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Recent Articles
- “A Three-Day Journey”: The Syntax of Volition and Deixis in Exodus According to Targum Onkelos
- Disaster That Flies Down: A Hebrew Lesson on Isaiah 8:22
- Purified and Presented: A Hebrew Lesson on Numbers 8:21
- Like the Nations Before You: A Hebrew Walkthrough of Deuteronomy 8:20
- Voices of the Dead or the Living God? A Hebrew Lesson on Isaiah 8:19
- When the Ground Denies Him: A Hebrew Walkthrough of Job 8:18
- From Dust to Gnats: A Hebrew Lesson in Action
- The Power of Repetition: Exploring the Waw-Consecutive
- Through the Great and Fearsome Wilderness: From Fiery Serpent to Flowing Spring
- “Counsel Is Mine” — Exploring the Voice of Wisdom in Proverbs 8:14
- From the Garden to the Ear: Participles and Imperatives in Song of Songs 8:13
- Wisdom’s Self-Introduction: Where Insight Meets Strategy
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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
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
Posted in Vocabulary
Tagged דבר
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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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The Hebrew Verb דָּבַק: To Cling, Stick, or Cleave
The Hebrew verb דָּבַק (root: ד־ב־ק) means “to cling,” “to stick,” “to join closely,” or “to cleave.” It conveys a strong sense of attachment, both physical and emotional. This verb appears frequently in the Tanakh and plays an important role in theological, relational, and covenantal contexts—especially when describing loyalty to God, familial unity, or unwavering pursuit.
It primarily appears in the Qal binyan (simple active), and in later Hebrew, also in Niphal and Pual forms (passive or reflexive), often with similar connotations of attachment or adhesion.… Learn Hebrew
The Edges of Desire — Imperatives and Spatial Metaphor in Biblical Warning
הַרְחֵ֣ק מֵעָלֶ֣יהָ דַרְכֶּ֑ךָ וְאַל־֝תִּקְרַ֗ב אֶל־פֶּ֥תַח בֵּיתָֽהּ׃
Unveiling the Boundary
Some warnings do not describe danger — they draw maps around it. Proverbs 5:8 sketches a moral geography with two commands: one urging distance, the other forbidding approach. The target is a figure already introduced in the chapter — the forbidden woman — yet she is not directly named here. Instead, her domain is circled with negations and spatial directives. This verse brings into focus a rich linguistic feature: the Hebrew use of paralleled negative imperatives to frame ethical perimeters.… Learn Hebrew
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The Hebrew Verb דָּאַג: To Worry, Be Anxious, or Concerned
The Hebrew verb דָּאַג (root: ד־א־ג) means “to worry,” “to be anxious,” or “to be concerned.” It is used to describe emotional unease, often tied to fear, responsibility, or care for others. In the Tanakh, this verb usually expresses internal distress or care for someone’s well-being.
The verb is primarily found in the Qal binyan (basic stem), typically describing a state of mind rather than physical action. It is one of the core verbs in biblical and modern Hebrew that expresses psychological or emotional conditions.… Learn Hebrew
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Poetry of Parallelism: The Enigmatic Syntax of Job 5:7
כִּֽי־֭אָדָם לְעָמָ֣ל יוּלָּ֑ד וּבְנֵי־֝רֶ֗שֶׁף יַגְבִּ֥יהוּ עֽוּף׃
Job 5:7 stands as one of the most cryptic and evocative verses in the Book of Job. The verse presents two parallel poetic lines that pair abstract metaphors with declarative truths:
“For man is born to toil, and the sons of Reshef fly upward.”
The poetic force lies not only in the stark imagery but also in the grammar. This article examines the syntactic structure of Hebrew poetry, with special attention to the parallelism between אָדָם לְעָמָל יוּלָּד and וּבְנֵי־רֶשֶׁף יַגְבִּיהוּ עוּף, and what happens when syntax serves mystery rather than clarity.… Learn Hebrew
The Hebrew Verb גָּשַׁם: To Rain or Cause Rain
The Hebrew verb גָּשַׁם (root: ג-ש-ם) means “to rain” or “to pour rain.” It refers to the act of rainfall, both literal and, in prophetic literature, symbolic. The verb is relatively rare in the Tanakh and is most frequently used in poetic or descriptive passages. It is the verbal form of the noun גֶּשֶׁם, meaning “rain.”
In biblical usage, it generally appears in the Hiphil binyan (causative stem), meaning “to cause to rain,” indicating divine action in sending rainfall.
Hiphil Binyan Conjugation of גָּשַׁם (“to cause rain”)
Past (Perfect) Tense
Person
Form
1st person singular
הִגְשַׁמְתִּי
2nd person masculine singular
הִגְשַׁמְתָּ
2nd person feminine singular
הִגְשַׁמְתְּ
3rd person masculine singular
הִגְשִׁים
3rd person feminine singular
הִגְשִׁימָה
1st person plural
הִגְשַׁמְנוּ
2nd person masculine plural
הִגְשַׁמְתֶּם
2nd person feminine plural
הִגְשַׁמְתֶּן
3rd person plural
הִגְשִׁימוּ
Present (Participle) Tense
Gender/Number
Form
Masculine singular
מַגְשִׁים
Feminine singular
מַגְשִׁימָה
Masculine plural
מַגְשִׁימִים
Feminine plural
מַגְשִׁימוֹת
Future (Imperfect) Tense
Person
Form
1st person singular
אַגְשִׁים
2nd person masculine singular
תַּגְשִׁים
2nd person feminine singular
תַּגְשִׁימִי
3rd person masculine singular
יַגְשִׁים
3rd person feminine singular
תַּגְשִׁים
1st person plural
נַגְשִׁים
2nd person masculine plural
תַּגְשִׁימוּ
2nd person feminine plural
תַּגְשֵׁימְנָה
3rd person plural
יַגְשִׁימוּ
Imperative Mood
Person
Form
2nd person masculine singular
הַגְשֵׁם
2nd person feminine singular
הַגְשִׁימִי
2nd person masculine plural
הַגְשִׁימוּ
2nd person feminine plural
הַגְשֵׁמְנָה
גָּשַׁם in the Tanakh
The root ג־ש־ם appears primarily as the noun גֶּשֶׁם (“rain“).… Learn Hebrew
The Guilty Soul: Predicate-Subject Inversion and Verbal Emphasis in Numbers 5:6
דַּבֵּר֮ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ אִ֣ישׁ אֹֽו־אִשָּׁ֗ה כִּ֤י יַעֲשׂוּ֙ מִכָּל־חַטֹּ֣את הָֽאָדָ֔ם לִמְעֹ֥ל מַ֖עַל בַּיהוָ֑ה וְאָֽשְׁמָ֖ה הַנֶּ֥פֶשׁ הַהִֽוא׃
Numbers 5:6 opens a passage dealing with trespass against YHWH, yet its power rests not only in theological content but in grammatical subtlety. The final clause—וְאָשְׁמָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא—contains a classic Biblical Hebrew feature: the predicate precedes the subject. This inversion, far from arbitrary, serves to emphasize the declaration of guilt, casting it like a legal verdict upon the “soul” that transgressed.
This article explores the syntactic impact of predicate-subject reversal and the role of the feminine perfect verb אָשְׁמָה as a theological marker in contexts of moral accountability.… Learn Hebrew
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