Classical Hebrew Words
Welcome
to the landing page for Classical Hebrew Words which explains the project, and which, in 2026 is still in development, so immediately below are two sets of data. The data has been through a process of transformation, including updating typefaces, so there is proofreading and correction to be completed.
- Complete set: including every word - note this will include mistakes, duplications and missing words as work on proofreading and updating the data continues.
- Latest updates and proofread: All records should be correct, either correct following initial development or corrected following initial proofreading.
Background and explanatory text
The Classical Hebrew Words database is the definitive digital record of the ancient Hebrew language. It documents every one of the 15,000 words identified by the University of Sheffield’s Dictionary of Classical Hebrew (DCH) project.
While the 1906 Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon (BDB) identified only 9,000 words of Biblical Hebrew, this project has expanded the known lexicon by over 60%. The database incorporates the full breadth of the Classical Hebrew corpus:
- The Hebrew Bible
- Ben Sira
- The Dead Sea Scrolls
- Early Inscriptions
Included is all known Classical Hebrew as of 2019 from the earliest documented inscriptions (c. 10th century BCE) through to 200 CE.
A 40-Year Journey of Discovery
This database represents the digital realization of a project that began in 1990 at the University of Sheffield, led by the late David J.A. Clines (1938–2022).
- 1891 (The Baseline): The BDB Lexicon documents 9,000 words (Biblical Hebrew only).
- 1993–2016 (First Edition): The original Dictionary of Classical Hebrew expands the corpus to 12,000 words.
- 2018–2028 (The Revised Project): The DCHR reaches the 15,000-word milestone, incorporating the full corpus of the DSS and all documented inscriptions up to 2019.
A Legacy Gift
The Classical Hebrew Words database is a legacy gift from Professor Clines. It serves as a permanent, public-domain digital bridge for the 15,000-word corpus, dedicated to the advancement of Classical Hebrew studies worldwide.
The Revised Dictionary Suite
The database provides the basic lexical information for the suite of revised dictionaries currently being published by Sheffield Phoenix Press. These works offer escalating levels of depth, from rapid translation to exhaustive scholarship:
The database provides the searchable lexical DNA for the suite of revised dictionaries currently being published by Sheffield Phoenix Press. These works offer escalating levels of depth, from rapid translation to exhaustive scholarship:
The Shorter Dictionary of Classical Hebrew Revised (SDCHR: 2025): 925,000 words of text. The primary scholarly desk reference. Available now.
The Concise Dictionary of Classical Hebrew Revised (CDCHR: 2026): 475,000 words of text. Optimized for rapid translation.
The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew Revised (DCHR: 2018–2028, Vols I–IV in print): 5,000,000 words of text. The exhaustive 9-volume reference work.
Published for The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew Ltd.
Fonts, typefaces & Data Compatibility
When the project began, long before unicode fonts existed, the project utilized Phil Payne’s landmark Hebraica II (tt) font for complex Hebrew typesetting, which later evolved into New Jerusalem (ttf).
Because decades of research and typesetting data rely on this legacy system, the Classical Hebrew Words Database acts as the ultimate digital bridge. It provides the identical keystrokes used by both Hebraica II and New Jerusalem, displaying them side-by-side with modern New Jerusalem Unicode (New Jerusalem U) to ensure seamless data integrity for both legacy systems and modern software developers.
Explore Further
- The Dictionary Project (coming soon)
- Life & Legacy of David J.A. Clines
- Search the Database (coming soon)