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Recent Articles
- “Even in Your Thoughts”: The Subtle Hebrew Wisdom of Ecclesiastes 10:20
- The Silence of Wisdom: Verbal Restraint and Hebrew Syntax in Proverbs 10:19
- Intercession in Action: The Hebrew Flow of Exodus 10:18
- Endless Trials: Exploring the Hebrew of Job 10:17
- “I Have Sinned”: The Grammar of Urgency and Confession in Exodus 10:16
- Order in Motion: Nethanʾel son of Tsuʿar and the March of Issachar
- The Grammar of Vision: Enumerative Syntax and Symbolic Order in Ezekiel 10:14
- The Grammar of Divine Meteorology: Syntax and Pragmatic Force in Jeremiah 10:13
- When the Sun Stood Still: Syntax and Command in Joshua 10:12
- Woven with Wonder: Syntax and Embodied Imagery in Job 10:11
- The Wink and the Wound: Syntax, Parallelism, and Irony in Proverbs 10:10
- The Grammar of Surprise: The Wayyiqtol Chain and Temporal Progression in Joshua 10:9
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Cause and Comparison in Prophetic Narrative: The Syntax of 2 Chronicles 28:3
וְהוּא הִקְטִיר בְּגֵיא בֶן־הִנֹּם וַיַּבְעֵר אֶת־בָּנָיו בָּאֵשׁ כְּתוֹעֲבוֹת הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר הוֹרִישׁ יְהוָה מִפְּנֵי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
(2 Chronicles 28:3)
And he burned incense in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom, and he burned his sons in fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom YHWH had dispossessed before the children of Israel.
Imitation of the Nations and Divine Displeasure
This verse documents a horrific act: the burning of children as sacrifices in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom by a king of Judah, mirroring the abominations of the surrounding nations.… Learn Hebrew
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The Hebrew Verb אָמַר: To Say, Speak, or Declare
The Hebrew verb אָמַר is one of the most common and essential verbs in the Hebrew Bible, occurring over 5,000 times. It means “to say,” “to speak,” or “to declare,” and is typically used in the Qal binyan. It is used both for divine speech (e.g., “And God said…”) and human speech, making it a core tool for conveying direct discourse and communication.
This verb appears in nearly every genre of biblical literature—narrative, poetry, prophecy, and law. Because of its high frequency, mastering its forms is vital for reading and understanding Hebrew texts fluently.… Learn Hebrew
Coordinated Prepositions and Syntactic Stacking in Jeremiah 27:3
וְשִׁלַּחְתָּם֩ אֶל־מֶ֨לֶךְ אֱדֹ֜ום וְאֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ מֹואָ֗ב וְאֶל־מֶ֨לֶךְ֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמֹּ֔ון וְאֶל־מֶ֥לֶךְ צֹ֖ר וְאֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ צִידֹ֑ון בְּיַ֤ד מַלְאָכִים֙ הַבָּאִ֣ים יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם אֶל־צִדְקִיָּ֖הוּ מֶ֥לֶךְ יְהוּדָֽה׃
(Jeremiah 27:3)
And you shall send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moʾav, and to the king of the sons of ʿAmmon, and to the king of Tsor, and to the king of Tsidon, by the hand of the messengers who come to Yerushalayim to Tsidqiyyahu, king of Yehuda.
A Diplomatic Web of Judgments
This verse from Jeremiah sets the stage for a prophetic message delivered not only to Judah but to neighboring kingdoms through a dramatic diplomatic gesture.… Learn Hebrew
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Sequential Action and Leadership: The Wayyiqtol Chain in Judges 3:27
וַיְהִ֣י בְּבֹואֹ֔ו וַיִּתְקַ֥ע בַּשֹּׁופָ֖ר בְּהַ֣ר אֶפְרָ֑יִם וַיֵּרְד֨וּ עִמֹּ֧ו בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל מִן־הָהָ֖ר וְה֥וּא לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃
(Judges 3:27)
And it came to pass when he arrived, that he blew the trumpet in the hill country of Efrayim, and the sons of Yisraʾel went down with him from the mountain, and he was before them.
