B-Hebrew: The Biblical Hebrew Forum

Hello everybody,

My home is in Amsterdam.

I'm fluent in Hebrew and intensely love the Hebrew language. My favorite word in Hebrew is שמים.

Language in general interests me but in the other languages I speak I don't have a favorite word.

Thanks for allowing me to join you.

Shalom, Mira.

Welcome to B-Hebrew! Your love for the Hebrew language is felt by most of the people who frequent here.

If I had to choose a favorite Hebrew word, I think it would be נְחָמָה. Don't know why; I've just always loved it.

Feel free to jump around the forum and participate in the discussions — and to start some up yourself!

What's your favorite story from the Hebrew Bible or favorite book?

I think my favorite is the Joseph story. When I was in college, we used it as a springboard into translating Hebrew, and it's always stayed with me (especially the word וַיֵּבְךְּ from Gen. 42:34, where Joseph turned away from his brothers and wept — that always cut me to the heart!). I used the Joseph story for teaching Hebrew still today; that and the book of Jonah.

Again, welcome to the forum!

Jason Hare wrote:If I had to choose a favorite Hebrew word, I think it would be נְחָמָה. Don't know why; I've just always loved it.

Good choice, a very comforting word. I know several little girls (and some big ones) named נְחָמָה. All my life I dreamed of having a little girl and naming her שמיה but alas, I had only boys...

Jason Hare wrote:especially the word וַיֵּבְךְּ from Gen. 42:34, where Joseph turned away from his brothers and wept

There sure is a lot of emotion in it. What about Jacob falling in love with Rachel (repeatedly punning the words "give water" and "kiss"? And Moses standing on the mountain overlooking the land he will never reach? But the more I read it, the more I love even the technical details of the tabernacle or curing fungus.