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Recent Articles
- Negation, Emphasis, and Syntax in Genesis 9:4
- Nominal Clauses and Enumerations in Exodus 9:3
- Fear, Dominion, and Syntax: A Grammar Lesson from Genesis 9:2
- “And Job Answered and Said”: A Hebrew Lesson on Job 9:1
- Syntax of Covenant Obedience: The Altar of Uncut Stones in Joshua 8:31
- Unlock the Secrets of the Tanakh: Why Hebrew Morphology is the Key
- The Poetics of Verbal Repetition in Proverbs 8:30
- Syntax of the Wave Offering: Moses and the Breast Portion in Leviticus 8:29
- Firm Skies and Deep Springs: Grammar in Proverbs 8:28
- Only the Spoil: A Hebrew Lesson on Joshua 8:27
- Binyanim Under Pressure: Exodus 8:26
- When Service Ends: A Hebrew Lesson on Numbers 8:25
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The Throne Among the People: Syntax and Theology in Ezekiel 43:7
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֗י בֶּן־אָדָם֙ אֶת־מְקֹ֣ום כִּסְאִ֗י וְאֶת־מְקֹום֙ כַּפֹּ֣ות רַגְלַ֔י אֲשֶׁ֧ר אֶשְׁכָּן־שָׁ֛ם בְּתֹ֥וךְ בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְעֹולָ֑ם וְלֹ֣א יְטַמְּא֣וּ עֹ֣וד בֵּֽית־֠יִשְׂרָאֵל שֵׁ֣ם קָדְשִׁ֞י הֵ֤מָּה וּמַלְכֵיהֶם֙ בִּזְנוּתָ֔ם וּבְפִגְרֵ֥י מַלְכֵיהֶ֖ם בָּמֹותָֽם׃
(Ezekiel 43:7)
Clause Structure Overview
The verse consists of two main thematic units, joined by a waw-consecutive, each with subordinate clauses:
וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי — Narrative introduction, “And He said to me”
Direct divine speech describing:
The place of YHWH’s throne and footstool (אֶת־מְקֹום כִּסְאִי … אֶת־מְקֹום כַּפֹּות רַגְלַי)
Purpose clause (אֲשֶׁר אֶשְׁכָּן־שָׁם … לְעוֹלָם)
Prohibition clause with future negation (וְלֹא יְטַמְּאוּ עוֹד …)
Detailed Grammatical Observations
Phrase
Morphology
Syntactic Role
Notes
וַיֹּאמֶר
Wayyiqtol Qal 3ms from אָמַר
Main narrative verb
Signals a new prophetic utterance.… Learn Hebrew
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Binyanim in Motion: How Verbal Stems Drive the Tension in Ruth 3:18
וַתֹּ֨אמֶר֙ שְׁבִ֣י בִתִּ֔י עַ֚ד אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֵּֽדְעִ֔ין אֵ֖יךְ יִפֹּ֣ל דָּבָ֑ר כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יִשְׁקֹט֙ הָאִ֔ישׁ כִּֽי־אִם־כִּלָּ֥ה הַדָּבָ֖ר הַיֹּֽום׃
(Ruth 3:18)
And she said sit my daughter until you know how the matter will fall for the man will not rest unless he has completed the matter today
When Verbs Set the Stage
Ruth 3:18 comes at a moment of high emotional tension. Naomi urges Ruth to wait while Boaz resolves a matter that could change her life. But this waiting is filled with motion—not outward, but inward.… Learn Hebrew
The Syntax of Contrastive Conjunctions: כִּי אִם in Proverbs 23:17
אַל־יְקַנֵּ֣א לִ֭בְּךָ בַּֽחַטָּאִ֑ים כִּ֥י אִם־בְּיִרְאַת־֝יְהוָ֗ה כָּל־הַיֹּֽום׃
(Proverbs 23:17)
Let your heart not be jealous of sinners but rather in the fear of YHWH all the day
Introducing the Phenomenon
Among the various conjunctions in Biblical Hebrew, the sequence כִּי אִם plays a nuanced role in constructing contrastive statements. It often functions to negate one clause or expectation and replace it with an alternative—frequently associated with exclusion, contrast, or restriction. In Proverbs 23:17, this subtle but powerful construction guides the moral instruction by contrasting two directions of the heart: envy of the wicked versus reverent fear of יְהוָה.… Learn Hebrew
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Leveled and Lifted: The Binyanim That Reshape the Land in Zechariah 14:10
יִסֹּ֨וב כָּל־הָאָ֤רֶץ כָּעֲרָבָה֙ מִגֶּ֣בַע לְרִמֹּ֔ון נֶ֖גֶב יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וְרָאֲמָה וְיָשְׁבָה תַחְתֶּיהָ לְמִשַּׁ֣עַר בִּנְיָמִ֗ן עַד־מְקֹ֞ום שַׁ֤עַר הָרִאשֹׁון֙ עַד־שַׁ֣עַר הַפִּנִּ֔ים וּמִגְדַּ֣ל חֲנַנְאֵ֔ל עַ֖ד יִקְבֵ֥י הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃
(Zechariah 14:10)
All the land shall be turned like the ʿAravah from Geva to Rimmon south of Yerushalayim and she shall be raised and shall dwell in her place from the Gate of Binyamin to the place of the First Gate to the Corner Gate and from the Tower of Ḥananel to the winepresses of the king.
