While we don’t need to be scholars to read the word of the Lord, knowing a few words in Hebrew can help us dive deeper into symbolism and gain greater contextual understanding. But perhaps the greatest blessing from this kind of study is drawing closer to the Savior, as we discover more connections between Him and the scriptures.
Here are six Hebrew words to enhance your study of the Old Testament.
1. Yahweh/yhwh (יְהֹוָה): “To Be; to Exist”
In the Hebrew Bible, the four consonants yhwh represent the name of the God of Israel, who Latter-day Saints believe is the premortal Jesus Christ. The title is traditionally interpreted as “Jehovah” in English, but scholars prefer to use Yahweh or yhwh.
To respect the name’s sacredness, it became a common Jewish practice sometime after 500 BC not to say this title out loud. While yhwh appears more than 6,800 times in the Hebrew Bible, translators for the King James Version followed this custom by replacing the name with the substitute titles of Lord, Jehovah, and Adonai.
The meaning of this divine identifier reveals profound truths about Christ’s infinite role as Creator. As scholar Andrew C. Skinner explains:
“Yahweh is thought to be a causative form of the verb meaning ‘to be, to exist’ and meaning literally, ‘he will cause to be.’ Thus the phrase Yahweh Elohim (translated as Lord God in the King James Version) would mean, literally, ‘he will cause gods to be.’”1
This interpretation reminds us that Christ makes all things possible—past, present, future. His name represents the incredible reality that because of Him, we can overcome sin and death. He makes it possible not only to return to live with God but also to become like Him.
2. Shema/Shama (שמע): “To Hear; to Hearken”
President Russell M. Nelson referenced this Hebrew word in a footnote to his April 2020 talk “Hear Him.” He wrote, “In the Old Testament, the word hearken is translated from the Hebrew shama, which is a strong verb that means to ‘listen with the intent to obey.’”
This definition teaches that listening to or hearing God’s word should not be passive. Instead, it should inspire us to change and act.
The imperative (command) form of this verb is translated as shema. Author and podcast host Tamara Uzelac Hall explains:
“The word shema is interchangeable with hear and obey. In fact, in Hebrew there isn’t a separate word for obey; it is shema. There is a word for obedience as a noun, but it is rarely used. So, when we are encouraged to hear or hearken, we are also being told to obey.”2
This isn’t simply an invitation to demonstrate mindless obedience; rather, it allows us to use our agency ultimately for our benefit. When we hear, hearken to, and heed the Lord’s words, as President Nelson encouraged, we can navigate the world’s complexities with divinely bestowed confidence. We can find increased “safety and peace.”
3. Segullah (סגלה): “Treasure; Special Possession”
As we listen to the Lord and make promises with Him, we develop a special covenant identity. In Exodus, the Lord teaches the children of Israel, “If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me” (emphasis added).
While the word “peculiar” has connotations of being odd or eccentric in today’s vernacular, the Old Testament doesn’t imply this meaning. The Hebrew word from which “peculiar” is translated is segullah, which means “treasure” or “special possession.” In this way, the Old Testament teaches that we become the Lord’s chosen and treasured people, an identification which President Nelson once called “a compliment of the highest order.”
The scriptures teach that we are especially precious in God’s sight because of the infinite price that Jesus Christ paid for our redemption.3 As Tamara writes:
“Jesus Christ has purchased each of us with the price of His own blood (see 1 Corinthians 6:20). ... To become one of the Lord’s jewels, to become treasured, we must faithfully enter into and keep covenants. Doing this shows that we love the Lord, and not only will our names be recorded in the book of remembrance, but we will be remembered and chosen as His precious jewels when He comes again.”4
4. Hesed/Chesed (חסד): “Covenant Love”
The rich meaning of the Hebrew word hesed, sometimes spelled chesed or checed, is almost beyond definition. It shows up 245 times in the Hebrew Bible and is associated with 15 different translations in the King James Version.
President Nelson often referenced hesed and its almost ineffable meaning in his teachings. As the late Church President explained:
“Hesed has no adequate English equivalent. Translators of the King James Version of the Bible must have struggled with how to render hesed in English. They often chose ‘lovingkindness.’ This captures much but not all the meaning of hesed. Other translations were also rendered, such as ‘mercy’ and ‘goodness.’ Hesed is a unique term describing a covenant relationship in which both parties are bound to be loyal and faithful to each other. …
“Hesed is a special kind of love and mercy that God feels for and extends to those who have made a covenant with Him. And we reciprocate with hesed for Him.”
