Prepositions מִלַּת יַחַס millat yaḥas
Hebrew puts its prepositions before the noun, as English does. The three most common — בְּ (in), כְּ (like), לְ (to) — are a single letter each and are written joined to the front of the word. The Bible’s first word, בְּרֵאשִׁית (in the beginning), begins this way. This page shows why the prefixed prepositions change their vowels, how the נ of מִן merges, and the separate prepositions, in words actually used in the Bible.
“word of relation” — a word that ties two things together (place, time, direction)
Colour key blue = added at the front · orange = added at the end · purple = a mark inside (dot · doubled letter · changed vowel) · underline = the word this page is about
1What prepositions are
A preposition stands before a noun and shows what the noun expresses: place, time, direction, means, or reason.
Hebrew prepositions come in three shapes. (1) Prefixed prepositions בְּ כְּ לְ — one letter, always joined to the front of a word. (2) מִן (from) — written separately, or shortened to a prefixed מִ. (3) Separate prepositions — עַל (on), אֶל (to), בֵּין (between), תַּחַת (under), עִם (with), and others.
They are very common. Counted from the OSHB morphology, 62,699 words in the Old Testament contain a preposition, 148 of them in Genesis 1–2 (all listed at the end of this page).
2Where the name comes from — מִלַּת יַחַס
“Preposition” comes from Latin praepositio, “placing before”: a word placed before the noun.
Hebrew grammars call it מִלַּת יַחַס (millat yaḥas). מִלָּה (millah) is “word,” יַחַס (yaḥas) is “relation”: “a word of relation,” a word that ties two things together.
3At a glance — how to recognize a preposition
- ב כ ל + sheva in frontבְּרֵאשִׁית (Gen 1:1) · לְמִינוֹ (Gen 1:11). The sheva is the basic vowel.
- ִ before a shevaIf the next letter has a sheva: בִּ לִ כִּ — בִּרְקִיעַ (Gen 1:14).
- Before a hateph, its vowelלַעֲשׂוֹת (Gen 2:3) — לַ before ֲ.
- ַ or ָ when the article hidesלָרָקִיעַ (Gen 1:7) · בַּיּוֹם (Gen 2:2) — the ה drops, its vowel remains.
- מִ + a dot in the next letterThe merged נ of מִן — מִכָּל (Gen 2:2). Before a guttural, מֵ (Gen 2:10 מֵעֵדֶן).
4The vowels of בְּ כְּ לְ — by the next letter
All three follow the same rules. Every word below is used in Genesis.
| Next letter | Vowel | Bible word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ordinary (with a vowel) | ְ sheva | בְּרֵאשִׁית (1:1) | bereshit | in the beginning |
| letter with sheva | ִ | בִּרְקִיעַ (1:14) | birqia‘ | in the firmament of |
| letter with sheva | ִ | כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ (1:26) | kidmutenu | after our likeness |
| hateph patah ֲ | ַ | לַעֲשׂוֹת (2:3) | la‘asot | to make |
| א that falls silent | ֵ | לֵאמֹר (1:22) | lemor | saying |
| article (ordinary letter) | ַ + dot | בַּיּוֹם (2:2) | bayyom | on the day |
| article (before a guttural) | ָ | לָרָקִיעַ (1:7) | laraqia‘ | to the firmament |
A vowel other than sheva under the preposition has one of two causes: the sound of the next letter (sheva, hateph, א) or a hidden article. A hidden article shows by the dot in the next letter or by a guttural.
5Prefixed prepositions — real examples from the Bible
Look at the ב כ ל at the front (blue) and its vowel.
bereshit — in the beginning
בְּ (in) + רֵאשִׁית (beginning). The Bible’s first word begins with a preposition. בְּ is never written alone; it is always joined to the front of a word, normally with a sheva (ְ).
YLVIn beginning (bereshit) God created the heavens and the earth.
birqia‘ — in the firmament of
בְּ + רְקִיעַ (firmament, construct). The next letter ר already has a sheva, so the sheva of בְּ becomes בִּ (bi): two shevas cannot stand together at the start of a word.
