Afflicted

"to be afflicted, be bowed down, be humbled, be meek." This word, common to both ancient and modern Hebrew, is the source of several important words i…

Answer (To)

"to respond, answer, reply." This root occurs in most Semitic languages, although it bears many meanings. With the meaning that undergirds ‘anâ, it ap…

Arise (To)

"to arise, stand up, come about." This word occurs in nearly every Semitic language, including biblical Hebrew and Aramaic. It occurs about 630 times …

Assembly

"assembly; company." Cognates derived from this Hebrew noun appear in late Aramaic and Syriac. Qahal occurs 123 times and in all periods of biblical H…

Bind (To)

"to bind, imprison, tie, gird, to harness." This word is a common Semitic term, found in both ancient Akkadian and Ugaritic, as well as throughout the…

Bone

"bone; body; substance; full; selfsame." Cognates of this word appear in Akkadian, Punic, Arabic, and Ethiopic. The word appears about 125 times in bi…

Bullock

"bullock." Cognates of this word appear in Ugaritic, Aramaic, Syriac, and Arabic. Par appears about 132 times in the Bible and in every period, althou…

Burn Incense (To)

"to burn incense, cause to rise up in smoke." The primary stem of this verb appears in Akkadian. Related forms appear in Ugaritic, Arabic, Phoenician,…

Bury (To)

"to bury." This verb is found in most Semitic languages including Ugaritic, Akkadian, Arabic, Aramaic, Phoenician, and post-biblical Aramaic. Biblical…

Cloud

"cloud; fog; storm cloud; smoke." Cognates of this word appear in Aramaic and Arabic. Its 87 appearances are scattered throughout the biblical materia…

Command (To)

"to command." This verb occurs only in biblical Hebrew (in all periods) and imperial Aramaic (starting from around 500 b.c.). Biblical occurrences num…

Confront (To)

"to meet, confront, go before, be before," This verb occurs 27 times and in every period of biblical Hebrew. Most often, this verb is used in a martia…

Create (To)

"to create, make." This verb is of profound theological significance, since it has only God as its subject. Only God can "create" in the sense implied…

Cry (To)

"to cry, cry out, call." Found in both biblical and modern Hebrew, this word has the sense of "to shout, yell." The word is a close parallel to the ve…

Distress

"distress; straits." The 70 appearances of sarâ occur in all periods of biblical literature, although most occurrences are in poetry (poetical, prophe…

Doorway

"doorway; opening; entrance; gate." This word appears 164 times in biblical Hebrew and in all periods. Petah basically represents the "opening through…

Dust

"dust; clods; plaster; ashes." Cognates of this word appear in Ugaritic, Akkadian, Aramaic, Syriac, and Arabic. It appears about 110 times in biblical…

End

"end; not; nothing; only." The 42 occurrences of this word appear in every period of biblical literature. It has a cognate in Ugaritic. Basically, the…

Enemy

"enemy." ’Oyeb has an Ugaritic cognate. It appears about 282 times in biblical Hebrew and in all periods. In form, the word is an active infinitive (o…

Ephod

"ephod." This word, which appears in Assyrian and (perhaps) Ugaritic, occurs 49 times in the biblical Hebrew, 31 times in the legal prescriptions of E…

Evening

"evening, night." The noun ‘ereb appears about 130 times and in all periods. This word represents the time of the day immediately preceding and follow…

Face

"face." This noun appears in biblical Hebrew about 2,100 times and in all periods, except when it occurs with the names of persons and places, it alwa…

Flock

"flock; small cattle; sheep; goats." A similar word is found in Akkadian, Aramaic, and Syriac, and in the Tel Amarna tablets. In Hebrew, so’n kept its…

Fruit

"fruit; reward; price; earnings; product; result." Cognates of this word appear in Ugaritic and Egyptian. Perî appears about 120 times in biblical Heb…

Gather (To)

"to collect, gather, assemble." This verb also appears in Ugaritic, Arabic, Aramaic, and post-biblical Hebrew; a similar word (having the same radical…

Glory

"glory; beauty; ornament; distinction; pride." This word appears about 51 times and in all periods of biblical Hebrew. The word represents "beauty," i…

Holy

"holy." The Semitic languages have two separate original forms of the root. The one signifies "pure" and "devoted," as in Akkadian qadistu and in Hebr…

Host

"host; military service; war; army; service; labor; forced labor; conflict." This word has cognates in either a verbal or noun form in Akkadian, Ugari…

Humbled (To Be)

"to be afflicted, be bowed down, be humbled, be meek." This word, common to both ancient and modern Hebrew, is the source of several important words i…

Increase

"to multiply, become numerous, become great." This verb also occurs in Akkadian, Arabic, Amorite, and biblical Aramaic. Biblical Hebrew attests it abo…

Marvelous (To Be)

"to be marvelous, be extraordinary, be beyond one's power to do, do wonderful acts." As can be seen from the suggested meanings, this verb is not easy…

Mouth

"mouth; edge; opening; entrance; collar; utterance; order; command; evidence." This word has cognates in Ugaritic, Akkadian, Arabic, Aramaic, and Amor…

Multiply (To)

"to multiply, become numerous, become great." This verb also occurs in Akkadian, Arabic, Amorite, and biblical Aramaic. Biblical Hebrew attests it abo…

