To learn to read and to understand the words of Scripture
בְּעֵט־בַּרְזֶ֥ל וְעֹפָ֑רֶת לָ֝עַ֗ד בַּצּ֥וּר יֵחָצְבֽוּן׃ (Job 19:24) This poetic line from the Book of Job expresses a longing for permanence—words written so they could never be erased. It uses vivid imagery of engraving into rock with metal and lead. The verse is beautifully constructed and introduces vocabulary from the world of ancient inscriptions. Let’s dig…
יְהִי־רָעֵ֥ב אֹנֹ֑ו וְ֝אֵ֗יד נָכֹ֥ון לְצַלְעֹֽו׃ (Job 18:12) This short poetic verse is part of Bildad’s speech in the Book of Job, describing the fate of the wicked. The verse may look small, but it’s packed with Biblical Hebrew features: jussive verbs (wishes or commands), rare vocabulary, parallel structure, and construct phrases. Let’s learn how it…
מִ֭תַּחַת שָֽׁרָשָׁ֣יו יִבָ֑שׁוּ וּ֝מִמַּ֗עַל יִמַּ֥ל קְצִירֹֽו׃ (Job 18:16) From beneath his roots they dry up, and from above his harvest withers. “Don’t worry if it feels strange—each word you decode is another brick in your Hebrew foundation!” Word-by-Word Explanation מִתַּחַת — “from beneath.” The preposition מִן (“from”) joined to תַּחַת (“under, beneath”). שָׁרָשָׁיו — “his…
וַיָּ֣סֶךְ בִּדְלָתַ֣יִם יָ֑ם בְּ֝גִיחֹ֗ו מֵרֶ֥חֶם יֵצֵֽא׃ (Job 38:8) And He shut in the sea with doors, when it burst forth, it came out from the womb. Word-by-Word Explanation וַיָּסֶךְ – “And He shut in”Verb, Qal stem, imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular, with vav-consecutive - From the root סָכַךְ, meaning “to shut in,” “cover,” or “enclose”…
בְּנֵ֥י יִצְהָ֖ר שְׁלֹמִ֥ית הָרֹֽאשׁ׃ (1 Chronicles 23:18) The sons of Yitshar: Shelomith the chief. Word-by-Word Explanation בְּנֵי – “sons of”Noun in construct form. - Singular: בֵּן (“son”) - Plural: בָּנִים - Construct form: בְּנֵי (“sons of”) This introduces a genealogical list or descent line. יִצְהָר – “Yitshar”Proper noun. Yitshar is a son of Qehat, a…
הַכְּסִיל֙ חֹבֵ֣ק אֶת־יָדָ֔יו וְאֹכֵ֖ל אֶת־בְּשָׂרֹֽו׃ (Ecclesiastes 4:5) The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh. Word-by-Word Explanation הַכְּסִיל — “the fool.” Definite article הַ + noun כְּסִיל (“fool, dullard, senseless one”). חֹבֵק — “folds / embraces.” Qal participle masculine singular from חבק (“to embrace, fold”). Here describing an ongoing or habitual action. אֶת־יָדָיו…
וַתֹּ֤אמֶר נָעֳמִי֙ לִשְׁתֵּ֣י כַלֹּתֶ֔יהָ לֵ֣כְנָה שֹּׁ֔בְנָה אִשָּׁ֖ה לְבֵ֣ית אִמָּ֑הּ יַעַשׂ יְהוָ֤ה עִמָּכֶם֙ חֶ֔סֶד כַּאֲשֶׁ֧ר עֲשִׂיתֶ֛ם עִם־הַמֵּתִ֖ים וְעִמָּדִֽי׃ (Ruth 1:8) And Naʿomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each woman to her mother’s house. May YHWH do kindness with you, as you have done with the dead and with me.” Word-by-Word Explanation וַתֹּ֤אמֶר – “And…
גַּ֤ם אֱוִ֣יל מַ֭חֲרִישׁ חָכָ֣ם יֵחָשֵׁ֑ב אֹטֵ֖ם שְׂפָתָ֣יו נָבֹֽון׃ (Proverbs 17:28) Today’s Hebrew lesson takes us into a poetic proverb. With only a few words, this verse reveals deep wisdom—and teaches us a lot about how Hebrew words and sentences work. English Translation Even a fool, when he is silent, is considered wise; one who shuts…
וַתִּקְרַ֡בְנָה לִפְנֵי֩ אֶלְעָזָ֨ר הַכֹּהֵ֜ן וְלִפְנֵ֣י יְהֹושֻׁ֣עַ בִּן־נ֗וּן וְלִפְנֵ֤י הַנְּשִׂיאִים֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר יְהוָה֙ צִוָּ֣ה אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֔ה לָֽתֶת־לָ֥נוּ נַחֲלָ֖ה בְּתֹ֣וךְ אַחֵ֑ינוּ וַיִּתֵּ֨ן לָהֶ֜ם אֶל־פִּ֤י יְהוָה֙ נַֽחֲלָ֔ה בְּתֹ֖וךְ אֲחֵ֥י אֲבִיהֶֽן׃ (Joshua 17:4) And they came near before Eleʿazar the priest, and before Yehoshua son of Nun, and before the leaders, saying: “YHWH commanded Moshe to give us an inheritance among…
כָּל־זָכָ֥ר בַּכֹּהֲנִ֖ים יֹאכַ֣ל אֹתָ֑הּ קֹ֥דֶשׁ קָֽדָשִׁ֖ים הִֽוא׃ (Leviticus 6:22) Every male among the priests may eat it; it is most holy. Word-by-Word Explanation כָּל־ – “every”Adjective meaning “all” or “every.” A versatile Hebrew word used to describe the totality of a group. The little dash (־) is a maqqef, which links it closely to the…