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The Hebrew lexicon

From ahav to zikhron teruah — script, sound, meaning, and an annotated Scripture passage for every sourced word.

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A

אָהַב ahav To love — the root behind ahava אַהֲבָה ahava Love — given and chosen עֲקֵדָה akedah The binding — the traditional name for Genesis 22, from the verb used when Abraham bound Isaac עֲלִיָּה aliyah Ascent — today, immigration to Israel under the idea of going up to the land אָמֵן amen Truly; so be it — an affirmation from the same root family as emunah אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי וְדוֹדִי לִי ani ledodi vedodi li “I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine” — Song of Songs 6:3, read as the mutual belonging of God and His people עֲשֶׂרֶת יְמֵי תְּשׁוּבָה aseret yemei teshuvah The Ten Days of Return — the ten days from Rosh HaShanah through Yom Kippur אָבִינוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ avinu malkeinu “Our Father, our King” — the prayer of the Ten Days of Return, traced to Rabbi Akiva אָבִיב aviv Spring or ripening grain — the biblical name associated with the first month אַבְרָהָם avraham Abraham — the Hebrew form of the name Scripture connects with ‘father of a multitude’ אַבְרָם avram Abram — commonly explained as ‘exalted father’ עֲזָאזֵל azazel The name in Leviticus 16 for where, or to whom, the second goat was sent; English got “scapegoat” from it

B

בָּרוּךְ baruch Blessed — as in a blessing spoken בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי baruch ata adonai “Blessed are You, Lord” — the opening of every Jewish blessing בָּרוּךְ הַבָּא baruch haba “Blessed is the one who comes” — said as a welcome בָּרוּךְ הַבָּא בְּשֵׁם אֲדֹנָי baruch haba bshem adonai “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” — the pilgrim blessing of Psalm 118, shouted by the crowds as Yeshua entered Jerusalem בָּטַח batach To trust, to rely on — the settled confidence that lets a person lie down and sleep בִּטָּחוֹן bitachon Trust, confidence — in Jewish teaching, reliance on God’s care lived out while the answer is still unknown

C

חַג פּוּרִים שָׂמֵחַ chag purim sameach “Happy Purim festival” — the greeting exchanged through the day חַלָּה challah The festive loaf associated especially with Shabbat and Jewish holidays חֲנֻכָּה chanukah Dedication — the feast of rededication חָשַׂךְ chasakh To hold back, to withhold — what is yours, and what Abraham did not do with Isaac חַוָּה chavah Eve — Genesis 3:20 connects her Hebrew name with life and ‘all the living’ חֵלֶק chelek Portion, share — what is given to a person to enjoy, and in the Psalms God himself חָכְמָה chokmah Wisdom — skill in living, not just knowing

D

דּוֹד dod Beloved — the lover of Song of Songs

E

אֵל עֶלְיוֹן el elyon “God Most High” — the name Melchizedek spoke when he blessed Abram at Salem (Genesis 14:18-20) אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם eloheinu melech haolam “Our God, King of the universe” — the words that complete every Jewish blessing after Baruch Ata Adonai אֱלוּל elul The month before Rosh HaShanah, observed in later Jewish practice as a season of preparation and return אֱמוּנָה emunah Faith that acts — faithfulness, steadiness אֵשֶׁת חַיִל eshet chail “Woman of valour” — Proverbs 31:10-31, sung by a husband over his wife at the Shabbat table

G

גְּמַר חֲתִימָה טוֹבָה gmar chatimah tovah “A good final sealing” — the Yom Kippur greeting: may the year's verdict be sealed for good

H

הֲדַסָּה hadassah Myrtle — Queen Esther’s Hebrew name חֲנֻכִּיָּה hanukkiah The nine-branched Hanukkah lamp — eight festival lights and the shamash חֲרֵדִים haredim Those who tremble in reverence — a name used for ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities חֵן hen Grace, favour חֶסֶד hesed Covenant loyalty — steadfast, unfailing love חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת hesed ve emet “Loving kindness and truth” — the pair God reaches for when He proclaims His own character to Moses, and the pair John echoes of the Word made flesh הֶבֶל hevel Breath, vapor — the “vanity” of Ecclesiastes: what cannot be held; also the Hebrew name of Abel הוֹשִׁיעָה נָּא hosanna Please save! — the plea of Psalm 118 that became a cry of praise at Yeshua’s entry into Jerusalem

