A Glossary of
Hebraic Terms
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Abbreviations Used In This Glossary

abbr. = abbreviated

alt. = alternate

Ar. = Aramaic

esp. = especially

Gr. = Greek

Heb. = Hebrew

lit. = literally

n. = noun

pl. = plural

pron. = pronounced

prop. = properly

sg. = singular 

usu. = usually

v. = verb

Yid. = Yiddish

Transliteration/Pronunciation GuideBooks of the  BibleProper Names Tribes of IsraelThe Mishnah

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Please expect it to be different the next time you visit our website.

For more Hebrew words and phrases, you might enjoy Jacob Richman's "Learn Hebrew" website at
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For more Hebrew words and phrases, you might enjoy Jacob Richman's "Learn Hebrew" website at
http://www.learn-hebrew.co.il/. Be sure to check out his "About / Help" link for more tools and sites.

Use this “Jump Bar” to directly to any letter of the AlephBet
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Appendix Pronunciation [More]

P

p’ri — fruit

P’rushim or Parush — Pharisees; religious leaders

pachad; pakhad — fear; terror

padut — redemption

pakad — visit

Parah Adumah — Red Heifer, aspecial sacrificial animal (see Shabbat Parah)

Parashah — the weekly Torah portion; also called Sidrah or Sedrah or Sidra (pl. Parashot)

pareve — foods containing neither meat nor milk

parim — young bulls

parnasah — livelihood

parochet — (alt. parokhet) curtain … when capitalized, the curtain over the Ark in the Synagogue; the curtain separating the Holy of Holies from the Hechal

pasach — (alt. pesah, pesach) passing over; letting go the penalty of

Pascal Lamb — (alt. Paschal) the lamb selected for the Pesach/Passover sacrifice; haMashiach

Pascha — Greek transliteration of the Hebrew pesach, meaning “Passover.”

paskudneh — contemptible

Passover — From the Hebrew pesah; the first of the seven feasts of YHWH; the Paschal sacrifice; title may also include Feast of Unleavened Bread.

patur — exempt; free

payes — corners; therefore, earlocks of hair or sidecurls worn by ultra-Orthodox men and boys (pl. payot)

pe’ulot — works

pedut — redemption; geulah; release on payment of ransom

peh — mouth

pekuddat — stewardship; care

peledike — marvelous

penemer — faces

Pentateuch — the first five Books of the Bible, the Five Books of Moshe

Pentecost — In Hebrew, Shavuoth, the Feast of Weeks; the fiftieth day after the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread; the festival of the ingathering of the first fruits of the wheat harvest.

peres - gier-eagle

perot — fruits

Perushim — Pharisees; the upholders of the Oral Torah at the time of the Second Sanctuary

peruta — small coin

Pesabim — a section of Talmudic commentary on the feast of the Passover

Pesach — (alt. Pesah) Passover. Memorializes the night when the Hebrews were protected by the blood of lambs, a type of when G‑d’s people are redeemed by the blood of The Lamb. One of three pilgrim festivals to Jerusalem. (pl. Pesachim)

Pesach Katan — the second offering of the Paschal Lamb on the 14th of Iyar

Pesach Sheni — the 14th of Iyar, the offering of the Pesach Sacrifice by those who were not able to do so on the 14th of Nisan

peshat — plain or literal meaning

peshuto shel mikra — simple reading of the verse

Pesikta — Book of Haggadic discourses for festivals and special Sabbaths

petach — doorway

peysha — transgression

peysha’im — transgressions [Yeshayah 53:5]

Pharaoh — King of Egypt; considered deity by Egyptians

Pharisees — A strict religio-political party in late Second Temple period who were known for their zealous adherence to the teaching of the rabbis concerning the Torah. Their chief doctrine was that salvation and G-d’s favor would come as a result of Torah observance … they wanted to develop Judaism through prayer, study of Torah, and midrashic interpretations of Torah; forerunners of the rabbis

phobeo — (Gk.) to frighten, i.e. (passive) to be alarmed; by analogy to be in awe of, i.e. revere — be (very) afraid, fear (exceedingly), reverence

pidyon haben / habat — lit. redemption of the (firstborn) son / daughter; home ceremony that takes place on the thirty-first day of a child’s life

pikkadon — deposit

piku’ach nefesh — the care for human life

Pikudey — a portion in the Book of Exodus

Pilgrim Festival/Feast — Shalosh Regalim — Three times a year (Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot) the Torah requires all Israel to go in joyous celebration to Jerusalem. [If anyone would try to coerce you to be overly “Torah observant” remind him/her that in order to be “Torah observant” he/she must attend these three Feasts in Jerusalem.]

Pinchas — a portion in the Book of Numbers

Pirkey Avot — “the Ethics of the Fathers”, a tractate in the Mishnah

pisechim — lame persons

pisei’ach — lame man

pitma — the wart of the etrog

pitron — interpretation (pl. pitronim

piyyut (alt. piyut) — Poetic prayer … liturgical poem (pl. piyyutim; alt. piyutim)

platke-machers — gossipy intriguers

plotst — burst

pneuma — (Gk.) a current of air, i.e. breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively a spirit, i.e. (human) the rational soul, (by implication) vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) an angel, daemon, or (divine) G‑d, HaMashiach’s spirit, the Holy Spirit —life, spirit (-ual, -ually) — Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word ruach

pnimiyus — innermost

po’alim — workers

poel — worker

poshe’im — the ones transgressing / rebelling

poshei’a — transgressor

posher — lukewarm

praht — detail

pri, p’ri — fruit

priests — descendants of Aaron (of the tribe of Levi) who officiated at religious services in the Temple; they also served as judges, physicians, and teachers.

proselyte — a convert to Judaism

Psak — Jewish legal ruling.

pseudepigraphic — written under another name

pshat — rationale

ptur — excuse

punkt — exactly

Purim — Lots. The observed day (usually in March) commemorating the deliverance and survival of G‑d’s people. The beginning of the Passover season; a time of teshuvah.

Use this “Jump Bar” to directly to any letter of the AlephBet
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Appendix Pronunciation [More]

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Page last revised on Saturday, November 13, 2010