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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
Deceptive Weights and Divine Justice: Analyzing מֹאזְנֵי מִרְמָה in Proverbs 11:1
Introduction to Proverbs 11:1: The Scales of Righteousness
Proverbs 11:1 presents a powerful moral and theological declaration about honesty in commerce and divine justice. The phrase מֹאזְנֵי מִרְמָה (moznê mirmāh, “deceitful scales”) serves as a metaphor for fraudulent business practices, which are described as an abomination to YHWH. This verse contrasts dishonest dealings with righteous weights, demonstrating that economic ethics are fundamentally linked to divine favor or disapproval.
מֹאזְנֵ֣י מִ֭רְמָה תֹּועֲבַ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה וְאֶ֖בֶן שְׁלֵמָ֣ה רְצֹונֹֽו׃
The Weight of Words: Understanding מֹאזְנֵי מִרְמָה
מֹאזְנֵי מִרְמָה תֹּועֲבַ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה
מֹאזְנֵי (moznê) – “Scales” (plural construct form of מֹאזְנַיִם, moznayim, “balances, scales”).… Learn Hebrew
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Infinitives, Verbal Parallelism, and Philosophical Irony in Ecclesiastes 10:19
לִשְׂחֹוק֙ עֹשִׂ֣ים לֶ֔חֶם וְיַ֖יִן יְשַׂמַּ֣ח חַיִּ֑ים וְהַכֶּ֖סֶף יַעֲנֶ֥ה אֶת־הַכֹּֽל׃
Bread is made for laughter, and wine gladdens life, and money answers everything.
Wisdom Discourse and Literary Ambiguity in Qohelet
Ecclesiastes 10:19 is a compact yet theologically and grammatically dense aphorism. As with much of Qohelet, its ambiguity is deliberate, and its grammar is tightly structured to allow multiple interpretive layers. The verse reads:
This verse concludes a section reflecting on folly and wisdom in political and social life. It is syntactically structured in a triadic form: each clause presents a subject, a verb, and an object or complement.… Learn Hebrew
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Iron, Effort, and Wisdom: Poetic Economy and Syntax in Ecclesiastes 10:10
אִם־קֵהָ֣ה הַבַּרְזֶ֗ל וְהוּא֙ לֹא־פָנִ֣ים קִלְקַ֔ל וַחֲיָלִ֖ים יְגַבֵּ֑ר וְיִתְרֹ֥ון הַכְשֵׁ֖יר חָכְמָֽה׃
(Ecclesiastes 10:10)
If the iron is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must strengthen with force; but the advantage of success is wisdom.
Ecclesiastes 10:10 presents a metaphor of labor and effort: a dull iron blade, extra exertion, and the wisdom required to succeed. It fits within the broader themes of Qohelet, where wisdom is praised, yet human limitations and futility are acknowledged. This verse invites reflection on the balance between brute force and strategic thinking.… Learn Hebrew
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The Joy and Sorrow of a Son: Analyzing יְשַׂמַּח in Proverbs 10:1
Introduction to Proverbs 10:1: Wisdom and Folly in the Household
Proverbs 10:1 marks the beginning of a new literary section—the collected sayings of Solomon. This verse presents a stark contrast between wisdom and folly, framed within the parental relationship. The verb יְשַׂמַּח (yəsammaḥ), “he makes glad,” plays a central role, revealing the power of a child’s actions to shape the emotional world of the family.
מִשְׁלֵ֗י שְׁלֹ֫מֹ֥ה פ בֵּ֣ן חָ֭כָם יְשַׂמַּח־אָ֑ב וּבֵ֥ן כְּ֝סִ֗יל תּוּגַ֥ת אִמֹּֽו׃
Examining the Core Structure: The Parallelism of Joy and Sorrow
The two-part parallelism of this verse is clear:
בֵּ֣ן חָ֭כָם יְשַׂמַּח־אָ֑ב
בֵּן (bēn) – “A son” (subject).… Learn Hebrew
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“For I Have Known Him”: The Grammar of Covenantal Command in Genesis 18:19
כִּ֣י יְדַעְתִּ֗יו לְמַעַן֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְצַוֶּ֜ה אֶת־בָּנָ֤יו וְאֶת־בֵּיתֹו֙ אַחֲרָ֔יו וְשָֽׁמְרוּ֙ דֶּ֣רֶךְ יְהוָ֔ה לַעֲשֹׂ֥ות צְדָקָ֖ה וּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט לְמַ֗עַן הָבִ֤יא יְהוָה֙ עַל־אַבְרָהָ֔ם אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֖ר עָלָֽיו׃
In one of the most intimate moments of divine reflection, God speaks not only about Abraham but to Himself — or perhaps to the heavenly court. In Bereishit 18:19, He declares:
כִּי יְדַעְתִּיו לְמַעַן אֲשֶׁר יְצַוֶּה אֶת בָּנָיו וְאֶת־בֵּיתוֹ אַחֲרָיו
“For I have known him, because he will command his sons and his household after him.”
