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Recent Articles
- “His Hands Shall Bring the Fire-Offerings”: Learning Sacred Hebrew Through Priestly Ritual
- Grammar of Offering: Enumerative Syntax and Appositional Closure
- The Nation That Would Not Listen: Relative Clauses, Coordinated Verbs, and Elliptical Judgment
- Wisdom in Layers: Demonstrative Syntax and Infinitive Purpose in Qohelet
- The Syntax of Sacred Prohibition: Blood in Leviticus 7:26
- From Exodus to Exhortation: The Syntax of Divine Persistence
- Gathered for Judgment: Syntactic Accumulation in Joshua 7:24
- Flying into the Trap: Syntactic Irony in Proverbs 7:23
- Little by Little: Divine Delay and Wild Beasts
- “And the Fish Died and the Nile Stank”: A Hebrew Lesson from Egypt’s First Plague
- The Subtle Grammar of Possession in Biblical Hebrew
- Syntax and Strategy: Analyzing Poetic Combat Syntax in Judges 7:20
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The Hebrew Verb זִמֵּן: To Appoint, Prepare, or Designate (Post-Biblical)
The root ז־מ־ן does not occur as a verb in the Hebrew Bible, but it is active in Post-Biblical Hebrew, especially in Rabbinic and Modern Hebrew, where the verb זִמֵּן (Piel binyan) means:
To appoint (a time or event)
To prepare or arrange (something ahead of time)
To invite (especially in modern usage)
The related noun זְמַן (“time” or “appointed time”) is biblical and frequently used in books like Daniel and Ecclesiastes. The verb form, however, is a development in later Hebrew.… Learn Hebrew
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Chronology and Conjunction: Coordinated Cardinal Numbers in Biblical Hebrew
וַֽיְחִי־לֶ֕מֶךְ שְׁתַּ֧יִם וּשְׁמֹנִ֛ים שָׁנָ֖ה וּמְאַ֣ת שָׁנָ֑ה וַיֹּ֖ולֶד בֵּֽן׃ (Genesis 5:28)
And Lemekh lived two and eighty years and one hundred years and he fathered a son
Introduction: When Numbers Tell a Story
In Genesis 5:28, we encounter a striking numerical expression describing the age of Lemekh when he fathered a son. But this is no simple “182 years.” Instead, the Hebrew text presents it as: שְׁתַּ֧יִם וּשְׁמֹנִ֛ים שָׁנָ֖ה וּמְאַ֣ת שָׁנָ֑ה—literally “two and eighty years and one hundred years.” This unusual expression invites inquiry into the grammatical structure and logic of coordinated number phrases in Biblical Hebrew.… Learn Hebrew
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The Hebrew Verb זָכַר: To Remember, Recall, or Be Mindful
The Hebrew verb זָכַר (root: ז־כ־ר) means “to remember,” “to recall,” “to call to mind,” or “to be mindful.” It is one of the most significant verbs in biblical theology, describing not only human memory but also God’s covenantal mindfulness of His people, promises, and mercy.
This verb appears frequently in the Hebrew Bible, and is used in contexts of prayer, judgment, historical reflection, covenant obligation, and even divine forgiveness.
