Hebrew Nuggets is an article series that introduces beginners to Hebrew letters, Hebrew vocabulary and spiritual insights from the Hebrew tradition.
The first letter of the word גֵּיהִנּוֹם (ge·hi·NOM, “Gehenna”) is a new letter: ג. Called גִּימֶל (GI·mel) in Hebrew, ג is pronounced like the “g” in “big,” never like the “g” in “giraffe.” A GI·mel at the beginning of a word always has a dagesh or dot in the middle of the letter (גּ). Unlike the letters ב, כ and פ, the presence or absence of a dagesh in ג has no effect on its pronunciation.
Premium Members and Friends of JP must be signed in to view this content.
If you are not a Premium Member or Friend, please consider registering. Prices start at $5/month if paid annually, with other options for monthly and quarterly and more: Sign Up For Premium
For the transliteration system used in this series, click here.
Comments 2
How can the western evangelical church has got it so badly wrong?! Thank you David.
Thank you for confirming my own studies on the subject. It’s clear “Gehenna” was not meant to be “eternal torture” as misinterpreted today.