Author: Holy Branches

I’m a Gentile Believer, a devoted mother of five wonderful children, and the wife of an amazing husband. Nature, gardening, and dance bring joy and inspiration to my life. In my spare time, I play the piano, care for my garden, or study the Bible in Hebrew. And I’ll drop just about anything for a game of cards. My unwavering quest for a genuine relationship with the God of the Bible has driven me to delve deeply into His Word, which guides my journey and shapes my life's path. This exploration, combined with dedication to living out my faith, is at the heart of my writing. I seek to share my insights and discoveries with readers, encouraging them to embark on their own spiritual journeys.

Busy Mom’s Cheater Latke Recipe

Written by Holy Branches on December 9, 2025. Posted in Hanukkah. 1 Comment on Busy Mom’s Cheater Latke Recipe

This post contains affiliate links. I only advertise items I personally recommend and may receive a small commission from qualifying purchases. For more information, visit our Affiliate Information Page.

Like most of you, before a holiday, I always plan activities, crafts, special meals, etc. Hanukkah’s no exception. Traditions are wonderful for teaching and bringing everyone together but they do take more time and effort, which can be difficult during a time when more our schedules are full.

I used this recipe for our Hanukkah latkes one year when finding the time to shred potatoes and make latkes from scratch seemed overwhelming. But my family loved it so much that it’s become the one we use every year! No judgement to those of you making your latkes the old fashioned way but here’s a recipe for those of us who welcome a shortcut!

This recipe feeds a crowd! It makes about 30-ish medium latkes. I have a crowd to feed at my house but you’ll have to cut this recipe down if you have only a few people.

I’ve heard these can be made in the air fryer too. If you try it, let me know in the comments how they come out!

Bonus: Here’s a hilarious song to listen to while you cook your latkes!

Printer-friendly PDF version

Ingredients

12 eggs

10 T flour

1-1/4 t baking powder

2-1/2 t salt

1-1/4 t pepper

30 c shredded potatoes (3 30 oz bags shredded hash brown potatoes)

2-1/2 c diced onions

2 c (or so) oil

Directions

Mix all ingredients well except the oil.

Shape into pancakes 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick and 6 inches diameter (that’s about 2 cm thick and 15 cm diameter for you scientific types or those outside the US 🙂 ).

Fry in about 1 inch of oil until crispy.

Place on a paper-towel lined plate and serve with applesauce or sour cream.

Happy Hanukkah!

Hanukkah 101: An Introduction for Christians

Written by Holy Branches on December 9, 2025. Posted in Hanukkah, Traditions. 2 Comments on Hanukkah 101: An Introduction for Christians

You may have heard that many Christians celebrate Hanukkah. Although it’s most commonly known as a Jewish holiday, Hanukkah is relevant to the Christian faith. Aside from Jesus himself celebrating Hanukkah in the bible (John 10:22-23), the themes and story behind Hanukkah are reasons for every Christian to celebrate – the power and faithfulness of our God. As grafted in children of God, we can embrace this holiday as part of our history and tradition, just as Jesus did.

History

The Jewish people were under Syrian Hellenistic rule between the Old and New Testaments, around 165 BC. Antiochus IV was the leader of the Seleucid Empire at the time. Under his control, Jewish traditions were outlawed, including Sabbath keeping, adherence to a Kosher diet, and circumcision. Idols were set up in the Temple, and pigs were rumored to have been sacrificed on the Temple altar. Among the punishments for observance of Jewish traditions were death and torture.

The Real Story of Chanukah/Hanukkah: Dedicated to the Death (A Messianic Jewish Exhortation for Israel and All Disciples of Yeshua)

Rather than face brutal punishment, many Jews assimilated with Hellenistic culture. Some evaded their Syrian leaders by hiding in the hills and caves of Judea. A small number of Jews led by Judah Maccabee decided to revolt. Despite the overwhelming opposition, they courageously stood up for their God, His Word, and His Temple. They were miraculously victorious despite being vastly outnumbered!

After the battles, the Jewish people removed the idols from the Temple and put the menorah back in place. But when they went to light the menorah, only one day’s worth of oil was left, and making more was an 8-day process. The story goes that one day’s worth of oil continued to burn for eight days until new oil was ready for use, another Hanukkah miracle.

History vs. Tradition

The story of the Maccabean revolt is found in the books of the Maccabees. These writings are not included in the Protestant bible, but the writings of the historian Josephus support the oppression of the Jewish people and the outcome of the revolt.

The traditional part of the story is the part about the oil. This story isn’t recorded in the books of the Maccabees or other historical sources but in the Talmud (Shabbat 21b), the written form of the Oral Torah. It’s been passed down by Jewish people for thousands of years and is the miracle that’s the focus of the celebration of Hanukkah.

Jesus and Hanukkah

We find Jesus at the Temple during the celebration of Hanukkah, or the Feast of Dedication, in the book of John, verses 10:22-23. Many people traveled to the Temple in Jerusalem during Hanukkah, as with many biblical holidays. Jesus is also shown visiting the Temple and walking through Solomon’s portico during the festival of Hanukkah in the Book of John.

The Dreidel Company Contemporary Hanukkah Menorah, Polished, Non-tarnishing, Holds Most Hanukkah Candles (Silver)

At this time, Jews gathered around him and asked him to tell them if he was the Messiah. He replied that he already had, as well as performed works in God’s name but that they didn’t believe him. They were expecting the Messiah to save them from Roman rule, but Jesus said he was there to offer them eternal life instead. He said that he and God are one, and they attempted to stone him because they didn’t believe his claim and thought him blasphemous. Nonetheless, it was during Hanukkah that he chose to reveal his deity.

Why Some Christians Celebrate

Usually, the Christians that celebrate Hanukkah are either in a household of mixed faith (Jewish and Christian) or lean toward the beliefs of the Hebrew Roots Movement. Here are a few different reasons for Christian Hanukkah observation.

Alternative to Christmas

Some Christians have an issue celebrating Christmas as a Holy day for God because there is no mention of it in the bible. Moreover, the pagan roots and traditions woven throughout the Christmas holiday call into question whether the followers of God should be engaging in the holiday. More and more Christians are finding biblical meaning in celebrating Jesus’s coming to Earth by celebrating Sukkot or Hanukkah instead.

Jesus did

Hanukkah and Purim Are For Christians Too! By Kenneth Albin

Many feel that Jesus’s Jewish culture and appearance at the Temple during Hanukkah show that he celebrated Hanukkah himself. They also see his declaration that he and God are one during Hanukkah as a sign that we are to re-dedicate ourselves to God through him.

To celebrate a historical event where God’s Glory was shown

Although we can (and should!) celebrate God’s Glory and faithfulness every day, Hanukkah celebrates a time when His Glory was shown, and His promise kept in a specific and miraculous way.

To celebrate a victory of God’s people

When God seeks to accomplish what we see as impossible, He can and will do just that. During Hanukkah, He showed He brought victory to His people as they were outnumbered and stood against a powerful, experienced army. God’s power is a theme throughout the bible as God’s miracles point to Him and His omnipotence because they occur under circumstances that would otherwise make them impossible. This theme also runs through the book of Esther, which is what the celebration of Purim is about.

To celebrate the re-dedication of themselves (temples) upon indwelling of the Holy Spirit

Paul tells us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. When we accept Jesus as our savior, his blood cleanses us of our sin, and we re-dedicate our lives to following him. His Spirit can then live in us, the purified and re-dedicated temples.

Common Hanukkah Traditions

Lighting of the Hanukkiah

The menorah used during the celebration of Hanukkah isn’t the same as the one used in the Temple, which has seven branches. For Hanukkah, the menorah used is called a Hanukkiah and has nine branches, with eight candles, one for each night of Hanukkah, and one candle to light the others, called the Shamash.

