Biblical Hebrew

“A Three-Day Journey”: The Syntax of Volition and Deixis in Exodus According to Targum Onkelos

Posted on August 23, 2025 by Aramaic Grammar

מַהֲלַךְ תְּלָתָא יוֹמִין נֵיזִיל בְּמַדְבְּרָא וּנְדַבַּח קֳדָם יְיָ אֱלָהָנָא כְּמָא דִּיֵימַר לָנָא: (Exodus 8:23 Targum Onkelos) A journey of three days let us go into the wilderness and let us offer sacrifices before YHWH our God, just as He said to us Voices from the Edge of the Wilderness This verse from Targum Onkelos on Exodus 5:3 is not a mere translation. It’s a careful reshaping of Moshe’s diplomatic plea to Parʿo, emphasizing volitional modality, Aramaic deixis, and verb chains that pulsate with collective intentionality.… Learn Hebrew

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Disaster That Flies Down: A Hebrew Lesson on Isaiah 8:22

Posted on August 22, 2025 by Hebrew Grammar for Beginners

וְאֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ יַבִּ֑יט וְהִנֵּ֨ה צָרָ֤ה וַחֲשֵׁכָה֙ מְע֣וּף צוּקָ֔ה וַאֲפֵלָ֖ה מְנֻדָּֽח׃ (Isaiah 8:22) And he will look to the earth, and behold: distress and darkness, flying anguish, and thick darkness upon the driven one. Word-by-Word Explanation וְאֶל־אֶרֶץ — “and to the land/earth.” Preposition אֶל (“to, toward”) + noun אֶרֶץ (“land, earth”). יַבִּיט — “he will look.” Hifil imperfect 3rd masculine singular from נבט (“to look, gaze”). In Hifil, often “cause oneself to look attentively.” וְהִנֵּה — “and behold!” An interjection alerting the listener to what follows.… Learn Hebrew

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Purified and Presented: A Hebrew Lesson on Numbers 8:21

Posted on August 21, 2025 by Biblical Hebrew

וַיִּֽתְחַטְּא֣וּ הַלְוִיִּ֗ם וַֽיְכַבְּסוּ֙ בִּגְדֵיהֶ֔ם וַיָּ֨נֶף אַהֲרֹ֥ן אֹתָ֛ם תְּנוּפָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וַיְכַפֵּ֧ר עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם אַהֲרֹ֖ן לְטַהֲרָֽם׃ (Numbers 8:21) And the Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes, and Aaron waved them as a wave offering before the LORD; and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them. Word-by-Word Explanation וַיִּתְחַטְּאוּ — “and they purified themselves.” Hitpael stem (reflexive) of חָטָא (“to sin, to purify”), imperfect with vav consecutive. Subject: “the Levites.” הַלְוִיִּם — “the Levites.” Noun with definite article הַ. וַיְכַבְּסוּ — “and they washed.”… Learn Hebrew

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Like the Nations Before You: A Hebrew Walkthrough of Deuteronomy 8:20

Posted on August 20, 2025 by Hebrew Grammar for Beginners

כַּגֹּויִ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֤ר יְהוָה֙ מַאֲבִ֣יד מִפְּנֵיכֶ֔ם כֵּ֖ן תֹאבֵד֑וּן עֵ֚קֶב לֹ֣א תִשְׁמְע֔וּן בְּקֹ֖ול יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ (Deuteronomy 8:20) Like the nations that the LORD destroys before you, so shall you perish, because you would not listen to the voice of the LORD your God. Word-by-Word Explanation כַּגֹּויִם — “like the nations.” The preposition כְּ (“like, as”) + plural גֹּויִם (“nations”). אֲשֶׁר — “that / which.” Relative pronoun introducing a clause. יְהוָה — “YHWH, the LORD.” The divine name. מַאֲבִיד — “is destroying / destroys.”… Learn Hebrew

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Voices of the Dead or the Living God? A Hebrew Lesson on Isaiah 8:19

Posted on August 19, 2025 by Hebrew Grammar for Beginners

וְכִֽי־יֹאמְר֣וּ אֲלֵיכֶ֗ם דִּרְשׁ֤וּ אֶל־הָאֹבֹות֙ וְאֶל־הַיִּדְּעֹנִ֔ים הַֽמְצַפְצְפִ֖ים וְהַמַּהְגִּ֑ים הֲלֹוא־עַם֙ אֶל־אֱלֹהָ֣יו יִדְרֹ֔שׁ בְּעַ֥ד הַחַיִּ֖ים אֶל־הַמֵּתִֽים׃ (Isaiah 8:19) And when they say to you, “Seek to the mediums and to the spiritists, who chirp and mutter,” should not a people seek to its God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? “It might seem like a lot, but each verb and suffix you master brings you closer to reading Hebrew as it was first spoken.” Word-by-Word Explanation וְכִי־ — “and when.”… Learn Hebrew

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When the Ground Denies Him: A Hebrew Walkthrough of Job 8:18

