Category Archives: Theology

Comparative Similes and the Imagery of Swiftness in Habakkuk 1:8

Posted on August 1, 2014 by Biblical Hebrew

וְקַלּ֨וּ מִנְּמֵרִ֜ים סוּסָ֗יו וְחַדּוּ֙ מִזְּאֵ֣בֵי עֶ֔רֶב וּפָ֖שׁוּ פָּֽרָשָׁ֑יו וּפָֽרָשָׁיו֙ מֵרָחֹ֣וק יָבֹ֔אוּ יָעֻ֕פוּ כְּנֶ֖שֶׁר חָ֥שׁ לֶאֱכֹֽול׃ (Habakkuk 1:8) Swifter than leopards are his horses and sharper than wolves of evening and his horsemen spread out and his horsemen come from afar they fly like an eagle rushing to eat. Introduction to Habakkuk 1:8 Habakkuk 1:8 describes the unstoppable power and speed of the invading Chaldean army, using comparative similes to evoke fear and devastation. The verse employs three key comparisons: 1. Horses are swifter than leopards (נְמֵרִים) 2.… Learn Hebrew

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The Use of the Niphal Imperfect in Exodus 35:2

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Biblical Hebrew

שֵׁ֣שֶׁת יָמִים֮ תֵּעָשֶׂ֣ה מְלָאכָה֒ וּבַיֹּ֣ום הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י יִהְיֶ֨ה לָכֶ֥ם קֹ֛דֶשׁ שַׁבַּ֥ת שַׁבָּתֹ֖ון לַיהוָ֑ה כָּל־הָעֹשֶׂ֥ה בֹ֛ו מְלָאכָ֖ה יוּמָֽת׃ (Exodus 35:2) Six days work shall be done and on the seventh day there shall be for you holiness a sabbath of solemn rest to Yahweh whoever does work on it shall be put to death Introduction to Exodus 35:2 Exodus 35:2 provides a command regarding the observance of the Sabbath, emphasizing the six days of work and the seventh day as a holy day of rest.… Learn Hebrew

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“Who Did This Thing?” – A Hebrew Detective Story in Judges 6:29

Posted on June 29, 2014 by Hebrew Grammar for Beginners

וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵ֔הוּ מִ֥י עָשָׂ֖ה הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑ה וַֽיִּדְרְשׁוּ֙ וַיְבַקְשׁ֔וּ וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ גִּדְעֹון֙ בֶּן־יֹואָ֔שׁ עָשָׂ֖ה הַדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃ (Judges 6:29) And they said, each man to his neighbor, “Who did this thing?” And they investigated and searched, and they said, “Gidʿon son of Yoʾash did this thing.” Word-by-Word Explanation וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ – “And they said”Verb. From the root אָמַר (“to say”). The וַ prefix shows we’re in narrative mode—this is the vav-consecutive for a past action. The form is masculine plural: “they said.” אִישׁ – “a man” or “each man”Noun.… Learn Hebrew

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Clause Structure and Theological Expression in Esther 4:3

Posted on April 3, 2014 by Biblical Hebrew

וּבְכָל־מְדִינָ֣ה וּמְדִינָ֗ה מְקֹום֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר דְּבַר־הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ וְדָתֹו֙ מַגִּ֔יעַ אֵ֤בֶל גָּדֹול֙ לַיְּהוּדִ֔ים וְצֹ֥ום וּבְכִ֖י וּמִסְפֵּ֑ד שַׂ֣ק וָאֵ֔פֶר יֻצַּ֖ע לָֽרַבִּֽים׃ (Esther 4:3) And in every province and province, wherever the word of the king and his law reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and lamenting; sackcloth and ashes were spread out for the many. Contextual and Literary Setting of Esther 4:3 Esther 4:3 captures the moment of national crisis in the Persian diaspora, following Haman’s genocidal decree against the Jews.… Learn Hebrew

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The Use of the Cohortative and Jussive in Saul’s Final Request in 1 Samuel 31:4

Posted on April 1, 2014 by Biblical Hebrew

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שָׁאוּל֩ לְנֹשֵׂ֨א כֵלָ֜יו שְׁלֹ֥ף חַרְבְּךָ֣ וְדָקְרֵ֣נִי בָ֗הּ פֶּן־֠יָבֹואוּ הָעֲרֵלִ֨ים הָאֵ֤לֶּה וּדְקָרֻ֨נִי֙ וְהִתְעַלְּלוּ־בִ֔י וְלֹ֤א אָבָה֙ נֹשֵׂ֣א כֵלָ֔יו כִּ֥י יָרֵ֖א מְאֹ֑ד וַיִּקַּ֤ח שָׁאוּל֙ אֶת־הַחֶ֔רֶב וַיִּפֹּ֖ל עָלֶֽיהָ׃ (1 Samuel 31:4) And Saul said to his weapon bearer draw your sword and pierce me with it lest these uncircumcised come and pierce me and abuse me but his weapon bearer was not willing for he was very afraid and Saul took the sword and fell upon it. This study will analyze the grammatical function of the cohortative and jussive in Saul’s plea, the syntactic parallelism of the verbs, and the theological implications of his self-inflicted death.… Learn Hebrew

