The Names of the Holy Spirit: Hebrew word cards
New, published 19 October 2026. What else is new
In one sentence: learn the Hebrew alphabet by learning the Old Testament's names for the Spirit of God, one card at a time, starting with the one word they all share, ruach.
✝️ Isaiah 11:2 (ESV)
2 And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
Almost every card begins with רוּחַ (ruach, H7307), which means breath, wind and Spirit. Most of the Spirit's names in Hebrew are "the Spirit of" something, so once you can read ruach you can read the first word of nearly every card. The Names of the Holy Spirit is the study behind the cards. The companion decks are The Names of God, The Names of Jesus, and the Greek word cards for the Spirit's New Testament names.
How the deck teaches the letters
The cards are in a deliberate order. The first, ruach, has three letters. Each card after it adds a few more, and the front shows which, with a bar for how many of the 22 you have met. The last letter, samekh, arrives on David's prayer for "a willing spirit" (Psalm 51:12). The order and the counts are worked out from the Hebrew on the cards, so they cannot drift from what is printed.
Use the deck alongside The Hebrew Alphabet: when a card introduces a letter, find it in the table, say its sound, then read the word.
Reading a card
- The front has the name as the Hebrew Bible writes it, vowel points included, and beneath it the same letters in Paleo-Hebrew, the script Israel wrote before the exile.
- The back has the reading in syllables with the stressed one underlined, the meaning, a verse (ESV), and a line marked Today on the word in modern Hebrew. Where the New Testament takes up the name, the verse is the New Testament one.
- The divine name is not sounded out. On ruach YHWH it is read Adonai. On ruach Adonai YHWH (Isaiah 61:1) it is pointed with the vowels of Elohim and read that way, so the reader does not say Adonai twice.
- Two cards are about the Spirit without being names. Eshpokh, "I will pour out" (Joel 2:28), is the verb of the promise, and ruach nedivah, "a willing spirit" (Psalm 51:12), stands beside David's prayer for the Holy Spirit in the verse before.
Learning a card
On screen, choose Practise on screen above the cards. It shows one card at a time: read the word, show the reading to check yourself, then mark it Again or I read it. It introduces three new cards a day, in the deck's order, and brings each card back when it is due. Hear it reads the word in your device's Hebrew voice, where it has one. Your progress is kept in this browser only.
On paper, take one card a day. Read the front aloud, letter by letter, then turn it over to check the reading. Each time you read it correctly on a later day, tick a circle: 1, 2, 4, 7, 14 and 30 days after you learn it.
How to print
- Choose Flashcards for the word on the front and everything else on the back, or Cards for one-sided cards.
- Print at A4, 100 % / actual size, with margins set to none and headers and footers off. Turn background graphics on.
- For flashcards, print double-sided, flip on long edge.
- Cut on the dashed lines.
The cards
רוּחַ
𐤓𐤅𐤇
רוּחַru·ach
breath, wind, Spirit
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound John 3:8 ESV
Today Ruach is still wind and spirit, and ruach ha-qodesh is the Holy Spirit.
1רוּחִי
𐤓𐤅𐤇𐤉
רוּחִיru·chi
my Spirit
I will put my Spirit within you Ezekiel 36:27 ESV
Today Ruchani, from the same word, means spiritual.
2רוּחַ יְהוָה
𐤓𐤅𐤇 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄
רוּחַru·achיְהוָהread Adonai
the Spirit of the LORD
the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him Isaiah 11:2 ESV
Today Readers say ruach Adonai, or ruach HaShem, "the Spirit of the Name".
3רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים
𐤓𐤅𐤇 𐤀𐤋𐤄𐤉𐤌
רוּחַru·achאֱלֹהִים'e·lo·him
the Spirit of God
all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God Romans 8:14 ESV
Today Elohim is still the word for God.
4רוּחַ חָכְמָה
𐤓𐤅𐤇 𐤇𐤊𐤌𐤄
רוּחַru·achחָכְמָהchokh·mah
the Spirit of wisdom
the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation Ephesians 1:17 ESV
Today Chokhmah is still wisdom, and a chakham is a wise man.