Trumpets, Terrain, and Tactical Leadership
This verse describes the pivotal moment when Ehud, after escaping from Eglon, mobilizes the Israelites by sounding the shofar in the hill country of Ephraim. The structure of this verse is particularly notable for its use of wayyiqtol (וַיִּקטֹל) forms, a staple of Hebrew narrative grammar that links actions in succession.… Learn Hebrew
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Internal Monologue and Root-Derived Wordplay in Obadiah 1:3
זְדֹ֤ון לִבְּךָ֙ הִשִּׁיאֶ֔ךָ שֹׁכְנִ֥י בְחַגְוֵי־סֶּ֖לַע מְרֹ֣ום שִׁבְתֹּ֑ו אֹמֵ֣ר בְּלִבֹּ֔ו מִ֥י יֹורִדֵ֖נִי אָֽרֶץ׃
(Obadiah 1:3)
The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, in the height of his habitation, who says in his heart, Who will bring me down to the ground?
The Language of Arrogance and Illusion
Obadiah 1:3 confronts the arrogant mindset of Edom, using highly expressive Hebrew grammar to portray internal thought, deceptive self-assurance, and false elevation. The verse employs reflexive causative verbs and embeds internal monologue syntax into poetic prophecy.… Learn Hebrew
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Temporal Clauses and Narrative Framing in Numbers 26:1
וַיְהִ֖י אַחֲרֵ֣י הַמַּגֵּפָ֑ה פ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה וְאֶ֧ל אֶלְעָזָ֛ר בֶּן־אַהֲרֹ֥ן הַכֹּהֵ֖ן לֵאמֹֽר׃
(Numbers 26:1)
And it came to pass after the plague, that YHWH said to Moshe and to Eleʿazar, son of Aharon the priest, saying,
Marking Time After Crisis
This verse opens the chapter detailing the second wilderness census. It sets the context with a temporal clause and then presents a divine speech formula addressed to both Moshe and Eleʿazar. The syntax reveals the transition from plague to restoration and organization.… Learn Hebrew
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The Hebrew Verb אִמֵּץ: To Strengthen and Encourage
The Hebrew verb אִמֵּץ (from the root א-מ-ץ) means “to strengthen,” “to make firm,” or “to encourage.” It appears primarily in the Piel binyan, where it takes on an intensive or causative meaning. The verb is used both in literal contexts (e.g., strengthening hands or arms) and figurative contexts (e.g., encouraging the heart, giving courage).
In the Hebrew Bible, it often appears in moments of transition, fear, or divine encouragement. The most famous usage is in God’s charge to Yehoshua (Joshua): חֲזַק וֶאֱמָץ – “Be strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:6–9), where אִמֵּץ appears as a command for inner fortitude and trust.… Learn Hebrew
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Negative Imperatives and Prohibitions in Leviticus 26:1
לֹֽא־תַעֲשׂ֨וּ לָכֶ֜ם אֱלִילִ֗ם וּפֶ֤סֶל וּמַצֵּבָה֙ לֹֽא־תָקִ֣ימוּ לָכֶ֔ם וְאֶ֣בֶן מַשְׂכִּ֗ית לֹ֤א תִתְּנוּ֙ בְּאַרְצְכֶ֔ם לְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֹ֖ת עָלֶ֑יהָ כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃
(Leviticus 26:1)
You shall not make idols for yourselves, nor shall you set up a graven image or a pillar for yourselves, nor shall you place a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am YHWH your God.
Syntax of Covenant Prohibitions
Leviticus 26:1 opens the chapter of blessings and curses with a firm reminder of Israel’s exclusive devotion to YHWH.… Learn Hebrew
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Sequential Perfects and Future Conditionals in Deuteronomy 26:1
וְהָיָה֙ כִּֽי־תָבֹ֣וא אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ נַחֲלָ֑ה וִֽירִשְׁתָּ֖הּ וְיָשַׁ֥בְתָּ בָּֽהּ׃
(Deuteronomy 26:1)
And it shall be when you come into the land which YHWH your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you possess it and dwell in it.
Legal Conditional Syntax and Sequential Events
This verse marks the beginning of a legal ritual that is to be performed upon entering the land of YHWH. The grammar is especially rich with perfect verbs used to describe future actions—a unique feature of Hebrew law codes.… Learn Hebrew
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The Hebrew Verb הֶאֱמִין: To Believe and Trust
The Hebrew verb הֶאֱמִין (from the root א-מ-ן) is the standard verb for expressing faith, belief, and trust in biblical Hebrew. It appears most frequently in the Hiphil binyan, the causative stem, and literally means “to cause to be firm” or “to cause to trust.” This fits well with the theological context in which the verb often appears—most notably in expressions of trusting in God.
For example, in Genesis 15:6, it says of Avram: וְהֶאֱמִן בַּיהוָה — “And he believed in the LORD,” a foundational verse for both Jewish and Christian theology.… Learn Hebrew
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