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Recent Articles
- Woven with Wonder: Syntax and Embodied Imagery in Job 10:11
- The Wink and the Wound: Syntax, Parallelism, and Irony in Proverbs 10:10
- The Grammar of Surprise: The Wayyiqtol Chain and Temporal Progression in Joshua 10:9
- The Birth of Power: The Grammar of Beginning and Becoming in Genesis 10:8
- Genealogical Syntax and the Grammar of Nations in Genesis 10:7
- Do Not Mourn as Others Do: Restraint and Reverence in the Aftermath of Fire
- The Blast and the Camp: Exploring Hebrew Commands and Movement in Numbers 10:5
- If You Refuse: The Threat of the Locusts in Translation
- Trumpet Blasts and Assembly Syntax in Numbers 10:3
- Right and Left: A Beginner’s Guide to Hebrew Word Order in Ecclesiastes 10:2
- A Call to Listen: A Beginner’s Guide to Hebrew Grammar in Jeremiah 10:1
- “Even If I Wash with Snow”: Job’s Cry of Purity and Futility in Hebrew
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Category Archives: Grammar
When Dread Becomes Flesh: Participles, Prophetic Syntax, and Emotional Collapse in Ezekiel 21:12
Ezekiel 21:12
וְהָיָה֙ כִּֽי־יֹאמְר֣וּ אֵלֶ֔יךָ עַל־מָ֖ה אַתָּ֣ה נֶאֱנָ֑ח וְאָמַרְתָּ֡ אֶל־שְׁמוּעָ֣ה כִֽי־בָאָ֡ה וְנָמֵ֣ס כָּל־לֵב֩ וְרָפ֨וּ כָל־יָדַ֜יִם וְכִהֲתָ֣ה כָל־ר֗וּחַ וְכָל־בִּרְכַּ֨יִם֙ תֵּלַ֣כְנָה מַּ֔יִם הִנֵּ֤ה בָאָה֙ וְנִֽהְיָ֔תָה נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה׃
Anticipatory Syntax: וְהָיָה כִּי־יֹאמְרוּ אֵלֶיךָ
וְהָיָה — A wayyiqtol 3ms of הָיָה, often translated “and it shall come to pass.” A frequent prophetic introduction setting a future condition.
כִּי־יֹאמְרוּ אֵלֶיךָ — “when they say to you…”
יֹאמְרוּ — Qal imperfect 3mp, with subject implied (the people)
אֵלֶיךָ — “to you” — 2ms prepositional suffix
Together, this conditional clause sets up a rhetorical interaction: the prophet’s public actions will provoke a question.… Learn Hebrew
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“Why Does the Way of the Wicked Prosper?”: Analyzing מַדּוּעַ דֶּרֶךְ רְשָׁעִים צָלֵחָה in Jeremiah 12:1
Introduction to Jeremiah 12:1: A Prophet’s Theological Complaint
Jeremiah 12:1 begins a unique prophetic lament in which the prophet directly challenges divine justice. Despite affirming the righteousness of YHWH, Jeremiah boldly raises a question of moral perplexity: מַדּוּעַ דֶּרֶךְ רְשָׁעִים צָלֵחָה—“Why does the way of the wicked prosper?” This interrogative sentence is not merely informational; it is rhetorical and emotionally charged, revealing a tension at the heart of biblical theology: the apparent prosperity of the wicked in a world governed by a righteous God.… Learn Hebrew
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“The Word That Came”: Analyzing דְּבַר־יְהוָה in Jeremiah 11:1
Introduction to Jeremiah 11:1: A Superscription of Divine Authority
Jeremiah 11:1 introduces a new oracle with the recurring prophetic formula: הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר הָיָה אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ מֵאֵת יְהוָה. Though succinct, this clause is deeply significant. It not only establishes the divine origin of the message but also prepares the audience for a section of covenantal confrontation and judgment. This article explores the grammatical structure and literary force of the superscription, focusing especially on the phrase דְּבַר־יְהוָה.
הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר הָיָה אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ מֵאֵת יְהוָה לֵאמֹר׃
Grammatical and Structural Analysis
1.… Learn Hebrew
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They Heard and They Released: Syntax of Covenant Compliance in Jeremiah 34:10
Introduction: Prophetic Command and Social Reform in Crisis
Jeremiah 34:10 recounts the initial compliance of Judah’s leaders and people with a prophetic covenant to release their Hebrew slaves. Set during the Babylonian siege of Yerushalayim, the event temporarily reflected covenantal repentance and social righteousness. The verse uses repetition and coordinated clauses to depict public obedience, drawing attention to its legal and liturgical character:
וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ֩ כָל־הַשָּׂרִ֨ים וְכָל־הָעָ֜ם אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֣אוּ בַבְּרִ֗ית לְ֠שַׁלַּח אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־עַבְדֹּ֞ו וְאִ֤ישׁ אֶת־שִׁפְחָתֹו֙ חָפְשִׁ֔ים לְבִלְתִּ֥י עֲבָד־בָּ֖ם עֹ֑וד וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֖וּ וַיְשַׁלֵּֽחוּ׃
Then all the officials and all the people who had entered into the covenant heard, to release each his male servant and each his female servant—free, that none should enslave them again—and they listened and released them.… Learn Hebrew
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“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 books, marking a transition into a divine pronouncement. The command is directed at בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל (“House of Yisra’el”) and underscores both the urgency and covenantal weight of the speech to follow. This article explores the grammar of the verb שִׁמְע֣וּ, the construction of the clause, and the theological and rhetorical significance of this prophetic summons.… Learn Hebrew
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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 or description.
שָׁלֹום — Literally “peace,” this functions as the predicate noun, describing the state of the houses: peace, wholeness, well-being.
מִפָּחַד — “from fear” or “from dread.” The preposition מִן here indicates separation or exemption: the peace described is specifically freedom from fear.… Learn Hebrew
“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 to weep continuously. The verse begins with the phrase מִי־יִתֵּן—a classical optative construction in Biblical Hebrew that introduces a longing or wish, usually impossible or hypothetical. This article will examine the grammar, syntax, and literary significance of this powerful phrase in Jeremiah’s lamentation.… Learn Hebrew
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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 (“and they will bring out”), is grammatically marked by the waw-consecutive imperfect form, which carries a strong narrative and prophetic function in Biblical Hebrew. This article will explore the morphology, syntax, and theological-literary function of this verb within the verse.
בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֣יא נְאֻם־יְהוָ֡ה ויציאו אֶת־עַצְמֹ֣ות מַלְכֵֽי־יְהוּדָ֣ה וְאֶת־עַצְמֹות־שָׂרָיו֩ וְאֶת־עַצְמֹ֨ות הַכֹּהֲנִ֜ים וְאֵ֣ת עַצְמֹ֣ות הַנְּבִיאִ֗ים וְאֵ֛ת עַצְמֹ֥ות יֹושְׁבֵֽי־יְרוּשָׁלִָ֖ם מִקִּבְרֵיהֶֽם׃
Grammatical Analysis of וְהֹוצִיאוּ (ויציאו)
The verb ויציאו (more precisely vocalized as וְהֹוצִיאוּ) is from the root יָצָא in the Hifil stem, meaning “to bring out” or “to cause to go out.”… Learn Hebrew
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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 לֵאמֹר. This syntactic structure is typical of prophetic books and serves to authenticate and mark the source of the prophet’s message. In this article, we will analyze the grammatical structure of this superscription and explain how the elements function within biblical Hebrew prophetic style.… Learn Hebrew
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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 א־כ־ל (“to eat”), narrating the main action of participation in the Passover meal.
בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל (“the sons of Israel”) — the primary subject
הַשָּׁבִים מֵהַגֹּלָה (“those returning from the exile”) — participial phrase (הַשָּׁבִים, Qal participle mp of ש־ו־ב) describing those who came back from Babylonian captivity
This frames the act of eating as an act of covenant renewal by the returnees.… Learn Hebrew