Nakedness

"nakedness; indecent thing." Thirty-two of the 53 occurrences of this noun are in the social laws of Lev 18, Lev 20. The rest of its appearances are s…

Nose

"nose; nostrils; face; wrath; anger." This general Semitic word has cognates in Akkadian, Ugaritic, Phoenician, Aramaic, and Arabic. This word appears…

Number (To) (1)

"to number, visit, be concerned with, look after, make a search for, punish." This very ancient Semitic word is found in both Akkadian and Ugaritic lo…

Overlay (To)

"to overlay, spy, keep watch." This word is found in both biblical and modern Hebrew, and some scholars suggest that it exists in Ugaritic. Sapâ is fo…

Poor (person)

"poor; weak; afflicted; humble." This word, which also appears in early Aramaic and post-biblical Hebrew, occurs in biblical Hebrew about 76 times and…

Pray (To)

"to pray, intervene, meditate, judge." Found in both biblical and modern Hebrew, this word occurs 84 times in the Hebrew Old Testament. The word is us…

Prosper (To)

"to succeed, prosper." This word is found in both ancient and modern Hebrew. Occurring some 65 times in the text of the Hebrew Old Testament, the word…

Punish

"to number, visit, be concerned with, look after, make a search for, punish." This very ancient Semitic word is found in both Akkadian and Ugaritic lo…

Redeem (To)

"to redeem, deliver, avenge, act as a kinsman." This word group is used 90 times, chiefly in the Pentateuch, Psalms, Isaiah, and Ruth. The root appear…

Righteous (To Be)

"to be righteous, be in the right, be justified, be just." This verb, which occurs fewer than 40 times in biblical Hebrew, is derived from the noun s?…

Rock

"rock; rocky wall; cliff; rocky hill; mountain; rocky surface; boulder." Cognates of this word appear in Amorite, Phoenician, Ugaritic, and Aramaic. O…

Sanctify (To)

"to sanctify, be holy." This verb also appears in Phoenician, biblical Aramaic, and Ethiopic. In Ugaritic q-d-s signifies "sanctuary," and in Old Baby…

Scatter (To)

"to scatter, disperse, be scattered." This term is found in both ancient and modern Hebrew. Occurring some 65 times in the Hebrew Old Testament, the w…

Separate (To)

"to divide, separate." This word and its derivatives are common to both ancient and modern Hebrew. It is found in the text of the Hebrew Old Testament…

Set in Order (To)

"to arrange, set in order, compare." While it occurs some 75 times in the Hebrew Old Testament, this root is also found in modern Hebrew, being connec…

Small

"small; youngest"; qat?on"small; young; insignificant." These adjectives are synonymous. Both occur in all periods of biblical Hebrew, qat?an, 47 time…

Spread Out (To)

"to spread out, scatter, display." Found in both ancient and modern Hebrew, this word occurs approximately 65 times in the Hebrew Old Testament. It is…

Spy

"to overlay, spy, keep watch." This word is found in both biblical and modern Hebrew, and some scholars suggest that it exists in Ugaritic. S?apâ is f…

Statue

"statue; image; copy." Cognates of this word appear in Ugaritic and Phoenician (perhaps), Akkadian, Aramaic, and Arabic. Old Testament Hebrew attests …

Step

"step; foot; hoofbeats; pedestal; stroke; anvil." This noun's attested cognates appear in Ugaritic (p'n) and Phoenician. Biblical occurrences of this …

Stone

"stone." A comparison of Semitic languages shows that ’eben was the common word for "stone" among the ancients. Exact philological and semantic cognat…

Test (To)

"to refine, try, smelt, test." This root with the basic meaning of smelting and refining is found outside the Old Testament in Akkadian, Phoenician, a…

Time

"time; period of time; appointed time; proper time; season." This word also appears in Phoenician, post-biblical Hebrew, Arabic (where the same radica…

Transgress (To)

"to transgress, rebel." Apart from biblical Hebrew, this verb occurs in post-biblical Hebrew, in Palestinian Aramaic, and in Syriac, where it has the …

Tree

"tree; wood; timber; stick; stalk." This word has cognates in Ugaritic, Akkadian, Phoenician, Aramaic ('e'), and Arabic. It occurs about 325 times in …

Turn Back

"to turn towards, turn back, turn around, attach to, pass away, make clear." This verb also appears in Syriac and post-biblical Hebrew and post-biblic…

Turn Towards (To)

"to turn towards, turn back, turn around, attach to, pass away, make clear." This verb also appears in Syriac and post-biblical Hebrew and post-biblic…

Visit

"to number, visit, be concerned with, look after, make a search for, punish." This very ancient Semitic word is found in both Akkadian and Ugaritic lo…

Voice

"voice; sound; noise." This word also appears in Ugaritic ("sound"), Akkadian ("call"), Arabic ("say"), and in Phoenician, Ethiopic, and old South Ara…

Weak (Person)

"poor; weak; afflicted; humble." This word, which also appears in early Aramaic and post-biblical Hebrew, occurs in biblical Hebrew about 76 times and…

Work (To)

"to do, work." Common to both ancient and modern Hebrew, this word is used in modern Hebrew in the sense of "to work, to act, to function." Found only…