To learn to read and to understand the words of Scripture
כִּֽי־תֹאמַ֗ר הֵן֮ לֹא־יָדַ֪עְנ֫וּ זֶ֥ה הֲֽלֹא־תֹ֘כֵ֤ן לִבֹּ֨ות הֽוּא־יָבִ֗ין וְנֹצֵ֣ר נַ֭פְשְׁךָ ה֣וּא יֵדָ֑ע וְהֵשִׁ֖יב לְאָדָ֣ם כְּפָעֳלֹֽו׃ (Proverbs 24:12) If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not He who weighs hearts understand? And He who guards your soul, does He not know? And He will repay each person according to his deeds. The Excuse that…
קְֽרָא־֭נָא הֲיֵ֣שׁ עֹונֶ֑ךָּ וְאֶל־מִ֖י מִקְּדֹשִׁ֣ים תִּפְנֶֽה׃ (Job 5:1) Call now, is there one who will answer you? And to which of the holy ones will you turn? The Irony of Prayer in a Rhetorical Rebuke Job 5:1 comes from Eliphaz’s ongoing monologue where he chides Job with what sounds like spiritual advice but functions as…
בַּיֹּ֣ום הַה֗וּא יִֽהְיֶה֙ עַל־מְצִלֹּ֣ות הַסּ֔וּס קֹ֖דֶשׁ לַֽיהוָ֑ה וְהָיָ֤ה הַסִּירֹות֙ בְּבֵ֣ית יְהוָ֔ה כַּמִּזְרָקִ֖ים לִפְנֵ֥י הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃ (Zechariah 14:20) On that day, there will be on the bells of the horse, “Holy to YHWH.” And the pots in the house of YHWH will be like the basins before the altar. This prophetic verse describes a future day when…
וְחִכֵּ֕ךְ כְּיֵ֥ין הַטֹּ֛וב הֹולֵ֥ךְ לְדֹודִ֖י לְמֵישָׁרִ֑ים דֹּובֵ֖ב שִׂפְתֵ֥י יְשֵׁנִֽים׃ (Song of Songs 7:10) And your palate is like the good wine, going down smoothly for my beloved, flowing over the lips of those who sleep. Simile Construction: וְחִכֵּךְ כְּיֵין הַטֹּוב וְחִכֵּךְ (“and your palate”) is the noun חֵךְ (“palate, roof of the mouth, taste”) with…
הַֽיְסֻפַּר־֭לֹו כִּ֣י אֲדַבֵּ֑ר אִֽם־אָ֥מַר אִ֝֗ישׁ כִּ֣י יְבֻלָּֽע׃ (Job 37:20) Shall it be told to him that I would speak? If a man speaks, surely he will be swallowed up. This verse is part of Elihu’s speech, highlighting humanity’s unworthiness to speak before or about God. It consists of rhetorical and conditional clauses, structured to express…
חֲנֹ֣ךְ לַ֭נַּעַר עַל־פִּ֣י דַרְכֹּ֑ו גַּ֥ם כִּֽי־֝יַזְקִ֗ין לֹֽא־יָס֥וּר מִמֶּֽנָּה׃ (Proverbs 22:6) Train the youth according to his way; even when he grows old, he will not turn away from it. A Proverb with a Long View This well-known verse offers practical wisdom about education and lifelong formation. Its grammar is simple yet elegant, conveying a profound…
אֶל־הֶֽהָרִים֙ לֹ֣א אָכָ֔ל וְעֵינָיו֙ לֹ֣א נָשָׂ֔א אֶל־גִּלּוּלֵ֖י בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְאֶת־אֵ֤שֶׁת רֵעֵ֨הוּ֙ לֹ֣א טִמֵּ֔א וְאֶל־אִשָּׁ֥ה נִדָּ֖ה לֹ֥א יִקְרָֽב׃ (Ezekiel 18:6) To the mountains he did not eat, and his eyes he did not lift to the idols of the house of Israel, and the wife of his neighbor he did not defile, and to a woman…
וּמַדֹּתֶ֞ם מִח֣וּץ לָעִ֗יר אֶת־פְּאַת־קֵ֣דְמָה אַלְפַּ֪יִם בָּֽאַמָּ֟ה וְאֶת־פְּאַת־נֶגֶב֩ אַלְפַּ֨יִם בָּאַמָּ֜ה וְאֶת־פְּאַת־יָ֣ם אַלְפַּ֣יִם בָּֽאַמָּ֗ה וְאֵ֨ת פְּאַ֥ת צָפֹ֛ון אַלְפַּ֥יִם בָּאַמָּ֖ה וְהָעִ֣יר בַּתָּ֑וֶךְ זֶ֚ה יִהְיֶ֣ה לָהֶ֔ם מִגְרְשֵׁ֖י הֶעָרִֽים׃ (Numbers 35:5) Introductory Verb: Imperative Structure and Plural Address וּמַדֹּתֶ֞ם מִח֣וּץ לָעִ֗יר “And you shall measure from outside the city…” The root מ־ד־ד appears in the Piel conjugation here: וּמַדֹּתֶם (“you…
וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מִ֠י אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹא־עָלָ֧ה בַקָּהָ֛ל מִכָּל־שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֶל־יְהוָ֑ה כִּי֩ הַשְּׁבוּעָ֨ה הַגְּדֹולָ֜ה הָיְתָ֗ה לַ֠אֲשֶׁר לֹא־עָלָ֨ה אֶל־יְהוָ֧ה הַמִּצְפָּ֛ה לֵאמֹ֖ר מֹ֥ות יוּמָֽת׃ (Judges 21:5) And the sons of Yisraʾel said: Who is the one who did not go up in the assembly from all the tribes of Yisraʾel to YHWH? For the great oath had been…
וְהָי֥וּ נְכֹנִ֖ים לַיֹּ֣ום הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֑י כִּ֣י בַּיֹּ֣ום הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֗י יֵרֵ֧ד יְהוָ֛ה לְעֵינֵ֥י כָל־הָעָ֖ם עַל־הַ֥ר סִינָֽי׃ (Exodus 19:11) Overview: Grammar as Sacred Preparation Exodus 19:11 prepares Israel for the most pivotal moment in the Torah—YHWH’s descent upon Mount Sinai. The verse’s syntax conveys both temporal tension and communal gravity. Through coordinated clauses, perfective and imperfective verb forms, and…