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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
Joel 4:17 – Nominal Clauses and Future Negation
וִֽידַעְתֶּ֗ם כִּ֣י אֲנִ֤י יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔ם שֹׁכֵ֖ן בְּצִיֹּ֣ון הַר־קָדְשִׁ֑י וְהָיְתָ֤ה יְרוּשָׁלִַ֨ם֙ קֹ֔דֶשׁ וְזָרִ֥ים לֹא־יַֽעַבְרוּ־בָ֖הּ עֹֽוד׃
And you shall know that I am the LORD your God, dwelling in Tsiyyon, my holy mountain, and Yerushalayim shall be holiness, and strangers shall not pass through her again.
Explanation of Feature
This verse from Joel 4:17 (Hebrew numbering; English Joel 3:17) illustrates two core grammatical features:
1. The nominal clause without a verb, used in the phrase אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, and
2. The future negation using לֹא + yiqtol in לֹא־יַעַבְרוּ (“they shall not pass”).… Learn Hebrew
The Poetic Use of Parallelism and the Syntax of Distress in Lamentations 4:4
Introduction to Lamentations 4:4
Lamentations 4:4 presents a vivid depiction of suffering during the siege of Jerusalem, emphasizing the plight of infants and children who lack food and water. The verse uses parallelism—a fundamental feature of Hebrew poetry—to contrast physical thirst and hunger, intensifying the emotional impact.
This passage consists of two parallel clauses:
The first clause describes a thirsty infant, whose tongue clings to the roof of its mouth.
The second clause portrays hungry children asking for bread, but no one gives it to them.… Learn Hebrew
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The Narrative Function and Theological Force of the Wayyiqtol in Genesis 4:3
Introduction: Context and Theological Prelude to Genesis 4:3
Genesis 4:3 initiates the Cain and Hevel narrative, one of the earliest and most theologically rich portrayals of human worship, sin, and divine response in the Hebrew Bible. The verse marks a transition from genealogical narration to a dramatic theological episode. It reads:
וַֽיְהִ֖י מִקֵּ֣ץ יָמִ֑ים וַיָּבֵ֨א קַ֜יִן מִפְּרִ֧י הָֽאֲדָמָ֛ה מִנְחָ֖ה לַֽיהוָֽה׃
And it came to pass at the end of days that Qayin brought from the fruit of the ground an offering to the LORD.… Learn Hebrew
Turning the Cheek: Volitional Imperfects and Theological Submission in Lamentations 3:30
יִתֵּ֧ן לְמַכֵּ֛הוּ לֶ֖חִי יִשְׂבַּ֥ע בְּחֶרְפָּֽה׃
Contextual Introduction
Lamentations 3:30 stands amid a poetic and theological meditation on suffering, justice, and divine discipline. The speaker, often identified with the suffering servant or representative of Israel, moves from complaint to hope, and here advocates a radical ethic of humility and submission. This verse calls for yielding to physical and social humiliation—”let him give his cheek to the one who strikes him; let him be filled with reproach.” It is echoed famously in later Jewish and Christian texts, including the words of Yeshuʿ in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:39).… Learn Hebrew
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The Definite Construct Chain and Appositional Precision in Biblical Hebrew
Introduction to 2 Kings 4:1
This verse opens with the heartfelt cry of a widow, introducing a remarkable construction: אִשָּׁ֣ה אַחַ֣ת מִנְּשֵׁ֣י בְנֵֽי־הַנְּבִיאִים. The phrase is a finely layered construct chain embedded with specificity and grammatical hierarchy. This lesson focuses on how definiteness in construct chains, especially those involving multiple levels (e.g., “one woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets”), operates in Biblical Hebrew and contributes to both syntactic accuracy and rhetorical impact.
וְאִשָּׁ֣ה אַחַ֣ת מִנְּשֵׁ֣י בְנֵֽי־֠הַנְּבִיאִים צָעֲקָ֨ה אֶל־אֱלִישָׁ֜ע לֵאמֹ֗ר עַבְדְּךָ֤ אִישִׁי֙ מֵ֔ת וְאַתָּ֣ה יָדַ֔עְתָּ כִּ֣י עַבְדְּךָ֔ הָיָ֥ה יָרֵ֖א אֶת־יְהוָ֑ה וְהַ֨נֹּשֶׁ֔ה בָּ֗א לָקַ֜חַת אֶת־שְׁנֵ֧י יְלָדַ֛י לֹ֖ו לַעֲבָדִֽים׃
Analysis of Key Words and Structures
אִשָּׁ֣ה אַחַ֣ת (ishah aḥat) – “One woman.”… Learn Hebrew
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Distributive Parallelism and Instrumentality in Proverbs 26:3
Introduction to Proverbs 26:3: Wisdom in the Whip and the Word
Proverbs 26:3 is a striking example of proverbial instruction employing both poetic symmetry and metaphorical economy. The verse connects three subjects (horse, donkey, fool) with three corresponding tools (whip, bridle, rod). This grammar lesson explores the verse’s use of distributive parallelism and how Hebrew syntax and morphology communicate instrumentality, purpose, and implied comparison through structure rather than explicit words.
