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.

Divine Gifts: Tripartite Blessings and Comparative Syntax in 1 Kings 5:9

Posted on May 9, 2023 by Biblical Hebrew

וַיִּתֵּן֩ אֱלֹהִ֨ים חָכְמָ֧ה לִשְׁלֹמֹ֛ה וּתְבוּנָ֖ה הַרְבֵּ֣ה מְאֹ֑ד וְרֹ֣חַב לֵ֔ב כַּחֹ֕ול אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־שְׂפַ֥ת הַיָּֽם׃ (1 Kings 5:9) And God gave Solomon wisdom and very great understanding and breadth of heart like the sand that is on the shore of the sea. Divine Action: וַיִּתֵּן אֱלֹהִים חָכְמָה לִשְׁלֹמֹה וַיִּתֵּן (“and He gave”) is a Qal wayyiqtol 3ms from נ־ת־ן (“to give”), a typical narrative verb form indicating completed divine action. אֱלֹהִים is the subject, emphasizing that Solomon’s wisdom originates from God. חָכְמָה (“wisdom”) is the direct object, and לִשְׁלֹמֹה (“to Solomon”) marks the recipient using the preposition לְ.… Learn Hebrew

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A Royal Menu: Quantifiers and Species in 1 Kings 5:3

Posted on May 3, 2023 by Biblical Hebrew

עֲשָׂרָ֨ה בָקָ֜ר בְּרִאִ֗ים וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים בָּקָ֛ר רְעִ֖י וּמֵ֣אָה צֹ֑אן לְ֠בַד מֵֽאַיָּ֤ל וּצְבִי֙ וְיַחְמ֔וּר וּבַרְבֻּרִ֖ים אֲבוּסִֽים׃ (1 Kings 5:3) Ten fattened oxen and twenty pasture-fed oxen and one hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl. Numerals and Nouns: עֲשָׂרָ֨ה בָקָ֜ר The phrase עֲשָׂרָ֨ה בָקָ֜ר (“ten fattened oxen”) demonstrates the masculine plural numeral עֲשָׂרָה agreeing in gender with בָקָר (“cattle, oxen”), which though singular in form is treated as a collective or plural in sense. The numeral precedes the noun, which is typical in Hebrew counting expressions.… Learn Hebrew

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“For Judgment Is for You”: Vocative Structure and Second-Person Plural Indictment in Hosea 5:1

Posted on May 1, 2023 by Biblical Hebrew

שִׁמְעוּ־זֹ֨את הַכֹּהֲנִ֜ים וְהַקְשִׁ֣יבוּ בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וּבֵ֤ית הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ֙ הַאֲזִ֔ינוּ כִּ֥י לָכֶ֖ם הַמִּשְׁפָּ֑ט כִּֽי־פַח֙ הֱיִיתֶ֣ם לְמִצְפָּ֔ה וְרֶ֖שֶׁת פְּרוּשָׂ֥ה עַל־תָּבֹֽור׃ (Hosea 5:1) Hear this, O priests; pay attention, house of Israel; and give ear, house of the king. For the judgment is for you, because you have been a snare at Mizpah and a net spread over Tabor. A Multi-Level Call to Account Hosea 5:1 opens with a sharp prophetic rebuke structured around three vocatives and a climactic declaration of judgment. The verse strategically builds tension by summoning three key leadership groups—priests, the house of Yisra’el, and the royal house—and declares that the judgment (מִשְׁפָּט) pertains directly to them.… Learn Hebrew

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Grammatical-Theological Analysis of Ruth 4:18

Posted on April 18, 2023 by Biblical Hebrew

וְאֵ֨לֶּה֙ תֹּולְדֹ֣ות פָּ֔רֶץ פֶּ֖רֶץ הֹולִ֥יד אֶת־חֶצְרֹֽון׃ 1. Narrative Formula and Literary Structure: וְאֵלֶּה תֹּולְדֹות The phrase וְאֵלֶּה תֹּולְדֹות (“and these are the generations of…”) is a recurring genealogical formula found throughout the Torah (cf. Genesis 2:4; 5:1; 10:1). It introduces a transition or literary boundary marker, often leading to a genealogy or important narrative shift. תֹּולְדֹות is a feminine plural noun from the root יָלַד (“to bear, beget”), referring to genealogical records, descendants, or historical developments stemming from a person. The prefixed וְ (“and”) ties the verse back to the previous context, providing continuity from the story of Ruth and Boaz to the Davidic line.… Learn Hebrew

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“You Have Strengthened Knees That Were Bowing”: Causative Stems and Parallelism in Job 4:4

Posted on April 4, 2023 by Biblical Hebrew

כֹּ֭ושֵׁל יְקִימ֣וּן מִלֶּ֑יךָ וּבִרְכַּ֖יִם כֹּרְעֹ֣ות תְּאַמֵּֽץ׃ (Job 4:4) Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the knees that give way. Eliphaz and the Power of Speech Job 4:4 is part of Eliphaz’s opening speech, where he reminds Job of his past influence and moral strength. The verse praises Job for encouraging the weak, using evocative imagery of stumbling and bowed knees. The focus of this study is the poetic structure and the grammatical form תְּאַמֵּֽץ, a Piel stem that adds causative force to the meaning of the verb “to be strong.”… Learn Hebrew

