Heb L AlphaLore 2nded 2016

Hebrew Alphabet Lore
Section L
Alphabet Lore
Second Edition
© 2000-2016 Timothy Ministries
Page L - 1
[Do not] forget your God, whom your father Abraham chose when
the families of the earth were divided in the days of Peleg. The Lord
descended with seventy angels, at their head Michael, and he com-
manded them to teach the seventy languages unto the seventy fami-
lies of Noah. The angels did according to the behest of God, and the
holy Hebrew language remained only in the house of Shem and Eber,
and in the house of their descendant Abraham. On this day of teach-
ing languages, Michael came to each nation separately, and told it the
message with which God had charged him, saying: ‘I know the rebel-
lion and the confusion ye have enacted against God. Now, make choice
of him whom you will serve, and whom will you have as your mediator
in heaven?’ Then spake Nimrod the wicked, ‘In my eyes there is none
greater than he that taught me the language of Cush.’ The other na-
tions p 447 also answered in words like these, each one designated
its angel. But Abraham said: ‘I choose none other than Him that spake
and the world was. In Him I will have faith, and my seed forever and
ever.’ Thenceforth God put every nation in the care of its angel, but
Abraham and his seed He kept for Himself.
Naphtali’s Charge To His Children

Ginzberg, Louis, Henrietta Szold, and Paul Radin, Legends of the Jews,
2nd ed. (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2003)
Page L - 2
Contents
Naphtali’s Charge To His Children (Excerpt)......................................... 2

Cartoons............................................................................................... 4
Aleph.................................................................................................... 5
Bet........................................................................................................ 6
Gimel.................................................................................................... 7
Dalet..................................................................................................... 8
Hey....................................................................................................... 9
Vav...................................................................................................... 10
Zayin................................................................................................... 11
Ḥet...................................................................................................... 12
Tet....................................................................................................... 13
Yod...................................................................................................... 14
Kaf...................................................................................................... 15
Lamed................................................................................................. 16
Mem................................................................................................... 17
Nun..................................................................................................... 18
Samech............................................................................................... 19
Ayin .................................................................................................... 20
Pe........................................................................................................ 21
Tsade.................................................................................................. 22
Qof...................................................................................................... 23
Resh.................................................................................................... 24
Sin/Shin.............................................................................................. 25
Tav...................................................................................................... 26
Page L - 3
Page L - 4
Aleph
Drawing steps:
A s the first letter of the alpha-

bet, the aleph became the
symbol for the number one, and,
with the dieresis (¨), the number
1,000. (It is also the symbol for a
famous Greek Bible manuscript,
the Codex Sinaiticus.)
As the initial letter of the al-
phabet and as the letter having
derived from the pictogram for an
ox, the letter itself sometimes con-
notes first, oneness, unity, unique-
ness or strength. Thus, it appears
in such words as:
Position Printed Form Sound lae God
a Silent.
Serves as place-
holder for attached
vowel.
God
µyhiløa‘
µd;a; Adam
ˆwOda; Lord
dj;a, One
Lore
Though rarely heard now in
spoken Hebrew, the aleph once
indicated a glottal stop. If you’ve
ever heard a child say kitten
Aleph is the old word for ox, and the aleph without the T’s, you’ve heard a
in paleo-Hebrew was a pictogram of an glottal stop where the T sounds
ox head with horns. Rotate the ancient should occur: ki’en.
pictogram to get our Greek α and Roman
A both of which descended from it.
Page L - 5
Bet
(Also Beit, Beth)
Drawing steps:
B
Bottom horizontal stroke
protrudes to the right
A s the second letter of the

alphabet Bet became the
symbol for the number two, and,
with the dieresis (¨), the number
2,000.
As the symbol for “house,”
the Bet connotes shelter, interior
space. In fact, b standing alone is
the preposition in. It also appears
in such words as:
Position Sound
hb;B; Pupil of eye
2
Cistern
b
rwOB
B as in boy,
V as in vine. raeB] Well
ˆf,B , Womb
Interestingly, combining Aleph
A BeGeD KeFeT with Bet gives us “the man
Lore letter. SEE p. 7! To (µd;a); of the house (tyIB)’ ”:
indicate the B (stop)
ba; Father
sound rather than the
V (fricative) sound Adding the preposition to (l) to
requires adding a dot a doubled Bet points to the in-
(B) inside the Bet. nermost part:
Bet (tyIB)' is the word for house, tent,

