Category Archives: Grammar

Biblical Hebrew Grammar

Appositional Syntax and Dynastic Integration in 1 Kings 4:11

בֶּן־אֲבִֽינָדָ֖ב כָּל־נָ֣פַת דֹּ֑אר טָפַת֙ בַּת־שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה הָ֥יְתָה לֹּ֖ו לְאִשָּֽׁה׃ (1 Kings 4:11) Ben-Avinadav: all the region of Dor. Tafat, the daughter of Shelomoh, was his wife. Administrative Structure and Royal Marriage in the Solomonic Era 1 Kings 4 (Hebrew 5) provides a detailed account of King Shelomoh’s (Solomon’s) administrative organization. Among the named officials is a regional governor who receives special attention because of his marital connection to the royal family. This verse, while brief, packs multiple syntactic and socio-political elements into a compact narrative unit.… Learn Hebrew
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Conditional Syntax and Communal Anthropology in Ecclesiastes 4:11

גַּ֛ם אִם־יִשְׁכְּב֥וּ שְׁנַ֖יִם וְחַ֣ם לָהֶ֑ם וּלְאֶחָ֖ד אֵ֥יךְ יֵחָֽם׃ (Ecclesiastes 4:11) Also, if two lie down together, they will be warm; but how can one be warm alone? Companionship, Survival, and the Poetics of Two Ecclesiastes 4:11 sits within a poetic unit (vv. 9–12) extolling the benefits of companionship over isolation. The passage uses practical imagery to promote shared life and mutual aid. This verse, in particular, draws from everyday physical experience to make a larger existential point. In this concise and elegant verse, Hebrew grammar underscores the poet’s argument for partnership through conditional syntax, pragmatic emphasis using rhetorical question, and juxtaposition of verbs in complementary clauses.… Learn Hebrew
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Measuring Judgment: Distributive Syntax and Temporal Framing in Ezekiel 4:10

וּמַאֲכָֽלְךָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֹּאכֲלֶ֔נּוּ בְּמִשְׁקֹ֕ול עֶשְׂרִ֥ים שֶׁ֖קֶל לַיֹּ֑ום מֵעֵ֥ת עַד־עֵ֖ת תֹּאכֲלֶֽנּוּ׃ (Ezekiel 4:10) And your food that you shall eat shall be by weight—twenty shekels a day; from time to time you shall eat it. Symbolic Acts and the Grammar of Famine In Ezekiel 4, the prophet performs symbolic actions that embody the coming siege and judgment upon Yerushalayim. Verse 10 forms part of YHWH’s instructions for Ezekiel’s food rationing during his enacted siege, emphasizing scarcity and controlled survival. This verse uses a combination of relative clauses, distributive syntax, accusative object fronting, and temporal markers to convey restriction, rhythm, and ritualized deprivation.… Learn Hebrew
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Standing in the Midst: Participles, Command Chains, and Theological Transition in Joshua 4:10

וְהַכֹּהֲנִ֞ים נֹשְׂאֵ֣י הָאָרֹ֗ון עֹמְדִים֮ בְּתֹ֣וךְ הַיַּרְדֵּן֒ עַ֣ד תֹּ֣ם כָּֽל־֠הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֨ה יְהוָ֤ה אֶת־יְהֹושֻׁ֨עַ֙ לְדַבֵּ֣ר אֶל־הָעָ֔ם כְּכֹ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה מֹשֶׁ֖ה אֶת־יְהֹושֻׁ֑עַ וַיְמַהֲר֥וּ הָעָ֖ם וַֽיַּעֲבֹֽרוּ׃ (Joshua 4:10) And the priests bearing the Ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that YHWH commanded Yehoshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moshe had commanded Yehoshua; and the people hurried and crossed over. Narrative Suspension and Liturgical Obedience at the Jordan Joshua 4:10 presents a narrative interlude during the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River, emphasizing the role of the priests and the obedience to divine command mediated through Moshe and Yehoshua.… Learn Hebrew
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Perception, Predicate Structure, and the Recognition of Holiness in 2 Kings 4:9

וַתֹּ֨אמֶר֙ אֶל־אִישָׁ֔הּ הִנֵּה־נָ֣א יָדַ֔עְתִּי כִּ֛י אִ֥ישׁ אֱלֹהִ֖ים קָדֹ֣ושׁ ה֑וּא עֹבֵ֥ר עָלֵ֖ינוּ תָּמִֽיד׃ (2 Kings 4:9) And she said to her husband, “Behold now, I know that this is a holy man of God who continually passes by us.” Hospitality, Discernment, and the Prophetic Figure 2 Kings 4:9 records the words of the Shunammite woman as she speaks to her husband regarding the prophet Elisha. Her declaration serves as the turning point for their household’s hospitality and the theological development of the chapter.… Learn Hebrew
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Conditional Syntax and the Language of Belief in Exodus 4:8

