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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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Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Phonology
Biblical Hebrew, the language of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), presents a rich and complex phonological system that evolved significantly over time. Its phonology—concerned with the sound system of the language—offers essential insights into historical linguistics, comparative Semitics, and the reconstruction of ancient pronunciations. This article explores the consonantal and vocalic inventory of Biblical Hebrew, historical shifts, and key phonological phenomena within a scholarly framework.
Consonantal Inventory and Phonemic Distinctions
Classical Biblical Hebrew (ca. 1000–400 BC) possessed a well-defined set of 22 consonantal phonemes, corresponding to the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet.… Learn Hebrew
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The Hebrew Root א-מ-ן: Meanings, Binyanim, and Development
The root א-מ-ן (Aleph–Mem–Nun) in Hebrew is one of the most theologically rich and versatile roots in the Bible. From this root come several related verbs and nouns associated with ideas of faith, firmness, trustworthiness, and training. It lies behind well-known words like אָמֵן (“amen”) and אֱמוּנָה (“faith, faithfulness”).
This root appears in multiple binyanim, each with distinct shades of meaning:
Qal (rare): to be firm, confirmed
Niphal: to be faithful, to be established
Piel: to train, to bring up (especially a child)
Hiphil: to believe, to trust, to regard as true
Below are the conjugation tables for the most prominent forms: Niphal, Piel, and Hiphil.… Learn Hebrew
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The Hebrew Verb אִלֵּץ: To Compel or Force or Urge
The Hebrew verb אִלֵּץ comes from the root א-ל-ץ and means “to compel,” “to coerce,” or “to force.” It is typically found only in the Piel binyan, which expresses intensive or causative action. This verb is not used in the Qal or Niphal forms in the Hebrew Bible and Modern Hebrew. Its meaning carries a strong sense of pressure or obligation placed on a person or group.
The verb is rarely found in biblical Hebrew but appears more often in later Hebrew literature and Modern Hebrew, especially in contexts involving laws, duties, or emotional/psychological pressure.… Learn Hebrew
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“Forty Stripes He May Give Him, He Shall Not Add”: Legal Limits and Syntactic Boundaries in Deuteronomy 25:3
אַרְבָּעִ֥ים יַכֶּ֖נּוּ לֹ֣א יֹסִ֑יף פֶּן־יֹסִ֨יף לְהַכֹּתֹ֤ו עַל־אֵ֨לֶּה֙ מַכָּ֣ה רַבָּ֔ה וְנִקְלָ֥ה אָחִ֖יךָ לְעֵינֶֽיךָ׃
(Deuteronomy 25:3)
He shall strike him forty times; he shall not add more, lest he continue to strike him with many blows beyond these, and your brother be degraded in your eyes.
Justice, Mercy, and the Limits of Punishment
Deuteronomy 25:3 addresses the punishment of a guilty person by flogging, setting a maximum number of lashes to prevent public degradation. This law encapsulates the Torah’s unique combination of justice and compassion, and the Hebrew syntax reflects this balance.… Learn Hebrew
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“Rising Early to Speak”: Temporal Expressions and Iterative Syntax in Jeremiah 25:3
This article focused on Jeremiah 25:3, with a grammatical emphasis on the temporal expressions and iterative aspect of the Hebrew verb “הַשְׁכֵּם”. This verse richly combines temporal markers, perfect and imperfect verb sequences, and the repeated divine initiative in speech.
מִן־שְׁלֹ֣שׁ עֶשְׂרֵ֣ה שָׁנָ֡ה לְיֹאשִׁיָּ֣הוּ בֶן־אָמֹון֩ מֶ֨לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֜ה וְעַ֣ד הַיֹּ֣ום הַזֶּ֗ה זֶ֚ה שָׁלֹ֤שׁ וְעֶשְׂרִים֙ שָׁנָ֔ה הָיָ֥ה דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלָ֑י וָאֲדַבֵּ֧ר אֲלֵיכֶ֛ם אַשְׁכֵּ֥ים וְדַבֵּ֖ר וְלֹ֥א שְׁמַעְתֶּֽם׃
(Jeremiah 25:3)
From the thirteenth year of Yoshiyyahu son of ʾAmon, king of Yehuda, and until this day, these twenty-three years, the word of YHWH has been to me, and I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking, but you have not listened.… Learn Hebrew
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“Good of Understanding and Beautiful in Appearance”: Construct Chains and Characterization in 1 Samuel 25:3
This article analyzes 1 Samuel 25:3, focusing on the construct chain and adjective-noun coordination in the character descriptions of Nabal and Avigayil. It explores how the syntactic structure and word order reflect theological and narrative characterization.
