Category Archives: Grammar

Biblical Hebrew Grammar

“Then Iyov Answered and Said”: Formulaic Speech Introductions in Biblical Hebrew

וַיַּ֥עַן אִיֹּ֗וב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ (Job 3:2) Then Job answered and said: The Turning Point of Silence into Speech Job 3:2 contains only six Hebrew words, yet it marks a pivotal moment in the literary structure of the book: וַיַּ֥עַן אִיֹּ֗וב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ — “Then Iyov answered and said.” This terse formula is the standard biblical narrative introduction to direct speech, particularly in dialogues. After a long narrative setup in chapters 1–2 and seven days of silence (Job 2:13), these words announce the beginning of Iyov’s poetic lament.… Learn Hebrew
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“Lacked Nothing in the Wilderness”: Divine Sufficiency and the Verb חָסַר in Deuteronomy 2:7

כִּי֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ בֵּֽרַכְךָ֗ בְּכֹל֙ מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יָדֶ֔ךָ יָדַ֣ע לֶכְתְּךָ֔ אֶת־הַמִּדְבָּ֥ר הַגָּדֹ֖ל הַזֶּ֑ה זֶ֣ה אַרְבָּעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֗ה יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ֙ עִמָּ֔ךְ לֹ֥א חָסַ֖רְתָּ דָּבָֽר׃ (Deuteronomy 2:7) For YHWH your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has known your journey through this great wilderness. These forty years, YHWH your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing. YHWH’s Provision Over Forty Years As Moshe reflects on the long journey through the wilderness, he emphasizes not just the hardships but also the unrelenting provision of YHWH.… Learn Hebrew
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“The Seed of Shīḥor”: Analyzing the Construct Chain זֶרַע שִׁחֹר in Isaiah 23:3

וּבְמַ֤יִם רַבִּים֙ זֶ֣רַע שִׁחֹ֔ר קְצִ֥יר יְאֹ֖ור תְּבֽוּאָתָ֑הּ וַתְּהִ֖י סְחַ֥ר גֹּויִֽם׃ (Isaiah 23:3) And in many waters, the seed of Shiḥor, the harvest of the River, was her revenue, and it became commerce for the nations. Trade and Wealth in Poetic Prophecy Isaiah 23 is a poetic oracle against the city of Tsor (Tyre), a hub of international commerce and maritime influence. In verse 3, the prophet depicts the city’s economic entanglements using vivid agricultural and geographical metaphors. One key phrase is זֶרַע שִׁחֹר—“the seed of Shīḥor”—which encapsulates Tyre’s reliance on the abundant produce of foreign lands.… Learn Hebrew
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“Destroyers and Scatterers of My Flock”: Analyzing the Participles מְאַבְּדִים and מְפִצִים in Jeremiah 23:1

הֹ֣וי רֹעִ֗ים מְאַבְּדִ֧ים וּמְפִצִ֛ים אֶת־צֹ֥אן מַרְעִיתִ֖י נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃ (Jeremiah 23:1) “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the flock of My pasture!” declares YHWH. Prophetic Indictment Against False Shepherds Jeremiah 23:1 opens a powerful oracle of woe against the leaders of Yisra’el, metaphorically called “shepherds” who have failed in their responsibility to care for the flock of YHWH. The use of participles—מְאַבְּדִים (“destroying”) and מְפִצִים (“scattering”)—not only describes their actions but also conveys an ongoing and habitual pattern of corruption. This article explores the grammatical form, function, and theological force of these participles within the verse.… Learn Hebrew
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Singulars of Measure in Biblical Hebrew

The phenomenon of the singular of measure in Biblical Hebrew is a fascinating grammatical and syntactic feature. It reflects how Hebrew expresses quantity, time, age, and other measurable constructs using a singular noun to represent a plural idea. In this lesson, we will explore its use across various semantic domains—especially time, space, and quantity—while examining paradigmatic examples like שָׁנָה (year) and its plural שָׁנִים. I. Introduction to Singulars of Measure Biblical Hebrew often uses the singular form of a noun to express a unit of measurement in a quantitative construction, particularly after numbers.… Learn Hebrew
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“Please Pray for Us”: Analyzing הִתְפַּלֶּל־נָא in Jeremiah 37:3

