'From Eden to Exodus': Learning the meaning of Hebrew words - review

First writes with a fey, almost whimsical style, and along the way incorporates interesting nuggets of information, such as when the Hebrew word “nasi” was first used to describe the president of the United States. He reports that Abraham Lincoln was described as the nasi in the 1860s. Before that, he writes, James Buchanan, his predecessor, was addressed as “Hasar Buchanan, rosh le’memshelet America.”

While at first glance, some of the topics covered may seem a bit esoteric, such as the actual color of the red heifer, the etymology of the word “adam” (man), and the nature of arov, the fourth of the 10 Plagues, the reader is quickly drawn into the book by First’s engaging and welcoming style.

One example of how the author utilizes both classical and modern sources can be found in his analysis of the meaning of the Hebrew word “mabul,” commonly translated as “flood,” which occurs in the Torah reading of Noah.

In order to understand the meaning of a word, First writes, one must determine its three-letter root. The author discusses various possibilities of the Hebrew root of the word “mabul.” One possibility is nun-bet-lamed, which means “fall” or “decay,” while another option is bet-lamed-lamed, which means “intermingling” or “confusion.” A third possibility that he raises is that the original root of “mabul” is yud-bet-lamed, which relates to movement and flow.

He also quotes Rashi’s commentary on the word “mabul,” which incorporates a similar analysis of the different root possibilities.

First points out that the issue of a word’s meaning is more than an etymological conundrum. The question, as he puts it, is ‘Was the Flood (mabul) a force that caused intermingling and confusion, one that created decay and destruction, or more neutrally, a force of flowing water?”

Another example of his linguistic expertise is evidenced by his explanation of the word “lispod” in the Torah portion of “Hayei Sarah.”

After Sarah’s death, the text reads, “Vayavo Avraham lispod l’Sarah v’livkota,” which the Jewish Publication Society’s 1917 translation renders as “Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.”

First examines the word “lispod,” which is translated as “mourn.” He adds the explanation of Rabbi Jacob Hertz, who wrote that the word “lispod” indicates “the loud wailing still usual in the East as a manifestation of grief.”

He then quotes the modern Daat Mikra commentary, which suggests that the word “safad” refers to a type of ritual involving bodily movement and trembling, indicating the extent of one’s grief.

The author then cites the Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, which suggests the word means a ceremony that “characteristically included the beating of one’s breasts and the articulation of short cries like ‘Ho, ho’ (Am. 5:16) and ‘Hoy.’”

First concludes that the original meaning of the word “safod” is most likely to beat one’s breasts. He buttresses his point by citing a verse in Isaiah 32:12, which reads, “Al shadayim sofedim,” which the JPS translates as “Smiting upon the breasts.” The Soncino commentary on the verse in Isaiah explains that the prophet “sees the approaching calamities so vividly that he calls upon the women to go at once into mourning.”

“Now that we know that the Akkadian cognate has the meaning “beat the breasts,” writes the author, “it is evident that this is the meaning of sofedim here.”

Readers who enjoy delving into the meaning of Hebrew words and phrases will take pleasure in accompanying the author on his journey through Hebrew words in the Bible and their etymological roots.

While those who are proficient in Hebrew will benefit most from this work, those who are less proficient will also find this book to be enjoyable.