Category Archives: Theology

“The Word That Came”: Analyzing דְּבַר־יְהוָה in Jeremiah 11:1

Posted on November 1, 2021 by Biblical Hebrew

Introduction to Jeremiah 11:1: A Superscription of Divine Authority Jeremiah 11:1 introduces a new oracle with the recurring prophetic formula: הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר הָיָה אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ מֵאֵת יְהוָה. Though succinct, this clause is deeply significant. It not only establishes the divine origin of the message but also prepares the audience for a section of covenantal confrontation and judgment. This article explores the grammatical structure and literary force of the superscription, focusing especially on the phrase דְּבַר־יְהוָה. הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר הָיָה אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ מֵאֵת יְהוָה לֵאמֹר׃ Grammatical and Structural Analysis 1.… Learn Hebrew

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They Heard and They Released: Syntax of Covenant Compliance in Jeremiah 34:10

Posted on October 8, 2021 by Biblical Hebrew

Introduction: Prophetic Command and Social Reform in Crisis Jeremiah 34:10 recounts the initial compliance of Judah’s leaders and people with a prophetic covenant to release their Hebrew slaves. Set during the Babylonian siege of Yerushalayim, the event temporarily reflected covenantal repentance and social righteousness. The verse uses repetition and coordinated clauses to depict public obedience, drawing attention to its legal and liturgical character: וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ֩ כָל־הַשָּׂרִ֨ים וְכָל־הָעָ֜ם אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֣אוּ בַבְּרִ֗ית לְ֠שַׁלַּח אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־עַבְדֹּ֞ו וְאִ֤ישׁ אֶת־שִׁפְחָתֹו֙ חָפְשִׁ֔ים לְבִלְתִּ֥י עֲבָד־בָּ֖ם עֹ֑וד וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֖וּ וַיְשַׁלֵּֽחוּ׃ Then all the officials and all the people who had entered into the covenant heard, to release each his male servant and each his female servant—free, that none should enslave them again—and they listened and released them.… Learn Hebrew

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“Oh, That My Head Were Water!”: Analyzing מִי־יִתֵּן in Jeremiah 9:1

Posted on September 1, 2021 by Biblical Hebrew

Introduction to Jeremiah 9:1: The Prophet’s Lament in Optative Form Jeremiah 9:1 opens with one of the most intense laments in prophetic literature. The prophet cries out in deep grief over the slain of his people, expressing an uncontainable desire to weep continuously. The verse begins with the phrase מִי־יִתֵּן—a classical optative construction in Biblical Hebrew that introduces a longing or wish, usually impossible or hypothetical. This article will examine the grammar, syntax, and literary significance of this powerful phrase in Jeremiah’s lamentation.… Learn Hebrew

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“Then They Will Bring Out the Bones”: Analyzing וְהֹוצִיאוּ in Jeremiah 8:1

Posted on August 1, 2021 by Biblical Hebrew

Introduction to Jeremiah 8:1: Desecration as Judgment Symbol Jeremiah 8:1 begins a chilling oracle of judgment, declaring that even the honored dead—kings, priests, prophets, and residents of Yerushalayim—will be disinterred from their graves. The key verb in this verse, וְהֹוצִיאוּ (“and they will bring out”), is grammatically marked by the waw-consecutive imperfect form, which carries a strong narrative and prophetic function in Biblical Hebrew. This article will explore the morphology, syntax, and theological-literary function of this verb within the verse. בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֣יא נְאֻם־יְהוָ֡ה ויציאו אֶת־עַצְמֹ֣ות מַלְכֵֽי־יְהוּדָ֣ה וְאֶת־עַצְמֹות־שָׂרָיו֩ וְאֶת־עַצְמֹ֨ות הַכֹּהֲנִ֜ים וְאֵ֣ת עַצְמֹ֣ות הַנְּבִיאִ֗ים וְאֵ֛ת עַצְמֹ֥ות יֹושְׁבֵֽי־יְרוּשָׁלִָ֖ם מִקִּבְרֵיהֶֽם׃ Grammatical Analysis of וְהֹוצִיאוּ (ויציאו) The verb ויציאו (more precisely vocalized as וְהֹוצִיאוּ) is from the root יָצָא in the Hifil stem, meaning “to bring out” or “to cause to go out.”… Learn Hebrew

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“The Word That Came to Yirmeyahu”: Analyzing הַדָּבָר…לֵאמֹר in Jeremiah 7:1

Posted on July 1, 2021 by Biblical Hebrew

Introduction to Jeremiah 7:1: The Formal Superscription of Prophetic Speech Jeremiah 7:1 opens a new unit of prophecy, famously known as the “Temple Sermon.” The verse uses a standard formula to introduce divine speech: הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר הָיָה אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ מֵאֵת יְהוָה לֵאמֹר. This syntactic structure is typical of prophetic books and serves to authenticate and mark the source of the prophet’s message. In this article, we will analyze the grammatical structure of this superscription and explain how the elements function within biblical Hebrew prophetic style.… Learn Hebrew

