בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָֽרֶץ׃
ORIGINALBH-R08
Biblical Hebrew · Tanakh Readers
Masoretic reader tools
BH-R08Biblical HebrewMasoretic Hebrew of Tanakh
ORIGINAL LANGUAGE FIRST
בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָֽרֶץ׃
Pedagogical transliterationbereshit bara Elohim et ha-shamayim ve-et ha-arets
Plain meaningGenesis 1:1, used to practice Masoretic reader tools without replacing the verse with a grammatical slogan.
Pointing follows Miqra according to the Masorah (MAM); cantillation is omitted on the lesson card for visual focus. The verification evidence retains the exact MAM and OSHB/WLC readings and any witness difference.WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT
Masoretic reader tools
A Masoretic reader asks layered questions. First identify consonants and word boundaries. Then read the vowels and dagesh. Next notice joining and disjoining accents and the final ׃. Finally parse words and syntax. Genesis 1:1 is compact enough for this workflow, but בְּרֵאשִׁית still raises real syntactic questions; the tool lesson must not pretend the accent marks settle every interpretation.
HEAR THIS LESSONListen to the full public explanation.Teacher narration is separate from original-language pronunciation.
Audio settings
SEE HOW IT WORKS
Keep the form, reading, and meaning together.
bereshit bara Elohim et ha-shamayim ve-et ha-arets
READINGPedagogical reading guide
Genesis 1:1, used to practice Masoretic reader tools without replacing the verse with a grammatical slogan.
MEANINGBiblical Hebrew
text → word boundaries → pointing → accent hierarchy → morphology → syntax → translation/interpretation
EXAMPLES
Examples supplied by the approved curriculum.
Observations — בְּ marks a prefixed preposition; רֵאשִׁית is a feminine singular noun whose syntactic status here is debated; בָּרָא is Qal perfect 3ms; אֱלֹהִים is plural in form with the singular verb here; אֵת marks the definite direct objects; וְ־ joins the second object phrase; ׃ closes the verse.
SOURCE REFERENCE
Genesis 1:1
APPROVED STUDY LAYERS
Source-specific guidance from the curriculum.
Learning objective
Use consonants, pointing, maqqef, accents, and sof pasuq as reading evidence while keeping interpretation separate from observation.
Morphology and syntax
OSHB independently tags בְּרֵאשִׁית HR/Ncfsa, בָּרָא HVqp3ms, אֱלֹהִים HNcmpa, and the two אֵת tokens as direct-object markers. The lesson keeps the larger syntactic question open.
Practice
Without translating, identify every prefix, the finite verb, subject, two direct-object phrases, and the verse-ending sign. Then give a close working translation and state one remaining syntactic question.
Answer key
Prefixes: בְּ־ and וְ־. Verb: בָּרָא. Subject: אֱלֹהִים. Objects: אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם and וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ. Verse end: sof pasuq ׃. Working translation: ‘In/at the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.’ Remaining question: whether בְּרֵאשִׁית functions absolutely in the clause or participates in a construct-like temporal reading.
Source notes
The hero preserves the MAM reading. Cantillation remains visible in the source evidence even when the card’s focus mode suppresses it.
REMEMBER