speech meaning hebrew

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New Hebrew Parts of Speech Helps and Explanations

Posted on January 28, 2022 Posted by Joshua Milligan

Helps and Explanations for Hebrew Parts of Speech

Our Interlinear tool matches the original Greek and Hebrew text with the English and provides critical information that helps you to understand each word. It is our most-extensively used resource. But one of the most complicated aspects of the tool is understanding the parsing (parts of speech) of each word. Very few of us understand what a Genitive case is in the Greek or a what a Qal stem is in the Hebrew, after all.

That is why we are excited to announce our new parsing definitions and explanations for the Hebrew language tools. We have offered these helps for quite some time in the Greek, so we are eager to include the same tools for the Old Testament Hebrew as well.

When you click on the parsing button for any Greek or Hebrew word, you will be greeted with a brand-new popup window. At the top, we show the data that you are used to, such as the Strong’s number, inflected and root forms, and the parsing code. Right below that, you will see each part of the word’s grammar, such as stem, type, and person.

For example, the word may contain a Qal stem. When you click on the word “Qal,” it will display a full definition of what “Qal” means. You will see that Qal “expresses the ‘simple’ or ‘casual’ action of the root in the active voice.” If you want to see all of this step-by-step in action, refer to the animation below or try it yourself !

HEBREW WORD STUDY – SPEAK TO SAY

by Chaim Bentorah | Aug 31, 2018 | Devotionals | 2 comments

HEBREW WORD STUDY – SPEAK TO SAY     DEBAR   LA’AMAR     

Leviticus 23:1   “And the LORD said unto Moses saying…”

Big deal you say.   Well to the Jewish sages it is a big deal.   To them (as well as myself) every word in the Torah is given by God and bears an important message.   For one thing, I find it hard to believe a translator would drop that second word for speaking or saying because it is an entirely different word.   “And the LORD said ( debar ) unto Moses saying (‘amar )…”

Most translators look upon debar and ‘amar as mere synonyms but most Jewish scholars argue that there are no synonyms in the Biblical Hebrew.   There are words with similar meanings but they still bear a difference in nuance.   Sure both debar and ‘amar means to speak, to say, saying etc.   but there is a difference in this speech.   Debar has been recognized as a more direct, clear, and forceful speech. Some have even equated it with the Greek word rhema.   It is speaking more sincerely or from the heart.   ‘Amar is merely everyday conversation.  

In English it would appear redundant to say that the Lord spoke unto Moses saying…   But suppose we render this as; “The Lord spoke from his heart and (then) said…”   What you have something very subtle here which I believe is important.   In Leviticus 21:1 it simply says: “The Lord spoke (‘amar ) unto Moses.”   But in 22:1 as in 23:1 it says: “And the LORD said (debar) unto Moses saying (‘amar)…”

That is called a remez among the sages or a hint that God is telling us something much deeper. There is a little treasure buried in that statement and you need to dig it out.   There are some teachers that will say that when God   debars to Moses then he must tell the people word for word what God said.   When God simply ‘ amars Moses then Moses is permitted to paraphrase what God said.   But there is more, this is also telling us something about the way God speaks to us.  

Jesus mentioned this in John 10:27: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:” That word to know in the Greek is ginosko which is the same word used when Mary said that she was going to have a child but she knew no man.   It is an intimate knowing.   Let me read Leviticus 23:1 this way: “And the LORD said (my beloved) unto Moses saying (this is what I want you to say)…”

Let me us a husband and wife as an example.   The husband and wife are traveling and the wife is giving directions. She will say, “Ok, turn to the left at the next stop light.”   But if they are engaging in a personal conversation she may snuggle up to her husband, take his arm and say: “Honey (dear, sweetheart, sweetums) let’s stop at that restaurant we always like.”  

There are times God simply ‘amar’s to us: “Don’t watch that movie.”   Then there are times God will snuggle up to us and debar “My beloved,” and then ‘amar   “Let’s go over that passage of Scripture I pointed out to you this morning.”  

Like an old married couple, they can easily sense when their mate is coming on to them and they respond accordingly.   So too with God, we need to grow in our relationship with Him to be like Moses where we can tell when God is either seeking intimately with us or   He is just wanting to guide us or both.

Thank you so much for this teaching. Although I have been saved for many, many years. I find myself thinking if I really truly know who God is. Knowing His word the way you teach it. Is helping me so much

Chaim Bentorah, your word studies are truly a blessing to me and give me greater understanding of His love. I am in need of a new Bible and would love to know your opinion on which one to buy at this time. Thank you for your input and for your helping me see God as He Is.

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Hebrew Word Lessons

Understanding the Hebrew Bible one Word at a time.

Ra’ah: The LORD is my SHEPHERD

Shepherd-pasturing: Ra’ah. Verb. (Strong’s 7462 ).

Root: רָעָה

Sounds like: rah-ah

This time of year many people like to recall the story of gentle shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. We think of the great angel, backed up by a heavenly choir, sharing good news to a few men looking after a small gathering of sheep and little lambs. It’s an idyllic picture, but to be a shepherd was not a glorious occupation. 

Shepherd: Loathsome and Dangerous

Considering that shepherding wasn’t a job of high social status by any means, it makes a statement to say that some of the Bible’s most famous people were shepherds at some point in their life:

• Abel ( Genesis 4 :2)
• Rachel ( Genesis 29 :9)
• Jacob ( Genesis 30 :31-36)
• Joseph ( Genesis 37 :2)
• Moses ( Exodus 3 :1)
• David ( 1 Samuel 16 :11)

As much as we think highly of this list of people, for the most part shepherds were disliked. Egyptians saw shepherds as the lowest of the low. Joseph told his brothers that “every shepherd [ro’eh] is loathsome to the Egyptians .” ( Genesis 46 :34)

Shepherds were also considered dangerous. They were on the fringes of society and had to fight to survive. Some may have been aggressively controlling over water sources and pasturing land, making a walk in the countryside a possibly perilous affair:

Exodus 2:16-21

Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters; and they came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. Then the shepherds [ha-ro’im] came and drove them away , but Moses stood up and helped them and watered their flock. When they came to Reuel their father, he said, “Why have you come back so soon today?”

So they said, “An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds [ha-ro’im] , and what is more, he even drew the water for us and watered the flock.” He said to his daughters, “Where is he then? Why is it that you have left the man behind? Invite him to have something to eat.” Moses was willing to dwell with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses.

According to Moses’ Egyptian culture, shepherds were the lowest of the low, so an “Egyptian” stopping to help them would have been particularly shocking.

What’s even more impressive was that after Moses married into Zipporah’s family, he chose to become a shepherd for his father-in-law. Earlier in his life he had walked in the hallways of Pharaoh palace, now he was wandering the pastures, herding sheep. To many, this was a huge leap down the social ladder, but God was never concerned with social ladders. 

It was while Moses was practising his new shepherding profession that God drew his attention toward Him: 

Exodus 3:1-7, 10-15

Now Moses was pasturing [ro’eh] the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. The angel of YHWH appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush ; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. So Moses said, “I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.” 

When YHWH saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” He said also, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. YHWH  said, “ I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt , and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings…

…“Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” And He said, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.”

Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘ I AM has sent me to you.’ ” God, furthermore, said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘YHWH , the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations .

Here YHWH presented His plan, and His name, to Moses while he was shepherding a flock by Mount Horeb.

Although Moses had a privileged Egyptian upbringing, he gave it all up, and ended up in the one profession considered the most loathsome by the Egyptians. God could have spoken directly with Moses when he was living in Pharaoh’s Palace… but rather He waited and spoke to Moses while he was living his life out as a humble shepherd. 

The LORD is my Shepherd

Being a shepherd was only humble in its social status. It was a role of great responsibility. To be a shepherd was to be a leader, and to be responsible for a great amount of lives. It wasn’t glorious, or outwardly rewarding, but it was very important.

The concept of a shepherd was a great metaphor for the kind of leadership God loved: humble, benevolent, caring, others-come-first kind of leadership. He wanted shepherds who put God at the top of their lives and who valued knowledge and discernment, over war and the gathering of wealth. YHWH wanted shepherds after his own heart:

Jeremiah 3:14-15

“Return, O faithless sons,” declares YHWH; “For I am a master to you, and I will take you one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. Then I will give you shepherds [ro’im] after My own heart, who will feed you [who will shepherd you: w-ra’u] on knowledge and understanding.” 

Even shepherds need a leader, and God was often described by the Biblical authors, as their own personal Shepherd:

Genesis 48:15-16

He [Israel] blessed Joseph, and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd [ha-ro’eh] all my life to this day , the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and may my name live on in them, and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

Of course the most well known shepherd passage in the Old Testament probably would be…

YHWH is my shepherd [ro’ee] , I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures ; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me . You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of YHWH forever.

YHWH was being exactly like a shepherd here. He found the loveliest pastures for His flock to rest; He found the best drinking holes to nourish his flock; He kept His people calm and on the right path. He’s kept them away from the dangers of life (the thorns and the predators), so they could live without fear, and He guided them in righteousness and good living. YHWH shepherded His people together. He fed them, watered them, and protected them. 

God was a mighty King, but He was also a tender Shepherd, giving each lamb in His flock the personal comfort that they needed:

Isaiah 40:10-11

Behold, the Lord YHWH will come with might, with His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him and His recompense before Him.

Like a shepherd [k-ro’eh] He will tend His flock, in His arm He will gather the lambs and carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.

And for those not yet choosing to live under His protection, God, our Shepherd, would still do everything He could to help us find Him so that we could be saved.  

Psalm 80:1-3

Oh, give ear, Shepherd of Israel , You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who are enthroned above the cherubim, shine forth!

Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up Your power and come to save us ! O God, restore us and cause Your face to shine upon us , and we will be saved.

Lost Sheep… Without a Shepherd

However, there were so many lost lambs (just as there are so many lost today). And they were either lost because they were under no leadership, or they were lost because of bad leadership.

Jeremiah 50:6

“My people have become lost sheep; their shepherds [ro’eh’hem] have led them astray. They have made them turn aside on the mountains; they have gone along from mountain to hill and have forgotten their resting place.’

No matter how far we wander away, God wants to bring us back to the safety of His path :

Zechariah 10:2-3a

“For the teraphim speak iniquity, and the diviners see lying visions and tell false dreams; they comfort in vain. Therefore the people wander like sheep, they are afflicted, because there is no shepherd [ro’eh] . My anger is kindled against the shepherds [ha-ro’im]… 

A culture led by idols and diviners would produce wanderers with no direction. They were a people without a true shepherd, led by lying leaders and promoters of false comfort. Their leaders were selfish shepherds who did not care for their own sheep. The entire chapter of Ezekiel 34 was devoted to the metaphor of a selfish shepherd and God’s response to them:

Ezekiel 34:7-16, 23-24

Therefore, you shepherds [ro’im] , hear the word of YHWH: “As I live,” declares the Lord YHWH, “surely because My flock has become a prey, My flock has even become food for all the beasts of the field for lack of a shepherd [ro’eh] , and My shepherds [ro’ai] did not search for My flock , but rather the shepherds [ha-ro’im] fed themselves and did not feed My flock; therefore, you shepherds [ha-ro’im], hear the word of YHWH: ‘Thus says the Lord YHWH, “Behold, I am against the shepherds [ha-ro’im] , and I will demand My sheep from them and make them cease from feeding sheep. So the shepherds [ha-ro’im] will not feed themselves anymore, but I will deliver My flock from their mouth, so that they will not be food for them.”’”

