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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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Syntax, Parallelism, and Theology in Proverbs 9:10
תְּחִלַּ֣ת חָ֭כְמָה יִרְאַ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה וְדַ֖עַת קְדֹשִׁ֣ים בִּינָֽה׃
(Proverbs 9:10)
The beginning of wisdom is the fear of YHWH, and knowledge of the Holy Ones is understanding.
Proverbs 9:10 is one of the most oft-quoted wisdom sayings in the Tanakh. It condenses the theology of wisdom into a tightly structured parallelism: reverence for YHWH and knowledge of the קְדֹשִׁים (“Holy Ones” or “the Holy One”) together define the path to true understanding. Expanding this verse into a detailed grammatical and theological exploration reveals how Hebrew morphology and syntax shape its meaning.… Learn Hebrew
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“Dust to Boils”: A Hebrew Lesson on Exodus 9:9
וְהָיָ֣ה לְאָבָ֔ק עַ֖ל כָּל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וְהָיָ֨ה עַל־הָאָדָ֜ם וְעַל־הַבְּהֵמָ֗ה לִשְׁחִ֥ין פֹּרֵ֛חַ אֲבַעְבֻּעֹ֖ת בְּכָל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
(Exodus 9:9)
And it shall become dust over all the land of Mitsrayim, and it shall be upon man and upon beast as boils breaking out in blisters throughout all the land of Mitsrayim.
Word-by-Word Explanation
וְהָיָה — “and it shall be / become.” Qal perfect with vav used in a future-result sense.
לְאָבָק — “to dust.” Preposition ל (“to, as”) + noun אָבָק (“dust, fine powder”). Indicates transformation.… Learn Hebrew
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At Ḥoreb: A Hebrew Lesson on Deuteronomy 9:8
וּבְחֹרֵ֥ב הִקְצַפְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־יְהוָ֑ה וַיִּתְאַנַּ֧ף יְהוָ֛ה בָּכֶ֖ם לְהַשְׁמִ֥יד אֶתְכֶֽם׃ (Deuteronomy 9:8)
And at Ḥoreb you provoked the LORD to anger, and the LORD was enraged with you to destroy you.
Word-by-Word Explanation
וּבְחֹרֵב — “and at Ḥoreb.” Conjunction ו (“and”) + preposition בְ (“in/at”) + proper noun חֹרֵב (“Ḥoreb,” another name for Sinai).
הִקְצַפְתֶּם — “you provoked to anger.” Hifil perfect 2mp from קָצַף (“to be angry”), causative: “you caused wrath.”
אֶת־יְהוָה — “the LORD.” Object marker אֶת introducing the divine name.… Learn Hebrew
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Imperatives, Atonement, and Obedience Formula in Leviticus 9:7
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֗ן קְרַ֤ב אֶל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֨חַ֙ וַעֲשֵׂ֞ה אֶת־חַטָּֽאתְךָ֙ וְאֶת־עֹ֣לָתֶ֔ךָ וְכַפֵּ֥ר בַּֽעַדְךָ֖ וּבְעַ֣ד הָעָ֑ם וַעֲשֵׂ֞ה אֶת־קָרְבַּ֤ן הָעָם֙ וְכַפֵּ֣ר בַּֽעֲדָ֔ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָֽה׃
(Leviticus 9:7)
And Moshe said to Aharon, “Draw near to the altar and make your sin offering and your burnt offering, and atone for yourself and for the people; and make the people’s offering and atone for them, just as YHWH has commanded.”
Leviticus 9:7 describes Moshe’s instructions to Aharon on the day of priestly inauguration. The verse is rich with grammatical nuance: imperatives drive ritual action, repeated verbs emphasize priestly responsibility, and the obedience formula anchors all practice in divine command.… Learn Hebrew
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Poetic Justice and Syntax in Genesis 9:6
שֹׁפֵךְ֙ דַּ֣ם הָֽאָדָ֔ם בָּֽאָדָ֖ם דָּמֹ֣ו יִשָּׁפֵ֑ךְ כִּ֚י בְּצֶ֣לֶם אֱלֹהִ֔ים עָשָׂ֖ה אֶת־הָאָדָֽם׃ (Genesis 9:6)
Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man.
