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The Hebrew Aleph – Beit

as described by PHILIP R. TAYLOR

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Click a Hebrew Letter

The Language of God

I've been studying the Hebrew language, with specific interest in the alphabet, for over 10 years during my studies of the Word of God. I believe the Hebrew language to be the holy language of God which He has chosen to communicate the mysteries of His Word and His creation. I believe the spiritual concept contained in every Hebrew letter forms an inseparable and perfect foundation from which three things are revealed: the character of God, the person of Christ, and the discipleship of the spiritual New Man. That is, the born again believer who is fashioned after the likeness of Christ.

 

I believe there are 22 valuable lessons of discipleship, revealed in the order of the Hebrew letters, which is fundamental to the spiritual growth and maturity of every believer. My belief has become a foundation from which God has helped me to draw great insight and spiritual wisdom that I believe it is my duty to share with those who will hear me.

 

I set before you a summary of my beliefs about what each Hebrew letter spiritually pictures. I challenge you to open your mind to the concepts I will share, but I will not proudly claim to believe that everything there is to know about the spiritual insights of the Hebrew alphabet I have shared here. Many others have come before me with wonderful insights about the letters and so, for this reason, I also challenge you to study and discover your own insights.

Click Here for a Printable Hebrew Aleph – Beit Chart

This Hebrew Alphabet Chart has been made available to you for use with any of my teachings.

This information is only a portion of the spiritual insight and imagery contained within the Hebrew letters. My hope is that you will see the lessons of discipleship which God has revealed to me and so I leave it up to you and your studies to find additional connections and insights into the Hebrew letters. When you do I encourage you to please share them with me when you find them.

 

A Picture of Discipleship

t ~ Aleph Spiritually Pictures Serving – The word Aleph means Master and, as many commentators agree, this letter symbolizes our Heavenly Father. The letter Aleph is the first letter used to spell many of God's titles, names like Adonai, Elohim, and El Shaddai. The letter Aleph has a numerical value of 1 which we know is indicative of our Heavenly Father, because He is one. (Deuteronomy 6:4) However, there is one definition of the word Aleph which has always fascinated me. Aleph's translation as the word ox. It is true that an ox denotes strength and power, as so many scholars agree, however, my question was why would God choose a servant beast, a beast so easily tamed by men, to symbolize Him? Although the answer to this question is a wisdom which I have had to grow into daily, the answer was quite obvious! Having a servant beast, an ox, be representative of the many ways in which God is truly the Master of our lives and our very existence, reveals how incumbent upon us is the obligation to be mindful of how we treat Him. How we treat God as well as those around us, who have been created in His image, reveals the true intentions of our hearts. Do we treat God as though He is our servant bending to our every whim and prayer, or do we ready ourselves with the heart of a servant who is prepared to serve. Do we serve those created in His image as though we serve the creator of the universe or do we serve with selfish ambitions? Aleph teaches us this most fundamental of lessons in discipleship which we can learn, how to serve. If we cannot even accept this first insight we will certainly not progress through the insights contained in the other letters.

c ~ Beit Spiritually Pictures Compassion – The word Beit means house and symbolizes the Word of God which came housed in flesh. This is He whom we know as Yeshua, the Son of God. Yeshua is also the Passover Lamb of God who chose to sacrifice His own life for the sake of salvation unto those who would believe. Yeshua said that a man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13) Under the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit the Apostle Paul wrote that our spiritual act of worship is to lay down our lives as a living sacrifice. (Romans 12:1) However, it is not necessarily sacrifice that God desires, but rather it is compassion. (Matthew 9:13) A true servant of God understands that the sacrifice of personal desire in service to another's needs is greater than sacrifice for the sake of fellowship with men. Certainly, the sacrificial system is, in part, about enjoying fellowship with God and with those created in His image, but God desires our compassion to come first and with great impartiality. Exodus 33:19 And He said, "I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion."