Foods

Traditional foods served during Hanukkah are those cooked in oil. Potato pancakes called latkes, and a type of jelly doughnut called sufganiyot are two popular Hanukkah dishes.

The Dreidel Company Extra Large Jerusalem Wood Dreidels, Let’s Play Dreidel The Hanukkah Game, Instructions Included (2-Pack)

Gift-giving

Gift-giving is a primarily American Hanukkah tradition, probably due to the Hanukkah and Christmas seasons often overlapping. While some families give gifts during Hanukkah, this practice has no biblical or historical tradition. Many families give one gift for each night of Hanukkah, and some hide them as a challenge to the recipients.

The Dreidel Game

Although it’s been around for centuries, this game is so much fun! I’ve heard a few theories about why and how this game started, but it most likely has little historical significance. It’s a simple game, but kids and adults can get into it despite its simplicity! You’ll need a dreidel and something to use as tokens or chips to play. Many people use chocolate coins (gelt), but our family has used everything from pennies to M&Ms.

Here’s how to play:
Give each player 10-15 coins or whatever you use as tokens.
Each player puts one coin into the middle, the “pot.”
Each player takes a turn spinning the dreidel. Whichever side is face-up when the dreidel stops will determine whether the player that spun it puts coins into or takes coins from the pot.
Gimmel (ג): Take all of the coins in the pot.
Hey (ה): Take 1/2 of the coins in the pot. If there’s an odd number of coins, take 1/2 plus 1.
Shin (שׁ): Put one coin into the pot. Rolling a shin sometimes prompts the rhyme “Shin, shin, put one in!” from the other players.
Nun (נ) The player gets nothing, and the turn goes to the next player.
If you run out of coins, you’re out. The winner is the one with all the coins at the end of the game.

The Dreidel Company Chocolate Candy Milk Chocolate Coins, Hanukkah Gelt, Gold Coins, Made with Belgian Chocolate, Gluten Free, Non GMO, Nut-Free, Kosher Certified (50-Pack)

Should You Celebrate Hanukkah?

I know dedicated Christians on both sides of this conversation. Most don’t celebrate Hanukkah, but some do and say that it’s a tradition that enriches their Christian faith. If you’re wondering if you should celebrate it, the first step should be to pray. Ask God any time you add or dispose of traditions that relate to your faith and how He would like for you to go about doing that. Whether your traditions are Godly or worldly or motivated by your desire to give glory to Him or yourself will be reflected in those traditions, so choose carefully and prayerfully which and how you take part.

Whether you celebrate Hanukkah or not, make sure the main themes of Hanukkah are evident in your faith and your life. God keeps His promises by protecting His people, and His ability and willingness to show His power through miracles should cause us to give all praise and glory to Him!

Happy Hanukkah!

How to Connect the Hebraic Roots of Your Faith to Real Life

Written by Holy Branches on December 9, 2025. Posted in Hebraic Roots. 13 Comments on How to Connect the Hebraic Roots of Your Faith to Real Life

After realizing the value of learning the Hebraic Roots of the Christian faith, there is no clear path to follow, leaving many people feeling stuck, not knowing how to proceed. Although they know that many Jewish traditions like Passover, for example, point to Jesus and enrich the Gospel, there’s no specific source on how to implement those in a modern American Christian family. Searching the internet may help, but it may also be confusing due to conflicting viewpoints inside and outside the Hebrew Roots Movement.

In Acts, there was an ongoing debate about whether Gentiles could participate in the faith of the early Messianic Jews without following all details of the Torah. James the Apostle replies, “Therefore, I judge you not to trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God…” (Acts 15:19-20). James knew, and I’m assuming God knows, that learning Jewish traditions as a Gentile takes some time and grace. Although Christians have already “turned to God,” we may be just beginning to incorporate Biblical practices into our faith. Our family has had to find resources and learn a lot independently, and there has been a steep learning curve. If you give time and grace to yourself and your family in this endeavor and combine them with your conviction about learning these practices, you’ll eventually figure it out. It has been a long process for my family and me, but we’ve grown so much, and it’s been so worth it!

Start with the Sabbath (Shabbat)

The best place to start is by incorporating the practice of a weekly Sabbath. Observing the Sabbath is where my family started, but I have other reasons for it being a good starting point.

It’s one of the 10 commandments (Ex. 20:8 and others).
It happens weekly, allowing for a lot of practice.
Your practice of it can vary.
Many Jews revere it as the most holy day.
It can bring peace to your home.
It will bring rest.
It is a sign of the covenant between God and His people (Ex. 31:16, Lev. 24:8, and others).
It was made for us! (Mark 2:27)

Soon after you attempt to start doing the Sabbath, you’ll realize that the rest of your week must change to accommodate a workless Sabbath. Friday will turn into Preparation Day, and the chores from Friday and Saturday must be spread out throughout the week. It may be helpful at this point to make or revise your cleaning schedule. A word of caution, though – be careful you don’t ruin your Sabbath by sliding into it exhausted, resentful, and arguing with your family due to your stressing to get everything done. Unfortunately, I’ve done it many times, and it will disrupt the peace the Sabbath is supposed to bring. Keep preparations simple at first, focused on allowing for rest, togetherness, and time with God. Here are some things to start with.

Compile some family favorite recipes that are easy to make or can be made ahead of time and use those for Friday and Saturday evenings.
Make or plan meals with little prep (like veggies and dip or sandwiches) for Saturday lunches. Here’s the hummus recipe we use regularly.
Make sure the house is clean enough for everyone to be able to relax (kitchen, bathrooms, and main living areas functionally clean).
Lay out clothing for Shabbat on Friday.

Find resources

I’m so glad you’re reading this! When I started my Hebraic faith journey, resources for Christians were minimal. I had to wade through Jewish sources, deciphering what applied to me and what didn’t. While I won’t claim to have all the answers, I will share what I’ve learned to make this path easier for other Believers to travel. Many other resources are out there now, most of which weren’t available even a few years ago. Here are some of my favorites, and there are even more on my resources page:

Websites

Hebrew for Christians – While the focus is to teach Hebrew, they also cover holidays, prayers, and more.
119 Ministries – Videos and podcasts that provide Biblical answers to many of our questions on our journey.
Torah Class – The BEST bible study I’ve found that’s from a Hebraic perspective. This study is intense, not directed toward seekers but mature Christians familiar with the Bible. The site has many studies covering the Old and New Testaments and topics, all of which are free!
Land of Honey – Many additional resources for Christians seeking Hebraic information – holidays, printables, etc.
Aish.com – Educational website about Judaism – holidays, Torah, Jewish wisdom, etc.

Books

Enter His Gates by Susan Marcus – Covers Jewish holidays and traditions and how they relate to Christians.
A Family Guide to the Biblical Holidays by Robin Sampson and Linda Pierce – Not only shows you how to celebrate Biblical holidays as a Christian but also how to teach the Bible to your children.

Hebrew Word Study: Revealing the Heart of God By Chiam Bentorah

Visit a Hebraic Congregation

It’s easier to navigate this new beginning with a community. Chances are getting better that there’s one near you. Even if there’s not, it’s worth the drive! Find one here or here.

I know visiting a new church or synagogue can be intimidating, especially of a different faith than you’re used to! In my experience, Messianic Jewish congregations are open to Christians joining them and welcome them with open arms. If you have any questions or are hesitant to visit one in your area, call first and inquire. I’m willing to bet they’d love to have you show up!

