Bible HebrewThe First Humans Genesis 1:31 · Genesis 2:18 · Genesis 3:9
Three moments from the start of Genesis: the end of the sixth day, the first human alone, and the first question God asks.
Genesis 1:31
וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וְהִנֵּה־טוֹב מְאֹד וַיְהִי־עֶרֶב וַיְהִי־בֹקֶר יוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי
Wayyar ʾĕlōhīm ʾeth-kol-ʾăsher ʿāśā wəhinnē-ṭōv məʾōdh wayhī-ʿerev wayhī-vōqer yōm hashshishshī
“And God saw everything that he had made, and look, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַיַּרְא | wayyar | and (he) saw |
| אֱלֹהִים | ʾĕlōhīm | God |
| אֶת | ʾeth | (object marker) |
| כָּל | kol | all |
| אֲשֶׁר | ʾăsher | that |
| עָשָׂה | ʿāśā | (he) had made |
| וְהִנֵּה | wəhinnē | and look |
| טוֹב | ṭōv | good |
| מְאֹד | məʾōdh | very |
| וַיְהִי | wayhī | and there was |
| עֶרֶב | ʿerev | evening |
| וַיְהִי | wayhī | and there was |
| בֹקֶר | vōqer | morning |
| יוֹם | yōm | day |
| הַשִּׁשִּׁי | hashshishshī | the sixth |
- וְהִנֵּה: הִנֵּה (“look!”) shifts to the point of view of the one seeing. The reader looks along with God at what was made.
- מְאֹד: On earlier days the text says only that it was “good” (טוֹב). Here it adds מְאֹד, “very”.
- הַשִּׁשִּׁי: Days two to five have no article (“a second day”, “a third day”…). Here the article appears: יוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי, “the sixth day”.
Genesis 2:18
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים לֹא־טוֹב הֱיוֹת הָאָדָם לְבַדּוֹ אֶעֱשֶׂהּ־לּוֹ עֵזֶר כְּנֶגְדּוֹ
Wayyōmer yəḥawwe ʾĕlōhīm lō-ṭōv hĕyōth hāʾādhām ləvaddō ʾeʿĕśeh-lō ʿēzer kəneghdō
“And yəḥawwe God said, “It is not good for the man to be by himself. I will make for him a helper corresponding to him.””
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּאמֶר | wayyōmer | and (he) said |
| יְהוָה | yəḥawwe | yəḥawwe |
| אֱלֹהִים | ʾĕlōhīm | God |
| לֹא | lō | not |
| טוֹב | ṭōv | good |
| הֱיוֹת | hĕyōth | being |
| הָאָדָם | hāʾādhām | the man |
| לְבַדּוֹ | ləvaddō | by himself |
| אֶעֱשֶׂהּ | ʾeʿĕśeh | I will make |
| לּוֹ | lō | for him |
| עֵזֶר | ʿēzer | a helper |
| כְּנֶגְדּוֹ | kəneghdō | corresponding to him |
- יְהוָה: יהוה is God's personal name. This app reads it yəḥawwe. Many readers instead say Adonai (“my Lord”), and many English Bibles print “the LORD” in small capitals. From Genesis 2:4 on, the text often pairs it with אֱלֹהִים.
- הָאָדָם: אָדָם with the article: “the human” or “the man”. It shares its letters with אֲדָמָה, “ground” (Genesis 2:7).
- כְּנֶגְדּוֹ: Three parts: כְּ “like” + נֶגֶד “opposite, in front of” + וֹ “him”. Literally “like-opposite-him”: a helper who matches him face to face.
- עֵזֶר: The same word, עֵזֶר, is used of God as Israel's help (for example Psalm 33:20). The word itself says nothing about lower rank.
Genesis 3:9
וַיִּקְרָא יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים אֶל־הָאָדָם וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ אַיֶּכָּה
Wayyiqrā yəḥawwe ʾĕlōhīm ʾel-hāʾādhām wayyōmer lō ʾayyekkā
“And yəḥawwe God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?””
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַיִּקְרָא | wayyiqrā | and (he) called |
| יְהוָה | yəḥawwe | yəḥawwe |
| אֱלֹהִים | ʾĕlōhīm | God |
| אֶל | ʾel | to |
| הָאָדָם | hāʾādhām | the man |
| וַיֹּאמֶר | wayyōmer | and (he) said |
| לוֹ | lō | to him |
| אַיֶּכָּה | ʾayyekkā | where are you? |
- אַיֶּכָּה: One word in Hebrew: אַיֵּה “where?” + כָה “you”. The ending is masculine singular, so the question is put to the man alone.
- לוֹ: לְ + וֹ: “to him”. Hebrew attaches pronouns to prepositions as endings.
Bible Hebrew teaches this with practice questions and reviews that come back right before you forget. The alphabet, the lessons, the vocabulary and the guided readings are recorded in the biblical pronunciation. Free, no ads, and it works offline.
Practice this lesson free