Monthly Archives: April 2018

Joshua 18:4 – Imperatives, Coordinated Wayyiqtol Verbs, and Infinitive Purpose

Posted on April 18, 2018 by Biblical Hebrew
הָב֥וּ לָכֶ֛ם שְׁלֹשָׁ֥ה אֲנָשִׁ֖ים לַשָּׁ֑בֶט וְאֶשְׁלָחֵ֗ם וְיָקֻ֜מוּ וְיִֽתְהַלְּכ֥וּ בָאָ֛רֶץ וְיִכְתְּב֥וּ אֹותָ֛הּ לְפִ֥י נַֽחֲלָתָ֖ם וְיָבֹ֥אוּ אֵלָֽי׃ Provide for yourselves three men for each tribe, and I will send them, and they shall arise and walk through the land and write it according to their inheritance, and they shall return to me. This verse from Joshua 18:4 presents a rich combination of imperatives, coordinated wayyiqtol verbs, and an infinitive phrase expressing purpose. The passage outlines a step-by-step procedure for land surveying, with verbs clearly sequenced through the wayyiqtol form.… Learn Hebrew
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Construct Chains and Administrative Roles in 1 Kings 4:3

Posted on April 3, 2018 by Biblical Hebrew
אֱלִיחֹ֧רֶף וַאֲחִיָּ֛ה בְּנֵ֥י שִׁישָׁ֖א סֹפְרִ֑ים יְהֹושָׁפָ֥ט בֶּן־אֲחִיל֖וּד הַמַּזְכִּֽיר׃ Elīḥoref and Aḥiyyah, sons of Shishah, were scribes; Yehoshafat son of Aḥilud was the recorder. Historical and Literary Context of 1 Kings 4:3 1 Kings 4:3 occurs within the administrative list of officials under King Shelomoh’s reign, a passage that emphasizes the structure and stability of his kingdom. The verse reads: This verse not only names key figures in the royal bureaucracy but does so using formal administrative titles and construct relationships typical of court literature.… Learn Hebrew
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The Use of Construct Chains and Measurement Syntax in 2 Chronicles 4:1

Posted on April 1, 2018 by Biblical Hebrew
וַיַּ֨עַשׂ֙ מִזְבַּ֣ח נְחֹ֔שֶׁת עֶשְׂרִ֤ים אַמָּה֙ אָרְכֹּ֔ו וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים אַמָּ֖ה רָחְבֹּ֑ו וְעֶ֥שֶׂר אַמֹּ֖ות קֹומָתֹֽו׃ ס (2 Chronicles 4:1) And he made a bronze altar: twenty cubits its length, and twenty cubits its width, and ten cubits its height. 2 Chronicles 4:1 describes the construction of a מִזְבַּח נְחֹשֶׁת (mizbeaḥ neḥoshet, “bronze altar”) in Solomon’s Temple. This verse is notable for its use of construct chains (smikhut), which indicate possessive or descriptive relationships between nouns, and its syntax for expressing measurements. Understanding how Biblical Hebrew expresses dimensions and proportions is essential for interpreting descriptions of sacred architecture.… Learn Hebrew
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