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Hebrew Bible

Hebrew Bible

4 3.8
The Jewish holy books that include the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings
  • noun
  • /ˈhiːbruː ˈbaɪbəl/
translation icon : Biblia hebrea
  • God does not speak again in the Hebrew Bible after He speaks to Job.
  • the God of the Hebrew Bible
  • looking at the Hebrew Bible

I think a lot of Gentiles in the ancient world found the Hebrew Bible a very strange text.

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Examples

  • The Hebrew Bible speaks of "wiping away," "covering," "removing," and "sending away" sins.

    Academic text (2003)
  • The question of why the Nazirite has chosen his temporary way of life is never broached in the Hebrew Bible.

    Academic text (2018)
  • In the Old Testament, in the Hebrew Bible, God speaks with people.

  • It's a retelling of the Hebrew Bible story about God, the God of Israel.

  • I found the idea of studying the Hebrew Bible with the descendants of the people who wrote it quite appealing.

    Academic text (2014)
  • The Hebrew Bible presents us with "a religious community built upon the patriarchal family."

    Academic text (2002)
  • There are also works based on or related to the Hebrew Bible, sometimes called the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha.

    Academic text (1994)
  • On the one hand, the African American scholar/preacher realizes that Jesus does not figure in the Hebrew Bible.

    Academic text (1994)
  • For both groups, the Hebrew Bible was the major source of theological words and concepts ("covenant," "thanksgiving/confession," etc.).

    Academic text (1994)
  • Many scholars refer to the stories of creation in the Hebrew Bible as foundational texts of Judaism.

Synonyms

Old Testament
vsHebrew Bible
16 4.0

Books that form the first part of the Christian Bible and contain Hebrew sacred writings

frames the same books within Christian scripture rather than Jewish canon
Tanakh
vsHebrew Bible
1 9.9

A group of Jewish holy books, including the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings

uses the English title instead of this original transliteration
Hebrew Scripture
vsHebrew Bible
1 7.0

A set of Jewish sacred writings in three parts: the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings

is the established term rather than an alternate label
Tanach
vsHebrew Bible
9.9

A collection of Jewish holy books, including the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings

prefers the more common modern spelling and English term

Surface Forms

Hebrew Bible singular
Hebrew Bibles plural

Morphology

Hebrew + Bible

The meaning is directly compositional: 'Hebrew' specifies the cultural/language association and 'Bible' denotes sacred scriptures, so a learner can infer it refers to the Bible belonging to the Hebrews (i.e., the Jewish scriptures). This noun-modifier pattern is common across languages and follows standard English composition, making the sense immediately derivable for a B1 learner who knows both words.

Etymology

Hebrew Bible is named for the simple image of a book written mostly in Hebrew, and Bible means a book of 'sacred writings'. That's why Hebrew Bible is the neutral name used for the Jewish scriptures, the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings.