To learn to read and to understand the words of Scripture
Biblical Hebrew Grammar
וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אַהֲרֹ֔ן אֵ֚ת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיַּ֥עַשׂ הָאֹתֹ֖ת לְעֵינֵ֥י הָעָֽם׃ (Exodus 4:30) And Aharon spoke all the words which YHWH had spoken to Moshe, and he performed the signs in the sight of the people. Main Speech Act: וַיְדַבֵּר אַהֲרֹן וַיְדַבֵּר (“and he spoke”) is a Piel wayyiqtol 3ms of ד־ב־ר (“to speak”), showing…
וּבִקַּשְׁתֶּ֥ם מִשָּׁ֛ם אֶת־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ וּמָצָ֑אתָ כִּ֣י תִדְרְשֶׁ֔נּוּ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ֖ וּבְכָל־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃ (Deuteronomy 4:29) But from there you will seek YHWH your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul. Initiation of Seeking: וּבִקַּשְׁתֶּם מִשָּׁם אֶת־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ וּבִקַּשְׁתֶּם (“and you will seek”) is a Piel perfect 2mp…
וַעֲבַדְתֶּם־שָׁ֣ם אֱלֹהִ֔ים מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה יְדֵ֣י אָדָ֑ם עֵ֣ץ וָאֶ֔בֶן אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־יִרְאוּן֙ וְלֹ֣א יִשְׁמְע֔וּן וְלֹ֥א יֹֽאכְל֖וּן וְלֹ֥א יְרִיחֻֽן׃ (Deuteronomy 4:28) And there you will serve gods, the work of human hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. Future Prediction: וַעֲבַדְתֶּם־שָׁם אֱלֹהִים וַעֲבַדְתֶּם is a Qal wayyiqtol 2mp of ע־ב־ד (“to serve”), used…
The Hebrew verb גָּזַר (root: ג-ז-ר) primarily means “to cut,” “to divide,” or “to decree.” Originally, it referred to a literal act of cutting or severing something. Over time, it took on a more abstract meaning, describing a legal or authoritative decision (i.e., a decree being issued, as if it were “cut out” or finalized).…
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֔ן לֵ֛ךְ לִקְרַ֥את מֹשֶׁ֖ה הַמִּדְבָּ֑רָה וַיֵּ֗לֶךְ וַֽיִּפְגְּשֵׁ֛הוּ בְּהַ֥ר הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים וַיִּשַּׁק־לֹֽו׃ (Exodus 4:27) And YHWH said to Aharon, “Go to meet Moshe in the wilderness.” And he went and met him on the mountain of God and kissed him. Divine Command: וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל־אַהֲרֹן וַיֹּאמֶר is a Qal wayyiqtol 3ms of א־מ־ר (“to say”),…
רָאִ֕יתִי וְהִנֵּ֥ה הַכַּרְמֶ֖ל הַמִּדְבָּ֑ר וְכָל־עָרָ֗יו נִתְּצוּ֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה מִפְּנֵ֖י חֲרֹ֥ון אַפֹּֽו׃ (Jeremiah 4:26) I saw, and behold, the Karmel was a wilderness, and all its cities were broken down before YHWH, before the burning of His anger. Vision Report: רָאִיתִי וְהִנֵּה רָאִיתִי (“I saw”) is a Qal perfect 1cs of ר־א־ה (“to see”), indicating a…
וְלָקַ֨ח הַכֹּהֵ֜ן מִדַּ֤ם הַֽחַטָּאת֙ בְּאֶצְבָּעֹ֔ו וְנָתַ֕ן עַל־קַרְנֹ֖ת מִזְבַּ֣ח הָעֹלָ֑ה וְאֶת־דָּמֹ֣ו יִשְׁפֹּ֔ךְ אֶל־יְסֹ֖וד מִזְבַּ֥ח הָעֹלָֽה׃ (Leviticus 4:25) And the priest shall take from the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of the burnt offering, and the rest of its blood he shall pour out at…
וְסָמַ֤ךְ יָדֹו֙ עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ הַשָּׂעִ֔יר וְשָׁחַ֣ט אֹתֹ֔ו בִּמְקֹ֛ום אֲשֶׁר־יִשְׁחַ֥ט אֶת־הָעֹלָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה חַטָּ֖את הֽוּא׃ (Leviticus 4:24) And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the goat and slaughter it in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered before YHWH; it is a sin offering. Sequential Actions: וְסָמַ֤ךְ... וְשָׁחַ֣ט The verse opens with two…
הֵ֚מָּה הַיֹּ֣וצְרִ֔ים וְיֹשְׁבֵ֥י נְטָעִ֖ים וּגְדֵרָ֑ה עִם־הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ בִּמְלַאכְתֹּ֖ו יָ֥שְׁבוּ שָֽׁם׃ (1 Chronicles 4:23) These were the potters and inhabitants of Netaim and Gedera; they dwelt there with the king in his work. Subject Pronoun and Identity: הֵ֚מָּה הֵמָּה (“they”) is a third-person plural independent pronoun, often used to emphasize the subject. Here, it introduces a descriptive…
גַּ֣ם בָּעֵ֤ת הַהִיא֙ אָמַ֣רְתִּי לָעָ֔ם אִ֣ישׁ וְנַעֲרֹ֔ו יָלִ֖ינוּ בְּתֹ֣וךְ יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וְהָֽיוּ־לָ֧נוּ הַלַּ֛יְלָה מִשְׁמָ֖ר וְהַיֹּ֥ום מְלָאכָֽה׃ (Nehemiah 4:22) Also at that time I said to the people, Let every man and his servant lodge inside Jerusalem, so that by night they may be a guard for us, and by day a labor force. Temporal Phrase: בָּעֵ֤ת…