In Session 3 of the ‘Practice Reading Hebrew’ series we begin to encounter common nuances of the language. This post assumes that you have at least a vague idea of how to read Hebrew. To quickly learn the basics read: ‘Learn To Read The Hebrew Old Testament In A Single Lesson’.
We are using the format of Letter Meaning Chart – followed by the Reading Portion with prefixes and suffixes indicated with enlarged letters – and then the Related Glossary so that all the words in the portion may be easily looked up.
What’s New
In today’s reading portion you will encounter a root word that has a letter omitted.
There is also a word for which you will need to determine the final form of its last letter in order to look it up.
One word appears in both its verb and noun forms (the noun has an added ו Waw or י Yod as its third letter).
And another word has had it’s י (Yod) turned into a ו (Waw).
Hint: If a ‘root’ word has more than three letters, try omitting the י (Yod), ו (Waw) or ה (He) when looking up the word.
Genesis 1 : 9 – 13
Genesis 1 : 9 – 13 Glossary
Word entries are of the form:
Hebrew Word – Equivalent English Letters – Meanings –
Word Construction / Notes and Explanations –
Derived Words (if any)
אחד AChD one
‘first… separate… connection’
– first occurs in Genesis 1:5 as the ‘first’ day when God created light and separated it from darkness.
אלהים ALHYM God as Creator
אל = God+ ה = be + י = bring forth + ם = physical
also: ‘first… far reaching… be… bring forth… physical’
אמר AMR speak
‘source… physical… body’
– reflects the belief that everything is spoken into existence. This word was used in the Creation Story.
ארץ ARTs earth
‘source…body… formation’
also: ‘first… body… formation’
– refers to the first physical ‘body’ that God created, being earth, from which all living bodies were made. See Genesis 1 and 2.
אשר AShR which
‘first… doubles… body’
בקר BQR dawn / morning / cattle / seek
בקע = split + ר = body
– perhaps a reference to the sun appearing as half on the horizon.
דשא DShA grass / sprout
ד = path through + נשא = lift up
היה HYH be / exist
‘the… bring forth… be’
זרע ZRO sow / seeding / arm
‘labor… man… seen’
טוב TWB pleasing / good
– derived from יטב (‘bring… surround… tent’).
יבשה YBShH dry land / wither / dry
‘bring… tent… fill… be’
יום YWM day
‘bring forth… add to… physical
יצא YTsA to go out
‘bring forth… action… source’
צאצא TsATsA offspring
מוצא MWTsA going forth / source
תוצאות ThWTsAWTh ends / outgoing
כי KY that
‘carry… bring’
– for example: ‘he saw that (it was) good’ means ‘he saw carry bring good’.
כן KN thus / so / base
‘as like… ahead’
– ‘as like’ is a comparison meaning ‘similar’. Therefore, for example: ‘it should be thus’ means ‘it should be as like ahead’ or ‘it should be similar ahead’.
מים MYM water
‘physical… bring forth… physical’
also: ‘water… bring forth… water’
– the first physical substance created in the Creation Story.
מין MYN species / kind
‘physical… bring forth… emerging’
על OL above / yoke
‘seen… far reaching’
– the furthest man could see (back then) was by looking up.
עליון OLYWN most high
עץ OTs tree
‘seen… formation’
ערב ORB evening / pledge / exchange / raven
‘seen… man… tent’
– the time when men return to their tents.
מערב MORB west
עשב OShB grass / plant
‘seen… fill… tent’
עשה OShH make
‘seen… fill… be’
or: ‘seen… doubles… be’
– referring to fashioning rather than inventing.
פרי PhRY fruit
‘turn (change)… body… bring forth’
– as in, the product of a body.
קוה QWH wait / hope / line
‘enduring… add to… shall be’
קום QWM arise
‘sun… add to… physical’
This word is defined by an analogy. To ‘arise’ is an action as like how the sun is added to the physical world each day.
מקום MQWM standing place
קמה QMH standing grain
קרא QRA proclaim
‘venerated… body… source’
or: ק = enduring + ראה = see
– this word is used in the scriptures meaning ‘said’ when someone or something is being named.
מקרא MQRA convocation
ראה RAH see
‘body… source… be’
שלישי ShLYShY third
‘fill… extending… make… doubles… bring forth’
– first occurs in Genesis 1:13 as the ‘third’ day when God created the plants and trees that carry seeds for their kind to produce many things similar to them (doubles).
שמים ShMYM heaven
ש = fill + מים = water
– may refer to day two of the Creation Story when God created the heaven in the midst of the waters.
תחת ThChTh underlay / under
‘unite… separate… together’
– perhaps by taking hold resulting in something being under one’s hand.
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