Study the Torah

Studying the Bible from the point of view that the Torah (the first five books) is the root of all Scripture can deepen your knowledge of the Bible in its entirety! If you’re not sure where to start, print out and follow my free, printable Torah reading schedule. It will have a reading from the Torah and a corresponding reading from the New Testament. When I started studying the Bible this way, it significantly improved my understanding of the whole Bible, and I think it will do the same for you.

Learn Some Hebrew

It’s not just one more thing to add to our already full to-do list! Learning the Biblical Hebrew language or having a good grasp on the most-used Hebrew words in the Old Testament can significantly increase your understanding of the culture of the Hebrew people (Jesus’s!), both the Old and New Testaments, and even God Himself.

Although translated by some very educated and gifted individuals, there’s no substitute for the Bible in its original languages. Hebrew doesn’t translate well to English, leaving room for some misunderstanding. One of our lifelong pursuits as Christians is to study the words of our God. Given this, what could stop us from increasing our understanding of the Bible by learning the original language of its writing? Get started! I bet it won’t be as challenging as you think!

Stay in the Word

Always. But especially while you’re on this path that is new to you. As you research and come across resources to help you, use discernment. Compare what you hear to what the Bible says and pray for clarification when necessary. Many Christians of all denominations have gradually and unknowingly strayed from following God through His word to following a pastor, author, or another person instead. This journey is between you and your family and God. Please make sure it brings glory to Him and no one else.

Biblical Hebrew Words for Beginners

Written by Holy Branches on December 9, 2025. Posted in Bible Study, Hebrew Language. 5 Comments on Biblical Hebrew Words for Beginners

When you really want to delve into your studies of the Bible, a knowledge of its original languages is indispensable! Aside from the obvious biblical advantages, there are other benefits to a Believer’s faith when learning Hebrew.

If you’re just starting out, welcome! I encourage you to first become familiar with the Hebrew alphabet, as well as the vowels as a starting point.

Flash cards are a great way to memorize these and build a firm foundation. Here are free printable flash cards of the words in this article to help you memorize them. From there, this article will lead you into some of the common and basic Biblical Hebrew words. Here are more frequently used words in the Bible for you to study.

Old Testament Hebrew Vocabulary Cards: Second Edition

The Hebrew language is written from right to left. This may be difficult to get used to but you can train your brain to immediately recognize this in no time! Because of this, books written in Hebrew will be opposite of those in English, with the spine on the right instead of the left and they’ll open toward the right instead of the left as well.

A Hebrew word is read by saying the consonant first, then the vowel that accompanies it, then the next consonant, and so on. You can easily sound the words out, similar to the Phonics method of learning to read English.

Note on pronunciation: I use the letters “ch” to indicate not the English “ch” sound as in “chew” but the Hebrew guttural sound as in the name “Bach”.

אָב (father)

This word means “father” and is pronounced “ahv”. אַבָּא, pronounced abbah, is a more familiar term for “father”, similar to the use of “dad” in English.

נַעַר (young man)

The word for “young man” is pronounced “nah-ar”. Related to this is the word for “young woman”, נַעֲרָה, pronounced “nah-ah-rah”.

אַבְרָהָם (Abraham)

One of the most significant names in the Bible, Abraham, is pronounced “av-rah-hahm”.

דַּוִד (David)

Another of the people we know in the Bible, David, is pronounced “dah-veed”.

שַׁמָע (hear)

Pronounced “sha-mah”, this is the word for “to hear” or “he heard”. Conjugation of Hebrew verbs is gender-dependent, so “she heard” would be שָׁמְעָה, pronounced “sham-ah”. They heard, if you’re talking about a group of males, would be שָׁמְעוּ, pronounced “sham-oo”.

הוּא (it)

Nouns have masculine or feminine gender in Hebrew. For example, the word for table, שֻׁלְחָן (“shul-chan”) is masculine, while the word for family, מִשְׁפָחָה (“meesh-pa-chah”) is feminine.

“Hoo” is how you pronounce the word for “it” (הוּא above) when you’re describing a masculine noun. For feminine nouns, הִיא pronounced “hee”, is used. So, “he” is “she” and “who” is “he”. That’s how my children remember it!

מִצְוָה (commandment)

Pronounced “meetz-vah”, this is the word for “commandment”. A mitzvah can also be a good deed or act of obedience to God’s Law. Plural, mitzvah would become mitzvot (מִצְוֺת).

יְרוּשָׁלַםִ (Jerusalem)

Jerusalem is pronounced “yuh-roo-sha-la-eeem”. This is one case where a vowel sound precedes a letter it’s under. The chiriq under the final mem at the end of the word is said before the mem, making the sound “eem” rather than “mee”.

Another case where the vowel sound precedes its letter is when Chet is found at the end of a word and accompanied by the vowel patach (חַ). In this case, instead of being pronounced “cha”, it’s pronounced “ach”. An example is the word רוּחַ, which means “spirit”. It’s pronounced “roo-ach”.

מִצְרַיִם (Eqypt)

Here’s another familiar place in the Bible. Meaning “Egypt”, Mitzrayim is pronounced “meetz-ra-yeem”.

בְּהֵמָה (animal)

Pronounced “buh-hey-mah”, this is the Hebrew word for “animal”. It can also mean “cattle”. Plural, בְּהֵמָה would be בְּהֵמוֹת, pronounced “buh-hey-moat”.

זַכַר (to remember)

This verb means “to remember” or “he remembered”. It’s pronounced “za-char” and is conjugated depending on the subject. “She remembered” would be זָכְרָה, pronounced “zach-rah” and “they remembered” would be זָכְרוּ, pronounced “zach-roo”.

לִפְנֵי (before)

Pronounced “leef-nay”, this is the word for “before” as in “he appeared before the king”.

עַמַד (to stand)

Here’s another verb. This one means “to stand” and is pronounced “ah-mahd”. It’s conjugation is similar to other Hebrew verbs, so “she stood” would be עָמְדָה (“am-dah”) and “they stood” would be עָמְדוּ (“ahm-doo”).

עִיר (city)

“City” in Hebrew is pronounced “eer”. “Cities” would then be עָרִים, pronounced “ah-reem”.

עֶבֶד (servant)

“Eh-ved” is the word for “servant” or “slave”. Plural, it’s עֲבָדִים, pronounced “ah-vah-deem”.

אָח (brother)

The word for “brother” is pronounced “ach”. Plural, it’s אַחִים (“ach-eem”) and the word for “sister” is אָחוֹת and is pronounced “ach-oat”.

לֶחֶם (bread)

“Le-chem” means “bread”. As Christians, we’re familiar with the name of the place of Jesus’s birth, Bethlehem. Bethlehem is a Hebrew word (בֵּית לֶחֶם), meaning “house of bread” or “beit-le-chem” (more commonly pronounced “beth-le-chem”).

מַיִם (water)

“Water” in Hebrew is pronounced “mah-yeem”. The ending of the word mayim indicates that it’s plural, so it’s more literally translated “waters”, such as in Genesis 1, when God’s Spirit hovered over the waters.

לֵב (heart)

The word for “heart” is pronounced “layve”. It can also appear as לֵבָב, which would be pronounced “lay-vave”.

Memorizing these words will increase your Hebrew vocabulary and aid you in your Bible studies. Here’s a printable version of flash cards of the words in this article to help you memorize them. There are many other resources for learning Biblical Hebrew on my Hebrew Language Resources page.

An Introduction to the Hebrew Vowels

Written by Holy Branches on November 18, 2025. Posted in Hebrew Language. 11 Comments on An Introduction to the Hebrew Vowels

Learning the Hebrew Language can be beneficial to the faith of a Christian. In studying the Bible, a knowledge of Biblical Hebrew will clarify the meaning of the text in a way that simply studying from translations cannot.

