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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.

Hebrew Tenses

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Biblical Hebrew
Biblical Hebrew verbs defy the conventional notion of tense, operating instead through aspect—distinguishing completed (Perfect) from ongoing or incomplete (Imperfect) actions. This system, unlike Indo-European languages, does not inherently encode time; rather, temporal meaning emerges from context and syntax. The Perfect form can express past, present, or even prophetic future, while the Imperfect spans future, habitual, and modal uses. Participles serve as present-tense substitutes, and imperatives and infinitives enrich expression through command and emphasis. Mislabeling these forms as “past” or “future” imposes English categories that obscure Hebrew’s native logic.… Learn Hebrew
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Separation and Settlement: Accumulation, Coordination, and Displacement in Genesis 36:6

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Biblical Hebrew
וַיִּקַּ֣ח עֵשָׂ֡ו אֶת־֠נָשָׁיו וְאֶת־בָּנָ֣יו וְאֶת־בְּנֹתָיו֮ וְאֶת־כָּל־נַפְשֹׁ֣ות בֵּיתֹו֒ וְאֶת־מִקְנֵ֣הוּ וְאֶת־כָּל־בְּהֶמְתֹּ֗ו וְאֵת֙ כָּל־קִנְיָנֹ֔ו אֲשֶׁ֥ר רָכַ֖שׁ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ אֶל־אֶ֔רֶץ מִפְּנֵ֖י יַעֲקֹ֥ב אָחִֽיו׃ (Genesis 36:6) And Esau took his wives and his sons and his daughters and all the persons of his house and his livestock and all his animals and all his possessions which he had acquired in the land of Canaan and he went to a land away from Jacob his brother. Opening Verb: וַיִּקַּח עֵשָׂו וַיִּקַּח is a Qal wayyiqtol 3ms of ל־ק־ח (“to take”), introducing narrative progression: “Esav took.”… Learn Hebrew
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Plots and Stems: The Binyanim That Build Gallows

Posted on May 14, 2014 by Biblical Hebrew
וַתֹּ֣אמֶר לֹו֩ זֶ֨רֶשׁ אִשְׁתֹּ֜ו וְכָל־אֹֽהֲבָ֗יו יַֽעֲשׂוּ־עֵץ֮ גָּבֹ֣הַּ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים אַמָּה֒ וּבַבֹּ֣קֶר אֱמֹ֣ר לַמֶּ֗לֶךְ וְיִתְלוּ אֶֽת־מָרְדֳּכַי֙ עָלָ֔יו וּבֹֽא־עִם־הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ אֶל הַמִּשְׁתֶּ֖ה שָׂמֵ֑חַ וַיִּיטַ֧ב הַדָּבָ֛ר לִפְנֵ֥י הָמָ֖ן וַיַּ֥עַשׂ הָעֵֽץ׃ (Esther 5:14) Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, “Let them make a tree fifty cubits high, and in the morning say to the king and let them hang Mordokhai on it. Then go with the king to the banquet joyful.” And the thing was pleasing in the eyes of Haman, and he made the tree.… Learn Hebrew
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Sworn to Bury: Oaths, Infinitives, and Politeness Forms in Genesis 50:5

Posted on May 1, 2014 by Biblical Hebrew
אָבִ֞י הִשְׁבִּיעַ֣נִי לֵאמֹ֗ר הִנֵּ֣ה אָנֹכִי֮ מֵת֒ בְּקִבְרִ֗י אֲשֶׁ֨ר כָּרִ֤יתִי לִי֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן שָׁ֖מָּה תִּקְבְּרֵ֑נִי וְעַתָּ֗ה אֶֽעֱלֶה־נָּ֛א וְאֶקְבְּרָ֥ה אֶת־אָבִ֖י וְאָשֽׁוּבָה׃ (Genesis 50:5) My father made me swear saying behold I am dying in my grave which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan there you shall bury me and now let me go up and bury my father and I shall return Oath Introduction: אָבִי הִשְׁבִּיעַנִי לֵאמֹר אָבִי (“my father”) is the subject of the sentence. הִשְׁבִּיעַנִי is a Hiphil perfect 3ms + 1cs suffix of ש־ב־ע (“to make someone swear”), meaning “he caused me to swear.”… Learn Hebrew
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Pursuit and Confrontation: Imperatives and Sequential Clauses in Genesis 44:4

Posted on April 4, 2014 by Biblical Hebrew
הֵ֠ם יָֽצְא֣וּ אֶת־הָעִיר֮ לֹ֣א הִרְחִיקוּ֒ וְיֹוסֵ֤ף אָמַר֙ לַֽאֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־בֵּיתֹ֔ו ק֥וּם רְדֹ֖ף אַחֲרֵ֣י הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֑ים וְהִשַּׂגְתָּם֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם לָ֛מָּה שִׁלַּמְתֶּ֥ם רָעָ֖ה תַּ֥חַת טֹובָֽה׃ (Genesis 44:4) They had gone out of the city they had not gone far and Joseph said to the one over his house arise pursue after the men and you shall overtake them and you shall say to them why have you repaid evil in place of good. Clause One: הֵם יָצְאוּ אֶת־הָעִיר הֵם (“they”) is the subject pronoun. יָצְאוּ (Qal perfect 3mp of י־צ־א) means “they went out.”… Learn Hebrew
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Clause Structure and Theological Expression in Esther 4:3