Qal Binyan Conjugation of זָכַר (“to remember”)
Past (Perfect) Tense
Person
Form
1st person singular
זָכַרְתִּי
2nd person masculine singular
זָכַרְתָּ
2nd person feminine singular
זָכַרְתְּ
3rd person masculine singular
זָכַר
3rd person feminine singular
זָכְרָה
1st person plural
זָכַרְנוּ
2nd person masculine plural
זְכַרְתֶּם
2nd person feminine plural
זְכַרְתֶּן
3rd person plural
זָכְרוּ
Present (Participle) Tense
Gender/Number
Form
Masculine singular
זוֹכֵר
Feminine singular
זוֹכֶרֶת
Masculine plural
זוֹכְרִים
Feminine plural
זוֹכְרוֹת
Future (Imperfect) Tense
Person
Form
1st person singular
אֶזְכֹּר
2nd person masculine singular
תִּזְכֹּר
2nd person feminine singular
תִּזְכְּרִי
3rd person masculine singular
יִזְכֹּר
3rd person feminine singular
תִּזְכֹּר
1st person plural
נִזְכֹּר
2nd person masculine plural
תִּזְכְּרוּ
2nd person feminine plural
תִּזְכֹּרְנָה
3rd person plural
יִזְכְּרוּ
Imperative Mood
Person
Form
2nd person masculine singular
זְכֹר
2nd person feminine singular
זִכְרִי
2nd person masculine plural
זִכְרוּ
2nd person feminine plural
זְכֹרְנָה
Usage in Scripture
Exodus 20:8 – זָכוֹר אֶת־יֹום הַשַּׁבָּת לְקַדְּשׁוֹ
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”… Learn Hebrew
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Living and Dying in Syntax: Waw-Consecutive and Numerical Structure in Genealogies
וַיִּהְיוּ֙ כָּל־יְמֵ֣י מְתוּשֶׁ֔לַח תֵּ֤שַׁע וְשִׁשִּׁים֙ שָׁנָ֔ה וּתְשַׁ֥ע מֵאֹ֖ות שָׁנָ֑ה וַיָּמֹֽת׃ (Genesis 5:27)
And all the days of Metushelaḥ were nine and sixty years and nine hundred years, and he died.
Opening Reflections: Rhythm of Life and Death
This verse from the genealogical record of Genesis presents not only the remarkable lifespan of Metushelaḥ (Methuselah), but also a quintessential example of two core grammatical features in Biblical Hebrew: the waw-consecutive form (also called wayyiqtol) and the poetic numerical construction common in biblical age reckoning.… Learn Hebrew
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The Hebrew Verb זָכָה: To Be Innocent, To Be Pure, or To Attain
The Hebrew verb זָכָה (root: ז־כ־ה) means “to be innocent,” “to be pure,” “to be acquitted,” or “to attain” or “gain” something. It combines legal, moral, and spiritual connotations. In a legal sense, it refers to being declared clean or righteous; in a spiritual or moral sense, it refers to purity or blamelessness. In some contexts, especially in the Hiphil stem, it can mean “to gain,” “to earn,” or “to merit” a reward or status.
The root is also connected to the noun זַכַּי (“innocent one”) and to Modern Hebrew words like זְכוּת (“merit, right”).… Learn Hebrew
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Who Has Heard and Lived? — Interrogatives, Apposition, and the Grammar of Wonder
כִּ֣י מִ֣י כָל־בָּשָׂ֡ר אֲשֶׁ֣ר שָׁמַ֣ע קֹול֩ אֱלֹהִ֨ים חַיִּ֜ים מְדַבֵּ֧ר מִתֹּוךְ־הָאֵ֛שׁ כָּמֹ֖נוּ וַיֶּֽחִי׃
The Cry of the Awestruck
Deuteronomy 5:26 captures the trembling voice of Israel as they recall standing at Sinai, hearing the living voice of God emerging from fire. The verse is cast as a rhetorical question — not seeking information but expressing astonishment. Yet the Hebrew does not use a simple interrogative. Instead, it layers clauses, shifts from perfect to participle, and suspends the verb וַיֶּֽחִי (“and [he] lived”) until the very end.… Learn Hebrew
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The Hebrew Verb זָחַל: To Crawl, Creep, or Slither
The Hebrew verb זָחַל (root: ז־ח־ל) means “to crawl,” “to creep,” or “to slither.” It is used to describe slow, gliding, or low-to-the-ground motion, particularly that of reptiles, insects, or creeping creatures. In a figurative sense, it may also imply approaching with fear, trembling, or humility.
