Covenant (cutting) B'rit Chadashah: New or Renewed Covenant B'rit Milah: Circumcision Chai Life, to be alive Chag (Hag): Holy festival, dancing in a circle Chayim: Life, Living (pl. as in Mayim Chayim) Chodesh: The moon (Chadash = make new, renew) Echad: One (or unified, acting fully in unison) Elohim, El: Mighty ones, judges, spiritual beings, (Eloheynu=our El) name of YHWH emphasizing His justice Emunah: Faith (Aman=steadfast, firm, trustworthy) Ephraim: Joseph's younger son; Northern Kingdom Eretz, Aretz: Land (e.g., Eretz Israel); Earth Even: Building stone; weight to measure value Goyim: Nations or Gentiles; specially applied to (some) descendants of Japheth (Gen 10:5) HaMotzi: "Who brings forth"; blessing over bread HaM'vorach: The One who is to be blessed "HaShem": The Name: Judaic substitute for YHWH Havdallah: Distinction (ceremony ending Sabbath) Hesed: Mercy, Lovingkindness Hineh: Behold! Here (is)! Ish / Ishah: Man / Woman (N'kevah=fem., pierced) Kavod: Glory, weight, importance, esteem Kiddush (Qidush): Sanctification (blessing over wine) L'Olam va Ed: Forever; lit., "to the age and until..." Lo-Ammi: "Not My people" Lo-Ruhamah: "No Pity" Malach: Angel, Messenger Malachah: Work (for our own sustenance, personal gain; what is forbidden on Shabbat) Malchut: Kingdom (Malchuto = His reign) Mashiach: Messiah, Anointed One Mayim: Water(s) Mayim Chayim: "Living"/running/flowing water Melekh: King, sovereign Menorah: Lampstand; candlestick (Ner=candle) Mevaser: One who brings good news (basar) Miqdash: Sanctuary (place of holiness) Miqvah: Ritual purification bath (immersion) Mishkan: "Dwelling place", tabernacle Mishnah: 2nd "Tanak" explanatory companion vol. Mitzvah: Commandment, order, placing in charge Mo'ed: Appointed time, proper time Nefesh: Soul, life, desire (resides in the blood) Od: Again, still Olam: Age, Universe, World, Eternity Or: Light (or, more basically, energy) Oseh: One who does/makes; making; doing Qadosh: Holy, set apart, separate Qodesh: Holy One; being holy Regel: Foot, leg (Regalim= pilgrim festivals) Reshith: Beginning (B'reshith = Genesis) Rishon: First (Yom haRishon = Sunday, etc.) Rosh: Head (related to Reshith and Rishon) Rosh Chodesh: New Moon Ruach: Spirit, breath, wind Ruhamah: Compassion, Pity Sameach: Joyful, happy (e.g., Chag Sameach!) Sasson: Gladness Shaliach: Sent one (shalach=send; Shiloach=sent) Shalom: Peace, greeting, well-being, wholeness Shamar: Observe, keep, watch over, guard Shamayim: Heavens, sky, euphemism for YHWH Shanah: Year (HaShanah= the year) Shekhinah: Dwelling presence of YHWH Shem: Name (Shemo = His name) Sheva: Seven or an oath Shevet: Sitting, dwelling (from Yashav) Sh'ma: Hear, listen, hearken, obey Shofar: A trumpet made from an animal horn Shomer Israel: One who keeps/watches over Israel Simchah (t): Joy; simchu = be joyful (sameach) Talmid(ah): Student Talmud: Book of Learning, expands on the Mishnah Tanach, Tanak: Acrostic for Torah (instruction), (Hebrew Scriptures) Navi'im (prophets), and K'tuvim (writings) Tavnit: Picture, type, stamped image, pattern Torah: Instruction, teaching, legal directive Tsadiq: A righteous person Ts'daqah: Righteousness/Charity (for the poor) Tsion: "Zion"; mountain at site of Jerusalem Tsur: Rock (place of refuge) Yachad: Unity (based on Echad) Yashav: To sit, settle down, dwell (> Yeshiva) Yerushalayim: Jerusalem ("He will see double peace") YHWH, Yahweh: The revealed name of the Creator Yeshuah: Salvation (Yisheynu = our salvation) Y'shua/Yahshua: The Son and image of Elohim (short for Y'hoshua = "YHWH saves") Zecher: Remembrance (of a command only applicable in the Land); marked; male FESTIVALS Chag haMatzah: Feast of Unleavened