Here are my free printable Hebrew vowel flash cards!

Although Hebrew can be intimidating at first appearance, English speakers can grasp it well with practice. In An Introduction to the Hebrew Alphabet, I introduced each of the 22 Hebrew letters. Now I’ll provide a very simple intro to the vowels as well.

The Hebrew vowels are not letters as they are in English but a series of markings called nikkud. The major difference between the vowels in English and those in Hebrew is that they’re optional in Hebrew. They’re added to the letters to make reading easier but a lot of Hebrew (both modern and Biblical) is written without them.

The concept that Hebrew would appear without vowels was at first very intimidating to me. But our familiarity with the English Language makes us able to read when the vowels are removed and the same happens in Hebrew as well.

Don’t believe me? What does this say?

Rdng wtht vwls sn’t tht dffclt!

It’s a bit challenging, but your mind fills in the blanks and you can make sense of a sentence with no vowels. This is the same for those familiar with Hebrew.

You can see the function of the vowels and how they dictate the pronunciation of a word by looking at the first word in my vowel-less sentence above. You may have read it as “Reading”, which was my intent but your mind may have substituted an “i” instead of the “ea” in reading. This would have led you to read the first word as “Riding” instead. The context gave away the correct pronunciation of the word but this example shows why vowels are added to Hebrew and how they clarify.

Vowels are found above (to the left) or below a letter. The consonant sound is made first and is followed by the vowel sound that’s below or above it.

In the explanations below, I use the letter aleph (א) to carry the vowels but they can accompany any of the other letters in the Hebrew alphabet as well.

אַ and אָ

These two vowels are different in appearance but make the same sound. Patah and kametz both make the “a” sound like in the word “yacht”. For example, the word אָמַר (meaning “to say” or “he said”), is pronounced “ah-mar”.

אֶ

Segol makes the “eh” sound as in “bed”. An example of a word containing segol is “אֶרֶץ“, meaning “land” or “earth”. It’s pronounced “eh-retz”.

אֵ

The vowel tsere, whose name is pronounced ser-ay, sounds like the “ay” in the word “hay”. It can also be pronounced “eh” as in “bed”, depending on accent. In Israel, the pronunciation agreed upon is “eh”. Example: לֵב is pronounced “layve” or “lev” and is the word for “heart”.

אִ

The name for this vowel is chiriq (with the “ch” pronounced in your throat, like the “ch” in “Bach). The sound it makes is like the “ee” in the word “bee”. Chiriq is often followed by the letter yod (י), which lengthens its sound. For example, the word “אִישׁ” is pronounced “eesh” and it means “man” or “husband”.

אֹ

Cholem appears as a dot above and just to the left of the letter it’s with. Just like chiriq, the word “cholem” is pronounced with the “ch” sound in your throat, as in Bach. When it appears with a consonant, cholem makes the “o” sound like the letter O in “foe”. An example is כֹּל, which means “all” or “whole” and is pronounced “coal”.

אֻ

Kubbuts is the name of this vowel. It has a “oo” sound, as in the name “Sue”. Kubbuts is used in סֻכָּה, which is pronounced “sue-kah”, and means “hut” or “temporary shelter”.

בְ

Shva (pronounced sh-va) is a more complicated vowel. Firstly, I put it under the letter vet above instead of aleph because shva cannot appear under gutterals and aleph is considered one.

Secondly, shva sounds differently, depending on where it’s found in a word. It can either make the “uh” sound, as in “buck” or it can be silent, indicating a pause.

In לְ, a word meaning “to”, “for”, or “in regard to”, the shva makes the “uh” sound and the word is pronounced “luh”. But, when in the middle or end of a word, shva is usually silent.

In a word like , with two shvas in a row, the first is silent and the second is pronounced. So, the word for “families” in Hebrew, מִשְׁפְּחֹת would be pronounced “mish-puh-chote”. And in the word יִשְׂרָאֵל, meaning Israel, the shva is silent, causing it to be pronouced “yees-ra-el”.

That’s a bit confusing so I’ll sum up the basic shva rules.

At the beginning of a word, it’s pronounced “uh”.
In the middle of a word, it’s a silent pause.
Two next to each other: first is a silent pause, second is pronounced “uh”.

אֲ and אֱ

When patach and Segol are combined with shva, they basically make the same sound as without the shva. So, אֲ is pronounced “a” as in “yacht” and אֱ is pronounced with the “eh” sound, as in “bed”.

Examples of this are אֲשֶׁר, meaning “which” (pronounced “ah-share”) and אֱלֹהִים, which means “Elohim” (pronounced “El-o-heem”).

אֳ

This vowel is called chatef kametz but it doesn’t take the sound of the kametz or the shva, but has its own sound. It makes the “o” sound, as in “foe”. An example is the word שֳׁרָשִׁים, which is pronounced “show-ra-sheem” and means “roots”.

וֹ and וּ

These vowels use the Hebrew letter vav but the vav is not pronounced. Cholem vav (which is a vav with a dot above it, like this וֹ) sounds just like the cholem would above another letter. It makes the “o” sound as in “foe”.

Shurek, which is a vav with a dot inside of it like this וּ, is pronounced with the “oo” sound in the name “Sue”. Again, the sound of the letter vav is not used in this case.

Examples of these are the words יוֹם and רוּת (day and Ruth), which are pronounced “yohm” and “root”, respectively.

Working on memorizing the Hebrew vowels? Use my f ree printable Hebrew vowel flash cards to get started right away!

Click here for a printable version of the Hebrew Vowel Chart

Since many of the vowels make similar sounds, it’s not very difficult to memorize all of them with a little practice. For more resources to help you in your studies of Biblical Hebrew, check out my resources page!

An Introduction to the Hebrew Alphabet

Written by Holy Branches on November 18, 2025. Posted in Hebrew Language. No Comments on An Introduction to the Hebrew Alphabet

Find my free printable Hebrew Alphabet Flash Cards here!

Many Christians learn the Biblical Hebrew language to illuminate their Bible studies. Knowledge of the original languages brings an understanding of the Bible that we can’t quite reach through a translation.

Hebrew can be intimidating to English speakers because it’s a different alphabet. Not only do we have to learn the language, but we also have to start by learning an entirely different alphabet!

It’s not as difficult as it sounds, though. There are only 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet and 12 vowels, called nikkud. Most Hebrew students start by learning the letters and their sounds, which isn’t very difficult with a bit of practice.

Here are my free printable Hebrew Alphabet Flash Cards so you can get started on memorizing the alphabet today!

The Hebrew alphabet is often called the aleph-bet because the first two letters are aleph and bet. Most letters have the same sound as the beginning of their name. For example, bet makes the “b” sound. That makes most letters easy to remember.

There are also some sounds in Hebrew that we don’t have in English, called gutturals. The letter Chet makes the same sound as the “ch” in “Bach.” You make this sound in the back of your throat like you’re clearing your throat.

Here’s a song commonly used to memorize the Hebrew alphabet. Putting the letters to music makes them so easy to remember!

א Aleph

Aleph is one of two silent letters in the Hebrew alphabet. When pronounced, it takes the sound of whatever vowel it accompanies.

בּ Bet

Bet is pronounced “b,” just like the letter B in English.

ב Vet

A vet is just a bet without the dot inside. The dot is called a dagesh, and vet is pronounced “v” like the letter V in English.

ג Gimmel

Gimmel makes a hard G sound, as in “goat.” It may have a dagesh inside like this גּ, but it makes the same sound with or without the dagesh.

ד Dalet

Dalet is pronounced “d,” like the letter D in English. It can also carry a dagesh, which doesn’t change its sound like this דּ.

