Author Archives: Biblical Hebrew

About Biblical Hebrew

Learn Biblical Hebrew Online. Studying Biblical Hebrew online opens a direct window into the sacred texts of the Hebrew Bible, allowing readers to engage with Scripture in its original linguistic and cultural context. By learning the language in which much of the Tanakh was written, students can move beyond translations and discover the nuanced meanings, poetic structures, and theological depth embedded in the Hebrew text. Online learning provides flexible and accessible avenues to build these skills, whether through self-paced modules, guided instruction, or interactive resources. As one grows in proficiency, the richness of biblical narratives, laws, prayers, and prophetic visions comes to life with renewed clarity, making the study of Biblical Hebrew not only an intellectual pursuit but a deeply rewarding spiritual and cultural journey.

The Edges of Desire — Imperatives and Spatial Metaphor in Biblical Warning

Posted on May 8, 2025 by Biblical Hebrew

הַרְחֵ֣ק מֵעָלֶ֣יהָ דַרְכֶּ֑ךָ וְאַל־֝תִּקְרַ֗ב אֶל־פֶּ֥תַח בֵּיתָֽהּ׃ Unveiling the Boundary Some warnings do not describe danger — they draw maps around it. Proverbs 5:8 sketches a moral geography with two commands: one urging distance, the other forbidding approach. The target is a figure already introduced in the chapter — the forbidden woman — yet she is not directly named here. Instead, her domain is circled with negations and spatial directives. This verse brings into focus a rich linguistic feature: the Hebrew use of paralleled negative imperatives to frame ethical perimeters.… Learn Hebrew

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The Hebrew Verb דָּאַג: To Worry, Be Anxious, or Concerned

Posted on May 7, 2025 by Biblical Hebrew

The Hebrew verb דָּאַג (root: ד־א־ג) means “to worry,” “to be anxious,” or “to be concerned.” It is used to describe emotional unease, often tied to fear, responsibility, or care for others. In the Tanakh, this verb usually expresses internal distress or care for someone’s well-being. The verb is primarily found in the Qal binyan (basic stem), typically describing a state of mind rather than physical action. It is one of the core verbs in biblical and modern Hebrew that expresses psychological or emotional conditions.… Learn Hebrew

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Poetry of Parallelism: The Enigmatic Syntax of Job 5:7

Posted on May 7, 2025 by Biblical Hebrew

כִּֽי־֭אָדָם לְעָמָ֣ל יוּלָּ֑ד וּבְנֵי־֝רֶ֗שֶׁף יַגְבִּ֥יהוּ עֽוּף׃ Job 5:7 stands as one of the most cryptic and evocative verses in the Book of Job. The verse presents two parallel poetic lines that pair abstract metaphors with declarative truths: “For man is born to toil, and the sons of Reshef fly upward.” The poetic force lies not only in the stark imagery but also in the grammar. This article examines the syntactic structure of Hebrew poetry, with special attention to the parallelism between אָדָם לְעָמָל יוּלָּד and וּבְנֵי־רֶשֶׁף יַגְבִּיהוּ עוּף, and what happens when syntax serves mystery rather than clarity.… Learn Hebrew

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The Hebrew Verb גָּשַׁם: To Rain or Cause Rain

