The letters of the Hebrew alphabet are also numbers, depending, not on columnar position as in the decimal system, but on the position in the alphabet.
For value of studying Hebrew, see Hebrew Language
1 Aleph. First Hebrew letter. Numerical value of 1.
A silent letter denoting just a breath.
Original pictograph a bull or an ox, symbol of strength. Hence, Aleph came to mean strength.
Aleph words include strong, mighty, valiant, magnificent.
Most of the strong names of God are Aleph words, Adonai, I am that I am, El, Elohim,
El Elyon (God Most High), El Shaddai (the Allmighty God),
El Olam (the Eternal God), El Hai (the Living God), El Gibbor (the Mighty God, Elam (the Awesome God)..
Aleph is the initial of the word Av, Father, Abba (Daddy), and almost all relational words (brother, mother, etc.)
Aleph words include darkness, gloom, but also light, become light, dawn. When things get dark, know that God wants to bring the dawn of a new day.
Pronounced as b or v.
Pictograph a house.
Bet words include well, cistern, springs in the desert.
Many words for blessing and supply are Bet words. Plunder, booty, heir, harvest, gain. Wisdom, knowledge, discernment.
Son is a Bet word. Covenant is also a Bet word. Thus Bet is intimately connected with Redemption.
Pictograph camel. Gamal is the Hebrew word for camel, bearer of burdens, bringer of provision.
Gimmel means to lift up,to nourish, to bring to maturity.
Gimmel words include Kinsman Redeemer (Goel), Great (Gadol), Mighty (Gibbor).
Pictograph Tent door. Delet is the Hebrew word for door. Also means pathway and to enter.
Pictograph Window, lattice. The Sound the wind makes when blowing through a window lattice.
Wind, sound, expellng breath, spirit, revelation.
To murmur, whisper, meditate, moan, growl, utterance, speech.
The roar as of a fire, windstorm, rushing water.
The crash of thunder, loud noise, shouting.
Pictograph connecting pin. Vav joins things together. To join two words, add Vav in front of the second word (Hebrew has no word for “and”).
It held the Tabernacle together, as it means hook, tent peg, nail or pin.
Vav is like a single beam of light that connects Heaven and earth (Gen 1:1)
In the beginning God created the Heavens vav the earth. Vav God said, Let there be Light. Picture of Heaven invading earth.
Incidentally, the Hebrew initials for www in the address bar of a browser, is vav vav vav.
This coincidence has given rise to a suspicion among some that the internet has the mark 666, the number of the Beast.
10 Yod. The tenth Hebrew letter. Numerical value of 10.
Pictograph a hand.
The smallest letter and the only letter suspended in mid air.
It represents humility – to the Jews a source of great power.
The Day of Atonement is the day of coming humbly before God.
It is the climax of the 10 Days of Awe.
The names of God, Yeshua and Israel all begin with Yod.
11 Kaf. The eleventh Hebrew letter. Numerical value of 20
Pronounced like k in kite.
Final form is like Dalet but extends below the line.
Pictograph the palm of the hand.
God wants to bless the work of your hands.
Kaf also means “coerce” implying subduing nature with force of labor.
The word Crown is a Kaf word. There are many crowns in the Bible.
There are crowns of rewards and there is the Crown of Thorns,
worn by Jesus as He paid the price of our redemption.
12 Lamed. The twelfth Hebrew letter. Numerical value of 30.
Pictograph a shepherd’s rod, represents authority.
The central letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
Known as the majestic letter, representing the King of kings,
towering high above all the other letters.
The name Lamed comes from a root word meaning to learn or teach.
Lamed is an acronym for the phrase: “A heart that understands knowledge.”
13 Mem. The 13th Hebrew letter. Numerical value of 40.
Pictorgraph a wave of water.
The Hebrew word for water is a Mem word, Mayim,
which begins and ends with Mem.
Mem stands for waters, peoples, nations, languages and tongues.
Mem stands for 40, the period of time necessary for things to come to fruition.
Moses was on Sinai for 40 days. The Israelites were in the desert for 40 years.
14 Nun. The 14th Hebrew letter. Numerical value of 50.
Pictograph seed or sprout. Means to continue.
At the start of a word, Nun pictures a humble man kneeling down.
At the end of a word, Nun pictures a righteous man standing upright.
Message of Nun: Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord
and He will lift you up (James 4:10).
Nun words include soul, candle, faithful one.
Nun pictures the Messiah in His two comings.
15 Samech. The 15th Hebrew letter. Numerical value of 60.
Sounds like the S in Sun.
Pictograph circle, ring, repeating cycle.
Samech words: to turn, to go around, to surround, to encompass, to enclose.
A shelter or tabernackle: sukkah.
Opens the way for prodigals to return.
16 Ayin. The 16th Hebrew letter. Numerical value of 70.
Silent letter.
Pictograph an eye.
This is a season to see. God wants to open your eyes,
to increase your ability to see.
He is saying: Look again.
Look beyond, see in ways you have not seen.
Ayin says: God is watching, His eyes rove through all the earth.(2 Chron 16:9)
This is a time to regain spiritual vision, to gain new perspective,
to revisit old dreams, review prophecies that have been given to you.
