Word Study

One Flesh

Hebrew In Israel | One Flesh (Gen 2:24) – Learn Torah

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I was asked the following question about the relationship between man and woman in the context of Gen 2:24, and the meaning of the words בשר אחד.

Hebrew In Israel | All Ye of Black Hair – Learn Torah

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An interesting term found both in ANE text and Jewish sources is “Black headed peoples”. This term is found in Sumerian poetry and legal documents, and seems to relate to humans as a subject of any specific case discussed.  It is uncertain if it means all humans, and it might be used differently in each document.  We will look at two examples used in ancient sources and see how they are used.
Cain and Abel

Hebrew In Israel | One Verb – Learn Torah

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A Biblical text can be a field of land mines which can create many arguments over what is actually being said.  This has been the main issue in biblical interpretation for the last 2500 years, and has created many interpretations to text which can be read in different ways.  One of the mechanisms used is a very close reading of what is being said, and when the text does something unexpected we look for a reason.  In some cases the reason can be very simple, and in some complex.  The approach depends on what the reader is seeking, and how they want to read the text.  The following is an example of such a case where someone proposed an idea, and I presented a different way of reading.

Olam, World, Universe, forever

Hebrew In Israel | The World – Learn Torah

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The word Olam עולם is one of those words that keeps on showing up.  Most commonly it is known from the blessings used in Judaism “אלהינו מלך העולם”-Elohenu Melekh HaOlam (Our God, King of the Universe).  However, Olam in Biblical Hebrew actually has a temporal meaning.  Originally, it actually meant “eternal”, such as the combination of לעולם ועד-LeOlam Va’ed (forever).  It can be used to indicate the past such as כל ימי עולם-all the days of the past, or future as the example given above.  In Ugaritic we find combinations such as “mlk ‘lm-eternal king” or ” ‘m ‘lm-to eternity”.
Sources:  Kedari.M, BH Dictionary pp.782-783Gordon.C, UT 1858, pp.456-457

 

Originally Published:  1 August 2016

Hebrew In Israel | Kerem – Learn Hebrew Online

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The prophet Yisha’ayahu tells the story of a vineyard:

אָשִׁירָה נָּא לִידִידִי, שִׁירַת דּוֹדִי לְכַרְמוֹ:  כֶּרֶם הָיָה לִידִידִי, בְּקֶרֶן בֶּן-שָׁמֶן
I want to sing a song for someone I love, a song about my loved one and his vineyard.  My loved one had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.”  Isaiah 5:1

The section in question is a parable where the prophet compares Israel to a vineyard with a high potential for growth.  The owner, who is very devoted to his field, does every action possible to help his investment to grow.  This investment is one of the most important plants in the Mediterranean, and functioned as a catalyst in generating surplus and wealth.  However, the translation “vineyard” can be incorrect, and we might be looking at a late interpretation of the word כֶּרֶם-Kerem.
peace of jerusalem, pray for the peace of jerusalem, psalm 122,

Hebrew In Israel | Peace of Jerusalem – Learn Torah

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One of the most common verses on FB is the following from Psalms 122:6:

שאלו שלום ירושלם, ישליו אהביך
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, those who love you shall be at peace”
Like many of the discussions I have about verses, there are several questions about the correct translation of individual words.  Besides the questionable translations I see for the second part of the verse, we also have a case of contextual translation in the first word of the verse.

Hebrew In Israel | Ink – Learn Hebrew Online

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The Hebrew word for Ink-דיו-Dyo is a common word which appears in several Semitic languages.  One opinion (Lambedin) argues that it is actually derived from an Egyptian word “rith” which is argued to be the original for of Dyo which should be Ryo.  This is argued based on the physical resemblance between the Hebrew letters ד-ר which many do confuse.

Hebrew In Israel | Gifts and Offerings – Learn Torah

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An interesting thing about Biblical Hebrew is the specific use of words.  We are mostly exposed to the limited vernacular of Hebrew and the multiple meanings words may have.  However, in some cases we actually have specific words which are distinguishable in meaning from others. 

Hebrew In Israel | Keruv-Cherub – Learn Torah

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What Are They?

Much debate exists about the shape and nature of the Cherubs mentioned in the Bible.  They were featured on the ark, the tabernacle and the temple.  However, commentators and scholars have debated what they were, and with the findings made in time, we have a better picture of what they might have looked like.  The Talmud Sukkah 5b describes the cherubs as children, stating “What is the derivation of cherub?- R. Abbahu said, ‘Like a child’, for in Babylon they call a child Rabia.”  This interpretation has led to many artistic depictions of childlike cherubs.  However, this depiction is misleading and does not belong to the artistic world of the Bible and the ancient near east.  To find the correct meaning of the word we must look at the linguistic possibilities which exist. 

Hebrew In Israel | Aramaic and Hebrew in Contact: Shabbat the Queen? – Learn Torah

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Very commonly people refer to Shabbat as a “Queen” and the famous song “Lekha Dodi” uses the female imagery under the word “Bride”.  However, the word “Queen” is probably a mistake, and is based on a mishearing when words sound the same.  We also find in our case an attempt to reconcile two different parts of the Talmudic text which are the origins of this word formulation.

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