d ~ Gimel Spiritually Pictures Truth – The word Gimel means camel and interestingly we find in the Scripture that John the Baptist is recorded as having worn a tunic of camel's hair. (Matthew 3:4) Just as John the Baptist was the forerunner of Yeshua's ministry, so too, we find that the Holy Spirit is the forerunner of those who are led and come to know the Ministry of Yeshua, as God's Passover Lamb. Furthermore, in the Scriptures the Holy Spirit is referred to as the Spirit of Truth. (John 14:17) Yeshua sends out the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit, from the house of God and into this world to speak the truth which God has given Him, and His testimony is of Yeshua. (John 15:26 & John 16:13) This is the same truth that we are to share. What the Holy Spirit articulates to us we are to articulate to others. Notice, that compassion is spiritually pictured before truth this is to illustrate that we should always be willing to display compassion regardless of the truth. Psalm 103:13-14 Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. 14 For He Himself knows our inclinations; He is mindful that we are but dust." We are all only dust and that is a truth that should enable us to display a loving compassion toward one another.

s ~ Dalet Spiritually Pictures Charity – The word Dalet means door, however, we must take note that the first half of the word Dalet is the word dahl which signifies a poor pauper or a person lowly in spirit. The last letter of the word Dalet is the letter Tav, and this word means sign or cross. When you bring someone who is poor and lowly in spirit to the sign of the cross you have a door through which that person begins to learn of the salvation found in Yeshua. This kind of charitable act is one that a servant of God who has compassion on his neighbor will sacrifice his own time and personal desires to present the truth. It is this kind of compassion and charity which leads men into the discovery of...

v ~ Hei Spiritually Pictures Grace – ...God's grace! The word Hei means breath and this is also precisely the sound that the letter makes. Hhhhh, the sound of breath, and it is certainly by the grace of God that we live, move, and have our being in Him. It is out of the same grace of God that came both the giving of the Torah and the coming of Yeshua, God was never required to give us either, but He chose to. Grace upon grace. So, in light of the gracious mercies of God let us be abundantly gracious in our own serving of one another as we await the return of our Messiah Yeshua.

u ~ Vav Spiritually Pictures Love – The Word Vav means hook and what stronger hook is there than love? Yeshua told some of His disciples He would make them fishers of men and this idea lends itself to strengthen our understanding of the symbol of the letter Vav. Vav symbolizes man and after all what creature is more in need of God's merciful charity and affectionate grace? There is no greater response that a man can give in light of God's abundant mercies and loving kindness than to offer this same kind of love to his neighbor in every way he can manage. John 13:34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another."

z ~ Zayin Spiritually Pictures Friend, Son & then Heir – There are a couple of possible root words for the word Zayin. One means weapon and another means nourishment. There is something these two have in common which is revealed in the symbol of the letter Zayin. They can both be equipped of people, but in whom does God equip both of these things? This is where the spiritual picture of the letter Zayin begins to unfold and reveals our only letter with a three-part spiritual picture. Normally, when a person picks up a weapon of war it is usually with the intention to take by force land that is expected to provide nourishment or bread. Perhaps this is why we find the word lechem, which means bread, in the middle of the Hebrew word milchamah, which means war. Unfortunately, many who pick up weapons of war and then secure for themselves bread from the earth fail to turn those weapons into tools for cultural growth and maturity. Either way, it is the person who is called friend who comes into the true meaning of their adoption as a son who then becomes an heir to the promises of God. This is whom God chooses to equip with His Word, because the Word of God is both a weapon and nourishment for the believer. (Hebrew 4:12 & Matthew 4:4)

j ~ Chet Spiritually Pictures Discipleship – The word Chet can be said to mean fence or wall being that its original pictograph is of a fence or a wall. Interestingly, this idea seems to envision the pen or sheep gate that is placed around the shepherds flock. Yeshua says that real sheep enter by the gate and follow Him because they know His voice and are His sheep. (John 10:1-4) Yeshua also tells His sheep to take His yoke upon themselves because His yoke is easy and His burden is light. (Matthew 11:29-30) This is representative of being 'born again' and I mean born into discipleship. If you look at the construction of the letter Chet you will notice that the previous two letters, Vav and Zayin, are brought together in perfect union by a yoke. The letters Vav and Zayin do look similar but you will notice that the letter Zayin is the first of the Hebrew letters to adorn the tagiim or the ornamental 'crown' on its top, almost like a crowned Vav or a crowned 'man'. If Vav symbolizes man and, as most commentators agree, the letter Zayin is a picture of a crowned man, then what crowned man are we yoked to? Walking step by step beside Yeshua in His yoke is my heart's desire. In my own life, I have discovered that if it is not Yeshua's teaching to which I am yoked then it is another yoke made by men. It is truly only Yeshua who is able to remove the yoke of bondage through which this world entangles us.