YLVAnd God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens, to divide between the day and between the night; and let them be for signs (ot) and for appointed times (moadim), and for days and years;
lemino — according to its kind
לְ (to, for, according to) + מִינוֹ (its kind). לְ has a wide range; here “according to.” The phrase recurs ten times in Genesis 1.
YLVAnd God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, herb yielding seed, fruit tree making fruit after its kind, in which is its seed, upon the earth"; and it was so.
lim’orot — for lights
לְ + מְאוֹרֹת (lights). מ has a sheva, so לְ becomes לִ (li), for the same reason as בִּרְקִיעַ. וְהָיוּ לִמְאוֹרֹת “and let them be for lights” — הָיָה לְ is “become, serve as.”
YLVand let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens, to give light upon the earth"; and it was so.
kidmutenu — after our likeness
כְּ (like, according to) + דְמוּתֵנוּ (our likeness). ד has a sheva, so כְּ becomes כִּ (ki). It stands beside בְּצַלְמֵנוּ (in our image) in the same verse.
YLVAnd God said, "Let us make man (adam) in our image, after our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the beast, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth."
la‘asot — to make, in making
לְ + עֲשׂוֹת (making, infinitive). The next letter ע has a hateph patah (ֲ, a very short a), and לְ takes the matching vowel: לַ (la). לְ + infinitive is “to do, in doing.”
YLVAnd God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it he shabbatted from all his work which God created to make.
lemor — saying
לְ + אֱמֹר (saying). The א falls silent and לְ becomes לֵ (le). לֵאמֹר is the fixed word used before quoting speech: “saying.”
YLVAnd God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let the birds multiply in the earth."
6Why the vowels change
- 1. The prefixed prepositions are the weakest soundsבְּ כְּ לְ have only a sheva, a very short sound, so they adjust easily to the next letter.
- 2. No two shevas at the startבְּ + רְקִיעַ would put two shevas in a row. Hebrew does not allow two shevas at the start of a word, so the first becomes ִ (i): בִּרְקִיעַ (bir-qia‘).
- 3. Before a hateph, take its short vowelA hateph (ֲ ֱ ֳ) is a kind of sheva, so the same happens, but the preposition takes the matching short vowel: ַ before ֲ — לַעֲשׂוֹת.
- 4. The article’s ה drops in betweenThe weak ה between the preposition and the noun falls out, leaving its vowel on the preposition: לְ + הָרָקִיעַ → לָרָקִיעַ.
7Prepositions with a hidden article — real examples from the Bible
laraqia‘ — to the firmament
לְ + הָרָקִיעַ (the firmament) → לָרָקִיעַ. The article’s ה drops and its ָ moves to לְ: מִתַּחַת לָרָקִיעַ “below the firmament.”
YLVAnd God made the firmament, and divided between the waters which were under the firmament and the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so.
8The meanings of the three prefixed prepositions
בְּ — in, at, with: place (בָּאָרֶץ in the earth, 1:22), time (בְּרֵאשִׁית in the beginning, 1:1 · בַּיּוֹם on the day, 2:2), manner or means (בְּצַלְמוֹ in his image, 1:27), the object of ruling (וְיִרְדּוּ בִדְגַת הַיָּם let them rule over the fish of the sea, 1:26).
כְּ — like, according to: comparison and standard (כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ after our likeness, 1:26 · כְּנֶגְדּוֹ as one facing him, 2:18).
לְ — to, for, become, according to: the receiver (לָכֶם to you, 1:29), purpose (לְאָכְלָה for food, 1:29), naming (וַיִּקְרָא … לָאוֹר יוֹם he called the light day, 1:5), “become” (וַיְהִי הָאָדָם לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה the man became a living being, 2:7), standard (לְמִינוֹ according to its kind, 1:11).
The range is wide, so do not memorize one meaning; decide with the following word and the verb.
