בְּיַד֙ אֶלְעָשָׂ֣ה בֶן־שָׁפָ֔ן וּגְמַרְיָ֖ה בֶּן־חִלְקִיָּ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר שָׁלַ֜ח צִדְקִיָּ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֗ה אֶל־נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּ֛ר מֶ֥לֶךְ בָּבֶ֖ל בָּבֶ֥לָה לֵאמֹֽר
By the hand of Elʿasah son of Shafan and Gemaryah son of Ḥilqiyyah, whom Tsidqiyyah king of Yehudah sent to Nevukhadnetstsar king of Bavel, to Bavel, saying:
Explanation of Feature
This verse from Jeremiah 29:3 features several examples of the construct state (s’mikhut, סמיכות) — a grammatical relationship where two nouns are paired to express possession or close association. In Hebrew, the first noun is placed in a shortened or modified form (called construct state) and is immediately followed by the second noun, which is the possessor.
The construct chain typically shows “X of Y” relationships. The construct form often loses the definite article, while definiteness is determined by the second noun.
Examples from Jeremiah 29:3
| Construct Phrase | Literal Meaning | Grammatical Note |
|---|---|---|
| בֶן־שָׁפָן | son of Shafan | “בֶן” (son) is in construct state; “שָׁפָן” is the absolute noun |
| בֶן־חִלְקִיָּה | son of Ḥilqiyyah | Another construct pair, expressing lineage |
| מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה | king of Yehudah | “מֶֽלֶךְ” (king) in construct with “יְהוּדָה” |
| מֶ֥לֶךְ בָּבֶ֖ל | king of Bavel | Same structure repeated with “בָּבֶל” |
Related Grammatical Insight
The construct chain can consist of:
– Two words (as here: “son of X”, “king of Y”)
– Longer chains (e.g., “the words of the prophet of the LORD” – where multiple layers are nested)
Important rules:
– The first noun in construct is never definite on its own. Its definiteness depends on the second noun.
– e.g., דְּבַר־אֱלֹהִים = “the word of God” (definite because “God” is definite)
– Plurals in construct often change form:
– בָּנִים (sons) becomes בְּנֵי (sons of…)
This structure is fundamental in Biblical Hebrew and appears in names, titles, genealogies, and legal expressions.
