Author Archives: Aramaic Grammar

About Aramaic Grammar

Easy Aramaic: A Grammar for Readers of the Aramaic Translations of the Holy Scriptures is a series of accessible and thoughtfully crafted articles designed to guide readers through the essentials of Aramaic grammar, especially as encountered in the venerable Targums. Focusing on the dialects found in Targum Onkelos—the primary Aramaic translation of the Torah—and Targum Jonathan—the authoritative rendering of the Prophets—these articles provide a clear and engaging introduction to Aramaic morphology, syntax, and vocabulary. Ideal for students, scholars, and curious readers alike, the series serves as a bridge into the linguistic and interpretive world of these ancient texts, illuminating the theological and cultural traditions preserved through Aramaic translation within Jewish exegesis.

Tense, Threat, and Timing: The Hitpaʿal Imperfect יִשְׁתַּנֵּא in Daniel 2:9

Posted on July 7, 2025 by Aramaic Grammar
דִּ֣י הֵן־חֶלְמָא֩ לָ֨א תְהֹֽודְעֻנַּ֜נִי חֲדָה־הִ֣יא דָֽתְכֹ֗ון וּמִלָּ֨ה כִדְבָ֤ה וּשְׁחִיתָה֙ הַזְמַנְתּ֔וּן לְמֵאמַ֣ר קָֽדָמַ֔י עַ֛ד דִּ֥י עִדָּנָ֖א יִשְׁתַּנֵּ֑א לָהֵ֗ן חֶלְמָא֙ אֱמַ֣רוּ לִ֔י וְֽאִנְדַּ֕ע דִּ֥י פִשְׁרֵ֖הּ תְּהַחֲוֻנַּֽנִי׃
(Daniel 2:9) If you do not make the dream known to me, there is one sentence for you. You have agreed to speak a lying and corrupt word before me until the time changes. Therefore tell… Read the rest
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Buying Time: The Participle זָבְנִין and Present-Tense Action in Biblical Aramaic

Posted on July 6, 2025 by Aramaic Grammar
עָנֵ֤ה מַלְכָּא֙ וְאָמַ֔ר מִן־יַצִּיב֙ יָדַ֣ע אֲנָ֔ה דִּ֥י עִדָּנָ֖א אַנְתּ֣וּן זָבְנִ֑ין כָּל־קֳבֵל֙ דִּ֣י חֲזֵיתֹ֔ון דִּ֥י אַזְדָּ֖א מִנִּ֥י מִלְּתָֽא׃
(Daniel 2:8) The king answered and said, “Surely I know that you are buying time, because you have seen that the matter has gone from me.” A King’s Suspicion and a Syntax of Accusation In Daniel 2:8, King Nebuchadnezzar levels an accusation with… Read the rest
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The Peʿal Imperfect as Jussive: Soft Imperatives in the Royal Court

Posted on July 5, 2025 by Aramaic Grammar
עֲנֹ֥ו תִנְיָנ֖וּת וְאָמְרִ֑ין מַלְכָּ֕א חֶלְמָ֛א יֵאמַ֥ר לְעַבְדֹ֖והִי וּפִשְׁרָ֥ה נְהַחֲוֵֽה׃
(Daniel 2:7) They answered a second time and said, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will declare its interpretation.” A Verse of Repetition and Resistance Daniel 2:7 marks a critical moment in the Chaldeans’ dialogue with Nebuchadnezzar. Their second answer does not contain new information—it repeats… Read the rest
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Second Attempts and Stative Forms: The Peʿal Imperfect in Biblical Aramaic Requests

Posted on July 4, 2025 by Aramaic Grammar
עֲנֹ֥ו תִנְיָנ֖וּת וְאָמְרִ֑ין מַלְכָּ֕א חֶלְמָ֛א יֵאמַ֥ר לְעַבְדֹ֖והִי וּפִשְׁרָ֥ה נְהַחֲוֵֽה׃
(Daniel 2:7) They answered a second time and said, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will declare its interpretation.” Repetition and Resistance: Analyzing יֵאמַ֥ר in Context In this intense exchange between Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldean advisors, Daniel 2:7 captures a plea phrased as a respectful demand.… Read the rest
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“If” and “Therefore”: The Syntax and Force of Conditional Particles in Biblical Aramaic