For thus says the Lord YHWH, “Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out . As a shepherd [ro’eh] cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land. I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down on good grazing ground and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest ,” declares the Lord YHWH. “ I will seek the lost , bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick ; but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with judgment…

…Then I will set over them O ne Shepherd [ro’eh ekhad] , My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd . And I, YHWH, will be their God, and My servant David will be prince among them; I YHWH have spoken.”

Of course when Ezekiel was prophesying on the planet, king David was a person of distant history. Ezekiel wasn’t speaking of a long dead king, this One Shepherd promised by God was the Messiah from the line of David. 

David the Ultimate Old Testament Shepherd

To the Jewish people David was the golden king of Israel’s early years as a nation. But as a ruler, he was a rather odd choice. YHWH sent Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse’s sons (see 1 Samuel 16 :1-13). When he got there Jesse presented his sons, but God made it clear to Samuel that these men were not of His choosing. Until asked, Jesse never even mentioned that he had another child. His youngest son was out tending the sheep. Could it be that God wanted David, a mere shepherd-man, to be the next king?

The answer would be, “yes ” :

Psalm 78:70-72

He also chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds; from the care of the ewes with suckling lambs He brought him to shepherd [l-r’oht ] Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance. So he shepherded [weh-yir’em] them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them with his skillful hands.

Before David was anointed king, YHWH said, “ You will shepherd [ti-r’eh] My people Israel, and you will be a ruler over Israel.” (2 Samuel 5:1). Not long after David’s anointing YHWH made a covenant promise to David:

2 Samuel 7:12-14a

“When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you , who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever . I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me …”

There is a kind of double promise here. We can read this as YHWH’s promise to David that his son, Solomon, would be his heir. This wouldn’t have been surprising, but knowing that God planned on supporting Solomon would have been a great relief to David. But the promise was to establish David’s throne FOREVER , so there’s more to this passage than meets the eye at first glance.

History tells us that after Solomon the succession of the throne eventually split and was broken. It would need a restoration.

David was, quite possibly, the most famous shepherd of the Tanakh (Old Testament). It only makes sense that David’s future descendant, who would re-establish his kingdom on earth, and YHWH’s eternal kingdom, would be like a New David and a New Shepherd.

In his own day, Yeshua knew the greatest needs of the people around Him. They needed a shepherd who would seek them out, gather them up and spiritually feed them. They wanted a conquering king, like David, but what they needed was a different kind of king… a compassionate, sincere, gently guiding Shepherd:

Matthew 9:35-37

Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd . Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”

The Good Shepherd

Yeshua knew He had to be the kind of Leader that humanity needed, but did not necessarily want. They thought they were waiting for the Messianic King, but a good leader was not the image of an earthly king (far from it), it was the image of a low-on-the-social-scale shepherd: 

John 10:1-18

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep . To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them.

So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep . All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me , even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd . For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”

The Messiah, as the One Shepherd, which we read about in Ezekiel 34, was long foretold by more than just Ezekiel:

Jeremiah 23:1-5

“Woe to the shepherds [ro’im] who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture!” declares YHWH. 2 Therefore thus says YHWH God of Israel concerning the shepherds [ha-ro’im] who are tending [shepherding: ha-ro’im] My people: “You have scattered My flock and driven them away , and have not attended to them ; behold, I am about to attend to you for the evil of your deeds,” declares YHWH. “Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and multiply. I will also raise up shepherds [ro’im] over them and they will tend [w-ra’um] them; and they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares YHWH.

“Behold, the days are coming,” declares YHWH, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch ; and He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land.”

Micah spoke of the One ruler, born in Bethlehem , who would shepherd YHWH’s flock. He would be peace , or completeness, for the Hebrew people:

Micah 5:2-5a

“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel . His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.”

Therefore He will give them up until the time when she who is in labor has borne a child . Then the remainder of His brethren will return to the sons of Israel. And He will arise and shepherd [w-ra’ah] His flock in the strength of YHWH , in the majesty of the name of YHWH His God. And they will remain, because at that time He will be great to the ends of the earth. This One will be our peace.

Good News and Shepherds

Yeshua, like David, was born in Bethlehem. He was a king , born in a stable. His birth was not announced to the socially elite, but to the socially stigmatized shepherds:

Luke 2:8-18

In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people ; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds .

This good news  and great joy was for ALL people… not just the privileged. It was a gift given equally to the lowly shepherd and to the highly regarded social elite. It wasn’t just for the Jewish people, either.

Magi from the Far East came to Israel to seek out the great joy awaiting them. At some point, not long after Yeshua’s birth, these magi had a royal consultation with Herod. Immediately concerned for his own crown, Herod asked these leaders where this Messiah was to be born:

Matthew 2:5-7

They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; for out of you shall come forth a ruler who will shepherd My people Israel. ’” Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared.

Yeshua’s birth was wondrous and miraculous, but he didn’t just come to live among us , ultimately He came to die for us. 

As people of faith, we often talk about being saved. But what are we being saved from?

At the beginning of human history, the first human couple made a terrible decision. By disobeying God, and trying to become gods themselves, they allowed death, and guilt, and shame to settle into their lives. Humans became slaves to death; it had it’s icy grip on every human …but God promised to save us from that fate.

Psalm 49:14-15

As sheep they are appointed for Sheol; death shall be their shepherd [mawet yir’em] ; and the upright shall rule over them in the morning, and their form shall be for Sheol to consume so that they have no habitation. But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, for He will receive me.

We all go to the grave , but because of Yeshua’s sacrifice we don’t have to stay there. 

Striking down the Shepherd

In the final hours of His life, after the Last Supper, Yeshua and His disciples went to the Mount of Olives. There He gave words of both discomfort and comfort. Essentially, He told them that although they would leave Him, He would still come back to them:

Mark 14:27-31

And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, because it is written, ‘ I will strike down the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. ’ But after I have been raised , I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away, yet I will not.” And Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you, that this very night, before a rooster crows twice, you yourself will deny Me three times.” But Peter kept saying insistently, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all were saying the same thing also.

Redemption, however, came at a grave cost. Yeshua went from being the Shepherd (already very low on the social ladder) to becoming the sacrificial animal.

Luke 23:33-37

When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves. And the people stood by, looking on. And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One.” The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine, and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself !”

But Yeshua didn’t come to save Himself… He came to save us. What kind of shepherd would He be, if He saved Himself and left the lambs to rot? Yeshua would die before He would ever contemplate abandoning His flock .

There’s an interesting story in the book of Zechariah. YHWH identified the “ flock doomed to slaughter ” and He asked Zechariah to shepherd them.

Zechariah 11:7

So I pastured the flock doomed to slaughter, hence the afflicted of the flock. And I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Favour and the other I called Union; so I pastured [wa-er’eh] the flock .

After dealing with incompetent staff, Zechariah quit and asked for his wages:

Zechariah 11:12-17

  I said to them, “If it is good in your sight, give me my wages; but if not, never mind!” So they weighed out thirty shekels of silver as my wages. Then YHWH said to me, “ Throw it to the potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them. ” So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of YHWH. Then I cut in pieces my second staff Union, to break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

Thirty pieces of silver was the price of a slave ( Exodus 21:32 ) and the payment given to Judas for betraying Yeshua ( Matthew 26:15 ,  Matthew 27 :3,9). This was the magnificent price at which humans valued Him… the equivalence of a slave.

After Judas betrayed Jesus, he was overcome with remorse, threw the money into the Temple sanctuary, and hanged himself.

Matthew 27:6-7

The chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the temple treasury, since it is the price of blood.” And they conferred together and with the money bought the Potter’s Field as a burial place for strangers.

It took thirty pieces of silver to buy off the betrayer of the Great Shepherd… but Judas went to the grave without the money, and the money was invested into a cemetery for those who had no place to be buried.

As for us… the grave won’t hold us down! Yeshua, our Shepherd and Saviour, died in our place. By His suffering we’ve been fully healed and redeemed .

1 Peter 2:21-25

For you have been called for this purpose, since Messiah also suffered for you , leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross , so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness ; for by His wounds you were healed . For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

If you feel like a sheep without a shepherd, or if you’ve lost your way, seek YHWH out. He is your Shepherd and He’s been calling your name. If you seek Him, He will come find you and bring you home.

Next week: Blessing

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Published by hebrewwordlessons

Sarah Fisher is an admirer of old books, and old languages, old stone carvings, old photos and pretty much everything old. She is the administrator of the website www.booklives.ca and is a library technician at the University of Prince Edward Island. Sarah has a Master of Arts degree in Early Medieval Studies from the University of York in England, and is currently an online doctoral student in Biblical Studies at the Colorado Theological Seminary. Sarah's passion for Biblical Hebrew and history has led her to create this blog. View all posts by hebrewwordlessons

7 thoughts on “Ra’ah: The LORD is my SHEPHERD”

• Pingback: Bible 911 – 1 Samuel | Mark's Bible Study

Thank you for this comprehensive analysis.

Good stuff (as always). Thanks.

According to Jeremias (Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus), all the sheep raised around Bethlehem were bred and born to be sacrifices – a poignant thought when we realize the good shepherd, born in David’s Bethlehem, was also the Passover Lamb.

Blessing this Christmas!

Sorry I missed this comment… and did not see it until now. There is beautiful and heart-tugging symbolism in the sacrificial lamb, for sure. Wishing you a cozy New Year… we’re gearing up for a snow storm tonight.

Love this! Thanks for sharing

Thank you Jason… it was a pleasure researching and writing it! 🙂

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Need Hebrew verb conjugations offline?

Conjugation of לְדַבֵּר https://www.pealim.com.

Verb – PI'EL

Root: ד - ב - ר

This root does not have any special conjugation properties.

Active forms Binyan Pi'el

Passive forms binyan pu'al.

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How to Give a Jewish Eulogy (Hesped)

This speech honoring the deceased is an important ancient Jewish custom.

By Rabbi Jason Weiner

A eulogy, known as a “hesped” in Hebrew, is a speech given in honor of the deceased, which is usually said at their funeral or burial. These speeches may occur throughout the first year of one’s passing, in which case it is often referred to as an “azkarah” which means “remembrance.”

Eulogizing the deceased is an important ancient Jewish custom, dating all the way back to the patriarch Abraham, who eulogized his wife Sarah, “Abraham came to eulogize Sarah and to cry for her” (Genesis 23:2). From this verse, Jewish tradition has understood two goals of the eulogy:

• Eulogize (“Hesped”) : Praise for the worthy qualities and achievements of the deceased.
• Lament (“Bekhi) : Arouse the emotions, and a sense of grief and loss, in the listeners.

Judaism takes very seriously the obligation to eulogize the deceased appropriately. The Bible tells us that the Jewish people were punished with famine for not giving King Saul a sufficiently respectful eulogy (Samuel II, 21:1). Indeed, in Talmudic times it was customary to pay a large sum to hire expressive eulogists and wailers for funerals.

