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Recent Articles
- The Grammar of Divine Meteorology: Syntax and Pragmatic Force in Jeremiah 10:13
- When the Sun Stood Still: Syntax and Command in Joshua 10:12
- 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
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Author Archives: Biblical Hebrew
Comparative Particles and Temporal Subordination in Qohelet’s Reasoning
וְשַׁבֵּ֧חַ אֲנִ֛י אֶת־הַמֵּתִ֖ים שֶׁכְּבָ֣ר מֵ֑תוּ מִן־הַ֣חַיִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֛ר הֵ֥מָּה חַיִּ֖ים עֲדֶֽנָה׃
(Ecclesiastes 4:2)
And I praised the dead who had already died more than the living who are still alive.
Ecclesiastes 4:2 presents a comparison between the dead and the living, asserting that the dead are better off. The verse is marked by layered comparative and temporal clauses, joined by particles such as מִן (“than”) and עֲדֶנָה (“still”). The grammatical structure illustrates how Qohelet constructs philosophical comparisons through concise and ambiguous Hebrew syntax.… Learn Hebrew
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Exodus 4:2 – Interrogative Pronoun and Demonstrative Use of מַה־זֶּה
וַיֹּ֧אמֶר אֵלָ֛יו יְהוָ֖ה מַה־זֶּה בְיָדֶ֑ךָ וַיֹּ֖אמֶר מַטֶּֽה׃
(Exodus 4:2)
And YHWH said to him, “What is that in your hand?” And he said, “A staff.”
This verse from Exodus 4:2 presents a clear example of a Hebrew interrogative clause introduced by the compound expression מַה־זֶּה (“What is this…?”). The interrogative מַה (“what”) is joined with the demonstrative זֶּה (“this”), forming a common question phrase that appears throughout narrative Hebrew.
This construction is followed by a prepositional phrase בְיָדֶךָ (“in your hand”), which completes the interrogative clause.… Learn Hebrew
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Deuteronomy 4:1 – Imperative, Infinitive Purpose, and Participial Construction
וְעַתָּ֣ה יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל שְׁמַ֤ע אֶל־הַֽחֻקִּים֙ וְאֶל־הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָֽנֹכִ֛י מְלַמֵּ֥ד אֶתְכֶ֖ם לַעֲשֹׂ֑ות לְמַ֣עַן תִּֽחְי֗וּ וּבָאתֶם֙ וִֽירִשְׁתֶּ֣ם אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֧ר יְהוָ֛ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבֹתֵיכֶ֖ם נֹתֵ֥ן לָכֶֽם׃
(Deuteronomy 4:1)
And now, Yisra’el, listen to the statutes and to the judgments that I am teaching you to do, so that you may live and go in and possess the land that YHWH, the God of your fathers, is giving to you.
This verse from Deuteronomy 4:1 features a blend of grammatical forms typical of covenant exhortation:
1. Imperative verb with direct object for authoritative instruction,
2.… Learn Hebrew
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Double Wayyiqtol Narrative Framing in Dialogic Introductions
וַ֭יַּעַן אֱלִיפַ֥ז הַֽתֵּימָנִ֗י וַיֹּאמַֽר׃
(Job 4:1)
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
Job 4:1 marks the beginning of the first response to Job’s lament. The verse introduces the speech of Elifaz the Temani using a formula common in biblical narrative and dialogue: two sequential wayyiqtol verbs, וַיַּעַן (“and he answered”) and וַיֹּאמַר (“and he said”). This construction creates a formal transition into direct speech and is characteristic of Hebrew dialogue conventions. This lesson explores the grammatical and rhetorical function of double wayyiqtol verbs in introducing biblical speeches.… Learn Hebrew
The Conjunction וְהֵן: Conditional Clauses with Assertive Function in Biblical Hebrew
וַיַּ֤עַן מֹשֶׁה֙ וַיֹּ֔אמֶר וְהֵן֙ לֹֽא־יַאֲמִ֣ינוּ לִ֔י וְלֹ֥א יִשְׁמְע֖וּ בְּקֹלִ֑י כִּ֣י יֹֽאמְר֔וּ לֹֽא־נִרְאָ֥ה אֵלֶ֖יךָ יְהוָֽה׃
(Exodus 4:1)
Then Moshe answered and said, “But they will not believe me, nor will they listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘YHWH has not appeared to you.’”
This verse presents Moshe’s objection to his divine mission, expressing doubt that the people of Yisra’el will believe his message. The key grammatical feature is the use of the construction וְהֵן, a conditional clause that introduces a hypothetical situation.… Learn Hebrew
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Dislocation and Apposition: Royal Titling in Biblical Hebrew
וַֽיְהִי֙ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה מֶ֖לֶךְ עַל־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
(1 Kings 4:1)
And King Shelomoh was king over all Yisraʾel.