9מִן — separate, or prefixed with a merged נ
מִן (from) is used two ways. (1) Separately, usually joined by a maqqef: מִן־הָאֲדָמָה (2:9); common before a word with the article. (2) Prefixed: the נ drops and only מִ is joined to the word.
When prefixed, the נ does not vanish: it merges into the next letter and remains as a dot (dagesh). מִן + כָּל → min-kol → mik-kol → מִכָּל (2:2). It is the same sound change as the merged נ of the Niphal imperfect (יִקָּרֵא).
If the next letter is a guttural א ה ח ע or ר, it cannot take the dot, and the vowel of מִ lengthens to מֵ: מֵעֵדֶן (2:10), מֵאִישׁ (2:23), מֵהָעוֹף (6:20).
Meanings: (1) starting point (מֵעֵדֶן from Eden); (2) source (מֵאִישׁ from man); (3) part of a whole (מִכֹּל עֵץ־הַגָּן of every tree of the garden); (4) comparison “than” (עָרוּם מִכֹּל more cunning than all, 3:1).
10מִן — real examples from the Bible
min — from
מִן written separately, usually joined to the next word with a maqqef (־): עָפָר מִן־הָאֲדָמָה “dust from the ground.” Before a word with the article it is often written this way.
YLVAnd YHWH God formed Adam of dust (aphar) from the ground (adamah), and breathed into his nostrils the breath (neshamah) of life, and Adam became a living soul (nephesh).
mikkol — from all
מִן + כָּל → מִכָּל. The נ of מִן merges into the next letter כ and remains only as the dot inside it — exactly as the נ merges in the Niphal imperfect. “He rested from all his work.”
YLVAnd God finished on the seventh day his work which he had made, and he shabbatted on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
miqqedem — in the east (from the front)
מִן + קֶדֶם (front, east) → מִקֶּדֶם. The dot in ק is the merged נ. In Hebrew “the front” is the sunrise side, the east. Here מִן marks the side, “in the east,” rather than “from.”
YLVAnd YHWH God planted a garden in Eden, from the east, and there he put Adam whom he had formed.
me‘eden — from Eden
מִן + עֵדֶן → מֵעֵדֶן. The next letter, the guttural ע, cannot take the dot, so the vowel of מִ lengthens to מֵ (me), as the article becomes הָ. “A river went out from Eden.”
YLVAnd a river was going out from Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four heads.
me’ish — from man
מִן + אִישׁ → מֵאִישׁ. Before א, again מֵ: כִּי מֵאִישׁ לֻקֳחָה־זֹּאת “for from man this one was taken” — the source.
YLVAnd Adam said, "This now is bone of my bones and flesh (basar) of my flesh (basar); for this one it shall be called Woman (ishah), because from Man (ish) this one was taken."
mikkol — of every
מִן + כֹּל: מִכֹּל עֵץ־הַגָּן אָכֹל תֹּאכֵל “of every tree of the garden you shall freely eat.” “From among” — taking part out of a whole.
YLVAnd YHWH God commanded (tzivvah) Adam, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you shall surely eat,
mikkol — more than any
וְהַנָּחָשׁ הָיָה עָרוּם מִכֹּל חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה “the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field.” Hebrew has no comparative form (“-er”); adjective + מִן means “more … than.”
YLVAnd the serpent was more cunning than every living thing (chai) of the field which YHWH God had made. And he said to the woman (ishah), "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?"
11Separate prepositions — real examples from the Bible
Prepositions longer than one letter are written separately. Two prepositions can combine, and a preposition plus a noun can harden into a single preposition.
‘al — over, upon
The separate preposition עַל: עַל־פְּנֵי תְהוֹם “upon the face of the deep.” Separate prepositions are also often joined to the next word with a maqqef (־).
YLVAnd the earth was formlessness and emptiness, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the spirit (ruach) of God was hovering upon the face of the waters.
ben — between
וַיַּבְדֵּל אֱלֹהִים בֵּין הָאוֹר וּבֵין הַחֹשֶׁךְ “God divided between the light and between the darkness.” Hebrew repeats בֵּין: בֵּין … וּבֵין.