Jewish law emphasizes that eulogies should be both truthful and praiseworthy. One should not lie about the qualities of the deceased or make obvious exaggerations, but it is proper to enhance their positive attributes ( Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 344:1). Indeed, as commentaries on the Code of Jewish Law (such as the Bach and the Taz) have opined, it is better to slightly overestimate the positive sides of the deceased than to underestimate them. The rationale they give for this is that, since people often conceal many of their qualities, even those eulogizing the individual may be unaware of them. In addition, at this emotionally charged time, it is best to maintain peace and the dignity of the deceased and their family. Indeed, all people are worthy of being praised and eulogized in some positive manner, and, as a rabbi who has officiated at a number of funerals, I have found that there is something good that can be said about everyone.

When composing a eulogy, the goal is to praise the deceased, evoke an emotional reaction from the listeners, inspire listeners to improve their own lives by finding the qualities mentioned within themselves, and to consider their own legacies. While funerals often have a religious tone, the goal of a Jewish eulogy is not to evangelize, but to honor the deceased, while also tending to comforting the mourners and enabling them to cope with their loss. One should thus be sensitive to the specific needs of the mourners and, if appropriate, offer support and some guidance on facing the existential questions that may rise at this time.

Who Is the Eulogy For?

The Talmud (Sanhedrin 46b) debates if the purpose of a eulogy is to honor the deceased (either by elevating his or her status in the eyes of the mourners or by actually comforting his or her soul, who we believe is listening to the eulogy), or if it is intended for the benefit of the mourners. While the eulogy should serve both purposes, Jewish law prioritizes the deceased, and thus if he or she had requested not to be eulogized, that preference should be respected. That notwithstanding, eulogies can be very meaningful for mourners, providing comfort, putting their own lives in perspective, reminding them of the good qualities of the deceased, and facilitating a recognition of the finality and enormity of their loss.

Who Should Deliver the Eulogy?

Anyone who is aware of positive attributes of the deceased can deliver a eulogy, or share their insights with the person who will be doing so. Often the rabbi who conducts a funeral will deliver a eulogy. It is beneficial to have a rabbi officiate, because they will be aware of the various customs that arise, and has the professional experience to be able to calmly and sensitively guide the family through such an emotional and stressful time. If the rabbi didn’t know the deceased, it is ideal for as many close friends and family members as possible to meet with them to share stories about the deceased with as much detail as possible. It can be beneficial to coordinate with the rabbi who will be speaking, what aspects of the deceased’s life they will be covering, and if they are open to guests sharing extemporaneous eulogies.

Can a Eulogy Be Given Extemporaneously?

Even if one is an experienced public speaker, the pressure and emotions associated with delivering eulogies can make them challenging. It is thus best to prepare in advance and to either speak from notes or read a fully written speech. If it is too difficult for you to deliver the eulogy yourself, it is perfectly acceptable to share your notes with someone else who can read it on your behalf, or to share some insights or memories with the officiating rabbi.

Some mourners are not sure who might want to share some thoughts at the funeral and thus open it up for anyone in attendance to speak. This is acceptable if it is what the family prefers, but I have found that it sometimes gets out of hand and there may be people who would not have otherwise been asked to speak or who say inappropriate things. I thus generally encourage people to share their thoughts on another occasion, rather than opening it up for anyone to speak at the funeral, but it is a matter of personal preference for the family.

What Should the Eulogy Include?

Some of the themes to cover in a eulogy include the deceased’s life story, legacy, accomplishments, values, positive and unique character traits, love of family and friends, and devotion to community and Judaism. While interviewing family and friends to learn about the deceased, it is important to ask open-ended questions, and allow them to talk at length, while listening carefully and taking notes. Some good questions to ask include:

• “Tell me about their family of origin and childhood.”
• “How did they meet their spouse?”
• “Tell me about him or her as a spouse/friend/parent/child etc.”
• “Tell me about his or her hobbies/interests/education/occupation/Jewish connection or synagogue life/community involvement or volunteering/distinguishing characteristics.”

It is also important to get a complete list of immediate relatives so that nobody is left out if names are mentioned. When delivering a eulogy one should be very careful not to reveal details that might be embarrassing to the deceased or their family. This can include private statements that were made to you but were not intended for the public to be aware of; details of previous marriages or relationships; improper or illegal activities, etc. A good rule of thumb is directly ask family members before sharing information that you are not absolutely sure they would be comfortable with. The tone of a eulogy should be serious and respectful, though when appropriate some gentle humor can be acceptable and sometimes even comforting.

How Long Should a Eulogy Be?

It is important to keep eulogies relatively brief. As a rule of thumb I generally try to keep eulogies well under 10 minutes, especially if there will be many speakers, or if the eulogies will be delivered at graveside , in which case people may be standing and/or in poor weather.

Sign up for a Journey Through Grief & Mourning : Whether you have lost a loved one recently or just want to learn the basics of Jewish mourning rituals, this 8-part email series will guide you through everything you need to know and help you feel supported and comforted at a difficult time.

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Pronounced: TALL-mud, Origin: Hebrew, the set of teachings and commentaries on the Torah that form the basis for Jewish law. Comprised of the Mishnah and the Gemara, it contains the opinions of thousands of rabbis from different periods in Jewish history.

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Everything’s in Order: Guide to Hebrew Sentence Structure

Have you ever found yourself in the following situation? 

You’re progressing well with your Hebrew vocabulary and have just picked up a shiny new Hebrew word or two, but you don’t know how to use them correctly in a sentence.  

If you’re still left scratching your head about the proper order of words in Hebrew sentences and questions, HebrewPod101 is here to help you make sense of it all and put your thoughts and words in order with our guide on Hebrew sentence structure and word order.

Did you know that the most commonly heard word in Hebrew is בסדר ( beseder )? Though it’s usually the equivalent of “OK” in English, it literally means “in order.” This hints at the great importance that Hebrew and Jewish culture in general place on ordering things. And words are no exception. Syntax—the correct order and position of words in sentences and questions—is as important in Hebrew as it is in English (and most other languages) for effective communication.

While Hebrew sentence structure isn’t terribly different from that in English, there are definitely some distinctions we want to be aware of. Luckily, this topic isn’t too complex, so just sit back, relax, and enjoy organizing those words you’ve been studying into structures. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying in language-learning as being able to piece it all together and start speaking full sentences. Here we go!

• Overview of Word Order in Hebrew
• Basic Word Order with Subject, Verb & Object
• Word Order with Prepositional Phrases
• Word Order with Modifiers
• Word Order in Questions
• Translation Exercises
• HebrewPod101 is Here to Help You Put Your Hebrew in Order!

1. Overview of Word Order in Hebrew

The truth is that modern Hebrew word order has changed significantly since Biblical times, which is good news for you. Whereas the word order in Biblical Hebrew has verbs coming before both the subject and predicate, modern Hebrew usually follows the same basic sentence structure as English, where the predicate is a verb: Subject-Predicate . Note that this order can be modified in some cases, such as for emphasis, so it’s still possible to have the verb come before the subject. However, as noted, the norm is the same as in English, i.e. the subject will come before the verb.

To be considered complete, a Hebrew sentence will always contain a subject and at least one predicate . However, as hinted above, the predicate is not necessarily always a verb in Hebrew. (We’ll get into specifics a bit later on.) Obviously, Hebrew sentences can, and often do, contain other elements, such as adverbs, conjunctions, and so on. However, the basic minimum structure, as in English, is Subject-Predicate.

2. Basic Word Order with Subject, Verb & Object

Just so we’re clear, let’s define the words “subject,” “verb,” and “object” before we go any further. In the context of grammar, the subject is the agent or the noun that is behind the verb . The verb is the action or condition word. The object is the noun that the subject is acting upon or affecting through the verb . With that in mind, let’s take a look at a simple example of how this plays out:

אני לומד עברית.

Ani lomed Ivrit.

“I study Hebrew.”

Here, you can see the same syntax as in English, and, as mentioned, most sentences will indeed follow this structure.

That being said, because the grammar of Hebrew is different from that of English , let’s have a look at a couple of basic rules and principles to help you understand the correct word order to use in Hebrew.

1. In cases where the conjugated form of a verb clearly indicates who the subject is in terms of gender, number, and person, it’s common to drop the pronoun. Compare these two sentences:

• אני לומד עברית כל יום.

Ani lomed Ivrit kol yom.

“I study Hebrew every day.”

• למדתי עברית אתמול.

Lamadeti Ivrit etmol.

“I studied Hebrew yesterday.”

In the first sentence, the conjugated form לומד ( lomed ), meaning “study,” can be used for different singular masculine persons (first, second, or third), so we must use the correct pronoun to indicate which person is being used. However, in the second sentence, the conjugated form למדתי ( lamad’ti ), meaning “studied,” indicates the first person singular, so we don’t need to use the pronoun אני ( Ani ), meaning “I.”

2. When the subject is indefinite, i.e. someone or something unknown or nonspecific, we’ll often see the order Verb-Object-Subject. For example:

• סיפרו לי שאתה לומד עברית.

Sipru li she-atah lomed Ivrit.

“Someone told me that you are learning Hebrew.” 

[Literally: “(They) told me that you are learning Hebrew.”]

• הגיע בשבילך משהו בדואר.

Higi’a bishvil’kha mashehu ba-do’ar.

“Something came for you in the mail.” 

[Literally: “Came for you something in the mail.”]

3. Another unique feature of Hebrew is that, in the present tense, the verb להיות ( lehiyot ), meaning “to be,” is omitted. We still have a predicate, but no verb (unless there are additional verbs in the sentence). Compare the following examples:

• דניאל היה תלמיד טוב.

Daniel hayah talmid tov.

“Daniel was a good student.”

• דניאל תלמיד טוב.

Daniel talmid tov.

“Daniel is a good student.” [Note there is no verb here!]

4. The verb להיות ( lehiyot ), meaning “to be,” appears in the past and future tenses without a subject to denote existence, or with an adjective used as a predicate, such as in the following examples:

• היה לי חבר אמריקאי שלמד עברית בירושלים.

Hayah li khaver Amerika’i she-lamad Ivrit be-Yerushalayim.

“I had an American friend who studied Hebrew in Jerusalem.”

• יהיה כיף ללמוד עברית בירושלים.

Yihiyeh keyf lilmod Ivrit be-Yerushalayim.

“It will be fun to study Hebrew in Jerusalem.”

5. Hebrew has no verb for “to have.” In the past and future tenses, we use the verb להיות ( lehiyot ), meaning “to be,” followed by a possessive pronoun. In the present tense, we use the word יש ( yesh ), which means “there is/are,” followed by a possessive pronoun. Following are some examples in all three tenses:

• היה לי חבר שלמד עברית בירושלים.

“ I had an American friend who studied Hebrew in Jerusalem.”

• יש לי חבר אמריקאי שלומד עברית בירושלים.

Yesh li khaver Amerika’i she-lomed Ivrit be-Yerushalayim.

“ I have an American friend who is studying Hebrew in Jerusalem.”

• יהיה לי זמן לפגוש חברים בירושלים.

Yehiyeh li zman lifgosh khaverim be-Yerushalayim.

“ I will have time to meet friends in Jerusalem.”

6. The opposite of יש ( yesh ), meaning “there is/are,” is אין ( eyn ), meaning “there is/are not,” followed by a possessive pronoun. For past and future tenses, we again use לא ( lo ) to create the negative form of the verb להיות ( lehiyot ), or “to be,” followed by a possessive:

• לא היה לי זמן לבשל משהו טעים.

Lo hayah li zman levashel mashehu ta’im.

“ I had no time to cook something tasty.”

• אין לי זמן לבשל משהו טעים.

Eyn li zman levashel mashehu ta’im.

