Category Archives: Grammar

Biblical Hebrew Grammar

The Meaning of שַׁבַּת שַׁבָּתֹון in Leviticus 25:4

Leviticus 25:4 in Hebrew וּבַשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗ת שַׁבַּ֤ת שַׁבָּתֹון֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה לָאָ֔רֶץ שַׁבָּ֖ת לַיהוָ֑ה שָֽׂדְךָ֙ לֹ֣א תִזְרָ֔ע וְכַרְמְךָ֖ לֹ֥א תִזְמֹֽר׃ Introduction to שַׁבַּת שַׁבָּתֹון Leviticus 25:4 introduces the Sabbatical Year (שְׁמִטָּה, Shemittah), in which the land is to rest every seven years. … Continue reading

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Hebrew Idioms and Metaphors in Proverbs 23:5

Proverbs 23:5 in Hebrew הֲתָעִיף עֵינֶ֥יךָ בֹּ֗ו וְֽאֵ֫ינֶ֥נּוּ כִּ֤י עָשֹׂ֣ה יַעֲשֶׂה־לֹּ֣ו כְנָפַ֑יִם כְּ֝נֶ֗שֶׁר וָעִ֥יף הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ Introduction to Hebrew Idioms in Proverbs Proverbs 23:5 uses vivid metaphorical language and idiomatic expressions to describe the fleeting nature of wealth. The verse states: … Continue reading

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The Use of Rhetorical Questions and Parallelism in Biblical Hebrew (Habakkuk 3:8)

Habakkuk 3:8 in Hebrew הֲבִנְהָרִים֙ חָרָ֣ה יְהוָ֔ה אִ֤ם בַּנְּהָרִים֙ אַפֶּ֔ךָ אִם־בַּיָּ֖ם עֶבְרָתֶ֑ךָ כִּ֤י תִרְכַּב֙ עַל־סוּסֶ֔יךָ מַרְכְּבֹתֶ֖יךָ יְשׁוּעָֽה׃ Introduction to Rhetorical Questions and Parallelism Habakkuk 3:8 presents a vivid poetic description of God’s power, employing rhetorical questions and parallelism to emphasize … Continue reading

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The Use of וַיְהִי in Biblical Hebrew Narrative (Ruth 1:1)

Ruth 1:1 in Hebrew וַיְהִ֗י בִּימֵי֙ שְׁפֹ֣ט הַשֹּׁפְטִ֔ים וַיְהִ֥י רָעָ֖ב בָּאָ֑רֶץ וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ אִ֜ישׁ מִבֵּ֧ית לֶ֣חֶם יְהוּדָ֗ה לָגוּר֙ בִּשְׂדֵ֣י מֹואָ֔ב ה֥וּא וְאִשְׁתֹּ֖ו וּשְׁנֵ֥י בָנָֽיו׃ Introduction to וַיְהִי The opening of Ruth 1:1 features the phrase וַיְהִי בִּימֵי (“And it came to … Continue reading

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The Use of Rhetorical Questions in Biblical Hebrew (Psalms 94:9)

Psalms 94:9 in Hebrew הֲנֹ֣טַֽע אֹ֭זֶן הֲלֹ֣א יִשְׁמָ֑ע אִֽם־יֹ֥צֵֽר עַ֝֗יִן הֲלֹ֣א יַבִּֽיט׃ Introduction to Rhetorical Questions Psalms 94:9 uses rhetorical questions to emphasize the power and awareness of God. The verse asks: הֲנֹ֣טַֽע אֹ֭זֶן הֲלֹ֣א יִשְׁמָ֑ע – “The one who … Continue reading

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The Parallel Verbs שִׁמְעוּ and הַאֲזִינוּ in Biblical Hebrew (Joel 1:2)

Joel 1:2 in Hebrew שִׁמְעוּ־זֹאת֙ הַזְּקֵנִ֔ים וְהַֽאֲזִ֔ינוּ כֹּ֖ל יֹושְׁבֵ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ הֶהָ֤יְתָה זֹּאת֙ בִּֽימֵיכֶ֔ם וְאִ֖ם בִּימֵ֥י אֲבֹֽתֵיכֶֽם׃ Introduction to שִׁמְעוּ and הַאֲזִינוּ In Joel 1:2, two verbs are used in parallel: שִׁמְעוּ (shimʿū, “hear”) and הַאֲזִינוּ (haʾăzīnū, “give ear” or “listen”). … Continue reading

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The Idiomatic Expression נַפְשִׁי בְכַפִּי in Biblical Hebrew (Judges 12:3)

Judges 12:3 in Hebrew וָֽאֶרְאֶ֞ה כִּֽי־אֵינְךָ֣ מֹושִׁ֗יעַ וָאָשִׂ֨ימָה נַפְשִׁ֤י בְכַפִּי֙ וָֽאֶעְבְּרָה֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י עַמֹּ֔ון וַיִּתְּנֵ֥ם יְהוָ֖ה בְּיָדִ֑י וְלָמָ֞ה עֲלִיתֶ֥ם אֵלַ֛י הַיֹּ֥ום הַזֶּ֖ה לְהִלָּ֥חֶם בִּֽי׃ Introduction to נַפְשִׁי בְכַפִּי In Judges 12:3, the phrase נַפְשִׁי בְכַפִּי Read more […]

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The Use of the Verb יַפְלִא in Biblical Hebrew (Numbers 6:2)

Numbers 6:2 in Hebrew דַּבֵּר֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ אֲלֵהֶ֑ם אִ֣ישׁ אֹֽו־אִשָּׁ֗ה כִּ֤י יַפְלִא֙ לִנְדֹּר֙ נֶ֣דֶר נָזִ֔יר לְהַזִּ֖יר לַֽיהוָֽה׃ Introduction to יַפְלִא In Numbers 6:2, the verb יַפְלִא appears in the phrase כִּ֤י יַפְלִא֙ לִנְדֹּר֙ נֶ֣דֶר נָזִ֔יר, meaning “when a man … Continue reading

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The Use of Distributive Repetition in Biblical Hebrew (Esther 4:3)

Esther 4:3 in Hebrew וּבְכָל־מְדִינָ֣ה וּמְדִינָ֗ה מְקֹום֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר דְּבַר־הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ וְדָתֹו֙ מַגִּ֔יעַ אֵ֤בֶל גָּדֹול֙ לַיְּהוּדִ֔ים וְצֹ֥ום וּבְכִ֖י וּמִסְפֵּ֑ד שַׂ֣ק וָאֵ֔פֶר יֻצַּ֖ע לָֽרַבִּֽים׃ Introduction to Distributive Repetition In Esther 4:3, we encounter the phrase וּבְכָל־מְדִינָ֣ה וּמְדִינָ֗ה, Read more […]

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The Use of the Construct Chain (סְמִיכוּת) in Biblical Hebrew (Zephaniah 3:4)

Zephaniah 3:4 in Hebrew נְבִיאֶ֨יהָ֙ פֹּֽחֲזִ֔ים אַנְשֵׁ֖י בֹּֽגְדֹ֑ות כֹּהֲנֶ֨יהָ֙ חִלְּלוּ־קֹ֔דֶשׁ חָמְס֖וּ תֹּורָֽה׃ Introduction to the Construct Chain In Zephaniah 3:4, we encounter multiple instances of סְמִיכוּת (smikhut), also known as the construct chain, a grammatical structure in Biblical Hebrew where … Continue reading

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