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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
Engraved Forever: Hebrew Imagery in Job 19:24
בְּעֵט־בַּרְזֶ֥ל וְעֹפָ֑רֶת לָ֝עַ֗ד בַּצּ֥וּר יֵחָצְבֽוּן׃
(Job 19:24)
This poetic line from the Book of Job expresses a longing for permanence—words written so they could never be erased. It uses vivid imagery of engraving into rock with metal and lead. The verse is beautifully constructed and introduces vocabulary from the world of ancient inscriptions. Let’s dig in!
English Translation
With an iron stylus and lead, forever they would be carved in the rock.
Job wishes his words would be permanently recorded—not just written in ink, but engraved in stone with iron and filled with lead to last forever.… Learn Hebrew
Hunger and Calamity: A Miniature Poem of Judgment in Job 18:12
יְהִי־רָעֵ֥ב אֹנֹ֑ו וְ֝אֵ֗יד נָכֹ֥ון לְצַלְעֹֽו׃
(Job 18:12)
This short poetic verse is part of Bildad’s speech in the Book of Job, describing the fate of the wicked. The verse may look small, but it’s packed with Biblical Hebrew features: jussive verbs (wishes or commands), rare vocabulary, parallel structure, and construct phrases. Let’s learn how it works!
English Translation
May hunger consume his strength, and disaster be ready at his side.
This is a poetic curse or expression of ruin. The speaker is calling for physical and emotional destruction upon someone by invoking two forces: hunger and disaster.… Learn Hebrew
Roots Below, Harvest Above: Reading Job 18:16 in Hebrew
מִ֭תַּחַת שָֽׁרָשָׁ֣יו יִבָ֑שׁוּ וּ֝מִמַּ֗עַל יִמַּ֥ל קְצִירֹֽו׃
(Job 18:16)
From beneath his roots they dry up, and from above his harvest withers.
“Don’t worry if it feels strange—each word you decode is another brick in your Hebrew foundation!”
Word-by-Word Explanation
מִתַּחַת — “from beneath.” The preposition מִן (“from”) joined to תַּחַת (“under, beneath”).
שָׁרָשָׁיו — “his roots.” From שֹׁרֶשׁ (“root”) with plural + possessive suffix -ָיו (“his”).
יִבָשׁוּ — “they dry up.” Imperfect 3rd masculine plural from the root meaning “to dry/wither,” with שָׁרָשָׁיו (“his roots”) as the subject.… Learn Hebrew
“Who Shut in the Sea?” — A Dramatic Moment from Job 38:8
וַיָּ֣סֶךְ בִּדְלָתַ֣יִם יָ֑ם בְּ֝גִיחֹ֗ו מֵרֶ֥חֶם יֵצֵֽא׃
(Job 38:8)
And He shut in the sea with doors, when it burst forth, it came out from the womb.
Word-by-Word Explanation
וַיָּסֶךְ – “And He shut in”Verb, Qal stem, imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular, with vav-consecutive
– From the root סָכַךְ, meaning “to shut in,” “cover,” or “enclose”
– וַ = “And” (vav-consecutive) makes this a past narrative action
This begins the poetic picture of YHWH’s creation power—shutting in the sea like closing a door.… Learn Hebrew
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“The Sons of Yitshar: Shelomith the Chief” – A Brief Genealogical Verse in Hebrew
בְּנֵ֥י יִצְהָ֖ר שְׁלֹמִ֥ית הָרֹֽאשׁ׃
(1 Chronicles 23:18)
The sons of Yitshar: Shelomith the chief.
Word-by-Word Explanation
בְּנֵי – “sons of”Noun in construct form.
– Singular: בֵּן (“son”)
– Plural: בָּנִים
– Construct form: בְּנֵי (“sons of”)
This introduces a genealogical list or descent line.
יִצְהָר – “Yitshar”Proper noun. Yitshar is a son of Qehat, a grandson of Levi. This is a Levitical genealogical name (see Exodus 6:18).
שְׁלֹמִית – “Shelomith”Proper name. The name of a male descendant of Yitshar (despite similar names sometimes being used for women elsewhere).… Learn Hebrew
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The Fool Who Folds His Hands: A Hebrew Lesson on Ecclesiastes 4:5
הַכְּסִיל֙ חֹבֵ֣ק אֶת־יָדָ֔יו וְאֹכֵ֖ל אֶת־בְּשָׂרֹֽו׃
(Ecclesiastes 4:5)
The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh.
Word-by-Word Explanation
הַכְּסִיל — “the fool.” Definite article הַ + noun כְּסִיל (“fool, dullard, senseless one”).
חֹבֵק — “folds / embraces.” Qal participle masculine singular from חבק (“to embrace, fold”). Here describing an ongoing or habitual action.
אֶת־יָדָיו — “his hands.” Direct object marker אֶת + noun יָד (“hand”) in plural + suffix -ָיו (“his”).
וְאֹכֵל — “and eats.” Qal participle masculine singular from אָכַל (“to eat, consume”).… Learn Hebrew
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“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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