-
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
Categories
Archives
Author Archives: Biblical Hebrew
Collective Subjects and Mixed Word Order in Post-Exilic Prose
כָּל־אֵ֕לֶּה נָשְׂא֣וּ נָשִׁ֣ים נָכְרִיֹּ֑ות וְיֵ֣שׁ מֵהֶ֣ם נָשִׁ֔ים וַיָּשִׂ֖ימוּ בָּנִֽים׃
(Ezra 10:44)
All these had taken foreign women as wives, and some of them had women by whom they bore children.
This verse concludes the list of Israelites who had married foreign women, a central issue in Ezra’s reform movement. The syntax in this verse reflects post-exilic Hebrew style, featuring collective subjects, mixed singular/plural agreement, and a syntactically loose final clause. This lesson will focus on the interaction between collective nouns and verb agreement, and the use of mixed word order to convey summary judgments in administrative Hebrew.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar
Tagged Ezra 10:44
Comments Off on Collective Subjects and Mixed Word Order in Post-Exilic Prose
The Structure of וַיִּוָּלְד֥וּ and the Concept of Genealogy in Genesis 10:1
וְאֵ֨לֶּה֙ תֹּולְדֹ֣ת בְּנֵי־נֹ֔חַ שֵׁ֖ם חָ֣ם וָיָ֑פֶת וַיִּוָּלְד֥וּ לָהֶ֛ם בָּנִ֖ים אַחַ֥ר הַמַּבּֽוּל׃
(Genesis 10:1)
And these are the generations of the sons of Noaḥ: Shem, Ḥam, and Yafet; and sons were born to them after the flood.
Genesis 10:1 serves as an introduction to the Table of Nations, listing the descendants of שֵׁם, חָם, וָיָפֶת (Shem, Ḥam, and Yafet), the sons of נֹחַ (Noaḥ), who repopulated the earth after the Flood. This verse features significant grammatical elements, including the Niphal verb וַיִּוָּלְד֥וּ, which expresses passive action in Biblical Hebrew.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar
Tagged Genesis, Genesis 10:1
Comments Off on The Structure of וַיִּוָּלְד֥וּ and the Concept of Genealogy in Genesis 10:1
The Use of Imperatives and Divine Blessing in Genesis 9:1
וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֱלֹהִ֔ים אֶת־נֹ֖חַ וְאֶת־בָּנָ֑יו וַיֹּ֧אמֶר לָהֶ֛ם פְּר֥וּ וּרְב֖וּ וּמִלְא֥וּ אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
(Genesis 9:1)
And God blessed Noaḥ and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.”
Genesis 9:1 marks a new beginning after the Flood, where אֱלֹהִים (Elohim, “God”) blesses נֹחַ (Noaḥ, “Noah”) and his sons, giving them a command similar to that given to Adam and Eve in Genesis 1:28. This verse prominently features imperative verbs (פְּרוּ, רְבוּ, מִלְאוּ – “be fruitful, multiply, and fill”), which express direct commands.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar, Theology
Tagged Genesis, Genesis 9:1
Comments Off on The Use of Imperatives and Divine Blessing in Genesis 9:1
Walk, Write, Return: The Binyanim of Obedient Action in Joshua 18:8
וַיָּקֻ֥מוּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים וַיֵּלֵ֑כוּ וַיְצַ֣ו יְהֹושֻׁ֡עַ אֶת־הַהֹלְכִים֩ לִכְתֹּ֨ב אֶת־הָאָ֜רֶץ לֵאמֹ֗ר לְ֠כוּ וְהִתְהַלְּכ֨וּ בָאָ֜רֶץ וְכִתְב֤וּ אֹותָּהּ֙ וְשׁ֣וּבוּ אֵלַ֔י וּ֠פֹה אַשְׁלִ֨יךְ לָכֶ֥ם גֹּורָ֛ל לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה בְּשִׁלֹֽה׃
(Joshua 18:8)
And the men arose and went, and Yehoshua commanded those going to describe the land, saying, “Go and walk through the land and write it, and return to me, and here I will cast lots for you before YHWH in Shiloh.”
