To learn to read and to understand the words of Scripture
Biblical Hebrew for Beginners
וְאֶת־מַקֵּדָה֩ לָכַ֨ד יְהֹושֻׁ֜עַ בַּיֹּ֣ום הַה֗וּא וַיַּכֶּ֣הָ לְפִי־חֶרֶב֮ וְאֶת־מַלְכָּהּ֒ הֶחֱרִ֣ם אֹותָ֗ם וְאֶת־כָּל־הַנֶּ֨פֶשׁ֙ אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֔הּ לֹ֥א הִשְׁאִ֖יר שָׂרִ֑יד וַיַּ֨עַשׂ֙ לְמֶ֣לֶךְ מַקֵּדָ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָׂ֖ה לְמֶ֥לֶךְ יְרִיחֹֽו׃ (Joshua 10:28) And Maqqedah Yehoshua captured on that day, and he struck it with the edge of the sword, and its king he devoted to destruction—he and every person that was in it;…
וְיָקְטָ֣ן יָלַ֔ד אֶת־אַלְמֹודָ֖ד וְאֶת־שָׁ֑לֶף וְאֶת־חֲצַרְמָ֖וֶת וְאֶת־יָֽרַח׃ (Genesis 10:26) And Yoqtan begot Almodad and Shelef and Ḥatsarmavet and Yaraḥ A Whispering Verb in a Long Line of Names This verse looks simple. A list. A chain. A father and four sons. No thunder. No war. No oracle. Yet hidden inside this genealogical rhythm is a single…
לָכֵ֗ן כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר אֲדֹנָ֤י יְהוִה֙ צְבָאֹ֔ות אַל־תִּירָ֥א עַמִּ֛י יֹשֵׁ֥ב צִיֹּ֖ון מֵֽאַשּׁ֑וּר בַּשֵּׁ֣בֶט יַכֶּ֔כָּה וּמַטֵּ֥הוּ יִשָּֽׂא־עָלֶ֖יךָ בְּדֶ֥רֶךְ מִצְרָֽיִם׃ (Isaiah 10:24) Therefore thus says the Lord YHWH of Hosts: “Do not fear, My people, dweller of Tsiyyon, from Asshur; with a rod he will strike you, and his staff he will lift against you in the way of…
גַּ֣ם בְּמַדָּֽעֲךָ֗ מֶ֚לֶךְ אַל־תְּקַלֵּ֔ל וּבְחַדְרֵי֙ מִשְׁכָּ֣בְךָ֔ אַל־תְּקַלֵּ֖ל עָשִׁ֑יר כִּ֣י עֹ֤וף הַשָּׁמַ֨יִם֙ יֹולִ֣יךְ אֶת־הַקֹּ֔ול וּבַ֥עַל הַכְּנָפַ֖יִם יַגֵּ֥יד דָּבָֽר׃ (Ecclesiastes 10:20) Even in your thoughts, do not curse the king, and in your bedroom, do not curse the rich; for a bird of the heavens will carry the sound, and a possessor of wings will make the…
וַיֵּצֵ֖א מֵעִ֣ם פַּרְעֹ֑ה וַיֶּעְתַּ֖ר אֶל־יְהוָֽה׃ (Exodus 10:18) And he went out from Pharaoh, and he pleaded to YHWH. This verse shows a quiet but powerful transition: Moshe (Moses) leaves the presence of Pharaoh and turns immediately to YHWH in prayer. The Hebrew grammar and word order beautifully express both movement and intercession, two core patterns…
תְּחַדֵּ֬שׁ עֵדֶ֨יךָ נֶגְדִּ֗י וְתֶ֣רֶב כַּֽעַשְׂךָ עִמָּדִ֑י חֲלִיפֹ֖ות וְצָבָ֣א עִמִּֽי׃ (Job 10:17) You renew Your witnesses against me and increase Your anger toward me; changes and troops are against me. In this verse, Job laments that his suffering feels constant and overwhelming. The Hebrew expresses this despair through strong verbs of repetition and imagery of battle—as…
וַיְמַהֵ֣ר פַּרְעֹ֔ה לִקְרֹ֖א לְמֹשֶׁ֣ה וּלְאַהֲרֹ֑ן וַיֹּ֗אמֶר חָטָ֛אתִי לַיהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֖ם וְלָכֶֽם׃ (Exodus 10:16) And Parʿo hastened to call for Moshe and Aharon, and he said, “I have sinned against YHWH your God and against you.” This verse captures a moment of panic and confession after the plague of locusts. Parʿo (Pharaoh) realizes the severity of YHWH’s…
וּתְקַעְתֶּ֖ם תְּרוּעָ֑ה וְנָֽסְעוּ֙ הַֽמַּחֲנֹ֔ות הַחֹנִ֖ים קֵֽדְמָה׃ (Numbers 10:5) And you shall blow a blast, and the camps that encamp to the east shall set out. This short verse is packed with action and movement. It teaches us how Biblical Hebrew expresses commands, results, and direction—all in under 10 words! You'll learn how Hebrew uses verb…
לֵ֤ב חָכָם֙ לִֽימִינֹ֔ו וְלֵ֥ב כְּסִ֖יל לִשְׂמֹאלֹֽו׃ (Ecclesiastes 10:2) The heart of the wise is to his right, but the heart of the fool is to his left. This poetic proverb from Ecclesiastes gives us a brilliant way to study Biblical Hebrew structure. It contrasts two people, one wise and one foolish, and shows how Hebrew…
שִׁמְע֣וּ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֧ר יְהוָ֛ה עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (Jeremiah 10:1) Hear the word that YHWH has spoken concerning you, O house of Yisraʾel. This sentence from the prophet Jeremiah is a direct and powerful call from YHWH to the people of Yisraʾel. But how is that message built in Hebrew? Let’s explore the grammar and…