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Recent Articles
- Proverbs and Their Grammatical Structure
- Descending into Night: Time Expressions and Poetic Parallelism in Biblical Hebrew
- The Tiberian Vowel System
- When God Speaks: The Syntax of Divine Speech Frames in Biblical Hebrew
- The Role of Gutturals (א, ה, ח, ע) in Verb Conjugation
- “Into the Ark Together”: Order, Gender, and Cause in the LXX Rendering of Noah’s Entry
- Burning Beneath the Pot: Simile Syntax and Semantic Force in Ecclesiastes 7:6
- Gutturals in Biblical Hebrew
- Guarded by Grammar: Purpose Clauses and Verbal Suffixes in Proverbs 7:5
- And They Fled Before the Men of ʿAi”: A Hebrew Battle Surprise
- Theophoric Names in the Hebrew Bible: Divine Elements in Human Identity
- “Go Out to Meet Ahaz”: A Hebrew Mission in Isaiah 7:3
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Author Archives: Biblical Hebrew
Divine Interrogatives and Emotional Discourse in Genesis 4:6
Introduction: Divine Engagement and Internal Conflict in the Cain Narrative
Genesis 4:6 introduces YHWH’s first verbal response to Qayin (Cain) after his offering is rejected. Rather than immediate punishment or condemnation, God addresses Qayin’s emotional state with pastoral interrogation. The verse reads:
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־קָ֑יִן לָ֚מָּה חָ֣רָה לָ֔ךְ וְלָ֖מָּה נָפְל֥וּ פָנֶֽיךָ׃
And the LORD said to Qayin, “Why are you angry? And why has your face fallen?”
This brief exchange is rich in theological and grammatical meaning. The divine address uses interrogative syntax not to gather information but to invite self-reflection.… Learn Hebrew
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Divine Initiative and Cohortative Syntax in Micah 4:6: Grammar of Restoration
Introduction: Prophetic Reversal and the Margins Restored
Micah 4:6 begins a prophetic oracle of hope and reversal, contrasting with the judgment warnings that precede it. It introduces YHWH’s promise to restore the marginalized and broken of Israel. The verse reads:
בַּיֹּ֨ום הַה֜וּא נְאֻם־יְהוָ֗ה אֹֽסְפָה֙ הַצֹּ֣לֵעָ֔ה וְהַנִּדָּחָ֖ה אֲקַבֵּ֑צָה וַאֲשֶׁ֖ר הֲרֵעֹֽתִי׃
In that day, declares the LORD, I will gather the lame and I will assemble the outcast—even those whom I have afflicted.
This verse centers on divine initiative, expressed through volitional and cohortative verb forms.… Learn Hebrew
The Hebrew Verb בָּחַן: To Test, Examine, or Try
The Hebrew verb בָּחַן (root: ב-ח-ן) means “to test,” “to examine,” or “to scrutinize.” It is used in both literal and metaphorical contexts throughout the Hebrew Bible. Often appearing in wisdom literature and prophetic books, it describes the testing of hearts, intentions, and individuals to reveal what is true or genuine.
This verb primarily occurs in the Qal binyan and often takes YHWH as the subject—indicating divine examination of human beings.