Genesis 9:6 stands as one of the most profound declarations in the Torah. Its concise grammar establishes both a principle of justice and a theological rationale rooted in the doctrine of the image of God. The verse blends participial construction, word order, and parallelism to craft a statement that is at once legal, poetic, and theological.… Learn Hebrew
How the Verb Murders: Violence and Verbal Stems in Judges 9:5
וַיָּבֹ֤א בֵית־אָבִיו֙ עָפְרָ֔תָה וַֽיַּהֲרֹ֞ג אֶת־אֶחָ֧יו בְּנֵֽי־יְרֻבַּ֛עַל שִׁבְעִ֥ים אִ֖ישׁ עַל־אֶ֣בֶן אֶחָ֑ת וַיִּוָּתֵ֞ר יֹותָ֧ם בֶּן־יְרֻבַּ֛עַל הַקָּטֹ֖ן כִּ֥י נֶחְבָּֽא׃
And he came to the house of his father at ʿOfrah and he killed his brothers, the sons of Yerubbaʿal, seventy men on one stone, but Yotam, the youngest son of Yerubbaʿal, was left because he hid.
Walking into Blood: Literary Setting
Abimelekh’s entrance into ʿOfrah is more than a geographical move—it’s a theological one. This verse brims with action, but also treachery. The binyanim used here aren’t decorative—they are knives, masks, shields.… Learn Hebrew
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Negation, Emphasis, and Syntax in Genesis 9:4
אַךְ־בָּשָׂ֕ר בְּנַפְשֹׁ֥ו דָמֹ֖ו לֹ֥א תֹאכֵֽלוּ׃
(Genesis 9:4)
But flesh with its life, its blood, you shall not eat.
This short but powerful prohibition in the covenant with Noah establishes one of the foundational food laws in the Bible: the ban on consuming blood. The grammar is deceptively compact. Through a careful interplay of emphatic particles, construct chains, and negated imperfects, the verse sets a theological and ethical boundary between human beings and the lifeblood of animals. For students of Biblical Hebrew, Genesis 9:4 provides an excellent case study in how Hebrew grammar conveys legal weight through brevity.… Learn Hebrew
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Nominal Clauses and Enumerations in Exodus 9:3
הִנֵּ֨ה יַד־יְהוָ֜ה הֹויָ֗ה בְּמִקְנְךָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה בַּסּוּסִ֤ים בַּֽחֲמֹרִים֙ בַּגְּמַלִּ֔ים בַּבָּקָ֖ר וּבַצֹּ֑אן דֶּ֖בֶר כָּבֵ֥ד מְאֹֽד׃
(Exodus 9:3)
Behold, the hand of YHWH is upon your livestock that are in the field, upon the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the cattle, and the sheep, a very severe plague.
This verse belongs to the plague narrative against Pharaoh, specifically the fifth plague striking the livestock of Mitsrayim. From a grammatical standpoint, Exodus 9:3 offers a valuable lesson on nominal clauses, particle emphasis, and enumeration through prepositional phrases.… Learn Hebrew
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Fear, Dominion, and Syntax: A Grammar Lesson from Genesis 9:2
וּמֹורַאֲכֶ֤ם וְחִתְּכֶם֙ יִֽהְיֶ֔ה עַ֚ל כָּל־חַיַּ֣ת הָאָ֔רֶץ וְעַ֖ל כָּל־עֹ֣וף הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם בְּכֹל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר תִּרְמֹ֧שׂ הָֽאֲדָמָ֛ה וּֽבְכָל־דְּגֵ֥י הַיָּ֖ם בְּיֶדְכֶ֥ם נִתָּֽנוּ׃
(Genesis 9:2)
And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every bird of the heavens, in everything that creeps on the ground, and in all the fish of the sea—into your hand they have been given.
Genesis 9:2 marks a pivotal moment in the narrative of human history. After the flood, God addresses Noah and his sons, redefining humanity’s relationship with the rest of creation.… Learn Hebrew
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“And Job Answered and Said”: A Hebrew Lesson on Job 9:1
וַיַּ֥עַן אִיֹּ֗וב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃
(Job 9:1)
And Job answered and said:
Word-by-Word Explanation
וַיַּעַן — “and he answered.”
– Root: עָנָה (“to answer, respond”).
– Form: Qal wayyiqtol (imperfect with vav-consecutive) 3rd masculine singular.
– Usage: The standard narrative form, moving the story forward.
אִיֹּוב — “Job.” The subject of the verb, a proper name in pause form.
וַיֹּאמַר — “and he said.”
– Root: אָמַר (“to say”).
– Form: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms.
– Function: Hebrew often pairs וַיַּעַן with וַיֹּאמַר as a fixed storytelling formula: “And he answered and said.”… Learn Hebrew