שֹׁ֣וט לַ֭סּוּס מֶ֣תֶג לַחֲמֹ֑ור וְ֝שֵׁ֗בֶט לְגֵ֣ו כְּסִילִֽים׃
Analysis of Key Words and Structure
1.… Learn Hebrew
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Imperative and Cohortative Forms in Ruth 4:4
Introduction to Ruth 4:4
Ruth 4:4 records Boaz’s formal negotiation regarding the redemption of Naomi’s land and the levirate marriage to Ruth. The passage features legal terminology and speech formulas used in contracts and public declarations. A key grammatical aspect in this verse is the use of imperative and cohortative forms, which convey commands, requests, and volitional actions. This article will examine these forms in Ruth 4:4, their functions, and their nuances in Biblical Hebrew.
וַאֲנִ֨י אָמַ֜רְתִּי אֶגְלֶ֧ה אָזְנְךָ֣ לֵאמֹ֗ר קְ֠נֵה נֶ֥גֶד הַֽיֹּשְׁבִים֮ וְנֶ֣גֶד זִקְנֵ֣י עַמִּי֒ אִם־תִּגְאַל֙ גְּאָ֔ל וְאִם־לֹ֨א יִגְאַ֜ל הַגִּ֣ידָה לִּ֗י וְאֵדְעָה כִּ֣י אֵ֤ין זוּלָֽתְךָ֙ לִגְאֹ֔ול וְאָנֹכִ֖י אַחֲרֶ֑יךָ וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אָנֹכִ֥י אֶגְאָֽל׃
Analysis of Key Words/Phrases
The verse contains three key imperative and cohortative forms:
1.… Learn Hebrew
The Symbolism of Garment Removal and the Grammatical Function of Imperative and Perfect Verbs in Divine Purification in Zechariah 3:4
Introduction to Zechariah 3:4
Zechariah 3:4 presents a vision of divine purification, where the High Priest Yehoshua stands before the angel of YHWH and has his filthy garments removed as a sign of divine atonement. The verse consists of a series of commands and declarative statements, combining imperative verbs (for immediate action) and perfect verbs (for completed divine acts).
This passage highlights three key theological elements:
The removal of impurity through the stripping of soiled garments.
The declaration of divine atonement, shifting from sin to righteousness.… Learn Hebrew
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Wayyiqtol Chains and Subordination in 2 Samuel 15:2: The Politics of Grammar in Absalom’s Strategy
Introduction: Narrative Strategy and Court Intrigue in 2 Samuel 15:2
2 Samuel 15:2 opens the account of Absalom’s calculated attempt to usurp David’s throne. The verse is syntactically rich, reflecting the subtlety of Absalom’s deception through a complex chain of wayyiqtol forms and subordinate clauses. The verse reads:
וְהִשְׁכִּים֙ אַבְשָׁלֹ֔ום וְעָמַ֕ד עַל־יַ֖ד דֶּ֣רֶךְ הַשָּׁ֑עַר וַיְהִ֡י כָּל־הָאִ֣ישׁ אֲשֶֽׁר־יִהְיֶה־לֹּו־רִיב֩ לָבֹ֨וא אֶל־הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ לַמִּשְׁפָּ֗ט וַיִּקְרָ֨א אַבְשָׁלֹ֤ום אֵלָיו֙ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אֵֽי־מִזֶּ֥ה עִיר֙ אַ֔תָּה וַיֹּ֕אמֶר מֵאַחַ֥ד שִׁבְטֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עַבְדֶּֽךָ׃
And Absalom would rise early and stand beside the road to the gate, and it came to pass that when any man who had a dispute would come to the king for judgment, Absalom would call out to him and say, “From which city are you?”… Learn Hebrew
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Verb Repetition, Intensification, and Poetic Personification in Lamentations 2:5
Introduction to Lamentations 2:5: Syntax of Divine Wrath in Poetic Personification
Lamentations 2:5 uses powerful Hebrew poetic techniques—especially repetition of verbs, intensification through paronomasia, and personification of YHWH—to depict the catastrophic judgment upon the kingdom of Judah. The grammar conveys theological grief through structured parallelism and poetic variation, with a special focus on the verbs בִּלַּע (“He swallowed”) and the noun pair תַּאֲנִיָּה וַאֲנִיָּה (“moaning and lamentation”). This analysis highlights how syntax and repetition intensify the theme of divine devastation.
הָיָ֨ה אֲדֹנָ֤י כְּאֹויֵב֙ בִּלַּ֣ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בִּלַּע֙ כָּל־אַרְמְנֹותֶ֔יהָ שִׁחֵ֖ת מִבְצָרָ֑יו וַיֶּ֨רֶב֙ בְּבַת־יְהוּדָ֔ה תַּאֲנִיָּ֖ה וַאֲנִיָּֽה׃
This lesson is based on Lamentations 2:5, focusing on the topic: ‘Verb Repetition, Intensification, and Poetic Personification in Lamentations 2:5.’… Learn Hebrew
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