To learn to read and to understand the words of Scripture
Biblical Hebrew Grammar
וְיַגֶּד־לְךָ֨ תַּֽעֲלֻמֹ֣ות חָכְמָה֮ כִּֽי־כִפְלַ֪יִם לְֽת֫וּשִׁיָּ֥ה וְדַ֡ע כִּֽי־יַשֶּׁ֥ה לְךָ֥ אֱ֝לֹ֗והַ מֵעֲוֹנֶֽךָ׃ (Job 11:6) And He would declare to you the hidden things of wisdom, for they are double for sound wisdom, and know that Eloah causes to forget for you part of your iniquity. Job 11:6, spoken by Ṣofar the Naamathite, is one of the most…
יִרְאַ֣ת יְ֭הוָה תֹּוסִ֣יף יָמִ֑ים וּשְׁנֹ֖ות רְשָׁעִ֣ים תִּקְצֹֽרְנָה׃ (Proverbs 10:27) The fear of YHWH adds days, and the years of wicked ones are shortened. Methodological Orientation This study investigates the verse through the lens of Biblical Hebrew syntax, discourse pragmatics, and poetic structure. The analysis focuses exclusively on the grammar of the verse itself, exploring how…
לֹֽא־רָא֞וּ אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־אָחִ֗יו וְלֹא־קָ֛מוּ אִ֥ישׁ מִתַּחְתָּ֖יו שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת יָמִ֑ים וּֽלְכָל־בְּנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל הָ֥יָה אֹ֖ור בְּמֹושְׁבֹתָֽם׃ (Exodus 10:23) They did not see a man his brother, and they did not rise a man from beneath him for three days; but for all the sons of Yisraʾel there was light in their dwellings. Exodus 10:23 records the ninth plague,…
קֹ֤ול שְׁמוּעָה֙ הִנֵּ֣ה בָאָ֔ה וְרַ֥עַשׁ גָּדֹ֖ול מֵאֶ֣רֶץ צָפֹ֑ון לָשׂ֞וּם אֶת־עָרֵ֧י יְהוּדָ֛ה שְׁמָמָ֖ה מְעֹ֥ון תַּנִּֽים׃ (Jeremiah 10:22) A sound of a report, behold, it is coming, and a great shaking from the land of the north, to make the cities of Judah a desolation, a habitation of jackals. Jeremiah 10:22 is a compact prophetic announcement whose…
וּלְשֵׁ֥ם יֻלַּ֖ד גַּם־ה֑וּא אֲבִי֙ כָּל־בְּנֵי־עֵ֔בֶר אֲחִ֖י יֶ֥פֶת הַגָּדֹֽול׃ (Genesis 10:21) And to Shem also was born, he too, the father of all the sons of ʿEver, the brother of Yephet the elder. Genesis 10:21 stands at a subtle but decisive turning point within the Table of Nations. Grammatically, the verse is compact; syntactically, it is…
וְאַרְבָּעָ֥ה פָנִ֖ים לְאֶחָ֑ד פְּנֵ֨י הָאֶחָ֜ד פְּנֵ֣י הַכְּר֗וּב וּפְנֵ֤י הַשֵּׁנִי֙ פְּנֵ֣י אָדָ֔ם וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁי֙ פְּנֵ֣י אַרְיֵ֔ה וְהָרְבִיעִ֖י פְּנֵי־נָֽשֶׁר׃ (Ezekiel 10:14) And each one had four faces: the face of the first was the face of a cherub, the second was the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face…
וַיָּבֹ֧א אֲלֵיהֶ֛ם יְהֹושֻׁ֖עַ פִּתְאֹ֑ם כָּל־הַלַּ֕יְלָה עָלָ֖ה מִן־הַגִּלְגָּֽל׃ (Joshua 10:9) And Yehoshua came upon them suddenly; all the night he had gone up from the Gilgal. Joshua 10:9 stands at the heart of a dramatic military narrative. The verse captures a sudden tactical strike by Yehoshua (Joshua) and the Israelites against the Amorite coalition that threatened…
וּבְנֵ֣י כ֔וּשׁ סְבָא֙ וַֽחֲוִילָ֔ה וְסַבְתָּ֥ה וְרַעְמָ֖ה וְסַבְתְּכָ֑א וּבְנֵ֥י רַעְמָ֖ה שְׁבָ֥א וּדְדָֽן׃ (Genesis 10:7) And the sons of Kush: Seba, Ḥavilah, Sabtah, Raʿmah, and Sabtekha; and the sons of Raʿmah: Sheba and Dedan. Genesis 10:7 is part of the Table of Nations, a literary genealogy that maps the spread of humanity after the flood. Though it…
וְתָקְע֖וּ בָּהֵ֑ן וְנֹֽועֲד֤וּ אֵלֶ֨יךָ֙ כָּל־הָ֣עֵדָ֔ה אֶל־פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מֹועֵֽד׃ (Numbers 10:3) And you shall blow with them, and all the congregation shall assemble to you at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. Numbers 10 describes the use of silver trumpets as instruments of communication for Israel in the wilderness. Verse 3 gives a specific instruction:…
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר גַּ֣עַל בֶּן־עֶ֗בֶד מִֽי־אֲבִימֶ֤לֶךְ וּמִֽי־שְׁכֶם֙ כִּ֣י נַעַבְדֶ֔נּוּ הֲלֹ֥א בֶן־יְרֻבַּ֖עַל וּזְבֻ֣ל פְּקִידֹ֑ו עִבְד֗וּ אֶת־אַנְשֵׁ֤י חֲמֹור֙ אֲבִ֣י שְׁכֶ֔ם וּמַדּ֖וּעַ נַעַבְדֶ֥נּוּ אֲנָֽחְנוּ׃ (Judges 9:28) And Gaʿal son of ʿEved said, “Who is Abimelek, and who is Shekhem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Yerubbaʿal, and Zevul his officer? Serve the men of Ḥamor,…