Answers

25 Bible questions, answered through the ancient letters

Short, clear answers to the questions people ask most — the meaning of Hebrew words, whether Jesus is in the Old Testament, and how the Cross is written into Scripture from Genesis to Revelation.

What is the first word of the Bible, and what does “Bereshit” mean?

The first word of the Bible is Bereshit (בְּרֵאשִׁית), usually translated “In the beginning.” Read in the ancient Paleo-Hebrew pictures, its letters carry a hidden picture of the Son, the house, and the Cross. Read the full first chapter free →

What does YHWH mean?

YHWH (יהוה) is the personal name of God, built from four letters — Yod, Hey, Vav, Hey. It is tied to “I AM WHO I AM,” the self-existent, eternal God, and in the pictographs reads “behold the hand, behold the nail.” Full answer →

What are the letters of God’s name?

God’s name YHWH is spelled Yod (a hand), Hey (behold), Vav (a nail), and Hey (behold) — “hand, behold, nail, behold.” The shortened form, Yah, is the ending you say in “Hallelu-jah.” See the letters Yod and Vav.

What does the name Yeshua (Jesus) mean?

Yeshua (ישוע) is the Hebrew name behind “Jesus.” It is a short form of Joshua and means “salvation” — “the LORD saves.” The word for salvation runs all through the Old Testament. Full answer →

Is Jesus in the Old Testament?

Yes — Jesus said Moses and the Prophets wrote about Him (Luke 24:27). He is foreshadowed in the Passover lamb, the sacrifice of Isaac, the “I AM” of Exodus, Isaiah 53, Psalm 23, and more. Seven places He appears →

What is Paleo-Hebrew?

Paleo-Hebrew is the oldest form of the Hebrew alphabet, in which each of the 22 letters was originally a picture — Aleph an ox, Bet a house, Tav a cross. Full answer →

What does the letter Aleph mean?

Aleph (א) is the first letter of the alphabet, drawn in Paleo-Hebrew as the head of an ox — a symbol of strength, a leader, and God Himself. Explore Aleph →

What is the Aleph and the Tav (the Hebrew “Alpha and Omega”)?

Aleph and Tav are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet — the Hebrew equivalent of “the Alpha and the Omega.” Aleph means God; Tav was a cross. The two even appear together, untranslated, in Genesis 1:1. Full answer →

Why is the letter Tav shaped like a cross?

In its oldest Paleo-Hebrew form, Tav (ת) — the last letter of the alphabet — was literally drawn as a cross (“+” or “✕”), meaning a mark, a sign, or a covenant seal. Explore Tav →

What does “Amen” mean?

Amen (אָמֵן) comes from a Hebrew root meaning firm, faithful, and sure. To say amen is to say “so be it — this is true and will stand.” Full answer →

What does “Hallelujah” mean?

Hallelujah (הַלְלוּיָהּ) means “Praise Yah” — praise the LORD. It joins hallelu (“praise”) with Yah, the shortened name of God. Full answer →

What does “Selah” mean?

Selah (סֶלָה) is an untranslated word found 74 times, mostly in the Psalms. It is most often understood as a pause — a moment to stop and weigh what was just said — and is linked to ideas of “lift up” and “forever.” Full answer →

What does “Shalom” mean?

Shalom (שָׁלוֹם) is usually translated “peace,” but it means far more: wholeness, completeness — nothing missing and nothing broken. See the short video →

What does “Immanuel” mean?

Immanuel (עִמָּנוּאֵל) means “God with us” — from immanu (“with us”) and El (“God”). It is prophesied in Isaiah 7:14 and applied to Jesus in Matthew 1:23. Full answer →

What does “Hosanna” mean?

Hosanna comes from the Hebrew hoshia-na (הוֹשִׁיעָה נָּא), a cry meaning “Save, please!” or “Save now!” It began as a plea for rescue and became a shout of praise as the crowds greeted Jesus.

What does “Messiah” (or “Christ”) mean?

Messiah is the Hebrew Mashiach (מָשִׁיחַ), “the Anointed One.” The Greek translation is Christos — “Christ.” Both titles mean the same thing: the promised, anointed King and Deliverer.

What does “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14) mean?

At the burning bush God reveals His name as Ehyeh asher Ehyeh — “I AM WHO I AM,” the God who simply is: self-existent, eternal, present. Jesus later takes these words on His own lips. See the verse →

What is the meaning of the blood on the doorposts at Passover?

In Exodus 12, the blood of a spotless lamb on the doorframe caused death to “pass over” the house — a sign the New Testament connects directly to Christ, “our Passover lamb.” See the verse →

What does Psalm 23 mean in the original Hebrew?

“The LORD is my shepherd” — the valley, the table, and the house of the Lord read even richer in the ancient letters, all pointing to the Shepherd who walks the valley ahead of us. See the verse →

What does “the Word” mean in John 1:1?

John opens “In the beginning was the Word,” deliberately echoing Genesis 1:1 — identifying Jesus as the eternal Word through whom all things were made. See the verse →

What is the firmament (raqia) in Genesis 1?

The “firmament” of Genesis 1:6–7 translates the Hebrew raqia — an expanse God set in the midst of the waters to separate and to order. See the verse →

Who did Jacob wrestle with in Genesis 32?

At Peniel, Jacob wrestles all night with a mysterious man he later says was God “face to face,” and is given a new name, Israel. See the verse →

What does “Abba” mean?

Abba (אַבָּא) is an intimate Aramaic/Hebrew word for “Father” — closer to “Papa” or “Daddy.” It is the word Jesus uses in Gethsemane and the name the Spirit teaches believers to cry (Romans 8:15).

Is Paleo-Hebrew real, or a modern idea?

It is real and ancient — attested on datable artifacts such as the Gezer Calendar, the Siloam Inscription, the Ketef Hinnom silver scrolls, and the Dead Sea Scrolls. See 10 artifacts →

Where is the Cross found in the Hebrew alphabet?

The alphabet begins with Aleph (God) and ends with Tav, a letter drawn as a cross — so the gospel is framed from the first letter to the last. Full answer →