K

קָדוֹשׁ kadosh Holy — set apart קַל וָחֹמֶר kal va chomer “Light and heavy” — the rabbis’ rule of “how much more”: what holds in the lesser case holds all the more in the greater כַּפָּרָה kaparah Atonement — a covering and wiping away of guilt; in Israeli speech also a term of endearment, “my atonement” כַּפֹּרֶת kapporet The golden cover of the ark — the “mercy seat” — where the blood was sprinkled on Yom Kippur כָּרַת karat To cut — Hebrew speaks of ‘cutting’ a covenant rather than merely making one כָּבוֹד kavod Glory, weight, honour קְהִלּוֹת kehilot Communities or congregations — the plural of kehila כִּנֶּרֶת kinneret The Hebrew name of the Sea of Galilee and Israel’s largest freshwater lake כִּסְלֵו kislev The Hebrew calendar month in which Hanukkah begins, on its twenty-fifth day קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים kodesh hakodashim The Holy of Holies — the innermost room of the tabernacle and Temple, behind the veil קֹהֶלֶת kohelet The Preacher — the Hebrew name of Ecclesiastes and of its speaker, one who gathers an assembly and speaks to it כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל kohen gadol The high priest — the one man who entered the Holy of Holies, once a year, on Yom Kippur (Leviticus 16) כֹּתֶל kotel Wall — in Jerusalem, shorthand for the Western Wall

M

מַה שְׁלוֹמְךָ ma shlomkha “How are you?” — literally “how is your shalom?”; even Hebrew small talk asks after a person's wholeness מָגֵן דָּוִד magen david “Shield of David” — the six-pointed star on Israel's flag; the image itself is Scripture's, where God is the shield of His people מַלְכוּיוֹת malkhuyot Kingships — the Rosh HaShanah liturgical section that proclaims God's reign מַתָּנוֹת לָאֶבְיוֹנִים matanot levyonim “Gifts to the poor” — the Purim duty to put something directly into the hands of the needy (Esther 9:22) מַצָּה matzah Unleavened bread — the bread eaten at Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread מַיִם חַיִּים mayim chayim Living water — fresh, running water from a spring; the image Jesus took up at Sukkot for the Spirit מְגִלַּת אֶסְתֵּר megillat esther The Scroll of Esther — read aloud start to finish on Purim, the one book of Scripture in which God is never named מְנוֹרָה menorah Lampstand — especially the seven-branched lampstand of the Tabernacle and Temple מָשִׁיחַ messiah Mashiach — the anointed one מִשְׁכָּן mishkan Dwelling place — the Tabernacle where God dwelt among Israel מִשְׁלוֹחַ מָנוֹת mishloach manot “Sending portions” — the gifts of food carried to friends on Purim, commanded in Esther 9:22 מִשְׁנָה mishnah Repetition, study — the early rabbinic compilation of oral Jewish law and practice מוֹעֲדִים moedim Appointed times — the plural of moed, used for the Lord’s set festivals

N

נְעִילָה neilah “Locking” — the closing service of Yom Kippur, when the gates are shut on the year's verdict נֶפֶשׁ nephesh Soul — the whole living being נִיסָן nisan The first month of the biblical festival year — the later name for the month of Aviv

O

עוֹלָם olam Eternity, an age without end — what God has set in the human heart

P

פֶּסַח pesach Passover — to pass over, to spare

R

רָחַם racham Womb-love — compassion that aches רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה rosh hashanah “Head of the year” — the later Jewish name for the new year observed on the first of Tishrei רוּחַ ruach Spirit, breath, wind

