Category Archives: Grammar

Biblical Hebrew Grammar

Death by Protocol: Syntax of Royal Access and Legal Finality in Esther 4:11

Posted on April 13, 2024 by Biblical Hebrew

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׃ (Esther 4:11) 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

Posted in Grammar, Theology | Tagged Esther 4:11 | Comments Off

Ambition and Envy: Comparative Syntax and Existential Critique in Ecclesiastes 4:4

Posted on April 4, 2024 by Biblical Hebrew

וְרָאִ֨יתִֽי אֲנִ֜י אֶת־כָּל־עָמָ֗ל וְאֵת֙ כָּל־כִּשְׁרֹ֣ון הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֔ה כִּ֛י הִ֥יא קִנְאַת־אִ֖ישׁ מֵרֵעֵ֑הוּ גַּם־זֶ֥ה הֶ֖בֶל וּרְע֥וּת רֽוּחַ׃ (Ecclesiastes 4:4) And I saw all toil and every skillful work, that it is the envy of a man toward his neighbor. This too is vanity and striving after wind. 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.… Learn Hebrew

Posted in Grammar | Tagged Ecclesiastes 4:4 | Comments Off

Flood Imagery, Verbal Aspect, and Prophetic Rhetoric in Jeremiah 47:2

Posted on April 3, 2024 by Biblical Hebrew

כֹּ֣ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה הִנֵּה־מַ֜יִם עֹלִ֤ים מִצָּפֹון֙ וְהָיוּ֙ לְנַ֣חַל שֹׁוטֵ֔ף וְיִשְׁטְפוּ֙ אֶ֣רֶץ וּמְלֹואָ֔הּ עִ֖יר וְיֹ֣שְׁבֵי בָ֑הּ וְזָֽעֲקוּ֙ הָֽאָדָ֔ם וְהֵילִ֕ל כֹּ֖ל יֹושֵׁ֥ב הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (Jeremiah 47:2) 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. Then mankind will cry out, and every inhabitant of the land will wail.” Poetic Oracle and Judgment Symbolism in Jeremiah 47:2 Jeremiah 47 begins a poetic oracle concerning the Philistines.… Learn Hebrew

Posted in Grammar, Syntax, Theology | Tagged Jeremiah 47:2 | Comments Off

Do Not Forsake Instruction: Imperatives, Construct Chains, and Didactic Syntax in Proverbs 4:2

Posted on April 2, 2024 by Biblical Hebrew

כִּ֤י לֶ֣קַח טֹ֭וב נָתַ֣תִּי לָכֶ֑ם תֹּֽ֝ורָתִ֗י אַֽל־תַּעֲזֹֽבוּ׃ (Proverbs 4:2) For I have given you good instruction; do not forsake my Torah. 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

Posted in Grammar, Theology | Tagged Proverbs 4:2 | Comments Off

Destined Judgment: Disjunctive Questions and Lexical Contrast in Job 31:3

Posted on March 31, 2024 by Biblical Hebrew

הֲלֹא־אֵ֥יד לְעַוָּ֑ל וְ֝נֵ֗כֶר לְפֹ֣עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃ (Job 31:3) Is there not disaster for the wicked, and ruin for the workers of iniquity? 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.… Learn Hebrew

Posted in Grammar, Theology | Tagged Job 31:3 | Comments Off

“The Man Was Harsh and Evil of Deeds”: The Grammar of Character in 1 Samuel 25:3

Posted on March 25, 2024 by Advanced Hebrew Grammar

וְשֵׁ֤ם הָאִישׁ֙ נָבָ֔ל וְשֵׁ֥ם אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ אֲבִגָ֑יִל וְהָאִשָּׁ֤ה טֽוֹבַת־שֶׂ֨כֶל֙ וִ֣יפַת תֹּ֔אַר וְהָאִ֥ישׁ קָשֶׁ֛ה וְרַ֥ע מַעֲלָלִ֖ים וְה֥וּא כָלִבִּֽו׃ In the dramatic buildup to David’s encounter with Nabal, Shmuel I 25:3 offers a concise yet striking portrait of both husband and wife. This verse is not merely descriptive; it is structurally and grammatically crafted to contrast two characters — one wise and beautiful, the other harsh and wicked. At its center lies a powerful linguistic device: the use of compound adjectives and stacked disjunctive phrases that emphasize moral and personal traits.… Learn Hebrew