וְהָיָה֙ אִם־לֹ֣א יַאֲמִ֣ינוּ לָ֔ךְ וְלֹ֣א יִשְׁמְע֔וּ לְקֹ֖ל הָאֹ֣ת הָרִאשֹׁ֑ון וְהֶֽאֱמִ֔ינוּ לְקֹ֖ל הָאֹ֥ת הָאַחֲרֹֽון׃ (Exodus 4:8) And it shall be, if they do not believe you and do not listen to the voice of the first sign, then they shall believe the voice of the latter sign. Signs, Skepticism, and Theological Assurance Exodus 4:8 captures a divine anticipation of Israel’s skeptical response to Moshe’s mission. God provides Moshe with miraculous signs and predicts their effects using a conditional structure that weaves together belief, hearing, and persuasion.… Learn Hebrew
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Imperative Syntax and the Economics of Wisdom in Proverbs 4:7

רֵאשִׁ֣ית חָ֭כְמָה קְנֵ֣ה חָכְמָ֑ה וּבְכָל־֝קִנְיָנְךָ֗ קְנֵ֣ה בִינָֽה׃ (Proverbs 4:7) The beginning of wisdom is: get wisdom; and with all your acquisition, get understanding. Wisdom as Commodity and Command Proverbs 4:7 is a pivotal statement in the wisdom tradition, combining instructional tone with poetic parallelism. It exhorts the learner to prioritize wisdom above all possessions, using the language of acquisition and possession. This verse is both poetic and didactic. It emphasizes not the abstract value of wisdom, but the practical and existential necessity of actively acquiring it.… Learn Hebrew
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Divine Interrogatives and Emotional Discourse in Genesis 4:6

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־קָ֑יִן לָ֚מָּה חָ֣רָה לָ֔ךְ וְלָ֖מָּה נָפְל֥וּ פָנֶֽיךָ׃ (Genesis 4:6) And the LORD said to Qayin, “Why are you angry? And why has your face fallen?” Divine Engagement and Internal Conflict in the Cain Narrative Genesis 4:6 introduces YHWH’s first verbal response to Qayin (Cain) after his offering is rejected. Rather than immediate punishment or condemnation, God addresses Qayin’s emotional state with pastoral interrogation. This brief exchange is rich in theological and grammatical meaning. The divine address uses interrogative syntax not to gather information but to invite self-reflection.… Learn Hebrew
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Divine Initiative and Cohortative Syntax in Micah 4:6: Grammar of Restoration

בַּיֹּ֨ום הַה֜וּא נְאֻם־יְהוָ֗ה אֹֽסְפָה֙ הַצֹּ֣לֵעָ֔ה וְהַנִּדָּחָ֖ה אֲקַבֵּ֑צָה וַאֲשֶׁ֖ר הֲרֵעֹֽתִי׃ (Micah 4:6) In that day, declares YHWH, I will gather the lame and I will assemble the outcast—even those whom I have afflicted. Prophetic Reversal and the Margins Restored Micah 4:6 begins a prophetic oracle of hope and reversal, contrasting with the judgment warnings that precede it. It introduces YHWH’s promise to restore the marginalized and broken of Israel. This verse centers on divine initiative, expressed through volitional and cohortative verb forms.… Learn Hebrew
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The Hebrew Verb בָּחַן: To Test, Examine, or Try

The Hebrew verb בָּחַן (root: ב-ח-ן) means “to test,” “to examine,” or “to scrutinize.” It is used in both literal and metaphorical contexts throughout the Hebrew Bible. Often appearing in wisdom literature and prophetic books, it describes the testing of hearts, intentions, and individuals to reveal what is true or genuine. This verb primarily occurs in the Qal binyan and often takes YHWH as the subject—indicating divine examination of human beings.   Qal Binyan Conjugation of בָּחַן Past (Perfect) Tense Person Form 1st person singular בָּחַנְתִּי 2nd person masculine singular בָּחַנְתָּ 2nd person feminine singular בָּחַנְתְּ 3rd person masculine singular בָּחַן 3rd person feminine singular בָּחֲנָה 1st person plural בָּחַנּוּ 2nd person masculine plural בְּחַנְתֶּם 2nd person feminine plural בְּחַנְתֶּן 3rd person plural בָּחֲנוּ Present (Participle) Tense Gender/Number Form Masculine singular בֹּחֵן Feminine singular בֹּחֶנֶת Masculine plural בּוֹחֲנִים Feminine plural בּוֹחֲנוֹת Future (Imperfect) Tense Person Form 1st person singular אֶבְחַן 2nd person masculine singular תִּבְחַן 2nd person feminine singular תִּבְחֲנִי 3rd person masculine singular יִבְחַן 3rd person feminine singular תִּבְחַן 1st person plural נִבְחַן 2nd person masculine plural תִּבְחֲנוּ 2nd person feminine plural תִּבְחַנְנָה 3rd person plural יִבְחֲנוּ Imperative Mood Person Form 2nd person masculine singular בְּחַן 2nd person feminine singular בַּחֲנִי 2nd person masculine plural בַּחֲנוּ 2nd person feminine plural בְּחַנְנָה   Usage in Scripture Psalm 139:23 – בְּחָנֵנִי אֵל וְדַע לְבָבִי “Search me, O God, and know my heart.”… Learn Hebrew
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