Free Online Tools for Learning Biblical Hebrew
Image by zofiaEliyahu from Pixabay When I used to read and study the Bible in English. my native tongue, I generally thought that I knew what the text said and felt confident to argue a point based on the grammar and word choices in the English translation I held in my hands. It wasn't until I started to explore the Hebrew text that I realised just how wrong I was. For example, did you know that there is a specific word for "work" in Hebrew that is only used in the creation narrative, tabernacle construction narrative, and instructions about observing the Sabbath? In English, this distinction is completely lost — leading most readers of English Bibles to think the 39 Jewish prohibitions are merely "rabbinical" and not based on anything in the text. The word Torah , as another example, is translated variously in English as "law", "instruction(s)" and "teaching". The English-speaking reader has no idea as they skim over these w...