Building Biblical Hebrew Vocabulary

Reading Biblical Hebrew

Biblical Hebrew is the language of the Hebrew Bible. It is read from right to left, it has no capital letters, and it is an abjad: the letters are consonants, and the vowels are shown by small dots and dashes (called niqqud) added above and below. Every word here is shown three ways: the script, the sound (transliteration in brackets), and the English.

First words

Four very common words: - אֱלֹהִים (elohim) = God - מֶלֶךְ (melekh) = king - אֶרֶץ (eretz) = land, earth - יוֹם (yom) = day

Match each Hebrew word to its meaning

Spot the royal word

Tap the Hebrew word that means "king".

• מֶלֶךְ (melekh)
• אֶרֶץ (eretz)
• יוֹם (yom)
• אֱלֹהִים (elohim)

More words

Four more everyday words of the Bible: - מַיִם (mayim) = water - בַּיִת (bayit) = house - בֵּן (ben) = son - אָב (av) = father

Match each word to its meaning

People, not things

Select ALL THREE words that name a person.

• בֵּן (ben)
• אָב (av)
• מֶלֶךְ (melekh)
• מַיִם (mayim)
• בַּיִת (bayit)
• יוֹם (yom)

The power of the root

Here is the key to Hebrew vocabulary. Almost every word is built from a three-letter root (written with the sign √), and all the words from one root share a core meaning. For example the root √מלך (m-l-k) carries the idea of *ruling*. From it come מֶלֶךְ (melekh) = king, מַלְכָּה (malkah) = queen, and מַלְכוּת (malkhut) = kingdom. Learn one root and you unlock a whole family of words.

Follow the roots

Tap the TWO lines that correctly connect a Hebrew root to a related word.

• √שלם -> שָׁלוֹם (shalom), peace
• √מלך -> מַלְכוּת (malkhut), kingdom
• √שלם -> מַיִם (mayim), water
• √מלך -> בַּיִת (bayit), house

Words from the exam list

The exam sets a fixed vocabulary list. Here are four real entries from it: - רֵעַ (rea) = friend, companion - שָׁלוֹם (shalom) = peace, health - בְּרִית (berit) = covenant, promise - מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbeach) = altar A word not on the list still counts as readable if it clearly shares a root with a listed word. That is why roots are worth so much.

Match each exam-list word to its meaning

Check the meanings

Select the TWO statements that are correct.

• בְּרִית (berit) means covenant or promise
• מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbeach) means altar
• רֵעַ (rea) means king
• שָׁלוֹם (shalom) means water

Read a phrase

Work through the meaning of a short phrase, one word at a time.

• What does מֶלֶךְ (melekh) mean?
• What does אֶרֶץ (eretz) mean?
• So מֶלֶךְ הָאָרֶץ (melekh ha-aretz) means...

From a phrase to a clause

מֶלֶךְ הָאָרֶץ is a phrase - it names something but says nothing about it. Add a verb and you have a clause, which is what a verse is built from. Word order matters: in a verbal clause the noun straight after the verb is the one doing the action, not the thing it is done to.

What does the clause say?

Read וַיִּבֶן הַמֶּלֶךְ מִזְבֵּחַ. What does it mean?

• And the king built an altar
• And the altar built the king
• The king of the altar
• The son of the king is in the house

True of Biblical Hebrew?

Which statement about the writing is correct?

• It reads right to left, and vowels are shown by points called niqqud
• It reads left to right like English
• It uses capital letters for names
• Every vowel has its own full letter, as in English

Vocabulary summary

Biblical Hebrew reads from _____ to left. Words are built from three-letter _____, so learning one unlocks a family of words. The word for king is _____, and the word for God is _____.

Explain a short reading choice

Write a short English note explaining how you would use the Hebrew words and roots in this module to read an unseen sentence.

• Mention at least two words from the module, such as מֶלֶךְ, אֶרֶץ, בְּרִית or מִזְבֵּחַ.
• Explain that Hebrew is read right to left.
• Explain how a shared root can help with a related word, for example √מלך with king/kingdom.