All Questions
15 questions
18
votes
3
answers
895
views
First-Temple-Era names of the Hebrew months?
The Chumash refers to the months simply as "the first", "the second", and so on. Today we know them by their Babylonian names (Nisan, Iyar ...) Occasionally the Prophets from the First-Temple Era use ...
- 136k
17
votes
5
answers
6k
views
Is Hebrew the mother of all languages spoken today in the world?
I often wonder what language Adam, Seth, Noah and Abraham (may peace and blessings be upon them) used to speak. What was their native tongue? Was it classical Hebrew? If yes, then would it be right to ...
- 911
21
votes
5
answers
792
views
What is the nature of the numeral "ashtei-asar" (11)?
What is the nature of the numeral ashtei-asar (meaning 11) as in (BeMidbar 29:20, Parashat Pinchas):
וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי פָּרִים עַשְׁתֵּי-עָשָׂר
What is the basic word? Is this using ...
- 28.4k
2
votes
4
answers
5k
views
Most original form of the Hebrew Bible/Tanach
Not sure if they are the same thing (the Hebrew Bible and the Tanach). I read in this link that "there are many different Jewish translations of the Hebrew Bible". This kind of confuses me because I ...
- 385
25
votes
6
answers
2k
views
8
votes
2
answers
425
views
Are there any studies that compare Biblical Hebrew to modern Hebrew? [closed]
(I am a Hebrew speaker) When reading the Bible, one encounters sometimes words whose meaning in modern Hebrew clearly does not correspond to what was meant in the text (in Kohelet for example, "מסכן" ...
- 215
6
votes
1
answer
330
views
Why does the prefix She- appear in only Tehillim, Shir Hashirim, and Koheles?
The prefix שֶׁ is very common in Mishnaic and Modern Hebrew, but in Tanakh appear rarely, except in Tehillim, Shir Hashirim, and Koheles, where it is all over the place. Why are these books the only ...
- 8,313
21
votes
6
answers
7k
views
Difference between אֲנִי and אָנֹכִי
Throughout the Tanakh, I have come across אֲנִי (ʾani) and אָנֹכִי (ʾanokhi) many times, which both mean "I". What is the difference between the two words in Tanakh?
- 3,997
10
votes
1
answer
265
views
Proper Reading of the Word זועה
The word זועה appears six times in tanach:
Yeshayahu 28:19
Yirmiyahu 15:4
Yirmiyahu 24:9
Yirmiyahu 29:18
Yirmiyahu 34:17
Divrei Hayamim II 29:8
In each one of these instances except the first, the ...
- 2,542
7
votes
4
answers
3k
views
Silent aleph (no, I mean really silent)
Please explain what is going on with the letter Aleph in certain places in Tanakh (e.g. the second to last word of Devarim 3:12, the first word of Tehillim 34:10), where the Aleph contributes neither ...
- 4,008
7
votes
1
answer
347
views
Root of the name Aharon
What is the etymology of the name Aharon? The only serious site I've found that proposes an etymology is this, but I'm hoping for a more classical source, i.e. Chazal or Rishonim.
- 1,972
5
votes
2
answers
763
views
Unexpected Dagesh in Reish
I learned that a rule of Dageshim is that gutteral letters (אהחע''ר) reject dageshim.
My question is why do we find 17 reishs (1 Samuel 1:6, 1 Samuel 10:24, 1 Samuel 17:25, 2 Kings 6:32, Jeremiah 39:...
- 3,692
3
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Which pasuk in Tanach has the most letters?
I'm attempting to build a database with every pasuk in Tanach, I'm trying to determine the size of the varchar needed for this. Which pasuk is this and how many letters does it have?
- 131
2
votes
3
answers
321
views
Are Biblical Hebrew words for “sister” & “bride” interchangeable? Can “sister” mean “friend”?
Paul M. Conner, O.P., Celibate Love p. 23 (PDF p. 27), claims:
In Hebrew the terms "sister" and "bride" do not always have literal application. Often they are interchangeable. ...
- 150
1
vote
4
answers
339
views
The tribe and the stick
Is there a connection of definition between the two words used for "tribe" - מטה and שבט which both mean "stick" or "rod"? If so, why is the term "rod" used to refer to a tribe?
Examples:
שבט - ...
- 71.5k