This root is relatively rare in the Hebrew Bible and appears mostly in poetic or prophetic contexts. It is often associated with creatures that move close to the ground and is thematically related to reverence or trembling in the presence of the divine.… Learn Hebrew
What Turned It All Away — Fronted Guilt and the Syntax of Withheld Goodness
עֲוֹנֹותֵיכֶ֖ם הִטּוּ־אֵ֑לֶּה וְחַטֹּ֣אותֵיכֶ֔ם מָנְע֥וּ הַטֹּ֖וב מִכֶּֽם׃
When Sin Becomes Subject
Jeremiah 5:25 offers a stunning reversal: it is not divine reluctance, political failure, or cosmic delay that withholds good from Israel — it is their own sin. The verse speaks with syntactic clarity and poetic symmetry. Two lines, two clauses, two fronted possessive nouns, two perfect verbs. This is the grammar of divine cause and effect: guilt turned the blessings, and sins blocked the good. No room remains for deflection. Syntax pins the blame squarely on the people — not with fury, but with precision.… Learn Hebrew
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The Hebrew Verb הָרַס: To Destroy, Tear Down, or Demolish
The Hebrew verb הָרַס (root: ה־ר־ס) means “to destroy,” “to tear down,” or “to demolish.” It is used in both literal and figurative senses in the Hebrew Bible—referring to the destruction of physical structures (like cities, altars, or houses) and metaphorically to the ruin of plans, pride, or kingdoms.
It appears in the Qal stem as a strong verb of physical destruction, and in the Hiphil stem for causative forms like “to bring destruction upon.”
Qal Binyan Conjugation of הָרַס (“to destroy, tear down”)
Past (Perfect) Tense
Person
Form
1st person singular
הָרַסְתִּי
2nd person masculine singular
הָרַסְתָּ
2nd person feminine singular
הָרַסְתְּ
3rd person masculine singular
הָרַס
3rd person feminine singular
הָרְסָה
1st person plural
הָרַסְנוּ
2nd person masculine plural
הֲרַסְתֶּם
2nd person feminine plural
הֲרַסְתֶּן
3rd person plural
הָרְסוּ
Present (Participle) Tense
Gender/Number
Form
Masculine singular
הוֹרֵס
Feminine singular
הוֹרֶסֶת
Masculine plural
הוֹרְסִים
Feminine plural
הוֹרְסוֹת
Future (Imperfect) Tense
Person
Form
1st person singular
אֶהֱרֹס
2nd person masculine singular
תַּהֲרֹס
2nd person feminine singular
תַּהֲרְסִי
3rd person masculine singular
יֶהֱרֹס
3rd person feminine singular
תַּהֲרֹס
1st person plural
נֶהֱרֹס
2nd person masculine plural
תַּהֲרְסוּ
2nd person feminine plural
תַּהֲרֹסְנָה
3rd person plural
יֶהֱרְסוּ
Imperative Mood
Person
Form
2nd person masculine singular
הֲרֹס
2nd person feminine singular
הַרְסִי
2nd person masculine plural
הַרְסוּ
2nd person feminine plural
הֲרֹסְנָה
Usage in Scripture
Judges 6:25 – וְהָרַסְתָּ֗ אֶת־מִזְבַּ֤ח הַבַּ֨עַל֙
“Tear down the altar of Baʿal” — Gideon is commanded to destroy a pagan altar.… Learn Hebrew
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When the Walk Ends in Heaven: The Hitpael Imperfect and Disappearance of Enoch in Genesis 5:24
וַיִּתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ חֲנֹ֖וךְ אֶת־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְאֵינֶ֕נּוּ כִּֽי־לָקַ֥ח אֹתֹ֖ו אֱלֹהִֽים׃
Genesis 5:24 is one of the most enigmatic and theologically rich verses in the genealogies of Genesis. It describes the fate of Ḥanokh (Enoch) not with the typical death formula—“and he died”—but with poetic mystery: וְאֵינֶנּוּ, “and he was not,” because אֱלֹהִים had taken him. Central to this verse is the verb וַיִּתְהַלֵּךְ, a Hitpael form meaning “he walked himself,” suggesting sustained and intimate relationship, here uniquely “with God.” This grammatical nuance elevates Ḥanokh’s fate above mere mortality, transforming an ordinary genealogy into a spiritual ascent.… Learn Hebrew
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