This verse does more than affirm Abraham’s righteousness — it defines the very purpose of divine election through a grammatical structure that is both precise and profound.… Learn Hebrew
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The House that Wisdom Built: Analyzing בָּנְתָה in Proverbs 9:1
Introduction to Proverbs 9:1: The Architecture of Wisdom
Proverbs 9:1 presents one of the most striking images in biblical poetry—Wisdom, personified as a master architect, building her house with seven pillars. The verb בָּנְתָה (bāntāh), “she has built,” is not merely a grammatical structure; it is a theological and poetic blueprint, revealing how divine wisdom constructs the very foundations of knowledge, righteousness, and creation itself.
חָ֭כְמֹות בָּנְתָ֣ה בֵיתָ֑הּ חָצְבָ֖ה עַמּוּדֶ֣יהָ שִׁבְעָֽה׃
The Foundation of the Text: What is Being Built?
At the heart of this verse is a grand metaphor: Wisdom builds her house—but what does this house symbolize?… Learn Hebrew
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Infinitive Purpose: The Hidden Aim of Wisdom in Proverbs 19:8
קֹֽנֶה־֭לֵּב אֹהֵ֣ב נַפְשֹׁ֑ו שֹׁמֵ֥ר תְּ֝בוּנָ֗ה לִמְצֹא־טֹֽוב׃
Proverbs 19:8 offers more than a praise of self-care—it offers a tightly woven grammatical chain that climaxes in the infinitive phrase לִמְצֹא־טֹוב, “to find good.” The proverb joins two clauses, each with its own participle, and ends with an infinitive construct that expresses purpose or result. This structure showcases one of Biblical Hebrew’s elegant tools: the infinitive construct with a prefixed לְ to express intention or outcome.
Literal Meaning
“One who acquires heart loves his soul; one who keeps understanding [does so] to find good.”… Learn Hebrew
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The Poetic Call of Wisdom: Analyzing תִקְרָא in Proverbs 8:1
Introduction to Proverbs 8:1: When Wisdom Speaks
Proverbs 8:1 stands as a grand overture to one of the most elevated poetic personifications in biblical literature—Wisdom (חָכְמָה, ḥokhmāh). Unlike the enticing voice of folly in earlier chapters, here Wisdom herself takes center stage, raising her voice, summoning all who would heed her call. The verb תִקְרָא (tiqrāʾ)—”she calls”—is not merely a grammatical function but a powerful rhetorical device that invites the reader to step into an oratory where divine instruction resonates.
הֲלֹֽא־חָכְמָ֥ה תִקְרָ֑א וּ֝תְבוּנָ֗ה תִּתֵּ֥ן קֹולָֽהּ׃
Unraveling the Hebrew: The Cry of Wisdom
At first glance, the parallelism of this verse is unmistakable: Wisdom (חָכְמָה, ḥokhmāh) and Understanding (תְבוּנָה, təvūnāh) are active—they call, they give voice.… Learn Hebrew
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Mercy That Subdues: Verbal Repetition, Piel Imperatives, and Ocean Imagery in Micah 7:19
Micah 7:19
יָשׁ֣וּב יְרַֽחֲמֵ֔נוּ יִכְבֹּ֖שׁ עֲוֹֽנֹתֵ֑ינוּ וְתַשְׁלִ֛יךְ בִּמְצֻלֹ֥ות יָ֖ם כָּל־חַטֹּאותָֽם׃
Mercy Repeated: יָשׁוּב יְרַחֲמֵנוּ
יָשׁוּב — Qal imperfect 3ms of שׁ־ו־ב, “he will return.”
This may refer either to God returning to His people or resuming His compassion. It echoes previous covenantal language where divine wrath is replaced by divine mercy.
יְרַחֲמֵנוּ — Piel imperfect 3ms + 1cp suffix of ר־ח־ם, “to show compassion.”
The Piel intensifies: “He will have compassion on us deeply.” The pronominal suffix makes the object explicit: “on us.”… Learn Hebrew
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The Imperative Verb שְׁמֹר in Proverbs 7:1
בְּ֭נִי שְׁמֹ֣ר אֲמָרָ֑י וּ֝מִצְוֹתַ֗י תִּצְפֹּ֥ן אִתָּֽךְ׃
(Proverbs 7:1)
My son, guard my words, and store up my commandments with you.
Proverbs 7:1 contains a parental exhortation urging the son to heed wisdom and treasure commandments. The verb שְׁמֹר (shemor) is in the imperative form, a common grammatical structure used in Biblical Hebrew for direct commands or instructions. This analysis will explore the morphology, syntactic function, and semantic implications of שְׁמֹר in this wisdom literature context.
Analysis of Key Words/Phrases
The imperative verb שְׁמֹר (shemor) appears in the phrase:
בְּ֭נִי שְׁמֹ֣ר אֲמָרָ֑י
This phrase consists of:
בְּנִי (bəni) – “My son” (vocative noun, direct address).… Learn Hebrew
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