Posted on August 18, 2025 by Hebrew Grammar for Beginners

אִם־יְבַלְּעֶ֥נּוּ מִמְּקֹומֹ֑ו וְכִ֥חֶשׁ בֹּ֝֗ו לֹ֣א רְאִיתִֽיךָ׃ (Job 8:18) If it swallows him from his place, then it will deny him, saying: “I have not seen you.” Word-by-Word Explanation אִם־ – “if.” A conditional particle that sets up a possibility or situation. יְבַלְּעֶנּוּ – “it swallows him.” From בָּלַע (“to swallow, engulf”), imperfect 3rd masculine singular. The suffix -נּוּ = “him.” מִמְּקֹומֹו – “from his place.” The preposition מִן (“from”) assimilates before מָקוֹם, giving מִמְּקוֹם. The suffix -וֹ = “his.” וְכִחֶשׁ – “and it will deny.”… Learn Hebrew

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From Dust to Gnats: A Hebrew Lesson in Action

Posted on August 17, 2025 by Hebrew Grammar for Beginners

וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ־כֵ֗ן וַיֵּט֩ אַהֲרֹ֨ן אֶת־יָדֹ֤ו בְמַטֵּ֨הוּ֙ וַיַּךְ֙ אֶת־עֲפַ֣ר הָאָ֔רֶץ וַתְּהִי֙ הַכִּנָּ֔ם בָּאָדָ֖ם וּבַבְּהֵמָ֑ה כָּל־עֲפַ֥ר הָאָ֛רֶץ הָיָ֥ה כִנִּ֖ים בְּכָל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃ (Exodus 8:17) And they did so, and Aharon stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and it became gnats on man and on beast; all the dust of the earth became gnats in all the land of Mitsrayim. Word-by-Word Explanation וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ־כֵן – “and they did so.” From עָשָׂה (“to do, make”), wayyiqtol (narrative past), 3rd person plural.… Learn Hebrew

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The Power of Repetition: Exploring the Waw-Consecutive

Posted on August 16, 2025 by Advanced Hebrew Grammar

וַיֵּצְא֣וּ הָעָם֮ וַיָּבִיאוּ֒ וַיַּעֲשׂוּ֩ לָהֶ֨ם סֻכֹּ֜ות אִ֤ישׁ עַל־גַּגֹּו֙ וּבְחַצְרֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם וּבְחַצְרֹ֖ות בֵּ֣ית הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וּבִרְחֹוב֙ שַׁ֣עַר הַמַּ֔יִם וּבִרְחֹ֖וב שַׁ֥עַר אֶפְרָֽיִם׃ (Nehemiah 8:16) And the people went out and brought and made for themselves booths, each on his roof and in their courtyards and in the courtyards of the house of God and in the square of the Water Gate and in the square of the Gate of Ephrayim. The verse from Nehemiah 8:16 offers us a vivid description of Israel’s observance of the Festival of Booths.… Learn Hebrew

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Through the Great and Fearsome Wilderness: From Fiery Serpent to Flowing Spring

Posted on August 15, 2025 by Hebraean / Hebraeon

Τοῦ ἀγαγόντος σε διὰ τῆς ἐρήμου τῆς μεγάλης καὶ τῆς φοβερᾶς ἐκείνης οὗ ὄφις δάκνων καὶ σκορπίος καὶ δίψα οὗ οὐκ ἦν ὕδωρ τοῦ ἐξαγαγόντος σοι ἐκ πέτρας ἀκροτόμου πηγὴν ὕδατος (Deuteronomy 8:15) הַמֹּולִ֨יכֲךָ֜ בַּמִּדְבָּ֣ר הַגָּדֹ֣ל וְהַנֹּורָ֗א נָחָ֤שׁ שָׂרָף֙ וְעַקְרָ֔ב וְצִמָּאֹ֖ון אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֵֽין־מָ֑יִם הַמֹּוצִ֤יא לְךָ֙ מַ֔יִם מִצּ֖וּר הַֽחַלָּמִֽישׁ׃ Two Participles Framing Deliverance In the Hebrew, the verse is framed by two participles: הַמֹּולִיךֲךָ (“the one who led you”) and הַמֹּוצִיא (“the one who brought out”). This creates a grammatical inclusio that ties God’s guidance through danger to His provision of life-giving water.… Learn Hebrew

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“Counsel Is Mine” — Exploring the Voice of Wisdom in Proverbs 8:14

Posted on August 14, 2025 by Hebrew Grammar for Beginners

לִֽי־֭עֵצָה וְתוּשִׁיָּ֑ה אֲנִ֥י בִ֝ינָ֗ה לִ֣י גְבוּרָֽה׃ (Proverbs 8:14) Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding, strength is mine. Word-by-Word Explanation לִי – “To me” / “Mine”Preposition + Pronoun – לְ = “to” – י = “me” Together, they form a possessive phrase: “is mine” or “belongs to me.” עֵצָה – “Counsel” Noun, feminine singular – Refers to guidance, advice, or strategic insight This word is often associated with wise planning. וְתוּשִׁיָּה – “and sound wisdom” Noun, feminine singular – וְ = “and” – תוּשִׁיָּה = wisdom with stability or resourcefulness A rich term implying practical, effective insight.… Learn Hebrew

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