This verse formally introduces the reign of King Shelomoh (Solomon) with a syntactically simple but rhetorically rich construction. The structure features a dislocated subject and appositional noun phrases, which combine to create a solemn and emphatic royal title. This lesson focuses on dislocation and apposition in Biblical Hebrew and how these features function to frame royal identity.
Analysis of Key Words and Structures
וַֽיְהִי֙ (vayehi) – Wayyiqtol verb from היה (“to be”), 3rd person masculine singular.… Learn Hebrew
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The Hebrew Verb בָּדַק: To Examine or Inspect
The Hebrew verb בָּדַק (root: ב-ד-ק) means “to examine,” “to inspect,” “to test,” or “to investigate.” It appears frequently in the Hebrew Bible, especially in contexts involving the inspection of persons (e.g., for disease), objects, and buildings, particularly within priestly or ritual contexts.
Most often it occurs in the Qal binyan, where it denotes the simple action of examining or checking. Occasionally, it appears in the Pual or Hophal stems in passive constructions.
Qal Binyan Conjugation of בָּדַק
Past (Perfect) Tense
Person
Form
1st person singular
בָּדַקְתִּי
2nd person masculine singular
בָּדַקְתָּ
2nd person feminine singular
בָּדַקְתְּ
3rd person masculine singular
בָּדַק
3rd person feminine singular
בָּדְקָה
1st person plural
בָּדַקְנוּ
2nd person masculine plural
בְּדַקְתֶּם
2nd person feminine plural
בְּדַקְתֶּן
3rd person plural
בָּדְקוּ
Present (Participle) Tense
Gender/Number
Form
Masculine singular
בֹּדֵק
Feminine singular
בֹּדֶקֶת
Masculine plural
בּוֹדְקִים
Feminine plural
בּוֹדְקוֹת
Future (Imperfect) Tense
Person
Form
1st person singular
אֶבְדֹּק
2nd person masculine singular
תִּבְדֹּק
2nd person feminine singular
תִּבְדְּקִי
3rd person masculine singular
יִבְדֹּק
3rd person feminine singular
תִּבְדֹּק
1st person plural
נִבְדֹּק
2nd person masculine plural
תִּבְדְּקוּ
2nd person feminine plural
תִּבְדֹּקְנָה
3rd person plural
יִבְדְּקוּ
Imperative Mood
Person
Form
2nd person masculine singular
בְּדֹק
2nd person feminine singular
בִּדְקִי
2nd person masculine plural
בִּדְקוּ
2nd person feminine plural
בְּדֹקְנָה
Usage in Scripture
Leviticus 13:3 – וְרָאָה אֹתוֹ הַכֹּהֵן וְרָאָה הַכֹּהֵן אֶת־הַנֶּגַע בְּעוֹר הַבָּשָׂר
“The priest shall examine the sore…” – describing a ritual inspection for skin disease.… Learn Hebrew
Coordinated Abstract Nouns and the Power of Prepositional Structure
וָאֲמַלֵּ֥א אֹתֹ֖ו ר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֑ים בְּחָכְמָ֛ה וּבִתְבוּנָ֥ה וּבְדַ֖עַת וּבְכָל־מְלָאכָֽה׃
(Exodus 31:3)
And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and all kinds of craftsmanship.
This verse is part of YHWH’s speech to Moshe concerning the appointment of Betsal’el for the work of constructing the Mishkan. The verse lists qualities with which Betsal’el is filled—wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and craftsmanship—using a repeated prepositional structure that elevates the poetic and theological impact of the declaration. This lesson will explore the grammar and rhetorical function of coordinated abstract nouns introduced by repeated prepositions, especially when used in divine empowerment formulas.… Learn Hebrew
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The Hebrew Verb אָשַׁר: To Approve, Confirm, or Go Straight
The Hebrew verb אָשַׁר (root: א-ש-ר) has several shades of meaning depending on context and binyan (verbal stem). In its core sense, it can mean “to go straight,” “to walk uprightly,” “to approve,” or “to confirm.” It appears in both literal and figurative contexts throughout the Hebrew Bible.
In the Qal form, it can mean “to go straight” or “to be blessed/upright” (though this is rare), and in the Piel form, it commonly means “to approve,” “to confirm,” or “to pronounce blessed.”… Learn Hebrew
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Return and Presence: Syntax, Imperatives, and Covenant Assurance in Genesis 31:3
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֔ב שׁ֛וּב אֶל־אֶ֥רֶץ אֲבֹותֶ֖יךָ וּלְמֹולַדְתֶּ֑ךָ וְאֶֽהְיֶ֖ה עִמָּֽךְ׃
(Genesis 31:3)
And YHWH said to Yaʿaqov, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.”
Genesis 31:3 marks a turning point in the patriarch Yaʿaqov’s journey. After years of labor under Lavan in Paddan Aram, Yaʿaqov hears the divine command to return to the land of his fathers. This verse is brief yet theologically profound, reaffirming the covenantal promise of divine presence. Its grammatical structure reflects both the command to act and the assurance of support—two pillars of biblical covenantal narrative.… Learn Hebrew
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