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Recent Articles
- Scroll Marginalia: Weighted Syntax and Sanctified Measures (Numbers 7:31, Onkelos)
- “His Hands Shall Bring the Fire-Offerings”: Learning Sacred Hebrew Through Priestly Ritual
- Grammar of Offering: Enumerative Syntax and Appositional Closure
- The Nation That Would Not Listen: Relative Clauses, Coordinated Verbs, and Elliptical Judgment
- Wisdom in Layers: Demonstrative Syntax and Infinitive Purpose in Qohelet
- The Syntax of Sacred Prohibition: Blood in Leviticus 7:26
- From Exodus to Exhortation: The Syntax of Divine Persistence
- Gathered for Judgment: Syntactic Accumulation in Joshua 7:24
- Flying into the Trap: Syntactic Irony in Proverbs 7:23
- Little by Little: Divine Delay and Wild Beasts
- “And the Fish Died and the Nile Stank”: A Hebrew Lesson from Egypt’s First Plague
- The Subtle Grammar of Possession in Biblical Hebrew
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Category Archives: Grammar
The Curse that Flows: Poetic Elision, Passive Verbs, and Judgment Imagery in Job 24:18
Job 24:18
קַֽל־הוּא עַל־פְּנֵי־מַ֗יִם תְּקֻלַּ֣ל חֶלְקָתָ֣ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ לֹֽא־֝יִפְנֶה דֶּ֣רֶךְ כְּרָמִֽים׃
First Image: קַל־הוּא עַל־פְּנֵי־מַיִם
קַל — “Light,” functioning as an adjective here.
הוּא — “he,” acting as the subject.
עַל־פְּנֵי־מַיִם — “upon the surface of waters.”
עַל — “upon”
פְּנֵי — “surface/face of” (construct form of פָּנִים)
מַיִם — “waters”
This poetic phrase depicts instability, evanescence, or insubstantiality — like foam or a leaf drifting on water. Many interpret “he” here as the wicked.
Declared Cursed: תְּקֻלַּל חֶלְקָתָם בָּאָרֶץ
תְּקֻלַּל — Pual imperfect 3fs of ק־ל־ל, “to curse.”… Learn Hebrew
Fire and Treasure: Narrative Wayyiqtol, Disjunctive Exceptions, and Sacred Economy in Joshua 6:24
וְהָעִ֛יר שָׂרְפ֥וּ בָאֵ֖שׁ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֑הּ רַ֣ק הַכֶּ֣סֶף וְהַזָּהָ֗ב וּכְלֵ֤י הַנְּחֹ֨שֶׁת֙ וְהַבַּרְזֶ֔ל נָתְנ֖וּ אֹוצַ֥ר בֵּית־יְהוָֽה׃
Contextual Introduction
Joshua 6:24 narrates the aftermath of Israel’s conquest of Yericho (Jericho). Following divine command, the city is destroyed by fire, but its valuable metals are consecrated to YHWH’s treasury. This verse demonstrates careful narrative sequencing, disjunctive markers, and the sacred division of spoil. Grammatically, the verse reflects the dual themes of destruction and consecration through its syntactic structure.
Grammatical Focus: Wayyiqtol Action Chains, Disjunctive רַק, and Object Placement
1.… Learn Hebrew
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Strength and Skill: Parallelism and Construct Chains in Proverbs 24:5
Proverbs 24:5
גֶּֽבֶר־חָכָ֥ם בַּעֹ֑וז וְאִֽישׁ־֝דַּ֗עַת מְאַמֶּץ־כֹּֽחַ׃
Construct Chains: גֶּֽבֶר־חָכָ֥ם and אִישׁ־דַּעַת
The verse opens with two construct chains: גֶּֽבֶר־חָכָ֥ם (“a wise man”) and אִישׁ־דַּעַת (“a man of knowledge”). In both, the first noun (גֶּבֶר, אִישׁ) is in construct form, grammatically bound to the following noun (חָכָם, דַּעַת). These constructions emphasize character through association, turning generic labels into enriched identities: one known for wisdom, the other for knowledge.
