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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 Construct Phrase “Apple of His Eye” and Its Significance in Zechariah 2:12
כִּ֣י כֹ֣ה אָמַר֮ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָאֹות֒ אַחַ֣ר כָּבֹ֔וד שְׁלָחַ֕נִי אֶל־הַגֹּויִ֖ם הַשֹּׁלְלִ֣ים אֶתְכֶ֑ם כִּ֚י הַנֹּגֵ֣עַ בָּכֶ֔ם נֹגֵ֖עַ בְּבָבַ֥ת עֵינֹֽו׃
(Zechariah 2:12)
For thus said YHWH of hosts, After glory He sent me to the nations who plunder you, for whoever touches you touches the pupil of His eye.
Zechariah 2:12 is a prophetic declaration of divine protection over Israel, emphasizing God’s response to the nations who harm His people. The verse contains a construct phrase, “בְּבָבַ֥ת עֵינֹֽו” (“the apple of His eye”), which conveys tender care and sensitivity.… Learn Hebrew
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Sequential Wayyiqtol Chains and Psychological Narration in Biblical Hebrew
וַיַּ֥רְא יֹוסֵ֛ף אֶת־אֶחָ֖יו וַיַּכִּרֵ֑ם וַיִּתְנַכֵּ֨ר אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם וַיְדַבֵּ֧ר אִתָּ֣ם קָשֹׁ֗ות וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ מֵאַ֣יִן בָּאתֶ֔ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ כְּנַ֖עַן לִשְׁבָּר־אֹֽכֶל׃
(Genesis 42:7)
And Yosef saw his brothers, and he recognized them, but he acted like a stranger toward them and spoke harshly with them. And he said to them, “From where have you come?” And they said, “From the land of Kena’an to buy food.”
This verse is a literary turning point: Yosef sees his brothers for the first time since being sold into slavery.… Learn Hebrew
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The Use of Narrative Verb Forms and Sequential Action in Judges 2:1
וַיַּ֧עַל מַלְאַךְ־יְהוָ֛ה מִן־הַגִּלְגָּ֖ל אֶל־הַבֹּכִ֑ים פ וַיֹּאמֶר֩ אַעֲלֶ֨ה אֶתְכֶ֜ם מִמִּצְרַ֗יִם וָאָבִ֤יא אֶתְכֶם֙ אֶל־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֤ר נִשְׁבַּ֨עְתִּי֙ לַאֲבֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם וָאֹמַ֕ר לֹֽא־אָפֵ֧ר בְּרִיתִ֛י אִתְּכֶ֖ם לְעֹולָֽם׃
(Judges 2:1)
And the angel of YHWH went up from the Gilgal to the Bokhim, and he said, “I brought you up from Mitsrayim and brought you into the land which I swore to your fathers, and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you forever.
Judges 2:1 introduces a divine proclamation by מַלְאַךְ־יְהוָה (Mal’akh YHWH, “the Angel of the LORD”).… Learn Hebrew
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“Now, Be Strong”: The Imperative of Divine Encouragement in Haggai 2:4
וְעַתָּ֣ה חֲזַ֣ק זְרֻבָּבֶ֣ל נְאֻם־יְהוָ֡ה וַחֲזַ֣ק יְהֹושֻׁ֣עַ בֶּן־יְהֹוצָדָק֩ הַכֹּהֵ֨ן הַגָּדֹ֜ול וַחֲזַ֨ק כָּל־עַ֥ם הָאָ֛רֶץ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֖ה וַֽעֲשׂ֑וּ כִּֽי־אֲנִ֣י אִתְּכֶ֔ם נְאֻ֖ם יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֹֽות׃
(Haggai 2:4)
But now, be strong, Zerubbabel, declares YHWH; and be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all the people of the land, declares YHWH. And work, for I am with you, declares YHWH of hosts.
In the prophetic call of Haggai 2:4, God speaks directly to the leaders and people of post-exilic Judah. After a long silence and a people demoralized by the modest state of the Second Temple’s reconstruction, this verse is a rallying cry: “Now, be strong!”… Learn Hebrew
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The Construct Chain and Prophetic Superscription in Amos 1:1
This study will analyze the construct chain structure, the role of relative clauses, and the theological significance of prophetic authorship and historical anchoring.
דִּבְרֵ֣י עָמֹ֔וס אֲשֶׁר־הָיָ֥ה בַנֹּקְדִ֖ים מִתְּקֹ֑ועַ אֲשֶׁר֩ חָזָ֨ה עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל בִּימֵ֣י עֻזִּיָּ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֗ה וּבִימֵ֞י יָרָבְעָ֤ם בֶּן־יֹואָשׁ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל שְׁנָתַ֖יִם לִפְנֵ֥י הָרָֽעַשׁ׃
(Amos 1:1)
The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds from Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.… Learn Hebrew
The Imperative Verb “Save!” and Its Function in Biblical Prayers of Lament in Psalm 12:1-2
This study will analyze the syntactic structure of the imperative, the function of lament in Hebrew poetry, and the theological implications of the absence of righteousness.
לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ עַֽל־הַשְּׁמִינִ֗ית מִזְמֹ֥ור לְדָוִֽד׃
הֹושִׁ֣יעָה יְ֭הוָה כִּי־גָמַ֣ר חָסִ֑יד כִּי־פַ֥סּוּ אֱ֝מוּנִ֗ים מִבְּנֵ֥י אָדָֽם׃
(Psalm 12:1-2)
For the choirmaster, upon the eighth: a psalm of David.
Save, YHWH, for the godly one is gone; for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.
Psalm 12 is a lament psalm attributed to David, beginning with a cry for divine intervention.… Learn Hebrew
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The Path of Life: Infinitives, Construct Chains, and Eternal Joy in Psalm 16:11
תֹּֽודִיעֵנִי֮ אֹ֤רַח חַ֫יִּ֥ים שֹׂ֣בַע שְׂ֭מָחֹות אֶת־פָּנֶ֑יךָ נְעִמֹ֖ות בִּימִינְךָ֣ נֶֽצַח׃
(Psalm 16:11)
You make known to me the path of life; fullness of joy is in your presence, pleasures are at your right hand forever.
Psalm 16:11 concludes a deeply personal declaration of trust in YHWH. The psalmist expresses joy, security, and the assurance of eternal fellowship with the divine presence. This final verse combines prayer, affirmation, and poetic imagery into one syntactically dense expression of life beyond death. The grammatical structures—second person verb forms, construct phrases, and descriptive appositives—convey theological richness and eschatological hope.… Learn Hebrew
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The Semantics and Metaphorical Meaning of שַׁלַּ֥ח in Ecclesiastes 11:1
This study will analyze the grammatical structure of the imperative verb, the function of metaphor in biblical Hebrew, and the theological implications of the verse.
שַׁלַּ֥ח לַחְמְךָ֖ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הַמָּ֑יִם כִּֽי־בְרֹ֥ב הַיָּמִ֖ים תִּמְצָאֶֽנּוּ׃
(Ecclesiastes 11:1)
Cast your bread upon the surface of the waters, for after many days you will find it.
Ecclesiastes 11:1 presents a metaphorical proverb that has been widely debated in biblical interpretation. The phrase שַׁלַּ֥ח לַחְמְךָ֖ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הַמָּ֑יִם (“Send forth your bread upon the surface of the waters”) suggests an act of generosity, faith, or investment with an eventual return.… Learn Hebrew
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The Function and Semantics of the Hitpa‘el Stem in Ezra 10:1
וּכְהִתְפַּלֵּ֤ל עֶזְרָא֙ וּכְ֨הִתְוַדֹּתֹ֔ו בֹּכֶה֙ וּמִתְנַפֵּ֔ל לִפְנֵ֖י בֵּ֣ית הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים נִקְבְּצוּ֩ אֵלָ֨יו מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֜ל קָהָ֣ל רַב־מְאֹ֗ד אֲנָשִׁ֤ים וְנָשִׁים֙ וִֽילָדִ֔ים כִּֽי־בָכ֥וּ הָעָ֖ם הַרְבֵּה־בֶֽכֶה׃
(Ezra 10:1)
And as Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and falling before the house of God, a very great assembly of Israel—men, women, and children—gathered to him, for the people wept with much weeping.
Ezra 10:1 describes Ezra’s public prayer and confession, which deeply moves the people of Israel, leading them to a communal act of repentance. This verse contains multiple hitpa‘el (התפעל) verbs, a Hebrew verb stem that typically expresses reflexive, reciprocal, or iterative action.… Learn Hebrew
The Custom of Removing the Sandal in Ancient Israelite Legal Transactions
This article will analyze the linguistic structure and function of the verb שָׁלַף (“to remove”), its usage in legal discourse, and the broader implications of the sandal-removal custom in Biblical Hebrew law.
וְזֹאת֩ לְפָנִ֨ים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל עַל־הַגְּאוּלָּ֤ה וְעַל־הַתְּמוּרָה֙ לְקַיֵּ֣ם כָּל־דָּבָ֔ר שָׁלַ֥ף אִ֛ישׁ נַעֲלֹ֖ו וְנָתַ֣ן לְרֵעֵ֑הוּ וְזֹ֥את הַתְּעוּדָ֖ה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
(Ruth 4:7)
Now this was formerly the custom in Israel concerning redemption and exchange, to confirm every matter: a man would remove his sandal and give it to his neighbor, and this was the attestation in Israel.… Learn Hebrew