Biblical Hebrew: The Language of Scripture

Mem

by

Dr. Karl Coke

The Mem is the thirteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It makes the English equivalent sound of "m." As a numeral, it stands for the number 40. "The name of this letter probably signifies water, i.q., and its most ancient forms bore a resemblance to waves" according to page 443 of "Gesenius Hebrew Chaldee Lexicon." The letters of the ancient Hebrew alphabet came from drawing "word pictures." The Mem actually resembles an ocean wave.

Notice immediately above this paragraph that the Mem has two forms. The one at the top right is the form it takes in a Hebrew word when it is not the final letter. The form to the left is the one the Mem takes only when it is the final letter in a Hebrew word. This style of changing the form at the end of a word is called Mem Sofit.

Ancient Egyptians also wrote by drawing pictures. They are called hieroglyphs. "As long as the Egyptians used picture writing pure and simple their meaning was easily understood, but when they began to spell their words with alphabetic signs and syllabic values of picture signs," things were a bit more difficult according to Sir Wallis Budge on page 32 of his Egyptian Language book. They assigned the "M" sound to the horned owl. He also states on page 32, "The Egyptian alphabet

has a great deal in common with the Hebrew and other Semitic dialects in respect of the guttural and other letters." Both alphabets of the Hebrew people and of the Egyptians share in common their source of coming from drawing "word pictures." The "M" in Hebrew comes from the ocean wave. The "M" in Egyptian hieroglyphics comes from the horned owl.

The Mem is the first letter in the Hebrew word Mashiach (Messiah);. It is also the first letter in the Hebrew word Moses. Moses is credited for having written the Torah. The Torah is mostly open for all to study. However, difficult portions of the Torah will be explained only by the Meshiach. This is what has led some Jews to conclude that the open form of the Mem is used to describe Torah portions which are open and the final or closed form of the Mem to describe those too difficult to understand. Jesus, our Meshiach, will make His Word understood. He said that the Torah, Prophets and Writings, commonly called the Old Testament, speak clearly about Him. In John 5:39 He says, "These are the Scriptures that testify about me."

Isaiah says in 48:18, "If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea." Jesus will open His Word to every hungry heart. I agree with those in the boat (Matthew 8:27) who said, "What kind of a man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"

Dr. Karl D. Coke is a Hebrew teacher whose understanding of the original languages, the history, and the culture of the peoples of Holy Scripture causes the Bible to come alive for his audiences and readers. He is president of Redirection, a ministry that establishes the home as the center for spiritual development among Christian communions. Karl, his wife Karen, and their daughter Kristin live in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he also pastors Family Restoration Fellowship.

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