YLVAnd God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided between the light and between the darkness.
’el — to, into
יִקָּווּ הַמַּיִם … אֶל־מָקוֹם אֶחָד “let the waters gather to one place.” אֶל is “to, toward,” the goal of a movement.
YLVAnd God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered to one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so.
mittaḥat — below, from under
מִן + תַּחַת (under) — a compound of two prepositions: הַמַּיִם אֲשֶׁר מִתַּחַת לָרָקִיעַ “the waters which were below the firmament,” paired with מֵעַל לָרָקִיעַ (above the firmament) in the same verse.
YLVAnd God made the firmament, and divided between the waters which were under the firmament and the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so.
betokh — in the midst of
בְּ + תוֹךְ (middle, construct noun). A preposition plus a noun has become one preposition: בְּתוֹךְ הַמָּיִם “in the midst of the waters.” לִפְנֵי (before = לְ + פְּנֵי face) is built the same way.
YLVAnd God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide between waters and waters."
’et — with
קָנִיתִי אִישׁ אֶת־יְהוָה “I have gotten a man with YHWH.” This אֶת is the preposition “with.” It looks like אֵת of 1:1 (the object marker) but is a different word (see “Easy to confuse”).
YLVAnd Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived and bore Cain, and said: "I have gotten a man (ish), YHWH."
12When “me, you, him” is added
Prepositions take pronoun suffixes just as nouns do: לְ + “him” → לוֹ (to him, 2:19), לְ + “them” → לָהֶם (to them, 1:28), בְּ + “him” → בּוֹ (in it, 1:29), מִן + “her” → מִמֶּנָּה (from it, 3:19).
עַל, אֶל and לִפְנֵי take the י-type suffixes of plural nouns (לְפָנַי before me, 6:13). Tables and examples are on the “Pronominal suffixes” page.
13Preposition + infinitive — real examples from the Bible
Prepositions also go before infinitives (the noun form of the verb). לְ + infinitive “in order to” and בְּ + infinitive “when” are the most common.
lehavdil — to divide
לְ + הַבְדִּיל (dividing, Hiphil infinitive). לְ + infinitive gives purpose: “let there be lights … to divide between the day and the night.”
YLVAnd God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens, to divide between the day and between the night; and let them be for signs (ot) and for appointed times (moadim), and for days and years;
la‘avod — to work
לְ + עֲבֹד (working, serving): וְאָדָם אַיִן לַעֲבֹד אֶת־הָאֲדָמָה “and there was no man to work the ground.” לַ because of the hateph under ע.
YLVAnd every shrub of the field was not yet in the earth, and every herb of the field had not yet sprouted, for YHWH God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no man (adam) to work (avad) the ground (adamah).
behibbare’am — when they were created
בְּ + הִבָּרְאָם (their being created, Niphal infinitive + suffix). בְּ + infinitive gives time: “when ….”
YLVThese are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that YHWH God made earth and heavens.
14Easy to confuse
אֵת (object marker) and אֶת (with) — אֵת in אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם (1:1) has no meaning of its own and marks a definite object; אֶת in אֶת־יְהוָה (4:1) is the preposition “with.” Before a maqqef both are written אֶת, so context decides.
A מְ in front is not always מִן — the מְ of מְרַחֶפֶת (1:2, “hovering”) is the prefix of a Piel or Hiphil participle. מִן shortened is מִ + a dot, or מֵ before a guttural.
כִּי and כְּ — כִּי (for, that) is a separate conjunction; כְּ (like) is a prefixed preposition. The כִּ of כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ is כְּ with its vowel changed before a sheva.
לֹא and לְ — לֹא (not) is a separate negative, not the prefixed לְ (to).
בְּיוֹם and בַּיּוֹם — 2:4 בְּיוֹם (in the day of, construct) and 2:2 בַּיּוֹם (on the day, article): the preposition’s vowel and the dot in י tell them apart.
15Where this appears in Genesis 1–2
All 148 places, found from the OSHB morphology. Tap one to go to that word’s notes.