How would you like to read the Psalms in the original Hebrew? Wouldn’t it be fantastic to hear the Psalms the way Jesus heard them? Here’s a way you can – even if you don’t know Hebrew!

Israel365

Israel365 publishes the Israel Bible Book of Psalms. They’re an organization that partners with Christians to connect those who know God’s heart for Israel with a practical way to support this precious Nation. As we watch prophecy unfold in the Jewish peoples’ return to Israel, we unfortunately also see them experience hardship in their return to the Land.

Violence and persecution mark what should be a joyous reunion, but Israel365 is helping to make the return to Israel easier for the Jewish people. Holocaust survivors and their families, children, widows, and others are the recipients of aid provided by Israel365. Israel365 also provides a dependable source for Israeli news and other ways for Christians to support Israel.

The Book of Psalms 

I love the Hebrew language and feel strongly that Christians should strive to study it, but it can be difficult and time-consuming to learn a new language. We are so blessed to live in a time when we have access to technology that makes it easier to understand the Bible’s original languages, such as Blue Letter Bible and Bible Hub.

The Book of Psalms is another resource that allows you to read the Bible in its original language – without knowing Hebrew! It’s a unique book that contains the Hebrew, English translation, and English pronunciation of the Hebrew for the entire Book of Psalms. The pronunciation (transliteration) will have you reading the Psalms in Hebrew immediately, even if you don’t know any Hebrew at all! 

Like others published by Israel365, this book is of high quality, with clear fonts and Hebrew vowel pointing, so it’s also valuable to those new to Hebrew. The chapter divisions are clear, with chapter numbers in both English and Hebrew. There’s also a chart of the Hebrew alphabet at the front of the book so the reader can learn as they read through the Psalms. 

This book makes a remarkable gift to anyone who loves the Bible, a Hebrew student, or even a fluent Hebrew speaker! It would be an excellent devotional, an aid to verse memorization, or a way to practice reading in Hebrew. 

I have many books on the Bible and many that contain Hebrew, but this is on my list of favorites! What a beautiful way to study the poetry of the Psalms!  

Learning the Hebrew language is of great value to Christians in their study of the Bible. It helps us to better understand the Old Testament (and some New Testament) scriptures, which can ultimately lead to a deeper relationship with the God of the Bible Himself!

When studying Biblical Hebrew, students often concentrate on learning the words most commonly used in the Bible to aid in interpreting the texts. Familiarizing yourself with these 20 words will get your Hebrew reading skills off to a great start!

Note when you see Hebrew words below that Hebrew is read from right to left. I included pronunciation in parentheses for all Hebrew words to help sound them out.

1. The: הַ (pronounced ha)

Unsurprisingly, “the” is the most commonly used word in Biblical Hebrew, as it is the most frequently used in English. What’s interesting about “the” in Hebrew is its placement. It does not stand alone but is a prefix to the attached noun.

Example: “The heavens” in Genesis 1:1 is הַשָּׁמַיִם (ha-shuh-mah-yeem), with “ha” or “the” being a prefix to the word “heavens”.

Side note: A common use of this word is in the name of our Savior himself! In Hebrew, it’s Yeshua Hamashiach, where “Yeshua” means Jesus and “Hamashiach” means “the Messiah” or, more literally, “the anointed one.”

2. And: וְ (vuh)

Like “the,” the Hebrew word for “and” doesn’t stand alone. It’s attached to the word it precedes but functions like “and” in English.

For example: In Genesis 1:2, “And darkness” is וְהֹשֶׁךְ (vuh-ho-shekh), just one word. 

In Genesis 1:2, we also find the phrase “and the earth,” which shows us another neat thing about the Hebrew language. We can combine prefixes to make a single word from this phrase. The Hebrew word replacing “and the earth” is וְהָאָרֶץ (vuh-ha-ah-retz), where “ah-retz” means earth.

3. Yahweh: יהוה (Yahweh)

These four letters together are known as the Tetragrammaton or the Tetragram.

