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Recent Articles
- Woven with Wonder: Syntax and Embodied Imagery in Job 10:11
- The Wink and the Wound: Syntax, Parallelism, and Irony in Proverbs 10:10
- The Grammar of Surprise: The Wayyiqtol Chain and Temporal Progression in Joshua 10:9
- The Birth of Power: The Grammar of Beginning and Becoming in Genesis 10:8
- Genealogical Syntax and the Grammar of Nations in Genesis 10:7
- Do Not Mourn as Others Do: Restraint and Reverence in the Aftermath of Fire
- The Blast and the Camp: Exploring Hebrew Commands and Movement in Numbers 10:5
- If You Refuse: The Threat of the Locusts in Translation
- Trumpet Blasts and Assembly Syntax in Numbers 10:3
- Right and Left: A Beginner’s Guide to Hebrew Word Order in Ecclesiastes 10:2
- A Call to Listen: A Beginner’s Guide to Hebrew Grammar in Jeremiah 10:1
- “Even If I Wash with Snow”: Job’s Cry of Purity and Futility in Hebrew
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Author Archives: Hebrew Grammar for Beginners
The Blast and the Camp: Exploring Hebrew Commands and Movement in Numbers 10:5
וּתְקַעְתֶּ֖ם תְּרוּעָ֑ה וְנָֽסְעוּ֙ הַֽמַּחֲנֹ֔ות הַחֹנִ֖ים קֵֽדְמָה׃
(Numbers 10:5)
And you shall blow a blast, and the camps that encamp to the east shall set out.
This short verse is packed with action and movement. It teaches us how Biblical Hebrew expresses commands, results, and direction—all in under 10 words! You’ll learn how Hebrew uses verb forms, noun modifiers, and word order to build rhythm and meaning.
Understanding the Flow
The verse has two major actions:
You (plural) shall blow a blast – an instruction for what the priests should do.… Learn Hebrew
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Right and Left: A Beginner’s Guide to Hebrew Word Order in Ecclesiastes 10:2
לֵ֤ב חָכָם֙ לִֽימִינֹ֔ו וְלֵ֥ב כְּסִ֖יל לִשְׂמֹאלֹֽו׃
(Ecclesiastes 10:2)
The heart of the wise is to his right, but the heart of the fool is to his left.
This poetic proverb from Ecclesiastes gives us a brilliant way to study Biblical Hebrew structure. It contrasts two people, one wise and one foolish, and shows how Hebrew uses word order, suffixes, and poetic balance to express deep truth in few words.
Let’s break it down word by word so you can learn exactly how the Hebrew sentence is built.… Learn Hebrew
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A Call to Listen: A Beginner’s Guide to Hebrew Grammar in Jeremiah 10:1
שִׁמְע֣וּ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֧ר יְהוָ֛ה עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
(Jeremiah 10:1)
Hear the word that YHWH has spoken concerning you, O house of Yisraʾel.
This sentence from the prophet Jeremiah is a direct and powerful call from YHWH to the people of Yisraʾel. But how is that message built in Hebrew? Let’s explore the grammar and structure behind it, one word at a time.
Why Does the Verb Come First?
In Biblical Hebrew, it is very common for sentences to begin with the verb, especially in commands or narrative speech.… Learn Hebrew
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“Even If I Answered Him”: A Deep Hebrew Walkthrough of Job 9:14
אַ֭ף כִּֽי־אָנֹכִ֣י אֶֽעֱנֶ֑נּוּ אֶבְחֲרָ֖ה דְבָרַ֣י עִמֹּֽו׃
(Job 9:14)
How much less shall I answer Him and choose my words with Him?
This verse, coming from Job’s long reply to Bildad, conveys Job’s sense of smallness when standing before God. The Hebrew phrase is tightly woven, but when unpacked word by word, it shows Job’s rhetorical humility: even if he wanted to argue, he admits he could not select his words properly before the Almighty. The beauty of the Hebrew lies not only in its vocabulary but also in the poetic order, where the words mirror Job’s emotional wrestling.… Learn Hebrew
“Dust to Boils”: A Hebrew Lesson on Exodus 9:9
וְהָיָ֣ה לְאָבָ֔ק עַ֖ל כָּל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וְהָיָ֨ה עַל־הָאָדָ֜ם וְעַל־הַבְּהֵמָ֗ה לִשְׁחִ֥ין פֹּרֵ֛חַ אֲבַעְבֻּעֹ֖ת בְּכָל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
(Exodus 9:9)
And it shall become dust over all the land of Mitsrayim, and it shall be upon man and upon beast as boils breaking out in blisters throughout all the land of Mitsrayim.
