Biblical Hebrew Lesson 3

Biblical HebrewLesson 3

The Hebrew Caféthehebrewcafe.com/forum

א Textbook: Cook & Holmstedt’s Biblical Hebrew: A Student Grammar (2009)Found here online: http://individual.utoronto.ca/holmstedt/Textbook.html

http://individual.utoronto.ca/holmstedt/Textbook.html

Review�ר�ה ח�ז

The Hebrew Caféthehebrewcafe.com/forumSlide 2

�ר�ה ח�ז


Read the following words and break them into syllables:

• Break into syllables and pronounce:�י נ א� את��ה �ן את� � ח�נו �א� נ� מ��ה � ה� יו�ס�ף � ך �ס� סו

• Name these vowels:

� ו� ם� ם ם� ם� ם� ם� ם� ם� ם� ם� ם� ו

• Read the following words:�ה �ד מ�ש��נ ל�מו � ב��ר�א ב��ר�אש��ית א�ל�ה�ים ת�ו�ר�ה ת� �ך יש!�ר�א�ל ב��רות�ו�ל�דו�ת

• What are the two types of dagesh?

• What letters can take the dagesh kal?

Slide 3

�ר�ה ח�ז


Go through the vocabulary found on page 14.

• How do you say the following words in Hebrew?

God/god/gods no, not king queenman woman word, thing MosesDavid people (group) city to, towards

• How would you translate the following sentences or phrases into English?

�א א�ל�ה�ים. ��ה�ן.עם יש!�ר�א�ל.הו �א כ הו

.� ל�ך �י ל�א ר�ץ יש!�ר�א�ל.מ��א�נ �א�ל־ ב��ן־מש��הא�

��ה. �א�ש��ה.ה�יא מל�כ � יש!�ר�א�ל.א�יש� ו ל�ך �ד ו �� ן־ד מ��ש��ל�מ�ה ב

Slide 4

The Definite Articleע� ו ד ה�״א ה�י


ע� ו ד ה�״א ה�י


In English, we have two articles: a and the.

• The first (“a”) is called the indefinite article, since it accompanies nouns that have not been referred to before. For example, before I mention any specific book that I have with me, I might say: I have a book in my bag.

• The second (“the”) is called the definite article, since it accompanies nouns that have already been referred to before, the identity of which should be known to the hearer. For example, once I’ve already mentioned that I have a book in my bag, I will refer to it by saying: I picked the book up from the library yesterday afternoon.

• What’s the difference between I saw a child in the park and I say the child in the park?

Slide 6



Hebrew only has one article. It is normally equivalent to the definite article (“the”) in English.

• There is no word in Hebrew for “a.” To tell someone that you want a slice of pizza, you just say I want slice of pizza – leaving off the word “a.”

• To say “the,” you generally just add ־ to the beginning of the word and הdouble the consonant with a dagesh chazak. Examples:

� ל�ך ��← המ��מ�� ל�ך ��ה ��ה ← המ�ל�כ מל�כ �ו�ם יו�ם ← היthe king the queen the day

• The gutturals (א ה ח ע) and resh (ר) refuse the dagesh (they do not allow themselves to be doubled), and as a result ־ה�־. often becomes ה

← ה�א�ד�םא�ד�ם �ב �ב ← ה�ע�נ ע�נ ר�אש� ← ה�ר�אש�the man the grape the head

Slide 7



• There is a more complete list of changes that happen to �ע �ו ��ד the“) ה�״א היdefinite article”) at the top of page 22 in the book, which is also illustrated in a box in the middle of the page.

• Read the following words with and without �ע �ו ��ד and explain which ה�״א היrule the article’s pointing follows.

��בל�ב �ה ה�א�דו�ןא�דו�ן הל �הש��נ ה�ר�אש�ר�אש� הש��נ

� ר�ך � �ד� ר�ך �ה ה�א�ש��ה א�ש��ה ה�ע�ר�יםע�ר�ים ה�ע�ירע�יר ד�

ר�ץ � ר�ץא� �ה� הה�יכ�לה�יכ�ל ה�ה�ר�יםה�ר�ים ה�ה�רה�ר *א�*Notice that the first vowel in this word changes when it takes the definite article. This is also true of some other words, such as ם ם that becomes ע9 ע; .among others ה;

Slide 8

Prepositionsח�ס ו�ת �מ ל י�


ח�ס ו�ת �מ ל י�


Prepositions• There are three very important prepositions in Hebrew that come with a

wide range of meanings. These prepositions are attached to the beginning of the word!

• We will see in the future that there is also a verb form (called the “infinitive construct”) to which these prepositions can be added.

Slide 10

�־ ב This preposition is generally used to say where something happened (“in, at”), what was used to do something (“with”), or against whom you fight or sin (“against”).

�־ כ This preposition is generally used to make comparisons (“like, as”) or set something up against a rule or standard (“according to”).

ל�־ This preposition is generally used to express direction toward (“to”), intention (“to”), and the recipient of something given (“to, for”).



Prepositions (cont.)• When you attach an inseparable preposition (the name given to these

specific prepositions) to a noun, it is normally straight forward.

