-
Recent Articles
- Fear, Dominion, and Syntax: A Grammar Lesson from Genesis 9:2
- “And Job Answered and Said”: A Hebrew Lesson on Job 9:1
- Syntax of Covenant Obedience: The Altar of Uncut Stones in Joshua 8:31
- Unlock the Secrets of the Tanakh: Why Hebrew Morphology is the Key
- The Poetics of Verbal Repetition in Proverbs 8:30
- Syntax of the Wave Offering: Moses and the Breast Portion in Leviticus 8:29
- Firm Skies and Deep Springs: Grammar in Proverbs 8:28
- Only the Spoil: A Hebrew Lesson on Joshua 8:27
- Binyanim Under Pressure: Exodus 8:26
- When Service Ends: A Hebrew Lesson on Numbers 8:25
- Consecration Through Syntax: The Priestly Ritual in Leviticus 8:24
- “A Three-Day Journey”: The Syntax of Volition and Deixis in Exodus According to Targum Onkelos
Categories
Archives
Category Archives: Grammar
Striking the Depths: Object Concord and Parallel Syntax in Proverbs 20:30
חַבֻּרֹ֣ות פֶּ֭צַע תמריק בְּרָ֑ע וּ֝מַכֹּ֗ות חַדְרֵי־בָֽטֶן׃
Proverbs 20:30 is not merely a proverb about discipline—it is a poetic microcosm of how Biblical Hebrew uses parallelism and object syntax to create emphasis. The verse reads literally:
“Bruises of a wound cleanse in evil; and blows [cleanse] the inner chambers of the belly.”
This puzzling phrasing contains a grammatical and poetic tension: a verb that seems to float without a second subject, and parallel objects that mirror each other. At the heart of this proverb lies a Hebrew verb with a peculiar object pattern: תמריק (you will cleanse / it will cleanse), and how Hebrew poetry frequently omits verbs in parallelism while preserving syntactic expectation.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar
Tagged Proverbs 20:30
Comments Off on Striking the Depths: Object Concord and Parallel Syntax in Proverbs 20:30
“The Glory of Young Men Is Their Strength”: The Grammar of Age and Honor in Proverbs 20:29
תִּפְאֶ֣רֶת בַּחוּרִ֣ים כֹּחָ֑ם וַהֲדַ֖ר זְקֵנִ֣ים שֵׂיבָֽה׃
In the poetic brevity of Mishlei 20:29, we find a verse that captures one of life’s most universal truths — the changing nature of human value with age. It opens with a declaration about young men, then pivots to the aged:
תִּפְאֶרֶת בַּחוּרִים כֹּחָם
וַהֲדַר זְקֵנִים שֵׂיבָה
“The glory of young men is their strength; the beauty of the aged is their gray hair.”
Beneath its concise form lies a grammatical structure rich with contrast — not only between youth and old age, but between two kinds of value: power and dignity.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar
Tagged Proverbs 20:29
Comments Off on “The Glory of Young Men Is Their Strength”: The Grammar of Age and Honor in Proverbs 20:29
If I Perish, I Perish: Imperatives, Volition, and Repetition in Esther 4:16
Esther 4:16
לֵךְ֩ כְּנֹ֨וס אֶת־כָּל־הַיְּהוּדִ֜ים הַֽנִּמְצְאִ֣ים בְּשׁוּשָׁ֗ן וְצ֣וּמוּ עָ֠לַי וְאַל־תֹּאכְל֨וּ וְאַל־תִּשְׁתּ֜וּ שְׁלֹ֤שֶׁת יָמִים֙ לַ֣יְלָה וָיֹ֔ום גַּם־אֲנִ֥י וְנַעֲרֹתַ֖י אָצ֣וּם כֵּ֑ן וּבְכֵ֞ן אָבֹ֤וא אֶל־הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־כַדָּ֔ת וְכַאֲשֶׁ֥ר אָבַ֖דְתִּי אָבָֽדְתִּי׃
Imperative Sequence: לֵךְ כְּנֹוס
לֵךְ and כְּנֹוס are masculine singular imperatives. לֵךְ (“Go!”) comes from י־ל־ךְ and כְּנֹוס (“Gather!”) from כ־נ־ס. These commands are direct and urgent, addressed to Mordekhai. The sequential imperatives stress immediate action and communal mobilization.
Participle Clause: הַנִּמְצְאִים
הַנִּמְצְאִים is a Niphal participle masculine plural from מ־צ־א (“to be found”).… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar
Tagged Esther 4:16
Comments Off on If I Perish, I Perish: Imperatives, Volition, and Repetition in Esther 4:16
“Her Iniquity Is Greater Than the Sin of Sodom”: The Grammar of Moral Collapse in Lamentations 4:6
וַיִּגְדַּל עֲוֹן בַּת־עַמִּי מֵחַטַּאת סְדֹם הַהֲפוּכָה כְמֹו־רָגַע וְלֹא־חָלוּ בָהּ יָדָיִם׃
In the lament over Jerusalem’s fall, Eikhah 4:6 delivers a declaration of staggering moral gravity:
וַיִּגְדַּל עֲוֹן בַּת־עַמִּי מֵחַטַּאת סְדֹם
“Her iniquity is greater than the sin of Sodom.”