Mobilizing the Tribal Surveyors
In this verse, Yehoshua instructs a group of men to map the land of Yisraʾel in preparation for its distribution.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Binyanim
Tagged Joshua 18:8
Comments Off on Walk, Write, Return: The Binyanim of Obedient Action in Joshua 18:8
The Use of Wayyiqtol and Divine Remembrance in Genesis 8:1
וַיִּזְכֹּ֤ר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־נֹ֔חַ וְאֵ֤ת כָּל־הַֽחַיָּה֙ וְאֶת־כָּל־הַבְּהֵמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אִתֹּ֖ו בַּתֵּבָ֑ה וַיַּעֲבֵ֨ר אֱלֹהִ֥ים ר֨וּחַ֙ עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ וַיָּשֹׁ֖כּוּ הַמָּֽיִם׃
(Genesis 8:1)
And God remembered Noah and every living thing and all the animals that were with him in the ark and God caused a wind to pass over the earth and the waters subsided.
Genesis 8:1 marks a pivotal moment in the Flood narrative, where אֱלֹהִים (Elohim, “God”) actively intervenes by remembering נֹחַ (Noaḥ, “Noah”) and the creatures on the ark. The verse prominently features wayyiqtol verb forms, which indicate sequential action in Biblical Hebrew narrative.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar, Theology
Tagged Genesis, Genesis 8:1
Comments Off on The Use of Wayyiqtol and Divine Remembrance in Genesis 8:1
Prophecy and Politics: Direct Speech, Negation, and Verbal Nuance in 2 Chronicles 18:7
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל אֶֽל־יְהֹושָׁפָ֡ט עֹ֣וד אִישׁ־אֶחָ֡ד לִדְרֹושׁ֩ אֶת־יְהוָ֨ה מֵֽאֹתֹ֜ו וַאֲנִ֣י שְׂנֵאתִ֗יהוּ כִּֽי־֠אֵינֶנּוּ מִתְנַבֵּ֨א עָלַ֤י לְטֹובָה֙ כִּ֣י כָל־יָמָ֣יו לְרָעָ֔ה ה֖וּא מִיכָ֣יְהוּ בֶן־יִמְלָ֑א וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ יְהֹ֣ושָׁפָ֔ט אַל־יֹאמַ֥ר הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ כֵּֽן׃
(2 Chronicles 18:7)
And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat there is still one man to inquire of YJWH from him but I hate him because he does not prophesy good concerning me but all his days evil he is Micaiah son of Imlah and Jehoshaphat said let not the king say so.
Framing the Dialogue: וַיֹּאמֶר … וַיֹּאמֶר
The verse is framed by two sequential narrative verbs:
וַיֹּאמֶר — Qal wayyiqtol 3ms of אָמַר (“he said”), the typical narrative past form introducing speech
First spoken by מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל (King of Yisraʾel), and then by יְהֹושָׁפָט (Yehoshafat), king of Yehudah.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar
Tagged 2 Chronicles 18:7
Comments Off on Prophecy and Politics: Direct Speech, Negation, and Verbal Nuance in 2 Chronicles 18:7
The Use of Perfect Verbs in Prophetic Judgment and the Syntax of Betrayal in Obadiah 1:7
עַֽד־הַגְּב֣וּל שִׁלְּח֗וּךָ כֹּ֚ל אַנְשֵׁ֣י בְרִיתֶ֔ךָ הִשִּׁיא֛וּךָ יָכְל֥וּ לְךָ֖ אַנְשֵׁ֣י שְׁלֹמֶ֑ךָ לַחְמְךָ֗ יָשִׂ֤ימוּ מָזֹור֙ תַּחְתֶּ֔יךָ אֵ֥ין תְּבוּנָ֖ה בֹּֽו׃
(Obadiah 1:7)
Up to the border they sent you all the men of your covenant they deceived you they prevailed against you the men of your peace your bread they set a snare beneath you there is no understanding in him.