ה Hay

Hay is pronounced “h” like the letter H in English. When it appears at the end of a word, it’s silent. It sometimes has a dot inside (הּ), called a mappiq, instead of a dagesh that appears in other letters. It indicates that the hay should be pronounced as a consonant, even though it may occur in a place in a word where it would usually be silent.

ו Vav

Vav makes the “v” sound, exactly like the letter vet above. What makes vav interesting is that it can also function as two different vowel sounds. When it appears as וֹ (called holem vav), it’s pronounced “oh,” like the sound at the end of “mow,” and when you see וּ (called shurek), you’d pronounce it “ooo” like the sound at the end of “blue.”

ז Zayin

Zayin is pronounced “zzz,” like the letter Z in English. It can carry a dagesh (זּ), which doesn’t change the pronunciation.

ח Chet

Chet is one of the guttural letters in Hebrew. As I said above, it is pronounced in the back of your throat and sounds like the “ch” in the name “Bach.”

ט Tet

Tet is pronounced “t” like the letter T in English. It will sometimes appear with a dagesh (טּ), which doesn’t change its pronunciation.

י Yod

The tiny letter yod sounds like the English letter “y,” as in “yellow.” Like others, it can carry a dagesh (יּ), which doesn’t change its pronunciation.

כּ Kaf

Kaf is pronounced “k” like the English letter K. It’s always pronounced this way when the dot (dagesh) is present. Without the dagesh, it sounds like the following letter on this list: Chef.

כ Chaf

The “ch” in the name of the letter chaf is pronounced as a guttural, similar to the “ch” in “Bach,” like the letter chet above. It makes the same sound as chet the “ch” sound. When this letter has a dagesh, it makes the sound “k,” as described above.

What’s unique about Chaf that I haven’t discussed yet is that it looks different when it appears at the end of a word. Five Hebrew letters do this, and this end form of a letter is called the final (or sofit) form. When at the end of a word, chaf will look like this: ך.

ל Lamed

Lamed makes the same “l” sound as the letter L in English. Lamed may have a dagesh and look like this (לּ) but is pronounced the same.

מ Mem

Mem is pronounced “mmm,” like the letter M in English, and its sound is not changed when it appears with a dagesh (מּ). Mem also has a final form, ם, which is almost always found only when a mem is at the end of a word.

נ Nun

Nun (Pronounced both noon and nun) is pronounced “n” like the English letter N. It can have a dagesh, which would look like this (נּ), but the pronunciation remains the same. Nun has a final form for when it’s found at the end of a word, which looks like this: ן.

ס Samech

Samech is pronounced like the English letter S and is pronounced “s.” It can also have a dagesh (סּ) and is pronounced the same if it does.

ע Ayin

Like aleph, ayin is a silent letter. It only makes the sound of the vowel that accompanies it.

פּ Pey

Pey is pronounced “p,” like the letter P in the English alphabet. If it has a dagesh, it’s pronounced “p,” and if it doesn’t, it’s pronounced “f,” further explained below.

פ Fey

Fey is, like the English letter F, pronounced “f.” This sound is made only when it doesn’t have a dagesh because if it does, it’s pronounced “p.” Fey also has a final form, ף, for when it appears at the end of a word.

צ Tsade

This letter’s name is pronounced tsa-dee, with the “ts” being a consonant blend sound like the sound at the end of the word “nuts.” The “ts” sound is also the way the letter is pronounced. It’s said the same when it contains a dagesh and has a final form (ץ) at the end of a word.

ק Qof

Qof makes the “q” sound like the English letter Q. It can also appear with a dagesh, pronounced the same.

ר Resh

Resh is pronounced “rrr” like the English letter R. It’s a guttural, so it’s said from the back of your throat and is rolled like the letter R in Spanish.

שׁ Shin

Shin is pronounced “sh” like the commonly-used consonant blend in English, and it sounds the same when it has a dagesh. Which side the dot on top is on indicates whether it’s pronounced “sh” or “s.”

שׂ Sin

The name of this letter is pronounced sin or seen. It makes the same sound as the letter S in English, “sss.” This sound is the same as the letter samech, and sin makes the same sound when it has a dagesh. Pay careful attention to which side the dot is on, as this is what differentiates between shin and sin.

ת Tav

Tav, the last letter in the Hebrew alphabet, is pronounced “t” just like the English letter T. It sounds the same when it has a dagesh, like this: תּ.

Click here for a printable version of this Hebrew Consonant chart!

That’s it! Pretty simple, right? With a bit of practice, you can master the Hebrew alphabet and, in doing so, conquer the first step to your knowledge of the Hebrew language!

For more helpful resources for learning Hebrew, visit my Resources page!

10 Bible Verses Where Knowing Hebrew Really Helps

Written by Holy Branches on November 11, 2025. Posted in Bible Study, Hebrew Language. 5 Comments on 10 Bible Verses Where Knowing Hebrew Really Helps

Learning the Hebrew Language can be very beneficial to our faith as Christians. It’s through Hebrew that we can gain a deeper understanding of the Old Testament and, ultimately, the roots of our faith! When we can know more clearly what the Bible says, we can grow closer to the God of the Bible and our Savior, Jesus!

While understanding Hebrew will help you in your studies throughout the Bible (even the New Testament!), here are ten places I’ve found the Hebrew to make a big difference.

1. Genesis 1:1 – Elohim

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
Genesis 1:1

5 Hebrew Words that Every Christian Should Know: A Bite-Sized Bible Study

There’s no better place to start than at the very beginning. Many note that the word used for God here is “Elohim”. The “im” suffix in Hebrew indicates that the word is in its masculine plural form. This appearance of a plural noun form leads some to conclude that this verse shows that it wasn’t just God the Father present before creation, but the whole Trinity – the Father God, the Son, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

The first thing to note is that there are words in Hebrew that appear to be plural, like the word for water, מַּיִם, and the word for face, פָּנִים. Although they have the “im” suffix, they are not always plural.

But when you know the Hebrew language enough to conjugate verbs, you can see that the verb just preceding Elohim, בָּרָא, is conjugated in the masculine singular form. This verb form shows that only one male was creating, not three.

That said, I won’t comment on the truth of whether the other persons of the Trinity were present at creation or not. If that’s your belief, the verse in Genesis below may better support your discussion on the subject, along with others in the New Testament (John 1:1-3, 1 Cor. 8:6, and Col. 1:16-17).

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Genesis 1:26 (Emphasis added)

2. Exodus 15:2 – Yeshua

And while we’re on the subject of names, let’s look at the use of the name of our Savior! We know that Jesus’s name is used in the New Testament, as the stories about his life and ministry are found there.

But Jesus’s name is used throughout the Bible, not just in the New Testament. His Hebrew name, Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ), is found throughout the Old Testament as well. The Hebrew language is based mainly on root words. The root word of Yeshua is ya-shah (יָשַׁע) and means “to save” or “to deliver.” So, we can see why God told Mary to give Jesus this name. He came to save us – to be our deliverer!

When we find Yeshua in the Old Testament, we can see how the attributes of our savior are foreshadowed even before he came to earth.

The LORD is my strength and song,
And He has become my yeshua
Exodus 15:2a, emphasis mine

The name “Joshua” (Ye-ho-shua – יְהוֹשֻׁעַ‎) is similar in Hebrew spelling to that of yeshua, which also indicates that the actions of Joshua in the Old Testament also foreshadows Jesus.

Other interesting places to find the word yeshua in the Old Testament are:

Exodus 14:13
2 Chronicles 20:17
Psalm 9:14, 13:5, 14:7, 20:5, 21:5, 53:6, 62:2, 67:2, 118:14, and 119 (many verses).
Isaiah 33:6, 52:7-10, and 62:1.