“ I have no time to cook something tasty.”

• לא יהיה לי זמן לבשל משהו טעים.

Lo yehiyeh li zman levashel mashehu ta’im.

“ I will not have time to cook something tasty.”

7. Another unique feature of Hebrew is that the particle את ( et ) must be used prior to all definite direct objects as an accusative marker. Note how this looks in terms of sentence structure:

• הוא אכל את הפלאפל.

Hu akhal et ha-falafel.

“He ate the falafel.”

• היא מוכרת את האוטו שלה.

Hi mokheret et ha-oto shelah.

“She is selling her car.”

• אנחנו נסדר את הספרים.

Anakhnu nesader et ha-s’farim.

“We’ll organize the books.”

3. Word Order with Prepositional Phrases

Now that we’ve looked at basic sentence structures, let’s see how Hebrew word order changes when we add prepositional phrases to our sentences. Prepositions are words that establish a relationship between two other words (an object and an antecedent ). But don’t worry if this all sounds too technical, because when you see some examples, you’ll surely recognize just what we’re talking about.

A prepositional phrase is a phrase that employs such a prepositional relationship, and it’s used like an adjective in order to describe a noun or pronoun. As in English, these can come before or after the noun or pronoun they describe. Let’s see some examples to make more sense of it all.

One way to think about prepositions is that they answer information questions, such as “When?” “Where?” and “Why?” Hebrew has eleven types of prepositions, but to simplify matters—and because our focus is on word order—we’ll look at the more common types and see the usual position of the prepositional phrase within the sentence. The prepositional phrases have been bolded to help show their location within the sentence, which is either directly after the noun or pronoun they describe, or either before or after the verb that goes with that noun or pronoun. Most of the time, the logic is the same as in English.

1. Position (answer questions like on what , next to what , under what , etc.)

• הספר על השולחן הוא שלי.

Ha-sefer al ha-shulkhan hu sheli.

“The book on the table is mine.”

• אכלתי את הפיצה שהייתה על המדף העליון במקרר .

Akhalti et ha-pitzah she-hayitah al ha-madaf ha-elyon bamekarer .

“I ate the pizza that was on the top shelf in the refrigerator .”

2. Direction (answer questions like where [to] , from where , toward what , etc.)

• רונית רצה לכיוון בית הספר.

Ronit ratzah le-kivun beyt ha-sefer .

“Ronit ran toward the school .”

• נסענו באוטו לתוך הלילה .

Nasa’nu ba-oto letokh ha-laylah .

“We drove into the night .”

3. Time (answer questions like before what , after what , during what , etc.)

• נאכל אחרי טקס הסיום .

Nokhal akharey tekes ha-siyum .

“We’ll eat after the graduation ceremony .”

• בזמן שישנת הכנתי ארוחת בוקר.

Be-zman she-yashanta , hekhanti arukhat boker.

“ While you slept , I made breakfast.”

4. Cause, Agency, or Source (answer questions like of what , for what , about what , etc.)

• שתינו שתי כוסות יין .

Shatinu shtey cosot yayin .

“We drank two glasses of wine .”

• יפעת קוראת ספר על מלחמת העולם השנייה .

Yif’at koret sefer al Milkhemet ha-Olam ha-Shniyah .

“Yifat is reading a book about the Second World War .”

4. Word Order with Modifiers

Now, let’s take a look at modifiers , which are just what they sound like: words that modify nouns. These include adjectives , determiners , numbers , possessive pronouns , and relative clauses . We’ll look at each category separately to see where they go in terms of Hebrew word order.

1. Adjectives

Contrary to the rules of English syntax, adjectives in Hebrew will always appear after the noun they describe. Notice that in the case of definite nouns, the article before the adjective (and the one before the noun) describes the noun.

• רמון המקסיקני לומד עברית.

Ramon ha-Meksikani lomed Ivrit.

“ Mexican Ramón studies Hebrew.”

• התלמיד המקסיקני לומד עברית.

Ha-Talmid ha-Meksikani lomed Ivrit.

“The Mexican student studies Hebrew.”

2. Determiners

Determiners, such as “this” or “that,” will likewise always come after the noun they describe.

• התלמיד הזה לומד עברית.

Ha-Talmid ha-zeh lomed Ivrit.

“ This student studies Hebrew.”

• התלמידה ההיא לומדת עברית.

Ha-talmidah ha-hi lomed Ivrit.

“ That student studies Hebrew.”

• התלמידים האלה לומדים עברית מהספר הזה .

Ha-Talmidim ha-eleh lomdim Ivrit me-ha-sefer ha-zeh .

“ These students study Hebrew from this book.”

As in English, numbers will always precede the noun when indicating the quantity of that noun.

• שלושה תלמידים לומדים עברית.

Shloshah talmidim lomdim Ivrit.

“ Three students study Hebrew.”

• מריה לומדת עברית אצל שני מורים פרטיים.

Mari’a lomedet Ivrit etzel shney morim prati’im.

“Maria studies Hebrew with two private tutors.”

4. Possessive pronouns

Unlike in English, possessive pronouns appear after the noun they’re attached to.

• אמא שלי לומדת עברית.

Ima sheli lomedet Ivrit.

“ My mother studies Hebrew.”

• העברית שלך טובה מאוד.

Ha-Ivrit shelakh tovah me’od.

“ Your Hebrew is very good.”

5. Relative clauses

Relative clauses in Hebrew, as in English, follow the noun they describe.

• שכן שלי שנסע לירושלים למד עברית באוניברסיטה.

Shakhen sheli she-nasa le-Yerushalayim lamad Ivrit ba-universitah.

“A neighbor of mine who went to Jerusalem studied Hebrew at the university.”

• הוא למד בקמפוס שנמצא בהר הצופים .

Hu lamad ba-kampus she-nimtsa be-Har Ha-Tzofim .

“He studies at the campus that is on Mt. Scopus .”

5. Word Order in Questions

Yet another difference (and a welcome one this time) between Hebrew and English is that in Hebrew, questions share the same word order as other sentences. This means you don’t need to worry about changing word order when asking questions. It’s simply a matter of adding the relevant question word to precede the rest of your words. Here are some examples of questions and answers to illustrate:

• – מתי אתה נוסע לחו”ל?

Matay atah nose’a le-khul?

“ When are you traveling abroad?”

-אני נוסע לחו”ל בעוד חודש.

Ani nose’a le-khul be-od khodesh.

“I’m traveling abroad in a month.”

• – מי רוצה גלידה?

Mi rotzeh glidah?

“ Who wants ice cream?”

-כולנו רוצים גלידה!

Kulanu rotzim glidah!

“We all want ice cream!”

• – איפה שמת את הארנק שלי?

Eyfoh samt et ha-arnak sheli?

“ Where did you put my wallet?”

-שמתי את הארנק שלך מעל המקרר.

Samti et ha-arnak shelkha me’al ha-mekarer.

“I put your wallet on top of the refrigerator.”

6. Translation Exercises

Now let’s test your knowledge on what we’ve covered here with some translation exercises. We’ll start with simple sentences and work up toward more complex ones. See if you can translate these without looking back to the lesson. The answers are provided below.

1. Ben and Julie study Hebrew.

2. Ben and Julie study Hebrew in Jerusalem.

3. Ben and Julie study Hebrew with two private tutors in Jerusalem.

4. Where do Ben and Julie study Hebrew?

5. With whom do Ben and Julie study Hebrew?

• בן וג’ולי לומדים עברית.
• בן וג’ולי לומדים עברית בירושלים.
• בן וג’ולי לומדים עברית אצל שני מורים פרטיים בירושלים.
• איפה בן וג’ולי לומדים עברית?
• אצל מי בן וג’ולי לומדים עברית?

7. HebrewPod101 is Here to Help You Put Your Hebrew in Order!

Hopefully you feel like we’ve made some order of all the words you had bouncing around in your head. Armed with a better understanding of Hebrew syntax, you can now confidently string your vocabulary into coherent sentences, and even questions.

As you’ve seen, there are some differences between Hebrew and English, but there are also many similarities in how words are ordered. To really hone your skills after reading this article, go out and look for real-world examples. Focus on the order of the words you read or listen to. Read a short Israeli article online or watch Israeli movies with subtitles, and notice how the writer or speaker orders his/her words. Try to take note of the structures you find difficult, and give these extra practice.

Don’t be hard on yourself if you mix up the word order here and there. Remember that mastery takes practice, and that the effort you put into your Hebrew studies will definitely pay off in the long run. HebrewPod101 is here to help you along the way, so as always, let us know if there’s anything you would like us to clear up or any issues you feel we didn’t cover here. 

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Updated Mar 4 2024 11:17AM EST

18 essential Hebrew words and sayings

You probably won't be hearing these in your next hebrew class....

• By Jason Churchfield

Hebrew is a language unlike any other. From being the spoken language of the ancient Jewish kingdoms over 3,000 years ago to being revived as the first language of millions of people in Israel and beyond, it has truly withstood the test of time .

These 18 essential Hebrew words and expressions will have you sounding like a true sabra (native-born Israeli) in no time!

While this list is not comprehensive, you will undoubtedly be prepared to stroll through the streets of Israel and impress the locals with more than just “shalom” at your disposal. Let’s dive in — yalla balagan!

We’ll start with the basics…

Sababa – סבבה

One of the most common Hebrew expressions, “sababa” has a connotation of “great,” “cool,” or “awesome.” It’s hard to even go one day in Israel without hearing this ubiquitous word, which is originally Arabic for “longing,” “love,” or “desire.”

Achi / Achoti – אחי / אחותי

Literally meaning “my brother,” achi is your go-to Hebrew word for “dude” or “bro” when referring to your closest guy friends. For your girl-friends, use achoti, which has a direct translation as “my sister.”

What’s unique about “achi” and “achoti” is that they are not only reserved for close friends, but can be used with everyone , one of the unique features of Israeli society.

Yalla – יאללה

If you’ve listened to even one episode of “ Unpacking Israeli History ,” then you know the phrase, “Yalla, let’s do this!” Yalla is another quintessential Hebrew slang word, meaning “c’mon,” “hurry up,” or “let’s go.”

You’ll also hear Israelis say this as they hang up the phone, as in, “yalla, bye!” It’s originally Arabic, translating directly to, “oh God.”

Balagan – בלאגן

Balagan is a versatile word describing a “mess” or something that is downright crazy. Skirmishes in Jerusalem on a controversial holiday ? Balagan. Getting lost in the confusing corridors of Tel Aviv’s Tel Aviv’s Central Bus Station ? A total balagan.

But, it can also be used in a positive sense to describe anything wild, even a fun party. Balagan comes from the Russian word for “farce” or “tomfoolery.” 

Achla – אחלה

Simple and to the point, achla refers to all things great, awesome, or the best. Whether it’s a good movie, a delicious meal, or even a stylish shirt, you can describe it with achla. For example, “achla yom – אחלה יום” translates to an awesome day.

All the answers you’re looking for in one place

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Want more? Check out these 18 essential Yiddish words and sayings

This versatile word has a couple of different meanings. It can mean “cut it out” when someone’s bugging you, but it can also be used to express shock or disbelief. For example, your friend says, “I’ve just booked my flight to Tel Aviv!” You reply: “די – Dai!” (“No way!”)

Ashkara – אשכרה

The perfect word for those who literally can’t stop saying “literally,” ashkara is the Hebrew equivalent for this oft-mentioned filler word.