When we continually commit to God and experience His steadfast love in return, we feel greater trust and divine closeness.
Like the meaning of segullah, hesed reminds us that we are deeply cherished. President Nelson promised, “Because of our covenant with God, He will never tire in His efforts to help us, and we will never exhaust His merciful patience with us. Each of us has a special place in God’s heart. He has high hopes for us.”
5. Emunah (אֱמוּנָה): “Faith; Support”
Emunah describes how we can reciprocate God’s hesed: faith. As Elder Sandino Roman says in his April 2025 general conference talk, “Faith in Jesus Christ is a bond of trust forged in loyalty and love. In other words, in gratitude for God’s merciful love (hesed), we show our loyal love (emunah) by keeping His commandments.”
This word reminds us of our responsibility to collaborate with the Lord and nurture our side of the spiritual relationship. “The Hebrew word for faith is אמונה (emunah) and is an action-oriented word meaning ‘support,’” a researcher explains. “[It] places the action on the one who ‘supports God.’ It is not a knowing that God will act, but rather I will do what I can to support God.”
Interestingly, emunah shares the same root as the Hebrew noun uman, which signifies an artisan, craftsman, or practitioner. Much like art or love, faith is something that must be actively practiced and cultivated.
In the Hebrew Bible, one of the first instances where emunah comes into play is Exodus 17. The Israelite leaders Aaron and Hur sustained the prophet Moses by supporting his arms as he raised a staff to help their people prevail in a battle:
“But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady [emunah] until the going down of the sun.”
This imagery teaches that we can demonstrate emunah by supporting the Lord’s prophet with steadiness and lifting our actions toward heaven. “Like Aaron and Hur, we can search for ways to lift our faith,” one writer suggests. “We can lift up the scriptures, we can try and lift up those around us, and we can lift up our hearts to God at all times.”
6. Kaphar (כָּפַר): “To Cover; to Forgive”
The Old Testament uses the word “atonement” 81 times. Seventy-three of these occurrences come from the Hebrew word kaphar, which can be interpreted as meaning “to cover.”
This definition reminds us of the multilayered ways in which Jesus Christ redeems us. Tamara describes it this way:
“A common way to teach the word atonement is that we are ‘at one’ with Christ, but the Hebrew word for atonement has given me a new understanding and appreciation for what the Savior has done for me and all of us. The Savior’s Atonement covers us when we fall short of paying the price of our sins. It covers us when we find ourselves in a sticky situation and need extra help. It has covered me many times when I am in need of comfort.”5
This idea also evokes the symbolism of the garment of the holy priesthood. Like Adam and Eve were clothed with coats of skins, the garment is a tangible reminder of the Savior’s sacrifice that covers our spiritual nakedness.6 “Our temple garment reminds us that the Savior and the blessings of His Atonement cover us throughout our lives,” Sister J. Anette Dennis teaches. “As we put on the garment of the holy priesthood each day, that beautiful symbol becomes a part of us.”
Next time you come across the word “atonement” in your Old Testament readings, think about how Jesus Christ covers you, shelters you, and helps you become “at one” with Him. Looking for this covering throughout your life will help you greater appreciate the Savior’s atoning role and feel His all-encompassing love.
Fall in love with the Old Testament
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Notes
1. Andrew C. Skinner, To Become like God: Witnesses of Our Divine Potential (Deseret Book, 2016), 46.
2. See Tamara Uzelac Hall, Hebrew Delights: 52 Hebrew Words to Fall in Love with the Old Testament (Covenant Communications, 2025), 60. Tamara is also the host of the Sunday on Monday podcast, which is available on the Deseret Bookshelf app.
3. See Malachi 3:17 and “3 Nephi 24:16–18 I Will Make Up My Jewels,” in Book of Mormon Student Manual (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2003).
4. Hall, Hebrew Delights, 135.
5. Hall, Hebrew Delights, 9–10.
6. See Genesis 3:21.
