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Recent Articles
- Trumpet Blasts and Assembly Syntax in Numbers 10:3
- Right and Left: A Beginner’s Guide to Hebrew Word Order in Ecclesiastes 10:2
- A Call to Listen: A Beginner’s Guide to Hebrew Grammar in Jeremiah 10:1
- “Even If I Wash with Snow”: Job’s Cry of Purity and Futility in Hebrew
- Your People and Your Inheritance: Strength and Arm Between Hebrew and Greek
- Who is Abimelek? Political Defiance in Hebrew Speech
- May God Enlarge Japheth: Syntax, Blessing, and Subordination in Genesis 9:27
- The Plea of the Prophet: Syntax, Intercession, and Covenant Echoes in Deuteronomy 9:26
- The Swift Flight of Life: Syntax and Poetic Motion in Job 9:25
- Fear and Syntax in Giveʿon: Nested Clauses and Theological Strategy in Joshua 9:24
- Wayyiqtol Verbs, Ruach Imagery, and Political Betrayal in Judges 9:23
- Imperatives, Prophetic Syntax, and Stark Imagery in Jeremiah 9:22
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The Hebrew Verb בִּשֵּׁל: To Cook, Boil, or Ripen
The Hebrew verb בִּשֵּׁל (root: ב-ש-ל) means “to cook,” “to boil,” or “to ripen.” It appears in the Piel binyan, which expresses an intensive or causative action, and refers primarily to the preparation of food by boiling or cooking. It can also be used figuratively for ripening or completion.
The root also gives rise to the noun בָּשֵׁל (ripe) and תַּבְשִׁיל (dish or cooked food). In the Hebrew Bible, this verb typically appears in narratives involving food preparation or sacrificial practices.… Learn Hebrew
The Collapse Without Wisdom: Verb Themes and Syntax in Job 4:21
הֲלֹא־נִסַּ֣ע יִתְרָ֣ם בָּ֑ם יָ֝מ֗וּתוּ וְלֹ֣א בְחָכְמָֽה׃
(Job 4:21)
Is not their tent cord pulled up within them? They die, and not with wisdom.
Focus on the Passive Niphal: נִסַּ֣ע
The verb נִסַּ֣ע is in the Niphal stem, which often expresses passive or reflexive action. Derived from the root נ־ס־ע (“to journey,” “to depart,” or “to pull up tent pegs”), the Niphal form here implies “was pulled away” or “was removed.” This metaphor evokes the image of a tent being uprooted — a powerful symbol of impermanence in Biblical Hebrew, especially in wisdom literature like Job.… Learn Hebrew
The Hebrew Verb בָּרַר: To Choose, Purify, or Examine Carefully
The Hebrew verb בָּרַר (root: ב-ר-ר) means “to choose,” “to purify,” “to sift,” or “to examine carefully.” It conveys the idea of selecting something with care and purpose—such as choosing the best from among many, or purifying something by removing impurities.
This verb is used both literally (e.g., in agriculture or metallurgy) and metaphorically (e.g., choosing the righteous, refining character). It appears in various binyanim, most notably in the Piel (to purify or select) and Puʿal (to be purified or selected).… Learn Hebrew
Grammatical Deception: Mood, Syntax, and Speech in Judges 4:20
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלֶ֔יהָ עֲמֹ֖ד פֶּ֣תַח הָאֹ֑הֶל וְהָיָה֩ אִם־אִ֨ישׁ יָבֹ֜וא וּשְׁאֵלֵ֗ךְ וְאָמַ֛ר הֲיֵֽשׁ־פֹּ֥ה אִ֖ישׁ וְאָמַ֥רְתְּ אָֽיִן׃
(Judges 4:20)
And he said to her, “Stand at the entrance of the tent, and it shall be, if any man comes and asks you and says, ‘Is there a man here?’ then you shall say, ‘There is none.’”
