LAN 404 BEGINNING HEBREW I

Class X: Numbers and word studyDr. Esa Autero

Hebrew Numbers

1.1 Introduction There are no symbols for numbers (1, 2, 3…) in Hebrew

Hebrew numbers written out Hebrew numbers are cardinal (1, 2, 3…) and ordinal (1st, 2nd, 3rd …)

2.1 Cardinal numbers – numbers from 1-10 Cardinal numbers: one through ten

Masculine and feminine forms Absolute and construct states Need to memorize only masculine absolute forms

Note also other forms Special attention to the spelling of one and two

Hebrew NumbersAbsolute Construct Absolute Construct

One חדא חדא חתא חתאTwo י �ש םנ שני י םת�ש שתיThree שלש שלש שלשה שת ל�שFour רבעא רבעא רבעהא עתא �ר בFive חמש חמש חמשה שת מ�חSix שש שש ששה שת ש�Seven ב עש� עשב עהשב עתשבEight שמנה שמנה שמנה שמנתNine ש עת� עתש עהתש עתתשTen שרע � שרע � שרהע רתע ש�

Masculine Feminine

Hebrew Numbers

1) Special features of number one Number one is used like an adjective – follows the noun it modifies and

agrees with it in gender, number, and definiteness In construct state, it precedes an absolute noun (which is usually plural)

ן אחדב One son אחתבת One daughter

ן הבהאחד

The one son הבת אחתה

The one daughter

חד אהבנים

One of the sons חת אהבנות

One of the daughters

Hebrew Numbers

2) Special features of number two Number two is always dual

Classified as noun and agrees in gender w/ other noun it is related Absolute & construct nouns used interchangeably, no difference in

meaning

יםבני �ם ש נ Two sons י םת�בנות ש Two daughters

י �ש ם בניםנ Two sons י ם בנותת�ש Two daughters

םשני בני Two sons שתי בנות Two daughters

Hebrew Numbers

3) Numbers from three to ten No changes in spelling except for change in gender and state

These numbers classified as nouns but do not agree in gender w/ other nouns they are related to.

Masculine numbers may be used w/ feminine nouns and feminine numbers w/ masculine nouns

שלשה םבני

Three sons שלוש בנות Three daughters

ם בנישלשה

Three sons בנות שלוש Three daughters

שלשת םבני

Three sons שלש בנות Three daughters

Hebrew Numbers

4) Numbers two through ten – may also occur w/ pronominal suffixes Suffixes added to the construct forms of the number

םשניה Two of them םשתיה Two of them

םשניכ Two of you ןשתיכ Two of you

שנינו Two of us שתינו Two of us

Hebrew Numbers

2.1 Cardinal numbersfrom 11 through 19 Numbers eleven through nineteen formed with a combination of thenumber ten and onethrough nine. Even and twelve havealternate forms*

W/ masculine noun W/ feminine nounEleven חד עשרא /

עשתי עשרחת עשרהא /

עשתי עשרהTwelve עשרשני /

שנים עשרעשרהשתי /

שתים עשרהThirteen עשרשלשה עשרהשלש Fourteen רבעה עשרא רבע עשרהאFifteen עשרחמשה עשרהחמש Sixteen עשרששה עשרהשש Seventeen עה עשרשב ע עשרהשבEighteen עשרשמנה עשרהשמנה Nineteen עה עשרתש ע עשרהתש

Hebrew Numbers

Mostly these numbers occur w/ plural nouns Sometimes also occurs w/ singular nouns – translate as plural

עשר איששני Twelve men (Josh 3:12)

עשרה שלש שנה

Thirteen years (1 Kgs 7:1)

רבעה עשר יוםא Fourteen days (Ex 12:6)

עשר חמשה שקל

Fifteen shekels (Lev 27:7)

Hebrew Numbers

2.3 Cardinal numbers twenty through ninety nine and 100+ Twenty is plural of ten (masc.) Thirty through ninety are masc.pl. forms of three through nine

Twenty-one in Hebrew are either “twenty and one” or “one and twenty”

Twenty שריםעThirty םשלשיForty רבעיםאFifty םחמשיSixty םששיSeventy עיםשבEighty םשמניNinety עיעתש

שרים ואחתע Twenty-one (2Kgs 24:18)

עים שבושבעה

Seventy-seven (Gen 4:24)

עים ותשעתש Ninety-nine (Gen 17:24)

ם ושלשיםשני Thirty-two (Num 31:40)

Hebrew Numbers

Memorize the following numbers: Note the dualforms of thenumbers Note the patternin adding of addinga numerical sequence (100, 200)

