When you learn a few basic words in biblical Hebrew, it’s a joy to practice them as they come to mind.
Yesterday at church, I was reminded of the Hebrew word for water: מים (ma-yim). Our pastor realized he forgot to bring his water bottle when he stood up to preach. As he went to get his water, I repeated the word silently: מים מים מים
The word for water always reminds me of the word for heavens because they sound similar: שׁמים (sha-ma-yim). Silently, I repeated that word too: שׁמים שׁמים שׁמים
The pastor talked about prophecy. I remembered the Hebrew word for prophet: נביא (na-vi).
Then he mentioned a book of the Bible. The Hebrew word for book (or scroll) is ספר (say-fer).
When I arrived home from church, I saw one of the horses running in the yard. The Hebrew word for horse is סוס (soos). I also saw a donkey in the yard: חמור (kha-mor).
This is a simple and enjoyable way to practice the biblical Hebrew words you are learning as you move through your day.
Try it: think of one or two biblical Hebrew words you might encounter today. When you see them, say them. Repeat the words several times.
If you come across something in your day, and you don’t know the Hebrew word but are curious, that’s a great opportunity to look it up online. Depending on the word, it might not be in the Bible. But you can look up the word in modern Hebrew. That’s still a great opportunity to practice reading the Hebrew alphabet and thinking in Hebrew.
If you need more examples of biblical Hebrew words, you’ll find a list of words on this page: Biblical Hebrew Alphabet, Words, Names.
שׁלום
Shalom!
Adventures with God 