Author Archives: Biblical Hebrew

About Biblical Hebrew

Learn Biblical Hebrew Online

What Turned It All Away — Fronted Guilt and the Syntax of Withheld Goodness

עֲוֹנֹותֵיכֶ֖ם הִטּוּ־אֵ֑לֶּה וְחַטֹּ֣אותֵיכֶ֔ם מָנְע֥וּ הַטֹּ֖וב מִכֶּֽם׃ When Sin Becomes Subject Jeremiah 5:25 offers a stunning reversal: it is not divine reluctance, political failure, or cosmic delay that withholds good from Israel — it is their own sin. The verse speaks … Continue reading

Posted in Grammar | Tagged | Comments Off on What Turned It All Away — Fronted Guilt and the Syntax of Withheld Goodness

The Hebrew Verb הָרַס: To Destroy, Tear Down, or Demolish

The Hebrew verb הָרַס (root: ה־ר־ס) means “to destroy,” “to tear down,” or “to demolish.” It is used in both literal and figurative senses in the Hebrew Bible—referring to the destruction of physical structures (like cities, altars, or houses) and … Continue reading

Posted in Vocabulary | Tagged | Comments Off on The Hebrew Verb הָרַס: To Destroy, Tear Down, or Demolish

When the Walk Ends in Heaven: The Hitpael Imperfect and Disappearance of Enoch in Genesis 5:24

וַיִּתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ חֲנֹ֖וךְ אֶת־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְאֵינֶ֕נּוּ כִּֽי־לָקַ֥ח אֹתֹ֖ו אֱלֹהִֽים׃ Genesis 5:24 is one of the most enigmatic and theologically rich verses in the genealogies of Genesis. It describes the fate of Ḥanokh (Enoch) not with the typical death formula—“and he died”—but with … Continue reading

Posted in Grammar | Tagged | Comments Off on When the Walk Ends in Heaven: The Hitpael Imperfect and Disappearance of Enoch in Genesis 5:24

The Hebrew Verb הָרַג: To Kill, Slay, or Put to Death

The Hebrew verb הָרַג (root: ה־ר־ג) means “to kill,” “to slay,” or “to put to death.” It is one of the primary verbs for taking life in the Hebrew Bible and appears in narratives, laws, prophecy, and poetry. It can … Continue reading

Posted in Vocabulary | Tagged | Comments Off on The Hebrew Verb הָרַג: To Kill, Slay, or Put to Death

Words Dissolved — Sequential Ritual and the Grammar of Erasure in Numbers 5:23

Opening the Ritual Scroll Numbers 5:23 comes from the strange and solemn ritual of the sotah—the woman suspected of adultery. This particular verse captures the moment when the priest takes the written curses and dissolves them into bitter water. The … Continue reading

Posted in Grammar | Tagged | Comments Off on Words Dissolved — Sequential Ritual and the Grammar of Erasure in Numbers 5:23

The Hebrew Verb הָפַךְ: To Turn, Overturn, or Transform

The Hebrew verb הָפַךְ (root: ה־פ־ךְ) means “to turn,” “to overturn,” “to change,” or “to transform.” It is used in both literal and figurative senses: physically turning something over (like a city, an object), or transforming a condition, heart, or … Continue reading

Posted in Theology | Tagged | Comments Off on The Hebrew Verb הָפַךְ: To Turn, Overturn, or Transform

Fear and the Boundaries of the Sea: Interrogatives, Imperfects, and Eternal Decrees in Jeremiah 5:22

Jeremiah 5:22 הַאֹותִ֨י לֹא־תִירָ֜אוּ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֗ה אִ֤ם מִפָּנַי֙ לֹ֣א תָחִ֔ילוּ אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֤מְתִּי חֹול֙ גְּב֣וּל לַיָּ֔ם חָק־עֹולָ֖ם וְלֹ֣א יַעַבְרֶ֑נְהוּ וַיִּֽתְגָּעֲשׁוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א יוּכָ֔לוּ וְהָמ֥וּ גַלָּ֖יו וְלֹ֥א יַעַבְרֻֽנְהוּ׃ Rhetorical Rebuke: הַאֹותִי לֹא־תִירָאוּ הַאֹותִי Read more […]

Posted in Grammar | Tagged | Comments Off on Fear and the Boundaries of the Sea: Interrogatives, Imperfects, and Eternal Decrees in Jeremiah 5:22

The Hebrew Verb הִנֵּה: To Behold, Look, or See (Interjectional Usage)

The Hebrew form הִנֵּה (root: נ־ה־ה or variant from ה־י־נ) is not a verb in the strict grammatical sense like other action verbs—it functions primarily as an interjection or demonstrative particle. It means “behold,” “look,” “see,” or “here is / here … Continue reading

Posted in Vocabulary | Tagged | Comments Off on The Hebrew Verb הִנֵּה: To Behold, Look, or See (Interjectional Usage)

In the Gaze of God — Fronted Prepositions and Grammatical Exposure

כִּ֤י נֹ֨כַח עֵינֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה דַּרְכֵי־אִ֑ישׁ וְֽכָל־מַעְגְּלֹתָ֥יו מְפַלֵּֽס׃ Opening the Gaze Proverbs 5:21 offers no command, no advice, no metaphor. It simply states a fact — that a man’s paths lie exposed before the eyes of YHWH. Yet even this simple … Continue reading

Posted in Grammar | Tagged | Comments Off on In the Gaze of God — Fronted Prepositions and Grammatical Exposure

The Hebrew Verb הָלַךְ: To Walk, Go, or Depart

The Hebrew verb הָלַךְ (root: ה־ל־ךְ) is a fundamental verb in biblical Hebrew, meaning “to walk,” “to go,” “to travel,” or “to depart.” It describes physical movement, but also serves as a metaphor for lifestyle, conduct, and spiritual journey. In … Continue reading

Posted in Vocabulary | Tagged | Comments Off on The Hebrew Verb הָלַךְ: To Walk, Go, or Depart