Posted on May 6, 2025 by Biblical Hebrew

The Hebrew verb גָּשַׁם (root: ג-ש-ם) means “to rain” or “to pour rain.” It refers to the act of rainfall, both literal and, in prophetic literature, symbolic. The verb is relatively rare in the Tanakh and is most frequently used in poetic or descriptive passages. It is the verbal form of the noun גֶּשֶׁם, meaning “rain.” In biblical usage, it generally appears in the Hiphil binyan (causative stem), meaning “to cause to rain,” indicating divine action in sending rainfall. Hiphil Binyan Conjugation of גָּשַׁם (“to cause rain”) Past (Perfect) Tense Person Form 1st person singular הִגְשַׁמְתִּי 2nd person masculine singular הִגְשַׁמְתָּ 2nd person feminine singular הִגְשַׁמְתְּ 3rd person masculine singular הִגְשִׁים 3rd person feminine singular הִגְשִׁימָה 1st person plural הִגְשַׁמְנוּ 2nd person masculine plural הִגְשַׁמְתֶּם 2nd person feminine plural הִגְשַׁמְתֶּן 3rd person plural הִגְשִׁימוּ Present (Participle) Tense Gender/Number Form Masculine singular מַגְשִׁים Feminine singular מַגְשִׁימָה Masculine plural מַגְשִׁימִים Feminine plural מַגְשִׁימוֹת Future (Imperfect) Tense Person Form 1st person singular אַגְשִׁים 2nd person masculine singular תַּגְשִׁים 2nd person feminine singular תַּגְשִׁימִי 3rd person masculine singular יַגְשִׁים 3rd person feminine singular תַּגְשִׁים 1st person plural נַגְשִׁים 2nd person masculine plural תַּגְשִׁימוּ 2nd person feminine plural תַּגְשֵׁימְנָה 3rd person plural יַגְשִׁימוּ Imperative Mood Person Form 2nd person masculine singular הַגְשֵׁם 2nd person feminine singular הַגְשִׁימִי 2nd person masculine plural הַגְשִׁימוּ 2nd person feminine plural הַגְשֵׁמְנָה גָּשַׁם in the Tanakh The root ג־ש־ם appears primarily as the noun גֶּשֶׁם (“rain“).… Learn Hebrew

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The Guilty Soul: Predicate-Subject Inversion and Verbal Emphasis in Numbers 5:6

Posted on May 6, 2025 by Biblical Hebrew

דַּבֵּר֮ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ אִ֣ישׁ אֹֽו־אִשָּׁ֗ה כִּ֤י יַעֲשׂוּ֙ מִכָּל־חַטֹּ֣את הָֽאָדָ֔ם לִמְעֹ֥ל מַ֖עַל בַּיהוָ֑ה וְאָֽשְׁמָ֖ה הַנֶּ֥פֶשׁ הַהִֽוא׃ Numbers 5:6 opens a passage dealing with trespass against YHWH, yet its power rests not only in theological content but in grammatical subtlety. The final clause—וְאָשְׁמָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא—contains a classic Biblical Hebrew feature: the predicate precedes the subject. This inversion, far from arbitrary, serves to emphasize the declaration of guilt, casting it like a legal verdict upon the “soul” that transgressed. This article explores the syntactic impact of predicate-subject reversal and the role of the feminine perfect verb אָשְׁמָה as a theological marker in contexts of moral accountability.… Learn Hebrew

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The Hebrew Verb גֵּרֵשׁ: To Drive Out, Expel, or Divorce

Posted on May 5, 2025 by Biblical Hebrew

The Hebrew verb גֵּרֵשׁ (root: ג-ר-שׁ) means “to drive out,” “to banish,” “to expel,” or “to divorce.” It appears in both physical and legal contexts throughout the Hebrew Bible—from expelling people from a land to the formal act of sending away a spouse. The verb most commonly appears in the Piel binyan (intensive), indicating strong or forceful expulsion. Less frequently, it appears in the Qal and Niphal stems with similar connotations of removal or separation. Piel Binyan Conjugation of גֵּרֵשׁ (“to drive out, to expel”) Past (Perfect) Tense Person Form 1st person singular גֵּרַשְׁתִּי 2nd person masculine singular גֵּרַשְׁתָּ 2nd person feminine singular גֵּרַשְׁתְּ 3rd person masculine singular גֵּרֵשׁ 3rd person feminine singular גֵּרְשָׁה 1st person plural גֵּרַשְׁנוּ 2nd person masculine plural גֵּרַשְׁתֶּם 2nd person feminine plural גֵּרַשְׁתֶּן 3rd person plural גֵּרְשׁוּ Present (Participle) Tense Gender/Number Form Masculine singular מְגָרֵשׁ Feminine singular מְגָרֶשֶׁת Masculine plural מְגָרְשִׁים Feminine plural מְגָרְשׁוֹת Future (Imperfect) Tense Person Form 1st person singular אֲגָרֵשׁ 2nd person masculine singular תְּגָרֵשׁ 2nd person feminine singular תְּגָרְשִׁי 3rd person masculine singular יְגָרֵשׁ 3rd person feminine singular תְּגָרֵשׁ 1st person plural נְגָרֵשׁ 2nd person masculine plural תְּגָרְשׁוּ 2nd person feminine plural תְּגָרֵשְׁנָה 3rd person plural יְגָרְשׁוּ Imperative Mood Person Form 2nd person masculine singular גָּרֵשׁ 2nd person feminine singular גָּרְשִׁי 2nd person masculine plural גָּרְשׁוּ 2nd person feminine plural גָּרֵשְׁנָה Usage in Scripture Genesis 3:24 – וַיְגָרֶשׁ אֶת־הָאָדָם “So He drove out the man.”… Learn Hebrew

