וּמֹורַאֲכֶ֤ם וְחִתְּכֶם֙ יִֽהְיֶ֔ה עַ֚ל כָּל־חַיַּ֣ת הָאָ֔רֶץ וְעַ֖ל כָּל־עֹ֣וף הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם בְּכֹל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר תִּרְמֹ֧שׂ הָֽאֲדָמָ֛ה וּֽבְכָל־דְּגֵ֥י הַיָּ֖ם בְּיֶדְכֶ֥ם נִתָּֽנוּ׃
(Genesis 9:2)
And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every bird of the heavens, in everything that creeps on the ground, and in all the fish of the sea—into your hand they have been given.
Genesis 9:2 marks a pivotal moment in the narrative of human history. After the flood, God addresses Noah and his sons, redefining humanity’s relationship with the rest of creation. The verse introduces the themes of fear and dread as governing the interaction between humankind and animals. But beyond its theological implications, this passage provides a rich grammatical tapestry: the use of construct chains, the distribution of prepositions, the force of the imperfect verb יִֽהְיֶ֔ה, and the concluding passive נִתָּנוּ. Each element offers students of Biblical Hebrew a chance to explore how grammar shapes meaning and how syntax reflects theology.
Dissecting the Opening Noun Phrases
The verse begins with two abstract nouns in construct relationship with pronominal suffixes:
- מֹורַאֲכֶם — “your fear,” derived from the root יָרֵא, placed here in construct with the 2mp suffix.
- חִתְּכֶם — “your dread,” from חָתַת, also in construct with the 2mp suffix.
Instead of “you will fear,” the Hebrew text speaks of “the fear of you” and “the dread of you.” Grammatically, this is an example of objective genitive: the fear is not possessed by Noah’s descendants but directed toward them. Hebrew expresses this through construct forms with pronominal suffixes, forcing the reader to interpret “fear of you” rather than “your fearfulness.”
The Verb יִֽהְיֶ֔ה: Imperfect as Future Certainty
Following these paired nouns comes the verb יִֽהְיֶ֔ה — Qal imperfect 3ms of הָיָה, “to be.” In narrative, the imperfect often expresses future certainty, and here it functions prophetically: “shall be.” The subject of the verb is the pair of constructs, “your fear and your dread.” Thus, the Hebrew literally reads: “And your fear and your dread shall be upon every beast of the earth.”
This construction highlights an important pedagogical point: Hebrew imperfects are not “future tense” in the narrow sense but flexibly mark incomplete action, often shading into futurity when used with divine pronouncements.
Distribution Through עַל: Prepositional Spread
The preposition עַל (“upon”) governs a series of objects:
- כָּל־חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ — “every beast of the earth.”
- כָּל־עֹוף הַשָּׁמַיִם — “every bird of the heavens.”
Notice the rhythm: עַל introduces the two broad categories of land and sky, and the subsequent clauses expand to creeping things and fish, domains of earth and sea. This is distributive grammar at its finest—Hebrew uses repetition and parallel prepositional phrases to extend scope across all realms of creation. Syntax thus echoes theology: humanity’s dominion covers earth, sky, ground, and sea.
Construct Chains as Semantic Binders
Several construct chains appear here:
- חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ — “beast of the earth.”
- עֹוף הַשָּׁמַיִם — “bird of the heavens.”
- דְּגֵי הַיָּם — “fish of the sea.”
Each chain fuses two nouns into one concept, creating compact genitival units. Hebrew avoids the longer circumlocutions typical of English (“the animals that belong to the earth”) and instead binds the terms tightly, yielding a smoother and more resonant poetic register. The constructs are grammatically simple yet semantically profound.
The Role of בְּכֹל: Encompassing Inclusivity
The phrase בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר תִּרְמֹשׂ הָאֲדָמָה is intriguing. Literally: “in everything that creeps the ground.” The preposition בְּ does not mean “in” spatially but functions inclusively: “among all that creep on the ground.” This is a usage students must note—בְּ can extend the reach of a verb or noun, not merely indicate location.
The Final Clause: Passive Donation
The verse closes with: בְּיֶדְכֶם נִתָּנוּ — “into your hand they have been given.”
- בְּיֶדְכֶם — an idiom meaning “into your power/possession.”
- נִתָּנוּ — Niphal perfect 3cp of נָתַן, “to give,” here meaning “have been given.”
The Niphal is passive, reminding readers that this dominion is not seized but granted by divine act. Grammar thus becomes theology: sovereignty over creatures is a gift, not an inherent human right.
The Grammar Table: Key Forms in Focus
| Form | Parsing | Literal Sense | Grammatical Insight |
|---|---|---|---|
| מֹורַאֲכֶם | Noun + 2mp suffix (construct) | “fear of you” | Objective genitive: animals fear humans |
| חִתְּכֶם | Noun + 2mp suffix (construct) | “dread of you” | Paired with fear for intensification |
| יִֽהְיֶ֔ה | Qal imperfect 3ms of הָיָה | “shall be” | Future certainty in divine speech |
| תִּרְמֹשׂ | Qal imperfect 3fs of רָמַשׂ | “creeps” | Subject is collective “ground,” feminine singular |
| נִתָּנוּ | Niphal perfect 3cp of נָתַן | “have been given” | Passive, divine bestowal of dominion |
Poetic Parallelism and Theological Implications
Genesis 9:2 displays a poetic balance: fear/dread correspond to dominion, and beasts/birds/creepers/fish correspond to the four domains of creation. The verse’s grammar, then, is theology in miniature: human beings are set over all creatures, not by violence but by divine decree. The imperfect יִֽהְיֶה frames it as ongoing reality, while the perfect passive נִתָּנוּ confirms its completion.
Masoretic Accents as Guides
The Masoretic accents divide the verse into two major cola. The first centers on יִֽהְיֶה, pausing after “fear and dread shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens.” The second begins with בְּכֹל, continuing through creeping things, fish, and the climactic gift into human hands. These divisions guide oral reading and underscore the cumulative nature of the dominion lists.
Pedagogical Reflections: What Students Should Notice
- Construct forms with suffixes (מֹורַאֲכֶם, חִתְּכֶם) often signal objective genitives, not possession.
- Imperfect verbs like יִֽהְיֶה express more than “future”; they mark ongoing or certain outcomes in divine speech.
- Prepositional repetition (עַל, בְּכֹל) expands scope across categories.
- Construct chains (חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ, דְּגֵי הַיָּם) compress meaning into compact genitival units.
- Niphal passives like נִתָּנוּ shift focus from human action to divine agency.
The Echo of Dominion
This single verse condenses a profound theology of creation into grammar. The fear and dread expressed through construct suffixes, the unfolding dominion through distributive prepositions, the imperfect and perfect verbs working together—each grammatical detail contributes to a vision of humanity’s role. Dominion is neither arbitrary nor self-assumed; it is granted, structured, and bounded by divine grammar itself. For students of Biblical Hebrew, Genesis 9:2 is not only an introduction to post-diluvian anthropology but also a reminder that every suffix, every construct, and every preposition carries theological weight.