Category Archives: Grammar

Biblical Hebrew Grammar

Construct Chains and Administrative Roles in 1 Kings 4:3

Introduction: Historical and Literary Context of 1 Kings 4:3 1 Kings 4:3 occurs within the administrative list of officials under King Shelomoh’s reign, a passage that emphasizes the structure and stability of his kingdom. The verse reads: אֱלִיחֹ֧רֶף וַאֲחִיָּ֛ה בְּנֵ֥י … Continue reading

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The Use of Construct Chains and Measurement Syntax in 2 Chronicles 4:1

Introduction to 2 Chronicles 4:1 2 Chronicles 4:1 describes the construction of a מִזְבַּח נְחֹשֶׁת (mizbeaḥ neḥoshet, “bronze altar”) in Solomon’s Temple. This verse is notable for its use of construct chains (smikhut), which indicate possessive or descriptive relationships between … Continue reading

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Hebrew Grammar Lesson: Cohortative and Prepositions with Divine Names (Habakkuk 3:18)

Overview Hebrew Verse Literal Translation Morphological Analysis Syntax and Word Order Verb Forms: Imperfect & Cohortative Prepositions with Divine Names Lexical Study: גִּיל and עָלַז Theological and Literary Insight Exercises Summary Overview This Biblical Hebrew grammar lesson focuses exclusively on … Continue reading

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The Use of the Hifil Stem in Judges 3:1

Introduction to Judges 3:1 Judges 3:1 introduces a list of nations that YHWH left in the land to test Israel. A key grammatical feature in this verse is the Hifil (causative) verb הִנִּיחַ (hinni’aḥ), which comes from the root נוח … Continue reading

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The Cry of Endurance: Analyzing עַד־אָנָה in Job 19:2

Introduction to Job 19:2: The Rhetoric of Lament Job 19:2 is part of one of the most emotionally charged speeches in the Book of Job, where Job responds to his friends’ repeated accusations and moral judgments. His words are deeply … Continue reading

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Rhetorical Interrogatives and Philosophical Irony in Ecclesiastes 1:3

Introduction to Ecclesiastes 1:3: Questioning the Value of Labor This verse serves as the thematic thesis of Ecclesiastes, casting doubt on human toil through a penetrating rhetorical question. Unlike typical interrogatives in Biblical Hebrew that seek information, this one delivers … Continue reading

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The Negative Parallelism and Verb Progression in Psalm 1:1

Introduction to Psalm 1:1 Psalm 1:1 serves as the opening verse of the Book of Psalms, establishing the contrast between the righteous and the wicked. It presents a threefold progression of negative actions that define the character of the blessed … Continue reading

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The Semantics and Contrastive Structure of Love and Hate in Proverbs 12:1

Introduction to Proverbs 12:1 Proverbs 12:1 presents a wisdom saying contrasting those who embrace correction and knowledge with those who reject discipline. The verse uses parallelism, a common feature in Hebrew poetry, to juxtapose love for instruction (מ֭וּסָר) with hatred … Continue reading

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The Use of Narrative Verb Forms in Job 11:1

Introduction to Job 11:1 Job 11:1 introduces a speech by צֹפַר הַנַּעֲמָתִי (Tsofar ha-Na‘amati), one of Job’s friends. The verse consists of two key verbs, וַיַּעַן (vayya‘an, “and he answered”) and וַיֹּאמַר (vayyo’mer, “and he said”), both of which follow … Continue reading

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The Use of Construct Chains in Nehemiah 10:33

Introduction to Nehemiah 10:33 Nehemiah 10:33 describes various offerings and sacrifices in the context of temple service. The verse contains multiple construct chains (smikhut), a fundamental grammatical feature in Biblical Hebrew. These construct chains indicate possessive or descriptive relationships between … Continue reading

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