Mind, heart
bb;le
place, as in Bethlehem = house of
bread. In paleo-Hebrew, bet looks like
a tent and the living space in front of it.
Page L - 6
Gimel
(Also Gimmel)
Drawing steps:
T he Gimel became the symbol

for the number three, and, with
the dieresis (¨), the number 3,000.
The letter Gimel is a guttural
and is associated with the throat,
and by extension with pipes, chan-
nels, conduits, and agency. Thus,
µybiGE Trenches, ditches
ˆG" Watered garden
laeGO Agent of redemption
Position Printed Form Sound
3 g G as in garden
The letter gimel is a

BeGeD KeFeT letter,
though it no longer has a
Lore fricative pronunciation in
spoken Hebrew. See p. 7!
Gimel means camel (lm;G): . In paleo-

Hebrew, the letter gimmel looks like
the neck/throat of a camel. (It also
reminds me of the camel’s hump!)
Page L - 7
Dalet
Drawing steps:
Top horizontal stroke

protrudes to the right to
distinguish Dalet from
Resh.
T he Dalet became the symbol

for the number four, and, with
the dieresis (¨), the number 4,000.
As a letter signifying a door,
Dalet appears in words having to do
with home, family, and procreation.
Thus,
µD; Blood
dwOD Loved one, uncle
qb'D; Keep close
4
rWD Dwell
d D as in Door rb'D; Speak

ˆD; Judge
Lore
The letter dalet is a

BeGeD KeFeT letter,
Dalet means door ( tl,de). In paleo- though it no longer has a
Hebrew, dalet looks like a tent door. fricative pronunciation in
It is a triangle from which evolved the spoken Hebrew. See p. 7!
Greek delta and our D.
Page L - 8
Hey
Drawing steps:
h
The left leg of the Hey
does not connect to the
horizontal top stroke. This
distinguishes the Hey from
the Chet.
I n post-biblical times, hey came to

stand for the numeral 5.
There are competing theories
as to the significance of the Paleo-
Hebrew pictogram for the letter
Hey. On the theory that it evolved
from the Egyptian hieroglyphic and
subsequent Hieratic symbol for hall,
habitation, it would make sense that
5
Hey would appear in words having
h H as in House to do with buildings, like,

lk;yhe Temple (house for all?).
To have any confidence that hey
still evokes ideas from its ancient
pictograph, however, will require
Lore further research.
Hieroglyphic H, Hieratic H, Paleo-Hebrew Hey,

sign for hall, habitation sign for hall, habitation from which evolved
the Greek epsilon
and our letter E.
Page L - 9
Vav
(Used to be called
Waw or Wow.)
Drawing steps:
w
I n post-biblical times, vav came to
As the letter that represents a hook,
peg or nail, vav appears in Hebrew
most often as the conjunction and (‫)ו‬.
This one-letter word not only joins
substantives like “male and female”
(hb;qen“W rk;z,: Gen 1.27), but also (redun-
dantly to the American mind) narra-
tives: “And (w") God created man in His
own image…” (Gen 1.27).
Position Pronunciation
6 w V as in Vine
Lore
The word vav (ww: ) means hook, pin,

peg or nail. The modern Aramaic letter
used in the Hebrew alphabet is just a
simplified version of the paleo-Hebrew
pictogram of a nail.
Page L - 10
Zayin
Drawing steps:
z
I n post-biblical times, zayin came to
The Hebrews made use of zayin's
ZZZ sound to form onomatopoe-
ic words for things that buzzed or
swished. Therefore, a high percentage
of Hebrew words beginning with zayin
have to do with motion or moving
things. A few examples:
bbz Move to and fro
bWbz Fly (insect)
bWz Flow, Gush
Printed Form Pronunciation zyzI Moving things (beasts)
7 z
['Wz Tremble, Quake
Z as in Zebra
tl,j,&zO Crawling thing, Serpent
glz Glide (as an arrow)
ll'z: Shake
Lore [r'z: Sow, Scatter seed
[r'z<‡ Seed, Offspring
The pictograph for zayin is believed to have represented