3. Genesis 2:18 – Ezer

Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”
Genesis 2:18

This verse is sometimes used to show that a wife is less capable or significant than her husband. She’s merely his “helper”. But when we look at the Hebrew word used here for “helper,” it changes the perspective.

The word used here is “ezer” (עֵזֶר, pronounced “eh-zer”). “Helper” isn’t an inaccurate word to use when translating ezer from Hebrew to English, but let’s look at some other places where this same Hebrew word is used.

This word is used 21 times in the Old Testament, most of which refer to God as the helper. So this story in Genesis isn’t telling us that a wife is a helper in the respect that we would allow a toddler to be our “helper” in the kitchen but as a necessary and indispensable source of support.

Without God’s help, we’re absolutely nothing. So when we see the same word for “helper” used for a wife as it is used for God, we can conclude that God’s view of a wife is that she’s of great importance in a marital relationship!

4. Psalms 1:2 – Torah

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,

And in His law he meditates day and night.
Psalm 1:2

The word “law” is typically considered a negative thing among Christians. It’s believed that the grace given to us through Jesus and the Law given to us by God cannot coexist. Therefore, we must throw out any idea of the Law applying to us to accept the grace given to us through Jesus.

But the word that’s translated here and elsewhere as “law” in some translations is the word “Torah” (תּוֹרָה). So, this verse says:

But his delight is in the Torah of the LORD,

And in His Torah he meditates day and night.
Psalm 1:2

Hebrew Word Study: Revealing the Heart of God (Volume 1)

Knowing the Hebrew changes the overall meaning of the verse, doesn’t it? Other translations translate “Torah” as “instruction,” which emits an entirely different emotional response than the word “law.” Rather than a bad thing God’s given to control us, the “law” or the “Torah” is instruction to lead, educate, and help us know right from wrong.

If the Law is a positive thing, that explains how we can “delight” in it, as the Psalm says. When we understand the Hebrew, we can see God’s love and guidance that He’s given us in His Word and even in His commands. He knows what’s best for us, and we’re blessed that He has instructed us on how to live.

5. Exodus 20:13 – Murder

“Thou shalt not kill.”
Exodus 20:13

This verse is from the King James Version of the Bible, but it’s worded differently in most other versions. Most say, “You shall not murder” or something similar.

The word “murder” is a much better translation of the Hebrew word in this verse. The Hebrew says ratz-ah (רָצַח), which means “to slay” or “to dash to pieces” and is used in the Bible mainly in the context of homicide. In contrast, the Hebrew word for “to kill” is ha-rog (הָרַג) and is used in situations such as killing others in war or killing an animal for food.

The usage of this word is significant because the commandment not to kill (or murder) is often used to imply that war is a sin. While a quick read of the Old Testament will reveal that there are times God does condone war, this command uses a different word than the one used in the case of war to make sure we don’t confuse the two.

So, while killing may at times be murder, the word murder implies more than just killing. Murder reveals a condition of the heart. It shows actions resulting from malice, pride, hate, bitterness, and selfishness. It implies that the victim is innocent or at least doesn’t deserve the consequence of death by another.

6. Psalm 34:7 – Malak

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him,
And rescues them.
Psalm 34:7

Along with the other places in the Old Testament where angels are mentioned, the Hebrew word translated into “angel” is mal-ak (מַלְאָךְ). Malak isn’t a word for a specific type of being, though. A better translation is “messenger” or “deputy.”

In Scripture, the word “malak” is usually followed by “of the LORD,” meaning the being described is sent from God to deliver a message or do some work God sent it (or him? or her?) to do. Knowing the Hebrew here helps us understand that the word isn’t meant to describe the being itself but its purpose in interacting with humans in these situations.

7. Job 2:2 – Satan

The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.”
Job 2:2

While we don’t like to dwell on Satan (Sah-tahn – שָׂטָן) as we study our Bibles, it’s helpful to understand his character so we know what we need to avoid and rid our lives of. And we don’t have to go further than his name to understand who he is.

The word “satan” comes from a Hebrew verb meaning ” to accuse” or “to be an adversary” (also pronounced sah-tahn – שָׂטַן). In the Bible, names have significant meanings. Names weren’t just to identify but to describe one’s identity or purpose. Satan’s name tells us he’s “the adversary” or “the accuser.”

So, who is Satan an adversary of, and who does he accuse? God? Humans? Jesus? We can find examples to back up each of those in the Bible, so the answer is all of the above. When we can see Satan for who he is – an adversary of our God – we know that he’s our adversary as well. We know that siding with Satan or anything he stands for puts us on the wrong side.

8. Acts 2:2-4 – Spirit

And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
Acts 2:2-4

Hebrew in verses from Acts, you say? But the New Testament isn’t translated from Hebrew! True (mostly), but the New Testament was written by those with a knowledge of Hebrew and a mindset based on their Hebrew culture.

Take, for example, the Hebrew word for “spirit,” ruach (roo-ach – רוּחַ). While it does mean “spirit,” it also can mean “wind” or “breath.” The Hebrew language contains words that represent more than one thing. Because these words come from the same root word, they don’t just sound alike; they’re related concepts.

In the verses above, the Holy Spirit is being given to the apostles, and they hear a sound like a violent wind filling their house. It was at that time that they became filled with the Holy Spirit!
The Spirit sounded like a rushing wind because wind is an aspect of God’s Spirit. The following verse is another place we see the Ruach – God’s Spirit:

The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
Gen 1:2

9. Genesis 2:7 – Soul

Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
Genesis 2:7

Here’s another word for “spirit”. Neshama (נְשָׁמָה) can mean “spirit,” but it can also be translated as “breath”. And the remainder of this verse has the beautiful Hebrew word for “soul” in it – nefesh (נֶפֶשׁ), which is translated as life.

So, when God “breathed life” into Adam, he gave him a “soul breath.” Doesn’t that give you chills? The God of the universe has soul breath, breath that contains His very spirit that, when shared with a human, gives them a soul! What a truly awesome God we have!

10. Matthew 1:16 – Messiah

Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.
Matthew 1:16

The word “Messiah” is derived from the Hebrew word “mashiach” (ma-shee-ach – מָשִׁיחַ), and so is the word “Christ.” Mashiach means “anointed one,” so “messiah” and “christ” do also. But did you know that this Hebrew word for “messiah” is also found in the Old Testament?

Levitical priests are frequently described as mashiach, or anointed, as in the following verse, as well as in Leviticus 4:

“The anointed priest who will be in his place among his sons shall offer it. By a permanent ordinance it shall be entirely offered up in smoke to the LORD.
Leviticus 6:22

This verse could also say “the mashiach priest.” I’m pretty sure no version of the Bible translates this as “the messiah priest,” but it’s the same word. Most translate it as “the anointed priest.” Someone being anointed means they’re chosen by God and consecrated for a specific job, such as the priests being anointed for work in the Temple.

The knowledge of this word’s meaning is significant because it draws a parallel for us between our Messiah and the Levitical priests. The book of Hebrews describes how Jesus is the perfect High Priest (chapters 9 & 10) and how, because of that, he is able to atone for our sin fully. Our God chose him and sent him to save us from the desolate consequences of our sin. What amazing grace!

Learning the Hebrew language will illuminate so many things in your Bible and can ultimately help you grow closer to God through a better understanding of who He is! If you want to get started, check out my post on the Hebrew Alphabet, Hebrew Vowels, and Biblical Hebrew Words for Beginners. Interested in an online course? Check out the one I’m currently taking through the Israel Institute of Biblical Studies.