Obadiah 1:7 is part of a prophecy against Edom, describing betrayal by its allies. The verse employs perfect verbs to express completed actions with ongoing consequences, reinforcing the certainty of Edom’s downfall.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar, Syntax, Theology
Tagged Obadiah, Obadiah 1:7
Comments Off on The Use of Perfect Verbs in Prophetic Judgment and the Syntax of Betrayal in Obadiah 1:7
Proverbs 18:6 – Parallelism and Construct Chains with Abstract Nouns
שִׂפְתֵ֣י כְ֭סִיל יָבֹ֣אוּ בְרִ֑יב וּ֝פִ֗יו לְֽמַהֲלֻמֹ֥ות יִקְרָֽא׃
The lips of a fool come with strife, and his mouth calls for blows.
This proverb from Proverbs 18:6 features:
Construct chains such as שִׂפְתֵי כְסִיל (“the lips of a fool”), where two nouns are joined in a possessive/genitive relationship.
A parallelism typical of Hebrew poetry, where the second clause echoes or intensifies the first.
Use of an abstract plural noun מַהֲלֻמוֹת (“blows”) with a verb (יִקְרָא, “calls”) to express figurative consequence.
Examples from Proverbs 18:6
Phrase
Structure
Explanation
שִׂפְתֵי כְסִיל
Construct chain (plural noun + noun)
“The lips of a fool” – indicates possession; subject of the first clause
יָבֹאוּ בְרִיב
Yiqtol (3mp) + prepositional phrase
“come with strife” – describes the fool’s speech leading to conflict
פִיו לְמַהֲלֻמוֹת יִקְרָא
Construct chain + verb (yiqtol)
“his mouth calls for blows” – his speech provokes violent response
Related Grammatical Insight
Construct chains express close relationships like ownership or classification:
דִּבְרֵי חָכָם – “the words of a wise man”
דַּעַת יְהוָה – “the knowledge of YHWH”
Parallelism in Hebrew poetry functions to reinforce meaning:
Line A: “the lips of a fool bring strife”
Line B: “his mouth calls for blows”
Yiqtol verbs like יִקְרָא and יָבֹאוּ are used here as gnomic (timeless) statements, expressing universal truths about behavior.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar
Tagged Proverbs 18:6
Comments Off on Proverbs 18:6 – Parallelism and Construct Chains with Abstract Nouns
From Fire to Form: How the Binyanim Elevate Sacrifice in Psalm 66:15
עֹ֘לֹ֤ות מֵחִ֣ים אַעֲלֶה־֭לָּךְ עִם־קְטֹ֣רֶת אֵילִ֑ים אֶ֥עֱשֶֽׂה בָקָ֖ר עִם־עַתּוּדִ֣ים סֶֽלָה׃ (Psalm 66:15)
Burnt offerings of fat animals I will offer to you with the smoke of rams I will prepare cattle with male goats Selah.
Verbal Stems in Worship’s Highest Flame
Psalm 66:15 voices a crescendo of worship: burnt offerings, incense, and choice animals. But behind the sensory images are two binyanim that shape the worshipper’s approach. The psalmist doesn’t just do sacrifice—he elevates it, with verbs chosen for theological emphasis. In this verse, the binyanim are the quiet engines behind the worship vocabulary.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Binyanim
Tagged Psalm 66:15
Comments Off on From Fire to Form: How the Binyanim Elevate Sacrifice in Psalm 66:15
The Use of Existential יֵשׁ and the Construct Chain in Ecclesiastes 6:1
יֵ֣שׁ רָעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר רָאִ֖יתִי תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ וְרַבָּ֥ה הִ֖יא עַל־הָאָדָֽם׃
(Ecclesiastes 6:1)
There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it is great upon mankind.
Ecclesiastes 6:1 introduces an observation about human suffering using the existential particle יֵשׁ (yesh), which signifies existence or presence. The verse also employs a construct chain (רָעָה אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי, “an evil which I have seen”) to describe a phenomenon occurring תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ (taḥat hashemesh, “under the sun”), a phrase that is characteristic of the book’s reflections on human experience.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar
Tagged Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiastes 6:1
Comments Off on The Use of Existential יֵשׁ and the Construct Chain in Ecclesiastes 6:1