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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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Perfect Aspect and Divine Judgment in Isaiah 13:11: The Grammar of Prophetic Certainty
Introduction: Oracular Certainty in the Context of Global Judgment
Isaiah 13 forms part of the so-called “Oracles Against the Nations,” focusing here on Babylon. Verse 11 stands as a divine pronouncement of cosmic justice, where YHWH himself announces judgment on the world and its arrogant rulers. The verse reads:
וּפָקַדְתִּ֤י עַל־תֵּבֵל֙ רָעָ֔ה וְעַל־רְשָׁעִ֖ים עֲוֹנָ֑ם וְהִשְׁבַּתִּי֙ גְּאֹ֣ון זֵדִ֔ים וְגַאֲוַ֥ת עָרִיצִ֖ים אַשְׁפִּֽיל׃
I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will bring an end to the pride of the arrogant, and I will humble the haughtiness of tyrants.… Learn Hebrew
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“They Were Among the Rebels Against the Light”: Syntax of Moral Rebellion in Job 24:13
Introduction: Darkness, Defiance, and the Syntax of Rejection
Job 24:13 marks the beginning of a unit within Job’s speech cataloguing moral evildoers who operate in secret, particularly under the cover of darkness. This verse serves as a heading of sorts for a poetic meditation on moral inversion—a world where justice seems delayed and the wicked thrive unseen. The grammar and structure of the verse intensify its theological charge:
הֵ֤מָּה הָיוּ֮ בְּֽמֹרְדֵ֫י־אֹ֥ור לֹֽא־הִכִּ֥ירוּ דְרָכָ֑יו וְלֹ֥א יָ֝שְׁב֗וּ בִּנְתִיבֹתָֽיו׃
They were among those who rebel against the light; they did not recognize its ways, nor did they remain in its paths.… Learn Hebrew
Repetition, Aspect, and Poetic Judgment in Psalm 96:13
Introduction: Eschatological Expectation in Liturgical Poetry
Psalm 96 celebrates the kingship of YHWH and His coming judgment over all the earth. The final verse, 96:13, brings the psalm to a climax with a powerful prophetic declaration, repeated for emphasis:
לִפְנֵ֤י יְהוָ֨ה כִּ֬י בָ֗א כִּ֥י בָא֮ לִשְׁפֹּ֪ט הָ֫אָ֥רֶץ יִשְׁפֹּֽט־תֵּבֵ֥ל בְּצֶ֑דֶק וְ֝עַמִּ֗ים בֶּאֱמוּנָתֹֽו׃
Before the LORD, for He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth! He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with His faithfulness.
The verse features the poetic repetition of כִּי בָא (“for He is coming”) and the use of aspectually significant verb forms that frame the judgment of YHWH as both imminent and certain.… Learn Hebrew
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The Syntax of Substitution: Grammatical Structures of Redemption in Exodus 13:13
וְכָל־פֶּ֤טֶר חֲמֹר֙ תִּפְדֶּ֣ה בְשֶׂ֔ה וְאִם־לֹ֥א תִפְדֶּ֖ה וַעֲרַפְתֹּ֑ו וְכֹ֨ל בְּכֹ֥ור אָדָ֛ם בְּבָנֶ֖יךָ תִּפְדֶּֽה׃ (Exodus 13:13)
Overview: Ritual Regulation and Its Syntax
Exodus 13:13 establishes sacrificial and redemptive protocol for firstborn males—both animal and human. The syntax of this verse reflects legal clarity, using conditional structure, modal imperatives, and tightly bound coordination. The rhythm and form mirror the seriousness of the command and the theological principle of substitutionary redemption.