S

שַׂר שָׁלוֹם sar shalom “Prince of Peace” — one of the titles Isaiah gives the coming Messiah, built on shalom, wholeness rather than merely the absence of war סֵדֶר seder Order — the Passover meal's sequence סְעוּדַת פּוּרִים seudat purim The Purim feast — the festive meal eaten in thanks for a rescue that came through hidden providence שַׁבָּת shabbat To stop, to sit — the seventh-day rest שַׁבָּת שָׁלוֹם shabbat shalom The Sabbath greeting — a wish for rest that makes whole שָׁלוֹם shalom Wholeness, peace — nothing lacking, nothing broken שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם shalom aleichem “Peace be upon you” — the greeting Yeshua used after the resurrection שָׁלוֹם לָכֶם shalom lekhem “Peace to you” — what Yeshua said in Hebrew to His disciples after the resurrection, and still an ordinary Hebrew greeting שַׁמָּשׁ shamash Attendant or servant — the helper candle used to light the other Hanukkah candles שָׁבוּעוֹת shavuot Weeks — the Feast of Weeks, celebrated fifty days after Passover and called Pentecost in Greek שְׁמַע shema Hear — and act on what you hear שְׁבָרִים shevarim Breakings — three broken, sighing sounds in the later Rosh HaShanah shofar sequence שׁוֹפָר shofar An animal-horn wind instrument; a ram's horn is preferred for Rosh HaShanah in later tradition שׁוֹפָרוֹת shofarot Shofars — the Rosh HaShanah liturgical section that gathers biblical shofar passages שׁוּב shuv To return or turn back — the biblical verb behind the later religious noun teshuvah שִׂמְחָה simchah Joy, gladness — the rejoicing the Torah commands at its feasts, above all at Sukkot שִׂמְחַת תּוֹרָה simchat torah “Rejoicing of the Torah” — the day the yearly reading cycle ends and begins again, kept with dancing סֻכּוֹת sukkot Booths — the Feast of Tabernacles and the temporary shelters built for it

T

תַּלְמוּד talmud Study, learning — the later record of rabbinic discussion built around the Mishnah תַּשְׁלִיךְ tashlich “You will cast” — a Rosh HaShanah custom of reciting Micah 7 beside water as a picture of God casting sin away תְּקִיעָה tekiah A single clear, sustained sound in the later Rosh HaShanah shofar sequence תְּרוּעָה teruah A shout, alarm, acclamation, or signal; in later shofar practice, a cluster of short trembling sounds תְּשׁוּבָה teshuva Return, repentance — a later religious noun built on the biblical verb shuv תִּקְוָה tikvah Hope — a cord drawn taut תִּשְׁרֵי tishrei The later name of the Torah's seventh month; the month that opens the Jewish count of years תּוֹרָה torah Teaching, instruction צוֹם tzom A fast — on Yom Kippur, about twenty-five hours without food or water

V

וִדּוּי vidui Confession of sin — on Yom Kippur said aloud, in the plural, for the whole people

Y

יָמִים נוֹרָאִים yamim noraim The Days of Awe — a later name whose scope can mean Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur or the wider season between them יְהוֹשֻׁעַ yehoshua The Lord saves — the Hebrew name Joshua, shortened to Yeshua יְרוּשָׁלַיִם yerushalayim Jerusalem — the city’s Hebrew name יֵשׁוּעַ yeshua Hebrew name of Jesus — a short form of Yehoshua, “the Lord saves” יֵשׁוּעַ הַמָּשִׁיחַ yeshua hamashiach Jesus the Messiah — Jesus the Anointed One יְשׁוּעָה yeshuah Salvation or deliverance — a noun related to, but distinct from, the name Yeshua יִרְאָה yirah Awe — reverent fear יִתְרוֹן yitron Gain, profit — what is left over when everything is counted; a word found only in Ecclesiastes יוֹם כִּפּוּר yom kippur The Day of Atonement — the one day of the year the high priest entered the Holy of Holies (Leviticus 16) יוֹם תְּרוּעָה yom teruah “Day of teruah” — the wording Numbers 29:1 gives the first day of the seventh month

Z

זִכְרוֹן תְּרוּעָה zikhron teruah A remembrance or memorial of teruah — the wording Leviticus 23:24 gives the first day of the seventh month זִכְרוֹנוֹת zikhronot Remembrances — the Rosh HaShanah liturgical section that appeals to God's covenant memory

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