# 10 Commandments in English and Hebrew



## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

A friend asked me to engrave some Beech and Red Heart with the 10 Commandments in English and Hebrew. Getting the Hebrew was more difficult than I thought it would be and I hope I got it right. I think the plaque came out nice and Beech is a dream to machine. This is 12" wide by 13" high.

















David


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## Oscar36 (Feb 23, 2019)

The piece came out beautifully. Nicely done!


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

I’m amazed at the detail that a cnc can cut in wood . I’d expect there to be issues like tear out occasionally for some reason . I guess using the right bit helps . They look perfect Dave


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

David,

There are some Hebrew sites that have a lot of these things in posters, cards, and signs that can be bitmap traced. I also joined the hebrew Bible Society to get advice and ask questions. Don't laugh!!!


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Oscar36 said:


> The piece came out beautifully. Nicely done!


that it did...
and yes it is...


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

honesttjohn said:


> David,
> 
> There are some Hebrew sites that have a lot of these things in posters, cards, and signs that can be bitmap traced. I also joined the hebrew Bible Society to get advice and ask questions. Don't laugh!!!


Laugh? I'm impressed! I've seen quite a few of the Hebrew sites but very few that gave me what I wanted in the graphics. So I installed a Hebrew font and the Hebrew keyboard and set about to typing the first Commandment. Hebrew doesn't use many vowels and has other vowel rules in addition to being read right to left, so when I typed, 'Thou shalt have no other gods before me' it came out something like, 'When you go to the river take your goat' or something like that when I put it into Google Translate! LOL!

And I don't know if what I have is completely correct but I know someone who has studied Hebrew for about 8 years so I plan to see if she'll proof this for me.

David


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## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

David, your efforts as well as those of John to get the text correct is honorable. Weighs well against the old adage of " don't get it right just get it written"


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

David,

My daughter's best friend is a librarian or something like that at a Hebrew center. She knows it rather fluently. I can make contact for you if you need or want.

Don't always believe Google translate. It gives you a good idea but is often wrong or off by a letter or symbol or two.


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

That would be great, John. Is the image good enough or do I need to send you something better?

David


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

You've opened a can of something, David. Beautifully crafted and I'm sure the client will be ecstatic.
Any/every synagogue will have the commandment tablets at the front of the chapel, in Hebrew. I'm pretty sure any Rabbi would be pleased to help you out if you explained what you need. 
Is this any help?
https://images.prismic.io/aleph-bet...ments-hebrew-english.jpg?auto=compress,format


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Thanks, Dan! Yes, figured I would. 

I copied this directly from a Hebrew site our Pastor recommended and looked at probably 25-30 plaques and posters available online. Seemingly no two of those are alike, or if they are then they appeared to be copied from the same design. Some have the little accent marks like mine but many don't. 

No sir, the link doesn't help much. They use the full verse rather than the typical 'few words as possible for the plaque to look good'. 

It's all Greek to me... :wink:

David


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Re the few words as possible thing, Some tablet replicas use a single character to represent the individual commandments. Talk about losing something in the translation!


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

Boy... This could be something to use up some of my extra Corian stash.... But what color? Dark granite, grey granite or sandstone?


Good looking project!


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

".... But what color? Dark granite, grey granite or sandstone?'

It's all about accessorizing your wardrobe.


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

DaninVan said:


> ".... But what color? Dark granite, grey granite or sandstone?'
> 
> It's all about accessorizing your wardrobe.


I have that same belt!


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

David,

I sent Raya an email and cc'd you. Hope it was the right email address.


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Just saw it, John. Thank you! I look forward to hearing from her.

Listening to our Sunday School lesson online and multitasking - don't tell anyone... :wink:

David


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## Flipsaw (Mar 11, 2016)

Excellent and Beautiful work as usual David !


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

sandstone


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## MEBCWD (Jan 14, 2012)

David I'm guessing that you used BB ply like you did for the flag project because the colors are similar. Did you mask it for carving and what bit did you use for the lettering? 

Really nice clean looking project!


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## Biagio (Mar 2, 2013)

@difalkner
David, I posed your question to a young man who came back from rabbinical studies in Israel, to lock down with his parents. His father is a distinguished rabbi in Johannesburg.
He came back with the following: all good except 2nd and 4th.
Second should be: לא ידיד לך אלדים אחרים remember it goes from right to left, so the leftmost word is on the second line in your tablet.

Fourth should be: ‎זכור את יום דשבת לקדשו you have most of it, one letter or accent missing (I think).
Hope this helps.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

I never cease to be amazed at how effective this whole (sorry, there's current phrase for this concept but I can't think of it) community sourcing of info is.
David's answer comes from a third party literally 1/2 way 'round the World...who he doesn't even know!


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

MEBCWD said:


> David I'm guessing that you used BB ply like you did for the flag project because the colors are similar. Did you mask it for carving and what bit did you use for the lettering?
> 
> Really nice clean looking project!


Thanks, Mike! No sir, this is Beech and Red Heart. It machines WAY better than BB and finishes much better, as well. Sanded to 120 with drum sander and ROS, hand sanded with a block and 220. 

No mask, carved directly into the Beech with a 90° bit, 0.375 diameter, 100 ipm, one pass. Finish is a really good coat of Nitrocellulose sanding sealer, then a coat of gloss, then wiped with Mohawk Van **** Brown glazing stain and wiped back off the surface, followed by a coat of semi-gloss Nitrocellulose lacquer. 

David


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Biagio said:


> @difalkner
> David, I posed your question to a young man who came back from rabbinical studies in Israel, to lock down with his parents. His father is a distinguished rabbi in Johannesburg.
> He came back with the following: all good except 2nd and 4th.
> Second should be: לא ידיד לך אלדים אחרים remember it goes from right to left, so the leftmost word is on the second line in your tablet.
> ...


Wow! Thanks, Biagio! Now I need to try and figure out how to get that into my drawing and make it look like the other lines. This is text and what I have in the drawing is an image. I just sooooooooooo appreciate the fact that you did this! Too cool!

David


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## TenGees (Sep 12, 2012)

David, I think you should look into stone-carving bits.  Just kidding, nice work.


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## marecat3 (Nov 30, 2010)

Wow nice


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

David,

Watch your email. Raya's on it.


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

I've been out in the shop - had 3 orders for Longworth chucks - but I just came in to print labels and saw the email. Thank you, John! I'll get with her.

David


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## Biagio (Mar 2, 2013)

David, is your problem sorted? I obtained inputfrom another source, who happens to be a Hebrew teacher. apparently the accents are optional in the script. If you are ok, I woulld not like to introduce confusion.


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Thanks, Biagio! I actually got two sources and they are very closely matched. One source is HJ's friend, who provided the 10 Commandments with vowel markings, and a local friend who has been studying Hebrew for 8-10 years. She provided the 10 Commandments without the vowel markings. For the carving I believe I will use the Hebrew without the vowel markings because it will be a cleaner carving.

Now I need to redesign the plaque with the proper Hebrew language and so some more.

It's great how the resources of this forum all come together on things like this - just awesome!

David


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

That is a striking project and interesting to follow the corrections coming in from far away places.


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