Posted on April 3, 2014 by Biblical Hebrew
וּבְכָל־מְדִינָ֣ה וּמְדִינָ֗ה מְקֹום֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר דְּבַר־הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ וְדָתֹו֙ מַגִּ֔יעַ אֵ֤בֶל גָּדֹול֙ לַיְּהוּדִ֔ים וְצֹ֥ום וּבְכִ֖י וּמִסְפֵּ֑ד שַׂ֣ק וָאֵ֔פֶר יֻצַּ֖ע לָֽרַבִּֽים׃ (Esther 4:3) And in every province and province, wherever the word of the king and his law reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and lamenting; sackcloth and ashes were spread out for the many. Contextual and Literary Setting of Esther 4:3 Esther 4:3 captures the moment of national crisis in the Persian diaspora, following Haman’s genocidal decree against the Jews.… Learn Hebrew
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The Use of the Cohortative and Jussive in Saul’s Final Request in 1 Samuel 31:4

Posted on April 1, 2014 by Biblical Hebrew
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שָׁאוּל֩ לְנֹשֵׂ֨א כֵלָ֜יו שְׁלֹ֥ף חַרְבְּךָ֣ וְדָקְרֵ֣נִי בָ֗הּ פֶּן־֠יָבֹואוּ הָעֲרֵלִ֨ים הָאֵ֤לֶּה וּדְקָרֻ֨נִי֙ וְהִתְעַלְּלוּ־בִ֔י וְלֹ֤א אָבָה֙ נֹשֵׂ֣א כֵלָ֔יו כִּ֥י יָרֵ֖א מְאֹ֑ד וַיִּקַּ֤ח שָׁאוּל֙ אֶת־הַחֶ֔רֶב וַיִּפֹּ֖ל עָלֶֽיהָ׃ (1 Samuel 31:4) And Saul said to his weapon bearer draw your sword and pierce me with it lest these uncircumcised come and pierce me and abuse me but his weapon bearer was not willing for he was very afraid and Saul took the sword and fell upon it. This study will analyze the grammatical function of the cohortative and jussive in Saul’s plea, the syntactic parallelism of the verbs, and the theological implications of his self-inflicted death.… Learn Hebrew
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Volitional Modality and Antithetical Parallelism in Psalm 25:3

Posted on March 25, 2014 by Biblical Hebrew
גַּ֣ם כָּל־֭קֹוֶיךָ לֹ֣א יֵבֹ֑שׁוּ יֵ֝בֹ֗שׁוּ הַבֹּוגְדִ֥ים רֵיקָֽם׃ (Psalm 25:3) Also all who wait for you shall not be ashamed they shall be ashamed the treacherous ones emptily. This lesson is based on Psalm 25:3, focusing on the topic: ‘Volitional Modality and Antithetical Parallelism in Hebrew: The Syntax of Hope and Shame.’ This verse provides an elegant example of volitional forms, negation, and contrast through poetic structure, all centered on the theme of trust in YHWH. Introduction to Psalm 25:3: Volition, Shame, and Contrast in Hebrew Poetry Psalm 25:3 presents a theological contrast between two groups: those who קִוּוּ (“wait” or “hope”) for YHWH, and those who act treacherously.… Learn Hebrew
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The Syntax of Glory Overflowing: A Grammatical Vision in Habakkuk 2:14

Posted on February 14, 2014 by Biblical Hebrew
כִּ֚י תִּמָּלֵ֣א הָאָ֔רֶץ לָדַ֖עַת אֶת־כְּבֹ֣וד יְהוָ֑ה כַּמַּ֖יִם יְכַסּ֥וּ עַל־יָֽם: (Habakkuk 2:14) For the earth shall be filled to know the glory of Yahweh as the waters cover over the sea. Overview: Syntax as Prophetic Fulfillment Habakkuk 2:14 delivers a breathtaking vision of divine glory flooding the earth. The verse’s structure combines prophetic perfects, infinitives of purpose, and vivid similes to describe a universal revelation of YHWH’s presence. The syntax is both expansive and precise—mirroring the subject it conveys. Clause Structure: One Vision, Two Clauses The verse consists of two coordinated clauses: 1.… Learn Hebrew
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The Simplicity and Subtlety of Hebrew Verbal Morphology

Posted on December 1, 2013 by Biblical Hebrew
The Biblical Hebrew verbal system, though morphologically sparse, is a masterclass in expressive precision. With just two core tense-forms—Perfect and Imperfect—plus a handful of infinitives, participles, and imperatives, Hebrew conveys rich temporal, modal, and aspectual meaning through syntax and context rather than overt grammatical complexity. The Perfect signals completed actions, while the Imperfect captures ongoing or potential ones, often serving modal roles like jussive or cohortative. Gender, number, and person are embedded in verb forms, and narrative flow is shaped by chains like wayyiqtol and weqatal.… Learn Hebrew
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