Topography by Morphology
This eschatological vision transforms the geography of Eretz Yisra’el.… Learn Hebrew
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Negation, Emphasis, and Syntax in Genesis 9:4
אַךְ־בָּשָׂ֕ר בְּנַפְשֹׁ֥ו דָמֹ֖ו לֹ֥א תֹאכֵֽלוּ׃
(Genesis 9:4)
But flesh with its life, its blood, you shall not eat.
This short but powerful prohibition in the covenant with Noah establishes one of the foundational food laws in the Bible: the ban on consuming blood. The grammar is deceptively compact. Through a careful interplay of emphatic particles, construct chains, and negated imperfects, the verse sets a theological and ethical boundary between human beings and the lifeblood of animals. For students of Biblical Hebrew, Genesis 9:4 provides an excellent case study in how Hebrew grammar conveys legal weight through brevity.… Learn Hebrew
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Nominal Clauses and Enumerations in Exodus 9:3
הִנֵּ֨ה יַד־יְהוָ֜ה הֹויָ֗ה בְּמִקְנְךָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה בַּסּוּסִ֤ים בַּֽחֲמֹרִים֙ בַּגְּמַלִּ֔ים בַּבָּקָ֖ר וּבַצֹּ֑אן דֶּ֖בֶר כָּבֵ֥ד מְאֹֽד׃
(Exodus 9:3)
Behold, the hand of YHWH is upon your livestock that are in the field, upon the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the cattle, and the sheep, a very severe plague.
This verse belongs to the plague narrative against Pharaoh, specifically the fifth plague striking the livestock of Mitsrayim. From a grammatical standpoint, Exodus 9:3 offers a valuable lesson on nominal clauses, particle emphasis, and enumeration through prepositional phrases.… Learn Hebrew
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Fear, Dominion, and Syntax: A Grammar Lesson from Genesis 9:2
וּמֹורַאֲכֶ֤ם וְחִתְּכֶם֙ יִֽהְיֶ֔ה עַ֚ל כָּל־חַיַּ֣ת הָאָ֔רֶץ וְעַ֖ל כָּל־עֹ֣וף הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם בְּכֹל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר תִּרְמֹ֧שׂ הָֽאֲדָמָ֛ה וּֽבְכָל־דְּגֵ֥י הַיָּ֖ם בְּיֶדְכֶ֥ם נִתָּֽנוּ׃
(Genesis 9:2)
And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every bird of the heavens, in everything that creeps on the ground, and in all the fish of the sea—into your hand they have been given.
Genesis 9:2 marks a pivotal moment in the narrative of human history. After the flood, God addresses Noah and his sons, redefining humanity’s relationship with the rest of creation.… Learn Hebrew
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“And Job Answered and Said”: A Hebrew Lesson on Job 9:1
וַיַּ֥עַן אִיֹּ֗וב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃
(Job 9:1)
And Job answered and said:
Word-by-Word Explanation
וַיַּעַן — “and he answered.”
– Root: עָנָה (“to answer, respond”).
– Form: Qal wayyiqtol (imperfect with vav-consecutive) 3rd masculine singular.
– Usage: The standard narrative form, moving the story forward.
אִיֹּוב — “Job.” The subject of the verb, a proper name in pause form.
וַיֹּאמַר — “and he said.”
– Root: אָמַר (“to say”).
– Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms.
– Function: Hebrew often pairs וַיַּעַן with וַיֹּאמַר as a fixed storytelling formula: “And he answered and said.”… Learn Hebrew
Syntax of Covenant Obedience: The Altar of Uncut Stones in Joshua 8:31
כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוָּה֩ מֹשֶׁ֨ה עֶֽבֶד־יְהוָ֜ה אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל כַּכָּתוּב֙ בְּסֵ֨פֶר֙ תֹּורַ֣ת מֹשֶׁ֔ה מִזְבַּח֙ אֲבָנִ֣ים שְׁלֵמֹ֔ות אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹֽא־הֵנִ֥יף עֲלֵיהֶ֖ן בַּרְזֶ֑ל וַיַּעֲל֨וּ עָלָ֤יו עֹלֹות֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה וַֽיִּזְבְּח֖וּ שְׁלָמִֽים׃
(Joshua 8:31)
As Moshe, the servant of YHWH, commanded the children of Yisraʾel, as it is written in the book of the Torah of Moshe: an altar of unhewn stones upon which no iron tool was wielded, and they offered burnt offerings on it to YHWH and sacrificed peace offerings.
