How Genitive Constructions Work in Biblical Hebrew

Biblical Hebrew encodes genitive relationships primarily through the construct chain (סְמִיכוּת), a rigid yet elegant structure that binds a construct-state noun to an absolute-state noun, forming phrases such as בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ (“the house of the king”). The construct noun undergoes morphological shifts—vowel reduction, suffix changes, and loss of definite articles—while definiteness is inherited entirely from the final noun in the chain. Extended genitive chains layer multiple constructs for complex relationships (e.g., סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל), and possessive suffixes offer an alternative compact form (e.g., בֵּיתוֹ, “his house”). Modifiers must follow the full chain, never interrupting it—a syntactic discipline that supports clarity and theological nuance. The construct system exemplifies Hebrew’s grammar of identity, origin, and covenant through morphological economy.

The Construct Relationship: A Defining Feature of Biblical Hebrew Syntax

Biblical Hebrew expresses genitive relationships—such as possession, material, or classification—primarily through a syntactic construction known as the construct chain (סְמִיכוּת). This structure is composed of two (or more) juxtaposed nouns: the first noun (the construct) is grammatically bound to the second noun (the absolute), which functions as the possessor or modifier. Unlike English, which uses a particle (e.g., “of”) or a possessive marker (e.g., “’s”), Biblical Hebrew relies on word order and form to indicate such relationships.

In this construct phrase, the head noun (the possessed) appears first, followed by the genitive noun (the possessor). For example, the phrase בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ means “the house of the king,” where בֵּית is the construct form of בַּיִת (“house”) and הַמֶּלֶךְ is the absolute noun (“the king”).

Morphological Features of the Construct State

The construct form of a noun is often morphologically distinct from its absolute form. The construct form frequently undergoes vowel changes, loses definite articles, and in some cases alters the plural or dual suffix. For example, segolate nouns like בַּיִת (“house”) form their construct state with a tsere vowel, resulting in בֵּית. This tsere pattern is a common feature among construct forms of segolate nouns.

These morphological changes are essential indicators that the noun is in construct state. A noun in construct cannot take the definite article הַ־ because definiteness is determined by the second noun.

Definiteness and Determination in Construct Chains

Unlike in English, where each noun may independently bear definiteness, Biblical Hebrew imposes a rule wherein only the final noun in a construct chain determines the definiteness of the entire phrase. This is a fundamental syntactic principle:

• בֵּית מֶלֶךְ – “a king’s house” (indefinite)
• בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ – “the king’s house” (definite)
• בֵּית מְלָכִים – “a house of kings” (plural genitive)

The construct noun בֵּית inherits definiteness from the absolute noun הַמֶּלֶךְ. It is therefore incorrect to prefix the construct with הַ־; the construct form itself is always bare.

Genitive Relationships Expressed through Construct Chains

Biblical Hebrew uses the construct chain to express various semantic relationships. The nature of the relationship depends on context and lexical semantics.

Each construct chain may imply possession, authorship, source, part-whole, content, or other nuanced genitive meanings. Context is the key to interpretation.

Possessive Suffixes and the Construct Relationship

An alternative to using the full construct chain is the employment of pronominal suffixes to indicate possession. For instance, instead of saying בֵּית הָאִישׁ (“the man’s house”), one may say בֵּיתוֹ (“his house”). These suffixes are directly affixed to the noun, eliminating the need for a second noun.

While these suffixes are grammatically simpler and often appear in poetry or narrative for brevity, they convey similar relationships of possession or association as construct chains.

Construct Chains Beyond Two Nouns

Hebrew allows extended construct chains, where multiple nouns are stacked to create complex phrases. Only the final noun remains in the absolute state; all preceding nouns take construct form. For example:

סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל — “the book of the generations of the sons of Yisraʾel”

Here, the construct sequence spans three levels:

• סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדוֹת – book of generations
• תּוֹלְדוֹת בְּנֵי – generations of sons
• בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל – sons of Yisraʾel

Such constructions are semantically rich but syntactically rigid. Any adjective modifying the chain must follow the entire construct and agree in number and gender with the head noun.

Interference and Disruption of the Construct Chain

One of the strict features of the construct chain is that it must be uninterrupted. Unlike in English, where modifiers may separate the head noun from its genitive, Biblical Hebrew prohibits such insertions. An adjective or demonstrative must follow the entire chain. For example:

✅ סוּס מֶלֶךְ טוֹב – “a good horse of a king” (adjective comes after the whole phrase)
❌ סוּס טוֹב מֶלֶךְ – “good horse of a king” is ungrammatical in construct syntax

This syntactic rigidity marks a significant difference between Hebrew and many Indo-European languages.

Semantic Precision Through Construct Syntax

Because of its compactness, the construct chain in Hebrew is highly efficient and semantically precise. It allows for nuanced genitive readings that can indicate origin, material, possession, identity, and function—all without prepositions or conjunctions.

The structure’s elegance is especially evident in poetry and prophecy, where layers of meaning can be compacted into tightly linked phrases. For example:

נְאוּם יְהוָה – “utterance of YHWH”
דְּבַר־יְהוָה – “word of YHWH”

In both cases, the construct allows for theological precision, indicating divine origin, authority, and agency without the use of verbal clauses.

The Syntax of Possession and Identity

The genitive construction in Biblical Hebrew—most notably the construct chain—forms the backbone of how possession, classification, authorship, and association are expressed. Its reliance on form rather than function words reflects a deeply embedded linguistic economy, requiring fluency in morphology and syntax to interpret accurately. From simple phrases like אִשְׁתּוֹ (“his wife”) to elaborate genealogies and poetic parallels, the construct state exemplifies Biblical Hebrew’s capacity to encode dense theological, relational, and descriptive meaning within its grammar.