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Recent Articles
- The Interrogative with הֲלֹא: Rebuke and Rhetoric in Nehemiah 5:9
- The Hebrew Verb דָּבַק: To Cling, Stick, or Cleave
- The Edges of Desire — Imperatives and Spatial Metaphor in Biblical Warning
- The Hebrew Verb דָּאַג: To Worry, Be Anxious, or Concerned
- Poetry of Parallelism: The Enigmatic Syntax of Job 5:7
- The Hebrew Verb גָּשַׁם: To Rain or Cause Rain
- The Guilty Soul: Predicate-Subject Inversion and Verbal Emphasis in Numbers 5:6
- The Hebrew Verb גֵּרֵשׁ: To Drive Out, Expel, or Divorce
- The Demonstrative זֹאת as Subject: Deixis and Emphasis in Ezekiel 5:5
- The Hebrew Verb גָּרַם: To Cause, Bring About, or Result In
- Verbs of Begetting: The Syntax of Sequential Wayyiqtol in Genealogies
- The Hebrew Verb גָּעְגַּע: To Long For, Yearn, or Miss
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Boundaries of the Promised Land: Geographic Chains and Appositional Syntax in Deuteronomy 4:48
Deuteronomy 4:48
מֵעֲרֹעֵ֞ר אֲשֶׁ֨ר עַל־שְׂפַת־נַ֧חַל אַרְנֹ֛ן וְעַד־הַ֥ר שִׂיאֹ֖ן ה֥וּא חֶרְמֹֽון׃
Starting Point: מֵעֲרֹעֵר
מֵעֲרֹעֵר (“from ʿAroʿer”) begins the description of the land's extent. מִן (“from”) is contracted as מֵ before a guttural letter. עֲרֹעֵר is a known settlement east of the Jordan River, marking the southern starting point of the boundary.
Relative Description: Read more [...]
Posted in Grammar
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The Semantics of the Hiphil Perfect and Divine Election in Psalm 4:4
Introduction: Liturgical Assurance in the Structure of Psalm 4:4
Psalm 4 is a psalm of David that blends supplication with confident trust in divine justice. Verse 4 (Hebrew 4:3) functions as a theological turning point, contrasting the behavior of the wicked with the security of the righteous. The verse reads:
וּדְע֗וּ כִּֽי־הִפְלָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה חָסִ֣יד לֹ֑ו יְהוָ֥ה יִ֝שְׁמַ֗ע בְּקָרְאִ֥י אֵלָֽיו׃
And know that the LORD has Read more [...]
The Hifil Verb וַיַּלְעֵג in Nehemiah 4:1
Introduction to Nehemiah 4:1
Nehemiah 4:1 describes the reaction of Sanballat upon hearing that the Israelites were rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. His response is one of anger and mockery, as captured by the Hifil verb וַיַּלְעֵג (vayyilʿēg). This verb is key to understanding the intensity and direction of his scorn, as the Hifil stem often implies causative action. This analysis will explore the morphology, syntactic function, and semantic implications of וַיַּלְעֵג in Read more [...]
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Grammatical-Theological Analysis of Psalm 30:4
יְֽהוָ֗ה הֶֽעֱלִ֣יתָ מִן־שְׁאֹ֣ול נַפְשִׁ֑י חִ֝יִּיתַ֗נִי מִיֹּרְדֵי־בֹֽור׃
1. Verb Forms and Divine Action: הֶעֱלִ֣יתָ and חִיִּיתַ֗נִי
The first verb, הֶֽעֱלִ֣יתָ ("You brought up"), is a Hifil perfect 2nd person masculine singular from the root עָלָה (“to go up”). The Hifil stem gives it a causative nuance—"You caused [me] to ascend." This verb conveys divine initiative in reversing Read more [...]
The Nifal Imperative הֵאָסְפוּ in Amos 3:9
Introduction to Amos 3:9
Amos 3:9 records a divine summons to the nations, calling them to assemble and witness the injustice occurring in Shomron (Samaria). The verb הֵאָסְפוּ (heʾasəfū) appears in the Nifal imperative form, which is significant because it conveys a command to gather while also implying a passive or reflexive nuance. This analysis will explore its morphological structure, syntactic role, and semantic implications within Biblical Hebrew grammar.
הַשְׁמִ֨יעוּ֙ Read more [...]
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The Nifal Participle נֶאֱסָפִים in Isaiah 13:4
Introduction to Isaiah 13:4
Isaiah 13:4 describes a prophetic vision of a great army assembling for war, with nations gathering under divine command. The Nifal participle נֶאֱסָפִים (neʾesafim) plays a crucial role in conveying the passive nature of the assembly, highlighting that these nations are not gathering by their own initiative but rather under an external force. This analysis will explore the morphology, syntactic function, and semantic implications of this participle in the Read more [...]
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The Nifal Participle נִבְחָר in Proverbs 22:1
Introduction to Proverbs 22:1
Proverbs 22:1 emphasizes the value of a good name over material wealth. The verse opens with the Nifal participle נִבְחָר (nivḥar), meaning "chosen" or "preferred," which plays a crucial role in shaping the meaning of the passage. This analysis will explore the morphology, syntactic function, and semantic significance of this participle within Biblical Hebrew grammar.
נִבְחָ֣ר שֵׁ֭ם מֵעֹ֣שֶׁר רָ֑ב מִכֶּ֥סֶף וּ֝מִזָּהָ֗ב Read more [...]
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The Nifal Verb יִנָּשְׂאוּ in Ezekiel 1:21
Introduction to Ezekiel 1:21
Ezekiel 1:21 describes the synchronized movement of the wheels in the prophet’s vision, explaining that they move and rise in unison with the living creatures. A key grammatical feature in this verse is the verb יִנָּשְׂאוּ (yinnāśəʾū), which is in the Nifal stem, a binyan that often expresses passive or reflexive action. This analysis will explore its morphological structure, syntactic role, and semantic implications within the context of Ezekiel’s Read more [...]
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Prepositions of Comparison: The Power of מִן and כְּ in Proverbs 18:19
אָ֗ח נִפְשָׁ֥ע מִקִּרְיַת־עֹ֑ז וּמְדֹונִים כִּבְרִ֥יחַ אַרְמֹֽון׃
Proverbs 18:19 presents a striking image of broken trust: “A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city, and quarrels are like the bars of a fortress.” This comparison is grammatically anchored in two small but powerful prepositions: מִן (“more than”) and כְּ (“like”). These prepositions shape the entire logic and rhetorical force of the proverb.
Hebrew Read more [...]
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Sequential Wayyiqtol Verbs in Topographical Descriptions
Introduction to Joshua 18:12
Joshua 18:12 describes the northern border of the territory assigned to the tribe of Binyamin. The verse features a series of actions marked by wayyiqtol verbs describing how the border ascends, shifts, and proceeds through various landmarks. In narrative or topographical prose, sequential wayyiqtol verbs are essential for expressing chronological or spatial progression. This lesson explores how wayyiqtol forms function in geographic descriptions, and how they coordinate Read more [...]
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