Focus on Imperatives: עֲמֹ֖ד
The word עֲמֹד is the imperative masculine singular form of the root ע־מ־ד, meaning “to stand.” Here, it is a direct command: “Stand!” or more idiomatically, “Stand at the entrance!”… Learn Hebrew
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The Hebrew Verb בֵּרֵךְ: To Bless, Kneel, or Bestow Favor
The Hebrew verb בֵּרֵךְ (root: ב-ר-ךְ) means “to bless,” “to bestow favor,” or “to praise.” While the root can also be connected to the idea of “kneeling” (from a different form in the Qal binyan), in the Piel binyan—which is the most common form—the verb almost always means “to bless.” It is one of the most frequently used verbs in the Hebrew Bible in both divine and human contexts.
בֵּרֵךְ is almost exclusively used in the Piel binyan when referring to “blessing,” and it plays a major role in biblical theology and liturgy, including the priestly blessing, patriarchal blessings, and divine promises.… Learn Hebrew
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Stumbling in Darkness: Imagery, Negation, and Parallelism in Proverbs 4:19
דֶּ֣רֶךְ רְ֭שָׁעִים כָּֽאֲפֵלָ֑ה לֹ֥א יָ֝דְע֗וּ בַּמֶּ֥ה יִכָּשֵֽׁלוּ:
(Proverbs 4:19)
The path of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.
Proverbs 4:19 forms part of a wisdom contrast between the path of the righteous and that of the wicked. While the previous verse (v.18) compares the way of the righteous to the shining light of dawn, this verse paints the way of the wicked as enveloped in darkness. The stark imagery is matched by a concise and rhythmic syntactic structure.… Learn Hebrew
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The Hebrew Verb בָּרַח: To Flee, Escape, or Run Away
The Hebrew verb בָּרַח (root: ב-ר-ח) means “to flee,” “to escape,” or “to run away.” It is a common action verb used throughout the Hebrew Bible to describe physical flight from danger, pursuit, judgment, or conflict. It can also be used metaphorically for fleeing from sin, judgment, or responsibility.
This verb appears primarily in the Qal binyan (simple action) and is used in both narrative and poetic contexts. The form is typically regular and predictable, making it a foundational vocabulary word for students of Biblical Hebrew.… Learn Hebrew
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Negative Imperative with Jussive Verbs and Genitive Apposition
אַל־תַּכְרִ֕יתוּ אֶת־שֵׁ֖בֶט מִשְׁפְּחֹ֣ת הַקְּהָתִ֑י מִתֹּ֖וךְ הַלְוִיִּֽם׃
(Numbers 4:18)
Do not cut off the tribe of the Kohathite families from among the Levites.
This verse is part of a divine command to preserve the lives of the Qehatite clan among the Levites, who were tasked with transporting the most sacred objects. The verse uses a negative imperative with a jussive verb, which is a common grammatical structure in Biblical Hebrew for expressing prohibitions. It also features an example of genitive apposition, where one noun defines another.… Learn Hebrew
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The Hebrew Verb בָּרָא: To Create, Bring into Existence
The Hebrew verb בָּרָא (root: ב-ר-א) means “to create” or “to bring into existence.” It is a powerful and theologically significant verb that appears in the very first verse of the Bible. Unlike other Hebrew verbs for “making” (like עשה or יצר), בָּרָא is used exclusively for divine activity—only God is the subject of this verb in the Hebrew Bible. It conveys the idea of bringing something entirely new into being, often ex nihilo (out of nothing).
It appears primarily in the Qal binyan.… Learn Hebrew
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Sequential Devastation: Narrative Syntax and Theological Catastrophe in 1 Samuel 4:17
וַיַּ֨עַן הַֽמְבַשֵּׂ֜ר וַיֹּ֗אמֶר נָ֤ס יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לִפְנֵ֣י פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וְגַ֛ם מַגֵּפָ֥ה גְדֹולָ֖ה הָיְתָ֣ה בָעָ֑ם וְגַם־שְׁנֵ֨י בָנֶ֜יךָ מֵ֗תוּ חָפְנִי֙ וּפִ֣ינְחָ֔ס וַאֲרֹ֥ון הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים נִלְקָֽחָה׃
(1 Samuel 4:17)
And the bearer of tidings answered and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and also there has been a great slaughter among the people; and also your two sons, Ḥofni and Pinḥas, are dead, and the Ark of God has been captured.”
News of Defeat and the Grammar of National Collapse
1 Samuel 4:17 records the devastating news brought to Eli after the defeat of Israel by the Philistines.… Learn Hebrew
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