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- The Birth of Power: The Grammar of Beginning and Becoming in Genesis 10:8
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Category Archives: Vocabulary
The Meaning and Function of יָדַע (“To Know”) in Genesis 4:1
This study will analyze the semantic range of יָדַע, its usage as a euphemism for sexual relations, and its theological significance in the context of procreation.
וְהָ֣אָדָ֔ם יָדַ֖ע אֶת־חַוָּ֣ה אִשְׁתֹּ֑ו וַתַּ֨הַר֙ וַתֵּ֣לֶד אֶת־קַ֔יִן וַתֹּ֕אמֶר קָנִ֥יתִי אִ֖ישׁ אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃
(Genesis 4:1)
And the man knew Ḥavva his wife, and she conceived and bore Qayin, and she said, “I have acquired a man by YHWH.”
Genesis 4:1 describes the conception and birth of Qayin (Cain), the first recorded human birth in the Bible. The verse begins with the phrase וְהָ֣אָדָ֔ם יָדַ֖ע אֶת־חַוָּ֣ה אִשְׁתֹּ֑ו (“And the man knew Chavvah his wife”), using the Hebrew verb יָדַע (yada‘), which commonly means “to know” but here implies sexual intimacy.… Learn Hebrew
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Hebrew Words You Should Know
List of Hebrew words you need to know in order to read the Hebrew Bible and Modern Hebrew.
גַּם – also
מיִ – who
מַה, מָה, מֱה – what
אֵיפֹה – where
מָתַי – when
מַדּוּעַ – why
אֵיזֶה – which (m.s.)
אֵיזוֹ – which (f.s.)
?אֶת מִי – whom?
הַאִם – an interrogative particle
חושֵׁב – thinks
יוֹדֵעַ – knows
כִּי – because
אֲבָל – but
אִם – if
אִם כֵּן – if so
כָּל – all; every; any
שוּם – any (with negative)
…בְּ – in, with
…בַּ – in the; with the
בַּמֶּה – with what
פֹּה – here
כֵּן – yes, so
לֹא – no, not
וְ – and
אוֹ – or
אוֹמֵר – says
שׁוֹאֵל – asks
עוֹמֵד – stands; stands up
יוֹשֵׁב – sits; sits down
הוֹלֵךְ – walks; goes
מִן – from
אֶל – to
עַל – on, about
עַל מַה – on what; about what
עַד – until
אָז – then
כַּאֲשֶׁר – when
אַחֲרֵי , אַחַר – after
אַחֲרֵי־כֵן – afterwards
לִפְנֵי – before; in front of
אוֹהֵב – loves; likes
לוֹמֵד – learns; studies
קוֹרֵא – read; calls
שׁוֹמֵעַ – hears; listens
רוֹאֶה – sees
עוֹנֶה – answers
לוֹקֵחַ – takes
עוֹבֵד – works
עֲבוֹדָה – work (noun)
פּוֹתֵחַ – opens
פִּתְאֹם – suddenly
לְאָן – whereto
תָּמִיד – always
הַרְבֵּה – many; much; a lot
מְאֹד – very, very much
זֶה – this (m.s.)… Learn Hebrew
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Hebrew Verbs Occuring 500 – 5000 Times
The chief difficulty to overcome in the mastery of Hebrew language is the acquisition of a vocabulary. Out of the 7,000 vocables in the Hebrew language, about 1,000 occur over 25 times. The following are the list of verbs which occur most frequently in the Hebrew Bible.
(1) אָכַל (Eat)
(2) אָמַר (Say)
(3) בּוֹא (Go in)
(4) דָּבַר (Speak)
(5) הָיָה (Be)
(6) הָלַךְ (Walk)
(7) ידַָע (Know)
(8) יָלַד (Bring forth)
(9) יָצָא (Go out)
(1o) יָשַׁב (Sit, dwell)
(11) לָקַח (Take)
(12) מוּת (Die)
(13) נָשָׂא (Lift up)
(14) נָתַן (Give)
(15) עָבַר (Pass over)
(16) עָלָה (Go up)
(17) עָשָׂה (Do, make)
(18) צָוָה (Command)
(19) קֹום (Rise, stand)
(20) קָרָא (Call, meet)… Learn Hebrew
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אב
אב (‘âb):
(1) father of an individual
(2) of God as father of his people
(3) head or founder of a household, group, family, or clan
(4) ancestor
(a) grandfather, forefathers – of person
(b) of people
(5) originator or patron of a class, profession, or art
(6) of producer, generator (figuratively)
(7) of benevolence and protection (figuratively)
(8) term of respect and honour
(9) ruler or chief (specifically)
Part of Speech: noun masculine
Latin: pater, parens, progenitor
Genesis 4:20
וַתֵּלֶד עָדָה אֶת־יָבָל הוּא הָיָה אֲבִי יֹשֵׁב אֹהֶל וּמִקְנֶֽה׃
Gen 4:20 (KJV)
And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle.… Learn Hebrew
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Tagged Gen 26:3, Gen 27:19, Gen 31:9, Gen 4:20, Gen 48:21, Gen 9:23, Genesis 26:3, Genesis 27:19, Genesis 31:9, Genesis 4:20, Genesis 48:21, Num 1:2, Numbers 1:2, אב, אֲבִי, אֲבִיהֶם, אָבִיו, אֲבִיכֶם, אֲבֹתֵיכֶֽם, אֲבֹתָם
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Hebrew Names of God in The Bible
List of the different Hebrew names of God in the Bible and their meaning.
