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Recent Articles
- The Hebrew Verb בָּקַר: To Seek, Inquire, or Inspect
- The Mark of Mercy: Legal Syntax and Divine Protection in Genesis 4:15
- The Hebrew Verb בָּצַע: To Cut Off, Break Open, or Gain Unjustly
- Teaching the Law: Syntax of Instruction and Inheritance in Deuteronomy 4:14
- The Hebrew Verb בָּנָה: To Build, Construct, or Establish
- Dream Syntax and Divine Communication: Structural Layers in Job 4:13
- The Hebrew Verb בָּלַע: To Swallow, Devour, or Destroy
- Concealing the Sacred: Sequential Syntax and Ritual Handling in Numbers 4:12
- The Hebrew Verb בָּלַט: To Slip Away, Be Secret, or Move Stealthily
- Appositional Syntax and Dynastic Integration in 1 Kings 4:11
- Conditional Syntax and Communal Anthropology in Ecclesiastes 4:11
- The Hebrew Verb בָּכָה: To Weep or Cry
Categories
Category Archives: Grammar
“I Gave to My Heart”: The Inner Dialogue of Qohelet in Ecclesiastes 9:1
Introduction to Ecclesiastes 9:1: Reflection in the Hand of Elohim Ecclesiastes 9:1 opens with a deeply introspective declaration: כִּ֣י אֶת־כָּל־זֶ֞ה נָתַ֤תִּי אֶל־לִבִּי֙—“For all this I laid to my heart.” This expression recurs throughout the book of Qohelet and functions as … Continue reading
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“Who Knows the Interpretation?” – Unlocking פֵּ֣שֶׁר דָּבָ֑ר in Ecclesiastes 8:1
Introduction to Ecclesiastes 8:1: Wisdom That Transfigures the Face This exquisite proverb-like reflection in Ecclesiastes 8:1 opens with two rhetorical questions and closes with a poetic image. The key phrase, פֵּ֣שֶׁר דָּבָ֑ר (“the interpretation of a matter”), evokes the ancient … Continue reading
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“Better Than Oil”: The Wisdom of Comparison in טֹ֥וב שֵׁ֖ם מִשֶּׁ֣מֶן טֹ֑וב
Introduction to Ecclesiastes 7:1: Of Names and Anointing Ecclesiastes 7:1 begins a series of paradoxical proverbs, and it opens with a poetic comparison that captures the essence of legacy: טֹ֥וב שֵׁ֖ם מִשֶּׁ֣מֶן טֹ֑וב. This proverbial saying not only showcases elegant … Continue reading
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Yiqtol Verbs and the Syntax of Righteous Response in Psalm 64:11
Introduction: Poetic Theology of the Righteous in the Psalter Psalm 64 ends with a powerful triadic expression of righteous response to divine justice. Following a description of God’s intervention against evildoers, verse 11 highlights the joy, trust, and praise that … Continue reading
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“There Is an Evil I Have Seen”: The Declarative יֵ֣שׁ + רָעָ֔ה as Philosophical Alarm in Ecclesiastes 6:1
Introduction to Ecclesiastes 6:1: A Refrain of Disturbance Ecclesiastes 6:1 begins with a haunting declaration: יֵ֣שׁ רָעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר רָאִ֖יתִי תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ—“There is an evil that I have seen under the sun.” This recurring formula in Qohelet’s discourse is not merely … Continue reading
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“Watch Your Step”: The Imperative שְׁמֹ֣ר רַגְלֶיךָ and Reverence in Worship
Introduction to Ecclesiastes 4:17: Approaching the House of Elohim with Caution Ecclesiastes 4:17 (5:1 in English Bibles) opens with a striking imperative: שְׁמֹ֣ר רַגְלֶיךָ—“guard your feet.” This instruction is not about physical safety, but spiritual posture. Qohelet urges the worshiper … Continue reading
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Coordinated Wayyiqtol Verbs and Procedural Sequencing in Priestly Instruction
Introduction to Numbers 4:5 This verse outlines a ritual procedure to be performed by Aharon and his sons when the Israelite camp sets out. It employs a clear sequence of wayyiqtol verbs to describe actions performed in a fixed order. … Continue reading
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In the Place You Desired: Double Infinitives, Conditional Certainty, and Exile Irony in Jeremiah 42:22
וְעַתָּה֙ יָדֹ֣עַ תֵּֽדְע֔וּ כִּ֗י בַּחֶ֛רֶב בָּרָעָ֥ב וּבַדֶּ֖בֶר תָּמ֑וּתוּ בַּמָּקֹום֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר חֲפַצְתֶּ֔ם לָבֹ֖וא לָג֥וּר שָֽׁם׃ Contextual Introduction Jeremiah 42:22 closes a divine warning against fleeing to Mitsrayim following the Babylonian conquest. After a long appeal through the prophet, YHWH makes clear … Continue reading
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“No Comforter for Them”: Repetition as Grief in Ecclesiastes 4:1
Introduction to Ecclesiastes 4:1: Lament Beneath the Sun Ecclesiastes 4:1 returns to a central theme in Qohelet’s worldview—the injustice and sorrow experienced under the sun. The verse is structured as a lamentation, where the Preacher observes the suffering of the … Continue reading
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The Shame of Trust: Syntax, Irony, and Political Theology in Isaiah 30:3
וְהָיָ֥ה לָכֶ֛ם מָעֹ֥וז פַּרְעֹ֖ה לְבֹ֑שֶׁת וְהֶחָס֥וּת בְּצֵל־מִצְרַ֖יִם לִכְלִמָּֽה׃ Contextual Introduction Isaiah 30:3 forms part of a prophetic denunciation of Judah’s reliance on Mitsrayim (Egypt) for political and military security. Instead of trusting in YHWH, the leaders of Judah turn to … Continue reading
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