This post is the sixth in a series providing practice and insights for reading the Hebrew Scriptures. This particular passage is the longest and most challenging yet so you will need to have worked through the previous five sessions to prevent being overwhelmed. To learn the fundamentals start with the post: ‘Learn To Read The Hebrew Old Testament In A Single Lesson’ and then proceed through these reading sessions in order.
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
Along with what we’ve previously learned, in today’s reading segment you will be introduced to words that have no root word and consist of only prefixes and suffixes.
You will also be exposed to how the language made use of what some letters originally depicted when they were pictographs which will require simple logic to figure out.
Hint: Due to its length, you may want to break this session up into two smaller sessions.
Genesis 1 : 24 – 31
Genesis 1 : 24 – 31 Glossary
Word entries are of the form:
Hebrew Word – Equivalent English Letters – Meanings –
Word Construction / Notes and Explanations –
Derived Words (if any)
אדם ADM Adam / man / red
‘source… connection… physical’
also: א = first + דמות = likeness
– Adam was made in God’s image.
אדמה ADMH ground
‘first… path through… physical… be’
אכל AKL eat / consume / source of all
‘source… carry… extending’
also: א = source+ כל = all
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’
את ATh et (this word connects a following detail to a previous verb)
‘source… together’
אתה AThH you
‘source… together… be’
– this word is relative to the source (the speaker) of what is being said.
את ATh you
אתם AThM you
אתן AThN you
בהמה BHMH animal
בהל = frighten + מ = physical + ה = be
בקר BQR dawn / morning / cattle / seek
בקע = split + ר = body
– perhaps a reference to the sun appearing as half on the horizon.
ברא BRA create
ב = devotion + ראה = see
or: ב = with + ראה = see
ברך BRK bless
‘devotion… body… carry’
דג DG fish
‘path through… move away’
דגון DGWN the Philistine fish-deity named ‘dagon’.
דמה DMH to be like / intend / ruined / cut off
‘connection… physical… be’
דמות DMWTh likeness
היה HYH be / exist
‘the… bring forth… be’
הנה HNH observe / they
‘the… ahead… be’
הששי HShShY the sixth
‘be… fill… doubles… bring forth’
-first occurs in genesis 1:31 as ‘the sixth’ day when God created all the land creatures and man. This day differed from the day God created the fish and birds, because on this day (the sixth) what he created was obviously male and female.
זכר ZKR remember / male
‘result…carry… body’
זכרון ZKRWN memorial
זרע ZRO sow / seeding / arm
‘labor… man… seen’
חיה ChYH living
‘separate… bring forth… shall be’
This word is defined by the biblical teaching that all living things (trees, animals, etc.) have been given the blessing (shall be) to multiply by producing (bringing forth) seeds separate from themselves.
חיוה ChYWH one living
טוב TWB pleasing / good
– derived from יטב (‘bring… surround… tent’).
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
ירק YRQ green / herbage
‘bring forth… body… enduring’
כבש KBSh lamb / subdue
‘carry… tent… fill’
– perhaps referring to extensive use of wool.
כי KY that
‘carry… bring’
– for example: ‘he saw that (it was) good’ means ‘he saw carry bring good’.
כל KL end / complete / finish / all
‘vessel (or carry)… extending’
– the furthest extremity of a vessel is it’s end.
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’.
כנף KNPh wing
‘carry… emerging… wind’
מאד MAD very / much
מ = physical + אדן = foundation
– as in, strong.
מים MYM water
‘physical… bring forth… physical’
also: ‘water… bring forth… water’
– the first physical substance created in the Creation Story.
ימים YMYM sea
מלא MLA fullness / fill
‘physical… extending… source’
– appears to describe an overflow or fullness.
מלאים MLAYM setting
נפש NPhSh soul
‘emerging… breath… fill’
נקבה NQBH female
‘ahead… enduring… tent… shall be’
נתן NThN give
‘begin… together… ahead’
אתנן AThNN wages
מתנה MThNH gifts
עוף OWPh flying / bird / fluttering
‘seen… add to… wind’
עפעפים OPhOPhYM eyelids
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.
פני PhNY face
‘breath… emerging… bring forth’
פרי PhRY fruit
‘turn (change)… body… bring forth’
– as in, the product of a body.
צלם TsLM image
צל = shadow + מ = physical
ראה RAH see
‘body… source… be’
רבה RBH many
‘man… tent… be’
– may refer to God’s promise to make Abraham’s descendants countless.
ארבה ARBH source of many
רבבה RBBH ten thousand
רבוא RBWA ten thousand
רדה RDH tread down / to rule
‘body… path through… be’
רמש RMSh moving / crawl / creep
‘body… physical… fill’
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.
Discover The Holy Language 