Spatial and Figurative Phrase: בַּעֹ֑וז
בַּעֹ֑וז is a prepositional phrase combining בְּ (“in”) and the noun עֹז (“strength,” “might”).… Learn Hebrew
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The Holy Portion: Nominal Clauses and Functional Syntax in Ezekiel 45:4
Ezekiel 45:4
קֹ֣דֶשׁ מִן־הָאָ֜רֶץ ה֗וּא לַכֹּ֨הֲנִ֜ים מְשָׁרְתֵ֤י הַמִּקְדָּשׁ֙ יִֽהְיֶ֔ה הַקְּרֵבִ֖ים לְשָׁרֵ֣ת אֶת־יְהוָ֑ה וְהָיָ֨ה לָהֶ֤ם מָקֹום֙ לְבָ֣תִּ֔ים וּמִקְדָּ֖שׁ לַמִּקְדָּֽשׁ׃
Fronted Predicate: קֹ֣דֶשׁ מִן־הָאָרֶץ הוּא
The phrase קֹ֣דֶשׁ מִן־הָאָרֶץ הוּא (“It is a holy [portion] from the land”) is a nominal clause with a fronted predicate for emphasis. קֹ֣דֶשׁ (“holiness” or “holy portion”) is the subject complement, and מִן־הָאָרֶץ (“from the land”) functions as a genitive descriptor. The pronoun הוּא marks this clause as a formal identification — a feature common in Ezekiel’s priestly language.… Learn Hebrew
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Genesis 46:34 – Purpose Clauses and Resultative Conjunctions
וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֗ם אַנְשֵׁ֨י מִקְנֶ֜ה הָי֤וּ עֲבָדֶ֨יךָ֙ מִנְּעוּרֵ֣ינוּ וְעַד־עַ֔תָּה גַּם־אֲנַ֖חְנוּ גַּם־אֲבֹתֵ֑ינוּ בַּעֲב֗וּר תֵּשְׁבוּ֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ גֹּ֔שֶׁן כִּֽי־תֹועֲבַ֥ת מִצְרַ֖יִם כָּל־רֹ֥עֵה צֹֽאן׃
And you shall say, “Men of livestock have your servants been from our youth even until now, both we and also our fathers,” in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to Mitsrayim.
Explanation of Feature
This verse from Genesis 46:34 highlights the use of the preposition בַּעֲבוּר (baʿavur) to introduce a purpose clause. This construction expresses intended result or purpose, often translated as “in order that.”… Learn Hebrew
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Death by Protocol: Syntax of Royal Access and Legal Finality in Esther 4:11
Introduction: Court Procedure, Crisis, and the Language of Law
Esther 4:11 is part of Esther’s response to Mordekhai’s request that she intercede before the king. Her words reflect both personal peril and the rigid legalism of Persian court protocol. This verse captures a moment of hesitation framed in dense legal-religious syntax, rooted in fear and bureaucratic formality:
כָּל־עַבְדֵ֣י הַמֶּ֡לֶךְ וְעַם־מְדִינֹ֨ות הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ יֹֽודְעִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר כָּל־אִ֣ישׁ וְאִשָּׁ֡ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר יָבֹֽוא־אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ֩ אֶל־הֶחָצֵ֨ר הַפְּנִימִ֜ית אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־יִקָּרֵ֗א אַחַ֤ת דָּתֹו֙ לְהָמִ֔ית לְ֠בַד מֵאֲשֶׁ֨ר יֹֽושִׁיט־לֹ֥ו הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ אֶת־שַׁרְבִ֥יט הַזָּהָ֖ב וְחָיָ֑ה וַאֲנִ֗י לֹ֤א נִקְרֵ֨אתִי֙ לָבֹ֣וא אֶל־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ זֶ֖ה שְׁלֹושִׁ֥ים יֹֽום׃
All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that any man or woman who enters to the king into the inner court, who is not called, has one law: to be put to death—unless the king extends to him the golden scepter, that he may live.… Learn Hebrew
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Ambition and Envy: Comparative Syntax and Existential Critique in Ecclesiastes 4:4
וְרָאִ֨יתִֽי אֲנִ֜י אֶת־כָּל־עָמָ֗ל וְאֵת֙ כָּל־כִּשְׁרֹ֣ון הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֔ה כִּ֛י הִ֥יא קִנְאַת־אִ֖ישׁ מֵרֵעֵ֑הוּ גַּם־זֶ֥ה הֶ֖בֶל וּרְע֥וּת רֽוּחַ׃
Contextual Introduction
Ecclesiastes 4:4 is a striking commentary on human labor and motivation. In typical Qohelet fashion, the verse exposes the futility not only of toil but of excellence itself, when driven by rivalry and envy. The syntax combines observational first-person narrative with existential reflection. Grammatically, the verse features coordinated objects, causal clauses, and a verbless nominal clause that delivers a devastating evaluation of social ambition.
