Hebrew Beginners The royal seal of Hezekiah, king of Judah, was discovered in the Ophel excavations under the direction of archaeologist Eilat Mazar. Photo: Courtesy of Dr. Eilat Mazar; photo by Ouria Tadmor, from http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org Page 1
The Alphabet Source from: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaism/alephbet.html#vowels The Vowels Patah Qamatz Segol Seré Hireq Qibbutz Shureq ו Holem ו Sheva Learn the alphabet and practise writing the letters. Complete exercise #1 and exercise #2 Page 2
The Gutturals There are 4 gutturals in the Hebrew alphabet that do strange things to the vowel markings. As we translate, you will start to see these differences. For now, learn which letters are the gutturals, and practise pronouncing them. א ה ח ע ר and sometimes Stems and their meanings: Hebrew verbs can be used with several variations in meaning. The stem in which the verb is written affects the meaning of the verb. You will notice how this works as we work through the passage. See the table of the paradigms for the varying features of each stem. For the purposes of this course we will look at only four. Qal Niphal Piel Hiphil Hithpael Page 3
Forms of verbs and their meanings Perfect Imperfect Imperative Infinitive Participle Cohortative/ Jussive wyqtl Complete exercise #3 Page 4
The BEGAD KEPHAT letters There are six letters in the Hebrew alphabet that change their sound, depending on where they are positioned in the word or what is happening around it. More information on this will come, but for now here are the letters and the associated sounds: Hard בּ גּ דּ כּ פּ תּ Soft ב ג ד כ פ ת The only distinction between those with soft sounds and those with hard sounds is a little dagesh (a dot in the middle of the consonant) Page 5
Vocabulary ת פ ל ת ש וב ר א ה א ל ד מ ע ת י ום א לה ים ה נ נ י ש ל י ש י ד ו ד כ ה א ב עם ב ית נ ג יד י הו ה ח ז ק י ה ו ש מ ע ר פא א ת ע לה א מ ר Page 6
II Kings 20 (New International Version) 1 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover." 2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, 3 "Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes." And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4 Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him: 5 "Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, 'This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the LORD. 6 I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.' " 7 Then Isaiah said, "Prepare a poultice of figs." They did so and applied it to the boil, and he recovered. 8 Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, "What will be the sign that the LORD will heal me and that I will go up to the temple of the LORD on the third day from now?" 9 Isaiah answered, "This is the LORD's sign to you that the LORD will do what he has promised: Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or shall it go back ten steps?" 10 "It is a simple matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps," said Hezekiah. "Rather, have it go back ten steps." 11 Then the prophet Isaiah called upon the LORD, and the LORD made the shadow go back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz. 12 At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of Hezekiah's illness. 13 Hezekiah received the messengers and showed them all that was in his storehouses the silver, the gold, the spices and the fine oil his armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them. 14 Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, "What did those men say, and where did they come from?" "From a distant land," Hezekiah replied. "They came from Babylon." 15 The prophet asked, "What did they see in your palace?" "They saw everything in my palace," Hezekiah said. "There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them." 16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD : 17 The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your fathers have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD. 18 And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood, that will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon." 19 "The word of the LORD you have spoken is good," Hezekiah replied. For he thought, "Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime?" 20 As for the other events of Hezekiah's reign, all his achievements and how he made the pool and the tunnel by which he brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 21 Hezekiah rested with his fathers. And Manasseh his son succeeded him as king. Page 7
II Kings 20 (English Standard Version) 1 In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, 'Set your house in order, for you shall die; you shall not recover.'" 2Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, saying, 3"Now, O LORD, please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4And before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him: 5"Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the leader of my people, Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD, 6and I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city for my own sake and for my servant David s sake." 7And Isaiah said, "Bring a cake of figs. And let them take and lay it on the boil, that he may recover." 8And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "What shall be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the LORD on the third day?" 9And Isaiah said, "This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he has promised: shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or go back ten steps?" 10And Hezekiah answered, "It is an easy thing for the shadow to lengthen ten steps. Rather let the shadow go back ten steps." 11And Isaiah the prophet called to the LORD, and he brought the shadow back ten steps, by which it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz. 12 At that time Merodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent envoys with letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick. 13And Hezekiah welcomed them, and he showed them all his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his armoury, all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them. 14Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah, and said to him, "What did these men say? And from where did they come to you?" And Hezekiah said, "They have come from a far country, from Babylon." 