The Hebrew Verb דָּמָה: To Resemble, Be Like, or Imagine

The Hebrew verb דָּמָה (root: ד־מ־ה) has multiple meanings based on context and stem: To resemble or be like — expressing similarity or comparison. To think, imagine, or suppose — used in reflective or interpretive contexts. To be silent or destroyed — in rare cases, from a homonymous root (not the same as “resemble”). The main stem for the meaning “to resemble” or “to think” is the Qal. The Piel and Hiphil forms may nuance “to cause to resemble” or “to compare.”… Learn Hebrew
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Prophets to Wind, Words Without Breath: Futility and Punishment in Jeremiah 5:13

וְהַנְּבִיאִים֙ יִֽהְי֣וּ לְר֔וּחַ וְהַדִּבֵּ֖ר אֵ֣ין בָּהֶ֑ם כֹּ֥ה יֵעָשֶׂ֖ה לָהֶֽם׃ Contextual Introduction Jeremiah 5:13 is part of a scathing prophetic denunciation against false prophets in Yehudah. The people have dismissed YHWH’s warnings and now, in ironic reversal, YHWH declares that the prophets themselves are empty—like wind, without true speech. The verse is grammatically compact yet loaded with poetic devices: metaphor, negation, and passive judgment. It captures the idea that false prophecy is not only ineffectual but will result in divine retribution. Grammatical Focus: Nominal Clauses, Metaphorical לְ, and Passive Imperfect 1.… Learn Hebrew
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The Hebrew Verb דָּלַק: To Pursue or Burn

The Hebrew verb דָּלַק (root: ד־ל־ק) has two primary meanings based on context: To pursue or chase after — especially in military or urgent contexts. To burn or blaze — often describing fire or intense heat (in certain stems). In the Qal binyan, it most often means “to pursue,” while in the Pual or Hiphil, it can convey “to set on fire” or “to be inflamed.” These meanings are conceptually linked: pursuit as a metaphor for intensity or burning desire.   Qal Binyan Conjugation of דָּלַק (“to pursue”) Past (Perfect) Tense Person Form 1st person singular דָּלַקְתִּי 2nd person masculine singular דָּלַקְתָּ 2nd person feminine singular דָּלַקְתְּ 3rd person masculine singular דָּלַק 3rd person feminine singular דָּלְקָה 1st person plural דָּלַקְנוּ 2nd person masculine plural דְּלַקְתֶּם 2nd person feminine plural דְּלַקְתֶּן 3rd person plural דָּלְקוּ Present (Participle) Tense Gender/Number Form Masculine singular דּוֹלֵק Feminine singular דּוֹלֶקֶת Masculine plural דּוֹלְקִים Feminine plural דּוֹלְקוֹת Future (Imperfect) Tense Person Form 1st person singular אֶדְלֹק 2nd person masculine singular תִּדְלֹק 2nd person feminine singular תִּדְלְקִי 3rd person masculine singular יִדְלֹק 3rd person feminine singular תִּדְלֹק 1st person plural נִדְלֹק 2nd person masculine plural תִּדְלְקוּ 2nd person feminine plural תִּדְלֹקְנָה 3rd person plural יִדְלְקוּ Imperative Mood Person Form 2nd person masculine singular דְּלֹק 2nd person feminine singular דִּלְקִי 2nd person masculine plural דִּלְקוּ 2nd person feminine plural דְּלֹקְנָה   Usage in Scripture Genesis 31:36 – וַיִּחַר לְיַעֲקֹב וַיָּרֶב בְּלָבָן וַיַּעַן יַעֲקֹב וַיֹּאמֶר לְלָבָן מַה־פִּשְׁעִי מַה־חַטָּאתִי כִּי דָּלַקְתָּ אַחֲרָי “What is my transgression, what is my sin, that you have pursued me?”… Learn Hebrew
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Scattered in Strain — Purpose Infinitives and the Language of Forced Labor