One hundred אהמ (construct מאת; plural (מאות

Two hundred יםמ ת�א (dual form of מאה)Three hundred אותשלש מOne thousand לף � (אלפים plural)אTwo thousand ים �אל פ (dual form of לף � (אThree thousand אלפיםשלשתTen thousand רבבהTwenty thousand י םת�רבו (dual form of רבבה)Thirty thousand שלש רבות

Hebrew Numbers

2.4 Ordinal numbers Position in a series

First, second, third… Note the masc. andfeminine endings “first” is derived from

the word ראש (head) Rest of ordinals share a root w/ correspondingcardinal number

Masculine Feminine First אשוןר אשונהרSecond שני שניתThird שלישי שלישיתFourth עירבי עיתרביFifth חמישי חמישיתSixth ששי ששיתSeventh עישבי עיתשביEighth שמיני שמיניתNinth עיתשי עיתתשיTenth שיריע שיריתע

One חדאTwo י �ש םנThree שלשFour רבעאFive חמשSix ששSeven ב עש�Eight שמנהNine ש עת�Ten שרע �

Head ראש

Hebrew Numbers

Ordinal numbers classified as adjectives Attributive follows the noun and usually agree in gender and definiteness

For ordinals greater than tenth, cardinal numbers are used

ו ם הראשוןבי On the first day (Lev 23:7)

ו ם השביעיבי On the seventh day (Gen 2:2)

ם הששייו The sixth day (Gen 1:31)

עשרה שנהושלש־ And the thirteenth year (Gen 14:4)

ם ושבע בשלשישנה

In the thirty-seventh year (Jer 52:31)

ארבעיםבשנת ה In the fortieth year (1 Chr 26:31)

Hebrew Numbers

Practice Workbook p. 57, no:1-4

Homework Workbook pp. 57-58, no:5-10 “Bible Translation” Practice letters and reading (out loud) – e.g. words on vocabulary & workbook Vocabulary quiz (Ch. 11) on words p. 119 (11.8)

Extra credit opportunity: Recite from memory Hb. Numbers from 1-10 (masc.abs. form)

Hebrew Language Tools – Brief Introduction

3.1 Introduction How to study God’s Word?

Use tools effectively and accurately

Avoid pitfalls

Utilize and develop knowledge of Hebrew

Evaluate translations

Hebrew Language Tools – Brief Introduction

Available tools Hebrew Old Testament

Translations

Dictionaries & Lexicons

Interlinear and Reverse Interlinear*

Concordances

Bible Software(s)

Hebrew Language Tools – Brief Introduction

3.2 Word Searches – Concordance (https://www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/pro/22/4/t_conc_650002)

Concordance lists words in the Bible, shows you the verses, and where it is located.

Exhaustive Concordance lists every word and every verse where it occurs, and Hb. number. “Rich” – 46 times in OT [NASB Concordance p. 1015]

7 different words for “rich” in Hebrew What Hb. word for “rich” is behind Prov 22:2?*

Hb. word עשירand NASB Strong’s number 6223 What about Prov 22:2 “poor”?

Hb. Word רוש and NASB Strong’s number

The rich [Hb. שירע] and

the poor [ have a [רוש

common bond, The LORD is

the maker of them all. Prov

22:2

Hebrew Language Tools – Brief Introduction

Concordance – other usage

Look up a verse that you vaguely remember E.g. “[red] heifer” – e.g. Gen 15:9; Num 19:2, 5-6, 9-10; Deut 21:3-6

Weaknesses and limitations of Concordances Every verse about “prayer” in the Bible What about those verses where “prayer” is implicit?

e.g. 2 Sam 7:18

Hebrew Language Tools – Brief Introduction

Context in concordance Concordance shows limited context

Nave’s Topical Bible Topical studies

Hebrew Language Tools – Brief Introduction

3.3 Concordance Exercises 1. Look up the word “poor” and find how it is used in Deut 15:7?

2. What is the underlying Hebrew word?

Hb. ביוןא NASB concordance no: 34, “in want, needy, poor”

3. What other Hebrew words for “poor” are used by Deuteronomy? How can this add to the understanding of the passage?

no: 6041, Hb. עני (poor, afflicted, humble, lowly, oppressed)

Hebrew Language Tools – Brief Introduction

Concordance can help you… Find an English word in a passage

Find out the frequency and location (common/uncommon)

Underlying Hebrew word

Translation of the Hebrew word

How does this help you understand the Bible better?

Hebrew Language Tools – Brief Introduction

4.1 Introduction to Word Studies

“What was originally expressed in Hebrew does not have exactly the same sense when translated into

another language.”