15He said, "What have they seen in your house?" And Hezekiah answered, "They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing in my storehouses that I did not show them." 16Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD: 17 Behold, the days are coming, whenall that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the LORD. 18 And some of your own sons, who shall be born to you, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon." 19Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, "The word of the LORD that you have spoken is good." For he thought, "Why not, if there will be peace and security in my days?" 20 The rest of the deeds of Hezekiah and all his might and how he made the pool and the conduit and brought water into the city, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 21 And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and Manasseh his son reigned in his place. Page 8
II Kings 20 (New King James Version) 1 In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, Thus says the LORD: Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live. 2 Then he turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD, saying, 3 Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight. And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4 And it happened, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 5 Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD. 6 And I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake, and for the sake of My servant David. 7 Then Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. So they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered. 8 And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, What is the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the LORD the third day? 9 Then Isaiah said, This is the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing which He has spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees or go backward ten degrees? 10 And Hezekiah answered, It is an easy thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees; no, but let the shadow go backward ten degrees. 11 So Isaiah the prophet cried out to the LORD, and He brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down on the sundial of Ahaz. 12 At that time Berodach-Baladan[a] the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick. 13 And Hezekiah was attentive to them, and showed them all the house of his treasures the silver and gold, the spices and precious ointment, and all[b] his armoury all that was found among his treasures. There was nothing in his house or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them. 14 Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah, and said to him, What did these men say, and from where did they come to you? So Hezekiah said, They came from a far country, from Babylon. 15 And he said, What have they seen in your house? So Hezekiah answered, They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them. 16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD: 17 Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left, says the LORD. 18 And they shall take away some of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. 19 So Hezekiah said to Isaiah, The word of the LORD which you have spoken is good! For he said, Will there not be peace and truth at least in my days? 20 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah all his might, and how he made a pool and a tunnel and brought water into the city are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 21 So Hezekiah rested with his fathers. Then Manasseh his son reigned in his place. Page 9
II Kings 20 - Interlinear Page 10
II Kings 20 - Masoretic Text Page 11
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Exercises Exercise #1 Transliterate the following words into English: מ ש ה א ף י ד ל ב נ ון י ש ר א ל כ נ ע ן Write your name in Hebrew: Write the names of your family members in Hebrew: Write the names of the people in this class in Hebrew: Exercise #2 Write a short letter to the person next to you in Hebrew (transliterate only). It must fill all lines given below. If you are stuck for ideas, you can write about yourself, your family, your pets, your hobbies. You may also like to ask the person next to you some questions to make the next exercise a little easier. Page 13
Exercise #3 Write a short letter back to the person who wrote to you (transliterate only). It must fill all lines given below. (Be sure to answer their questions!) Exercise #4 1. Translate the following into English: Vocabulary: ה כ ס ף ו ה ז ה ב.i ש רים ו ע ב ד ים ii. iii. ב ין - Gold ז ה ב - Day י ום - Silver כ ס ף - Night ל י ל ה ע ב ד ש ר בין הי ום וב ין ה ל י ל ה - Between -Servant/slave - Prince Page 14
2. Give the plural of the following words. Remember that feminine nouns end in ה and take the feminine plural suffix. ש יר.i ת ור ה ii. מ ל ח מ ה iii. iv. י ד (takes feminine suffix) Exercise #5 1. Translate the following into English: ה א י ש מ ש ה ג ד ול מ א ד.i ה ע ב ר ים ב א ר ץ ii. iii. Vocabulary: י הו ה ע ב ר 2. Give the stems for the following verbs: א ר ץ ג ד ול מ א ד מ ש ה ע ב ר.i ש מ ע ii. ה ר א ית ם iii. נ ש א iv. ד ב ר Earth, land Great Very Moses Cross over, pass over, transgress Exercise #6 Page 15
1. Give the probable roots of the following verbs:.i מ ב צ ר ii. מ ש א iii. א ז ר ח 2. Write the following in Hebrew, using your newly acquired knowledge and the vocabulary list to help you. Vocabulary: House ב י ת night ל יל ה Mountain ה ר city ע יר upon ע ל father א ב people ע ם Judah י ה וד ה i. The night ii. In the City iii. My father iv. From Judah v. In a house upon the mountain vi. The people in the city Page 16
Practise Writing Page 17
א ב ב ג ג ד ד ה ו ז ח ט י כ כ ך ל מ ם נ ן ס ע פ פ ף ץ צ ק ר ש ש ת ת ו ו Page 18