This verse does not merely compare sins — it defines the nature of transgression through grammatical structure. At its center lies a comparative clause that uses an unusual form of contrast: not “like Sodom,” but “greater than the sin of Sodom.” This shift from simile to superlative intensifies the theological weight of the statement and marks a turning point in how Hebrew encodes moral failure.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar
Tagged Lamentations 4:6
Comments Off on “Her Iniquity Is Greater Than the Sin of Sodom”: The Grammar of Moral Collapse in Lamentations 4:6
Clothed in Protest: Syntax, Royal Space, and Social Boundaries in Esther 4:2
וַיָּבֹ֕וא עַ֖ד לִפְנֵ֣י שַֽׁעַר־הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ כִּ֣י אֵ֥ין לָבֹ֛וא אֶל־שַׁ֥עַר הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ בִּלְב֥וּשׁ שָֽׂק׃
Contextual Introduction
Esther 4:2 describes Mordokhai’s public mourning following the edict to destroy the Jews. Having clothed himself in sackcloth and ashes, he approaches the king’s gate but does not enter it. The verse highlights a critical boundary—both physical and symbolic—between royal authority and public lament. The grammar of this verse offers an instructive look at narrative sequencing, negated infinitive constructs, and the sociopolitical implications of biblical Hebrew syntax.
Grammatical Focus: Wayyiqtol Progression, Prepositional Clauses, and Negated Infinitive Construct
1.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar
Tagged Esther 4:2
Comments Off on Clothed in Protest: Syntax, Royal Space, and Social Boundaries in Esther 4:2
The God Who Enters the Dream: Analyzing וַיָּבֹא in Genesis 20:3
Introduction to Genesis 20:3: Divine Encounter in the Night
Genesis 20:3 records a striking moment in the story of Abraham and Abimelek, when God directly intervenes by appearing to Abimelek in a dream. The verse begins with the verb וַיָּבֹא (vayyāvo), meaning “and He came,” referring to God’s sudden and unannounced entry into the dream world of a foreign king. This analysis explores the grammatical, narra2tive, and theological dimensions of this verb and how it contributes to the theme of divine sovereignty and protection.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar
Tagged Genesis, Genesis 20:3
Comments Off on The God Who Enters the Dream: Analyzing וַיָּבֹא in Genesis 20:3
Burning Cities and Captive Kin: The Syntax and Semantics of 1 Samuel 30:3
וַיָּבֹ֨א דָוִ֤ד וַֽאֲנָשָׁיו֙ אֶל־הָעִ֔יר וְהִנֵּ֥ה שְׂרוּפָ֖ה בָּאֵ֑שׁ וּנְשֵׁיהֶ֛ם וּבְנֵיהֶ֥ם וּבְנֹתֵיהֶ֖ם נִשְׁבּֽוּ׃
Contextual Introduction
1 Samuel 30:3 narrates the devastating moment when דָוִד and his men return to their temporary base at צִקְלָג only to find it burned by the Amalekites and their families taken captive. This verse is situated in a climactic section of David’s flight from שָׁאוּל, highlighting themes of loss, crisis, and impending redemption. Grammatically, the verse presents a series of vivid clauses that escalate the emotional impact and build narrative tension.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar
Tagged 1 Samuel 30:3
Comments Off on Burning Cities and Captive Kin: The Syntax and Semantics of 1 Samuel 30:3
The Silence of Judgment: Negation and Emphasis in Job 35:15
Job 35:15
וְעַתָּ֗ה כִּי־֭אַיִן פָּקַ֣ד אַפֹּ֑ו וְלֹֽא־יָדַ֖ע בַּפַּ֣שׁ מְאֹֽד׃
Temporal Transition: וְעַתָּה
The conjunction וְעַתָּה (“and now”) signals a shift in argument or emphasis. In the dialogue of Elihu, it often serves to draw a conclusion or highlight what follows as a consequence or observation. Its role is both temporal and rhetorical — pressing the hearer toward immediate reflection.
Negation of Action: כִּי־אַיִן פָּקַד אַפֹּו
This clause contains the conjunction כִּי (“because” or “indeed”), introducing the cause or grounds for the statement.… Learn Hebrew
Inheritance in the Feminine — Agreement Shift and Syntactic Justice
מִֽמִּשְׁפְּחֹ֛ת בְּנֵֽי־מְנַשֶּׁ֥ה בֶן־יֹוסֵ֖ף הָי֣וּ לְנָשִׁ֑ים וַתְּהִי֙ נַחֲלָתָ֔ן עַל־מַטֵּ֖ה מִשְׁפַּ֥חַת אֲבִיהֶֽן׃
Opening the Lineage
Numbers 36:12 records an anomaly in ancient Israel: daughters, not sons, receive a tribal inheritance. The verse alludes to the daughters of Tselofḥad, whose legal appeal before Moshe reshaped how property was distributed when male heirs were lacking. But it’s not just the content that’s surprising — the grammar itself shifts to reflect it. Most strikingly, the verse employs a feminine singular verb (וַתְּהִי) with a plural feminine subject (נַחֲלָתָן).… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar
Tagged Numbers 36:12
Comments Off on Inheritance in the Feminine — Agreement Shift and Syntactic Justice
The Conditional Clause and Rhetorical Comparison in Ecclesiastes 6:3
Introduction to Ecclesiastes 6:3
Ecclesiastes 6:3 presents a hypothetical scenario emphasizing the futility of a long life and many children without true satisfaction. The conditional clause beginning with אִם (“if”) sets up a hypothetical situation, while the rhetorical comparison with הַנָּֽפֶל (“the stillborn child”) reinforces the theme of existential vanity. This verse is part of Kohelet’s broader exploration of the limits of human achievement and the fleeting nature of worldly success.
This study will analyze the syntactic structure of the conditional clause, the function of the comparison, and the theological implications of the passage.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar
Comments Off on The Conditional Clause and Rhetorical Comparison in Ecclesiastes 6:3