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Perfect Aspect and Divine Judgment in Isaiah 13:11: The Grammar of Prophetic Certainty

Posted on November 13, 2013 by Biblical Hebrew

וּפָקַדְתִּ֤י עַל־תֵּבֵל֙ רָעָ֔ה וְעַל־רְשָׁעִ֖ים עֲוֹנָ֑ם וְהִשְׁבַּתִּי֙ גְּאֹ֣ון זֵדִ֔ים וְגַאֲוַ֥ת עָרִיצִ֖ים אַשְׁפִּֽיל׃ (Isaiah 13:11) I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will bring an end to the pride of the arrogant, and I will humble the haughtiness of tyrants. Oracular Certainty in the Context of Global Judgment Isaiah 13 forms part of the so-called “Oracles Against the Nations,” focusing here on Babylon. Verse 11 stands as a divine pronouncement of cosmic justice, where YHWH himself announces judgment on the world and its arrogant rulers.… Learn Hebrew

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“They Were Among the Rebels Against the Light”: Syntax of Moral Rebellion in Job 24:13

Posted on October 24, 2013 by Biblical Hebrew

הֵ֤מָּה הָיוּ֮ בְּֽמֹרְדֵ֫י־אֹ֥ור לֹֽא־הִכִּ֥ירוּ דְרָכָ֑יו וְלֹ֥א יָ֝שְׁב֗וּ בִּנְתִיבֹתָֽיו׃ (Job 24:13) They were among those who rebel against the light; they did not recognize its ways, nor did they remain in its paths. Darkness, Defiance, and the Syntax of Rejection Job 24:13 marks the beginning of a unit within Job’s speech cataloguing moral evildoers who operate in secret, particularly under the cover of darkness. This verse serves as a heading of sorts for a poetic meditation on moral inversion—a world where justice seems delayed and the wicked thrive unseen.… Learn Hebrew

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Repetition, Aspect, and Poetic Judgment in Psalm 96:13

Posted on September 13, 2013 by Biblical Hebrew

לִפְנֵ֤י יְהוָ֨ה כִּ֬י בָ֗א כִּ֥י בָא֮ לִשְׁפֹּ֪ט הָ֫אָ֥רֶץ יִשְׁפֹּֽט־תֵּבֵ֥ל בְּצֶ֑דֶק וְ֝עַמִּ֗ים בֶּאֱמוּנָתֹֽו׃ (Psalm 96:13) Before the LORD, for He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth! He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with His faithfulness. Eschatological Expectation in Liturgical Poetry Psalm 96 celebrates the kingship of YHWH and His coming judgment over all the earth. The final verse, 96:13, brings the psalm to a climax with a powerful prophetic declaration, repeated for emphasis: The verse features the poetic repetition of כִּי בָא (“for He is coming”) and the use of aspectually significant verb forms that frame the judgment of YHWH as both imminent and certain.… Learn Hebrew

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1 Kings 6:1 – Temporal Clauses and Construct State in Date Formulas

Posted on June 1, 2013 by Biblical Hebrew

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׃ (1 Kings 6:1) And it came to be, in the four hundred and eightieth year after the going out of the sons of Yisra’el from the land of Mitsrayim, in the fourth year in the month Ziv, it is the second month, of the reign of Shelomo over Yisra’el, he built the house for YHWH. Explanation of Feature This verse from 1 Kings 6:1 showcases the use of temporal clauses and construct state in expressing historical and calendrical dating.… Learn Hebrew

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“Send Me!” — Volition, Syntax, and the Prophetic Calling in Isaiah 6:8

Posted on June 8, 2012 by Biblical Hebrew

וָאֶשְׁמַ֞ע אֶת־קֹ֤ול אֲדֹנָי֙ אֹמֵ֔ר אֶת־מִ֥י אֶשְׁלַ֖ח וּמִ֣י יֵֽלֶךְ־לָ֑נוּ וָאֹמַ֖ר הִנְנִ֥י שְׁלָחֵֽנִי׃ (Isaiah 6:8) And I heard the voice of my Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here I am; send me.” Morphology וָאֶשְׁמַ֞ע (vaʾeshmaʿ) – Root: שָׁמַע; Form: Qal wayyiqtol 1cs (consecutive imperfect, first common singular); Translation: “And I heard”; Notes: The wayyiqtol form advances the narrative past action in Biblical Hebrew prose. אֶת־קֹ֤ול (ʾet-qol) – Root: קוֹל; Form: masculine singular construct; Translation: “the voice of”; Notes: Construct chain linking to the following proper name.… Learn Hebrew

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