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- When Service Ends: A Hebrew Lesson on Numbers 8:25
- Consecration Through Syntax: The Priestly Ritual in Leviticus 8:24
- “A Three-Day Journey”: The Syntax of Volition and Deixis in Exodus According to Targum Onkelos
- Disaster That Flies Down: A Hebrew Lesson on Isaiah 8:22
- Purified and Presented: A Hebrew Lesson on Numbers 8:21
- Like the Nations Before You: A Hebrew Walkthrough of Deuteronomy 8:20
- Voices of the Dead or the Living God? A Hebrew Lesson on Isaiah 8:19
- When the Ground Denies Him: A Hebrew Walkthrough of Job 8:18
- From Dust to Gnats: A Hebrew Lesson in Action
- The Power of Repetition: Exploring the Waw-Consecutive
- Through the Great and Fearsome Wilderness: From Fiery Serpent to Flowing Spring
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Mourning and Restraint: Imperatives, Prohibition, and Community Grief in Leviticus 10:6
Leviticus 10:6
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֣ה אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֡ן וּלְאֶלְעָזָר֩ וּלְאִֽיתָמָ֨ר בָּנָ֜יו רָֽאשֵׁיכֶ֥ם אַל־תִּפְרָ֣עוּ וּבִגְדֵיכֶ֤ם לֹֽא־תִפְרֹ֨מוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א תָמֻ֔תוּ וְעַ֥ל כָּל־הָעֵדָ֖ה יִקְצֹ֑ף וַאֲחֵיכֶם֙ כָּל־בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל יִבְכּוּ֙ אֶת־הַשְּׂרֵפָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר שָׂרַ֥ף יְהוָֽה׃
Opening Speech: וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל־אַהֲרֹן…
וַיֹּאמֶר (“and he said”) is a Qal wayyiqtol 3ms of א־מ־ר (“to say”). The direct speech begins with Moses speaking to three recipients: אַהֲרֹן, אֶלְעָזָר, and אִיתָמָר — Aaron’s remaining sons. The plural audience sets up the imperatives and prohibitions that follow.
Commands of Restraint: רָאשֵׁיכֶם אַל־תִּפְרָעוּ וּבִגְדֵיכֶם לֹא־תִפְרֹמוּ
These are mourning prohibitions:
רָאשֵׁיכֶם (“your heads”) — the subject of the first clause
אַל־תִּפְרָעוּ — Qal imperfect 2mp of פ־ר־ע (“to let hair hang loose”), negated with אַל, a prohibitive particle
וּבִגְדֵיכֶם לֹא־תִפְרֹמוּ — “and your garments you shall not tear,” with תִפְרֹמוּ as a Qal imperfect 2mp of פ־ר־ם (“to tear”) and לֹא as the negator, typical in more general prohibitions
This structure prohibits mourning behaviors typically associated with grief, showing the special holiness required of priests in sacred service.… Learn Hebrew
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“Come, Let Us Return to YHWH”: Cohortatives, Paradox, and Theological Healing in Hosea 6:1
Introduction to Hosea 6:1: A Call to Return and Be Healed
Hosea 6:1 begins a poetic and theological call for national repentance. Spoken by the prophet or the penitent community, the verse features a sequence of volitional and predictive verbs, framing divine discipline not as destruction but as a prelude to restoration. The tension between wounding and healing, striking and binding, mirrors the complex covenant relationship between YHWH and Yisra’el. This article explores the cohortative and imperfect verb forms and their syntactic interplay in the structure of hopeful repentance.… Learn Hebrew
Returning the Unjust Gain: Syntax and Restitution in Leviticus 5:23
וְהָיָה֮ כִּֽי־יֶחֱטָ֣א וְאָשֵׁם֒ וְהֵשִׁ֨יב אֶת־הַגְּזֵלָ֜ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר גָּזָ֗ל אֹ֤ו אֶת־הָעֹ֨שֶׁק֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׁ֔ק אֹ֚ו אֶת־הַפִּקָּדֹ֔ון אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָפְקַ֖ד אִתֹּ֑ו אֹ֥ו אֶת־הָאֲבֵדָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר מָצָֽא׃ (Leviticus 5:23)
Legal Syntax, Moral Structure
Leviticus 5:23 (Eng. 6:4) operates at the intersection of confession and reparation. Its syntax reveals a legal formula designed to enumerate the possibilities of theft or dishonesty while directing the offender to restitution. The verse’s layered clause structure and repetitive patterns convey both comprehensive legal coverage and didactic emphasis. Syntax here serves jurisprudence.
