וּשְׂנֵאָהּ֮ הָאִ֣ישׁ הָאַחֲרֹון֒ וְכָ֨תַב לָ֜הּ סֵ֤פֶר כְּרִיתֻת֙ וְנָתַ֣ן בְּיָדָ֔הּ וְשִׁלְּחָ֖הּ מִבֵּיתֹ֑ו אֹ֣ו כִ֤י יָמוּת֙ הָאִ֣ישׁ הָאַחֲרֹ֔ון אֲשֶׁר־לְקָחָ֥הּ לֹ֖ו לְאִשָּֽׁה׃
(Deuteronomy 24:3)
And the latter man hates her and writes for her a certificate of divorce and gives it into her hand and sends her away from his house, or if the latter man dies who took her to him as wife;
This verse from Deuteronomy 24:3 exemplifies two advanced grammatical features in Biblical Hebrew: conditional clauses using אִם or כִּי, and the use of sequential waw (וְ) to link a chain of actions, especially in legal formulations.
The structure here is part of a broader legal conditional sentence (continued from verses 1–4), where a woman who was divorced and remarried may not return to her first husband. The sequence of verbs is embedded within a conditional protasis.
Examples from Deuteronomy 24:3
| Form | Analysis | Function |
|---|---|---|
| וּשְׂנֵאָהּ | וּ– (and) + שָׂנֵא (to hate, Qal) + –הּ (her) | Sequential action: “and he hates her” (the second husband) |
| וְכָתַב לָהּ סֵפֶר כְּרִיתֻת | “and he writes for her a certificate of divorce” | Continues the legal process initiated by hate |
| אֹו כִי יָמוּת | אֹו (or) + כִּי (if) + יָמוּת (he dies) | Alternate conditional clause |
Related Grammatical Insight
Conditional clauses in Biblical Hebrew often begin with:
– אִם – standard “if”
– כִּי – can mean “if” in legal or conditional contexts
– אֹו כִי – “or if,” indicating an alternate condition
Additionally, legal language tends to use a chain of waw-prefixed verbs to structure multi-step procedures. This “sequential waw” carries narrative or procedural flow, but can also be understood within conditional protases, as seen here.
Such chains can appear in:
– Contracts (e.g., Exodus 21–22)
– Blessing/curse lists (e.g., Leviticus 26)
– Laws concerning family and inheritance
Understanding these structures is essential for interpreting biblical law and its syntax with accuracy.