Clause Structure: Legal Sequence with a Conditional Middle
The verse contains three main clauses:
1.… Learn Hebrew
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Binyanim of Collapse and Defiance: Morphological Resistance in 2 Chronicles 13:7
וַיִּקָּבְצ֣וּ עָלָ֗יו אֲנָשִׁ֤ים רֵקִים֙ בְּנֵ֣י בְלִיַּ֔עַל וַיִּֽתְאַמְּצ֖וּ עַל־רְחַבְעָ֣ם בֶּן־שְׁלֹמֹ֑ה וּרְחַבְעָ֗ם הָ֤יָה נַ֨עַר֙ וְרַךְ־לֵבָ֔ב וְלֹ֥א הִתְחַזַּ֖ק לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃
And worthless men gathered against him sons of worthlessness and they strengthened themselves against Reḥavʿam son of Shelomoh and Reḥavʿam was a youth and soft of heart and he did not strengthen himself before them. (2 Chronicles 13:7)
Introduction: Weak Hearts, Strong Verbs
This verse portrays a pivotal political fracture: rebellious men embolden themselves while a young king fails to stand firm. But beneath the rebellion lies a stunning use of Hebrew binyanim, shaping both the aggressors’ momentum and the monarch’s hesitation.… Learn Hebrew
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1 Kings 6:1 – Temporal Clauses and Construct State in Date Formulas
וַיְהִ֣י בִשְׁמֹונִ֣ים שָׁנָ֣ה וְאַרְבַּ֣ע מֵאֹ֣ות שָׁנָ֡ה לְצֵ֣את בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל מֵאֶֽרֶץ־מִצְרַיִם֩ בַּשָּׁנָ֨ה הָרְבִיעִ֜ית בְּחֹ֣דֶשׁ זִ֗ו ה֚וּא הַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִ֔י לִמְלֹ֥ךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיִּ֥בֶן הַבַּ֖יִת לַיהוָֽה׃
And it came to be, in the four hundred and eightieth year after the going out of the sons of Yisra’el from the land of Mitsrayim, in the fourth year in the month Ziv—it is the second month—of the reign of Shelomo over Yisra’el, he built the house for YHWH.
Explanation of Feature
This verse from 1 Kings 6:1 showcases the use of temporal clauses and construct state in expressing historical and calendrical dating.… Learn Hebrew
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Relative Clauses and Appositional Expansion in Narrative Description
Introduction to Nehemiah 13:5
This verse narrates how a large chamber was prepared for Eliyashiv, which had previously housed sacred contributions and offerings. The verse is rich in appositional constructions, participial clauses, and relative expansions, which accumulate descriptively. This lesson will focus on clause chaining in Hebrew, especially the use of participial forms and relative-like expansions without explicit relative pronouns, common in post-exilic narrative Hebrew.
וַיַּ֨עַשׂ לֹ֜ו לִשְׁכָּ֣ה גְדֹולָ֗ה וְשָׁ֣ם הָי֪וּ לְפָנִ֟ים נֹ֠תְנִים אֶת־הַמִּנְחָ֨ה הַלְּבֹונָ֜ה וְהַכֵּלִ֗ים וּמַעְשַׂ֤ר הַדָּגָן֙ הַתִּירֹ֣ושׁ וְהַיִּצְהָ֔ר מִצְוַת֙ הַלְוִיִּ֔ם וְהַמְשֹׁרְרִ֖ים וְהַשֹּׁעֲרִ֑ים וּתְרוּמַ֖ת הַכֹּהֲנִֽים׃
Analysis of Key Words and Structures
וַיַּ֨עַשׂ לֹ֜ו לִשְׁכָּ֣ה גְדֹולָ֗ה (vayyaʿas lo lishkah gedolah) – “And he made for him a large chamber.”… Learn Hebrew
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Hebrew Words You Should Know
List of Hebrew words you need to know in order to read the Hebrew Bible and Modern Hebrew.
גַּם – also
מיִ – who
מַה, מָה, מֱה – what
אֵיפֹה – where
מָתַי – when
מַדּוּעַ – why
אֵיזֶה – which (m.s.)
אֵיזוֹ – which (f.s.)
?אֶת מִי – whom?
