TRANSLITERATION AND NUMBERING SYSTEM

Note: For words and roots from nonbiblical languages (e.g., Arabic, Ugaritic), only approximate transliterations are given.

HEBREW/ARAMAIC

Consonants

א   aleph   = ’

בּ, ב   beth   = b

גּ, ג   gimel   = g

דּ, ד   daleth   = d

ה   he   = h

ו   waw   = w

ז   zayin   = z

ח   heth   = kh

ט   teth   = t

י   yodh   = y

כּ, כ, ך   kaph   = k

ל   lamedh   = l

מ, ם   mem   = m

נ, ן   nun   = n

ס   samekh   = s

ע   ayin   = ‘

פּ, פ, ף   pe   = p

צ, ץ   tsadhe   = ts

ק   qoph   = q

ר   resh   = r

שׁ   shin   = sh

שׂ   sin   = s

תּ, ת   taw   = t, th (spirant)

Vowels

ַ   patakh   = a

ַח   furtive patakh   = a

ָ   qamets   = a

הָ   final qamets he   = ah

ֶ   segol   = e

ֵ   tsere   = e

יֵ   tsere yod   = e

ִ   short hireq   = i

ִ   long hireq   = i

יִ   hireq yod   = i

ָ   qamets khatuf   = o

ֹ   holem   = o

וֹ   full holem   = o

ֻ   short qibbuts   = u

ֻ   long qibbuts   = u

וּ   shureq   = u

ֲ   khatef patakh   = a

ֳ   khatef qamets   = o

ְ   vocalic shewa   = e

יַ   patakh yodh   = a

GREEK

α   alpha   = a

β   beta   = b

γ   gamma   = g, n (before γ, κ, ξ, χ)

δ   delta   = d

ε   epsilon   = e

ζ   zeta   = z

η   eta   = ē

θ   theta   = th

ι   iota   = i

κ   kappa   = k

λ   lamda   = l

μ   mu   = m

ν   nu   = n

ξ   ksi   = x

ο   omicron   = o

π   pi   = p

ρ   rho   = r (ῥ = rh)

σ, ς   sigma   = s

τ   tau   = t

υ   upsilon   = u

φ   phi   = ph

χ   chi   = ch

ψ   psi   = ps

ω   omega   = ō

῾   rough breathing mark   = h (with vowel or diphthong)

THE TYNDALE-STRONG’S NUMBERING SYSTEM

The Cornerstone Biblical Commentary series uses a word-study numbering system to give both newer and more advanced Bible students alike quicker, more convenient access to helpful original-language tools (e.g., concordances, lexicons, and theological dictionaries). Those who are unfamiliar with the ancient Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek alphabets can quickly find information on a given word by looking up the appropriate index number. Advanced students will find the system helpful because it allows them to quickly find the lexical form of obscure conjugations and inflections.

There are two main numbering systems used for biblical words today. The one familiar to most people is the Strong’s numbering system (made popular by the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible). Although the original Strong’s system is still quite useful, the most up-to-date research has shed new light on the biblical languages and allows for more precision than is found in the original Strong’s system. The Cornerstone Biblical Commentary series, therefore, features a newly revised version of the Strong’s system, the Tyndale-Strong’s numbering system. The Tyndale-Strong’s system brings together the familiarity of the Strong’s system and the best of modern scholarship. In most cases, the original Strong’s numbers are preserved. In places where new research dictates, new or related numbers have been added.[1]

The second major numbering system today is the Goodrick-Kohlenberger system used in a number of study tools published by Zondervan. In order to give students broad access to a number of helpful tools, the Commentary provides index numbers for the Zondervan system as well.

The different index systems are designated as follows:

TG   Tyndale-Strong’s Greek number

ZG   Zondervan Greek number

TH   Tyndale-Strong’s Hebrew number

ZH   Zondervan Hebrew number

TA/ZA   Tyndale/Zondervan Aramaic number

S   Strong’s Aramaic number

So in the example, “love” agapē [TG26, ZG27], the first number is the one to use with Greek tools keyed to the Tyndale-Strong’s system, and the second applies to tools that use the Zondervan system.

The indexing of Aramaic terms differs slightly from that of Greek and Hebrew. Strong’s original system mixed the Aramaic terms in with the Hebrew, but the Tyndale-Strong’s system indexes Aramaic with a new set of numbers starting at 10,000. Since Tyndale’s system for Aramaic diverges completely from original Strong’s, the original Strong’s number is listed separately so that those using tools keyed to Strong’s can locate the information. This number is designated with an S, as in the example, “son” bar [TA/ZA10120, S1247].