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Recent Articles
- Fear, Dominion, and Syntax: A Grammar Lesson from Genesis 9:2
- “And Job Answered and Said”: A Hebrew Lesson on Job 9:1
- Syntax of Covenant Obedience: The Altar of Uncut Stones in Joshua 8:31
- Unlock the Secrets of the Tanakh: Why Hebrew Morphology is the Key
- The Poetics of Verbal Repetition in Proverbs 8:30
- Syntax of the Wave Offering: Moses and the Breast Portion in Leviticus 8:29
- Firm Skies and Deep Springs: Grammar in Proverbs 8:28
- Only the Spoil: A Hebrew Lesson on Joshua 8:27
- Binyanim Under Pressure: Exodus 8:26
- When Service Ends: A Hebrew Lesson on Numbers 8:25
- Consecration Through Syntax: The Priestly Ritual in Leviticus 8:24
- “A Three-Day Journey”: The Syntax of Volition and Deixis in Exodus According to Targum Onkelos
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Author Archives: Hebrew Grammar for Beginners
“May the LORD Show You Kindness”: A Joyful Walk Through Ruth 1:8
וַתֹּ֤אמֶר נָעֳמִי֙ לִשְׁתֵּ֣י כַלֹּתֶ֔יהָ לֵ֣כְנָה שֹּׁ֔בְנָה אִשָּׁ֖ה לְבֵ֣ית אִמָּ֑הּ יַעַשׂ יְהוָ֤ה עִמָּכֶם֙ חֶ֔סֶד כַּאֲשֶׁ֧ר עֲשִׂיתֶ֛ם עִם־הַמֵּתִ֖ים וְעִמָּדִֽי׃
(Ruth 1:8)
And Naʿomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each woman to her mother’s house. May YHWH do kindness with you, as you have done with the dead and with me.”
Word-by-Word Explanation
וַתֹּ֤אמֶר – “And she said”Verb, past tense (called “perfect” in Hebrew). The prefix וַ tells us this is part of a story (called vav-consecutive). The root is אָמַר, meaning “to say.”… Learn Hebrew
Silence Speaks: Learning Hebrew from a Proverb
גַּ֤ם אֱוִ֣יל מַ֭חֲרִישׁ חָכָ֣ם יֵחָשֵׁ֑ב אֹטֵ֖ם שְׂפָתָ֣יו נָבֹֽון׃
(Proverbs 17:28)
Today’s Hebrew lesson takes us into a poetic proverb. With only a few words, this verse reveals deep wisdom—and teaches us a lot about how Hebrew words and sentences work.
English Translation
Even a fool, when he is silent, is considered wise; one who shuts his lips is thought discerning.
This proverb uses poetic parallelism: it says the same idea two different ways. Let’s dive into the Hebrew step by step.… Learn Hebrew
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Inheritance and Intercession: Learning Hebrew from Joshua 17:4
וַתִּקְרַ֡בְנָה לִפְנֵי֩ אֶלְעָזָ֨ר הַכֹּהֵ֜ן וְלִפְנֵ֣י יְהֹושֻׁ֣עַ בִּן־נ֗וּן וְלִפְנֵ֤י הַנְּשִׂיאִים֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר יְהוָה֙ צִוָּ֣ה אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֔ה לָֽתֶת־לָ֥נוּ נַחֲלָ֖ה בְּתֹ֣וךְ אַחֵ֑ינוּ וַיִּתֵּ֨ן לָהֶ֜ם אֶל־פִּ֤י יְהוָה֙ נַֽחֲלָ֔ה בְּתֹ֖וךְ אֲחֵ֥י אֲבִיהֶֽן׃
(Joshua 17:4)
And they came near before Eleʿazar the priest, and before Yehoshua son of Nun, and before the leaders, saying: “YHWH commanded Moshe to give us an inheritance among our brothers.” So he gave them an inheritance, by the mouth of YHWH, among the brothers of their father.
This verse tells the story of women who boldly stood before Israel’s leaders to claim their rightful inheritance.… Learn Hebrew
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Who May Eat the Offering? Exploring a Sacred Rule in Leviticus 6:22
כָּל־זָכָ֥ר בַּכֹּהֲנִ֖ים יֹאכַ֣ל אֹתָ֑הּ קֹ֥דֶשׁ קָֽדָשִׁ֖ים הִֽוא׃
(Leviticus 6:22)
Every male among the priests may eat it; it is most holy.
Word-by-Word Explanation
כָּל־ – “every”Adjective meaning “all” or “every.” A versatile Hebrew word used to describe the totality of a group. The little dash (־) is a maqqef, which links it closely to the next word.
זָכָ֥ר – “male”Noun. This tells us the rule is specifically about males. Combined with כָּל־, we get: “every male.”
בַּכֹּהֲנִ֖ים – “among the priests”This is the preposition בְּ (“in” or “among”) combined with הַ (“the”) and כֹּהֲנִים (“priests”).… Learn Hebrew
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When Not to Enter: Learning Commands, Prohibitions, and Sacred Space in Leviticus 16:2
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה דַּבֵּר֮ אֶל־אַהֲרֹ֣ן אָחִיךָ֒ וְאַל־יָבֹ֤א בְכָל־עֵת֙ אֶל־הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ מִבֵּ֖ית לַפָּרֹ֑כֶת אֶל־פְּנֵ֨י הַכַּפֹּ֜רֶת אֲשֶׁ֤ר עַל־הָאָרֹן֙ וְלֹ֣א יָמ֔וּת כִּ֚י בֶּֽעָנָ֔ן אֵרָאֶ֖ה עַל־הַכַּפֹּֽרֶת׃
(Leviticus 16:2)
This verse offers a powerful combination of divine command, warning, and sacred instruction. It’s full of useful Hebrew grammar, including verbs in imperative and imperfect forms, negative commands, prepositional phrases, and subordinate clauses. Let’s carefully explore how it all fits together.
