-
Recent Articles
- 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
- Consecration Through Syntax: The Priestly Ritual in Leviticus 8:24
- “A Three-Day Journey”: The Syntax of Volition and Deixis in Exodus According to Targum Onkelos
- Disaster That Flies Down: A Hebrew Lesson on Isaiah 8:22
- Purified and Presented: A Hebrew Lesson on Numbers 8:21
- Like the Nations Before You: A Hebrew Walkthrough of Deuteronomy 8:20
- Voices of the Dead or the Living God? A Hebrew Lesson on Isaiah 8:19
- When the Ground Denies Him: A Hebrew Walkthrough of Job 8:18
- From Dust to Gnats: A Hebrew Lesson in Action
- The Power of Repetition: Exploring the Waw-Consecutive
Categories
Archives
Monthly Archives: February 2023
Strike, Save, and Seek: How the Binyanim Build the Battle
וַיִּשְׁאַ֨ל דָּוִ֤ד בַּֽיהוָה֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר הַאֵלֵ֣ךְ וְהִכֵּ֔יתִי בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּ֖ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה ס וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־דָּוִ֗ד לֵ֚ךְ וְהִכִּ֣יתָ בַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וְהֹושַׁעְתָּ֖ אֶת־קְעִילָֽה׃ (1 Samuel 23:2)
And Dawid inquired of YHWH saying shall I go and strike down these Pelishtim and YHWH said to Dawid go and you shall strike the Pelishtim and you shall save Qeʿilah
Introduction: A Tactical Prayer in Verbal Stems
In 1 Samuel 23:2, Dawid pauses before battle. His inquiry and God’s response are framed by verbs of decision, warfare, and rescue. The binyanim in this verse give these verbs emotional tone and theological depth: from humble inquiry to aggressive assault, from obedience to salvation.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Binyanim
Tagged 1 Samuel 23:2
Comments Off on Strike, Save, and Seek: How the Binyanim Build the Battle
Volition and Cohortatives in Prophetic Vision: Isaiah 2:3
Introduction to Isaiah 2:3: An Invitation to Ascend
This verse from Isaiah envisions a universal pilgrimage to Zion where many peoples seek divine instruction. It is one of the most famous passages describing a future when nations voluntarily turn to YHWH. What makes this verse particularly rich grammatically is the frequent use of cohortative and volitional forms, such as נַעֲלֶ֣ה (“let us go up”) and נֵלְכָ֖ה (“let us walk”), which express desire, resolve, and invitation. In this lesson, we explore how these forms function in Hebrew syntax and theology, showing how verbs can encode collective will and eschatological hope.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar, Theology
Tagged Isaiah 2:3
Comments Off on Volition and Cohortatives in Prophetic Vision: Isaiah 2:3
The Construct Phrase “The Devotion of Your Youth” and Its Covenantal Significance in Jeremiah 2:2
הָלֹ֡ךְ וְקָֽרָאתָ֩ בְאָזְנֵ֨י יְרוּשָׁלִַ֜ם לֵאמֹ֗ר כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה זָכַ֤רְתִּי לָךְ֙ חֶ֣סֶד נְעוּרַ֔יִךְ אַהֲבַ֖ת כְּלוּלֹתָ֑יִךְ לֶכְתֵּ֤ךְ אַחֲרַי֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר בְּאֶ֖רֶץ לֹ֥א זְרוּעָֽה׃
(Jeremiah 2:2)
“Go and proclaim in the ears of Yerushalayim, saying, ‘Thus says YHWH: “I remember for you the kindness of your youth, the love of your betrothal, your going after Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown.
Introduction to Jeremiah 2:2
Jeremiah 2:2 opens a prophetic lament recalling Israel’s early faithfulness to YHWH. The verse presents a divine remembrance of Israel’s loyalty during the Exodus, using the construct phrase חֶ֣סֶד נְעוּרַ֔יִךְ (“the devotion of your youth”).… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar, Theology
Tagged Jeremiah, Jeremiah 2:2
Comments Off on The Construct Phrase “The Devotion of Your Youth” and Its Covenantal Significance in Jeremiah 2:2
“He Stirred Up His Spirit”: Divine Motivation and the Idiom הֵעִיר אֶת־רוּחֹו in Ezra 1:5
וַיָּק֜וּמוּ רָאשֵׁ֣י הָאָבֹ֗ות לִֽיהוּדָה֙ וּבִנְיָמִ֔ן וְהַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים וְהַלְוִיִּ֑ם לְכֹ֨ל הֵעִ֤יר הָאֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־רוּחֹ֔ו לַעֲלֹ֣ות לִבְנֹ֔ות אֶת־בֵּ֥ית יְהוָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃
(Ezra 1:5)
Then the heads of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, arose: all those whom God stirred up his spirit to go up to build the house of Yahweh which is in Jerusalem.
Awakening the Will to Rebuild
Ezra 1:5 narrates a monumental moment in the return from exile: the divine stirring of human hearts to begin rebuilding the Temple.… Learn Hebrew