Hebrew Language: Root Words
Most Hebrew words are derived from three-letter root words
The vast majority of words in the Hebrew language can be boiled down to a
three-consonant root word that contains the essence of the word's meaning. Even
if you cannot read Hebrew, you will find that you can get some insight into the
meaning of the Bible by identifying the roots of words. If you see the same
English word in two different places, but different Hebrew roots are used, this
may indicate that there is a different shade of meaning. If the same Hebrew
root is used in two different places, the words and their meanings are probably
substantial amount of rabbinical interpretation of
the Bible is derived from the relation between root words. For example, the
rabbis concluded that G-d created women with greater
intuition and understanding than men, because man was "formed" (yitzer, Gen.
2:7) while woman was "built" (yiben, Gen. 2:22). The root of "built,"
Beit-Nun-Hei, is very similar to the word "binah" (Beit-Yod-Nun-Hei), meaning
understanding, insight or intuition.
a familiar Talmudic teaching notes the similarity
of the words banayikh (your children) and bonayikh (your builders), and
suggests that Isaiah 54:13 (and all your children/builders will be students of
G-d, and great shall be the peace of your children/builders) indicates that
those who study Torah are the builders of peace.
Formation of Hebrew Words from Roots
Hebrew words are formed from roots by changing vowels and by adding a wealth of
prefixes and suffixes to that root. Prefixes can be prepositions (in, on, of,
to, etc.), articles (the), or other things. Suffixes can be pronouns (he, you,
our, etc.), possessives ('s), or can indicate gender and number (female
singular; male plural, etc.). Because of the way these prefixes and suffixes
are added to the root, a single word in Hebrew might be translated into English
as several words.
example, the first word of the Torah, "bereishit,"
is usually translated as "in the beginning." The root is Reish-Alef-Shin, which
means "head" or "first." (See Hebrew Alphabet to
learn the letters). It is the same root as the "Rosh" in
"Rosh Hashanah" (first of the year, i.e., Jewish
New Year). We add the prefix Beit, a preposition meaning "in," "on," and a
number of other things. The word "the" is implied.
more complicated example is the Hebrew word "shehecheyanu," the name of a
popular prayer recited on holidays and at other times. The single word
"shehecheyanu" means "who has kept us alive." The root of this word is
Cheit-Yod-Hei, a verb meaning "to live." It's the same root as the Hebrew word
"chai" (life or living) which you commonly see on Jewish jewelry, and the
Jewish toast "l'chayim!" (to life!) The Shin prefix turns the verb into a noun
indicating a person who does the thing ("who"). The next letter is Hei, which
normally turns a verb into a causative form ("has kept"). The Nun-Vav suffix is
a first person plural pronoun ("us"). Thus, shehecheyanu means "who has kept us
are surprisingly few root words in biblical Hebrew, but we get a lot of mileage
out of the ones we have. For example, from the root word Qof-Dalet-Shin,
meaning "holy," "sacred" or "sanctified," we get kedushah (holiness), kiddush
(a prayer over wine sanctifying Shabbat or a
Kaddish (an important prayer commonly thought of
as a mourning prayer), aron kodesh (holy cabinet - the place in synagogue where
the Torah scrolls are kept), and
obviously, from the root Samekh-Dalet-Reish, meaning "order," we get siddur
(the daily prayer book, which sets for the order of prayers),
Passover family ritual, which must be performed
in a specified order) and sidrah (the weekly
Torah reading, also called a parshah).
Prefixes and Suffixes
Here are some common prefixes and suffixes you will find on Hebrew words:
||Comments and Examples
||Vav used as a prefix can make the "v" sound or the "u" sound. When used
with other prefixes, this is always the first prefix. V'ahavta
(and you shall love); U'vayom (and on the day).
||In, on, with, by, etc.
||Beit as a prefix sometimes makes the soft sound (v). Bereishit
(in the beginning); u'vayom (and on the day).
||When Hei used with other prefixes, this is always the last prefix before
the root. It is often absorbed into the Beit or Lamed prefix. Haolam
(the universe); u'vayom (and on the day; note that the v'
(on) combines with the ha (the) to become va (on the)).
||Mi kamokha (who is like you?).
||L'chayim (to life).
||From; also turns a verb into a noun
||Mimitzrayim (from Egypt); mitzvah (commandment, a noun
derived from the root verb tzavah meaning command)
||Turns a verb into the person who does it
||Shehecheyanu (who has kept us alive); sheasah
||Comments and Examples
||B'khol l'vavikha uv'khol naf'shikha uv'khol m'odekha
(with all your heart and with all your soul and with all
||We, us, our
||Avinu malkeynu (our Father, our King); asher
kidishanu (who has sanctified us); ashamnu (we have
If you are interested in Hebrew root words, an interesting book to look at, is
Jewish Lexicon, which looks at a lot of important Jewish concepts and
idioms through their root words. Be aware that this book is written from a
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