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The Demonstrative זֹאת as Subject: Deixis and Emphasis in Ezekiel 5:5

Posted on May 5, 2025 by Biblical Hebrew

כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהֹוִ֔ה זֹ֚את יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם בְּתֹ֥וךְ הַגֹּויִ֖ם שַׂמְתִּ֑יהָ וּסְבִיבֹותֶ֖יהָ אֲרָצֹֽות׃ Ezekiel 5:5 opens with a demonstrative pointer that doubles as the subject: זֹאת יְרוּשָׁלִַם—“This is Jerusalem.” But unlike simple identification, the Hebrew demonstrative here carries rhetorical and prophetic force. It draws the audience’s attention like a finger pointing in space. In Biblical Hebrew, demonstratives like זֹאת are more than grammatical tools—they’re deictic beacons that frame significance. This verse also includes a verbal form with a pronominal suffix (שַׂמְתִּיהָ), placing Jerusalem at the center of divine intention: “I have set her among the nations.”… Learn Hebrew

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The Hebrew Verb גָּרַם: To Cause, Bring About, or Result In

Posted on May 4, 2025 by Biblical Hebrew

The Hebrew verb גָּרַם (root: ג-ר-ם) means “to cause,” “to bring about,” or “to result in.” It conveys the idea of producing an outcome, especially one that happens indirectly. In Biblical Hebrew, it may also carry the meaning of “dragging along” or “drawing,” while in Rabbinic and Modern Hebrew, it develops the abstract sense of “causation.” This verb is primarily used in the Qal binyan, meaning “to cause,” and in Modern Hebrew it also appears frequently in common speech and formal writing.… Learn Hebrew

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Verbs of Begetting: The Syntax of Sequential Wayyiqtol in Genealogies

Posted on May 4, 2025 by Biblical Hebrew

וַיִּֽהְי֣וּ יְמֵי־אָדָ֗ם אַֽחֲרֵי֙ הֹולִידֹ֣ו אֶת־שֵׁ֔ת שְׁמֹנֶ֥ה מֵאֹ֖ת שָׁנָ֑ה וַיֹּ֥ולֶד בָּנִ֖ים וּבָנֹֽות׃ At first glance, Genesis 5:4 may seem like a simple entry in the antediluvian genealogy of Adam: he lived 800 years after fathering Seth, and he fathered sons and daughters. Yet beneath this record lies a grammatical rhythm that governs much of biblical narrative prose—the sequence of wayyiqtol verbs. These verb forms not only tell the story—they move it. In this article, we delve into the dynamics of the wayyiqtol (the narrative preterite) and examine how its sequencing creates the very pulse of biblical time, especially in genealogical texts.… Learn Hebrew

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The Hebrew Verb גָּעְגַּע: To Long For, Yearn, or Miss

Posted on May 3, 2025 by Biblical Hebrew

The verb גָּעְגַּע (root: ג-ע-ג) means “to long for,” “to yearn,” or “to miss deeply.” It expresses an intense emotional desire, often toward someone who is absent. This verb is highly expressive and poetic in nature, conveying emotional attachment and deep internal yearning. It typically appears in the Hitpael or Hithpael stem (reflexive-intensive), as in הִתְגַּעְגֵּעַ, meaning “he yearned” or “he longed.” גָּעְגַּע Does Not Appear in the Tanakh The verb גָּעְגַּע does not appear in the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible).… Learn Hebrew

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