Example:  This is the word used as the name of God in Exodus 3:15 when God tells Moses to tell the Israelites who sent him (Moses).  It’s the 3rd person version of “I AM” (Ex. 3:14), so it’s more literally “He is”.  

God giving Moses the 3rd person version of His name eliminated the confusion the Israelites would have had when Moses told them who sent him. On the other hand, can you picture the conversation that would have been if God hadn’t given Moses the 3rd person alternative? The “He is” instead of just the “I AM”? Israelites: “So, Moses. Who sent you?” Moses: “I am”. Israelites: “Wait, what? You are what? I said who sent you?” And so on. That always makes me laugh. But don’t you love how God equips Moses with precisely what he needs for the job? You need a name? Here it is. You need a name to tell others? Here’s that, too.

4. God or gods: אֱלֹהִים (e-lo-heem)

Another word for God, Elohim, could also mean gods in general. It’s a lot like the English word “god” since it could mean just any god or THE God. 

Example: From Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning, God (אֱלֹהִים Elohim) created the the heavens and the earth”.  

5. King: מֶלֶךְ (meh-lekh)

One unique and exciting thing that significantly helps in understanding Hebrew is the concept of root words. A root, usually consisting of three Hebrew letters, gives you a clue into the word’s meaning. Related words typically have the same root.

For example: While מֶלֶךְ (meh-lekh) means “king,” מָלַךְ (ma-lock) means “to reign” or “he reigns”. And from that same root, the letters מ and ל, and כ (which becomes ך when at the end of a word) also make up מַלְכָּה (mall-kah), which means “queen” and מַלְכוּת (mal-khoot), meaning “kingdom.”

“Then the king (מֶלֶךְ meh-lekh) said to her, “What is troubling you, Esther, the queen (מַלְכָּה mall-kah)? And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom (מַּלְכוּת mal-khoot), it shall be given to you.” Esther 5:3

6. Israel:  יִשְׂרָאֵל  (Yis-ray-el)

This one’s pretty straight forward, but important since it’s used a lot in the Hebrew Bible.   

Example: “Hear, O Israel (יִשְׂרָאֵל  Yis-ray-el)…” Deut. 6:4

7. To, for, or in regard to: לְ (luh)

Like the Hebrew words for “the” and “and,” this word is also a prefix attached to the word it precedes. Note in the below verse that the vowel pointing (tiny dots or marks) under the letter in this word changes when attached to certain words.

Note: אֶל (el) can also be used as “to” or “toward”.  While it’s sometimes interchangeable with the prefix לְ (luh), this word appears by itself rather than as a prefix.

Examples: “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes (לָעֵינַיִם luh-ae-nah-yeem)…” Gen. 3:6

8. From:  מִן  (meen)

This word can stand alone or be used as a prefix. It’s מִן when by itself, but when attached to another word, the letter ן (noon) drops off and appears as a dot (dagesh) in the word it connects to. A third way this word can appear is as a prefix with different vowel pointing – מֵ.

Example: “So Abram went up from Egypt (מִמִּצְרַיִם mee-meets-rah-yeem) to the Negev…”.  Gen. 13:1

9. Which or that: אֲשֶׁר (ah-share)

While certainly not one of the more exciting words in the Bible, this one is used quite often. Whether it’s translated as “which” or “that” depends on the translation and context.

Example: “So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that (אֲשֶׁר ah-share) he had done in creation”  Gen. 2:3

10. All or whole: כֹּל (coal)

Here’s another word you’ll find frequently in the Hebrew Bible; its meaning is pretty straightforward. It’s usually attached to the word it precedes with a hyphen, and the vowel markings change when connected to a word.

Example: “And the whole congregation (כָּל־עֲדַת coal adat) of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness…”  Ex. 16:2

11. Direct object marker: אֵת (ate or et)

This word isn’t translatable because its only purpose is to indicate that the word following it is the direct object of the preceding verb. That may be confusing since we don’t use this in English, but this is frequently used in the Hebrew Bible.

