Every letter of the Hebrew Alefbet has a meaning and is represented concretely and pictographically in its ancient form.
Gutturals in the Hebrew alphabet
Four of the Hebrew letters are called gutturals. They are called gutturals because they are pronounced in the back of the throat. The guttural consonants are alef, ayin, heh, and chet (ה, ע, א, and ח). Sometimes resh (ר) will also behave like a guttural.
Alef אלף
- Hebrew Letters: alef-lamed-feh
- Strong’s Number: H502
- Concrete Representation: Ox head
- Concrete Meaning: “To yoke” – a yoke is a wooden cross-piece that is fastened over the necks of two animals and attached to the plow or cart that they are to pull
- Explanation: In Biblical times, an older experienced ox was yoked to a younger inexperienced one in order to teach it how to pull a load.
- Commonly Translated Words: learn, teach, associate with, cattle, oxen, thousand
- Select Bible Verses: Job 1:3, Job 15:5, Job 33:33, Job 35:11, Genesis 20:16, 1 Corinthians 10:8, Revelation 7:4-8, Psalms 119:1-8
Job 1:3
1:3 His possessions also were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the children of the east.
Job 15:5
15:5 For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty.
Job 33:33
33:33 If not, listen to me. Hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom.
Job 35:11
35:11 who teaches us more than the animals of the earth, and makes us wiser than the birds of the sky?
Genesis 20:16
16 To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. Behold, it is for you a covering of the eyes to all that are with you. In front of all you are reproved. (These will be to you for the value of your person, and to all the women with you; and you speak the truth in all things.)”(LXX)
1 Corinthians 10:8
10:8 Let’s not commit sexual immorality, as some of them committed, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell.
Revelation 7:4-8
7:4 I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel: 5 of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed, of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand, 6 of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand, 7 of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand, 8 of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, and of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.
Psalms 119:1-8
Psalm 119 is one of several acrostic poems found in the Bible. Its 176 verses are divided into 22 stanzas, one for each of the 22 characters that make up the Hebrew alphabet. In the Hebrew text, each of the eight verses of each stanza begins with the same Hebrew letter.
אַשְׁרֵי תְמִימֵי־דָרֶךְ הַהֹלְכִים בְּתוֹרַת יהוה
119:1 Happy are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the Torah of YHWH.
אַשְׁרֵי נֹצְרֵי עֵדֹתָיו בְּכָל־לֵב יִדְרְשׁוּהוּ
119:2 Happy are those who keep his statutes, who seek him with their whole heart.
אַף לֹא־פָעֲלוּ עַוְלָה בִּדְרָכָיו הָלָכוּ
119:3 Yes, they do nothing wrong. They walk in his ways.
אַתָּה צִוִּיתָה פִקֻּדֶיךָ לִשְׁמֹר מְאֹד
119:4 You have commanded your precepts, that we should fully obey them.
אַחֲלַי יִכֹּנוּ דְרָכָי לִשְׁמֹר חֻקֶּיך
119:5 Oh that my ways were steadfast to obey your statutes!
אָז לֹא־אֵבוֹשׁ בְּהַבִּיטִי אֶל־כָּל־מִצְוׂתֶיךָ
119:6 Then I wouldn’t be disappointed, when I consider all of your commandments.
אוֹדְךָ בְּיֹשֶׁר לֵבָב בְּלָמְדִי מִשְׁפְּטֵי צִדְקֶךָ
119:7 I will give thanks to you with uprightness of heart, when I learn your righteous judgments.
אֶת־חֻקֶּיךָ אֶשְׁמֹר אַל־תַּעַזְבֵנִי עַד־מְאֹד {פ}
119:8 I will observe your statutes. Don’t utterly forsake me.