True meanings can be lost in translation as historically significant books are interpreted into new languages and the language is updated. Religious books like the Bible are no exception. Getting back to the original Hebrew texts can provide a more accurate look at the messages contained within this important book.
However, some words may have gone out of fashion or have been dropped from popular usage. Getting an accurate translation for those words can be difficult. Using a Hebrew biblical dictionary can aid your religious studies and help you gain greater insight into the true meaning of the Bible.
Religious Resources from yourDictionary
The yourDictionary website offers a number of resources on religion, including Catholicism, Judaism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. To find the religious references from the homepage, click on the title "Specialty" under the "Dictionaries" heading. Scroll down to "Religion" and click on it. Over 25 different religious and Biblical references are linked to this resource page.
Strong's Concordance
Strong's Concordance is a list of every word found in the King James Bible, a Christian bible. For example, to find a verse that contains the word "love," a person would look that particular word up to be taken to a page listing of all the relevant verses.
A number is assigned to each word that can be looked up in the back of the book. The number matches up to either the Hebrew word (Old Testament) or Greek word (New Testament). Looking up the Hebrew word by using the number and then reading the corresponding verses can lead to a greater understanding of the original Hebrew meaning.
The yourDictionary website also lists Strong's Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon from Crosswalk as a reference. To use this dictionary, type in either the English word, Hebrew word, or the Strong number and hit the "Find" button. The word "love" (Strong number 0157) pulls up 195 verses and 205 uses. A list of meanings of the word is given, along with the original Hebrew word and transliterated word. Use the sound icon underneath "Phonetics Spelling" to hear it pronounced.
Another version of the Strong's can be found at Strong's Hebrew and Greek Index. Look up words by the numerical assignment. Each set is grouped by 100s. To find the English word "love," click on "101 ('aggan) to 200 ('ivveleth)" and scroll to entry 157. The Hebrew name and pronunciation are given, followed by a description. Click on the 157 to reach a listing of biblical verses separated by the various meanings of the word. Each verse can read by selecting the reference.
Other Hebrew Biblical References
Strong's Concordance is not the only Hebrew biblical reference available online. Those knowledgeable in Hebrew may want to use a reference that is based upon the Hebrew words rather than English translation.
- Hebrew Glossary by D'vorah: Look up the Hebrew transliteration by English letter. The English word follows the transliteration, and then a meaning is given. Quoted verses in the meaning section are in red, with links to other related terms are in blue. Biblical references relate back to the Torah and other Judaic references, not the Christian bible.
- Biblical Hebrew Dictionary: According to the website, around 1,000 commonly used words are referenced in this dictionary. To search, click on the Hebrew font (this requires BST Hebrew font to be installed on your computer) and scroll. The English meaning is provided on the right of the Hebrew word.
Access to an Internet connection may not always be possible, especially with a laptop computer. Getting downloadable Hebrew biblical dictionaries can be quite useful in these circumstances. One site that provides this service is The Online Bible North America. Listed Hebrew references include:
- Original Strong's Hebrew Lexicon
- New American Standard Hebrew Lexicon
- Online Bible Hebrew Lexicon (English)
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