a weapon, perhaps of the kind indicated by the word azen
(ˆz´´a); which means spade, paddle or weapon. In the paleo-
Hebrew form we see the prototype of our letter Z. It is
interesting to note that the ancients weren’t overly con-
cerned about the orientation of their drawn letters. Even
MNEMONICS: Zayin is the seventh in modern Yemen, Jewish children were adept at reading
consonant, and looks a bit like a 7. A 7 Hebrew upside down because many would gather in a
looks like a Z without its bottom stroke. circle to simultaneously read a single rare Torah scroll.
Page L - 11
Het
.
Drawing steps:
j
No gap here, to distin-
guish Chet from Hey.
I n post-biblical times, chet came

to stand for the numeral 8.
Deriving from a pictogram
of a fence, chet is readily used in
words about dividing, connecting,
joining, protecting, and hiding. A
few examples:
rb'j; Unite, be joined
gj' Festival gathering
rg'j; Hinder, restrain
Position Printed Form Pronunciation rd'j; Surround, enclose
8 j Guttural CH gWj Make circle

as in Bach hm;wOj Wall
µf'j; Hold in, restrain
≈x'j; Divide
Lore rxej; Enclosure, court
The paleo-Hebrew chet was derived from

the paleo-Hebrew hey by adding a vertical
stroke (see bottom of page 12). We can
see in this paleo-Hebrew form of chet the
beginnings of our letter H. The original
pictogram for chet apparently represented
a fence, more clearly seen in the orienta-
Proto-Sinaitic Paleo-Hebrew tion of the earlier proto-Sinaitic form.
Page L - 12
Tet
Drawing steps:
f
I n post-biblical times, tet came to
The paleo-Hebrew tet is thought
to have been derived from the Egyp-
tian hieroglyphic for city or town.
Tet does not appear in the Hebrew
word for city, though. It does appear
in a number of words that have to do
with covering or things that cover
(like an encampment covers the
ground and becomes a city?). Here
are some examples:
Position Printed Form Pronunciation lb'f; Dip (cover in water)
9 f T as in Tall
lWbf] Turban (head cover)
[b'f; Sink down
j"Wf Over-spread, coat
fyfi Mud, mire, clay
Lore hr:yfi Encampment
jh'f; Be besmeared
lf; Dew
ˆm'f; Hide, conceal
The relationship between tet and tav is seen in

paleo-Hebrew: Tet is a tav enclosed. (The pa-
Hieroglyphic Paleo-Hebrew tet
for city or town leo-Hebrew tet reminds me of a ball of potter's
clay (fyf) with a mark, i.e., a tav inscribed on
it.) You can also see how the paleo-Hebrew
tet evolved into the Greek theta.
Page L - 13
Yod
Drawing steps:
y
I n post-biblical times, Yod came to
stand for the numeral 10, such that
ay = 11, by = 12, etc.
As connected to the idea of hand,
dy:, it does not surprise us to see yod
in words relating to manual actions.
Here are some examples:
lb'y: Carry away, be led
bg"y: Till (the ground)
["gEy: Toil
hd;y: Throw, cast
Position Printed Form Pronunciation bh'y: Give
10 y
vm'y: Touch
Y as in Yum!
rs'y: Discipline, chasten
rx'y: Form, fashion
hr;y: Throw, shoot
Lore
The paleo-Hebrew Yod developed

from a pictogram representing
a hand ( dy: ). The letter name
yod evolved into the Greek letter
name, iota. The letter name iota
became our noun jot signifying a
tiny bit or tiny mark.
Page L - 14
Kaf
Kaf is the first letter with both
a medial and a final form.
Drawing steps:
K >
Drawing steps:
Top horizontal stroke protrudes to

the right, helping to distinguish the
final kaf from a resh.
T he letter kaf has an elongated