While “stam” may not have a direct English translation, its closest equivalents are “no reason” or “just because.”

This adaptable word can also be added to the end of a sarcastic statement, signaling that you’re just joking. For example: “7-Eleven is opening in Tel Aviv? Pretty soon, they’ll outnumber Aroma… Stam. ”

For the next few phrases, you won’t want to trust Google Translate…

Chaval al haz’man – חבל על הזמן

This expression literally means “pity/shame on the time,” but it actually describes the opposite — something fantastic or great. For example, you could say: “Ha’seret haya chaval al haz’man!” (“The movie was fantastic!”) You might also hear it shortened to its abbreviated form, “chavlaz.”

Al hapanim – על הפנים

Google Translate will tell you that this phrase means “on the face,” which is technically correct. However, it is also used as an expression to mean “terrible” or “lousy.” For instance: “Ha’ochel sham al hapanim!” (“The food there is terrible!”) 

Chai b’seret – חי בסרט

The translation of this fun phrase is “living in a movie,” and its meaning is not much different. It describes someone who’s living in a dream world, disconnected from reality. In other words, just plain unrealistic.

Ma pitom – מה פתאום

While it literally means something along the lines of “what suddenly,” “ma pitom” is best translated in English as “no way!” It is almost always used as a response and reaction to something unexpected, as in: “No way! Are you serious?”

Choleh al / Met al – חולה על / מת על

These words literally mean “sick over” or “dying over.” They have a similar connotation to “crazy about” in English. Use them whenever talking about something or someone that you like so much, it just drives you crazy. 

Ochel seratim – אוכל סרטים

The literal translation of this phrase, “eating movies,” may not make sense at first. But, it describes a feeling many of us are familiar with: worrying about the future so much that you’re making up “movie scenes” in your head about how it might end in disaster.

For example: “Ha’horim sipru li she’anachnu ovrim l’kanada, ani ochel seratim!” (“My parents told me that we are moving to Canada, I’m starting to get really nervous!”)

Ma ani, ez? – ?מה אני, עז

While asking “what am I, a goat?” might at first sound like complete nonsense, it serves as the Israeli equivalent for the English expression, “what am I, chopped liver?” In other words, you can use this phrase when you’re not receiving the attention or recognition you rightfully deserve. 

These next few words are some of my favorites in the language. Saving the best for last…

Literally meaning “fire,” “esh” is perfect for responding to anything that’s seriously cool. For example: “Atah tas machar l’yapan? Esh!” (“You’re flying to Japan tomorrow? Awesome!”)

Pitzutz – פיצוץ

The Hebrew word for “explosion, “pitzutz,” is also a slang word describing something awesome and cool, as in “the bomb.” 

Anak / gadol – ענק / גדול

With “gadol” meaning “big” and “anak” meaning “huge,” it’s no wonder that both these words can also describe something great, wonderful, or awesome. 

For instance: “Lamadta ledaber ivrit levad? Gadol!” (“You learned to speak Hebrew by yourself? Cool!”) “Atah mevaleh et kol ha’yom ba’yam? Anak!” (You’re spending the whole day at the beach? Awesome!”)

Originally Published Jun 4, 2023 04:17PM EDT

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20 Common Hebrew Idioms to Get You Talking Like a Native

When learning a language, it’s important to go beyond basic vocabulary study (as important as that may be by itself) and challenge yourself to think and interact with your surroundings in the way that natives do. 

With learning Hebrew, it’s no different. A colorful and vibrant language, Hebrew can be very tricky to grasp if you don’t know how to tune into its wavelength. Like any other, it’s a tongue with its own, quirky sense of humor and its own unique outlooks on life.

You can try to get a grasp of how to “think in Hebrew” by studying and practicing some common Hebrew idioms, the kind that natives use all the time on an average day! 

Understanding and recognizing these figures of speech will also give you an advantage in listening comprehension and make following the plot of your favorite Israeli TV shows or podcasts much easier!

Let’s take a look at a few of the most crucial Hebrew idioms worth knowing!

1. מטבע לשון

Literal translation: A coin of the tongue

To kick off our list, what better choice of idiomatic Hebrew expression to pick than one which literally means “idiom”! 

That’s right, מטבע לשון, as odd as it may seem literally translated, is what Hebrew speakers call any kind of elaborate, poetic, or abstract expression that communicates a certain meaning in daily speech. 

There are alternative, more straightforward terms you can use as well – ניב and ביטוי are the most common, and they approximately translate to simply “expression”, though the former can also be “dialect”.

2. על הפנים

Literal  translation: On the face

Huh, what’s on my face? If that’s your reaction to על הפנים, you haven’t tuned into the Hebrew frequency yet!

If a friend tells you that the food at the place they told you about last week was really on the face , they’re not stopping themselves mid-sentence to point out a little splotch of tomato sauce on your cheek. Rather, they are saying that the food was really not it , as in, underwhelming.

The expression על הפנים can also be used to talk about how someone’s feeling – usually, it implies they’re sad, disappointed, or dejected in some way.

3. למצוא חן בעיני

Literal translation: To find charm in the eyes of

This sounds to a foreign ear like a quite lofty expression, not something that would likely be used in day-to-day speech. But alas, למצוא חן בעיני is actually one of the most widespread ways to say “to like something” in Hebrew. 

This is partly because the simple one-word way, לאהוב, also means to love, to adore, to absolutely admire! 

So when you want to draw a line and just casually let someone know that you are a fan of something – whether that’s a certain color, a band, a piece of music, or who knows what else – then you better say that it finds charm in your eyes!

4. מה אני, עז?

Literal translation: What am I, a goat?

If you feel like other people are taking advantage of you, belittling you or your abilities, it may be time to step up and say, “What do you think I am, a goat ?”

Well, at least in Hebrew, that’s a perfectly valid response to such a circumstance. 

The poor goat in this context is most likely related to the concept of a scapegoat (which itself stems from a Hebrew, specifically a Tanakhic idiom), meaning someone who is used without proper reason as a punching bag by others and blamed for wrongdoing.

5. לחיות בסרט

Literal translation: To live in a movie

Who hasn’t daydreamt at some point about living the life of a famous movie star?

Clearly, the Hebrew language is no stranger to the idea of the glamor and the glitz – but watch out, because this phrase probably doesn’t actually say what you might think!

To “live in a movie” in Hebrew doesn’t mean to lead the kind of lavish, exceptional lifestyle that a Clark Gable or a Grace Kelly would envy. 

In fact, it’s not a nice thing to say about someone at all!

Rather, לחיות בסרט is used to talk about someone who has no idea how far-fetched and lofty their words sound, making up tall tales and sticking to unrealistic goals against all reason. 

In English, you might say that kind of person has their head in the clouds – in Hebrew, they’re living inside a movie!

Literal translation: untranslatable

This is a tough one. In my estimation, דווקא appears at least once in about every third average Hebrew sentence in daily conversation – and yet, I have not managed to find any one-line definition or translation of the word that really expresses what it means to native speakers.

I find it the easiest to show by means of example. Have a look at the little dialogue here:

קנית את השמלה השחורה? חשבתי שלא מצאה חן בעיניך…

 על מה את מדברת? דווקא שחור הוא הצבע האהוב עלי! 

Note the use of למצוא חן בעיני – a very common context for that one here! If we take a look at the dialogue, the first line is easy to translate. It says, “You bought the black dress? I thought you didn’t like it so much (it didn’t find charm in your eyes).”

Then, the second line is something like, “What are you talking about? Precisely black (as in, especially black, none other than black) is my favorite color!”

You can see how דווקא is used to lend some kind of extra intensity to the statement. If you say that דווקא זה is so-and-so, the implication is: Of course that one! Why would you think otherwise?

This can also be used to justify a person’s actions. 

Why did you do X? Surely not because of Y? דווקא for that reason, and no other!

7. שטויות במיץ עגבניות

Literal translation: nonsense in tomato juice

When you can’t make sense of what something or someone is saying or doing in Hebrew, you can call it שטות. If it’s really absolute malarkey, hogwash, poppycock, total nonsense, then you use the plural form – שטויות.

And if you absolutely need a superlative, and one that rhymes to boot, if you really wish to underline just how absolutely silly, nonsensical, and utterly ridiculous whatever it is that is so offending your sensibilities, then that would be שטויות במיץ עגבניות – lots and lots of “nonsenses” in tomato juice!

An import from Yiddish, נו is one of the most versatile words in the Hebrew language, a close second behind דווקא if you ask me. Simply put, it’s used to ask someone to spill the beans, as we would say in English.

If a person is hesitating to say what they want to say, or simply taking too long to answer or do what is asked of them, then an appropriate (and highly common) way to encourage them is to simply ask them: ?נו

Feel free to repeat your נו and add further question marks to intensify the meaning! 

9. אחרי החגים

Literal translation: After the festivities / After the holidays 

This Hebrew idiom has its roots in Tishrei, one of the months of the Hebrew calendar. Most of Tishrei, especially the first half, is jam-packed full of minor and major holidays, including the Jewish New Year.

Because of that, it became a very common thing over the centuries to say that you are going to commit to your plans and resolutions “after the holidays”.  

This stuck, and אחרי החגים became a general phrase to use when you want to… preliminarily postpone something.

10. חבל על הזמן

Literal translation: What a shame about the time

This has got to be one of the notoriously most confusing phrases in the Hebrew language for foreign learners. The literal translation of חבל על הזמן would imply that it communicates disappointment, but actually, it’s more like the opposite.

To say that it was “a shame about the time” is to say you enjoyed yourself to no end in Hebrew!

כמה נהדרת היתה המסיבה אמש! חבל על הזמן!

Translation: “How wonderful last night’s party was! Such a shame about the time!”

11. כרעם ביום בהיר

Literal translation: Like thunder on a bright day

If the sun’s out and the skies are clear, you’re probably not going to expect much rain on a morning walk, right? What about a roaring thunderstorm?

The ensuing shock of witnessing something so unbelievable and unlikely is exactly what כרעם ביום בהיר signifies. In English, we have a grammatically different but logically similar expression: we can say someone was thunderstruck by a surprising revelation or event!

12. מה, מי מת? למה, מי מת?

Literal translation: What, who died? Alternatively: Why, who died?

This Hebrew expression is a bit macabre, but it remains extremely widespread and is worth knowing for learners. Basically, to ask “who died” is to tell someone they are overreacting.

Whether it’s just a long face and you don’t know why, or whether your friend has been telling you for the past 15 minutes about how this one interview is going to be the death of them , it may be the point to ask: what is it, who died? 

That is, if you’re speaking in Hebrew at least.

13. ציפור הנפש

Literal translation: Bird of the soul

This is one of my personal favorites. To say that something is “the bird of the soul” of somebody or someone is to say that this particular detail is the most important, the most valuable, or the most precious. 

Usually, the idiom is used in reference to a person and their individual ציפור הנפש, the thing that matters to them most.

As for the origins of the phrase, it remains a bit of a mystery. Rabbinical literature already wrote about ציפורי נשפ in the Babylonian Talmud period, but how exactly the term was coined is not for certain. It must have emerged from the mind of quite a writer, that’s for sure!

14. לשון סגי נהור

Literal translation: A tongue with much light

This is not a phrase you will hear so often in daily speech (mostly in literature and poetry), but I had to include it just for how cool it is. 

