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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
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Category Archives: Grammar
The Cohortative Verb and Prophetic Invitation in Isaiah 2:3
וְֽהָלְכ֞וּ עַמִּ֣ים רַבִּ֗ים וְאָמְרוּ֙ לְכ֣וּ וְנַעֲלֶ֣ה אֶל־הַר־יְהוָ֗ה אֶל־בֵּית֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יַעֲקֹ֔ב וְיֹרֵ֨נוּ֙ מִדְּרָכָ֔יו וְנֵלְכָ֖ה בְּאֹרְחֹתָ֑יו כִּ֤י מִצִּיֹּון֙ תֵּצֵ֣א תֹורָ֔ה וּדְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה מִירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃
(Isaiah 2:3)
And many peoples will go, and they will say: Come, and let us go up to the mountain of YHWH, to the house of the God of Jacob, and He will teach us from His ways, and we will walk in His paths. For from Zion Torah will go out, and the word of YHWH from Jerusalem.
Introduction to Isaiah 2:3
Isaiah 2:3 is part of a prophetic vision describing the nations streaming to Zion to learn the ways of YHWH.… Learn Hebrew
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“Even a Fool Is Counted Wise When He Holds His Peace”: The Syntax of Silence in Proverbs 17:28
גַּ֤ם אֱוִ֣יל מַ֭חֲרִישׁ חָכָ֣ם יֵחָשֵׁ֑ב אֹטֵ֖ם שְׂפָתָ֣יו נָבֹֽון׃
(Proverbs 17:28)
In the concise and penetrating style characteristic of Mishlei, Mishlei 17:28 delivers a proverb that is as surprising as it is subversive:
גַּם אֱוִיל מַחֲרִישׁ חָכָם יֵחָשֵׁב אֹטֵם שְׂפָתָיו נָבוֹן
“Even a fool, when he holds his peace, is accounted wise; he who closes his lips is deemed understanding.”
Beneath its compact form lies a rich grammatical structure — one that juxtaposes three syntactic pairs to explore the paradoxical value of silence.… Learn Hebrew
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In the Wake of the Unsearchable — Cycles of Negation and the Collapse of Wisdom
וְרָאִיתִי֮ אֶת־כָּל־מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה הָאֱלֹהִים֒ כִּי֩ לֹ֨א יוּכַ֜ל הָאָדָ֗ם לִמְצֹוא֙ אֶת־הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נַעֲשָׂ֣ה תַֽחַת־הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ בְּ֠שֶׁל אֲשֶׁ֨ר יַעֲמֹ֧ל הָאָדָ֛ם לְבַקֵּ֖שׁ וְלֹ֣א יִמְצָ֑א וְגַ֨ם אִם־יֹאמַ֤ר הֶֽחָכָם֙ לָדַ֔עַת לֹ֥א יוּכַ֖ל לִמְצֹֽא׃
Stepping into the Paradox
Ecclesiastes 8:17 is a labyrinth of pursuit and limitation. The Preacher looks into the works of God and arrives not at discovery, but at layered frustration. Though man toils to know, and though even the wise claim understanding, the grammar undoes them all. The verse is built on repeated negations, fractured causality, and recursive syntax — a structure that mirrors the theological message: human limitation in the face of divine action.… Learn Hebrew
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The Imperative Verb and Direct/Indirect Objects in Exodus 33:1
Introduction to Exodus 33:1
Exodus 33:1 occurs after the sin of the golden calf, when YHWH commands Moshe to lead the Israelites toward the Promised Land. The verse contains an imperative verb, several direct and indirect objects, and a relative clause modifying the divine promise to the patriarchs. The use of the imperative לֵךְ (“Go!”) and the command to ascend (עֲלֵה) conveys urgency and divine authority. Additionally, the repetition of אֲשֶׁר introduces relative clauses that define the people and the covenantal land.… Learn Hebrew
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Prophetic Judgment Unfolded: Future Imperfects and Consequence Chains in Amos 7:17
לָכֵ֞ן כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה אִשְׁתְּךָ֞ בָּעִ֤יר תִּזְנֶה֙ וּבָנֶ֤יךָ וּבְנֹתֶ֨יךָ֙ בַּחֶ֣רֶב יִפֹּ֔לוּ וְאַדְמָתְךָ֖ בַּחֶ֣בֶל תְּחֻלָּ֑ק וְאַתָּ֗ה עַל־אֲדָמָ֤ה טְמֵאָה֙ תָּמ֔וּת וְיִ֨שְׂרָאֵ֔ל גָּלֹ֥ה יִגְלֶ֖ה מֵעַ֥ל אַדְמָתֹֽו׃
(Amos 7:17)
Therefore thus said YHWH: “Your wife will prostitute herself in the city, and your sons and your daughters will fall by the sword, and your land will be divided by measuring line, and you on unclean ground will die, and Israel will surely go into exile from upon its land.”
Divine Introduction: לָכֵן כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה
לָכֵן (“therefore”) signals consequence or divine response.… Learn Hebrew
Proverbs 17:27 – Construct Chains and Elliptical Parallelism
חֹושֵׂ֣ךְ אֲ֭מָרָיו יֹודֵ֣עַ דָּ֑עַת וְקַר־֝ר֗וּחַ אִ֣ישׁ תְּבוּנָֽה׃
(Proverbs 17:27)
One who restrains his words knows knowledge, and one who is cool of spirit is a man of understanding.