At-A-Glance Guide to the Biblical Feasts

Written by Holy Branches on November 11, 2025. Posted in Bible Study, Hebraic Roots, Traditions. No Comments on At-A-Glance Guide to the Biblical Feasts

According to the Bible, there are seven Feasts that God calls His Feasts (Lev. 23:2, Ez. 44:24) and commands His people to keep. Although it became rare for Christians to keep these Feasts in recent times, many are returning to a more Biblical way of life and realizing all that God has to teach us through these Feasts!

Celebrating Biblical Feasts: In Your Home or Church By Martha Zimmerman

Each Feast teaches us about our God’s attributes. By observing these Feasts, we can learn what a wonderful God He is! The Feasts also teach us about ourselves, how we should live as His people, and what our relationship with Him should look like.

These Feasts are also prophetic. When God commanded them, he wanted His people to look back on what He had done for them in the past and forward to the rest of the story of Him and His people.

One important thing – the Sabbath is covered before these Feasts are listed in the Bible. It’s the holiest of all the Feasts, and observing it demonstrates to God, others, and ourselves that we belong to God. Although it’s not on this list, it’s of great importance in the life of any Believer. For more info on the Sabbath and how to keep it, visit this page.

Below, I will cover each Feast very briefly. Know that, with each Feast, you can go more into the practices, symbolism, sacrifices, where they occur in the Bible, etc., and learn more of what God has for you with each of them. Here, I want to cover the basics for those who want to see just a summary of these Feasts and their meanings.

????️ Print-friendly PDF Biblical Feast Chart

Passover

Passover is the first Feast of the year, commemorating the Exodus from Egypt. It helps us remember how God redeemed His people from captivity and brought them out so they could freely worship Him. Like the blood on the doorways of the Hebrew people in Egypt was a protective covering from the plague of the firstborn, the blood of Jesus provides a covering for our sin.

Passover (Pesach in Hebrew, meaning “skip”) is usually celebrated with a seder. In this seder, the story of the Exodus is retold, and each aspect of it is “experienced” by the participants. It’s a time of celebration, and each element of the seder represents a part of this incredible story.

Unleavened Bread

Just after Passover is the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Observing this Feast is to remember the Exodus further and that the Israelites needed to flee Egypt in a hurry and didn’t have time to leaven their dough before leaving. Leaven often represents sin in the Bible, so the lack of leaven represents sinlessness. Jesus fulfilled this Feast by following the Laws of the Torah and was, therefore, a pure candidate for atonement.

Unleavened Bread is called Matzah in Hebrew, so this Feast is Biblically called the Feast of Matzah. It is observed by eating unleavened bread for seven days and even cleaning all the leaven out of the home (Ex. 12:19). The first and seventh days of Unleavened Bread are Sabbaths.

First Fruits

The first of something, like the harvest, firstborn child, or firstborn animals, were given to God as an offering, thanking Him for providing and putting faith in Him to continue to provide in the future (Deut. 26:1; Ex. 13:1-2, 11-16). During the Feast of Unleavened Bread, First Fruits is a time to bring the first of what we reap to God and look to Jesus as the first and best offering to God. He’s also the first of those to be raised from the grave (1 Cor. 15:20).

The Hebrew word for First Fruits is Bikkurim, which comes from the same root word as the word for “firstborn,” which is bekhor. It’s commonly thought that Jesus rose from the dead on First Fruits, so many celebrate his resurrection during this two-day celebration.

Shavuot

Starting on First Fruits, many “count the omer.” This practice comes from Leviticus 23:15-16, where God says to count 7 Sabbaths or 50 days from First Fruits, then to observe Shavuot. We symbolically prepare our hearts to receive the Law and the Spirit during this time, and Shavuot is a Sabbath.

Shavuot is a time to celebrate God giving us His Law (Yes, it’s worth celebrating!) and eventually His Spirit to live in us. His Law was given on Mount Sinai, and the prophetic side of this Feast (Jere. 31:33) was fulfilled when the Spirit was given, and the Law was no longer external but written on our hearts instead.

The word Shavuot means “weeks.” It’s also known as Pentecost, which comes from a Greek word meaning “fiftieth.” Biblically, Shavuot includes an offering from the wheat harvest, a sign of gratitude to God for providing through the land. To further celebrate the giving of the land, milk and honey (or recipes containing the two) are often eaten on Shavuot. It’s also a time to celebrate the Law and the Spirit, showing that we’re thankful for both.

Yom Teruah

This Feast is often confused with Rosh Hashanah, but they are different celebrations, and you can read more about the differences here. Yom Teruah is another Sabbath, observed on the first day of the seventh month, and it’s supposed to be “a reminder by blowing of trumpets.”

A “teruah” or trumpet blast is heard in the Bible when God’s doing something incredible. What we remember on Yom Teruah are all of the awesome things our God has done throughout time. Prophetically, we look forward to the day we hear the “teruah” announcing the return of our Savior!

This day is observed at sundown by looking for the New Moon (indicating the first day of the month has started) and blowing the shofar when it’s spotted. Some mix traditions from Rosh Hashanah and Yom Teruah, celebrating the beginning of the Hebrew calendar year at this time.

Yom Kippur

The tenth day of the month of Tishrei is Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is when the priest made atonement for the nation of Israel in the days of the Temple. It’s a Sabbath, and the Bible says we’re to be “humbled” or “afflicted” on this day. This Holy Day is more somber and focused, less celebratory, where people wear white, attend services, and fast.

On Yom Kippur, we can look to Jesus and be grateful for his covering (Kippur means “covering”) of our sin in response to our repentance. As a people, though, we need to repent, pray for God’s mercy, and turn to Him for forgiveness. Yom Kippur is a day when we examine our actions and those of our nation, repent where needed, and turn back to the path God wants us to take.

The prophecy in Yom Kippur is that we look forward to a time when Jesus will be the judge. It will be up to him who enters God’s Kingdom and who doesn’t.

Sukkot

Sukkot is the last of the Holy Days on the Biblical calendar. It’s a joyful celebration lasting eight days, starting on the fifteenth day of the seventh month on the Biblical calendar, also known as Tishrei. The first and last of the eight days of Sukkot are Sabbaths.

According to the command for Sukkot in Leviticus 23, God’s people are to celebrate by living in temporary dwellings called Sukkot. God says this is to remind us that God had the people live in dwellings like these when He brought them out of Egypt. During Sukkot, we remember many things – that God provides, that God supernaturally rescued the Hebrew people and provided for them in the wilderness, and that He sent Jesus to “tabernacle” or temporarily dwell with us on earth.

Sukkot is also prophetic in that there will be one day when Jesus will not just tabernacle but will live among us on earth. It points forward to the wedding feast, where we, as God’s people, will finally be joined with Jesus and live with him physically among us, ruling on earth.

Print-friendly PDF Biblical Feast Chart

This article is just a summary of each of these Holy Days, but don’t stop here in your study of them. God has so much for you to learn as you study these meaningful Feasts that He calls His. Explore them further by browsing the Traditions category on HolyBranches.com or in my book, Bring Shalom to Your Home.

Eating Biblically Clean in Light of Grace

Written by Holy Branches on November 4, 2025. Posted in Hebraic Roots. 6 Comments on Eating Biblically Clean in Light of Grace

What does it mean to eat Biblically clean? Why have some made it a part of their faith? And weren’t the dietary laws disposed of with Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross? This post will explain a Biblically clean diet, answer the above questions, and more.

A diet change occurred for some Christians who have made their Biblical Hebraic Roots a part of their faith. They aligned their diet with the one prescribed by God in the Bible. This change is confusing to many from traditional Christianity as they believe all dietary laws were done away with when Jesus died for our sins.

The Pauline Paradox: What Did Paul Teach About the Law of God?