הַאִם – an interrogative particle
חושֵׁב – thinks
יוֹדֵעַ – knows
כִּי – because
אֲבָל – but
אִם – if
אִם כֵּן – if so
כָּל – all; every; any
שוּם – any (with negative)
…בְּ – in, with
…בַּ – in the; with the
בַּמֶּה – with what
פֹּה – here
כֵּן – yes, so
לֹא – no, not
וְ – and
אוֹ – or
אוֹמֵר – says
שׁוֹאֵל – asks
עוֹמֵד – stands; stands up
יוֹשֵׁב – sits; sits down
הוֹלֵךְ – walks; goes
מִן – from
אֶל – to
עַל – on, about
עַל מַה – on what; about what
עַד – until
אָז – then
כַּאֲשֶׁר – when
אַחֲרֵי , אַחַר – after
אַחֲרֵי־כֵן – afterwards
לִפְנֵי – before; in front of
אוֹהֵב – loves; likes
לוֹמֵד – learns; studies
קוֹרֵא – read; calls
שׁוֹמֵעַ – hears; listens
רוֹאֶה – sees
עוֹנֶה – answers
לוֹקֵחַ – takes
עוֹבֵד – works
עֲבוֹדָה – work (noun)
פּוֹתֵחַ – opens
פִּתְאֹם – suddenly
לְאָן – whereto
תָּמִיד – always
הַרְבֵּה – many; much; a lot
מְאֹד – very, very much
זֶה – this (m.s.)… Learn Hebrew
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Calling Witnesses to Injustice: Imperatives, Construct Chains, and Geopolitical Irony in Amos 3:9
Amos 3:9
הַשְׁמִ֨יעוּ֙ עַל־אַרְמְנֹ֣ות בְּאַשְׁדֹּ֔וד וְעַל־אַרְמְנֹ֖ות בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וְאִמְר֗וּ הֵאָֽסְפוּ֙ עַל־הָרֵ֣י שֹׁמְרֹ֔ון וּרְא֞וּ מְהוּמֹ֤ת רַבֹּות֙ בְּתֹוכָ֔הּ וַעֲשׁוּקִ֖ים בְּקִרְבָּֽהּ׃
Proclamation to Foreign Palaces: הַשְׁמִיעוּ עַל־אַרְמְנֹות בְּאַשְׁדּוֹד
הַשְׁמִיעוּ — Hifil imperative 2mp of שׁ־מ־ע, “to cause to hear, proclaim.”
This command sets a prophetic tone: “Proclaim!” or “Cause to be heard!” — addressed to unspecified messengers (possibly angelic or symbolic witnesses).
עַל־אַרְמְנֹות בְּאַשְׁדּוֹד — “upon the palaces of Ashdod”
אַרְמְנֹות — “palaces, fortresses” (plural of אַרְמוֹן)
בְּאַשְׁדּוֹד — “in Ashdod,” a major Philistine city
The grammar and geography combine to create ironic witnesses: foreign nations are called to observe Israel’s crimes.… Learn Hebrew
“Send Me!” — Volition, Syntax, and the Prophetic Calling in Isaiah 6:8
וָאֶשְׁמַ֞ע אֶת־קֹ֤ול אֲדֹנָי֙ אֹמֵ֔ר אֶת־מִ֥י אֶשְׁלַ֖ח וּמִ֣י יֵֽלֶךְ־לָ֑נוּ וָאֹמַ֖ר הִנְנִ֥י שְׁלָחֵֽנִי׃ (Isaiah 6:8)
Morphology
וָאֶשְׁמַ֞ע (vaʾeshmaʿ) – Root: שָׁמַע; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 1cs (consecutive imperfect, first common singular); Translation: “And I heard”; Notes: The wayyiqtol form advances the narrative past action in Biblical Hebrew prose.
אֶת־קֹ֤ול (ʾet-qol) – Root: קוֹל; Form: masculine singular construct; Translation: “the voice of”; Notes: Construct chain linking to the following proper name.
אֲדֹנָי֙ (ʾAdonay) – Root: אָדוֹן; Form: proper noun with pronominal plural suffix; Translation: “the Lord”; Notes: Reverent plural form often referring to YHWH.… Learn Hebrew
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