Where are you in relation to those words? Don’t listen to the voice of unbelief!
Don’t be captured by hope deferred. Ask God to show you the next step.
This is a supernatural season. One of the Hebrew words for Angels is Irin.
It is usually translated as Watcher.
Watchers can be holy angels or evil angels.
This season, angelic activity will increase and battle will intensify.
17 Pe. The 17th Hebrew letter. Numerical value of 80.
Sounds like P in Park. Without the dot, it is like Ph in Phone.
Pictograph mouth. Pe means Mouth. And by extension word, expression, speech,
vocalization, breath.
Follows Ayin. Ayin gives insight, but it is Pe that gives insight expression.
18 Tsadde. The 18th Hebrew letter. Numerical value of 90.
Pictograph fish hook. Means to catch, desire, need.
Tsadde means “righteous”. Only God is righteous (Tsadde)..
Humans are called righteous if they live lives devoted to God.
It is related to the Hebrew word for charity (giving to the poor),
one of the most important commandments of God.
19 Qof. The 19th Hebrew letter. Numerical value of 100.
Sounds like Q in Queen.
Qof words include Kadosh (holy).
The holiness of God is His “specialness”. He is to be honored above all else.
Korban (sacrifice) is also a Qof word.
Qof comes from the root Karev which means to come close.
A Qof year is a year to come closer to God.
20 Resh. The 20th Hebrew letter. Numerical value of 200.
Sounds like R in Rose.
Pictograph the head of a man.
Resh means head, ruler, highest one, as in Rosh.
The head is the highest part of man, containing intellect, reason and wisdom.
But Resh is a bowed head, a mind submitted to God.
21 Shin. The 21st Hebrew letter. Numerical value of 300.
Pronounced like Sh in Shout.
Pictograph teeth. Meaning to consume, to destroy.
Represents divine power. Shaddai, all mighty.
It is the letter imprinted on Jerusalem.
The valleys form the letter Shin.
It is also the first letter of Shabbat, when we are to rest from a week of work,
and enjoy being filled with peace and tranquillity.
It is the first letter of Shalom, which means peace, wholeness, health.
22 Tav. The 22nd Hebrew letter. Numerical value of 400.
Means sign, seal, covenant.
It is the final letter, symbolizing perfection.
An impression, mark, seal. Like the ISO seal.
In the initial pictograph given by God, the Tav had the shape of a cross.
When you make it through the Hebrew Alphabet, you end up at the Cross.
Not an accident!
Words: Tikkun (redemption, restoration, both of which begin at the Cross)
Teshuvah (repentance, coming to God for forgiveness – repentance and forgivess begin with the Cross).
Torah (the teaching of God – which also begins with the Cross).
We have come to the end of the Hebrew Alphabet.
Where do you go from here?
Resources:
Look at the sites I’ve given in an earlier page, sites which can expand your understanding of the Hebrew Alphabet.
Take a Hebrew lexicon and look at the words which begin with each letter.
Hebrew words can be located in any Bible softward like e-sword which incorporate Strong’s concordance numbers, that number the words for easy reference. Or look at 2-letter Look Up Concordance At top of left margin, you’ll find a dropdown where you can choose the language.
Or go to Strong’s Concordance
In the top half of the page (as well as at the foot of the page), you’ll see a link
to a video entitled “Discovering the Hebrew Roots of Christianity“
Very informative and enjoyable..
Look at Bible men and women of faith whose names begin with each letter.
Look for Biblical patterns that illustrate the meaning of each letter.
Try to find the meaning of the letters of the Hebrew year you were born.
Specially the tens and ones put together.
See if you can find out what happened in the world during that year.
What happened in Israel?
Example:
1937 is 5697 a Hey Tav-Resh Tsadde-Zayin year!
Hey stands for the thousands (5000)
Tav-Resh stands for the hundreds (400+200=600)
Tsadde-Zayin stands for 97 (9 tens and 7 ones).
Let’s take each letter in turn:
Hey Pictograph Window, lattice. The Sound the wind makes when blowing through a window lattice.
Wind, sound, expellng breath, spirit, revelation.meditation, speech.
The roar as of a fire, windstorm, rushing water.
The crash of thunder, loud noise, shouting.
Now let’s take Tav and Resh
Tav means a sign, seal, covenant.
It is the final letter, symbolizing perfection.
In the initial pictograph given by God, the Tav had the shape of a cross.
Words: Tikkun (redemption, restoration, both of which begin at the Cross)
Teshuvah (repentance, coming to God for forgiveness – repentance and forgivess begin with the Cross).
Torah (the teaching of God – which also begins with the Cross).
Resh. Pictograph the head of a man.
Resh means head, ruler, highest one, as in Rosh.
The head is the highest part of man, containing intellect, reason and wisdom.
But Resh is a bowed head, a mind submitted to God.
Finally, let’s take Tsadde and Zayin.
Tsadde. Pictograph fish hook. To catch, desire, need.
Tsadde means “righteous”. Only God is righteous (Tsadde)..
Humans are called righteous if they live lives devoted to God.
It is related to the Hebrew word for charity (giving to the poor),
one of the most important commandments of God.
Bibloscope 