Hebrew Alphabet

The Hebrew alphabet, employed by God when the Ten Commandments were written on tablets delivered to Moses, was used by Moses to write the books of the Jewish Law or Torah i.e. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. It has become known today as the Proto-Sinaitic script of 22 letters which evolved into Phoenician, Aramaic, Greek, Roman (i.e. Latin), and modern English.

See the letters with their numeric value, shape, sound, and early meanings (in Latin / Italian) below.

  1. aleph Play 1 "Unus" in Latin, "Echad" in Hebrew, Ox, One Dimension

    In Hebrew a silent letter, Elohim God, the Judge of all, a plural word "joined together" (one), and Amen with the emphasis in pronunciation on the "men" syllable.
    Click here for some thoughts on the shape of Aleph, a stroke running between two Yods (infinite dots)

  2. bet Play 2 "Duo" in Latin, "Shen" (tooth) in Hebrew, Divide, Two Dimensions

    Hebrew Bara Create, Build (Banah), Son (Ben and Bar), Bless (Barak), Kneel (Berek), Covenant (Briyth)

  3. gimel Play 3 "Tre" in Italian, "Shalosh" in Hebrew (captain), Trade, Three Dimensions

    Hebrew (Gamal) Weaned, Reward, Nourished, Weapon, Sling, Throwing stick, Roman letter C Camel

  4. dalet Play 4 "Quattro" in Italian, "Arba" in Hebrew (wait), Four-Dimensional in Space and Time

    Hebrew (Dalit-Doors and Gates, from Dal-Poor, Weak), Cadre, Cut, Tested, "Four" in English is probably derived from "Fewer" than Five, the "perfect" number

  5. he Play (haya to be) 5 "Quin" in Latin, "Gyn" in Greek (Gynaecology, Generate, Know), "Chamesh" (Armed) in Hebrew, related to "Cham" (Ham) Hot one

    Rev 12:1-12 Eve "Chava, Chay" Living (Hebrew), Ayu (Sanskrit), Eon (Greek), Eva (Latin), V (Perfect fifth), Viva (full-hand), Ever (English), Wif-man→Woman

  6. vav Play 6 Greek ("Hex") and Latin ("Sex") are their equivalent words for "Six", "Shesh" in Hebrew.
    The letter F, Vav in Hebrew, a Hook or Peg-Connector, became the letters U, V, W, Y in later alphabets.

    "Six", Man's number i.e. mortal its numeric meaning H8337 is also translated H8336 as silk, fine linen, soft clothing as is found in king's houses e.g. material used when clothing Joseph.
    "Sirikos" with a rolled r, was "soft silk" from trading caravans coming overland from Serica (Kashgar in north-west China).

  7. zayin Play 7 "Septem" in Latin, Sha-vahh in Hebrew. The letter Z (Zee) in Greek and the letter G (Jee) in Latin
    1. Zayin is pictured like a Sword an armed struggle
    2. Its numeric meaning signifies the word Sworn (i.e. Saba) by myself I have sworn or sevened
    3. Zakar a major Hebrew verb means to Remember, properly, to Mark (so as to be recognized) using the noun Zakar meaning a Male or, literally, Penis
  8. cheth/cheit Play 8 "Octo" in Latin, "Shmone" (oil, ointment) in Hebrew

    In sounds Laughter Isaac Ha, the letter H, Twisted Wick,

    Mat 7:13-14 Add 4+4 (dalet) Sin-Gate (Chet) → Separation Wall vs Christ-Door (Jesus's number 888) noting "Ch" is pronounced as in German/Scottish, a throat clearing noise, not as "ch" in "chair"

  9. teth/teit Play 9 "Nove" (New, Now) in Latin and Italian, "Tesha" (salvation) in Hebrew the very last words in its dictionary by using tav its 22nd or very last character.

    As the 9th letter it became the Greek theta θ and Gothic thorn þ characters, spelling "Theos" and later English "theology". In Hebrew when using the 9th letter "t", we see Tov "Good" see Mark 10:18 and Luke 18:19, only God is good (i.e. a Nine).

  10. yod Play 10 "Decem" (X or deck, the next level) in Latin, "Ashar" (accumulation, riches) in Hebrew
    Yad meaning Hand (associated with strength, authority and power) also the letter i, the tiniest letter (jot or iota)

  11. kaf Play 20 Likeness or As, in Hebrew Kaf meaning Cup or Kawfar meaning Covering (atonement). If a final letter (500), displayed as
  12. lamed Play 30 shaped like a shepherd's prod, in Hebrew Lamad meaning Learn i.e. a disciple or follower
  13. mem Play 40 Water, Measure, Money, Mammon, in Hebrew Mayim meaning Waters. If a final letter (600), displayed as
  14. nun Play 50 Multiply, swarm

    1. in Hebrew Nun, Joshua's parent (Propagate, continue). Displayed as an "Upright" character ן if the final character of a word (700). See Jeshurun, God's "upright" name for Israel.
    2. Other words starting with Nun are Nephesh (souls, creatures) Nahash (snake) Neshama (breath).
    3. In ancient Phoenician and Aramaic, Nun was also the word for fish, eels, even snakes. In modern Arabic Nun means a large fish or whale.
  15. samekh Play 60 Circle, stake, support, becoming the letter X in later alphabets. In Hebrew Samak meaning Lay Hands on for anointing, Surround, Sustain
  16. ע ayin Play 70 Eye, the letter O. In Hebrew Ayin meaning Eye or Fountain or Well (as the Eye of the landscape). Like the letter Aleph, it is a silent letter, the Ayin "sees" but does not speak
  17. pei Play 80 from Pe or Fe meaning Mouth. If a final letter (800), displayed as
  18. tzadi Play 90 from Tsadiq meaning "Righteous", also "Zadok" i.e. the priest. If a final letter (900), displayed as
    Letter was not used in later Greek or Roman alphabets. In modern Hebrew, their word for "conscience" and "compass" is "mits-poon" from Tsawfone meaning "North", one's (hidden) place on the left, one's hidden treasure
  19. qof Play 100 Eye of a sewing needle. In Greek it became "K" (i.e. cup). In Hebrew it meant Bent over or Covered (qabbala), sepulchre (qeber), collected together (qabats), ape (qoph), before the east (qedem), consecrated (qodesh) and sodomite, prostitute (qadesh), vomit (qow). In Latin (and modern Italian) used to ask questions such as "Quod"-what, "Quo"-where, "Qui"-who, "Quando"-when.
  20. rosh or resh Play 200 from Rosh meaning "Head". See B'Roshiyth (In the Beginning) the first word in Genesis 1:1
  21. shin Play 300 from Shen meaning Teeth (consuming). Also Shemesh meaning Sun.
    Now according to Judges 12:6, the tribe of Ephraim could not differentiate between the letters Shin and Samekh. When the Gileadites were at war with the Ephraimites, they would ask suspected Ephraimites to say the word shibolet (an ear of grain). An Ephraimite would say sibolet and thus be exposed. From this episode we get the English word shibboleth - a watchword.
  22. tav Play 400 Finality, all-encompassing truth. In Hebrew Tav meant Mark (seal).

Signs, Marks, Tokens, Hebrew letters of the alphabet , their numeric value, and their meaning.

** End of page