Category Archives: Grammar

Biblical Hebrew Grammar

Grammatical-Theological Analysis of Proverbs 30:3

Posted on March 30, 2021 by Biblical Hebrew

וְלֹֽא־לָמַ֥דְתִּי חָכְמָ֑ה וְדַ֖עַת קְדֹשִׁ֣ים אֵדָֽע׃ (Proverbs 30:3) And I have not learned wisdom, and knowledge of the holy ones I will know. 1. Confessional Tone through Verb Forms: לָמַדְתִּי and אֵדָע The first clause begins with וְלֹֽא־לָמַ֥דְתִּי—“And I have not learned.” This is a Qal perfect 1st person singular verb from the root למד (“to learn”). The perfect form expresses a completed action in the past, here negatively. The speaker confesses a lack of formal acquisition of wisdom, suggesting humility or limitation.… Learn Hebrew

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“Would He Return?”: Analyzing הֲיָשׁוּב in Jeremiah 3:1

Posted on March 1, 2021 by Biblical Hebrew

לֵאמֹ֡ר הֵ֣ן יְשַׁלַּ֣ח אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־אִשְׁתֹּו֩ וְהָלְכָ֨ה מֵאִתֹּ֜ו וְהָיְתָ֣ה לְאִישׁ־אַחֵ֗ר הֲיָשׁ֤וּב אֵלֶ֨יהָ֙ עֹ֔וד הֲלֹ֛וא חָנֹ֥וף תֶּחֱנַ֖ף הָאָ֣רֶץ הַהִ֑יא וְאַ֗תְּ זָנִית֙ רֵעִ֣ים רַבִּ֔ים וְשֹׁ֥וב אֵלַ֖י נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה׃ (Jeremiah 3:1) Saying, “Behold, if a man sends away his wife and she goes from him and becomes another man’s, will he return to her again? Would not that land be greatly defiled? But you have played the whore with many lovers; yet return to me,” declares YHWH. Covenant, Divorce, and the Question of Return Jeremiah 3:1 opens with a rhetorical allusion to Deuteronomic law regarding divorce and remarriage (cf.… Learn Hebrew

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“And the Word of the LORD Came to Me”: Analyzing וַיְהִי דְבַר־יְהוָה אֵלַי לֵאמֹר in Jeremiah 2:1

Posted on February 1, 2021 by Biblical Hebrew

וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃ (Jeremiah 2:1) And the word of YHWH came to me, saying, The Prophetic Speech Formula Jeremiah 2:1 begins with a classic prophetic formula: וַיְהִי דְבַר־יְהוָה אֵלַי לֵאמֹר, “And the word of the LORD came to me, saying.” This formula recurs throughout the prophetic literature and functions not only as a grammatical structure but also as a theological signal—indicating a moment of divine revelation to the prophet. In this article, we explore the grammatical structure, syntactic components, and theological function of this phrase in Jeremiah 2:1.… Learn Hebrew

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From Judgment to Kingship: Verb Sequences and Eschatological Hope in Obadiah 1:21

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Biblical Hebrew

וְעָל֤וּ מֹושִׁעִים֙ בְּהַ֣ר צִיֹּ֔ון לִשְׁפֹּ֖ט אֶת־הַ֣ר עֵשָׂ֑ו וְהָיְתָ֥ה לַיהוָ֖ה הַמְּלוּכָֽה׃ (Obadiah 1:21) And deliverers shall go up on Mount Zion to judge the mountain of Esau, and the kingdom shall be YHWH’s. Rising of the Deliverers: וְעָלוּ מֹושִׁעִים בְּהַר צִיּוֹן וְעָלוּ (“and they shall ascend”) is a Qal perfect 3mp of ע־ל־ה with וְ as a narrative connector. This may reflect a prophetic perfect, expressing future certainty using perfect form. מֹושִׁעִים — “deliverers” or “saviors,” a masculine plural participle of י־שׁ־ע, meaning those who save or rescue בְּהַר צִיּוֹן — “on Mount Tsiyon (Zion),” location of restoration and divine rule This phrase announces the ascent of liberators — either human agents of divine justice or symbolic messianic figures — to the sacred mountain.… Learn Hebrew

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Prophetic Sightlines: The Syntax of Apposition and Temporal Anchoring

Posted on January 2, 2021 by Biblical Hebrew

חֲזֹון֙ יְשַֽׁעְיָהוּ בֶן־אָמֹ֔וץ אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָזָ֔ה עַל־יְהוּדָ֖ה וִירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם בִּימֵ֨י עֻזִּיָּ֧הוּ יֹותָ֛ם אָחָ֥ז יְחִזְקִיָּ֖הוּ מַלְכֵ֥י יְהוּדָֽה׃ (Isaiah 1:1) The vision of Yeshaʿyahu son of Amots, which he saw concerning Yehudah and Yerushalayim in the days of ʿUziyahu, Yotam, Aḥaz, and Ḥizqiyahu, kings of Yehudah. When and Who in a Vision’s Frame Isaiah 1:1 serves as a superscription—introducing the prophet, the subject of the prophecy, and the historical context. In a single verse, it skillfully employs appositional constructions, relative clauses, and temporal prepositions. The syntax doesn’t merely inform; it frames divine revelation across time, people, and geography.… Learn Hebrew