5רוּחַ קָדְשְׁךָ
𐤓𐤅𐤇 𐤒𐤃𐤔𐤊
רוּחַru·achקָדְשְׁךָkod·she·cha
your Holy Spirit
take not your Holy Spirit from me Psalm 51:11 ESV
Today Ruach ha-qodesh, "the Spirit of holiness", is the Hebrew name for the Holy Spirit.
6וְרוּחֲךָ הַטּוֹבָה
𐤅𐤓𐤅𐤇𐤊 𐤄𐤈𐤅𐤁𐤄
וְרוּחֲךָve·ru·cha·khaהַטּוֹבָהha·to·vah
and your good Spirit
You gave your good Spirit to instruct them Nehemiah 9:20 ESV
Today Tov is still good: boker tov is good morning.
7רוּחַ עֵצָה וּגְבוּרָה
𐤓𐤅𐤇 𐤏𐤑𐤄 𐤅𐤂𐤁𐤅𐤓𐤄
רוּחַru·achעֵצָה'e·tzahוּגְבוּרָהu·ge·vu·rah
the Spirit of counsel and might
the Spirit of counsel and might Isaiah 11:2 ESV
Today A yoʿets is an adviser today, and gevurah is strength.
8רוּחַ דַּעַת
𐤓𐤅𐤇 𐤃𐤏𐤕
רוּחַru·achדַּעַתda·'at
the Spirit of knowledge
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD Isaiah 11:2 ESV
Today Daʿat is still knowledge: daʿat ha-qahal is public opinion.
9אֶשְׁפּוֹךְ
𐤀𐤔𐤐𐤅𐤊
אֶשְׁפּוֹךְ'esh·pokh
I will pour out
I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh Acts 2:17 ESV
Today Shafakh is still to pour, or to spill.
10רוּחַ חֵן
𐤓𐤅𐤇 𐤇𐤍
רוּחַru·achחֵןchen
a spirit of grace; or, the Spirit of grace
the Spirit of grace Hebrews 10:29 ESV
Today Chen is still grace and charm.
11רוּחַ אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה
𐤓𐤅𐤇 𐤀𐤃𐤍𐤉 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄
רוּחַru·achאֲדֹנָי'a·do·naiיְהוִהread Elohim
the Spirit of the Lord GOD
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me Luke 4:18 ESV
Today After Adonai the name is read Elohim, so readers say ruach Adonai Elohim.
12בְּרוּחִי
𐤁𐤓𐤅𐤇𐤉
בְּרוּחִיbe·ru·chi
by my Spirit
Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit Zechariah 4:6 ESV
Today Ruach is also morale: ruach tsevet is team spirit.
13רוּחִי עַל זַרְעֶךָ
𐤓𐤅𐤇𐤉 𐤏𐤋 𐤆𐤓𐤏𐤊
רוּחִיru·chiעַל'alזַרְעֶךָzar·'e·kha
my Spirit upon your offspring
I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring Isaiah 44:3 ESV
Today Zeraʿ is still seed, and offspring.
14רוּחַ נְדִיבָה תִסְמְכֵנִי
𐤓𐤅𐤇 𐤍𐤃𐤉𐤁𐤄 𐤕𐤎𐤌𐤊𐤍𐤉
רוּחַru·achנְדִיבָהne·di·vahתִסְמְכֵנִיtis·me·khe·ni
a willing spirit will uphold me
uphold me with a willing spirit Psalm 51:12 ESV
Today Nadiv is generous today, and a nedavah is a donation.
15רוּחַ
𐤓𐤅𐤇
רוּחִי
𐤓𐤅𐤇𐤉
רוּחַ יְהוָה
𐤓𐤅𐤇 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄
רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים
𐤓𐤅𐤇 𐤀𐤋𐤄𐤉𐤌
רוּחַ חָכְמָה
𐤓𐤅𐤇 𐤇𐤊𐤌𐤄
רוּחַ קָדְשְׁךָ
𐤓𐤅𐤇 𐤒𐤃𐤔𐤊
וְרוּחֲךָ הַטּוֹבָה
𐤅𐤓𐤅𐤇𐤊 𐤄𐤈𐤅𐤁𐤄
רוּחַ עֵצָה וּגְבוּרָה
𐤓𐤅𐤇 𐤏𐤑𐤄 𐤅𐤂𐤁𐤅𐤓𐤄
רוּחַru·ach
breath, wind, Spirit
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound John 3:8 ESV
Today Ruach is still wind and spirit, and ruach ha-qodesh is the Holy Spirit.