וַיָּ֥פֶץ הָעָ֖ם בְּכָל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם לְקֹשֵׁ֥שׁ קַ֖שׁ לַתֶּֽבֶן׃ Opening the Scattering Exodus 5:12 follows Pharaoh’s harsh decree that the Israelites must produce bricks without straw. No longer supplied with raw material, the people now disperse across Egypt. The verse captures this moment with only one finite verb and one infinitive — yet through this simplicity, it reveals a core Biblical Hebrew device: the infinitive of purpose. The structure compresses oppression into grammar — people scattered, motive suspended in a single infinitive. Here, syntax shows how tyranny fragments community, turns action into compulsion, and fuses movement with toil.… Learn Hebrew
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The Hebrew Verb דָּחָה: To Reject, Push Away, or Repel

The Hebrew verb דָּחָה (root: ד־ח־ה) means “to reject,” “to thrust,” “to push away,” or “to drive back.” It can refer to both literal physical repulsion and metaphorical rejection—whether a person, offer, or even a prayer. This verb carries a strong emotional and theological weight, especially in poetic and prophetic contexts. It is most commonly used in the Qal stem, and sometimes in the Niphal stem (passive), expressing the idea of being rejected or pushed away.   Qal Binyan Conjugation of דָּחָה (“to reject, push away”) Past (Perfect) Tense Person Form 1st person singular דָּחִיתִי 2nd person masculine singular דָּחִיתָ 2nd person feminine singular דָּחִיתְ 3rd person masculine singular דָּחָה 3rd person feminine singular דָּחְתָה 1st person plural דָּחִינוּ 2nd person masculine plural דְּחִיתֶם 2nd person feminine plural דְּחִיתֶן 3rd person plural דָּחֲוּ Present (Participle) Tense Gender/Number Form Masculine singular דּוֹחֶה Feminine singular דּוֹחָה Masculine plural דּוֹחִים Feminine plural דּוֹחוֹת Future (Imperfect) Tense Person Form 1st person singular אֶדְחֶה 2nd person masculine singular תִּדְחֶה 2nd person feminine singular תִּדְחִי 3rd person masculine singular יִדְחֶה 3rd person feminine singular תִּדְחֶה 1st person plural נִדְחֶה 2nd person masculine plural תִּדְחוּ 2nd person feminine plural תִּדְחֶינָה 3rd person plural יִדְחוּ Imperative Mood Person Form 2nd person masculine singular דְּחֵה 2nd person feminine singular דִּחִי 2nd person masculine plural דִּחוּ 2nd person feminine plural דְּחֶינָה   Usage in Scripture Psalm 94:14 – כִּי לֹא יִטֹּשׁ יְהוָה עַמּוֹ וְנַחֲלָתוֹ לֹא יַעֲזֹב “For the LORD will not cast off His people…” — similar idea expressed with other verbs of rejection.… Learn Hebrew
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The Grammar of Panic — Verbal Clustering and Narrative Urgency

וַיִּשְׁלְח֨וּ וַיַּאַסְפ֜וּ אֶת־כָּל־סַרְנֵ֣י פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ שַׁלְּח֞וּ אֶת־אֲרֹ֨ון אֱלֹהֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְיָשֹׁ֣ב לִמְקֹמֹ֔ו וְלֹֽא־יָמִ֥ית אֹתִ֖י וְאֶת־עַמִּ֑י כִּֽי־הָיְתָ֤ה מְהֽוּמַת־מָ֨וֶת֙ בְּכָל־הָעִ֔יר כָּבְדָ֥ה מְאֹ֛ד יַ֥ד הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים שָֽׁם׃ Stirring the Scene As the Ark of the Covenant strikes fear into the hearts of the Philistines, 1 Samuel 5:11 erupts with action. Verbs crowd the verse — messengers sent, leaders gathered, words spoken, decisions made. The panic of a people is not just narrated — it is encoded in the grammar. What emerges is a verbal storm, a grammatical phenomenon where consecutive wayyiqtol verbs tumble one after another in rapid sequence.… Learn Hebrew
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The Hebrew Verb דּוּן: To Judge, Plead, or Contend

