ALEPH, is the name of the first letter in the Hebrew Alphabet, from which the Alpha of the Syrians and Greeks was formed. This word signifies Chief, Prince, or Thousand. There are some Psalms, and some other parts of Scripture, which begin with Aleph, and the other verses of them are continued with the following letters of the Alphabet. There is no mystery at all in this; but these pieces are called Acrosticks, because all the verses which compose them begin with a letter of the Alphabet in a grammatical order. Thus in the Psalm Beati immaculati in via, the eight first verses begin with Aleph, the eight following with Beth; and in like manner of others. In the CXth Psalm1, Confitebor tibi Domine, in toto corde meo, this verse begins with Aleph; what follows, in concilio justorum & congregatione, begins with Beth; and so on. In the Lamentations of Jeremiah, there are two Chapters, the first Strophe whereof only begins with Aleph, the second with Beth; and so of others. In the third chapter there are three verses successively which begin with Aleph; then three others which begin with Beth; and the Hebrews are acquainted with no other sort of acrostick verses besides these.
The Jews at this day make use of their Letters as Cyphers. Aleph stands for one; Beth for two; Gimel for three; and so on. But I do not find that they had of old the same custom. They who wou’d know any thing more of this matter, may consult the Hebrew Grammars. There was one printed in French not long since at Paris, by Colombat, for the use of those who do not understand Latin. Latin Grammars for the Hebrew tongue are very common. The Reader may see farther what we have to say under the Articles, HEBREW TONGUE, GRAMMAR, VOWELPOINTS, LETTERS, &c.
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Footnotes
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Translators’ note. In the Latin Vulgate the CXth Psalm begins as is here mentioned; but this in our English Translation is the beginning of the CXIth Psalm. And the same difference in the division of the Psalms is observable throughout both these versions, from the IXth to the CXLVIth Psalm, the English being translated from the Hebrew Text, wherein the IXth Psalm is divided into two, and so a difference created in the number of the Psalms, from the IXth to the CXLVIth, which in the Hebrew is united with the CXLVIIth of the Vulgate; and by this union the number of Psalms in the Hebrew, Greek and Vulgate are made equally CL. By this remark some little perplexities may be avoided, which might otherwise arise from this different enumeration of the Psalms, as often as the citations from them are examined and compared. ↩