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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
“I Will Not Withhold a Word”: The Cohortative and Prophetic Intention in Jeremiah 42:4
וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם יִרְמְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא שָׁמַעְתִּי הִנְנִי מִתְפַּלֵּל אֶל־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם כְּדִבְרֵיכֶם וְהָיָה כָּל־הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲנֶה יְהוָה אֶתְכֶם אַגִּיד לָכֶם לֹא־אֶמְנַע מִכֶּם דָּבָר׃
(Jeremiah 42:4)
And Yirmeyahu the prophet said to them, “I have heard. Behold, I am praying to YHWH your God according to your words, and it shall be that every word which YHWH answers you, I will declare to you. I will not withhold from you a word.”
The Prophet’s Assurance
In Jeremiah 42:4, the prophet responds to a plea for divine counsel.… Learn Hebrew
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“But Only Cities to Live In”: The Restrictive Construction כִּי אִם in Joshua 14:4
כִּֽי־הָי֧וּ בְנֵֽי־יֹוסֵ֛ף שְׁנֵ֥י מַטֹּ֖ות מְנַשֶּׁ֣ה וְאֶפְרָ֑יִם וְלֹֽא־נָתְנוּ֩ חֵ֨לֶק לַלְוִיִּ֜ם בָּאָ֗רֶץ כִּ֤י אִם־עָרִים֙ לָשֶׁ֔בֶת וּמִ֨גְרְשֵׁיהֶ֔ם לְמִקְנֵיהֶ֖ם וּלְקִנְיָנָֽם׃
(Joshua 14:4)
For the sons of Yosef were two tribes, Menashshe and Efrayim, and they did not give a portion to the Levi’im in the land, except cities to dwell in, and their pasturelands for their livestock and for their possessions.
Tribal Allocation and Levitical Exception
Joshua 14:4 outlines the distribution of the land among the tribes of Yisra’el, highlighting the unique position of the descendants of Yosef and the tribe of Levi.… Learn Hebrew
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Verb Study: אִחֵל — “to wish” or “to congratulate”
The Hebrew verb אִחֵל (ʾiḥēl) appears in the Hebrew Bible and carries the meaning of “to wish,” especially in the context of blessing or congratulating someone. It belongs to the Piel binyan (intensive stem), and its root is א־ח־ל. This verb is not highly common, but it does appear in poetic or formal contexts, and it has survived in Modern Hebrew with the same meaning of “to wish” (e.g., mazal tov wishes).
In Biblical Hebrew, this verb is usually used in the Piel stem, and here we provide a full conjugation table of its forms in the Piel binyan.… Learn Hebrew
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“Then Iyov Answered and Said”: Formulaic Speech Introductions in Biblical Hebrew
וַיַּ֥עַן אִיֹּ֗וב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃
(Job 3:2)
Then Job answered and said:
The Turning Point of Silence into Speech
Job 3:2 contains only six Hebrew words, yet it marks a pivotal moment in the literary structure of the book: וַיַּ֥עַן אִיֹּ֗וב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ — “Then Iyov answered and said.” This terse formula is the standard biblical narrative introduction to direct speech, particularly in dialogues. After a long narrative setup in chapters 1–2 and seven days of silence (Job 2:13), these words announce the beginning of Iyov’s poetic lament.… Learn Hebrew
“Lacked Nothing in the Wilderness”: Divine Sufficiency and the Verb חָסַר in Deuteronomy 2:7
כִּי֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ בֵּֽרַכְךָ֗ בְּכֹל֙ מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יָדֶ֔ךָ יָדַ֣ע לֶכְתְּךָ֔ אֶת־הַמִּדְבָּ֥ר הַגָּדֹ֖ל הַזֶּ֑ה זֶ֣ה אַרְבָּעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֗ה יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ֙ עִמָּ֔ךְ לֹ֥א חָסַ֖רְתָּ דָּבָֽר׃
(Deuteronomy 2:7)
For YHWH your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has known your journey through this great wilderness. These forty years, YHWH your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.