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Ezekiel 43:3 – Repetition with כ and אֲשֶׁר in Comparative Clauses

Posted on April 3, 2023 by Biblical Hebrew

וּכְמַרְאֵ֨ה הַמַּרְאֶ֜ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר רָאִ֗יתִי כַּמַּרְאֶ֤ה אֲשֶׁר־רָאִ֨יתִי֙ בְּבֹאִי֙ לְשַׁחֵ֣ת אֶת־הָעִ֔יר וּמַרְאֹ֕ות כַּמַּרְאֶ֕ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר רָאִ֖יתִי אֶל־נְהַר־כְּבָ֑ר וָאֶפֹּ֖ל אֶל־פָּנָֽי׃ (Ezekiel 43:3) And like the appearance of the vision that I saw, like the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city, and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Kevar, and I fell upon my face. Explanation of Feature This verse from Ezekiel 43:3 highlights two key grammatical features: 1. Repetitive comparative clauses using the particle כְּ (“like/as”) combined with אֲשֶׁר (“which/that”) to form descriptive comparisons.… Learn Hebrew

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We Are Utterly Ruined”: Syntax of Satire and Loss in Micah 2:4

Posted on April 2, 2023 by Biblical Hebrew

בַּיֹּ֨ום הַה֜וּא יִשָּׂ֧א עֲלֵיכֶ֣ם מָשָׁ֗ל וְנָהָ֨ה נְהִי נִֽהְיָה֙ אָמַר֙ שָׁדֹ֣וד נְשַׁדֻּ֔נוּ חֵ֥לֶק עַמִּ֖י יָמִ֑יר אֵ֚יךְ יָמִ֣ישׁ לִ֔י לְשֹׁובֵ֥ב שָׂדֵ֖ינוּ יְחַלֵּֽק׃ On that day one will raise a parable against you, and he will wail a lament with grief, saying: “We are utterly ruined! The portion of my people He changes! How He removes it from me! To the apostate He parcels out our fields!” Prophetic Mockery and the Breakdown of Inheritance Micah 2:4 delivers a sharp prophetic rebuke through the vehicle of ironic lamentation.… Learn Hebrew

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“There Is No Truth, No Mercy, No Knowledge”: The Covenant Lawsuit and the Triple אֵין־ Construction in Hosea 4:1

Posted on April 1, 2023 by Biblical Hebrew

Introduction to Hosea 4:1: A Prophetic Legal Complaint Hosea 4:1 marks the beginning of a formal prophetic rīv—a covenant lawsuit in which YHWH takes legal action against Yisra’el for violating the covenant. This verse is grammatically structured as a declaration of indictment, with the divine voice naming the charges in legal-poetic form. The centerpiece of the verse is the triplet of negative nominal clauses, all beginning with אֵין, stating what is missing from society. These three nouns—אֱמֶת, חֶסֶד, and דַּעַת אֱלֹהִים—represent core covenantal values.… Learn Hebrew

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From Afar to Forever: Verb Forms and Covenant Love in Jeremiah 31:3

Posted on March 31, 2023 by Biblical Hebrew

מֵרָחֹ֕וק יְהוָ֖ה נִרְאָ֣ה לִ֑י וְאַהֲבַ֤ת עֹולָם֙ אֲהַבְתִּ֔יךְ עַל־כֵּ֖ן מְשַׁכְתִּ֥יךְ חָֽסֶד׃ Contextual Introduction Jeremiah 31:3 is a centerpiece of hope within the so-called “Book of Consolation” (Jeremiah 30–33), where the prophet records YHWH’s promises of restoration after judgment. In stark contrast to earlier messages of doom, this verse expresses eternal love and covenantal faithfulness. It contains some of the most theologically charged Hebrew poetry in prophetic literature and demonstrates how verb forms and syntax can intensify emotional and spiritual meaning. Grammatical Focus: Verb Tenses, Covenant Constructs, and Poetic Syntax 1.… Learn Hebrew

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Grammatical-Theological Analysis of Ruth 3:18

Posted on March 18, 2023 by Biblical Hebrew

וַתֹּ֨אמֶר֙ שְׁבִ֣י בִתִּ֔י עַ֚ד אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֵּֽדְעִ֔ין אֵ֖יךְ יִפֹּ֣ל דָּבָ֑ר כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יִשְׁקֹט֙ הָאִ֔ישׁ כִּֽי־אִם־כִּלָּ֥ה הַדָּבָ֖ר הַיֹּֽום׃ 1. Narrative Verb and Direct Speech: וַתֹּ֨אמֶר The verse opens with וַתֹּאמֶר (“and she said”), a standard narrative wayyiqtol form from the root אָמַר (“to say”), 3rd person feminine singular. The subject is Naʿomi, continuing her direct speech to Ruth. This verb marks a transition back into spoken dialogue, characteristic of biblical narrative style. 2. Imperative and Familial Address: שְׁבִי בִתִּי שְׁבִי is a Qal imperative feminine singular of יָשַׁב (“to sit, dwell”), meaning “Sit” or “Remain.”… Learn Hebrew

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