Grammatical Focus: Coordinated Object Constructions, Causal כִּי-Clause, and Verbless Evaluation
1.… Learn Hebrew
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Flood Imagery, Verbal Aspect, and Prophetic Rhetoric in Jeremiah 47:2
Introduction: Poetic Oracle and Judgment Symbolism in Jeremiah 47:2
Jeremiah 47 begins a poetic oracle concerning the Philistines. Verse 2 introduces the divine speech that employs cataclysmic flood imagery to depict military invasion. The verse reads:
כֹּ֣ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה הִנֵּה־מַ֜יִם עֹלִ֤ים מִצָּפֹון֙ וְהָיוּ֙ לְנַ֣חַל שֹׁוטֵ֔ף וְיִשְׁטְפוּ֙ אֶ֣רֶץ וּמְלֹואָ֔הּ עִ֖יר וְיֹ֣שְׁבֵי בָ֑הּ וְזָֽעֲקוּ֙ הָֽאָדָ֔ם וְהֵילִ֕ל כֹּ֖ל יֹושֵׁ֥ב הָאָֽרֶץ׃
Thus says the LORD: Behold, waters are rising from the north, and they will become a flooding torrent; they will flood the land and all that fills it, the city and those who dwell in it.… Learn Hebrew
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Do Not Forsake Instruction: Imperatives, Construct Chains, and Didactic Syntax in Proverbs 4:2
כִּ֤י לֶ֣קַח טֹ֭וב נָתַ֣תִּי לָכֶ֑ם תֹּֽ֝ורָתִ֗י אַֽל־תַּעֲזֹֽבוּ׃
Contextual Introduction
Proverbs 4:2 sits within a father’s exhortation to his children to seek wisdom and not abandon her. This verse serves as a justification for heeding instruction, where the speaker (likely representing a teacher or father-figure) reminds the hearer that the teaching offered is both valuable and divinely anchored. The grammatical structure blends declarative and imperative forms, using construct chains and negative commands typical of wisdom literature to present moral instruction in compact poetic form.… Learn Hebrew
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Destined Judgment: Disjunctive Questions and Lexical Contrast in Job 31:3
הֲלֹא־אֵ֥יד לְעַוָּ֑ל וְ֝נֵ֗כֶר לְפֹ֣עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃
Contextual Introduction
Job 31:3 forms part of Job’s final defense—a solemn oath of innocence. In this chapter, Job articulates a series of conditional statements that, if proven false, would justify divine punishment. Verse 3 reflects Job’s moral theology: that calamity and estrangement are the proper lot of the wicked. He poses this not as a mere observation but as a rhetorical question with an expected affirmative answer. Grammatically, this verse demonstrates how Biblical Hebrew uses interrogative particles, parallelism, and poetic terseness to convey theological certainty.… Learn Hebrew