To learn to read and to understand the words of Scripture
Biblical Hebrew for Beginners
Proverbs 11:16 אֵֽשֶׁת־֭חֵן תִּתְמֹ֣ךְ כָּבֹ֑וד וְ֝עָרִיצִ֗ים יִתְמְכוּ־עֹֽשֶׁר׃ 1. Transliteration ʾEshet-ḥēn titmōkh kāvōd, veʿārîtsîm yitmĕkhû-ʿōsher. 2. Literal Translation A woman of grace holds fast to honor, and ruthless men hold fast to wealth. 3. Grammar Focus: One Verb Repeated Across Two Worlds The most important grammatical feature in this proverb is repetition of the same root:…
Joshua 11:15 כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֣ה עַבְדֹּ֔ו כֵּן־צִוָּ֥ה מֹשֶׁ֖ה אֶת־יְהֹושֻׁ֑עַ וְכֵן֙ עָשָׂ֣ה יְהֹושֻׁ֔עַ לֹֽא־הֵסִ֣יר דָּבָ֔ר מִכֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃ 1. Transliteration Kaʾăsher tsivvāh YHWH ʾet-Mōsheh ʿavdō, kēn-tsivvāh Mōsheh ʾet-Yehōshuaʿ, vekhēn ʿāsāh Yehōshuaʿ; lō-hēsîr dāvār mikkol ʾăsher-tsivvāh YHWH ʾet-Mōsheh. 2. Literal Translation Just as YHWH commanded Mosheh His servant, so Mosheh commanded Yehoshuaʿ, and so Yehoshuaʿ…
Leviticus 11:14 וְאֶת־הַ֨דָּאָ֔ה וְאֶת־הָאַיָּ֖ה לְמִינָֽהּ׃ 1. Transliteration Veʾet-haddāʾāh veʾet-hāʾayyāh lemināh. 2. Literal Translation And the kite, and the falcon according to its kind. 3. Grammar Focus: Repeated וְאֶת Marks Each Item This short verse is built around repeated marking: וְאֶת־הַדָּאָה וְאֶת־הָאַיָּה The little word אֶת marks a definite direct object. It usually does not need…
Job 11:13 אִם־֭אַתָּ֗ה הֲכִינֹ֣ותָ לִבֶּ֑ךָ וּפָרַשְׂתָּ֖ אֵלָ֣יו כַּפֶּֽךָ׃ 1. Transliteration ʾIm-ʾattāh hăkhînōtā libbekha, ûfāraśtā ʾēlāyw kappekha. 2. Literal Translation If you, you have prepared your heart, and you have spread out your palms toward Him. 3. Grammar Focus: The Conditional Doorway אִם The verse opens with אִם, meaning “if.” This small word opens a conditional…
Joshua 11:12 וְֽאֶת־כָּל־עָרֵ֣י הַמְּלָכִֽים־֠הָאֵלֶּה וְֽאֶת־כָּל־מַלְכֵיהֶ֞ם לָכַ֧ד יְהֹושֻׁ֛עַ וַיַּכֵּ֥ם לְפִי־חֶ֖רֶב הֶחֱרִ֣ים אֹותָ֑ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוָּ֔ה מֹשֶׁ֖ה עֶ֥בֶד יְהוָֽה׃ 1. Transliteration Veʾet-kol-ʿārê hammelākhîm-hāʾēlleh veʾet-kol-malkhêhem lākhad Yehōshuaʿ, vayyakkēm lefî-ḥerev, heḥĕrîm ʾōtām, kaʾăsher tsivvāh Mōsheh ʿeved YHWH. 2. Literal Translation And all the cities of these kings, and all their kings, Yehoshuaʿ captured, and he struck them by the mouth…
Genesis 11:11 וַֽיְחִי־שֵׁ֗ם אַֽחֲרֵי֙ הֹולִידֹ֣ו אֶת־אַרְפַּכְשָׁ֔ד חֲמֵ֥שׁ מֵאֹ֖ות שָׁנָ֑ה וַיֹּ֥ולֶד בָּנִ֖ים וּבָנֹֽות׃ 1. Transliteration Vayḥî-Shēm ʾaḥărê hōlîdō ʾet-ʾArpakhshād, ḥămēsh mēʾōt shānāh, vayyōled bānîm ûvānōt. 2. Literal Translation And Shem lived after his fathering of Arpakhshad five hundred years, and he fathered sons and daughters. 3. Grammar Focus: Genealogy Hebrew Moves by Repeated Verbs This verse…
Ecclesiastes 11:10 וְהָסֵ֥ר כַּ֨עַס֙ מִלִּבֶּ֔ךָ וְהַעֲבֵ֥ר רָעָ֖ה מִבְּשָׂרֶ֑ךָ כִּֽי־הַיַּלְד֥וּת וְהַֽשַּׁחֲר֖וּת הָֽבֶל׃ 1. Transliteration Vehāsēr kaʿas millibbekha, vehaʿăvēr rāʿāh mibbesārekha, kī-hayyaldūt vehashshaḥărūt hāvel. 2. Literal Translation And remove vexation from your heart, and cause evil to pass away from your flesh, for childhood and the dawn of life are vapor. 3. Grammar Focus: Two Commands That…
Exodus 11:9 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה לֹא־יִשְׁמַ֥ע אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם פַּרְעֹ֑ה לְמַ֛עַן רְבֹ֥ות מֹופְתַ֖י בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃ 1. Transliteration Vayyōmer YHWH el-Mōsheh, lō-yishmaʿ ʾălêkhem Parʿōh, lemaʿan revōt mōfetay beʾerets Mitsrayim. 2. Literal Translation And YHWH said to Moshe, “Parʿo will not listen to you, in order that My wonders may multiply in the land of Mitsrayim.” 3. Grammar Focus:…
אֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוִּ֣יתִי אֶת־אֲבֹֽותֵיכֶ֡ם בְּיֹ֣ום הֹוצִיאִֽי־אֹותָ֣ם מֵאֶֽרֶץ־מִצְרַיִם֩ מִכּ֨וּר הַבַּרְזֶ֜ל לֵאמֹ֗ר שִׁמְע֤וּ בְקֹולִי֙ וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֣ם אֹותָ֔ם כְּכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־אֲצַוֶּ֖ה אֶתְכֶ֑ם וִהְיִ֤יתֶם לִי֙ לְעָ֔ם וְאָ֣נֹכִ֔י אֶהְיֶ֥ה לָכֶ֖ם לֵאלֹהִֽים׃ (Jeremiah 11:4) Which I commanded your fathers on the day of My bringing them out from the land of Mitsrayim, from the iron furnace, saying: listen to My voice and do them,…
שַׁלַּ֥ח לַחְמְךָ֖ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הַמָּ֑יִם כִּֽי־בְרֹ֥ב הַיָּמִ֖ים תִּמְצָאֶֽנּוּ׃ (Ecclesiastes 11:1) Send your bread upon the surface of the waters, for in many days you will find it. This proverb from Qohelet uses vivid imagery. The command encourages an action whose result will appear later. The Hebrew grammar is simple but elegant, combining an imperative command with…