y ~ Tet Spiritually Pictures Victory – Just like the letter Chet the letter Tet is formed through the combination of the letters Vav and Zayin being brought together by a yoke. However, the letter Tet is said to look like a serpent and if you look closely you may see the 'crowned man' whose heel is crushing the head of the serpent! The letter Tet embodies a similar message to its preceding letter Chet, a message of discipleship, but now we see that those who remain in the yoke of Yeshua and remain His disciples find victory and overcome the world! 1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world-- our faith." Faith comes through hearing and hearing the Word of God. A yoke is something that goes over the head and so when we keep our minds yoked in the Word of God our faith is increased.

h ~ Yod Spiritually Pictures Fear (Reverence for God) – The letter Yod means hand, and is the smallest of all the letters. This is why Yod symbolizes smallness and anonymity, but yet the hand of God still moves mountains. This idea is similar to the way in which God conceals His physical presence from us, and yet we are often still in it. Notice the spiritual picture which has played out over the last several letters. Man, the object of God's mercy, grace, and affection, yokes himself to Yeshua and walks in a path of discipleship. This yoke of discipleship leads man into victory and the presence of God. This is why the spiritual picture of the letter Yod is a loving reverence or fear of the Lord. There is no other form of behavior we can display to better express our appreciation for what God has done for us. Also, let us take note of the fact that we are given victory over death and the ways of the world before we are rightfully expected to display this reverent fear of the Lord. Psalm 27:1 A Psalm of David . The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?" Isaiah 8:13 "It is the LORD of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, And He shall be your dread." To what shall we say the fear of the Lord is to be compared? The fear of the Lord is likened to a Son who compares the cost of everything he would build against that which grieves the heart of his father and then chooses only that which brings his father joy. 1 Peter 1:17 17 And if you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each man's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay upon earth."

f ~ Kaf Spiritually Pictures Righteousness – The letter Kaf symbolizes fruitful labor and fruitful labor is best defined as deeds accomplished through faith. Faith without deeds is a dead or unfruitful faith and a deed without faith leaves many hopeless. This is the area of our lives where the teaching of faith and deeds going hand-in-hand begins to have its greatest effect. Once we've come to know a proper fear of the Lord we begin to become clothed in His righteousness and from this point on the rest of our spiritual journey through the discipleship lessons portrayed by the Hebrew Alphabet are truly a righteous and justified performance of the works prepared in advance for us to walk in. These works are the very purpose of God's instruction. (Take a quick look at the spiritual picture of the rest of the Hebrew letters to see what works I declare are righteous and justified acts for us to perform.) The righteousness of Christ imparts salvation and also justifies us to walk in the commands of God; before the sacrifice of Christ what ability did we possess on our own to perform any good work in our wretched state of sin? Let us walk in these words from King David; Psalm 40:10 I have not hidden Thy righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Thy faithfulness and Thy salvation; I have not concealed Thy loving kindness and Thy truth from the great congregation." 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."

k ~ Lamed Spiritually Pictures Witnessing – The word Lamed means both to teach and to learn, in fact, we cannot expect to teach without the capacity to learn and the spiritual truths we learn we will later be required to teach through faith and deed. This is called witnessing and precisely the lessons we must learn if we anticipate lifting up the light of the world (Yeshua) or even being a light to the world as Yeshua calls us. (Matthew 5:14) We must learn to attentively witness the acts of righteousness performed by the mentors and people of faith which God has placed in our lives so that we may later reflect a Godly witness ourselves.