The Hebrew verb דּוּן (root: ד־ו־ן) means “to judge,” “to litigate,” “to contend,” or “to argue a case.” It is used in legal and judicial contexts, and sometimes in a broader sense of striving or pleading a cause. The root appears both as a verb and as a noun (e.g., דִּין, meaning “judgment” or “justice”). In the Tanakh, this verb is typically found in the Qal binyan, though it is relatively rare as a verb form. Much more frequently, its root is expressed through nouns and derivatives, such as דָּן (judge), דִּין (judgment), and the name of the tribe דָּן.… Learn Hebrew
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The Double Authority Structure: Reported Speech and Negation in Exodus 5:10

וַיֵּ֨צְא֜וּ נֹגְשֵׂ֤י הָעָם֙ וְשֹׁ֣טְרָ֔יו וַיֹּאמְר֥וּ אֶל־הָעָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר פַּרְעֹ֔ה אֵינֶ֛נִּי נֹתֵ֥ן לָכֶ֖ם תֶּֽבֶן׃ Exodus 5:10 is a vivid example of hierarchical communication in ancient Hebrew narrative. The verse reports the Pharaoh’s command using a chain of reported speech introduced by כֹּה אָמַר, a classic declarative formula of royal or prophetic utterance. Additionally, the direct speech contains the emphatic negative אֵינֶנִּי נֹתֵן—a grammatically intensive construction which emphasizes the king’s absolute refusal to provide straw to the Israelites. This article examines the narrative structure, the use of indirect speech markers, and the function of the compound negative clause to enforce dominance through syntax.… Learn Hebrew
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The Hebrew Verb דִּבֵּר: To Speak, Declare, or Command

The Hebrew verb דִּבֵּר (root: ד־ב־ר) means “to speak,” “to declare,” or “to command.” It is one of the most frequent and foundational verbs in the Hebrew Bible, used to describe speech ranging from divine revelation to human conversation. Unlike the verb אָמַר (“to say”), which can introduce dialogue or quotations, דִּבֵּר typically refers to formal, weighty, or purposeful communication—especially that of God. It appears primarily in the Piel stem, indicating intensive or purposeful speech. In contrast, the Qal stem of this root appears in nouns like דָּבָר (“word,” “matter,” “thing”) but not as a verb form in the Hebrew Bible.… Learn Hebrew
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The Interrogative with הֲלֹא: Rebuke and Rhetoric in Nehemiah 5:9

ויאמר לֹא־טֹ֥וב הַדָּבָ֖ר אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּ֣ם עֹשִׂ֑ים הֲלֹ֞וא בְּיִרְאַ֤ת אֱלֹהֵ֨ינוּ֙ תֵּלֵ֔כוּ מֵחֶרְפַּ֖ת הַגֹּויִ֥ם אֹויְבֵֽינוּ׃ Nehemiah 5:9 is a direct moral rebuke wrapped in rhetorical craftsmanship. When Nehemiah says, הֲלֹ֞וא בְּיִרְאַ֤ת אֱלֹהֵ֨ינוּ֙ תֵּלֵ֔כוּ, he uses a classic Hebrew interrogative structure to confront rather than merely question. The particle הֲלֹא (ha-lō) introduces a rhetorical question expecting a positive answer, designed to intensify the ethical pressure on the listener. In Biblical Hebrew, such rhetorical devices are grammatically simple but emotionally potent. This article examines how הֲלֹא functions in biblical dialogue and how Nehemiah’s syntax heightens the moral appeal by placing יִרְאַת אֱלֹהֵינוּ at the very center of the question.… Learn Hebrew
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