Some Biblical Hebrew idioms that occurred to me. I will add more if they come to mind.
Biblical Hebrew is a language with a rather small vocabulary (a fact we may be grateful for!), but it's very "creative" in how it uses words. Metaphorical senses abound.
פָנִים - lit. face, but also presence
Panim (plural form, singular meaning. Hypothetical sing Panah never appears.)
Lipnei (toward somebody('s face)), mipnei (away from somebody('s face))
Gen 1:1 - חֹ֖שֶׁךְ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י תְה֑וֹם (darkness on the face of the abyss) - the abyss has a face!
(when you stare at the abyss, does it stare back? :))
עַיִן - lit. eye, but also spring, fountain
(also name of a letter)
שָׂפָה - lit. lip, but in Hebrew, rivers have lips, not margins.
אַף - lit. nose or nostril, but also anger
Nostrils flared in anger.
לֵב - lit. heart: core, intention, will
The sense of heart in English has shifted. Think of "core" or "courage" as words closely related to heart. The word in the Bible doesn't have the affectionate ("valentine") meaning that predominates in modern English.
מֵעֶה - lit. guts, but also emotion
Think of emotion that you feel in your gut.
Biblical Hebrew is a language with a rather small vocabulary (a fact we may be grateful for!), but it's very "creative" in how it uses words. Metaphorical senses abound.
פָנִים - lit. face, but also presence
Panim (plural form, singular meaning. Hypothetical sing Panah never appears.)
Lipnei (toward somebody('s face)), mipnei (away from somebody('s face))
Gen 1:1 - חֹ֖שֶׁךְ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י תְה֑וֹם (darkness on the face of the abyss) - the abyss has a face!
(when you stare at the abyss, does it stare back? :))
עַיִן - lit. eye, but also spring, fountain
(also name of a letter)
שָׂפָה - lit. lip, but in Hebrew, rivers have lips, not margins.
אַף - lit. nose or nostril, but also anger
Nostrils flared in anger.
לֵב - lit. heart: core, intention, will
The sense of heart in English has shifted. Think of "core" or "courage" as words closely related to heart. The word in the Bible doesn't have the affectionate ("valentine") meaning that predominates in modern English.
מֵעֶה - lit. guts, but also emotion
Think of emotion that you feel in your gut.