n ~ Mem Spiritually Pictures Testimony – The letter Mem continues to carry the preceding letter Lamed's teaching through to fulfillment, in that, it is a witness who gives testimony. Just as the letter Mem's name means water and speaks of immersion; only when we keep ourselves immersed in the things of God does our testimony become tested and proven. Spiritually we must keep ourselves immersed in His Word, His Spirit, Water and Fire; all of which are cleansing agents given to test and prove our testimony! Water represents baptism which signifies entering a new phase of life and is often done more than once in a lifetime and every man's work is tested by fire. (1 Corinthians 3:11-15) The man whose work withstands the testing of fire receives a reward of peace because what he has built, his testimony, is built upon the righteousness and unmovable foundation of Christ.

b ~ Nun Spiritually Pictures Humility – The letter Nun means fish while the letter Mem, which precedes it, means water. Just as fish are found in water, so too humility should be at home in our testimony. Within all the spiritual insights revealed to me, through the structure of the Hebrew alphabet, the letter Nun seems to carry with it some of the deepest insights of great import and dire warning. I will share one here. The necessity we have to display humility in our lives is of great urgency. Remember earlier, under the letter Kaf I mentioned that the spiritual picture displayed by every Hebrew letter after Kaf would reveal a work prepared in advance for us to walk in. I believe the letter Nun reveals the most needed insights. Everything in which Yeshua walked was prepared in advance for Him, including the humiliation He endured. Now the humiliation He suffered was not due Him for any cause of His own, but rather, because of the evil within men's hearts. Now, starting with the letter Kaf, and keeping in the natural order of the alphabet, the three letters preceding the letter Nun spell the word kalam which means to be humiliated. (Isaiah 30:3) We can be assured that if we do not prepare ourselves to walk in humility once we are adorned in the righteousness of God we will find ourselves humiliated in our witness and/or while giving testimony. If, after we experience humiliation, we do not allow humility to keep us in check then an even far worse fate awaits us. Looking at the three letters which follow the letter Nun, and keeping them in their natural order, reveals the word se'ep which means double-mindedness. (Psalm 119:113) If we do not exemplify humility we will find ourselves stricken with double-mindedness about everything. Double-minded about our relationship with God in reference to trusting Him, whether or not we can be devoted to Him, and whether or not the giving of our confession is true of who we actually are in Him. However, let us praise God for His great mercies, because if we have taken on His righteousness and act prideful in either our witness or our testimony we can still learn the lesson of humility from our King. The three letters that spell the word kalam are Kaf, Lamed and Mem and, interestingly, if we reverse the order of these letters they spell the word Melek which means King. Just as He did in His own life Yeshua can reverse the humiliation we endure and help us to become teachable once again! Praise God! (Hebrews Chapter 12)

x ~ Samech Spiritually Pictures Trust – The word Samech literally means to support and it is certainly our obligation to uplift the fallen. The image of the letter Samech also speaks greatly of the capability we have to dwell with one another in peace and prosperity. Being an entirely enclosed letter, Samech is often spoken of as sharing an image of the marriage rings given between couples. In this way, Samech speaks of the trust couples, as well as individuals, can have in our Living God. Humility admits that I am not capable on my own which in turn enables us to trust in Him. Psalm 4:5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And trust in the LORD."

g ~ Ayin Spiritually Pictures Devotion – The word Ayin is the Hebrew word for eye. Our eyes are just one of the many gates we possess which the letter Ayin symbolizes. The gates we possess are also known as our five physical senses and it is through these gates that we take in the world around us. Whatever it is that we choose to take in on a regular basis is also that which we will be devoted to. If we fill our Gates with the love of Godly things then to Godly things we will be devoted; if we fill our Gates with the love of ungodly things then to ungodly things we will be devoted. Whatever a man devotes himself to, he will most assuredly...

p ~ Peh Spiritually Pictures Confession – ...confess! The word Peh means mouth and this letter obviously continues the theme of the letter Ayin which precedes it. The connection should be very easy to see here; whatever a man devotes himself and his time to he will soon give confession of in his life. Matthew 6:22-24  22 "The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23 "But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other."