(1) יהוה (YHWH) – The Tetragrammaton
The most important and most often written name of God in the Hebrew Bible is יהוה (YHWH, or YHVH), the four-letter name of God, also known as “Tetragrammaton” derives from the prefix tetra- (“four”) and gramma (“letter”). The Hebrew letters are named Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh: יהוה. In English it is written as YHWH, YHVH, or JHVH depending on the transliteration convention that is used.… Learn Hebrew
Hebrew Days of The Week
The days of the week in the Hebrew Bible are not only a framework for understanding time but also a profound reflection of spiritual and religious principles. Rooted in the creation narrative of Genesis, the seven-day week, with Shabbat at its heart, shapes the foundation of Jewish observance and theological thought. While the Hebrew Bible does not explicitly name the days of the week as we know them today, it offers deep insight into their significance, particularly the sanctity of the seventh day.… Learn Hebrew
Biblical Hebrew Months : A Comprehensive Guide to the Biblical Hebrew Calendar
The Biblical Hebrew calendar is a richly symbolic, lunisolar system that intricately weaves together agriculture, spirituality, and history, guiding the rhythm of life in ancient Israel. Beginning with Nisan in the spring—designated as the first month in religious terms—it marks the Exodus through the celebration of Passover and the barley harvest, setting a tone of liberation and divine deliverance. The calendar progresses through months like Iyar and Sivan, culminating in Shavuot, when the wheat harvest coincides with the commemoration of the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, uniting physical provision with spiritual covenant.… Learn Hebrew
Analyzing Word Meaning in Context: A Guide for Biblical Hebrew Interpretation
In Biblical Hebrew, word meaning is inseparable from context. Lexicons offer possibilities, but only literary genre, syntax, collocations, and intertextual echoes reveal a word’s true function. Terms like שׁוּב, צֶל, or צַלְמָוֶת shift meaning across narrative, poetry, and prophecy—sometimes signaling physical action, sometimes theological depth. Accurate interpretation demands attention to clause structure, diachronic development, and canonical resonance. To understand a word is to understand its world—where grammar, theology, and history converge in sacred speech.
Why Context is King in Lexical Meaning
In Biblical Hebrew, the meaning of a word is rarely static.… Learn Hebrew
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Hebrew Numerals
Hebrew numeral system is divided in units, tens, hundreds, thousands, etc. Numbers are divided into cardinals and ordinals. The cardinals have masculine and feminine absolute and construct. The ordinal numbers have two genders, but no contruct state. The numbers have also pronominal suffixes e.g. שׁנינו׃ (us two) in Gen 31:37.
Genesis 31:37
כי־משׁשׁת את־כל־כלי מה־מצאת מכל כלי־ביתך שׂים כה נגד אחי ואחיך ויוכיחו בין שׁנינו׃
for you have felt all my vessels: what have you found of all the vessels of your house?… Learn Hebrew
Tools for Conducting Lexical Studies in Biblical Hebrew
Conducting lexical studies in Biblical Hebrew requires more than looking up definitions—it demands a layered approach using scholarly lexicons like HALOT, BDB, and TDOT, digital tools like Logos and Tanakh.Info, and ancient translations such as the LXX and Targumim. These resources help uncover a word’s semantic range, grammatical behavior, and theological resonance across genres and historical contexts. Whether parsing חֶסֶד or רוּחַ, lexical study reveals how Hebrew words carry covenantal depth, poetic nuance, and divine mystery—transforming linguistic inquiry into theological insight.… Learn Hebrew
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