Word-by-Word Explanation
וְהָיָה — “and it shall be / become.” Qal perfect with vav used in a future-result sense.
לְאָבָק — “to dust.” Preposition ל (“to, as”) + noun אָבָק (“dust, fine powder”). Indicates transformation.… Learn Hebrew
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At Ḥoreb: A Hebrew Lesson on Deuteronomy 9:8
וּבְחֹרֵ֥ב הִקְצַפְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־יְהוָ֑ה וַיִּתְאַנַּ֧ף יְהוָ֛ה בָּכֶ֖ם לְהַשְׁמִ֥יד אֶתְכֶֽם׃ (Deuteronomy 9:8)
And at Ḥoreb you provoked the LORD to anger, and the LORD was enraged with you to destroy you.
Word-by-Word Explanation
וּבְחֹרֵב — “and at Ḥoreb.” Conjunction ו (“and”) + preposition בְ (“in/at”) + proper noun חֹרֵב (“Ḥoreb,” another name for Sinai).
הִקְצַפְתֶּם — “you provoked to anger.” Hifil perfect 2mp from קָצַף (“to be angry”), causative: “you caused wrath.”
אֶת־יְהוָה — “the LORD.” Object marker אֶת introducing the divine name.… Learn Hebrew
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“And Job Answered and Said”: A Hebrew Lesson on Job 9:1
וַיַּ֥עַן אִיֹּ֗וב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃
(Job 9:1)
And Job answered and said:
Word-by-Word Explanation
וַיַּעַן — “and he answered.”
– Root: עָנָה (“to answer, respond”).
– Form: Qal wayyiqtol (imperfect with vav-consecutive) 3rd masculine singular.
– Usage: The standard narrative form, moving the story forward.
אִיֹּוב — “Job.” The subject of the verb, a proper name in pause form.
וַיֹּאמַר — “and he said.”
– Root: אָמַר (“to say”).
– Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms.
– Function: Hebrew often pairs וַיַּעַן with וַיֹּאמַר as a fixed storytelling formula: “And he answered and said.”… Learn Hebrew
Unlock the Secrets of the Tanakh: Why Hebrew Morphology is the Key
Imagine reading Shakespeare not just in translation, but in the original Early Modern English—understanding every pun, every poetic twist, every hidden layer of meaning. Now imagine doing the same with the Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible, in its ancient, powerful tongue. But here’s the catch: Biblical Hebrew doesn’t work like English. Its soul lies in a system older than vowels and grammar drills—its morphology. And mastering it is like finding the master key to the entire text.
The DNA of Biblical Hebrew: Roots and Patterns
Biblical Hebrew is built on a fascinating genetic code: the triconsonantal root.… Learn Hebrew
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Only the Spoil: A Hebrew Lesson on Joshua 8:27
רַ֣ק הַבְּהֵמָ֗ה וּשְׁלַל֙ הָעִ֣יר הַהִ֔יא בָּזְז֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּדְבַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוָּ֖ה אֶת־יְהוֹשֻֽׁעַ׃
(Joshua 8:27)
Only the livestock and the spoil of that city Israel plundered for themselves, according to the word of the LORD which He commanded Joshua.
Word-by-Word Explanation
רַק — “only.” Limiting particle, emphasizing restriction.
הַבְּהֵמָה — “the livestock.” Definite article + בְּהֵמָה (“beast, animal, cattle”).
וּשְׁלַל — “and the spoil.” Conjunction ו + noun שָׁלָל (“spoil, plunder”).
הָעִיר — “of the city.” Definite article + עִיר (“city”).… Learn Hebrew
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When Service Ends: A Hebrew Lesson on Numbers 8:25
וּמִבֶּן֙ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה יָשׁ֖וּב מִצְּבָ֣א הָעֲבֹדָ֑ה וְלֹ֥א יַעֲבֹ֖ד עֹֽוד׃
(Numbers 8:25)
And from the age of fifty years he shall return from the service of the work, and shall serve no more.
Word-by-Word Explanation
וּמִבֶּן — “and from the age of.” Preposition מִן (“from”) + בֵּן (“son”), used idiomatically for age (“years old”).
חֲמִשִּׁים — “fifty.” Numeral for the age marker.
שָׁנָה — “year.” Noun in singular, completing the phrase: “fifty years old.”
יָשׁוּב — “he shall return.” Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular from שׁוּב (“to return, turn back”).… Learn Hebrew
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