First of all, does God care what we eat? Of course He does! He cares about every aspect of His people’s lives– small and large. In His mercy and patience, He knows we aren’t perfect and provides a Savior to cover all we do that disobeys Him.

But after we receive Jesus as our Savior, should we continue in our disobedience? Of course not! As we mature as Christians, we must examine every area of our lives and continually grow closer and closer to the way God wants us to live in all areas.

What It Is

Eating biblically clean comes from the command given in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. These chapters only cover animals and not vegetables, fruits, or grains. Although everything in these chapters about hooves, fins, and scales can be confusing, we can narrow it down pretty simply. Most animals we usually eat in the U.S. are fine. But pork and shellfish are out, as are any other fish without fins and scales. We don’t commonly eat other restricted animals – dogs, horses, rabbits, vultures, eagles, owls, snakes, etc.

Biblically Clean vs. Kosher

Although there are apparent similarities, an Orthodox Jew would not consider a Biblically clean diet Kosher. Basically, a Biblically clean diet follows the dietary laws given in Leviticus 11 literally. Biblically clean is different from what’s referred to as a Kosher diet according to today’s understanding. Eating Kosher includes not mixing meat with dairy products and other rabbinical additions to the statutes in Leviticus.

Why We Do It

Out of obedience

As we all recall the story of Adam and Eve, we always question why they ate the fruit. Why didn’t they just take God at His word and obey Him? It was such a small thing to avoid just one of the many trees in the garden. They were given such a beautiful place to live, peace, each other, and communion with God! What more could they need?

Biblically clean is similar to the way we view these dietary laws. God gives us all we have and has lavishly blessed us. He gives us numerous food choices outside of the restrictions he gives. We can (and many do) live free and happy lives without including the restricted foods in our diet. The cost of obeying these laws is minimal, but disobeying God always has negative consequences, even if we see the issue as insignificant.

To set us apart

In conclusion to His explanation of the dietary restrictions in Leviticus 11, God states the following:

“For I am the Lord who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.’” Lev. 11:45

As Gentiles grafted in to the promises given to Israel by God, this verse is for us, too! God doesn’t want us to blend in with those around us. He wants us to look different – to be His!

Dietary laws, along with the Sabbath and other commands, do set us apart from the rest of the world. If you keep the Sabbath or eat Biblically clean, you’ll soon learn how different your life will look from those around you.

God knows what’s best for us

Many people propose that God gave the dietary laws for health reasons. Whether or not this is true isn’t clear, but it’s also irrelevant. If God tells us to do anything, we know it’s for good – our good, the good of others, or for His glory. If He told the people of Israel, His chosen people, what not to eat, we can trust that it was not only best for them then but is best for us today.

Remembering who we serve 3 times a day

Sometimes it’s challenging to stay focused on what’s important, isn’t it? When eating according to the Biblical dietary laws, we’re reminded many times daily who we’re living for. If I were living for myself and ordering a pizza, I’d order a pepperoni pizza, but I have to stop and think before I order since I’m committed to eating Biblically clean. What would God prefer I order? Wouldn’t we rather please Him with even the little things in life, like what we order at a restaurant? Is it possible He doesn’t care about something that small? I don’t think so!

Spiritual discipline

We live in a culture in which there’s really no right or wrong. Where you draw the line on any issue is up to you, and you can change it anytime. But how does a Christian discipline him or herself to stay on God’s path in our culture? Discipline is like a muscle. Some call it the “no” muscle. If we live giving in to everything our flesh desires, how do we exercise this “no” muscle?

Keeping a Biblically clean diet is very helpful for building discipline in life – both yours and that of those around you, like your children! When we have uncompromising things to adhere to, we keep our “no” muscle in good shape. An exercise you must do three or more times daily will make spiritual discipline second nature as you must stop and think before each meal, ensuring that it aligns with your beliefs.

Did Jesus Say Dietary Laws Don’t Matter?

People often use the story in Mark 7:1-23 as a reason not to eat according to the laws in the Bible. Here, Jesus scolds the Pharisees for condemning those eating without first ritually washing their hands. However, a few points are beneficial in understanding what’s going on here.

First, Jesus notes that they are putting the traditions of man above the Commands of God. Ritual hand washing was a law made by the rabbis of the time and not a Command from God.

Second, Jesus didn’t refer to the food during this chapter but to ritual hand washing. One can apply the meaning to food, but Jesus didn’t say that.

Third, most English Bible translations include a sentence at the end of this story with a highly disputed translation. It’s in verse 19 and is often in parentheses: “Thus he declared all foods clean.” But that’s a loose translation from the original Greek. We can easily interpret the point of this story in the context Jesus indicated – that ritual hand washing doesn’t make foods clean or unclean.

What Would Jesus Eat?

Have you ever wondered what Jesus ate while he was here on earth? All of his meals would have been eaten according to specific rules, not just because he was Jewish by heritage but out of obedience to God – to avoid sin and obey the Laws God gave us.

Think about it. Had Jesus broken these dietary laws and disobeyed God, would he have been perfect? Would he have qualified to be our Savior and Messiah? Nope.

But What About Peter’s Vision?

Acts 10 is another place Christians look to to show we shouldn’t adhere to dietary laws. But, again, taken in context, this chapter isn’t talking about food at all but about people.

Read the whole story when you get a chance, but to summarize, Peter has a vision in which a sheet is lowered three times. On the sheet are all kinds of animals – both clean and unclean. A voice says, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat.” Peter protests, saying he’s never eaten anything unclean. He then hears the voice again. This time, it says, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider common.” (Side note – for an eye-opening view of this story, do a word study on the words used here for clean, unclean, and common.)

Instead of accepting the vision and the words at face value, Peter is perplexed. He’s pretty disturbed by it and tries to figure out what the vision could have possibly meant.

Many stop here and conclude that the vision meant two things – that followers of Jesus are to disobey the commands concerning food in Leviticus 11 and that Gentiles are allowed into the faith and able to receive the Holy Spirit. That could be one way to interpret this story, but later, Peter explains more than once (Acts 10:28 & 11:2-18) that he’s figured out what the vision meant and that it’s about people (Gentiles included in the faith). He doesn’t mention it being about food at all.

How Does Grace Factor in?

So, if we’re supposed to keep the dietary laws post-Jesus, doesn’t that mean we’re doing works to earn our salvation?

No – not at all. Let me explain. The Bible discussed two relevant concepts here – justification and sanctification. Salvation (or justification) is a one-time thing. It occurs when we repent of our sin and turn to Jesus, putting our belief in him as the one who paid for our sin.

Holy Cow!: Does God Really Care About What We Eat? By Hope Egan

When we discuss the things we do in our daily lives as we live obedient to God, we’re talking about a process called sanctification. A simple way to explain it is that we grow closer and closer to holiness as we mature in our faith.

So, eating unclean animals does not condemn us in the same way stealing doesn’t. We eat Biblically clean not to be saved but because we are saved and love and trust God. We want to live God’s way and obey Him. He has given us the way to live in His Word, and Jesus also upheld the authority of these instructions (Matt. 5:17-19).

Should You Eat Biblically Clean?

Like all the changes a Christian makes in his or her life, the first step is to consult God. Honestly seek what He has to say as you seek an answer to this question. Be sensitive to whether or not The Spirit is convicting you on this issue. If you’re still on the fence about it, check out the Holy Cow: Does God Care What We Eat? for more Biblically-based information on the subject of diet.

Challenge

If you’re thinking of going Biblically clean, try it out as you’re waiting for God’s answer. Eat Biblically clean for one month and see what happens. Did you think about God more or the same amount? Did you find yourself in the Word more or less? Did discipline in other areas of your life increase or stay the same? Does the thought of returning to the way you previously ate bother you?