Prologue to the Book of Sirach c. 180 BC

Hebrew Language Tools – Brief Introduction

Semantic Range Semantic range:

Range of possible meanings – a “bundle” of meanings The word “run”

I scored six runs Could you run that by me My computer runs faster than yours He runs off at the mouth The car ran out of gas He ran for senate I left the water running Her nose ran

Hb. ניע (poor, afflicted, humble, lowly, oppressed)

Hebrew Language Tools – Brief Introduction

4.2 How to Do Word Studiesi. Choose English word

Yet You have made him a little lower than God,And You crown him with glory and majesty! (Ps 8:5)

Find a key word in a passage Repeated words Theological words (or otherwise significant)

let’s choose the word “God”

Hebrew Language Tools – Brief Introduction

ii. Identify the Hebrew Word Concordance, interlinear, computer program

NASB number is #430 – להיםא

iii. Discover its Semantic Range NASB concordance meaning:

“God, god, divine, divine being, goddess, gods, great, judges, mighty, rulers, shrine”

Hebrew Language Tools – Brief Introduction

NASB concordance’s semantic range – “God, god, divine, divine being, goddess, gods, great, judges, mighty, rulers, shrine”

So which word-meaning to pick? How to decide?

להיםא

God/goddess Divine

(being)

ShrineGreat, judges

Ruler, mighty

God

Hebrew Language Tools – Brief Introduction

Use better dictionaries to do more in-depth word studies: The analytical Hebrew and Chaldee lexicon, Davidson, B. Gesenius' Hebrew and Chaldee lexicon to the Old Testament

scriptures. Tregelles, S. The Old Testament Hebrew-English dictionary. Lint, G. A reader's Hebrew-English lexicon of the Old Testament. Armstrong

T. et al. A concise Hebrew and Aramaic lexicon of the Old Testament.

Holladay, W. Lexicon in Veteris Testamenti libros. Kohler, L. Theological lexicon of the Old Testament. Jenni, E. et al. All these are found in SFBC&TS library [don’t just use Strong’s]

Hebrew Language Tools – Brief Introduction

iv. The word in Context Decision time The answer to picking the right meaning is CONTEXT

Move from immediate context to more distant context Look for clues in the context that would define the meaning of the word. Stop when you have found the clue

Hebrew Language Tools – Brief IntroductionExtra-biblical sources and

etymology

LXX

Old Testament

Books by same author

Same book

Verse & paragraph

Word

Hebrew Language Tools – Brief Introduction

So what is the meaning of להיםא in Ps. 8:5? What in the immediate context would give us clues to the meaning? Connection between “man”, “son of man”, and God as majestic

Creator “Man” and “son of man” used in parallel and mean the same thing God is the majestic Creator – no equals In light of God’s majesty it surprises the Psalmist that God has

endowed human beings with such great dignity as to make them “little lower than אלהים” and “crowned them with glory and majesty”

What word would best describe “man” in this context as lower than God, yet greatest of God’s creatures endowed with glory & majesty?

Conclusion:אלהים could be translated God, angels, divine beings

Hebrew Language Tools – Brief Introduction

v. Using LXX Word’s usage in Septuagint

How has LXX translated Hb. להיםא ? Gk. ἀγγέλους [angels, messengers]

Some English translations on Ps 8:5 “little lower than God” (NASB, NRSV, Amplified, HCSB) “lower than the angels” (KJV, NKJV, NIV) “lower than heavenly beings” (ESV, NET) “causest him to lack a little of Godhead” (YLT) “made him a little lower than elohim [or Elohim, Gn 1:27]” (Orthodox

Jewish Bible) Most have a note to explain the difficulty of translating Elohim

Hebrew Language Tools – Brief Introduction

vi. Common mistakes in word studies Anachronism

Modern meaning is read into an ancient word Etymological fallacy

Word’s history is read into a word “gay” 100 yrs. ago and present meaning

Context and meaning Do not put too much emphasize on individual words!!

Hebrew Language Tools – Brief Introduction

5.1 Word Study Assignment1.) Find a word in a verse from OT

- List the verse and highlight the word2.) Identify the Hebrew word

- Identify Hebrew Strong’s Number and word 3.) Discover the word’s semantic range - Use at least three good quality Hebrew dictionaries (max. one on-line; rest need to be from SFBC library – not just Strong’s) 4.) Determine the usage in context - use in immediate context and two other instances by the same author Length 2-3 pages per word [excluding cover and bibliography] Undergrad. students 1 word study and graduate students 2 word studies