1רוּחִיru·chi
my Spirit
I will put my Spirit within you Ezekiel 36:27 ESV
Today Ruchani, from the same word, means spiritual.
2רוּחַru·achיְהוָהread Adonai
the Spirit of the LORD
the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him Isaiah 11:2 ESV
Today Readers say ruach Adonai, or ruach HaShem, "the Spirit of the Name".
3רוּחַru·achאֱלֹהִים'e·lo·him
the Spirit of God
all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God Romans 8:14 ESV
Today Elohim is still the word for God.
4רוּחַru·achחָכְמָהchokh·mah
the Spirit of wisdom
the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation Ephesians 1:17 ESV
Today Chokhmah is still wisdom, and a chakham is a wise man.
5רוּחַru·achקָדְשְׁךָkod·she·cha
your Holy Spirit
take not your Holy Spirit from me Psalm 51:11 ESV
Today Ruach ha-qodesh, "the Spirit of holiness", is the Hebrew name for the Holy Spirit.
6וְרוּחֲךָve·ru·cha·khaהַטּוֹבָהha·to·vah
and your good Spirit
You gave your good Spirit to instruct them Nehemiah 9:20 ESV
Today Tov is still good: boker tov is good morning.
7רוּחַru·achעֵצָה'e·tzahוּגְבוּרָהu·ge·vu·rah
the Spirit of counsel and might
the Spirit of counsel and might Isaiah 11:2 ESV
Today A yoʿets is an adviser today, and gevurah is strength.
8רוּחַ דַּעַת
𐤓𐤅𐤇 𐤃𐤏𐤕
אֶשְׁפּוֹךְ
𐤀𐤔𐤐𐤅𐤊
רוּחַ חֵן
𐤓𐤅𐤇 𐤇𐤍
רוּחַ אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה
𐤓𐤅𐤇 𐤀𐤃𐤍𐤉 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄
בְּרוּחִי
𐤁𐤓𐤅𐤇𐤉
רוּחִי עַל זַרְעֶךָ
𐤓𐤅𐤇𐤉 𐤏𐤋 𐤆𐤓𐤏𐤊
רוּחַ נְדִיבָה תִסְמְכֵנִי
𐤓𐤅𐤇 𐤍𐤃𐤉𐤁𐤄 𐤕𐤎𐤌𐤊𐤍𐤉
רוּחַru·achדַּעַתda·'at
the Spirit of knowledge
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD Isaiah 11:2 ESV
Today Daʿat is still knowledge: daʿat ha-qahal is public opinion.
9אֶשְׁפּוֹךְ'esh·pokh
I will pour out
I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh Acts 2:17 ESV
Today Shafakh is still to pour, or to spill.
10רוּחַru·achחֵןchen
a spirit of grace; or, the Spirit of grace
the Spirit of grace Hebrews 10:29 ESV
Today Chen is still grace and charm.
11רוּחַru·achאֲדֹנָי'a·do·naiיְהוִהread Elohim
the Spirit of the Lord GOD
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me Luke 4:18 ESV
Today After Adonai the name is read Elohim, so readers say ruach Adonai Elohim.
12בְּרוּחִיbe·ru·chi
by my Spirit
Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit Zechariah 4:6 ESV
Today Ruach is also morale: ruach tsevet is team spirit.
13רוּחִיru·chiעַל'alזַרְעֶךָzar·'e·kha
my Spirit upon your offspring
I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring Isaiah 44:3 ESV
Today Zeraʿ is still seed, and offspring.
14רוּחַru·achנְדִיבָהne·di·vahתִסְמְכֵנִיtis·me·khe·ni
a willing spirit will uphold me
uphold me with a willing spirit Psalm 51:12 ESV
Today Nadiv is generous today, and a nedavah is a donation.
15The on-screen practice needs JavaScript.
Sources
Every Hebrew word on these cards is checked against STEPBible.org's Translators Amalgamated Hebrew OT (TAHOT, CC BY), which follows the Leningrad Codex, and takes its syllables, stress and Strong's number from it. Cantillation marks are removed for legibility. Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the ESV® Bible, © 2001 by Crossway, used by permission (see Copyright & Scripture Permissions), and each is checked against the ESV text before it is printed.