Declension of Nouns in Biblical Hebrew

Biblical Hebrew noun declension is more than morphology—it’s a gateway into theological nuance, syntactic elegance, and the poetry of covenant. Inflected across gender, number, state, and definiteness, Hebrew nouns create complex webs of meaning through their form. Construct chains operate as relational grammar, signaling divine ownership, embedded agency, and hierarchical association. From the seamless shift of מַלְכָּה to מַלְכַּת to the suppletive leap from אִשָּׁה to נָשִׁים, each transformation mirrors the deep structure of biblical theology and prosody. Declension in Hebrew doesn’t just describe—it reveals, inviting readers to engage Scripture with both grammatical rigor and spiritual reverence.

The Morphological Framework of Hebrew Noun Declension

Biblical Hebrew nouns are inflected along three primary grammatical axes: gender (masculine/feminine), number (singular/dual/plural), and state (absolute/construct). Unlike languages with case systems, Hebrew relies on syntactic position and morphological agreement to convey relationships. Noun declension is foundational for understanding agreement with verbs, adjectives, pronominal suffixes, and the structure of nominal chains.

Core Features of Hebrew Nominal Inflection

Every noun in Biblical Hebrew reflects four key features:

• Gender: Most nouns are inherently masculine or feminine.
• Number: Singular, dual (usually used for naturally paired items), or plural.
• State: Absolute or construct. The construct state reflects possession or close syntactic dependency.
• Definiteness: Marked by the article הַ in the absolute state. Construct forms never take the article.

Regular Declension Patterns for Nouns

Note: Dual construct forms retain the -ַיִם suffix and do not change in the construct state.

Feminine Endings and Construct Transformations

Feminine singular nouns often end in ־ָה or ־ֶת. In the construct state:

• ־ָה usually changes to ־ַת: מַלְכָּה → מַלְכַּת
• ־ֶת often remains unchanged or shifts internally: שְׁכֵנָה → שְׁכֶנֶת

Plural construct forms for feminine nouns often remain identical to their absolute forms, especially when ending in ־וֹת.

Irregular and Suppletive Declension Patterns

These patterns reflect historic root alterations and phonological evolution. Students should memorize these forms as lexical items.

Agreement and Syntax: Gender, Number, and State

Nouns in Biblical Hebrew govern agreement with associated elements:

• Adjectives: Must agree in gender, number, and definiteness.
• Pronouns: Pronominal suffixes attach based on number/gender of the noun.
• Verbs: Verbs agree with nominal subjects in number and gender.

In construct chains, agreement is influenced by the whole chain’s definiteness and function.

Definiteness in Construct vs. Absolute

Only absolute nouns take the definite article הַ. Construct forms never appear with the article directly. Instead, definiteness is determined by the second noun:

• בֵּית + הַמֶּלֶךְ = בֵּית־הַמֶּלֶךְ (“the house of the king”)
• בֵּית + מֶלֶךְ = בֵּית־מֶלֶךְ (“a house of a king”)

Definiteness “percolates” through the construct chain.

Morphophonemic Changes in Declension

Several nouns undergo vowel reduction or stress shift when entering the construct state:

• חֹ֫דֶשׁ → חֹדֶשׁ (unchanged)
• מֶ֫לֶךְ → מֶלֶךְ (shortening of tone)
• שָׁלוֹם → שְׁלוֹם (vowel reduction)

These shifts enhance fluidity in pronunciation and reflect older prosodic features of Hebrew.

Grammatical Theology of Noun Declension

The construct chain is not merely a syntactic structure—it expresses covenantal relationships and theological hierarchies. Consider expressions like:

• דְּבַר־יְהוָה (“the word of YHWH”)
• בֵּית־יְהוָה (“the house of YHWH”)

Such constructions emphasize ownership, source, and divine association. Mastery of noun declension is not just grammatical—it opens the doorway to semantic precision and reverent reading of sacred Scripture.