Very often Seminary students in their first year are thrown into the language studies of Hebrew and Greek. The study of Hebrew and Greek is for a good understanding and exegetical skill needed for a good exposition of the scriptures.
Hebrew in particular is a language that first off is hard to even look at. The 22 different characters can be quite a challenge to memorize and the many different words another challenge of exponential proportions. For example multiple words of opposite or entirely different meanings exist in the Hebrew.
Awb for example can mean father and green herb. The question that often comes to mind is:
"How can the same spelling word have so many different meanings?"
The answer that is given usually is: "There is no rhyme or reason for these different meanings. Just memorize the words, don't try to make sense out of them."
This is actually not true. There is a rhyme and reason for each word, and letter. But to understand the words, you need to first understand the letters.
Origin Of The Languages
The background of the letter is significant and actually traces its answer in around 3000 BC.
Archaeologists have long since discovered that ancient languages originated in the middle east area, actually modern day Iraq or ancient Babylon. The theory is that the multiple languages migrated from the Fertile Crescent area in all directions. Some migrated to the North and East in Turkey and Greece, others to the south, Egypt and Ethiopia. And further still to the east, in what we call modern day India and China.
What is a common theme in all these languages is the starting of pictographs as a language form. For example the Chinese/Korean/Japanese have not ceased in using their pictograph forms for letters. Early Chinese language forms for example have letters that represent man in the form of a stick figure. And additionally the word for "loss" in the Chinese language is a two mouths in a tree.
Significance of The Pictographs
For a seminary student this "loss" or "wreckage from sin" fact is quite significant. What this demonstrates is a confirmation of a scattering of languages, and a carry over of the Eden story in the language. The most significant fact is that the language was endeavoring to do two things: 1.) Form a communication medium 2.) Retain Past Histories.
The Babel Connection
According to the Bible narrative of the Babel history, the leader, Nimrod was using temple worship as a form of nationalizing or unifying the people in a one world government. God saw this unification process, which essentially said "man is the measure of all things" as a thumb in the face of God and His plan of righteous expansion in the earth.
The problem with Nimrod is that the world was not getting expanded but centralized, additionally; the whole ethic of the people was going downhill real fast. So God chose to "make strange their speech" as a judgment of scattering.
The purpose of this scattering effect was to slow down the rapid expansion of idolatry and to promulgate the expansion of peoples in the earth. So instead of being able to unify together and build this massive system of idolatry, they were scattered. God made strange their speech, because they thought His speech (His Law) was strange. Not until Pentecost was the Babel curse started to be rolled back. The gospel at the time of Pentecost was not going to be hindered by language but was going to expand in the earth, unlike the counterpart of Babel where idolatry was being hindered.
As you and I well know, the curse of Babel is still significant in the earth, where many in the world do not have gospel message. But the prime reason why we would even learn Hebrew is to have a better understanding of what the Old Testament is trying to tell us.
Why Bring Up Babel?
I bring up the Babel story in particular to show that languages started out pictorial. In the desperation after Babel, life did not cease to exist, but large challenges about how to trade and communicate with one another suddenly existed. To write contracts for example a language was needed to trade effectively and not cause hostilities.
Contracts are vital for businesses to operate, and so in order to get food on the table, a language, or a means of communication was desperately needed. So everyone started out simple. They started out with pictures and progressed from there.
All Languages Started Out Pictoral
The real dividing line is that languages started out using pictures from different vantage points. Like the Chinese for example having their word for man being a stick figure, would be contrasted to Hebrew being "Adam" which is very deep in pictoral signficance (Adam means Dominion and the derivation comes from the letters...that at another time)
The Hebrew letters are the foundation to the language. Each letter has a background and a History that is significant. Each letter also has a meaning and an ideology. A good Hebrew Alphabet Card system will use all three. The better systems use theology to bind them together.
Downfalls To Common Memorization Techniques
Common memorization techniques use irrelevant combinations of sounds and pictures. This really does a disservice to the treasure trove of information and understanding that can be gathered from the rich Hebrew Language.
For example to memorize a letter based on its sound is not enough. To memorize the letter on its look is not enough. To memorize the letter on how it fits in words is really not enough either.
People Are Visually Orientated
People are visual in orientation. We often memorize by picture. How many times have you recalled a memory based on an event or a place that you were at. A crisp fall day, for example, with the brightly colored leaves brings back memories of days when burning leaves was okay, or the smells of pumpkin shells and the sound of jumping in leaves when you were a kid.
These visuals, smells, and sounds all recalled by one picture, a yellow maple tree.
Biblical Pictures
The same goes for the Hebrew language. Actually the Hebrew culture was formed around pictures too. Jeremiah eludes to this when he states:
Jer 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Jer 31:32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: Jer 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
The new covenant was to be written in their hearts, not ON them. The old covenant was written on them in all sorts of ways, by the clothes they wore, the food they ate and how they washed. All these were pictures of a greater picture to come which was righteousness manifested in Christ our Lord snd His magnificent work..
Hebrew Alphabet Is Critically Foundational
The point being that the Hebrew Alphabet and Words were foundational to their language and to their theology.
So learning the Hebrew language need not be a chore, but with a fundamental understanding of the language is very helpful. Pictures and theology are the key. These concepts are so simple that even a 4 year old can learn and enjoy Hebrew studies.
Robert N. Gamble MD, is the author of the http://www.HebrewScholar.com web page which is devoted to expanding understanding in the Hebrew language. He has written several works on the Hebrew Alphabet, Hebrew Words and Hebrew Pointing. Are you struggling with the Hebrew Alphabet and wondering how to learn it it three days? Go to the http://HebrewScholar.com and try out the Hebrew Alphabet System. |
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