To have “a tongue of much light” may be a bit confusing, until you realize that the Aramaic term סגי נהור can mean “blind” and that the Hebrew לשון can mean “language” (also in the abstract sense, as in “formal language”).

Hence, לשון סגי נהור refers to “blind language”: 

Something that means the opposite of what it seems to communicate at first glance.

To understand something someone is saying in לשון סגי נהור, you need to be “blind” yourself and judge the words by their inner meaning instead of their outer appearance.

Such expressions can crop up in many contexts, but the most common ones that you will hear described as לשון סגי נהור are sarcasm and euphemisms.

15. תוהו ובוהו

Literal translation: Untranslatable

This is among the oldest common Hebrew idioms still in use today. Appearing as early as the first page of the Tanakh, תוהו ובוהו is an expression of absolute chaos, of everything being out of order and upside-down.

You might use תוהו ובוהו to describe anything from your neighbor’s messy apartment to the unbelievable traffic you experience during your morning commute – the possibilities are endless!

16. שקר אין לו רגליים

Literal translation: A lie doesn’t have legs

Similar, parallel idioms to this one exist in many languages of the world, so it’s hard tracking down where Hebrew got שקר אין לו רגליים from exactly. 

However, the meaning is clear: a lie “can’t run far” without legs, i.e. soon enough it will be found out and the truth will win over the lie. This is a common Hebrew idiom to use when suspecting someone is being less than honest.

17. איזה קטע!

This is another phrase that often gives foreign learners a bit of a headache in trying to understand it. איזה קטע can be heard in almost every register of spoken Hebrew and in just about any context imaginable, so it can be very hard to narrow down what it means exactly.

Furthermore, literal translation is very difficult as קטע can mean a bunch of different things – including “thing”, literally! In practical usage, however, the phrase most often signifies a meaning similar to, “Oh wow, really?” or “Who would have thought?”

This idiom can also be used in other ways (told you this one can give people headaches), but most contexts of איזה קטע do express some kind of amazement, surprise, or lucky turn of events.

18. סיפורי סבתא

Literal translation: Grandma’s tales

In less-than-polite English, you might still hear people calling far-flung, exaggerated stories “old wives’ tales”. In Hebrew, the equivalent is סיפורי סבתא, grandma’s tales!

For what it’s worth, at least the Hebrew version is considered much less offensive and more of a harmless phrase nowadays. Whether that’s a testament to the thick skin of Jewish grandmothers or something else, I’ll let you decide!

19. תתחדש/י!

Literal translation: Rejuvenate! Renew yourself!

In Hebrew, להתחדש means to renew oneself. The word is used in that literal context sometimes, such as in the term מהדורה מחודשת, “revised (renewed) edition” of a book or such.

However, telling someone תתחדש or תתחדשי (masculine and feminine singular imperative, respectively) doesn’t ask them to throw away their belongings, change their name, and assume a new identity.

Quite the opposite – this Hebrew idiom is used when congratulating someone on a new purchase, most commonly things like nice clothes, a new car, or jewelry and accessories.

The origins of the idiom are disputed, but there are some clues. 

Some say that the phrase originally was not meant to be put in the second, but in the third person. In other words, תתחדש would have referred to the item that the person in question received – wishing it to “renew itself” would have been equivalent to “may it last you forever!”.

20. לעזאזל עם זה! 

Literal translation: To Azazel with this!

If you’re getting really frustrated with an annoying task, you might blurt out in frustration, “to Hell with this!”.

The Hebrew phrase לעזאזל works very similarly – but where and what is Azazel?

Like תוהו ובוהו, the origins of this idiom lie in the Tanakh. 

In one story, the Hebrews are instructed to send a young goat “to Azazel” as part of the ritual for Yom Kippur. Yes, that is the aforementioned origin of the term “scapegoat” in English and many other languages! 

However, because of the passage’s wording, it is very unclear just what that means. 

Some think Azazel is some kind of spirit – a שד in Jewish mythology – and the goat was meant as a sacrificial offering. Others believe Azazel was an actual, geographic place, whereas yet others interpret it as some kind of spirit realm beyond the material world.

In any case, the goat sent to Azazel would never return. Hence, the general meaning of calling for something to “go to Azazel” became something like “to Hell with it” or “damn it”.

I hope you had some fun reading through the widespread Hebrew idioms! Which ones were your favorites, and which ones were you already familiar with? Let us know in the comments down below!

If you feel like it, you may also explore our equally fascinating lists of classic Hebrew proverbs .

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What is the meaning of hebrew word ruach.

Ruach (pronounced roo-akh) is the Hebrew word for spirit, breath, or wind. When spoken, the word engages one’s breath and lungs. The first mention of Ruach in the Bible is in the very first chapter of Genesis – Genesis 1:2 to be exact:

And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit (Ruach) of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

The Bible translates the word Ruach into all of the aforementioned English words. Which means that when we read our Bible, we may not always realize that in Hebrew these verses had something very important in common.

Ruach is described as a wind (for example, in Numbers 11:31 and Exodus 10:13), but also as spirit (in Judges 6:34, 1 Samuel 16:14 and 1 Kings 18:12). And then, in Job it is translated as breath (12:10).

Ruach HaKodesh and the Ruach Elohim

But the meaning that we should pay closest attention to is spirit. Because did you know that Ruach HaKodesh, which appears already in the Old Testament, is the Hebrew word for the Holy Spirit? For example, in Psalm 51:11 when David prayed:

“Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take your Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) from me.”

Similarly, Ruach Elohim means the Spirit of God. In many references in the Old Testament, the Ruach Elohim comes upon an individual and allows him to speak for the Lord. In Genesis 41:38, Pharaoh said of Moses,

“Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Ruach Elohim?”

Ruach Elohim Meaning

The Ruach Elohim was very present when the Temple of the Lord was built. The Lord filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, along with the ability, craftsmanship and skill to execute the creative designs. The Lord inspired all the artistry, according to what He had in mind for His holy Temple. ( Exodus 31:3 , Exodus 35:31 )

“The Spirit of the Lord even came upon Balaam when he attempted to curse the people of Israel. Instead, he blessed them.” (Number 24:2)

Are Ruach Elohim and the Holy Spirit One and the Same?

In the Old Testament, we see that the Ruach Elohim, or the Ruach HaKodesh, quickens, fills, comes upon and comforts. Which is also what we know that the Holy Spirit does in the New Testament.

This gives a case for Trinitarian theology in the Old Testament. It is there all along, we can see that the work of the Father is individual from the work of the Ruach. It is also uniquely separate from the Word – which we know personified in Jesus. (John 1:1-18)

In relationship to living creatures, those with a nephesh chaya —a living spirit, it is the Ruach that gives life. Ruach, being intangible but present, also signifies consciousness and creative vitality that is unique to human creation. We bear the image of God, which separates us from the animal kingdom.

Ruach in the Old Testament

In Ezekiel 37, Ruach gave life to the dry bones that Ezekiel saw in his vision. Once the words are spoken over them, they come to life and grow muscle, tendons, ligaments and flesh. In this case, it is the Ruach which gives life, where previously there was none.

Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of the dry bones was a visual allegory for the rebirth of the nation of Israel. It would come to be physically first (dry bones), and then later, the nation will come to faith !

The Work of the Holy Spirit

It is undeniable that it is the work of the Holy Spirit, or Ruach in Hebrew, when a person comes to faith in Jesus the Messiah. The most radical example that comes to mind is the supernatural encounter of the Apostle Paul.

After seeing a vision of Jesus on Damascus road, Paul is temporarily blinded. Ananias lays hands on him, the Ruach HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit, falls on Paul. At that encounter, the scales fall from his eyes and his sight is restored. (Acts 9:17-18)

How the Ruach Moves

The work of the Ruach – the Spirit, does two important things. He restores sight by waking up the human spirit through confession. The Spirit removes the obstacles of being “dead in one’s trespasses.”

But at the same time, He functions as a light Himself. He illuminates us to the truth and reality of life with God in Christ. The Ruach (Spirit), in the words of Sinclair Ferguson, “does not add information about Jesus, He simply opens our eyes to see who He really is.”

The Ruach quickens us to the veracity of Scriptures, which are God breathed. The Spirit verifies them and makes our hearts respond to the truth therein. The role of the Word and Spirit are intimately entwined. The word is breathed by God. Psalm 33:6 says, by the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath (ruach) of his mouth all their host.

The Ruach Our Helper

Like a flashlight shone in the darkness, the Spirit of God lights our path. And much like raccoons and mice like to come out at night, who can deny that there are also “critters” in our hearts. Perhaps pride, vanity, being overly concerned with the matters of this world, numbness. The Ruach shines a light on all our undesirables and ministers to our need with gentle correction and care.

Ferguson continues that the Ruach (Spirit) “enlightens our minds to enable to us know, see, grasp and apply the will and purposes of God.” The Ruach reminds us of Jesus’ words in the gospels, leads us to truth in the epistles and shows us the things to come in Revelation.

He is our comforter, our counselor and our helper. You may have been to therapy or had a deep conversation with a friend, but another person will never give you a complete picture of your situation. They don’t have the same experiences or memories or thoughts. And likewise, any compassion we may have for others will be limited by us simply not having walked a mile in their shoes.

The Ruach Comforts in Need

19 th Century preacher Charles Spurgeon writes about the power and efficacy of the Ruach’s comfort in times of need and sorrow:

“Sometimes, when we go and visit people we mistake their disease, we want to comfort them on this point. Whereas they do not require any such comfort at all, and they would be better left alone than spoiled by such unwise comforters as we are.

“But oh, how wise the Holy Spirit is! He takes the soul, lays it on the table, and dissects it in a moment; He finds out the root of the matter, He sees where the complaint is. And then He applies the knife where something is required to be taken away or puts a plaster where the sore is. He never mistakes. Oh, how wise, the blessed Holy Ghost! From every comforter I turn and leave them all, for thou art He who alone givest the wisest consolation.”

Symbols of the Holy Spirit

We can trust that the Ruach knows our whole story, our beginning middle and end. He will always give us guidance and comfort when we lack. And He burdens us in the care of others in their need when the time is right.

There are many symbols of the Holy Spirit throughout the Hebrew Bible. But perhaps the most recognizable one is that of a dove in the New Testament.

Luke 3:22 says that the Spirit descended like a dove upon Jesus. Meanwhile, in the Old Testament, the dove was used to search for habitable land and a symbol of peace. Today doves still hold their peaceful connotation, and they also signify cleanliness and purity.

Another well recognized symbol is fire. What’s interesting is that fire is air (or breath – ruach ) caught up with heat. Acts 2 gives us a picture of a rushing wind and tongues of fire.

A powerful image of the Holy Spirit appears in Isaiah 59:19. The prophet writes that the Lord arrives “… like a rushing tide driven by the breath of the Lord”.   What an awesome image of God’s power and beauty! This verse reminds me of the way the ocean crashes over rocks at the shore. As the tide rolls in, the waves are unstoppable and have immense power when they hit the rocks.

Ruach – the Living Breath of Our Being

The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 8:11 an encouragement to the believers in Rome, and to us today:

“If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”

Now, don’t miss that—Paul is saying that the Spirit who arrives like the unstoppable power of a rushing tide, which resurrected Messiah Jesus from the dead, lives in YOU, today!

It means that if you’re facing an obstacle today, God is able to send his Spirit to you with the power of a “rushing tide”!

