Hebrew Word Lessons

This weekend, in Canada, we celebrate Thanksgiving... a beautiful, food-filled, celebration of gratitude.  At my place of employment I'm responsible for producing our weekly internal newsletter. This week I wrote on the etymology of the English word THANKS which I thought I'd share with you. Although this blog is all about Hebrew words, it's also… Continue reading TODAH: Revisiting Thanks!

BROOKS/STREAMS: aphiq, Masculine noun (Strong’s 650). Root: אָפִיק Sounds like: aw-feek Psalm 42:1-2 As the deer pants for the water brooks [a’fiqey mayim אֲפִֽיקֵי־מָ֑יִם], so my soul pants for You, God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God? We have been taking some time to… Continue reading Afiq: STREAMS of Living Water

The PANTING DEER: Arag, verb to pant, (Strong’s 6165). Ayyal, masculine noun deer (Strong’s 354). Arag, sounds like: aw'rag. Root: עָרַג Ayyal, sounds like: ah'yawl. Root: אַיָּל Yesterday I took a lovely trip to visit family in New Brunswick. On my way home I saw three deer grazing in a field. This is not an… Continue reading Arag/Ayyal: The PANTING DEER

We are in the midst of Rosh Hashanah... the head of a new year. It's a good time for new beginnings! Last week I began something new. I went back to school!. I'm now a doctoral student in Biblical Studies at the Colorado Theological Seminary. It’s been a long time coming. I completed my Master’s… Continue reading Hoh’reni, Lamm’deni, Hoh’dieni: TEACH ME, Learn me, Knowledge me up!

Today is Grandparents’ Day in Canada, and many other countries in the world. It’s a particularly special one for me. After years of searching I finally found my biological grandfather with the help of DNA. Unfortunately my Grampa Charlie died in 1992. I didn’t get a chance to meet him, but I have met and… Continue reading B’ney banim: CHILDREN of CHILDREN. Biblical Grandparents & Grandkids.

To LACK/To DECREASE- khaser, verb (Strong’s 2637); LACKING- khaser, adjective (Strong’s 2638); POVERTY- makhsor, masculine noun (Strong’s 4270) Root: חָסֵר Sounds like: kha’sehr & makh’sohr We're looking at a word, this week, that describes my current state of being. I'm taking my two children to their perspective Universities in two different provinces (New Brunswick and… Continue reading Khaser: To Lack, to Decrease, to be in Poverty

FRUIT- peri, masculine noun (Strong’s 6529); FRUITFUL- parah, verb (Strong’s 6509) Root: פְרִי Sounds like: p'ree Both of my kids are heading off to University next weekend and I find myself constantly reminding them to “be kind and eat their fruits and veggies” once they leave the house. In essence I’m telling them to consume… Continue reading Peri: Be FRUITful!

Gikhon, masculine noun (Strong's 1521). From verb giakh, meaning “to burst forth” or “gush”  (Strong’s 1518). Root: גּיחַ Sounds  like: Gee'khown / Gee'akh Simply put, the Gihon Spring is the water source for Jerusalem. That doesn’t sound all that exciting, I realize, but considering life can’t survive without water, the Gihon Spring was of utmost… Continue reading Gikhon: The Gushing GIHON Spring

SULLAM (ladder), masculine noun (Strong’s 5551); M’SILLAH (highway), feminine noun (Strong’s 4546); SALAL (to raise up/build up), verb (Strong’s 5549). Root verb: סָלַל   Sounds like: soo’lawm; m’see’lah; sa’lawl This week we’re going to look at three Hebrew words that are closely related. One of those words only makes a single appearance in the Bible.… Continue reading Sullam, M’sillah: LADDERS & HIGHWAYS

OLD/ELDERS- zaqen, verb (Strong’s 2204); zaqen, adjective (Strong’s 2205); zoqen, zaqun, ziqnah, nouns meaning old age, (Strong’s 2007, 2008, 2009). Root: זָקֵן Sounds like: zah'qehn I turned 50 this year. I’m in the 2nd half of a potential century of life. I guess that makes me “old” but, as they say, with age comes wisdom…… Continue reading Zaqen: OLD and Grey