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Parent guide · Grade 3 Biblical Hebrew · Unit 4

Lesson 4.2 Day and Night

Written for the parent. The Read aloud parts are written to your child; read them as they are. Do this parts are for you. Answers for you are marked Listen for.

At a glance

Time
3 sessions of 20–30 minutes
Goal
Read Genesis 1:5 word by word.; Know יוֹם, לַיְלָה, עֶרֶב, בֹּקֶר, אֶחָד.; Explain “the evening and the morning.”
You need
  • Two paper plates
  • A brass fastener
  • Crayons
  • A sketchbook or plain paper, and crayons
  • A King James Bible
Print
Worksheet A · the lesson page (it also has a short video (2:07))

Steps

  1. Do this together: When does a day begin: in the morning, at midnight, or in the evening? In the Bible, the day begins at evening: And the evening and the morning were the first day.

  2. Read aloud: The story. On the first day, God made light and divided it from the darkness. Then He named them: God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. To name something is to rule over it: God rules over day and night.

    Read aloud: Word by word. וַיִּקְרָא and he called; אֱלֹהִים God; לָאוֹר to the light; יוֹם Day; וְלַחֹשֶׁךְ and to the darkness; קָרָא he called; לָיְלָה Night; וַיְהִי־עֶרֶב and there was evening; וַיְהִי־בֹקֶר and there was morning; יוֹם אֶחָד day one.

    Read aloud: Notice. The Hebrew says day one, יוֹם אֶחָד, and the King James says the first day. The word אֱלֹהִים (Elohim, God) has a new vowel under its alef, a hatef segol, a quick e; you will meet it in Grade 4.

  3. Do this: Say each word clearly; your child says it back twice. Point to a picture or the real thing when you can.

    • עֶרֶב (erev) [EH-rev]: evening
    • בֹּקֶר (boqer) [BOH-ker]: morning
    • אֶחָד (echad) [eh-KHAHD]: one
    • לַיְלָה (laylah) [LAI-lah]: night
    • קָרָא (qara) [kah-RAH]: he called

  4. Show: Read: וַיְהִי־עֶרֶב

    Say this: “va + yhi (silent shewa under yod): vai-HEE.”

    Say this: “Maqqef joins it to EH-rev.”

    Answer: vai-hee-EH-rev: and there was evening.

    Show: Read: לָיְלָה

    Say this: “lamed + qamets + yod = lai.”

    Say this: “lamed + qamets + silent he = lah.”

    Answer: LAI-lah (night).

  5. Do this: Ask out loud. Let your child try first; help only after a real try.

    Ask: Read and translate: יוֹם

    Listen for: yom, day.

    Ask: Read and translate: לַיְלָה

    Listen for: laylah, night.

    Ask: Read and translate: אֶחָד

    Listen for: echad, one.

    3 more on the lesson page.

  6. Read aloud: Make a wheel that turns from evening to morning.

    Steps:

    1. Color half of one plate dark (evening) and half bright (morning).
    2. Write עֶרֶב on the dark half and בֹּקֶר on the bright half.
    3. Cut a window in the top plate and write יוֹם אֶחָד above it.
    4. Turn the wheel and read the verse’s last words.

    Tips for you:

    • Copy the vowels carefully.

    Done when your child can say:

    • My wheel has עֶרֶב, בֹּקֶר and יוֹם אֶחָד.
    • I can read them.

  7. Do this: Your child picks one or more; you write the date.

    1. Copy Genesis 1:5 in Hebrew, one word per line, with the English beside each.

  8. Read aloud: Because the Bible counts the day from evening, the Sabbath in Israel began at sunset on Friday. Many families still begin special days at sundown.

    • Reading the yod in לַיְלָה as y + ee. Patach + yod = ai: LAI-lah.
    • Forgetting the quick e of the shewa in וְלַחֹשֶׁךְ.

  10. The parent says erev or boqer. For erev, lie down and close your eyes; for boqer, jump up and stretch. Then read the matching card.

  11. Say this: “Tell me what you learned today.”

    Listen for: Read Genesis 1:5 word by word.; Know יוֹם, לַיְלָה, עֶרֶב, בֹּקֶר, אֶחָד.; Explain “the evening and the morning.”

  12. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

    Genesis 1:5 (KJV)

    Hebrew (Westminster Leningrad Codex, vowel points shown, cantillation marks left out): <span class="heb-block" lang="he" dir="rtl">וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹהִים לָאוֹר יוֹם וְלַחֹשֶׁךְ קָרָא לָיְלָה וַיְהִי־עֶרֶב וַיְהִי־בֹקֶר יוֹם אֶחָד׃</span> Read the whole verse slowly. Find yom (Day), laylah (Night), erev (evening), boqer (morning) and echad (one).

Spread over the week

3 sessions of 20–30 minutes. Stop while it is still going well.

  1. Session 1. Warm-up, then read and teach the new idea and the new words. Show how.
  2. Session 2. Practice together, then start the project. Finish the project, then the sketchbook.
  3. Session 3. Narration, the game and the Scripture.