Prepositional prefixes like בְּ (“in”), לְ (“to”), and מִן (“from”) in Biblical Hebrew integrate seamlessly with construct chains, attaching to the first noun without disrupting the syntactic unity of the phrase. These prefixes convey locative, directional, instrumental, or partitive nuances and trigger phonological changes such as spirantization or dagesh forte depending on the following consonants. Definiteness of the entire construct chain is governed by the final noun, not the prefixed or construct noun. In extended constructs, the prefix remains on the initial noun even when nested relationships follow. This system allows Hebrew to express complex prepositional and possessive relationships with remarkable morphological economy and syntactic elegance.
Core Functions of בְּ, לְ, and מִן
Biblical Hebrew encodes prepositional relationships compactly through one-letter prefixes affixed directly to nouns. When used with construct chains—grammatical structures that bind two or more nouns—these prefixes must attach to the first noun and cannot interrupt the chain.
- בְּ־ – “in, at, with, by”: locative, instrumental, temporal uses.
- לְ־ – “to, for, belonging to”: directional, benefactive, possessive senses.
- מִן־ – “from, out of”: source, separation, partitive functions.
Each prefix must harmonize with the morphology of the construct form and retain the unity of the chain, even in extended or nested constructs.
בְּ־ in Construct Configurations
| Function | Hebrew Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Locative | בְּבֵית־אִמּוֹ | “in his mother’s house” |
| Instrumental | בְּחֶרֶב־פִּיפִיּוֹת | “with a double-edged sword” |
| Temporal | בְּשִׁבְעַת־הַיָּמִים | “during the seven days” |
Note: The definite article הַ־ appears only on the final noun in the chain. The construct noun following בְּ־ never takes the article.
לְ־ as Goal, Beneficiary, and Possessor
The prefix לְ־ serves a wide semantic range. In construct chains, it connects the whole phrase to a directional, purposive, or possessive context.
| Function | Hebrew Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | לְמִזְבַּח־הַקְּטֹרֶת | “for the altar of incense” |
| Direction | לְבֵית־דָּוִד | “to the house of Dawid” |
| Goal | לְדֶרֶךְ־שָׁלוֹם | “toward the way of peace” |
Pronominal suffixes remain final even with prefix attachment:
לְאַרְצִי – “to my land”
מִן־: Source and Partitive Precision
| Function | Hebrew Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Source | מִדְּבַר־יְהוָה | “from the word of YHWH” |
| Separation | מִצַּר־מָוֶת | “from the strait of death” |
| Partitive | מִשְּׁאָר־הָעָם | “from the remainder of the people” |
Phonology: מִן־ typically reduces to מִ־ before non-gutturals and triggers dagesh forte in the following letter. Before gutturals, it often takes hireq-yod:
מֵאֶרֶץ־נֹד – “from the land of Nod”
Phonological Adjustments: Spirantization and Dagesh
- מִן־ causes dagesh forte in the following consonant (e.g., מִצַּר, מִדְּבַר).
- לְ־ and בְּ־ often trigger spirantization in begadkefat letters (e.g., לְבֵית־, not לְבֵּית־).
- Before gutturals, prefixes may lengthen vowels (e.g., מֵאֶרֶץ).
- Prosthetic א is never inserted between prefix and construct noun; the construction remains contiguous.
Definiteness in Prefixed Construct Chains
The overall definiteness of a construct chain is determined by the final absolute noun or a pronominal suffix.
- בְּבֵית־הַמֶּלֶךְ – “in the house of the king” (definite)
- לְסֵפֶר־נָבִיא – “to a prophet’s scroll” (indefinite)
- מִדְּבַרְךָ – “from your word” (definite by suffix)
The first noun never receives the article הַ־, even if the phrase is definite.
Nested Construct Chains with Prefixes
Prefixes attach only to the first noun in a nested construct chain. Subsequent nouns retain construct form but do not receive prefixes.
בְּסִפְרוֹן־תּוֹרַת־יְהוָה
“In the booklet of the Torah of YHWH”
This preserves syntactic unity and avoids repetition of the prefix across the chain.
Summary Table: Behavior of Prepositional Prefixes in Construct Chains
| Prefix | Common Glosses | Triggers Dagesh or Spirantization? | Determined by Final Noun? |
|---|---|---|---|
| בְּ־ | in, with, by | Spirantization (e.g., ב → v) | Yes |
| לְ־ | to, for, belonging to | Spirantization (e.g., ד → ð) | Yes |
| מִן־ / מִ־ | from, out of | Dagesh forte in next letter | Yes |
Practical Guidelines for Exegesis
- Always attach the prefix to the first noun in the construct chain.
- Do not add the article הַ־ to construct forms—even when definite.
- Check suffixes for person, gender, number, and definiteness.
- Recognize assimilation patterns, dagesh, and vowel changes, especially after מִן־.
- Interpret the prepositional function (spatial, metaphorical, etc.) in the context of the whole chain.
This disciplined approach enables accurate interpretation of complex nominal structures across prose, poetry, and law in the Hebrew Bible.
