Every consonant of a Hebrew word, except the final consonant, must have a vocalization mark A vowel A sign to indicate the absence of a vowel This sign is called a sheva This sign is written below the writing line, directly below the consonant The sheva is not a vowel

Vocal Sheva Simple vocal sheva (:) Compound vocal sheva ( ְַ ) Silent Sheva Simple silent sheva (:)

בְּרֵאשִׁית “in (the) beginning” A simple vocal sheva The vocal sheva has a short, abbreviated sound like an “eh” or “uh” It is somewhat like the first syllable in the word “severe”

Known as Semi-Vowels or Half-Vowels or Compound Shevas There is one compound sheva for each of the 3 major vowel classes (A, I and U) They represent full vowels but have been abbreviated for phonetical purposes The compound sheva is not technically a vowel ַ ֶ ַָ ֶ ָ

They are always vocal and never silent. The pronunciation of the compound sheva is based on what type of vowel is present. Compound shevas arose because of the difficulty of pronouncing the gutturals (א, ע, ח, ה, and sometimes ר) with simple vocal shevas. Normally, therefore, a simple vocal sheva will not appear beneath a guttural but will be replaced by one of the three compound shevas.

ַ+ְַ+ְ ֶ+ְֶ+ְ ָ+ְָ+ְ

ְַ ְ ְ (Always represents the hatef-qames half-vowel of the “o” class and never of the “a” class) ֶ ָ

Vocal Sheva Simple or Compound Whether simple or compound a sheva is vocal when it stands under the first consonant of a word or when a consonant begins a syllable

דְּבַרִים

Whenever two shevas stand under adjacent consonants within a word, the first will always be silent and the second will be vocal. The first sheva marks the end of a syllable, the second stands a the beginning of a new syllable. When two shevas go walking the second one does the talking.

יִמְשְׁלוּ The first sheva is silent The second is vocal

Silent sheva A silent sheva only stands beneath a consonant that ends a syllable. The silent sheva may also be referred to as a syllable divider

Silent sheva A sheva is silent (and marks the end of a syllable) when: The preceding vowel is short After an accented long vowel When it is the first of two shevas which come together in the middle of a word

יִשְׁמֹר

תִּמְכֹּרְנָה <

יִמְשְׁלוּ The first sheva is silent The second is vocal

Though the final consonant of a word does not maintain a silent sheva (even though that consonant closes a syllable), a silent sheva will stand under the last consonant of a word in two instances:

When a word ends with a vowelless ך The sheva is silent This sheva helps to distinguish a final kaf ך from a final nun ן מֶלֶךְ <

When a word ends with two unvocalized consonants: Both unvocalized consonants take silent shevas עָמַדְתְּ

A word cannot begin with two vowelless consonants, i.e. with two vocal shevas לְשְׁמוּאֵל So the first vocal sheva becomes the nearest short vowel לִשְׁמוּאֵל

A maqqef is a short horizontal stroke used to join together two or more words within a verse. Words joined in this way are pronounced as one speech unit and the primary accent falls on the final word of the unit. In other words, all words that are not final in such a unit lose their primary accents. They may then undergo certain vowel changes on this account.

כֹּל (“all”) becomes כָּל (with a qames- hatuf) when placed before a maqqef כָּל־הַיּוֹם “all of the days” -- Genesis 6:5 מָה (“what”) becomes מַה when joined to the following word by a maqqef as in: מַה־יִּקְרָא־לוֹ “what he would call them” -- Genesis 2:19

A direct object is a word representing a person or thing upon which the action of a verb is performed. The direct object may be either definite or indefinite. If definite it is usually preceded by the particle אֵת The particle serves merely as the sign of the direct object and is therefore not to be translated. אֵת may be written alone, or it may be joined by a maqqef to the following word. Vowel changes can then occur. A sere would be shortened to a segol.

אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם “the heavens” – Gen. 1:1 אֶת־הָאוֹר “the light” –Gen. 1:4

A dagesh is a point standing within a consonant There are two major kinds of dagesh Dagesh Lene Dagesh Forte

A dagesh lene is a dot which may be placed in six consonants (תּ, פּ, כּ, דּ, גּ, בּ) in order to indicate when they are to be given a hard pronunciation.

A dagesh forte is identical in appearance to dagesh lene, but serves an entirely different purpose. A dagesh forte is a dot that indicates the doubling of the consonant in which it stands. בִּקֵּשׁ=(בִּקקֵשׁ) It may be placed in any consonant except the five gutturals ר, ע, ח, ה, א (:)

A dot in any letter other than a BeGaD KeFaT letter is a dagesh forte and indicates the doubling of that letter. A dot in a BeGaD KeFaT letter will be a dagesh lene whenever that letter is not immediately preceded by a vowel. A dot in a BeGaD KeFaT letter will be a dagesh forte whenever that letter is immediately preceded by a vowel. In essence: A dagesh lene never stands after a vowel A dagesh forte always stands immediately after a vowel

In regard to the six BeGaD KeFaT letters, a dagesh forte has the same effect as a dagesh lene in hardening their pronunciation

בְּרִית The dagesh in the ב is a dagesh lene because no vowel precedes it The pronunciation is hard הַבֵּן The dagesh in the ב is a dagesh forte because a vowel immediately precedes it The pronunciation is hard

A sheva that is beneath a doubled consonant (one that has a dagesh forte) will always be vocal קִטְּלוּ The ט has a dagesh forte because it is not a BeGaD KeFaT letter Because of this the sheva underneath is classified as a vocal sheva and will be pronounced.