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Recent Articles
- The Interrogative with הֲלֹא: Rebuke and Rhetoric in Nehemiah 5:9
- The Hebrew Verb דָּבַק: To Cling, Stick, or Cleave
- The Edges of Desire — Imperatives and Spatial Metaphor in Biblical Warning
- The Hebrew Verb דָּאַג: To Worry, Be Anxious, or Concerned
- Poetry of Parallelism: The Enigmatic Syntax of Job 5:7
- The Hebrew Verb גָּשַׁם: To Rain or Cause Rain
- The Guilty Soul: Predicate-Subject Inversion and Verbal Emphasis in Numbers 5:6
- The Hebrew Verb גֵּרֵשׁ: To Drive Out, Expel, or Divorce
- The Demonstrative זֹאת as Subject: Deixis and Emphasis in Ezekiel 5:5
- The Hebrew Verb גָּרַם: To Cause, Bring About, or Result In
- Verbs of Begetting: The Syntax of Sequential Wayyiqtol in Genealogies
- The Hebrew Verb גָּעְגַּע: To Long For, Yearn, or Miss
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Category Archives: Grammar
“Hear the Word”: Analyzing שִׁמְע֣וּ in Jeremiah 10:1
Introduction to Jeremiah 10:1: Prophetic Appeal to the House of Yisra’el Jeremiah 10:1 begins a new section of prophetic address with a commanding call to attention: שִׁמְע֣וּ אֶת־הַדָּבָר (“Hear the word”). This is a formulaic opening found in various prophetic … Continue reading
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Tagged Jeremiah, Jeremiah 10:1
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Untroubled Houses: Negation, Construct Chains, and Divine Irony in Job 21:9
Job 21:9 בָּתֵּיהֶ֣ם שָׁלֹ֣ום מִפָּ֑חַד וְלֹ֤א שֵׁ֖בֶט אֱלֹ֣והַּ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ The Illusion of Peace: בָּתֵּיהֶם שָׁלֹום מִפָּחַד בָּתֵּיהֶם — “Their houses,” a construct form from בַּיִת (“house”) + 3rd person plural suffix. The construct state links directly to the following noun … Continue reading
“Oh, That My Head Were Water!”: Analyzing מִי־יִתֵּן in Jeremiah 9:1
Introduction to Jeremiah 9:1: The Prophet’s Lament in Optative Form Jeremiah 9:1 opens with one of the most intense laments in prophetic literature. The prophet cries out in deep grief over the slain of his people, expressing an uncontainable desire … Continue reading
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Tagged Jeremiah, Jeremiah 9:1
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“Then They Will Bring Out the Bones”: Analyzing וְהֹוצִיאוּ in Jeremiah 8:1
Introduction to Jeremiah 8:1: Desecration as Judgment Symbol Jeremiah 8:1 begins a chilling oracle of judgment, declaring that even the honored dead—kings, priests, prophets, and residents of Yerushalayim—will be disinterred from their graves. The key verb in this verse, וְהֹוצִיאוּ … Continue reading
Posted in Grammar, Theology, Vocabulary
Tagged Jeremiah, Jeremiah 8:1
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“The Word That Came to Yirmeyahu”: Analyzing הַדָּבָר…לֵאמֹר in Jeremiah 7:1
Introduction to Jeremiah 7:1: The Formal Superscription of Prophetic Speech Jeremiah 7:1 opens a new unit of prophecy, famously known as the “Temple Sermon.” The verse uses a standard formula to introduce divine speech: הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר הָיָה אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ מֵאֵת יְהוָה … Continue reading
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Tagged Jeremiah, Jeremiah 7:1
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Purity and Seeking: Participles, Separation, and Worship in Ezra 6:21
Ezra 6:21 וַיֹּאכְל֣וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל הַשָּׁבִים֙ מֵֽהַגֹּולָ֔ה וְכֹ֗ל הַנִּבְדָּ֛ל מִטֻּמְאַ֥ת גֹּויֵֽ־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲלֵהֶ֑ם לִדְרֹ֕שׁ לַֽיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ Main Action: וַיֹּאכְלוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל הַשָּׁבִים מֵהַגֹּלָה וַיֹּאכְלוּ (“and they ate”) is a Qal wayyiqtol 3mp of Read more […]
Unexpected Priests: Object Pronouns and Inclusion in Isaiah 66:21
Isaiah 66:21 וְגַם־מֵהֶ֥ם אֶקַּ֛ח לַכֹּהֲנִ֥ים לַלְוִיִּ֖ם אָמַ֥ר יְהוָֽה׃ Surprising Election: וְגַם־מֵהֶם אֶקַּח וְגַם (“and also”) indicates an emphatic addition, suggesting inclusion of an unexpected group. מֵהֶם (“from them”) is a prepositional phrase (מִן + 3mp suffix), indicating that YHWH will … Continue reading
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“Blow the Shofar in Tekoa”: Analyzing תִּקְע֣וּ in Jeremiah 6:1
Introduction to Jeremiah 6:1: Sounding the Alarm Before Judgment Jeremiah 6:1 is part of a prophetic warning addressed to the southern kingdom of Yehudah, vividly calling the people to flee danger and sound the alarm. At the heart of this … Continue reading
Posted in Grammar, Theology, Vocabulary
Tagged Jeremiah, Jeremiah 6:1
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The Fate of the Fool: Parallelism, Negation, and Wisdom Syntax in Proverbs 5:23
Proverbs 5:23 ה֗וּא יָ֭מוּת בְּאֵ֣ין מוּסָ֑ר וּבְרֹ֖ב אִוַּלְתֹּ֣ו יִשְׁגֶּֽה׃ Judgment Statement: הוּא יָמוּת בְּאֵין מוּסָר הוּא (“he”) emphasizes the subject, often added for poetic or emphatic effect. יָמוּת (“he shall die”) is a Qal imperfect 3ms of מ־ו־ת (“to die”), … Continue reading
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Relative Clauses and the Syntax of Sworn Declarations
Introduction to Judges 21:5 Judges 21:5 contains a judicial inquiry framed with a complex syntactic structure involving multiple relative clauses, particularly those introduced by אֲשֶׁר. The layering of relative clauses is critical for understanding Biblical Hebrew’s method of formal legal … Continue reading
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Tagged Judges 21:5, relative clauses
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