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The Construct Chain and Noun Phrase Syntax in Jeremiah 1:1

Posted on January 1, 2021 by Biblical Hebrew

Introduction to Jeremiah 1:1 Jeremiah 1:1 introduces the prophetic book by identifying the prophet’s lineage, his priestly background, and his geographic origin. The verse employs construct chains (סְמִיכוּת), a common feature in Biblical Hebrew used to express relationships between nouns. In this passage, construct phrases such as דִּבְרֵי יִרְמְיָהוּ (“the words of Jeremiah”) and מִן־הַכֹּֽהֲנִים (“from the priests”) serve to establish genitive relationships, connecting Jeremiah to his words, his family, and his town. This study will analyze the syntactic structure, noun relationships, and grammatical function of these construct phrases.… Learn Hebrew

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He Weighs the Heart: Conditional Clauses, Interrogative Particles, and Poetic Justice

Posted on December 24, 2020 by Biblical Hebrew

כִּֽי־תֹאמַ֗ר הֵן֮ לֹא־יָדַ֪עְנ֫וּ זֶ֥ה הֲֽלֹא־תֹ֘כֵ֤ן לִבֹּ֨ות הֽוּא־יָבִ֗ין וְנֹצֵ֣ר נַ֭פְשְׁךָ ה֣וּא יֵדָ֑ע וְהֵשִׁ֖יב לְאָדָ֣ם כְּפָעֳלֹֽו׃ (Proverbs 24:12) If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not He who weighs hearts understand? And He who guards your soul, does He not know? And He will repay each person according to his deeds. The Excuse that Fails This proverb anticipates a human excuse: “We didn’t know.” But through the sharp tools of conditional syntax, rhetorical questions, and poetic justice, it shatters that defense.… Learn Hebrew

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“To Do in the Land”: Analyzing לַעֲשֹׂות in Deuteronomy 12:1

Posted on December 1, 2020 by Biblical Hebrew

Introduction to Deuteronomy 12:1: Obedience and Covenant Geography Deuteronomy 12:1 serves as a formal introduction to a new legal section in the book, transitioning from general covenant exhortations to specific cultic and social regulations. Central to this introductory verse is the infinitive construct לַעֲשֹׂות, translated “to do” or “to carry out.” This infinitive, coupled with the verbs תִּשְׁמְרוּן and נָתַן, links obedience to divine legislation with territorial inheritance. In this article, we will analyze the grammar, syntax, and theological meaning of לַעֲשֹׂות within the verse’s broader structure and covenantal setting.… Learn Hebrew

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From Breeze to Bondage: Dissecting the Participial Construction and Nominal Syntax

Posted on November 29, 2020 by Biblical Hebrew

עֹוכֵ֣ר בֵּ֭יתֹו יִנְחַל־ר֑וּחַ וְעֶ֥בֶד אֱ֝וִ֗יל לַחֲכַם־לֵֽב׃ (Proverbs 11:29) The one who troubles his household will inherit wind, and a foolish servant will be servant to the wise of heart. Trouble at Home, Wisdom in Chains This proverb presents two striking images: a man whose turmoil brings only the intangible wind as an inheritance, and a foolish servant who ends up serving someone wiser. Behind the poetry lies a compelling case of participial structure and verbless nominal syntax that sheds light on Hebrew’s subtle and powerful grammatical features.… Learn Hebrew

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Divine Hiddenness and Reflexive Syntax in Isaiah 64:6: Grammar of Abandonment

Posted on November 6, 2020 by Biblical Hebrew

Introduction: Lament, Agency, and Theological Crisis in Exilic Prayer Isaiah 64 is a communal lament expressing deep anguish over Israel’s estrangement from YHWH. Verse 6 (English: v.7) articulates both divine silence and human inability. The verse reads: וְאֵין־קֹורֵ֣א בְשִׁמְךָ֔ מִתְעֹורֵ֖ר לְהַחֲזִ֣יק בָּ֑ךְ כִּֽי־הִסְתַּ֤רְתָּ פָנֶ֨יךָ֙ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ וַתְּמוּגֵ֖נוּ בְּיַד־עֲוֹנֵֽנוּ׃ And there is no one who calls on Your name, who rouses himself to take hold of You; for You have hidden Your face from us and have melted us away in the hand of our iniquities.… Learn Hebrew

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