So... You Want to Learn Hebrew - Step 2

The study of Hebrew, ideally, would be a lifelong project. For many us, that is impossible at this point in our lives. Not to be undersold in this life, we will forge on and consider this the first day of our lives. In Step 1, the materials that can be used for studying Hebrew and translating Scripture were provided. Here is Step 2, we will begin to familiarize ourselves with those materials.

In the beginning, it is helpful to just look at and read through some of the materials.  Rewriting data always works for me.  Compiling new charts of your own with items placed for ease of movement for your own eyes.

I like to draw pictures.  These pictures are really only meaningful to me, I’m sure.  Art was never my strong subject!  But, pictures are what you are seeing in your mind.  The pictorial representation of how you perceive the alephbet is important.  So draw away!  Perhaps, make some flashcards.  And then, Stand back and See what you have been Given.  Our mind’s eye is our most precious bodily part, in my mind!!!  Even a blind person can See with their mind’s eye.  A person with sight may be blinder than the person who has no sight in their eyes, if they have not invested in and nurtured their mind’s eye.

So, to go down the list of basic materials, my suggestions were:

·         A chart of Hebrew letter

·         A Hebrew/English dictionary

·         A Tanakh or Chumash

·         A transliterated version of the Bible

·         A notebook

·         A magnifying glass

·         Neglected from the step 1 list!!! Whatever version of the Holy Bible you like to use.

The chart of Hebrew letters should include the letter, a short description of the meaning of the letter, the numerical value of the letter. Some people like to laminate this as a card, which is a good idea as you will be referencing this a lot in the beginning of your studies.

To the right is a video showing some of the basics I use in my study of Hebrew. My presentations will always be basic and simple, not of professional value. The Work God Gives me is to be in a simple form so anyone can Understand. There is a second version of this video on UTube that may give you a bit more information. Thank you for your patience with my presentations.

The Hebrew/English dictionary is a must until you are adept at applying the meaning to your letters and words.  The Hebrew portion is what I use the most, but that is not to say that the English portion will not help you.  Everyone has their own style of learning and applying that information.  I applied tabs to my Hebrew letters so I could easily access each letter’s section of the dictionary readily.

The Tanakh or Chumash are your sources for ensuring that you have the correct Hebrew cited for the Scripture you are wanting to evaluate. I have found errors in biblical sources that came on disc, cited in Strong’s and online. Be careful with your Scriptures. The end result will be as correct as the Scriptures you use…

The transliterated version of the Bible, again, be careful.  It is a wonderful tool, but ensure that the Scripture is correct.  With time, you can transliterate the verses yourself.

The notebook is where I keep all my reference sheets together.  When I translate, I am flipping from one source to another.  God provides me all kinds of information as I go.  Stay focused as you will learn side items as you are working on one Scripture.  It is an Adventure, for sure!!

Hebrew in my Tanakh and Chumash is very small type.  The magnifying glass helps me to ensure accuracy. 

If you are like me, you enjoy comparing versions of the Bible.  Most are very similar.  Your translations should be similar at times, but they will be molded to your life.  They will be history, but give you current information.  Prophesies are not one isolated event, necessarily.  That prophetic event can occur over history, again and again.  The theme will be the same, because mankind doesn’t learn it’s lessons.  The actual event will change. 

There is Peace for us in the Scriptures.  As we are told in the New Testament, when the Ruach Ha Kodesh (the Holy Spirit) is with you, you are Given Foreshadowing of things to come.  He Protects us!  May God Bless you as you become Familiar with His Materials.

The Goal with these Hebrew lessons is to show even those of us who are not necessarily intellects of Scriptures, that God has a Message for every one of us in His Words. It is more important to have His Words Engraved upon your heart than to know the words backwards and forwards. In Step 3, we will begin to apply the information we are now familiar with to the Scriptures we find in the Tanakh and Chumash. I look forward to working with you there!