m ~ Tzaddi Spiritually Pictures Obedience – The Hebrew word tzaddik means a righteous person or even righteousness, which I said earlier is the spiritual picture of the letter Kaf. I believe the letter Tzaddi spiritually pictures the man who reverently lives his life in the fear of the Lord with great humility, because this is the nature of true obedience. In fact, look once again at the letters Yod and Nun which respectively spiritually picture the fear of the Lord and humility. Now look once again at the letter Tzaddi and understand why Tzaddi is said to be formed by a Yod resting on the back of a Nun. Proverbs 22:4 The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches, honor and life." Now before the objections start and we lose sight of this proverbial truth by giving way to the evil doctrines of greed, let us try and put this previous passage from Proverbs into the correct context, one that I believe Paul shared with the Corinthians. 2 Corinthians 9:12-14 For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. 13 Because of the proof given by this ministry they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all, 14 while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you." It is God who gives with great liberality and so should we, with what is in our means, but for those who pretend obedience for the sake of greed there is a warning... Psalm 81:15 "Those who hate the LORD would pretend obedience to Him; And their time of punishment would be forever." Obedience to the commands of God is not about obtaining salvation, rather it is about living in the land into which God has brought you. Leviticus 25:18 'You shall thus observe My statutes, and keep My judgments, so as to carry them out, that you may live securely on the land."

e ~ Kof Spiritually Pictures Circumcision – The letters Kof and Tzaddi seem to go hand-in-hand like so many other letters before them. The letter Kof symbolizes holiness or shall we say the letter Kof symbolizes the man whose obedience unto the commands of God is what sets him apart and makes him holy unto God. 1 Peter 1:14-17 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." 17 And if you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each man's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay upon earth." To be holy means to be set apart unto God. As soon as a man begins to walk in disobedience to the commands of God he is no longer set apart. Here is where we begin to develop the spiritual picture of the letter Kof, circumcision. For a man to remain holy in a world that is constantly trying to add ungodly things to him and remove Godly things from him, he must learn to walk not only in obedience but also in the circumcision of that which does not allow him to remain set apart unto God. Circumcision is the removal of blockage, and in addition circumcision is also the adding of a sign, a sign which signifies that man as being set apart unto God. We must learn to circumcise those areas of our lives where the seed of fruitfulness is blocked from flowing.

r ~ Resh Spiritually Pictures Discipline – The letter Resh has many meanings, it can mean poverty, poison, head or leader. One thing these definitions all have in common is that they can all take place in our minds, our heads! Regardless of whether they are true or not. Believing in our minds that we have only poverty in Christ will fester into other areas of our lives much like any other poison and this is comparable to the puffed up egotistical mind which attempts to lead others through poisonous speech. We must learn to live in a disciplined study of the 'wisdom from above' so as to not allow the poisonous darts of the enemy to affect our minds. James 3:17-18 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. 18 And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." The operative word for us here is the word sown, when we are studying the Word of God, the wisdom that comes from above, we are sowing seed. This is why the letter Resh must also go hand-in-hand with the letter which follows it, the letter Shin...

a ~ Shin Spiritually Pictures Peace – Maintaining a disciplined study in the Word of God means sowing seeds that will reap a harvest of peace. How does a letter whose name means tooth and symbolizes fire spiritually picture peace? Well, teeth and fire do have one thing in common, they both devour, and maintaining the discipline of sowing seeds devours idle time which breeds unrest and this is the only way to obtain true peace. Let us look at some words the Apostle Paul wrote. 1 Corinthians 3:13-14 Each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. 14 If any man's work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward." Paul does not specify what this reward a man receives is, however, I have always taught that this reward is peace. After all, it is peace that we feel when our works have been tested by fire and yet remain. Peace requires discipline. Hebrews 12:11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness."

, ~ Tav Spiritually Pictures Reconciliation – The letter Tav is the last of the Hebrew letters and it spiritually pictures the most important ongoing work of our lives. I believe it will be more beneficial for you to draw this last spiritual insight, as it is divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit, from the Apostle Paul's words rather than my own, so I will end my commentary here. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

Thank you and please feel free to contact Philip R. Taylor if you have any questions.

Aleph
Beit
Gimel
Dalet
Hei
Vav
Zayin
Chet
Tet
Yod
Kaf
Lamed
Mem
Nun
Samech
Ayin
Peh
Tzaddi
Kof
Resh
Shin
Tav

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