וִֽידַעְתֶּ֗ם כִּ֣י אֲנִ֤י יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔ם שֹׁכֵ֖ן בְּצִיֹּ֣ון הַר־קָדְשִׁ֑י וְהָיְתָ֤ה יְרוּשָׁלִַ֨ם֙ קֹ֔דֶשׁ וְזָרִ֥ים לֹא־יַֽעַבְרוּ־בָ֖הּ עֹֽוד׃
And you shall know that I am the LORD your God, dwelling in Tsiyyon, my holy mountain, and Yerushalayim shall be holiness, and strangers shall not pass through her again.
Explanation of Feature
This verse from Joel 4:17 (Hebrew numbering; English Joel 3:17) illustrates two core grammatical features:
1. The nominal clause without a verb, used in the phrase אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, and
2. The future negation using לֹא + yiqtol in לֹא־יַעַבְרוּ (“they shall not pass”).
A nominal clause (מִשְׁפָּט שֵׁם) is a sentence that has no finite verb and often uses a pronoun or noun to assert identity or quality. Hebrew commonly uses this structure for emphatic or theological statements.
The negated future using לֹא + yiqtol (imperfect) is a standard way of expressing prohibition or future non-occurrence in Biblical Hebrew.
Examples from Joel 4:17
| Phrase | Type | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם | Nominal clause | No verb is needed; the identity of the speaker (YHWH) is declared directly |
| שֹׁכֵן בְּצִיּוֹן | Participle clause | Describes an ongoing action/state: “dwelling in Tsiyyon” |
| לֹא־יַעַבְרוּ־בָהּ | Future negation | “They shall not pass through her” – negated yiqtol with future implication |
Related Grammatical Insight
– Nominal clauses are a hallmark of Biblical Hebrew and frequently express identity, existence, or possession without needing the verb “to be.” They often appear in prophetic and poetic texts for emphasis.
– Participle clauses like שֹׁכֵן serve as verbal adjectives indicating habitual or ongoing action. Here it complements the nominal clause, describing YHWH’s constant dwelling.
– The phrase וְהָיְתָה יְרוּשָׁלִַם קֹדֶשׁ (“and Jerusalem shall be holiness”) uses the verb הָיָה (to be) in the perfect form, indicating a change of state or a guaranteed future reality, further contrasting with the prohibited future action לֹא־יַעַבְרוּ.
These features together underscore a key prophetic declaration: YHWH’s presence in Tsiyyon, Jerusalem’s sanctity, and the exclusion of foreign defilement.