Bread Pesakh: Passover Shabbat: Sabbath, the seventh day of the week, "ceasing" Shavuot: Pentecost or "Feast of Weeks" Sukkoth: Feast of Booths or Tabernacles Yom haBikkurim: Day of Firstfruits Yom haTeruah: Day of Trumpet-blast (awakening, alarm) Yom Kippur: Day of Atonement Chol haMoed: Ordinary days during a festival OFFERIINGS: Chata'at: Sin Offering Korban: Drawing Near Olah: Burnt (Ascending/Elevating) Offering Shalem: Peace Offering Terumah: Lifting off/contribution ("wave offering") Minchah: Grain/unleavened bread offering Hebrew Pronunciation of some Biblical names Abraham: AV-ra-hahm David: da-WID Elijah: el-i-YA-hu Ephraim: EF-ray-im Ezekiel: y'-HEZ-kel Hezekiah: hiz-ki-YA-hu Isaac: yitz-HAQ Isaiah: ye-SHA-ya-hu Israel: YIS-ra-el Jacob: YA-a-kov Jairus: ya-IR James: YA-a-kov Jeremiah: yirm-YA-hu Jeroboam: ya-ra-VAM Jesus: y'-SHU-a or yah-SHU-a John: YO-cha-nan Joseph: yo-SEYF Joshua: y'-HOsh-u-a Matthew: ma-ti-THYA-hu Micah: MI-cha Nahum: na-CHUM Peter: KEY-fa (Cephas) Rehoboam: rey-ha-VAM Samuel: shmu-EL Saul: sha-UL Solomon: SHLO-mo Zechariah: z'CHAR-yah Zephaniah: tse-FAN-yah A First Conversation in Hebrew Person 1 is a woman. Person 2 is a man. 1) SHALOM. [Hello/Greetings.] 2) SHALOM. 1) MI ATAH? [Who are you/What is your name?] 2) ANI YAAQOV. MI AT? [I am Yaaqov. Who are you?] 1) ANI SHOSHI [I am Shoshi.] 2) NA-IM ME-OD. [Pleased to meet you.] Second conversation: 1) SHALOM, YAAQOV! 2) SHALOM, SHOSHI! 1) MA SHLOM-KHA? [How are you?] 2) SHLOMI TOV! MA SHLO-ME-AKH? [I am fine. How are you?] 1) GAM SHLOMI TOV. [I am fine too.] 2) SHALOM! [Good-bye!] 1) L - HI-TRA-OT! [See you later!] Other Polite Phrases: Thank you very much. = todah rabbah Please/you're welcome. = b'vakashah Excuse me. = sliHah Numbers: Numbers agree in gender with the word they modify. In random counting, the masculine form is used: Masculine / Feminine 1 eHad - aHat 2 shnayim - shtayim 3 shalosh - shloshah 4 arba˜ - arbaah 5 Hamesh - Hamishah 6 shesh - shishah 7 sheva - shivah 8 shmoneh - shmonah 9 tesha - tishah 10 eser - asarah Days of the Week (An example of ordinal numbers): 1st day = Yom Rishon 2nd day = Yom Sheni 3rd day = Yom Shlishi 4th day = Yom Revii 5th day = Yom Hamishi 6th day = Yom Shishi 7th day = Yom haShvii or Shabbat Basic Grammar QUESTION WORDS Who? = mi Whom? = et-mi What? = mah When? = (ey) matai? Where? = eyfo or ey Where to? = anah Whence? = me’ayin Why? = lamah or madua How? = eykh How much/ how many? = kamah Which (one)? = eyzeh What’s this? = Mah zeh? Masc. This is a dog. Zeh kelev. Compare This dog. HaKelev ha-zeh Fem. This is a girl. Zot yaldah. This girl. Ha-yaldah ha-zot COMMON PREPOSITIONS In, at, by = B' * As, like, according to = K' * To, for = L' * With = im Until = ad (Out) from = min *Add as a prefix: House = bayit In a house = b'bayit In the house = ba-bayit Different parts of speech are often based on the same ROOT (shoresh in Hebrew): King = melekh Queen = malkhah He reigned = malakh Kingdom = malkhut Realm/dominion = mamlakah ADJECTIVES have masculine and feminine forms to agree in gender with the nouns they modify: A good king = melekh tov A good queen = malkhah tovah Masculine is inclusive for mixed gender groups FEMININE form and PLURALS are made by adding suffixes to the root: Masculine singular (no standard suffix) Feminine singular = -ah Masculine plural = -im Feminine plural = -oth For example: y-l-d (to give birth) Boy = yeled Girl = yaldah Boys/children = yeladim Girls = yaldoth The adjective follows the noun. There is no overt indefinite article ("a" or "an") in Hebrew. There is, however, a definite article, ha- A good king = melekh tov The good king = haMelekh tov Contrast: The king is good. = Tov haMelekh.