Learn to Read the Bible’s First Languages
You don’t need to be a pastor or a scholar to read God’s Word in Hebrew and Greek. Children learn these letters every year, and so can you. Start with a few minutes a day, lean on the Holy Spirit, and let every word draw you closer to Christ.
Beginner Path
- Learn the letters (Week 1). Spend ten minutes a day on Letters & Sounds. Tap each letter and say it out loud.
- Sound out a famous verse (Week 2). Open John 1:1 in Greek or Genesis 1:1 in Hebrew. Turn on Sounds and read along slowly.
- Learn the twenty most common words (Weeks 3–4). The, and, God, Lord, say, be, he and not make up a huge share of every page. Tap them every time you see them until you know them by heart.
- Read the same chapter for a week (Month 2). Choose a short chapter like Psalm 23 or John 1. Read it in English first, then in the original. Repetition is how every language is learned.
- Notice the grammar (Month 3). Switch to Full Detail. Notice who is acting (person), when (tense) and how many (number). The guide below explains every label.
- Join a free course (Months 3–12). Pick one of the free courses below and stay with it. A daily two-minute video keeps you moving.
- Teach someone else. Show your child, grandchild or small group one word a week. The Word of the Day on our study tool is a perfect place to start.
How to Read the Grammar
When you choose Full Detail, each word shows its grammar. These labels answer simple questions: what kind of word it is, who is doing the action, when, and how many. Here is what they mean.
Greek Words
| Label | What It Tells You | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | The subject: who or what is doing the action | ὁ λόγος, the Word (John 1:1) |
| Genitive | Belonging to, “of” | τοῦ θεοῦ, of God |
| Dative | To, for, with or in | ἐν ἀρχῇ, in the beginning |
| Accusative | The object: who or what receives the action | πρὸς τὸν θεόν, with God |
| Present | Ongoing action, usually now | πιστεύω, I believe |
| Imperfect | Ongoing action in the past | ἦν, was (and continued to be) |
| Aorist | An action seen as a whole, usually in the past | ἠγάπησεν, he loved (John 3:16) |
| Perfect | A finished action whose results still stand | τετέλεσται, it is finished (John 19:30) |
| Active / Middle / Passive | The subject acts / acts for itself / is acted upon | ἐγέρθη, he was raised (passive) |
| Indicative / Subjunctive / Imperative | A fact / a possibility / a command | μετανοεῖτε, repent! (imperative) |
| Participle | An “-ing” word that acts like a verb and an adjective | ὁ πιστεύων, the one believing |
Hebrew Words
| Label | What It Tells You | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Qal | The simple, basic form of a verb | בָּרָא, he created (Genesis 1:1) |
| Niphal | Usually passive: was done | נִבְרָא, was created |
| Piel | An intensive or causing action | דִּבֶּר, he spoke |
| Hiphil | Causing someone to do something | הוֹצִיא, he brought out |
| Hithpael | Doing something to or for oneself | הִתְפַּלֵּל, he prayed |
| Perfect | A completed action, often past | אָמַר, he said |
| Imperfect / Wayyiqtol | An unfinished or future action; with “and” it tells a story | וַיֹּאמֶר, and he said |
| Construct / Absolute | A noun joined to the next word (“of”) / standing alone | רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים, Spirit of God |
| Prefixes | Small letters attached to the front of a word | בְּ in, וְ and, הַ the, לְ to |
Strong’s numbers are reference numbers for every Hebrew (H) and Greek (G) word, first published by James Strong in 1890. They let you follow one original word through the whole Bible, even when English translates it in different ways.
Free Courses & Tools
Each of these is free to use. Links open in a new tab.
Study Tools for Every Language
STEPBibleFree from Tyndale House, Cambridge. Interlinear Hebrew and Greek, word searches and the same data behind our tool.Bible Hub InterlinearWord-by-word Hebrew and Greek for every verse, with Strong’s numbers and parsing.Blue Letter BibleLexicons, concordance and the original word behind every English word. Also free apps.Open Scriptures Hebrew BibleThe open Hebrew text with morphology, made by volunteers.LogeionUniversity of Chicago dictionary search for Greek and Latin words, including the great classical lexicons.Perseus Digital LibraryTufts University’s classic library of Greek and Latin texts and word tools.
Biblical Greek
Daily Dose of GreekA two-minute video each day that walks through one Greek New Testament verse.Bill Mounce: Learn Biblical GreekFree lessons and a Greek word of the day from the author of the most-used seminary textbook.Alpha with AngelaFriendly, free video lessons on Biblical Greek from the very first letter.KoineGreek.com AudioHear the Greek New Testament read aloud in a historical Koine pronunciation (free to stream).BiblicalTraining.orgFree seminary-level courses, including full classes in Biblical Greek.
Biblical Hebrew & Aramaic
Daily Dose of HebrewA short video each day reading one Hebrew Bible verse.Daily Dose of AramaicShort daily videos on the Aramaic of Daniel and Ezra.Aleph with BethA free, full Biblical Hebrew course taught by immersion, one simple step at a time.Hebrew for ChristiansFree Hebrew alphabet, vowel and grammar lessons written for Christians.Mechon Mamre Hebrew AudioFree recordings of the Hebrew Bible read aloud.
Church Latin
Daily Dose of LatinShort daily readings from the Latin Vulgate.Latin for Beginners (D’Ooge)A complete, classic beginner’s textbook, free on Project Gutenberg.Vulgate.orgThe Latin Vulgate side by side with the Douay-Rheims, verse by verse.LatinitiumFree Latin videos, audio and articles for learners.