English Translation (Plain and Faithful)
And the LORD said to Moshe, “Speak to Aharon your brother, that he not come at all times into the sanctuary behind the curtain, before the atonement-cover that is on the ark, so that he not die—for in a cloud I will appear upon the atonement-cover.”… Learn Hebrew
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“My People, What Have I Done to You?” – A Tender Question in Biblical Hebrew
עַמִּ֛י מֶה־עָשִׂ֥יתִי לְךָ֖ וּמָ֣ה הֶלְאֵתִ֑יךָ עֲנֵ֥ה בִֽי׃
(Micah 6:3)
Literal English Translation
My people, what have I done to you? And how have I wearied you? Answer me.
Word-by-Word Explanation
עַמִּי – “My people”Noun + possessive suffix.
– עַם = “people”
– י = “my”
This is God addressing Israel in an intimate and personal way—“my people.”
מֶה – “What?”Interrogative pronoun. Asks for explanation or cause.
עָשִׂיתִי – “have I done”Verb, perfect (completed action), 1st person singular from עָשָׂה (“to do”).… Learn Hebrew
From the Ground Up: Discovering Hebrew Word Order and Meaning in Genesis 2:9
וַיַּצְמַ֞ח יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהִים֙ מִן־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה כָּל־עֵ֛ץ נֶחְמָ֥ד לְמַרְאֶ֖ה וְטֹ֣וב לְמַאֲכָ֑ל וְעֵ֤ץ הַֽחַיִּים֙ בְּתֹ֣וךְ הַגָּ֔ן וְעֵ֕ץ הַדַּ֖עַת טֹ֥וב וָרָֽע׃
(Genesis 2:9)
This verse brings us into the heart of the Garden of Eden. It’s rich with imagery and grammar—perfect for beginners learning how Hebrew builds meaning through verbs, adjectives, word pairs, and construct chains. Let’s take a close look at how this verse is put together.
English Translation (Simple and Clear)
And YHWH God caused to sprout from the ground every tree that is desirable in appearance and good for food, and the tree of life in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.… Learn Hebrew
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Every Deed Brought to Light: A Hebrew Lesson on Ecclesiastes 12:14
כִּ֤י אֶת־כָּל־מַֽעֲשֶׂ֔ה הָאֱלֹהִ֛ים יָבִ֥א בְמִשְׁפָּ֖ט עַ֣ל כָּל־נֶעְלָ֑ם אִם־טֹ֖וב וְאִם־רָֽע׃
(Ecclesiastes 12:14)
For God will bring every deed into judgment, concerning every hidden thing, whether good or whether evil.
Word-by-Word Explanation
כִּי — “for / because.” Introduces the reason or basis for the previous statement.
אֶת־כָּל־מַעֲשֶׂה — “every deed.” אֶת marks the definite object. כָּל = “all, every.” מַעֲשֶׂה = “work, deed, action.”
הָאֱלֹהִים — “God.” Definite article + אֱלֹהִים (“God”).
יָבִיא — “will bring.” Hifil imperfect 3rd masculine singular from בּוֹא (“to come, bring”).… Learn Hebrew
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“Who Did This Thing?” – A Hebrew Detective Story in Judges 6:29
וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵ֔הוּ מִ֥י עָשָׂ֖ה הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑ה וַֽיִּדְרְשׁוּ֙ וַיְבַקְשׁ֔וּ וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ גִּדְעֹון֙ בֶּן־יֹואָ֔שׁ עָשָׂ֖ה הַדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃
(Judges 6:29)
And they said, each man to his neighbor, “Who did this thing?” And they investigated and searched, and they said, “Gidʿon son of Yoʾash did this thing.”
Word-by-Word Explanation
וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ – “And they said”Verb. From the root אָמַר (“to say”). The וַ prefix shows we’re in narrative mode—this is the vav-consecutive for a past action. The form is masculine plural: “they said.”
אִישׁ – “a man” or “each man”Noun.… Learn Hebrew
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“Our Inheritance Has Been Turned Over to Strangers”: A Cry of Loss in Biblical Hebrew
נַחֲלָתֵ֨נוּ֙ נֶֽהֶפְכָ֣ה לְזָרִ֔ים בָּתֵּ֖ינוּ לְנָכְרִֽים׃
(Lamentations 5:2)
Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our houses to foreigners.
Word-by-Word Explanation
נַחֲלָתֵנוּ – “our inheritance” Noun from נַחֲלָה meaning “inheritance,” “land,” or “heritage.”
– The suffix ֵנוּ = “our”
This refers to the ancestral land of Yisraʾel—something sacred and identity-defining.
נֶהֶפְכָה – “has been turned over” Verb, 3rd person feminine singular niphal perfect of הָפַךְ, “to turn, overturn.”
– Passive/reflexive form: “has been turned over”
– Feminine singular to agree with נַחֲלָה
This shows involuntary reversal—a tragic change of condition.… Learn Hebrew
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