final form (that normally car-
ries a raised silent sheva) when it
appears at the end of a word. The
Position Printed Form Pronunciation lengthened vertical stroke (and
11 k
raised sheva) distinguishes the
K as in Kaaren, final kaf from a dalet.
CH as in Bach In post-biblical times, Kaf
came to stand for the numeral 20.
See a faint allusion to the palm
A BeGeD KeFeT of a hand in words like:
Lore letter. SEE p. 7! To
rK; Basket-saddle
indicate the K (stop)
sound rather than the rYOKi Pot, basin
CH (fricative) sound
requires adding a dot rwOpK] Bowl
(K) inside the kaf. bt'K; Write
The paleo-Hebrew kaf developed from a pictogram representing the
palm of a hand ( pK'). The later Aramaic block letter above (used in
Hebrew printed texts today) seems to have a closer graphic connection
than the paleo-Hebrew pictogram (at left) to the Egyptian hieroglyphic
signs for K (a bowl) and for palm:
Page L - 15
Lamed
Drawing steps:
l
I n post-biblical times, Lamed
came to stand for the numeral 30.
The paleo-Hebrew lamed is
thought to be a pictogram of an ox-
goad (dm'lm] )' , or a shepherd’s crook,
but may have developed from the
Hieratic (simplified Egyptian hi-
eroglyphic) for lion. Whether lamed
carries any particular allusions into
words that employ it is not readily
apparent.
The letter lamed is used for the
Position Printed Form Pronunciation
Hebrew preposition that means to
12 l
or for. It is called an inseparable
L as in Look preposition because it is always
attached to the beginning of other
words. Thus,
Ël,m , King
Lore Ël,M,àl' For the king
Hieratic Paleo-Hebrew lamed

for lion
Page L - 16
Mem
Drawing steps:
m
Mem has a
squared-off final
form when it ap-
pears at the end
of a word. Top
horizontal stroke
protrudes to the left
and each corner is
square
Drawing steps:
µ
13 m
In post-biblical times, mem came
M as in Mother to stand for the numeral 40.
As derived from the pictogram
for water, it does not surprise us to
find mem in words having to do
with liquid and flowing. Here are
Lore some examples:
sa'm; Flow, run
The paleo-Hebrew Wdm;& Cloth garment
Mem is a pictogram rf'm; Rain (verb)
showing waves of wa-
ter ( µyI m ' ) . The wave µyIm'& Waters
pattern provides the fl'm; Slip away, escape
basis for our English
M, and survives in the ≈l'm; Be slippery
ripples at the top of the hs;m; Melt, liquefy
modern Mem.
≈x'm; Drain out
Page L - 17
Nun
Drawing steps:
n Nun has an elon-

gated final form
This horizontal stroke
when it appears at
distinguishes nun from the end of a word.
vav. Drawing steps:
I n post-biblical times, Nun came to

Because the ancient significance of
the letter nun is uncertain, any attempts
to trace the carrying of its meaning into
Position Printed Form Pronunciation words using nun are highly specula-
14
tive. Therefore, I provide below some
n N as in Noon important nun words that have no

particular connection to one another:
µaun“ Declaration
aybin: Prophet
Lore lb;n: Foolish, fool
The paleo-Hebrew picto- bg<n<‡ South-country
graph for nun has been
thought to represent a fish, ˆWn Propagate, increase
because nun means “fish” lp'n: Fall, lie down
in Aramaic. Some, how-
ever, have interpreted the ac;n: Lift, carry, take
pictogram as representing a ˆt'n: Give, put, set
serpent, vj;n.:
Page L - 18
Samech
Drawing steps:
Top stroke
protrudes on
the left
s
In post-biblical times, Samech came
to stand for the numeral 60.
Uncertainty about the meaning
of the original hieroglyphics and
pictograms for samech make it highly
speculative to trace any allusions of
the letter in the words that employ
Position Pronunciation it. Here are some random samech
15
words:
s S as in Sun sWs Horse

rj's; Travel about
d['s; Support (verb)
Lore ˆp's; Cover (verb)
rt's; Hide, conceal
The paleo-Hebrew
samech may rep-
resent a support of
some kind (a spine
with ribs, perhaps?).
The verb Ëm's; means
to support, sustain.
Page L - 19
Ayin
Drawing steps:
[
I n post-biblical times, ayin came to
stand for the numeral 70. Many ayin
words have to do with flowing water,
something passing through (as light or
water), or with circularity or roundness:
rb'[; Pass over, through
ˆd,[e& Eden
b[; Rain cloud
Position Printed Form Pronunciation hg:[u Disc
16 [ A glottal stop; dW[ Return, do again