YHWH’s Provision Over Forty Years
As Moshe reflects on the long journey through the wilderness, he emphasizes not just the hardships but also the unrelenting provision of YHWH.… Learn Hebrew
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“The Seed of Shīḥor”: Analyzing the Construct Chain זֶרַע שִׁחֹר in Isaiah 23:3
וּבְמַ֤יִם רַבִּים֙ זֶ֣רַע שִׁחֹ֔ר קְצִ֥יר יְאֹ֖ור תְּבֽוּאָתָ֑הּ וַתְּהִ֖י סְחַ֥ר גֹּויִֽם׃
(Isaiah 23:3)
And in many waters, the seed of Shiḥor, the harvest of the River, was her revenue, and it became commerce for the nations.
Trade and Wealth in Poetic Prophecy
Isaiah 23 is a poetic oracle against the city of Tsor (Tyre), a hub of international commerce and maritime influence. In verse 3, the prophet depicts the city’s economic entanglements using vivid agricultural and geographical metaphors. One key phrase is זֶרַע שִׁחֹר—“the seed of Shīḥor”—which encapsulates Tyre’s reliance on the abundant produce of foreign lands.… Learn Hebrew
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“Destroyers and Scatterers of My Flock”: Analyzing the Participles מְאַבְּדִים and מְפִצִים in Jeremiah 23:1
הֹ֣וי רֹעִ֗ים מְאַבְּדִ֧ים וּמְפִצִ֛ים אֶת־צֹ֥אן מַרְעִיתִ֖י נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃
(Jeremiah 23:1)
“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the flock of My pasture!” declares YHWH.
Prophetic Indictment Against False Shepherds
Jeremiah 23:1 opens a powerful oracle of woe against the leaders of Yisra’el, metaphorically called “shepherds” who have failed in their responsibility to care for the flock of YHWH. The use of participles—מְאַבְּדִים (“destroying”) and מְפִצִים (“scattering”)—not only describes their actions but also conveys an ongoing and habitual pattern of corruption. This article explores the grammatical form, function, and theological force of these participles within the verse.… Learn Hebrew
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The Hebrew Verb אָחַז – “To Seize” or “To Grasp”
The Hebrew verb אָחַז (ʾāḥaz) is a common and important root in Biblical Hebrew. It means “to seize,” “to grasp,” or “to take hold of,” and is used in various contexts throughout the Tanakh—from grasping physical objects like weapons and hands to metaphorical uses such as being seized by fear or emotions. It follows standard Qal verb patterns and appears in a wide range of forms. Below is a comprehensive table of its conjugation in past, present, future, imperative, and infinitive forms.… Learn Hebrew
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Singulars of Measure in Biblical Hebrew
The phenomenon of the singular of measure in Biblical Hebrew is a fascinating grammatical and syntactic feature. It reflects how Hebrew expresses quantity, time, age, and other measurable constructs using a singular noun to represent a plural idea. In this lesson, we will explore its use across various semantic domains—especially time, space, and quantity—while examining paradigmatic examples like שָׁנָה (year) and its plural שָׁנִים.
I. Introduction to Singulars of Measure
Biblical Hebrew often uses the singular form of a noun to express a unit of measurement in a quantitative construction, particularly after numbers.… Learn Hebrew
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“Please Pray for Us”: Analyzing הִתְפַּלֶּל־נָא in Jeremiah 37:3
וַיִּשְׁלַח֩ הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ צִדְקִיָּ֜הוּ אֶת־יְהוּכַ֣ל בֶּן־שֶֽׁלֶמְיָ֗ה וְאֶת־צְפַנְיָ֤הוּ בֶן־מַֽעֲשֵׂיָה֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן אֶל־יִרְמְיָ֥הוּ הַנָּבִ֖יא לֵאמֹ֑ר הִתְפַּלֶּל־נָ֣א בַעֲדֵ֔נוּ אֶל־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃
(Jeremiah 37:3)
And King Tsidqiyyahu sent Yehukhal son of Shelemya and Tsefanyahu son of Maʿaseya the priest to Yirmeyahu the prophet, saying, “Pray, please, on our behalf to YHWH our God.”
A King’s Desperate Request
Jeremiah 37:3 records a politically and spiritually significant moment: King Tsidqiyyāh sends envoys to request intercessory prayer from the prophet Yirmeyāhū. The plea is encapsulated in the verb הִתְפַּלֶּל־נָא, meaning “Please pray!”—a… Learn Hebrew
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