Lesson 1 | The alphabet
The Hebrew you already know
Reading some words
Now let’s get some practice reading the Hebrew letters and vowels you have just learned by reading some Hebrew words which you already know. It's true—if you are like most English speakers, you already know (or at least half-know) quite a few Hebrew words. Thus, there is no better place to start reading.
To get the most out of this exercise, do the following for each word.
Try to read the word aloud before listening to it.
Remember to read the Hebrew right-to-left!
Click the play button a few times to hear the word spoken.
Try to mimic the pronunciation of the word each time.
Note the meaning of the word and other words related to it.
Noting these built-in associations is a great way to expand your vocab quickly.
We are more accustomed to pronouncing this “Messiah” or using the Greek word “Christ” in English.
As in “bar-mitzvah”—the traditional Jewish coming-of-age ceremony. The “bar” part is actually the Aramaic word for son. Together, they mean “son of the commandment” since Jewish transition states that boys age 13 and up are now obligated to keep the law.
the Lord (i.e. the name of God)
king of שָׁלֵם to whom אַבְרָהָם gave a tithe
You have already seen and learned words with the צדק root in a previous lesson step.
אַבְרָהָם’s son of promise
post-exile leader of יִשְׂרָאֵל
post-exile leader of יִשְׂרָאֵל
one of the major prophets
one of the minor prophets
one of the minor prophets
one of the minor prophets
It is amazing how much Hebrew you already know, isn't it? On the next lesson step you will actually read 3 verses from the Hebrew Bible.