Posted on July 3, 2025 by Aramaic Grammar
וְהֵ֨ן חֶלְמָ֤א וּפִשְׁרֵהּ֙ תְּֽהַחֲוֹ֔ן מַתְּנָ֤ן וּנְבִזְבָּה֙ וִיקָ֣ר שַׂגִּיא תְּקַבְּל֖וּן מִן־קֳדָמָ֑י לָהֵ֕ן חֶלְמָ֥א וּפִשְׁרֵ֖הּ הַחֲוֹֽנִי׃
(Daniel 2:6) But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive gifts and a reward and great honor from me; therefore show me the dream and its interpretation. Unlocking Conditional Clauses with הֵן and לָהֵן Daniel 2:6 offers a rich illustration of conditional… Read the rest
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The Emphatic State in Biblical Aramaic: Forceful Nouns, Fearsome Decrees

Posted on July 3, 2025 by Aramaic Grammar
עָנֵ֤ה מַלְכָּא֙ וְאָמַ֣ר לְכַשְׂדַּיָּ֔א מִלְּתָ֖א מִנִּ֣י אַזְדָּ֑א הֵ֣ן לָ֤א תְהֹֽודְעוּנַּ֨נִי֙ חֶלְמָ֣א וּפִשְׁרֵ֔הּ הַדָּמִין֙ תִּתְעַבְד֔וּן וּבָתֵּיכֹ֖ון נְוָלִ֥י יִתְּשָׂמֽוּן׃
(Daniel 2:5) The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “The matter has departed from me: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be made into pieces, and your houses shall be turned into dung-heaps.”… Read the rest
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“Tell the Dream”: Aramaic Word Order in Daniel 2:4b

Posted on July 3, 2025 by Aramaic Grammar
וַֽיְדַבְּר֧וּ הַכַּשְׂדִּ֛ים לַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֲרָמִ֑ית מַלְכָּא֙ לְעָלְמִ֣ין חֱיִ֔י אֱמַ֥ר חֶלְמָ֛א לַעֲבְדָּ֖יךְ וּפִשְׁרָ֥א נְחַוֵּֽא׃
(Daniel 2:4b) And the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, “O king, live forever! Tell the dream to your servants, and we will declare the interpretation.” Opening the Aramaic Gateway This verse marks a major structural shift in the Book of Daniel. From Daniel 2:4b through 7:28,… Read the rest
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Aramaic Alphabet: Origins, Structure, and Legacy

Posted on July 3, 2025 by Aramaic Grammar
From its roots in Phoenician script to its monumental spread across empires, religions, and continents, the Aramaic alphabet stands as one of the most influential writing systems in human history. Functioning as a consonantal abjad with 22 letters, it became the administrative script of the Achaemenid Persian Empire and the foundation for numerous descendant scripts—including Hebrew square script, Syriac, Arabic,… Read the rest
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The Presence of Biblical Aramaic in the Hebrew Tanakh: A Comprehensive Study

Posted on July 2, 2025 by Aramaic Grammar
The Hebrew Tanakh, the foundational religious and literary corpus of ancient Israel, is primarily composed in Biblical Hebrew. However, embedded within its pages are several sections written in Aramaic, a closely related Semitic language that rose to prominence as the lingua franca of the ancient Near East during the Babylonian and Persian periods. This phenomenon of Biblical Aramaic—the use of… Read the rest
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Biblical Aramaic

Posted on April 23, 2020 by Aramaic Grammar
Biblical Aramaic, found in select portions of Daniel, Ezra, and Jeremiah, represents a profound intersection of language, imperial history, and theological expression during the exilic and post-exilic periods. As a dialect of Northwest Semitic origin, closely aligned with Imperial Aramaic, it served both administrative and theological functions in Scripture, offering insight into Jewish life under foreign rule. Its grammar, distinct… Read the rest
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