-
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
Desolation Described: Prepositions, Relative Clauses, and Poetic Imagery in Lamentations 5:18
Lamentations 5:18
עַ֤ל הַר־צִיֹּון֙ שֶׁשָּׁמֵ֔ם שׁוּעָלִ֖ים הִלְּכוּ־בֹֽו׃
Desolation’s Location: עַל הַר־צִיּוֹן
עַל (“upon”) is a preposition introducing the place affected.
הַר־צִיּוֹן — “Mount Tsiyon (Zion),” a construct phrase with the article prefixed to הַר (“mountain”) and bound to צִיּוֹן (Zion)
This locates the tragedy not just geographically but symbolically — Zion was the site of the temple, God’s dwelling place, now devastated.
Relative Clause: שֶׁשָּׁמֵם
שֶׁ is a relative pronoun (“which, that”) introducing a descriptive clause.
שָּׁמֵם — Qal perfect 3ms of שׁ־מ־ם (“to be desolate”) with dagesh forte for doubling
Together: “which is desolate” — emphasizing Zion’s ruined state, a key theme of Lamentations.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar
Tagged Lamentations 5:18
Comments Off on Desolation Described: Prepositions, Relative Clauses, and Poetic Imagery in Lamentations 5:18
The Imperative and Infinitive Construct in Ecclesiastes 5:1
שְׁמֹ֣ר רגליך כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר תֵּלֵךְ֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים וְקָרֹ֣וב לִשְׁמֹ֔עַ מִתֵּ֥ת הַכְּסִילִ֖ים זָ֑בַח כִּֽי־אֵינָ֥ם יֹודְעִ֖ים לַעֲשֹׂ֥ות רָֽע׃
Guard your foot when you go to the house of God, and draw near to listen rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know how to do evil.
Introduction to Ecclesiastes 5:1
Ecclesiastes 5:1 presents a moral and spiritual exhortation regarding proper conduct when approaching the בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים (beit ha-Elohim, “house of God”). This verse features key grammatical structures such as the imperative form (שְׁמֹר, “guard”) and the infinitive construct (לִשְׁמֹעַ, “to listen”).… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar
Tagged Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiastes 5:1
Comments Off on The Imperative and Infinitive Construct in Ecclesiastes 5:1
Joshua 18:4 – Imperatives, Coordinated Wayyiqtol Verbs, and Infinitive Purpose
הָב֥וּ לָכֶ֛ם שְׁלֹשָׁ֥ה אֲנָשִׁ֖ים לַשָּׁ֑בֶט וְאֶשְׁלָחֵ֗ם וְיָקֻ֜מוּ וְיִֽתְהַלְּכ֥וּ בָאָ֛רֶץ וְיִכְתְּב֥וּ אֹותָ֛הּ לְפִ֥י נַֽחֲלָתָ֖ם וְיָבֹ֥אוּ אֵלָֽי׃
Provide for yourselves three men for each tribe, and I will send them, and they shall arise and walk through the land and write it according to their inheritance, and they shall return to me.
Explanation of Feature
This verse from Joshua 18:4 presents a rich combination of imperatives, coordinated wayyiqtol verbs, and an infinitive phrase expressing purpose. The passage outlines a step-by-step procedure for land surveying, with verbs clearly sequenced through the wayyiqtol form.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar
Tagged Joshua 18:4
Comments Off on Joshua 18:4 – Imperatives, Coordinated Wayyiqtol Verbs, and Infinitive Purpose
Construct Chains and Administrative Roles in 1 Kings 4:3
אֱלִיחֹ֧רֶף וַאֲחִיָּ֛ה בְּנֵ֥י שִׁישָׁ֖א סֹפְרִ֑ים יְהֹושָׁפָ֥ט בֶּן־אֲחִיל֖וּד הַמַּזְכִּֽיר׃
Elīḥoref and Aḥiyyah, sons of Shishah, were scribes; Yehoshafat son of Aḥilud was the recorder.
Historical and Literary Context of 1 Kings 4:3
1 Kings 4:3 occurs within the administrative list of officials under King Shelomoh’s reign, a passage that emphasizes the structure and stability of his kingdom. The verse reads:
This verse not only names key figures in the royal bureaucracy but does so using formal administrative titles and construct relationships typical of court literature.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar, Theology
Tagged 1 Kings 4:3
Comments Off on Construct Chains and Administrative Roles in 1 Kings 4:3
The Use of Construct Chains and Measurement Syntax in 2 Chronicles 4:1
וַיַּ֨עַשׂ֙ מִזְבַּ֣ח נְחֹ֔שֶׁת עֶשְׂרִ֤ים אַמָּה֙ אָרְכֹּ֔ו וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים אַמָּ֖ה רָחְבֹּ֑ו וְעֶ֥שֶׂר אַמֹּ֖ות קֹומָתֹֽו׃ ס
(2 Chronicles 4:1)
And he made a bronze altar: twenty cubits its length, and twenty cubits its width, and ten cubits its height.