וְשֵׁ֤ם הָאִישׁ֙ נָבָ֔ל וְשֵׁ֥ם אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ אֲבִגָ֑יִל וְהָאִשָּׁ֤ה טֽוֹבַת־שֶׂ֨כֶל֙ וִ֣יפַת תֹּ֔אַר וְהָאִ֥ישׁ קָשֶׁ֛ה וְרַ֥ע מַעֲלָלִ֖ים וְה֥וּא כָלִבִּֽי׃
(1 Samuel 25:3)
Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife was Abigail. And the woman was intelligent and beautiful in appearance, but the man was harsh and evil in his deeds.… Learn Hebrew
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Verb Study: אָכַל — “to eat, consume”
The Hebrew verb אָכַל (ʾakhal) means “to eat,” but it also extends metaphorically to mean “to consume,” “to devour,” or even “to destroy.” It is one of the most common verbs in the Bible and is used in both literal and figurative contexts — such as people eating food, or fire consuming offerings, or judgment consuming the wicked.
Below is a complete conjugation of אָכַל in the Qal stem, covering all major tenses and persons. All Hebrew forms are bolded for clarity.… Learn Hebrew
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Verb Study: אָחַר — “to delay”
The Hebrew verb אָחַר (ʾaḥar) means “to delay” or “to tarry” and is found multiple times in the Hebrew Bible. This verb is mostly used in the Qal stem and conveys the idea of being late or lingering beyond an expected time. In some contexts, it can carry a negative connotation, such as failing to act promptly when expected.
The root of the verb is א־ח־ר, and it is used both literally and metaphorically. Below is a full conjugation chart of the verb in the Qal stem for past, present, future, and imperative forms.… Learn Hebrew
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“He May Not Take Her Again”: Modal Syntax and Moral Defilement in Deuteronomy 24:4
לֹא־יוּכַ֣ל בַּעְלָ֣הּ הָרִאשֹׁ֣ון אֲשֶֽׁר־֠שִׁלְּחָהּ לָשׁ֨וּב לְקַחְתָּ֜הּ לִהְיֹ֧ות לֹ֣ו לְאִשָּׁ֗ה אַחֲרֵי֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֻטַּמָּ֔אָה כִּֽי־תֹועֵבָ֥ה הִ֖וא לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וְלֹ֤א תַחֲטִיא֙ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ נַחֲלָֽה׃
(Deuteronomy 24:4)
Her first husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife after she has been defiled, for that is an abomination before YHWH. And you shall not bring sin upon the land that YHWH your God is giving you as an inheritance.
Legal Ethics and the Sanctity of the Land
Deuteronomy 24:4 presents one of the Torah’s more intricate marital laws, prohibiting a man from remarrying his former wife after she has married another man and become defiled.… Learn Hebrew
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“Sweeping Away All Things”: The Use of Infinitive Absolute for Emphasis in Zephaniah 1:3
אָסֵ֨ף אָדָ֜ם וּבְהֵמָ֗ה אָסֵ֤ף עֹוף־הַשָּׁמַ֨יִם֙ וּדְגֵ֣י הַיָּ֔ם וְהַמַּכְשֵׁלֹ֖ות אֶת־הָרְשָׁעִ֑ים וְהִכְרַתִּ֣י אֶת־הָאָדָ֗ם מֵעַ֛ל פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָ֖ה נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃
(Zephaniah 1:3)
I will sweep away man and beast, I will sweep away the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, and the stumbling blocks with the wicked. I will cut off man from the face of the earth, declares YHWH.
Cosmic Judgment through Grammatical Emphasis
Zephaniah 1:3 belongs to the opening judgment oracle of the book, where YHWH declares a sweeping destruction across all creation—humans, beasts, birds, and fish.… Learn Hebrew
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