וַיִּשְׁלַח֩ הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ צִדְקִיָּ֜הוּ אֶת־יְהוּכַ֣ל בֶּן־שֶֽׁלֶמְיָ֗ה וְאֶת־צְפַנְיָ֤הוּ בֶן־מַֽעֲשֵׂיָה֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן אֶל־יִרְמְיָ֥הוּ הַנָּבִ֖יא לֵאמֹ֑ר הִתְפַּלֶּל־נָ֣א בַעֲדֵ֔נוּ אֶל־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃ (Jeremiah 37:3) And King Tsidqiyyahu sent Yehukhal son of Shelemya and Tsefanyahu son of Maʿaseya the priest to Yirmeyahu the prophet, saying, “Pray, please, on our behalf to YHWH our God.” A King’s Desperate Request Jeremiah 37:3 records a politically and spiritually significant moment: King Tsidqiyyāh sends envoys to request intercessory prayer from the prophet Yirmeyāhū. The plea is encapsulated in the verb הִתְפַּלֶּל־נָא, meaning “Please pray!”—a… Learn Hebrew
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The Struggle Within: Analyzing וַיִּתְרֹצֲצוּ in Genesis 25:22

וַיִּתְרֹֽצֲצ֤וּ הַבָּנִים֙ בְּקִרְבָּ֔הּ וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אִם־כֵּ֔ן לָ֥מָּה זֶּ֖ה אָנֹ֑כִי וַתֵּ֖לֶךְ לִדְרֹ֥שׁ אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃ (Genesis 25:22) And the children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why am I?” And she went to inquire of YHWH. Prenatal Prophecy and Maternal Distress Genesis 25:22 presents a moment of profound mystery: Rivqah experiences intense internal movement during pregnancy. The verb וַיִּתְרֹצֲצוּ describes what the unborn children are doing within her, and her response leads to a divine oracle that shapes biblical history.… Learn Hebrew
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The Construct Chain in Psalm 1:3

וְֽהָיָ֗ה כְּעֵץ֮ שָׁת֪וּל עַֽל־פַּלְגֵ֫י מָ֥יִם אֲשֶׁ֤ר פִּרְיֹ֨ו יִתֵּ֬ן בְּעִתֹּ֗ו וְעָלֵ֥הוּ לֹֽא־יִבֹּ֑ול וְכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה יַצְלִֽיחַ׃ (Psalm 1:3) And he shall be like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season. Its leaf does not wither, and all that he does prospers. Psalm 1:3 is a vivid poetic description of the righteous individual, comparing them to a tree planted by streams of water. The verse employs various grammatical constructs, including the construct chain (סְמִיכוּת), which plays a crucial role in biblical Hebrew syntax.… Learn Hebrew
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The Hitpael Verb מִתְהַלֶּכֶת in Ezekiel 1:13

Introduction to Ezekiel 1:13 Ezekiel 1:13 presents a striking description of the living creatures in the prophet’s vision, depicting their likeness as burning coals of fire, moving like torches. A key grammatical feature in this verse is the verb מִתְהַלֶּכֶת (mithallekhet), which is in the Hitpael stem, a binyan that often expresses reflexive, iterative, or reciprocal action. This analysis will explore its morphology, syntactic function, and semantic implications within the context of Ezekiel’s vision. וּדְמ֨וּת הַחַיֹּ֜ות מַרְאֵיהֶ֣ם כְּגַחֲלֵי־אֵ֗שׁ בֹּֽעֲרֹות֙ כְּמַרְאֵ֣ה הַלַּפִּדִ֔ים הִ֕יא מִתְהַלֶּכֶ֖ת בֵּ֣ין הַחַיֹּ֑ות וְנֹ֣גַהּ לָאֵ֔שׁ וּמִן־הָאֵ֖שׁ יֹוצֵ֥א בָרָֽק׃ Analysis of Key Words/Phrases The verb מִתְהַלֶּכֶת (mithallekhet) appears in the phrase: הִ֕יא מִתְהַלֶּכֶת בֵּ֣ין הַחַיֹּ֑ות This phrase consists of: הִיא (hi) – “it” (feminine subject pronoun, referring to the fire) מִתְהַלֶּכֶת (mithallekhet) – “it moves about” (Hitpael verb) בֵּ֣ין הַחַיֹּ֑ות (bein haḥayyot) – “among the living creatures” (prepositional phrase) The verb מִתְהַלֶּכֶת is the focus of our grammatical analysis.… Learn Hebrew
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The Qal Imperfect Verb אֶשְׁלָחֲךָ in Jeremiah 1:7

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י אַל־תֹּאמַ֖ר נַ֣עַר אָנֹ֑כִי כִּ֠י עַֽל־כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֶֽשְׁלָחֲךָ֙ תֵּלֵ֔ךְ וְאֵ֛ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲצַוְּךָ֖ תְּדַבֵּֽר׃ (Jeremiah 1:7) And YHWH said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ for to all whom I send you, you shall go, and all that I command you, you shall speak.” Jeremiah 1:7 records YHWH’s response to the prophet’s hesitation, reassuring him that his youth does not disqualify him from divine commission. A key grammatical feature in this verse is the verb אֶשְׁלָחֲךָ (ʾeshlaḥăkha), which appears in the Qal imperfect form.… Learn Hebrew
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