Posted in Grammar | Tagged 1 Samuel 25:3 | Comments Off

Grammatical-Theological Analysis of Exodus 3:14

Posted on March 14, 2024 by Biblical Hebrew

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר כֹּ֤ה תֹאמַר֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה שְׁלָחַ֥נִי אֲלֵיכֶֽם׃ 1. Divine Speech and the Power of the Imperfect The verse begins with וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (“And He said”), a wayyiqtol form of the root אָמַר, marking it as part of the narrative sequence. The speaker, אֱלֹהִים (“God”), directly addresses מֹשֶׁה (“Moshe”). But what follows breaks out of ordinary narrative speech and ascends into divine self-revelation. אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה (“I will be what I will be”) uses the first-person singular imperfect form of הָיָה, the verb “to be.”… Learn Hebrew

Posted in Grammar, Theology | Tagged Exodus 3:14 | Comments Off

Verbless Clauses, Pronouns, and Theological Identity in Ezekiel 34:31

Posted on March 4, 2024 by Biblical Hebrew

וְאַתֵּ֥ן צֹאנִ֛י צֹ֥אן מַרְעִיתִ֖י אָדָ֣ם אַתֶּ֑ם אֲנִי֙ אֱלֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔ם נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה׃ (Ezekiel 34:31) “And you are My sheep, the sheep of My pasture; you are men—I am your God,” declares the Lord YHWH. Divine Shepherdhood and Covenant Reaffirmation Ezekiel 34 concludes a rich metaphorical chapter in which YHWH critiques Israel’s failed shepherds and declares Himself the true Shepherd of His people. The final verse, 34:31, serves as a climactic reassertion of divine relationship through the use of pronouns, apposition, and verbless clauses.… Learn Hebrew

Posted in Grammar, Syntax, Theology | Tagged Ezekiel 34:31 | Comments Off

The Silence of the Winepress: Sound, Loss, and Syntax in Jeremiah 48:33

Posted on March 3, 2024 by Biblical Hebrew

וְנֶאֶסְפָ֨ה שִׂמְחָ֥ה וָגִ֛יל מִכַּרְמֶ֖ל וּמֵאֶ֣רֶץ מֹואָ֑ב וְיַ֨יִן֙ מִיקָבִ֣ים הִשְׁבַּ֔תִּי לֹֽא־יִדְרֹ֣ךְ הֵידָ֔ד הֵידָ֖ד לֹ֥א הֵידָֽד׃ (Jeremiah 48:33) And joy and gladness are gathered away from the fruitful field and from the land of Moʾav; and wine from the winepresses I have caused to cease. None shall tread with shouting—shouting, there shall be no shouting. Niphal Perfect with Vav-Consecutive: וְנֶאֶסְפָה וְנֶאֶסְפָה is a Niphal perfect 3fs form of אָסַף (“to gather, remove”), here meaning “has been removed.” With the conjunction וְ, it begins the verse’s declaration: “Joy and gladness have been removed.”… Learn Hebrew

Posted in Grammar, Syntax | Tagged Jeremiah 48:33 | Comments Off

Deuteronomy 24:3 – Conditional Clauses and Sequential Waw

Posted on March 1, 2024 by Biblical Hebrew

וּשְׂנֵאָהּ֮ הָאִ֣ישׁ הָאַחֲרֹון֒ וְכָ֨תַב לָ֜הּ סֵ֤פֶר כְּרִיתֻת֙ וְנָתַ֣ן בְּיָדָ֔הּ וְשִׁלְּחָ֖הּ מִבֵּיתֹ֑ו אֹ֣ו כִ֤י יָמוּת֙ הָאִ֣ישׁ הָאַחֲרֹ֔ון אֲשֶׁר־לְקָחָ֥הּ לֹ֖ו לְאִשָּֽׁה׃ (Deuteronomy 24:3) And the latter man hates her and writes for her a certificate of divorce and gives it into her hand and sends her away from his house, or if the latter man dies who took her to him as wife; This verse from Deuteronomy 24:3 exemplifies two advanced grammatical features in Biblical Hebrew: conditional clauses using אִם or כִּי, and the use of sequential waw (וְ) to link a chain of actions, especially in legal formulations.… Learn Hebrew

Posted in Grammar | Tagged Deuteronomy 24:3 | Comments Off