Qal Binyan Conjugation of בָּחַן
Past (Perfect) Tense
Person
Form
1st person singular
בָּחַנְתִּי
2nd person masculine singular
בָּחַנְתָּ
2nd person feminine singular
בָּחַנְתְּ
3rd person masculine singular
בָּחַן
3rd person feminine singular
בָּחֲנָה
1st person plural
בָּחַנּוּ
2nd person masculine plural
בְּחַנְתֶּם
2nd person feminine plural
בְּחַנְתֶּן
3rd person plural
בָּחֲנוּ
Present (Participle) Tense
Gender/Number
Form
Masculine singular
בֹּחֵן
Feminine singular
בֹּחֶנֶת
Masculine plural
בּוֹחֲנִים
Feminine plural
בּוֹחֲנוֹת
Future (Imperfect) Tense
Person
Form
1st person singular
אֶבְחַן
2nd person masculine singular
תִּבְחַן
2nd person feminine singular
תִּבְחֲנִי
3rd person masculine singular
יִבְחַן
3rd person feminine singular
תִּבְחַן
1st person plural
נִבְחַן
2nd person masculine plural
תִּבְחֲנוּ
2nd person feminine plural
תִּבְחַנְנָה
3rd person plural
יִבְחֲנוּ
Imperative Mood
Person
Form
2nd person masculine singular
בְּחַן
2nd person feminine singular
בַּחֲנִי
2nd person masculine plural
בַּחֲנוּ
2nd person feminine plural
בְּחַנְנָה
Usage in Scripture
Psalm 139:23 – בְּחָנֵנִי אֵל וְדַע לְבָבִי
“Search me, O God, and know my heart.”… Learn Hebrew
Genesis 4:5 – Emotion Verbs and the Use of וַיִּפְּלוּ פָּנָיו
וְאֶל־קַ֥יִן וְאֶל־מִנְחָתֹ֖ו לֹ֣א שָׁעָ֑ה וַיִּ֤חַר לְקַ֨יִן֙ מְאֹ֔ד וַֽיִּפְּל֖וּ פָּנָֽיו׃
But to Qayin and to his offering He did not look with favor, and Qayin was very angry, and his face fell.
Explanation of Feature
This verse from Genesis 4:5 contains two noteworthy grammatical features:
1. Emotion verbs with לְ (lamed) – as seen in וַיִּחַר לְקַיִן, “Qayin became angry.” In Hebrew, anger is often described with the verb חָרָה (“to burn”) used impersonally with a lamed preposition marking the subject: “it burned to Qayin.”… Learn Hebrew
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Definiteness and Participial Titles in Cultic Legal Hebrew
Introduction to Leviticus 4:5
This verse describes part of the sin offering ritual: the anointed priest takes the bull’s blood into the Tent of Meeting. What stands out grammatically is the noun phrase הַכֹּהֵן הַמָּשִׁיחַ (“the anointed priest”), which combines a definite noun with a definite participle. This construction highlights a specific cultic role and reflects the way Biblical Hebrew uses definite participial titles in legal and priestly texts. This lesson explores how definiteness and participial forms interact to create titles and fixed roles in biblical law.… Learn Hebrew
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The Hebrew Verb בּוֹשׁ: To Be Ashamed or Confounded
The Hebrew verb בּוֹשׁ (root: ב-ו-ש) means “to be ashamed,” “to be confounded,” or “to be disappointed.” It is most commonly used in poetic and prophetic contexts to express emotional distress, embarrassment, or failure. The shame described may be social, moral, or the result of unmet expectations.
This verb is primarily used in the Qal binyan, where it expresses a passive state of shame or confusion. It often appears with prepositions like מִן (because of) or עַל (on account of).
Qal Binyan Conjugation of בּוֹשׁ
Past (Perfect) Tense
Person
Form
1st person singular
בּוֹשְׁתִּי
2nd person masculine singular
בּוֹשְׁתָּ
2nd person feminine singular
בּוֹשְׁתְּ
3rd person masculine singular
בּוֹשׁ
3rd person feminine singular
בּוֹשָׁה
1st person plural
בּוֹשְׁנוּ
2nd person masculine plural
בּוֹשְׁתֶּם
2nd person feminine plural
בּוֹשְׁתֶּן
3rd person plural
בּוֹשׁוּ
Present (Participle) Tense
Gender/Number
Form
Masculine singular
בוֹשׁ
Feminine singular
בוֹשָׁה
Masculine plural
בוֹשִׁים
Feminine plural
בוֹשׁוֹת
Future (Imperfect) Tense
Person
Form
