VERSE STUDIES · FROM THE HEBREW

What the Hebrew actually says

The Bible’s most quoted verses, read word by word in the language they were written in, with the classical commentators: Rashi, Ibn Ezra, Radak and the Metzudot.

• PSALM 46:11Psalm 46:10 in Hebrew: “Be still” actually means “let go”The most quoted line of Psalm 46 is usually read as a call to quiet meditation. The Hebrew verb says something stronger: drop what you are holding.
• JEREMIAH 29:11Jeremiah 29:11 in Hebrew: the promise inside a 70-year wait“For I know the plans I have for you” is printed on mugs and graduation cards. In Hebrew, the verse is part of a letter to exiles, and every key word is bigger than its English translation.
• ISAIAH 40:31Isaiah 40:31 in Hebrew: waiting, and strength that is exchanged“They that wait for the LORD shall renew their strength.” Two Hebrew words carry this verse: the word for waiting, and a verb that means more than “renew.”
• GENESIS 2:18Ezer kenegdo: what Genesis 2:18 says in Hebrew“I will make him a help meet for him.” Two Hebrew words, ezer kenegdo, sit behind the English “helpmeet,” and neither one means assistant.
• EXODUS 3:14Ehyeh asher ehyeh: “I am that I am,” or “I will be”?At the burning bush, Moses asks for God’s name. The answer, ehyeh asher ehyeh, is one of the most debated sentences in the Bible, and the Hebrew verb leans toward the future.
• EXODUS 20:13Kill or murder? What the Hebrew of Exodus 20:13 saysThe King James Version says “Thou shalt not kill.” The 1917 JPS translation says “Thou shalt not murder.” The difference comes down to one Hebrew verb.
• PROVERBS 31:10Eshet chayil: the “woman of valor” of Proverbs 31 in Hebrew“A woman of valour who can find? For her price is far above rubies.” English Bibles call her virtuous, noble or capable. The Hebrew word chayil is stronger than all three.
• PSALM 139:14“Fearfully and wonderfully made”: Psalm 139:14 in HebrewIt is one of the most loved lines about human worth. In Hebrew, “fearfully” has nothing to do with fear, and “wonderfully” points to something hidden.
• NUMBERS 6:24–26The Priestly Blessing in Hebrew: Numbers 6:24–26 word by wordThree lines, fifteen Hebrew words, and one of the oldest blessings still spoken today. Here is what each phrase says in the original.
• PROVERBS 22:6“Train up a child”: what Proverbs 22:6 says in HebrewParents quote it as a promise. The Hebrew is more interesting: a word related to Hanukkah, and a phrase that may mean the child’s own way.