for westerners a rw"[; Make blind
silent letter
qz"[; Dig about, surround
rf'[; Surround
Lore ˆy[i Look at
ry[i City, town
dn"[; Bind around
lp'[; Swell
lp,[o& Mound, hill
The paleo-Hebrew Ayin repre-

sents an eye (ˆyI[)' . The word ˆyI['
not only means eye, but also an
“eye” in the ground from which
water flows, i.e. a spring.
Page L - 20
Pe
Also peh or pey.
Drawing steps:
Drawing steps:
π
Position Pronunciation
17
Pe has an elongated final form when it
p P as in Pop,
F as in Food
appears at the end of a word.
I n post-biblical times, pe came to

Many pe words make faint allu-
The letter pe is a sions to the mouth, its appearance or
Lore its workings:
BeGeD KeFeT
letter. SEE p. 7! j"WP Breathe, blow
tj'P'& Pit
The paleo-Hebrew gl'P; Split, divide
pictorgram for pe
represents a mouth r['P; Open wide
( hP,). The modern hx;P; Part, open (verbs)
Pey has a tongue
in it! jq'P; Open eyes (verb)
rr'P; Divide, separate
jt'P; Open (verb)
Page L - 21
Tsade
(Also, Tsadi, Tsadik)
Drawing steps:
x
Drawing steps:
18
The letter tsade has an elongated
x TS as in Tsar.
final form when it appears at the end
of a word.
I n post-biblical times, tsade came

to stand for the numeral 90. Many
tsade words have to do with hunting,
Lore fishing and warfare.
The Phoenician and paleo-Hebrew tsades
are thought to represent a fishhook. ab;x; Wage war
twOab;x] Army, host
hd;x; Lie in wait
hd;x; Lay waste
dWx Hunt (verb)
rWx Bind, besiege
Phoenician Paleo-Hebrew jl'x; Rush
lx;l]xi Spear, harpoon
Page L - 22
Qof
(Also Koph, Kof)
Drawing steps:
q
I n post-biblical times, qof came to
There are a number of qoph words
that remind me of the antics of an an
ape ( πwOq), but to say that such words
carry over allusions from the ancient
pictogram would be speculative. Here
is a sample of qoph words.
vWq Lay bait, lure
Position Printed Form
lf'q; Slay
19
ryqi Wall (noun)
q K as in Kook
hl;q; Roast
lq' Light, swift (adjs.)
sl'q; Mock, scoff
Lore hn:q; Get acquire
≈n<qe& Snare, net (nouns)
hx;q; Cut off
rx'q; Reap, harvest
The paleo-Hebrew picto- ar;q; Call, proclaim
gram for qof is thought to
represent an ape ( πwOq). ˆr,q,& Horn
ˆr'q; Send out rays, shine
sr'q; Stoop, crouch
Page L - 23
Resh
Drawing steps:
r
I n post-biblical times, resh came to
As employing the letter that al-
ludes to a head, many resh words
speak of functions associated with the
human head, or of preeminence:
ha;r; See
vaOr Head, top, chief
hv;arI Beginning-time
hv;aOr Top
ˆwOvarI Former, first
20
tyviarE Beginning
r R as in Rug
hd;r: Rule, dominate
bh'ro& Pride
hw:r: Drink one’s fill
Lore j"Wr Breath, wind, spirit
µWr Be high, exalted
ˆWr Overcome
πj'r: Hover, brood
The paleo-Hebrew
pictogram for resh bk'r: Mount and ride
represented a head µmor; Be exalted
( vaOr).
h[;r: Shepherd (verb)
[r' Bad, evil (adj.)
[['r: Be bad, evil (verbs)
ap;r: Heal
Page L - 24
Sin/Shin
Drawing steps:
A s employing the letter that once al-

