Language Studies

The word צֵלָע tsêlâ‘ "side, rib" (Strong's #6763, x41) comes from the verb צָלַע tsâla‘ "to curve, limp, be lame, incline to one side" (Strong's #6760, x4) in the AV translated each time by "halt" by other versions as "limp, lame"…

The word גּוֹי gôy "nation" (Strong's #1471, x558), plural: גּוֹיִם gôyîm, derives from the same root as גְּוִיָּה geviyyâh (Strong's #1472, 13x) and גֵּוָה gêvâh (Strong's #1465, x1) "body" [dead or alive], namely…

The word אִשַָּׁה 'ishshâh (Strong's #802, x780) appears to be a feminine form of אִישׁ 'îysh "man, husband, male" (Strong's #376, x1638), in turn probably contracted from אשׂשנוֹשׁ 'enôwsh "man" (Strong's #582, x564). Many modern Hebraists prefer to see the two words as unrelated despite the similar sound…

The word תּוֹעֵבַָה tô‘êbhâh "abomination" (Strong's #8441, x117) comes from תָּעַב tâ‘abh "to abhor, shame, detest" (Strong's #8581, x22). Abhor is perhaps too strong a word and the Tongan word tabu and…

he phrase בְּרֵאשִׁית opens the Hebrew Bible. It is not one word but composed of the preposition בְּ b^e "in" and the word רֵאשִׁית rê’yshîyth "beginning" (Strong's #7225) from ר^·אשׁ rô’sh "head, chief, foremost" (Strong's #7218). The word רִאשׁוֹן ri’shôwn "first, primary, former" (Strong's #7223, x185) is similarly derived from…

This week's column is brought to you by the letter 'Aleph and the number 1 (with apologies to Sesame Street!). Hebrew 'aleph is the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet and and originally this letter represented an ox head and was similarly portrayed in Phoenician and Ancient Greek as well as Ancient Hebrew. The name for the first letter…

The root verb ‘âram עָרַם (Strong's #6191, x5) can be taken two ways. It only occurs 5 times, twice in Proverbs (15:5; 19:25) where it is used to good intent as prudent wisdom and twice in 1 Samuel 23:22 and Psalm 83:3 where the import is negative and conspiratorial…

The word פּוֹת pôth (Strong's #6596, x2) is very rare occuring just twice, each of which is untranslatable. The most likely root verbs are פָּתָה pâthâh (Strong's #6601, x28) and the more common פָּתַח pâthach (Strong's #6605, x144) both meaning…

The word חוֹל chôl "common" (Strong's #2455, x7) meaning "unholy, profane" or simply "common" in translation derives from חָלַל châlal (Strong's #2490, x141) which seems to have at its root the idea of opening through piercing, hence to begin…

The word for female נשׂשקֵבָה n^eqêbhâh (Strong's #5347, x22) is relatively rare compared to the high incidence of אִשָּׁה 'îshshâh "woman" (Strong's #802, x780) which is just the feminine form of "man" אִישׁ 'îysh (Strong's #376, x2180), just as we have…

The word עשׂשרָפֶל '^arâphel (Strong's #6205, x15) "dark cloud" appears to be a rare 4 consonant Hebrew word. Most, if not 99%, of Hebrew words derive from 3 letter triconsonantal roots. The famous Hebraist and lexicon author Gesenius regarded it as a blend of two…

The word תּועֵבָה tôw'êbhâh (Strong's #8441, x117) is consistently translated by the strong word "abomination" in all its KJV uses. It is first used not of God declaring a thing forbidden but of the Egyptians refusing to dine with Joseph's brothers, "for that is an abomination to them" (Genesis 43:32), along with shepherds, especially…

The word nâzal (Strong's #5140, x16) "flow, pour, gush, drop, trickle", is hardly a trickle in its first use. In Exodus 15:8 the Song of Moses describes how the waters of the Red Sea were stood upright in a heap, not even a trickle seeping forth! In another song, that of Deborah, Judges 5:5, the mountains are said to "gush, melt, quake,…

shâkhan 'to dwell' שָׁכַן (Strong's #7931) The word שָׁכַן shâkhan (Strong's #7931, x129) is the verb behind the well known but non-biblical term שׁשׂשכִנשׂשה shekhinah, used for the presence of God, a feminine word often seen as describing the Spirit or glory of God. The first use of the verb is God's "placing" or "causing to dwell" cherubim at the eastern edge of Eden to guard against man's return to the Tree of Life