God is encouraging us today through His Ruach. He is our comforter, helper, encourager, the breath of life. He brings us a new life in Messiah, and though our outward bodies are wasting away, our inner man, is being renewed each day. It happens through the power of Ruach – God’s breath within us.

7 Hebrew Words Every Christian Should Know: Free PDF Download

With the use of the Hebrew language God revealed Himself to mankind. This ancient tongue held the greatest spiritual truths that guided our lives through the ages. And in each generation, they are discovered anew.

We know the Bible can be hard to understand and you want to get more out of it. Which is why we want to teach you seven Hebrew words that will transform the way you read the Bible.

Articles Related to Ruach and the Hebrew Word for the Holy Spirit

• Seven Hebrew Words Every Christian Should Know
• What is the Hebrew Word for God?
• Member Highlight: Comfort My People
• Comfort My People – How to Speak to Jerusalem and Israel
• Is God Different in the Old and the New Testament?

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

Bibliography:

Ferguson, Sinclair. “The Gracious Work of the Holy Spirit.” Ligonier Ministries. May 09, 2018.  https://www.ligonier.org/blog/gracious-work-holy-spirit/ .

Ferguson, Sinclair. “The Holy Spirit’s Ministry.” Ligonier Ministries. August 06, 2018.  https://www.ligonier.org/blog/holy-spirits-ministry/ .

Parsons, John J. “Hebrew Names of God.” Hebrew4Christians. Accessed May 23, 2021.  https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Names_of_G-d/Spirit_of_God/spirit_of_god.html .

Spurgeon, Charles. “The Holy Spirit a Comforter.” http://www.nonprofitpages.com/elm/chs_comfort.htm. Accessed May 23, 2021.  http://www.nonprofitpages.com/elm/chs_comfort.htm .

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A Night Different From Others as Campus Protests Break for Seder

Pro-Palestinian protesters, many of whom are Jewish, prepared Seder dinners at college protest encampments, even as other Jewish students sought community in more traditional settings.

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Calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, hundreds of students at Yale on Monday sat around a sheet painted to symbolize a Passover Seder table.

Crowd singing: I will build this world from love. You must build this world from love.

By Sharon Otterman ,  Eliza Fawcett and Liset Cruz

• Published April 22, 2024 Updated April 24, 2024

On the first night of Passover, the singsong of the Four Questions echoed from Jewish homes and gatherings around the world, including from unlikely, contested spaces: the center of pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia and other universities where demonstrations are taking place.

As evening fell over Columbia’s tent encampment on Monday, about 100 students and faculty gathered in a circle around a blue tarp heaped with boxes of matzo and food they had prepared in a kosher kitchen. Some students wore kaffiyehs, the traditional Palestinian scarf, while others wore Jewish skullcaps. They distributed handmade Haggadahs — prayer books for the Passover holiday — and read prayers in Hebrew, keeping to the traditional order.

But there were also changes and additions, like a watermelon on the Seder plate to represent the flag of Palestine. There were repeated references to the suffering of the Palestinian people and the need to ensure their liberation. There was grape juice instead of wine to respect the alcohol-free encampment, which was started last Wednesday and, despite a police crackdown last week, was stretching into its sixth day.

The question asked each year — Why is this night different from all other nights?— echoed with new meaning.

At other pro-Palestinian encampments and protests that have cropped up this week, similar scenes played out. Some protest organizers and participants are anti-Zionist Jewish students, and at Columbia, roughly 15 of the students who have been suspended for their involvement in the encampment are Jewish, organizers said.

At Yale University, just before 6 p.m., hundreds of students gathered on Cross Campus, the main university quad, to sit around a sheet painted to symbolize a Seder table. The action was organized by groups including Jews for Ceasefire, a Yale group, and the New Haven chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace.

There, the Seder marked the end of a day that began with the early-morning arrests of 47 students at a tent encampment on Beinecke Plaza. Then, for nine hours, students had occupied a local intersection, calling for Yale to divest from weapons manufacturers.

Surrounding the Seder, students held banners that read, “Our Seder plates are empty stop starving Gaza” and “Another Jew for a free Palestine.” References to suffering in Gaza and pro-Palestinian student activism were woven into the ritual.

“Tonight, we stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people, not in spite of our Judaism, but because of it,” Miriam Levine, a 22-year-old Yale student who helped organize the Seder, told the crowd through a microphone. “Tonight we proclaim that our liberation is intertwined.”

Discussing the 10 plagues, Ms. Levine asked participants to identify “what is plaguing our university.” Answers came from throughout the crowd: “the confinement of free speech,” “the policing of New Haven,” “apathy, “misinformation,” “ignorance,” “capitalism.”

Toward the end of the Seder, students draped their arms across each other’s shoulders and swayed, singing, “If we build this world from love, then God will build this world from love.”

A more traditional scene played out at Chabad Columbia, a branch of an Orthodox Jewish movement with a headquarters off campus, where students sought a sense of community amid the tensions on campus.

Chatter and laughter filled a room in the center, as people connected with new and old friends. As an added measure of safety, there were five security guards standing outside.

Rabbi Yuda Drizin, 33, and his wife, Naomi, co-direct the group. Rabbi Drizin said they were expecting over 100 students. “It’s actually our largest Seder yet,” he said.

“Our motto is ‘Your Jewish home and family on campus,’ so for the students that can’t make it home, or that don’t make it home, or that are here, they’re celebrating as part of our family,” he added.

“My message to all the Jewish students that show up here, is to figure out a way to stand above it, to try and step above it,” Rabbi Drizin said, adding, “This is really a place for people to find a way to, you know, to just be Jewish, not in response to anything, not a reaction to anything, just because that’s who you are and that’s it.”

Sharon Otterman is a Times reporter covering higher education, public health and other issues facing New York City. More about Sharon Otterman

Eliza Fawcett is a reporter for the National desk and a member of the 2022-2023 New York Times fellowship class. More about Eliza Fawcett

A Prominent Free-Speech Group Is Fighting for Its Life

PEN America has now canceled its annual World Voices festival, after calling off its literary-awards ceremony last week. Can it survive?

In 2015, PEN America, the organization devoted to defending free speech, chose to honor the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo at its annual gala. A few months earlier, Islamic extremists had murdered 12 people at the publication’s offices in Paris. The rationale for recognizing the magazine seemed airtight: People had been killed for expressing themselves, and PEN America’s mission is to protect people targeted for what they express. For some writers connected with the organization, however, this reasoning was not so obvious. Six of them boycotted the gala, and 242 signed a letter of protest. In their eyes, Charlie Hebdo ’s editorial staff, including those recently killed, embodied a political perspective that was unworthy of plaudits. The magazine frequently mocked Islam (and, in particular, caricatured the Prophet Muhammad), and this was a form of punching down, insulting a population that, as the letter put it, “is already marginalized, embattled, and victimized.”

PEN America defended itself, the gala went on, and Salman Rushdie, a former president of the group and a writer who knows what it means to have his life endangered because of his art , was given the last word in a New York Times article about the brouhaha: “If PEN as a free speech organization can’t defend and celebrate people who have been murdered for drawing pictures, then frankly the organization is not worth the name.”

Read: Salman Rushdie strikes back

Rushdie, who helped found PEN America’s World Voices festival two decades ago, had no confusion about what the organization represented. Its role was not to take a position on the place of Islam in France or comment on the French state’s aggressive secularizing policies, which Charlie Hebdo ’s editors had championed through their cartoons. No, PEN America was simply there to protect the right of artists to draw, of writers to write.

The clash over Charlie Hebdo felt, in the moment, like a blip. It was not a blip. The forces that demanded PEN America stand for more—that it fight for issues its members considered to be matters of social justice, as opposed to the squishier but essential liberal ideals of openness and dialogue—have in the past two months managed to bring the organization to its knees. Unsurprisingly, the events of October 7, and all that followed, were the precipitating cause.

This afternoon, PEN America announced that it is canceling its World Voices festival—this year was to be the 20th anniversary of the annual international gathering of writers that Rushdie conceived as a way to encourage cross-cultural conversation and champion embattled artists. A cascade of authors, either out of conviction or under pressure, felt they couldn’t take part. PEN America had already decided last week to cancel its literary awards for the year after nearly half of the nominees withdrew their names from consideration. And its annual gala, a black-tie fundraiser scheduled for the middle of May, also seems hard to imagine right now. The language of the protest, too, has reached new extremes, with the most recent salvo demanding the resignation of PEN America’s CEO, Suzanne Nossel; its president, Jennifer Finney Boylan; and its entire board. Everyone I’ve spoken with there is in a state of high panic and deep sadness.

The existential conflict surrounding PEN America—the letters and counter-letters, withdrawals and statements of principle—captures the enormous rupture on the left since Hamas’s invasion of southern Israel on October 7 and Israel’s deadly response in Gaza. Can an organization that sees itself as above politics, that sees itself straightforwardly as a support system for an open society, be allowed to exist anymore? For the protesting writers, this lofty mission represents an unforgivable moral abdication at a moment of crisis. But if they have their way and PEN America doesn’t survive, where will these authors turn when they need defending?

From my own reading of the various letters of protest, the main demand of the now dozens upon dozens of writers protesting PEN America is this: They want the organization to say the word genocide —for PEN America to declare that what Israel is doing in Gaza is a deliberate effort to wipe out the Palestinian people, and act accordingly. From the perspective of the protesting writers, this interpretation of what has transpired since October 7 is both irrefutable and cause for repeating the charge as loudly as possible. “PEN America states that ‘the core’ of its mission is to ‘support the right to disagree,’” reads the most recent open letter . “But among writers of conscience, there is no disagreement. There is fact and fiction. The fact is that Israel is leading a genocide of the Palestinian people.”

Plenty of arguments exist on the side of those who do not see what Israel is doing as genocide—and they are compelling even for people like myself who believe that Israel has acted recklessly and in a way that constitutes collective punishment. But the writers protesting PEN America do not seem interested in a conversation or scrutiny or trying to contend with what Israel’s post–October 7 motives might be. They seem driven instead by an understandably deep emotional response to a devastating death toll and, like the greater pro-Palestinian movement, have decided to use the word genocide as the most resonant way to describe a conflict in which, according to Hamas’s Health Ministry, more than 33,000 Palestinians have now been killed. It has given them a sense of righteousness that is impossible to contain within an organization built on the “right to disagree.”

To follow the volley of letters and responses from PEN America over the past two months is to get a close-up look at the growing irreconcilability of these positions. The first serious sign of protest came in a March 14 letter from a group of writers, including Naomi Klein, Michelle Alexander, and Lorrie Moore, who declared that they would boycott the World Voices festival this year. Their stated reason was their unhappiness with what they took to be PEN America’s anemic response to the death and destruction in Gaza. They accused the organization of taking too long to call for a cease-fire and then, when it finally did, of demanding that it be “mutually agreed” (a reasonable phrasing given that, according to the U.S. State Department, it is Hamas that has rejected the latest cease-fire proposal). This was not “a clear call,” the writers said. Moreover, why had PEN America, they wanted to know, not joined the movement to boycott, divest, and sanction Israel? Sure, PEN America had put out a number of statements of concern about Palestinian writers and the worsening situation in Gaza (more than 40 statements , actually, since October 7), but where was the “action”?