For example: “You shall love the Lord your God (אֶתיְהוָה et-Yahweh) with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”  Deut. 6:5

12. Day: יוֹם  (yōm)

In addition to being used often in the Hebrew Bible, yom is also used in the names of the days of the week in Hebrew. Yom Shabbat is Saturday, Yom Rishon is Sunday, etc.

Example: In this verse, the prefix for “the” is attached to the word for sabbath (shabbat).  “Remember the sabbath day (אֶת־יוֹםהַשָּׁבַּת et-yom-ha-shabbat), to keep it holy.” Ex. 20:8

13. Man or husband: אִישׁ (eesh)

אִישׁ (eesh) is the word for “man,” and the word for “woman” or “wife” is very similar – אִשָּׁה (ee-shah).

Example: “So Haman answered the king, “For a man (אִישׁ eesh) the king wants to honor…” Esther 6:7

14.   House: בַּיִת (ba-yeet)

This word can be pronounced “ba-yeet” but is often pronounced “beth” as well. It’s the first part of a word you already know, Bethlehem – בֵּית לָחֶם, which means “house of bread.”

Example: “By wisdom a house (בַּיִת ba-yeet) is built, And by understanding it is established;” Prov. 24:3

15. People: עַם (ahm)

This can mean the plural for “person” or can also mean “a people” as in a nation or people group.  

Example: “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn; he refuses to let the people (הָעָם ha-ahm) go.” Ex. 7:14

16. He said: אָמַר (ah-mar)

Verbs in Hebrew are conjugated depending on the gender and number of people doing the action, just like in Spanish, Arabic, or any grammatically gendered languages. The vowel pointing in אָמַר is the most common form for a verb and is 3rd-person masculine singular meaning “he” performed the action. So אָמַר means literally “he said.”

When changing who’s doing the action, both the letters and vowel pointing change. When using the verb “to say,” we change it to “she said” like this אָמְרָה (ahm-rah) and to “they said” like this אָמְרוּ (ahm-roo).   

In the Old Testament, “he said” often appears as “and he said” or “then he said,” which is וַיֹּאמֶר (vie-oh-mehr).

Example: “The king said (וַיֹּאמֶר vie-oh-mehr, literally “and said the king”)…” Esther 6:3

17. Word or thing: דָּבָר (dah-var)

This word can be translated a few different ways in addition to “word” and “thing.” It can also mean “speech,” “matter,” “anything,” “saying,” “utterance,” and other similar words or concepts.

Like other nouns, דָּבָר (dah-var) can be conjugated depending on whether it’s plural. דְּבָרִים (duh-var-eem) is the plural form of “words.”

Example: “Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word (דָּבָר dah-var) spoken in right circumstances” Prov. 25:11

18. He or it: הוּא (who)

My children always laugh about this one. “He” is pronounced “who” while “she” (הִיא) is pronounced, “he”.

Example: “He (הוּא who) shall build a house for My name…” 2 Sam. 7:1319.

19. To walk or he walked: הָלַךְ (hah-lock)

The word הָלַךְ (hah-lock) can mean “to walk” but also “go,” “come,” or “enter,” and is even used as the verb when Noah’s ark is floating on the water.

This word is another verb, so it may appear differently depending on who’s doing the walking. “She walked” is הָלְכָה (ha-leh-khah), and “they walked” is הָלְכוּ (hall-khoo).

Example: “…And the Lord helped David wherever he went (הָלַךְ hah-lock).” 2 Sam. 8:6

20. Son: בֵּן (beyn)

The plural form of בֵּן (beyn) is בָּנִים (ba-neem). On the other hand, daughter is similar – בַּת (bot), and its plural form is בָּנוֹת (ba-note).

Example: “Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son (בֵּן beyn)…” Isaiah 7:14

If you’re interested in learning Hebrew, visit my resources page for various ways to learn. If you’d like to use the method of studying frequently used Biblical vocabulary words, Building Your Biblical Hebrew Vocabulary: Learning Words by Frequency and Cognate is a book by George Landes that is great for that. There are also numerous apps (both iOS and Android) that can be very helpful for studying this way.  

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 Christian’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.

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.

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

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

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.