1st person singular
אֵבוֹשׁ
2nd person masculine singular
תֵּבוֹשׁ
2nd person feminine singular
תֵּבוֹשִׁי
3rd person masculine singular
יֵבוֹשׁ
3rd person feminine singular
תֵּבוֹשׁ
1st person plural
נֵבוֹשׁ
2nd person masculine plural
תֵּבוֹשׁוּ
2nd person feminine plural
תֵּבֹשֶׁנָה
3rd person plural
יֵבֹשׁוּ
Imperative Mood
Person
Form
2nd person masculine singular
בּוֹשׁ
2nd person feminine singular
בּוֹשִׁי
2nd person masculine plural
בּוֹשׁוּ
2nd person feminine plural
בּוֹשֶׁנָה
Usage in Scripture
Psalm 25:3 – גַּם כָּל־קוֶיךָ לֹא יֵבוֹשׁוּ
“Indeed, none who wait for You shall be ashamed.”… Learn Hebrew
Stative Verbs and Royal Proclamation Syntax in Daniel 4:1 (Aramaic)
Introduction: Royal First-Person Framing in the Aramaic Court Tale
Daniel 4:1 (English: 4:4) marks a shift in the narrative structure of the book: Nebuchadnezzar speaks in the first person, delivering a royal proclamation concerning his humiliation and restoration by the Most High God. The verse under examination is the narrative introduction:
אֲנָ֣ה נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֗ר שְׁלֵ֤ה הֲוֵית֙ בְּבֵיתִ֔י וְרַעְנַ֖ן בְּהֵיכְלִֽי׃
I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace.
This verse is syntactically and semantically rich. It features first-person narrative style, Aramaic stative verbs, and parallel structure.… Learn Hebrew
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Jussive Negation with אַל and the Function of Double Prohibition
Introduction to Hosea 4:4
Hosea 4:4 stands at the beginning of a prophetic indictment. It opens with a forceful double prohibition, warning against judgmental contention, followed by a striking comparison between the people and the priest. The grammatical structure uses the particle אַל to negate jussive verbs twice in parallel, creating a rhetorical double command. This lesson explores the use of אַל + jussive verbs in Hebrew, particularly the stylistic and rhetorical effect of double jussive prohibitions.
אַ֥ךְ אִ֛ישׁ אַל־יָרֵ֖ב וְאַל־יֹוכַ֣ח אִ֑ישׁ וְעַמְּךָ֖ כִּמְרִיבֵ֥י כֹהֵֽן׃
Analysis of Key Words and Structures
אַ֥ךְ (ʾaḵ) – An emphatic or adversative particle meaning “indeed,” “surely,” or “nevertheless.”… Learn Hebrew
Volitive Forms and Rhetorical Irony in Zephaniah 3:7: A Grammatical Theology of Rejected Correction
Introduction: Divine Expectation and Human Defiance in Prophetic Discourse
Zephaniah 3:7 is a striking verse in the prophet’s closing oracle of judgment, where YHWH reflects on His prior disciplinary intent and Israel’s refusal to respond. It expresses divine lament and irony through a complex use of volitional forms and perfect verbs, culminating in a grim reaffirmation of covenant disobedience:
אָמַ֜רְתִּי אַךְ־תִּירְאִ֤י אֹותִי֙ תִּקְחִ֣י מוּסָ֔ר וְלֹֽא־יִכָּרֵ֣ת מְעֹונָ֔הּ כֹּ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־פָּקַ֖דְתִּי עָלֶ֑יהָ אָכֵן֙ הִשְׁכִּ֣ימוּ הִשְׁחִ֔יתוּ כֹּ֖ל עֲלִילֹותָֽם׃
I said, “Surely you will fear Me, you will accept correction.”… Learn Hebrew
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The Hebrew Verb בּוֹא: To Come, Enter, or Arrive
The Hebrew verb בּוֹא (root: ב-ו-א) is a high-frequency irregular verb that means “to come,” “to go in,” “to enter,” or “to arrive.” It occurs in narrative, legal, and poetic contexts and is essential for expressing movement toward a place or event. It frequently appears with prepositions like אֶל (“to”) or בְּ (“in”).
Because it is a hollow verb (middle root is ו), its forms are highly irregular in some tenses and must be memorized. It appears most frequently in the Qal binyan, with some occurrences in Hiphil (causative: “to bring in”).… Learn Hebrew