Introduction to 2 Chronicles 4:1
2 Chronicles 4:1 describes the construction of a מִזְבַּח נְחֹשֶׁת (mizbeaḥ neḥoshet, “bronze altar”) in Solomon’s Temple. This verse is notable for its use of construct chains (smikhut), which indicate possessive or descriptive relationships between nouns, and its syntax for expressing measurements.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar, Vocabulary
Tagged 2 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles 4:1
Comments Off on The Use of Construct Chains and Measurement Syntax in 2 Chronicles 4:1
Restlessness Until Completion: Imperatives, Causal Clauses, and Dramatic Tension in Ruth 3:18
וַתֹּ֨אמֶר֙ שְׁבִ֣י בִתִּ֔י עַ֚ד אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֵּֽדְעִ֔ין אֵ֖יךְ יִפֹּ֣ל דָּבָ֑ר כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יִשְׁקֹט֙ הָאִ֔ישׁ כִּֽי־אִם־כִּלָּ֥ה הַדָּבָ֖ר הַיֹּֽום׃
(Ruth 3:18)
And she said sit my daughter until you know how the matter will fall for the man will not rest unless he has completed the matter today.
Contextual Introduction
Ruth 3:18 captures a moment of intense anticipation as Naomi counsels Ruth to wait for Boʿaz’s action. Following Ruth’s bold proposal at the threshing floor, the outcome now depends on Boʿaz fulfilling the role of go’el (kinsman-redeemer).… Learn Hebrew
Binyanim in Motion: How Verbal Stems Drive the Tension in Ruth 3:18
וַתֹּ֨אמֶר֙ שְׁבִ֣י בִתִּ֔י עַ֚ד אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֵּֽדְעִ֔ין אֵ֖יךְ יִפֹּ֣ל דָּבָ֑ר כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יִשְׁקֹט֙ הָאִ֔ישׁ כִּֽי־אִם־כִּלָּ֥ה הַדָּבָ֖ר הַיֹּֽום׃
(Ruth 3:18)
And she said sit my daughter until you know how the matter will fall for the man will not rest unless he has completed the matter today
When Verbs Set the Stage
Ruth 3:18 comes at a moment of high emotional tension. Naomi urges Ruth to wait while Boaz resolves a matter that could change her life. But this waiting is filled with motion—not outward, but inward.… Learn Hebrew
Hebrew Grammar Lesson: Cohortative and Prepositions with Divine Names (Habakkuk 3:18)
Overview
Hebrew Verse
Literal Translation
Morphological Analysis
Syntax and Word Order
Verb Forms: Imperfect & Cohortative
Prepositions with Divine Names
Lexical Study: גִּיל and עָלַז
Theological and Literary Insight
Exercises
Summary
Overview
This Biblical Hebrew grammar lesson focuses exclusively on Habakkuk 3:18. It highlights two advanced grammatical phenomena in Biblical Hebrew: the cohortative form</b (first person volitional) and the use of prepositions in divine references. These are central to interpreting poetry, prophecy, and liturgical texts in the Hebrew Bible. The grammar is deeply embedded in the worship language of Israel’s prophets.… Learn Hebrew
The Use of the Hifil Stem in Judges 3:1
Introduction to Judges 3:1
Judges 3:1 introduces a list of nations that YHWH left in the land to test Israel. A key grammatical feature in this verse is the Hifil (causative) verb הִנִּיחַ (hinni’aḥ), which comes from the root נוח (nu’aḥ, “to rest, leave, allow”). The Hifil stem is widely used in Biblical Hebrew to express causation, meaning the subject causes an action to occur. Understanding the function of the Hifil in this verse helps clarify the theological implications of YHWH’s role in leaving these nations as a test for Israel.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar, Theology
Tagged Judges, Judges 3:1
Comments Off on The Use of the Hifil Stem in Judges 3:1
The Zeal and Compassion of YHWH: Waw-Consecutive Action and Emotional Verbs in Joel 2:18
וַיְקַנֵּ֥א יְהוָ֖ה לְאַרְצֹ֑ו וַיַּחְמֹ֖ל עַל־עַמֹּֽו׃
Joel 2:18 marks a turning point in the prophetic oracle—a movement from judgment to mercy. The verse opens with a dramatic pair of waw-consecutive verbs describing divine emotions: וַיְקַנֵּא (“and He was zealous”) and וַיַּחְמֹל (“and He had compassion”). These verbs are loaded not only with theological significance but also with grammatical richness. The waw-consecutive (or wayyiqtol) form in Biblical Hebrew denotes past narrative sequence, but when applied to God’s internal stirrings, it becomes a window into divine character and covenantal response.… Learn Hebrew