Syntax in Service of Covenant Memory
Joshua 8:31 narrates the building of an altar on Mount Ebal as commanded in the Torah of Moses.… Learn Hebrew
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Unlock the Secrets of the Tanakh: Why Hebrew Morphology is the Key
Imagine reading Shakespeare not just in translation, but in the original Early Modern English—understanding every pun, every poetic twist, every hidden layer of meaning. Now imagine doing the same with the Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible, in its ancient, powerful tongue. But here’s the catch: Biblical Hebrew doesn’t work like English. Its soul lies in a system older than vowels and grammar drills—its morphology. And mastering it is like finding the master key to the entire text.
The DNA of Biblical Hebrew: Roots and Patterns
Biblical Hebrew is built on a fascinating genetic code: the triconsonantal root.… Learn Hebrew
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The Poetics of Verbal Repetition in Proverbs 8:30
וָֽאֶהְיֶ֥ה אֶצְלֹ֗ו אָ֫מֹ֥ון וָֽאֶהְיֶ֣ה שַׁ֭עֲשֻׁעִים יֹ֤ום יֹ֑ום מְשַׂחֶ֖קֶת לְפָנָ֣יו בְּכָל־עֵֽת׃ (Proverbs 8:30)
Then I was beside Him, like a master-worker, and I was His delight day by day, playing before Him at all times.
This verse is a masterpiece of Hebrew poetic artistry, where the speaker—personified Wisdom—uses verbal repetition and parallelism to create rhythm, emphasis, and intimacy with the divine Creator. Two repeated verbal structures stand out: וָאֶהְיֶה (“and I was”) and the iterative יֹום יֹום (“day by day”). These elements reveal how Hebrew grammar leverages repetition not as redundancy, but as a stylistic and rhetorical device.… Learn Hebrew
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Syntax of the Wave Offering: Moses and the Breast Portion in Leviticus 8:29
וַיִּקַּ֤ח מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶת־הֶ֣חָזֶ֔ה וַיְנִיפֵ֥הוּ תְנוּפָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה מֵאֵ֣יל הַמִּלֻּאִ֗ים לְמֹשֶׁ֤ה הָיָה֙ לְמָנָ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃
(Leviticus 8:29)
And Moses took the breast and waved it as a wave offering before YHWH; from the ram of ordination it was Moses’s portion, just as YHWH commanded Moses.
The Language of Ordination
Leviticus 8:29 belongs to the priestly narrative of the ordination of Aharon and his sons. The verse describes Moses taking the breast of the ram of ordination and presenting it as a wave offering before YHWH.… Learn Hebrew
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Firm Skies and Deep Springs: Grammar in Proverbs 8:28
בְּאַמְּצֹ֣ו שְׁחָקִ֣ים מִמָּ֑עַל בַּ֝עֲזֹ֗וז עִינֹ֥ות תְּהֹום׃
(Proverbs 8:28)
When He strengthened the skies above, in the strengthening of the fountains of the deep.
This verse compresses creation imagery into a poetic frame, showcasing two distinctive features of Biblical Hebrew: (1) the temporal use of בְּ prefixed to an infinitive-construct–type form, and (2) the elegant binding of nouns in a construct chain. Both phenomena highlight the compact and precise beauty of Hebrew expression.
The Moment of Strengthening
בְּאַמְּצֹו: בְּ + infinitive-construct/abstract from אָמַץ with 3ms suffix, yielding “when He strengthened.”… Learn Hebrew
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Only the Spoil: A Hebrew Lesson on Joshua 8:27
רַ֣ק הַבְּהֵמָ֗ה וּשְׁלַל֙ הָעִ֣יר הַהִ֔יא בָּזְז֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּדְבַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוָּ֖ה אֶת־יְהוֹשֻֽׁעַ׃
(Joshua 8:27)
Only the livestock and the spoil of that city Israel plundered for themselves, according to the word of the LORD which He commanded Joshua.
Word-by-Word Explanation
רַק — “only.” Limiting particle, emphasizing restriction.
הַבְּהֵמָה — “the livestock.” Definite article + בְּהֵמָה (“beast, animal, cattle”).
וּשְׁלַל — “and the spoil.” Conjunction ו + noun שָׁלָל (“spoil, plunder”).
הָעִיר — “of the city.” Definite article + עִיר (“city”).… Learn Hebrew
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