Origin and Order of the Hebrew Alphabet

Hardy — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 17:35:49 +0000

Prior to the discovery of a proto-Hebrew alphabet at Tel-Zayit, the order of the biblical Hebrew alphabet was known through several sources:

Cognate Languages. The Hebrew writing system (cf. GKC Table of Alphabets) was derived from and shares the same order as the Phoenician alphabet; likewise Greek originated from Phoenician. Of course, the Greek letters changed slightly from their origin in Phoenician and added vowels that were created from consonants: alpha from aleph, epsilon from he, eta from chet, iota from yod, omicron from ayin, and upsilon from waw.

Abecedarian Psalms. This type of psalm uses an alphabetical acrostic as a poetic pattern or device. Just as today’s school children learn the alphabet by memorizing “A is for Apple, B is for Ball, C is for Cat, etc.” or Dr. Seuss’s ABC, the Hebrews used abecedary for easier memorization of poetic literature.

Psalm 119 is the most well-known of this type of psalm. It contains twenty-two strophes (i.e. units of poetry); one for each of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Each of the eight lines, or verses, in the strophe begins with the letter of the alphabet (8 lines x 22 strophes/letters = 176 verses). Example (Psalm 119:1-10):

¹ אַשְׁרֵ֥י תְמִֽימֵי־דָ֑רֶךְ הַֽ֝הֹלְכִ֗ים בְּתוֹרַ֥ת יְהוָֽה׃

2 אַ֭שְׁרֵי נֹצְרֵ֥י עֵדֹתָ֗יו בְּכָל־לֵ֥ב יִדְרְשֽׁוּהוּ׃

3 אַ֭ף לֹֽא־פָעֲל֣וּ עַוְלָ֑ה בִּדְרָכָ֥יו הָלָֽכוּ׃

4 אַ֭תָּה צִוִּ֥יתָה פִקֻּדֶ֗יךָ לִשְׁמֹ֥ר מְאֹֽד׃

5 אַ֭חֲלַי יִכֹּ֥נוּ דְרָכָ֗י לִשְׁמֹ֥ר חֻקֶּֽיךָ׃

6 אָ֥ז לֹא־אֵב֑וֹשׁ בְּ֝הַבִּיטִ֗י אֶל־כָּל־מִצְוֹתֶֽיךָ׃

7 א֭וֹדְךָ בְּיֹ֣שֶׁר לֵבָ֑ב בְּ֝לָמְדִ֗י מִשְׁפְּטֵ֥י צִדְקֶֽךָ׃

8 אֶת־חֻקֶּ֥יךָ אֶשְׁמֹ֑ר אַֽל־תַּעַזְבֵ֥נִי עַד־מְאֹֽד׃

9 בַּמֶּ֣ה יְזַכֶּה־נַּ֭עַר אֶת־אָרְחֹ֑ו לִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר כִּדְבָרֶֽךָ׃

10 בְּכָל־לִבִּ֥י דְרַשְׁתִּ֑יךָ אַל־תַּ֝שְׁגֵּ֗נִי מִמִּצְוֹתֶֽיךָ׃

Psalm 112 uses one letter per line (verses contain several lines, or cola, of Hebrew poetry):

הַ֥לְלוּ יָ֨הּ׀

אַשְׁרֵי־אִ֭ישׁ יָרֵ֣א אֶת־יְהוָ֑ה

בְּ֝מִצְוֹתָ֗יו חָפֵ֥ץ מְאֹֽד׃

2 גִּבּ֣וֹר בָּ֭אָרֶץ יִהְיֶ֣ה זַרְעֹ֑ו

דּ֭וֹר יְשָׁרִ֣ים יְבֹרָֽךְ׃

3 הוֹן־וָעֹ֥שֶׁר בְּבֵיתֹ֑ו

וְ֝צִדְקָתוֹ֗ עֹמֶ֥דֶת לָעַֽד׃

4 זָ֘רַ֤ח בַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְ א֖וֹר לַיְשָׁרִ֑ים

חַנּ֖וּן וְרַח֣וּם וְצַדִּֽיק׃

5 טֽוֹב־אִ֭ישׁ חוֹנֵ֣ן וּמַלְוֶ֑ה

יְכַלְכֵּ֖ל דְּבָרָ֣יו בְּמִשְׁפָּֽט׃

6 כִּֽי־לְעוֹלָ֥ם לֹא־יִמּ֑וֹט

לְזֵ֥כֶר ע֝וֹלָ֗ם יִהְיֶ֥ה צַדִּֽיק׃

7 מִשְּׁמוּעָ֣ה רָ֭עָה לֹ֣א יִירָ֑א

נָכ֥וֹן לִ֝בֹּ֗ו בָּטֻ֥חַ בַּיהוָֽה׃

8 סָמ֣וּךְ לִ֭בּוֹ לֹ֣א יִירָ֑א

עַ֖ד אֲשֶׁר־יִרְאֶ֣ה בְצָרָֽיו׃

9 פִּזַּ֤ר׀ נָ֘תַ֤ן לָאֶבְיוֹנִ֗ים צִ֭דְקָתוֹ עֹמֶ֣דֶת לָעַ֑ד

קַ֝רְנֹ֗ו תָּר֥וּם בְּכָבֽוֹד׃

10 רָ֘שָׁ֤ע יִרְאֶ֨ה׀ וְכָעָ֗ס שִׁנָּ֣יו יַחֲרֹ֣ק וְנָמָ֑ס

תַּאֲוַ֖ת רְשָׁעִ֣ים תֹּאבֵֽד׃

Other abecedary psalms include Psalm 111, Psalm 37 (every other verse), and Psalm 25. Apparently, it was not imperative to develop a “perfect” alphabet acrostic. Some examples of imperfect acrostics are Psalm 145 (omits nun), Psalm 34 (omits waw), Psalm 25 (omits kaf and waw is dubious), and Psalm 9-10 (excludes several letters).

Other acrostics. Another notable acrostic concludes the book of Proverbs. Verses 10-31 delineate the ABCs of the virtuous woman. Other acrostic poetic devices are used in Lamentations 1-4.

(For more information see Brug, J.F. “Biblical Acrostics and Their Relationship to Other Ancient Near Eastern Acrostics,” in The Bible in the Light of Cuneiform Literature: Scripture in Context III. Ancient Near Eastern Texts and Studies 8. William W. Hallo, et al, eds. [Lewiston: Edwin Mellen, 1990], 283-305; ISBN 0889462194)

***UPDATE 1***
Talmida has posted on the Proverbs 31 passage mentioned above. Check it out here.

***UPDATE 2***
FORWARD Online Newspaper answers the question concerning why the English abecedary begins with A-B-C and not the Phoenician order A-B-G.

DailyHebrew.com » Psalms

Origin and Order of the Hebrew Alphabet