Explanation of Feature
This verse from Proverbs 17:27 showcases two poetic and grammatical features:
1. Construct chains (סְמִיכוּת), such as אִישׁ תְּבוּנָה (“a man of understanding”), where one noun modifies another in a genitive-like relationship.
2. Elliptical parallelism, in which the second clause mirrors the first but omits repeated grammatical elements, allowing readers to supply them from context.… Learn Hebrew
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Military Metaphors and Temporal Expressions in Biblical Hebrew
הֲלֹא־צָבָ֣א לֶאֱנֹ֣ושׁ עַל־אָ֑רֶץ וְכִימֵ֖י שָׂכִ֣יר יָמָֽיו
(Job 7:1)
Is there not a struggle for man on earth, and like the days of a hired laborer are his days?
Introduction to Job 7:1
Job 7:1 employs military imagery and time-based expressions to describe human existence. The phrase “הֲלֹא־צָבָ֣א לֶאֱנֹ֣ושׁ עַל־אָ֑רֶץ” (“Is not man’s life a struggle on earth?”) draws on the metaphor of a soldier’s service, equating life with hardship and labor. Additionally, the phrase “וְכִימֵ֖י שָׂכִ֣יר יָמָֽיו” (“and like the days of a hired worker are his days”) compares human life to that of a hired laborer, emphasizing its transience and toil.… Learn Hebrew
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Bringing Them to My Holy Mountain: A Study in Purpose and Result in Isaiah 56:7
וַהֲבִיאֹותִ֞ים אֶל־הַ֣ר קָדְשִׁ֗י וְשִׂמַּחְתִּים֙ בְּבֵ֣ית תְּפִלָּתִ֔י עֹולֹתֵיהֶ֧ם וְזִבְחֵיהֶ֛ם לְרָצֹ֖ון עַֽל־מִזְבְּחִ֑י כִּ֣י בֵיתִ֔י בֵּית־תְּפִלָּ֥ה יִקָּרֵ֖א לְכָל־הָעַמִּֽים׃
In the final chapters of Isaiah, we encounter a vision of hope that stretches beyond Israel’s borders—a divine promise not only of restoration but of inclusion. In Isaiah 56:7, God declares His intention to bring foreigners and outsiders into the heart of worship:
וַהֲבִיאֹותִ֞ים אֶל־הַ֣ר קָדְשִׁ֗י וְשִׂמַּחְתִּים֙ בְּבֵ֣ית תְּפִלָּתִ֔י עֹולֹתֵיהֶ֧ם וְזִבְחֵיהֶ֛ם לְרָצֹ֖ון עַֽל־מִזְבְּחִ֑י כִּ֣י בֵיתִ֔י בֵּית־תְּפִלָּ֥ה יִקָּרֵ֖א לְכָל־הָעַמִּֽים׃
“I will bring them to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer; their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on My altar, for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”… Learn Hebrew
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“He Cannot Eat”: The Grammar of Futility in Ecclesiastes 6:2
אִ֣ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִתֶּן־לֹ֣ו הָאֱלֹהִ֡ים עֹשֶׁר֩ וּנְכָסִ֨ים וְכָבֹ֜וד וְֽאֵינֶ֨נּוּ חָסֵ֥ר לְנַפְשֹׁ֣ו מִכֹּ֣ול אֲשֶׁר־יִתְאַוֶּ֗ה וְלֹֽא־יַשְׁלִיטֶ֤נּוּ הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ לֶאֱכֹ֣ל מִמֶּ֔נּוּ כִּ֛י אִ֥ישׁ נָכְרִ֖י יֹֽאכֲלֶ֑נּוּ זֶ֥ה הֶ֛בֶל וָחֳלִ֥י רָ֖ע הֽוּא׃
In Qohelet 6:2, we encounter one of the most haunting paradoxes in the Hebrew Bible. A man is given everything — wealth, honor, and even every desire of his soul — yet he is denied the ability to enjoy it. Instead, a stranger consumes it all. This verse does not merely describe irony; it performs it through language.… Learn Hebrew
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Temporal Clauses and Chronological Markers in Biblical Hebrew
Introduction to 1 Kings 6:1
1 Kings 6:1 provides a precise chronological marker, situating the construction of Solomon’s Temple in relation to the Exodus from Egypt. This verse is significant because it demonstrates how Biblical Hebrew expresses time through temporal clauses, specific numerical expressions, and verb structures. The phrase “וַיְהִ֣י בִשְׁמֹונִ֣ים שָׁנָ֣ה וְאַרְבַּ֣ע מֵאֹ֣ות שָׁנָ֡ה” (“And it was in the 480th year”) highlights the Hebrew method of expressing ordinal chronology.
וַיְהִ֣י בִשְׁמֹונִ֣ים שָׁנָ֣ה וְאַרְבַּ֣ע מֵאֹ֣ות שָׁנָ֡ה לְצֵ֣את בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל מֵאֶֽרֶץ־מִצְרַיִם֩ בַּשָּׁנָ֨ה הָרְבִיעִ֜ית בְּחֹ֣דֶשׁ זִ֗ו ה֚וּא הַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִ֔י לִמְלֹ֥ךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיִּ֥בֶן הַבַּ֖יִת לַיהוָֽה׃
Analysis of Key Words/Phrases
וַיְהִ֣י (vay’hi)
Root: הָיָה (“to be”)
Form: Conjugated verb, Qal wayyiqtol, 3rd masculine singular
Translation: “And it was”
Notes: A common temporal marker introducing a narrative or event.… Learn Hebrew
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