luded to teeth or sharpness, some
sin/shin words still allude to oral or other
functions of the mouth, or to the [destruc-
Position Printed Forms
tive] power of the teeth.
21 c, v
S as in Sin, hp;c; Lip, speech, edge
SH as in SHade
rc' Prince
hr:c; Princess
The paleo-Hebrew picto- hr:c]mi Rule, dominion
Lore gram for shin clearly rep-
fr"c; Incise, scratch, write
resents sharp teeth. The
Hebrew word for tooth is πr"c; Burn (verb), seraph
ˆve. It comes from the word la'v; Ask, inquire
ˆnæv;, to sharpen.
Rotate the ancient pic- yD"v' Almighty
togram clockwise 90° to get
the Greek uppercase sigma,
bWv Return, repent
and the precursor of our [w"v; Cry out
Latin S.
The letter shin eventu-
ryvi Sing
ally became used for the µwOlv; Completeness, peace
number 300.
Page L - 25
Tav
(Also Tov, Tau, Taw)
Drawing steps:
The horizontal stroke pro-
trudes to the left
t
Don't forget this little foot
to distinguish tav from
chet.
I n post-biblical times, tav came to

As employing the letter that once
signified a mark, some tav words still
allude to marking (whether a person or
a landscape), and to having boundaries
or the lack of boundaries:
ha;T; Mark, point out
22 t T as in Torah WhTo& Formlessness

hw:a}T' Boundary
hw:T; Wound (verb)
The word tav ( wT); means mark lTe Mound (noun)
Lore or signature as in Job 31.35. µT; Complete, perfect
Scholars were intrigued to find
these cross shapes in the margins h[;T; Wander, err
of the Dead Sea Scrolls, mark-
ing passages that had to do with
the Messiah. Apparently scribes
used the tav as a symbol of salva-
The letter tav is a BeGeD
tion, since in Ezekiel 9.3-6, God KeFeT letter, though it
commands the slaughter of all in no longer has a fricative
Jerusalem who do not have God’s pronunciation in spoken
mark ( wT); . Hebrew. See p. 7!
Page L - 26

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Hebrew Alphabet Lore

© 2000-2016 Timothy Ministries

Naphtali’s Charge To His Children

© 2000-2016 Timothy Ministries

Naphtali’s Charge To His Children (Excerpt)......................................... 2

© 2000-2016 Timothy Ministries

© 2000-2016 Timothy Ministries

A s the first letter of the alpha-

Position Printed Form Sound lae God

© 2000-2016 Timothy Ministries

A s the second letter of the

Bet (tyIB)' is the word for house, tent,

T he Gimel became the symbol

The letter gimel is a

Gimel means camel (lm;G): . In paleo-

© 2000-2016 Timothy Ministries

Top horizontal stroke

T he Dalet became the symbol

d D as in Door rb'D; Speak

The letter dalet is a

I n post-biblical times, hey came to

h H as in House to do with buildings, like,

Hieroglyphic H, Hieratic H, Paleo-Hebrew Hey,

The word vav (ww: ) means hook, pin,

© 2000-2016 Timothy Ministries

The pictograph for zayin is believed to have represented

© 2000-2016 Timothy Ministries

I n post-biblical times, chet came

8 j Guttural CH gWj Make circle

The paleo-Hebrew chet was derived from

© 2000-2016 Timothy Ministries

The relationship between tet and tav is seen in

© 2000-2016 Timothy Ministries

The paleo-Hebrew Yod developed

© 2000-2016 Timothy Ministries

Top horizontal stroke protrudes to

T he letter kaf has an elongated

© 2000-2016 Timothy Ministries

Hieratic Paleo-Hebrew lamed

© 2000-2016 Timothy Ministries

n Nun has an elon-

I n post-biblical times, Nun came to

n N as in Noon important nun words that have no

© 2000-2016 Timothy Ministries

s S as in Sun sWs Horse

© 2000-2016 Timothy Ministries

16 [ A glottal stop; dW[ Return, do again

The paleo-Hebrew Ayin repre-

© 2000-2016 Timothy Ministries

I n post-biblical times, pe came to

Position Printed Form Pronunciation

I n post-biblical times, tsade came

© 2000-2016 Timothy Ministries

A s employing the letter that once al-

I n post-biblical times, tav came to

22 t T as in Torah WhTo& Formlessness

© 2000-2016 Timothy Ministries

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