��ת�ו�ר�ה יו�םב��יו�ם ן טו�בל�טו�ב תו�ר�הכ� ןב��ג גפ�ר א�ש��הל�א�ש��ה ר�אש��יתב��ר�אש��ית � ��ס� פ�רב � ס�

• If a noun has the definite article, the preposition essentially swallows up the ה but leaves the vowel and dagesh (if there is one).

�ו�ם �ו�םב�הי הת�ו�ר�ה י� א�יש�ל�ה�א�יש� ת�ו�ר�הכ�� ה�א�ד�ם ה�ר�יםל�ה�ה�ר�ים עו�ל�ם ב�� ה�עו�ל�ם א�ד�םכ

• These three prepositions are the most commonly used prepositions in the Bible. Inseparable prepositions are often combined with other prepositions to create difference nuances.

Slide 11



Prepositions (cont.)• The last preposition that we look at in this chapter is ן־ ”.from“ מ�

• This preposition is often attached with a makaf (־) to other words. Thus, we have ר�ץ ן־ה� א��מ� “from the land” and ן־ה�ע�יר ”.from the city“ מ�

• The nun may join to the following word and assimilate (disappear) into it, being represented only by dagesh chazak. Thus, ה�ב�� ז ”from gold“ מ�and ת�ו�ר�הפ�ר ה �מ� ס� “from the Torah scroll.”

• Before gutturals and resh, it reduces to מ�־. Thus, we could say ר�ץ א��מ�ה� “from the land” and ב�ו�ת”.from many cities“ מ�ע�ר�ים ר

• These two forms have the same meaning and are found both ways throughout the text of the Bible.

Slide 12

Conjunctive Vavר ו־ �ת ה�ק ש�ו מ ל


ר ו־ �ת ה�ק ש�ו מ ל


The Conjunctive Vav• Just like the inseparable prepositions, the word “and” attaches to the

word that follows it. In Hebrew, it is generally written as ־� .ו

• Here are some examples:

�א�יש� �ה�א�יש� א�ש��הו ים ה�א�ש��הו �מ��הש�� ר�ץו �ה� א� � ל�ך �מ�� ב�דו � �הת�ו�ר�ה ע� �הו המ��צ�ו

• Before פ ,מ ,ב or simple sheva, ־� �־ becomes ו This is covered on page .ו25 of the textbook.

�ע�יר יתו � �ב� � יש!�ר�א�לו ל�ך ��ים מ�� ק�טנ ג�דו�ל�יםו

Slide 14

Commentsה�ע�רו�ת


ה�ע�רו�ת


Comments• With all of the prepositions and also the conjunctive vav that we’ve

covered in this lesson, we should add a remark about what happens when they come up against a yud with sheva (� .in the text of the Bible (י

• In every case, the yud loses its consonantal value and becomes a vowel letter (ם�י), and the sheva disappears.

ים, �ש�� ירו ים, כ �ש�� ים, ב��ירו �ש�� ם(: ל�ירו �ש�� רו ים )י �ש�� רו ל��י ל�� ל�� ל� ל��ים �ש�� ירו ים, ו �ש�� ירו ל��מ� ל��

�ד�ה �יהו �ד�ה, ו יהו �ד�ה, מ� ��יהו �ד�ה, כ �ד�ה, ב��יהו �ד�ה: ל�יהו �הו י�ע�ה �יש�ו �ע�ה, ו יש�ו �ע�ה, מ� ��יש�ו �ע�ה, כ �ע�ה, ב��יש�ו �ע�ה: ל�יש�ו �ש�ו י

Slide 16

ה�ע�רו�ת


Comments• With composite sheva, the prepositions (except for מ�־) adopt the

corresponding short vowel.

�י ו נ �א� א�דו�ם ו �ח�דר ו ח�ד�ש��ים ו �ו ח�נו �א� נ�� ח�ד�ש��יםל�ח�דר ב�א�דו�ם כ

• A couple of important exceptions to this are א�ל�ה�ים and י� with which ,א�ד�נwe get the following forms with the inseparable particles:

� �א�ל�ה�יםאל�ה�ים )ו �י )ל(ו �יאד�נ (לא�ד�נ

• This also applies to the name of God, which is substituted by these words in reading: ה� יהו �ה and ו .ליהו

Slide 17

Goals of Lesson 3ר מ�ט�רו�ת ה�ש� עו

ה�ש��ל יש� יThe Hebrew Caféthehebrewcafe.com/forumSlide 18

ר ה�ש��ל יש� י מ�ט�רו�ת ה�ש� עו


The third lesson’s goals are basically as follows:

• The definite article (־�ע In Hebrew, it is called .(ה �ו ��ד .ה�״א הי

• Basic coverage of the different possible vowels that come with ה�״א�ע �ו ��ד .הי

• The inseparable prepositions (־ ל�־�� .and how they attach to nouns (ב��־ כ

• The preposition ן־ and the three forms in which it appears in the Tanach מ�

ן־ מ�־ מ�־) .(מ�

• The conjunctive vav (־� .and its vowels (ו

Slide 19

Biblical HebrewLesson 3


א Textbook: Cook & Holmstedt’s Biblical Hebrew: A Student Grammar (2009)Found here online: http://individual.utoronto.ca/holmstedt/Textbook.html

http://individual.utoronto.ca/holmstedt/Textbook.html

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Biblical Hebrew Lesson 3