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“Blow the Shofar in Tekoa”: Analyzing תִּקְע֣וּ in Jeremiah 6:1

Posted on June 1, 2021 by Biblical Hebrew

Introduction to Jeremiah 6:1: Sounding the Alarm Before Judgment Jeremiah 6:1 is part of a prophetic warning addressed to the southern kingdom of Yehudah, vividly calling the people to flee danger and sound the alarm. At the heart of this call is the imperative verb תִּקְע֣וּ, commanding the blowing of the שׁוֹפָר in the town of תְּקֹועַ. This action symbolizes military alert and divine judgment. This article will explore the grammar, syntax, and theological-literary force of תִּקְע֣וּ in its immediate prophetic context.… Learn Hebrew

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Relative Clauses and the Syntax of Sworn Declarations

Posted on May 21, 2021 by Biblical Hebrew

Introduction to Judges 21:5 Judges 21:5 contains a judicial inquiry framed with a complex syntactic structure involving multiple relative clauses, particularly those introduced by אֲשֶׁר. The layering of relative clauses is critical for understanding Biblical Hebrew’s method of formal legal expression. This verse also demonstrates how relative syntax, when compounded with legal oaths and performative declarations, produces a highly structured and formalized idiom. וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מִ֠י אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹא־עָלָ֧ה בַקָּהָ֛ל מִכָּל־שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֶל־יְהוָ֑ה כִּי֩ הַשְּׁבוּעָ֨ה הַגְּדֹולָ֜ה הָיְתָ֗ה לַ֠אֲשֶׁר לֹא־עָלָ֨ה אֶל־יְהוָ֧ה הַמִּצְפָּ֛ה לֵאמֹ֖ר מֹ֥ות יוּמָֽת׃ Analysis of Key Words and Structures מִ֠י אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹא־עָלָ֧ה (mi asher lo-ʿalah) – “Who did not go up.”… Learn Hebrew

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“If You Find a Man”: Analyzing אִם in Jeremiah 5:1

Posted on May 1, 2021 by Biblical Hebrew

Introduction to Jeremiah 5:1: The Search for Justice in a Corrupt City Jeremiah 5:1 opens with an evocative challenge: search the streets of יְרוּשָׁלִַם (Yerushalayim), seek out one just person. At the heart of this challenge is a double conditional structure using the Hebrew particle אִם (“if”). The verse offers a window into divine justice and mercy—showing that even one righteous individual could stay YHWH’s judgment. This article will explore the grammar and rhetorical power of the conditional particles אִם־תִּמְצְאוּ and אִם־יֵשׁ, and their implications in the context of prophetic indictment and covenant mercy.… Learn Hebrew

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Shaking Words and Shifting Roles: The Binyanim in Job’s Sarcastic Rebuke

Posted on April 16, 2021 by Biblical Hebrew

גַּ֤ם אָנֹכִי֮ כָּכֶ֪ם אֲדַ֫בֵּ֥רָה ל֤וּ־יֵ֪שׁ נַפְשְׁכֶ֡ם תַּ֤חַת נַפְשִׁ֗י אַחְבִּ֣ירָה עֲלֵיכֶ֣ם בְּמִלִּ֑ים וְאָנִ֥יעָה עֲ֝לֵיכֶ֗ם בְּמֹ֣ו רֹאשִֽׁי׃ (Job 16:4) I also, like you, would speak; if only your soul were in place of mine, I would join words together over you, and I would shake over you with the nodding of my head. Overview: Expressing Irony Through Binyanim Job 16:4 is a masterful example of Biblical Hebrew’s expressive potential. In this verse, Job sarcastically imagines himself trading places with his accusers. The verbs he chooses reflect control, creativity, and confrontation—each shaped by its binyan.… Learn Hebrew

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Divine Mystery and Royal Appeal: Syntax of Interpretation in Daniel 4:15

Posted on April 15, 2021 by Biblical Hebrew

Introduction: Court Language, Crisis, and Prophetic Authority Daniel 4:15 recounts Nebuchadnezzar’s appeal to Belteshazzar (Daniel) to interpret his troubling dream. The verse is a moment of theological tension and narrative climax, as the king publicly acknowledges Daniel’s unique spiritual capacity amid the failure of Babylonian sages: דְּנָה֙ חֶלְמָ֣א חֲזֵ֔ית אֲנָ֖ה מַלְכָּ֣א נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֑ר וְאַנְתְּ בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּ֜ר פִּשְׁרֵ֣א אֱמַ֗ר כָּל־קֳבֵל֙ דִּ֣י כָּל־חַכִּימֵ֣י מַלְכוּתִ֗י לָֽא־יָכְלִ֤ין פִּשְׁרָא֙ לְהוֹדָ֣עֻתַ֔נִי וְאַנְתְּ כָּהֵ֔ל דִּ֛י רֽוּחַ־אֱלָהִ֥ין קַדִּישִׁ֖ין בָּֽךְ׃ This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw; and you, O Belteshazzar, declare its interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me its interpretation, but you can, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.… Learn Hebrew

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