The letter sought redress; it was not an attempt to burn it all down. And PEN America responded. In a letter that appeared a week later, the organization reasserted its mission without apology: “For some, referencing nuance is moral betrayal. For others, failure to do so is unconscionable. As an organization open to all writers, we see no alternative but to remain home to this diversity of opinions and perspectives, even if, for some, that very openness becomes reason to exit.” The response also included an unambiguous call for “an immediate ceasefire and release of the hostages,” an invitation for open dialogue with the protesters, and a commitment to increase the financial contribution to an emergency fund for Palestinian writers.

An excess of “openness,” the writers insisted in a response , was not their issue with PEN America; rather it was “a series of specific failures to act with urgency and substance in the face of ongoing war crimes, including a failure to use language to name these crimes as such under international humanitarian law.” To uncover what they saw as the bias behind this failure, the writers were calling for “a thorough review and examination of the conduct and performance of PEN America,” on the issue of Israel and Palestine. And they got what they wanted. On April 16, the organization announced to its staff the creation of a working group that would look back at the previous decade of statements on Israel and Palestine, and also make sure there was consistency in PEN America’s public remarks with regards to other conflicts, such as those in Ukraine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Sudan.

But things continued to get worse. As PEN America geared up to announce the finalists for its awards, a large group of authors declared that they were taking their books out of contention. In a letter last week, Finney Boylan, a writer who became the organization’s president in December, tried to stanch the bleeding, calling Israel’s actions in Gaza an “abomination” (though not a genocide), arguing for the value of “conversation,” and lamenting that “some authors would rather silence themselves than be associated with an organization that defends free speech and dissent.”

Nothing seemed to convince the growing number of protesters. On April 17, those who had boycotted the awards delivered a letter , one which was then endorsed by the original group of writers protesting the festival. This one had none of the conciliatory tone of the original letter. It accused PEN America of propagating “ahistorical, Zionist propaganda under the guise of neutrality,” of “parroting hasbara talking points,” using the Hebrew word for “explanation” that anti-Israel activists associate with Israeli-government spin. Nossel in particular was singled out as someone who apparently had “longstanding commitments to Zionism, Islamophobia, and imperial wars in the Middle East.” The letter was nasty, absurd in its histrionics, suggesting essentially that PEN America was in cahoots with the Israeli military. PEN America was guilty of no less than “complicity in normalizing genocide.”

The people at PEN America whom I spoke with were left speechless by this letter, but also felt that it confirmed their perceptions of the protesters and their true motives—I understand, for example, why some who read the letter wonder whether the personal animus directed at Nossel is not just because she is the organization’s leader but because she is Jewish. The demand of these writers from the beginning, it now seemed clear, was not about the number of statements PEN America made about Palestinian writers and whether they matched the number made about Ukrainian writers. At question was language. And if PEN America was not willing to use the word genocide , then it existed on the other side of a bright-red line, outside the encampment. The breach was complete. The organization now appears broken in ways that seem impossible to imagine repairing.

When I spoke with Nossel last week, before the news about the canceled awards ceremony and festival, she put a brave face on PEN America’s predicament and insisted that she was staying true to the organization’s mission. Nossel is a former State Department official and was the executive director of Amnesty International USA before joining PEN America as its CEO in 2013.  “We see ourselves as guardians of open discourse,” she told me. “We really believe that we have to bring about a moment when these conversations can be had, and that, ultimately, the defeat of dialogue and the turning-away from dialogue is something dangerous for our democracy. We don’t want to just throw up our hands.” The festival, she said, was supposed to exemplify this philosophy. One of the events now canceled was to be a panel on “The Palestinian Exception to Free Speech,” about threats to those who speak up for Palestinian rights. Recent statements put out by PEN America have criticized the banning of Students for Justice in Palestine on college campuses and the decision by the University of Southern California to cancel the valedictory speech of a pro-Palestinian student.

The fundamental misperception at the center of this conflict is that PEN America sees itself as a free-speech organization, while the protesters see it as a channel to express their political views. I’ve read some of the letters addressed to PEN America from writers who decided to opt out of the festival—some after first saying they would participate despite the pressure—and there is a clear pattern: Many seemed worried about failing a political litmus test, that they would be throwing in their lot with the normalizers of genocide if they took part in a panel on translation or memoir writing . One letter from a prominent author who had chosen to withdraw mentioned “ongoing harassment.”

PEN America has grown enormously in the past 10 years, from an organization with a budget of $2 million to one with $24 million, and a staff that went from 14 to nearly 100 in that time. It has worked on a wide range of issues, from cataloging book banning to reporting on writers under assault in Latin America. Some of the people I’ve spoken with who have had leadership positions at PEN America have wondered, though, if an outsize focus on threats to free speech from the right has unwittingly contributed to the politicization and the current confusion about what PEN is supposed to be for. One of these PEN America insiders told me that he thought 90 percent of the issues the organization had been campaigning for could be construed as progressive causes.

The group’s free-speech absolutism may have become muddied in the process. “I would say that in the end, if we can get out of this situation,” this same person told me, “if we can find a way to come back to the preservation of the essential mission, which is to stand for free speech and free expression, and the proliferating nature of those demands and those challenges in a 21st century, and not be so exclusively wedded to our fights on behalf of the left, then I think we will have made a real step forward.”

Note those if s. At the moment, momentum is on the side of the protest, which will claim the cancellation of the festival as a victory. It now seems entirely possible that PEN America may not survive this episode. But I wonder whether these writers really appreciate exactly who will be most hurt if they achieve their goal. How many organizations exist that raise tens of thousands of dollars to support translators and emerging writers? How many festivals bring to the United States creative people from around the world to talk about their art, to debate and discuss the harsh conditions under which they work? How many organizations keep track of imprisoned authors? Does it really make sense to jettison such an entity without first thinking through what its absence would mean, what a world without PEN, without a defense of expression, whatever form it might take, would actually look like?

Or maybe just listen to the voice of a writer like Aatish Taseer, who turned to PEN America at a moment of need. The prime minister of India, Narendra Modi, offended by a critical article Taseer wrote in Time magazine, canceled Taseer’s overseas Indian citizenship (a special status accorded to Indians living abroad). This left Taseer “completely bereft,” he told me, unable to return to the country and see his family, including his grandmother before she died. He asked PEN America for help. “They pulled every possible lever they could on my behalf to try and bring attention to my case, and to try to bring about a change in my situation,” he said. “I’m sure that PEN has made missteps, but I would rather be able to influence the organization from within than trying to boycott it or shut it down,” he said. Given how much PEN America has done for him, the disappearance of such an organization, in spite of its imperfections, would be a “terrible loss.”

Unions pushing ban on 'captive audience meetings.' What that would mean for RI.

PROVIDENCE – Free speech? Union-busting tactic?

From the Rhode Island union point of view : Workers here and across the nation need protection from "offensive or unwanted political speech" by their employers at meetings they dare not skip without putting their jobs at risk.

From the Rhode Island employers' point of view : The legislation that flew out of committee on its way to a full Senate vote next week would prohibit an employer from "communicating how regulations, as well as union organizing efforts, will affect a small business and the workers' jobs."

Such discussions are known in labor parlance as " captive audience meetings ." Banning them is one of the top priorities of the AFL-CIO in Rhode Island and a host of local unions.

But killing the bill is an equally high priority for groups that represent employers, such as the Rhode Island Business Coalition and the National Federation of Independent Business, which calls the framing of the bill deceptive.

"This bill appears to attempt to protect the free speech rights of employees in the workplace, but it also limits the First Amendment rights of employers," NFIB State Director Christopher Carlozzi told legislators.

More: He once chased Lincoln Chafee in a George W. Bush mask. Now, he's in line to lead RI AFL-CIO.

Behind the scenes: Amazon prepares to open a facility

The battle here just happens to be playing out as Amazon – a past target of captive meeting accusations in New York – is building a nearly 4-million-square-foot distribution center off Hartford Avenue in Johnston. It is expected to have 1,500 full-time employees once it opens.

Zoom out: What is a 'captive audience meeting' and where is it illegal?

A quick Google search produces this definition of a "captive audience meeting" : "A mandatory meeting during working hours, organized by an employer with the purpose of discouraging employees from organizing or joining a labor union. It is considered a union-busting tactic," according to Wikipedia.

At least five states, including New York, Connecticut, Maine, Minnesota, and Oregon have passed measures barring employers from holding mandatory meetings to talk about religious and political issues, including unionization.

Are captive audience meetings happening in Rhode Island?

Writing on behalf of Service Employees International Union 1199NE, Political Director Alex Moore recalled a long-ago incident at Butler Hospital , where dietary workers were joining a union and an employee was "unjustly fired for refusing to attend a captive audience meeting, a tactic used by employers to dissuade workers from unionizing through forced anti-union propaganda sessions."

"This event sparked a powerful response from his colleagues, who united to confront their employer," Moore continued. "Their solidarity led to the reinstatement of the fired employee."

It is hard to pin down any of the Rhode Island advocates on any recent instances.

The vote by the Senate Labor Committee to effectively ban "captive audience meetings" was 5 to 1, with the lone Republican present – Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz – casting the only nay vote.

What does the bill do?

It bars an employer from firing or disciplining in any way an employee who refuses to attend an employer-sponsored meeting, "the primary purpose of which is to communicate the employer's opinion concerning religious or political matters."

As Richard McAuliffe, the lobbyist for the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, told senators at a March 20 Senate Labor Committee hearing: "This does not limit free speech of employers at all."

"If an employer, let's say a guy who sells pillows online , decides he wants to talk about how great the former president is and 'the conspiracies' with it, he's more than welcome to do it," McAuliffe wrote. "If an employer wants to talk about why a union is not good for you, they can still have that meeting."

" But as an employee, I can leave and not be disciplined for that. "

But not everybody agrees it's as simple as that.

What does each side say?

The advocates for the bill ( H2785) include:

• Frank Flynn, president of the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals, who told the legislators: "There have been numerous incidents throughout the nation in which employers have forced employees to attend meetings supporting a specific political ideology, anti-union rhetoric or religious doctrine," and that the law establishes a "clear standard" for employers and employees regarding "non-work-related meetings in the workplace."

Those speaking against the bill included:

• Christopher Carlozzi, the state director of the NFIB, who said: Instead of protecting free speech as it claims, the bill "would actually create constraints on the free speech rights of Rhode Island employers" by prohibiting them from discussing matters that could impact the operation of the business – and the employees' jobs.
• His arguments were echoed by the Rhode Island Business Coalition, which says it represents 6,280 businesses that employ 231,200 people in Rhode Island.
• Those co-signing the coalition's letter of opposition to the bill included: the Associated Builders and Contractors, Rhode Island Chapter; the East Greenwich, North Kingstown and Greater Newport Chambers of Commerce; the Rhode Island Mortgage Bankers, Hospitality, Manufacturers, Marine Trade and Staffing Associations, among others.

Is the crackdown on US university campuses a threat to free speech?

Hundreds of students and academics have been arrested during rallies opposing Israel’s war on Gaza. 

Students in US universities are speaking out against Israel’s devastating war on Gaza.

The protests began in New York’s Columbia University last week.

But the police crackdown that followed caused the anger to spread to other universities in the United States and even in Europe and Australia.

The students say their right to protest is being crushed.

Presenter: Laura Kyle

Jude Taha – Palestinian journalist and student at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism

Jeremi Suri – Historian and professor of global leadership, history and public policy at The University of Texas at Austin

Rina Shah – Political strategist and a former senior congressional aide