Clause Structure: Conditional Framework with Coordinated Restitution
The verse begins with a conditional introductory formula:
– וְהָיָה כִּי־יֶחֱטָא וְאָשֵׁם
(“And it shall be when he sins and becomes guilty”)
This is a type of conditional clause using כִּי + yiqtol (יִחֱטָא), followed by a vav-conjoined perfect וְאָשֵׁם (“and he bears guilt”)—a slightly unusual yet common legal idiom in priestly texts.… Learn Hebrew
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Divine Gifts: Tripartite Blessings and Comparative Syntax in 1 Kings 5:9
1 Kings 5:9
וַיִּתֵּן֩ אֱלֹהִ֨ים חָכְמָ֧ה לִשְׁלֹמֹ֛ה וּתְבוּנָ֖ה הַרְבֵּ֣ה מְאֹ֑ד וְרֹ֣חַב לֵ֔ב כַּחֹ֕ול אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־שְׂפַ֥ת הַיָּֽם׃
Divine Action: וַיִּתֵּן אֱלֹהִים חָכְמָה לִשְׁלֹמֹה
וַיִּתֵּן (“and He gave”) is a Qal wayyiqtol 3ms from נ־ת־ן (“to give”), a typical narrative verb form indicating completed divine action. אֱלֹהִים is the subject, emphasizing that Solomon’s wisdom originates from God. חָכְמָה (“wisdom”) is the direct object, and לִשְׁלֹמֹה (“to Solomon”) marks the recipient using the preposition לְ.
Expansion of Blessing: וּתְבוּנָה הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד
וּתְבוּנָה (“and understanding”) continues the list of gifts.… Learn Hebrew
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A Royal Menu: Quantifiers and Species in 1 Kings 5:3
1 Kings 5:3
עֲשָׂרָ֨ה בָקָ֜ר בְּרִאִ֗ים וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים בָּקָ֛ר רְעִ֖י וּמֵ֣אָה צֹ֑אן לְ֠בַד מֵֽאַיָּ֤ל וּצְבִי֙ וְיַחְמ֔וּר וּבַרְבֻּרִ֖ים אֲבוּסִֽים׃
Numerals and Nouns: עֲשָׂרָ֨ה בָקָ֜ר
The phrase עֲשָׂרָ֨ה בָקָ֜ר (“ten fattened oxen”) demonstrates the masculine plural numeral עֲשָׂרָה agreeing in gender with בָקָר (“cattle, oxen”), which though singular in form is treated as a collective or plural in sense. The numeral precedes the noun, which is typical in Hebrew counting expressions. Similarly, וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים בָּקָ֛ר רְעִ֖י (“and twenty grazing oxen”) follows the same syntactic pattern with עֶשְׂרִים (“twenty”).… Learn Hebrew
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“For Judgment Is for You”: Vocative Structure and Second-Person Plural Indictment in Hosea 5:1
Introduction to Hosea 5:1: A Multi-Level Call to Account
Hosea 5:1 opens with a sharp prophetic rebuke structured around three vocatives and a climactic declaration of judgment. The verse strategically builds tension by summoning three key leadership groups—priests, the house of Yisra’el, and the royal house—and declares that the judgment (מִשְׁפָּט) pertains directly to them. The syntax reflects careful rhetoric: imperative verbs, escalating audience focus, and metaphorical accusations (snare, net). This article analyzes the grammatical construction of the vocative forms, second-person plural usage, and poetic metaphor to show how the verse functions as both legal indictment and rhetorical strategy.… Learn Hebrew
Grammatical-Theological Analysis of Ruth 4:18
וְאֵ֨לֶּה֙ תֹּולְדֹ֣ות פָּ֔רֶץ פֶּ֖רֶץ הֹולִ֥יד אֶת־חֶצְרֹֽון׃
1. Narrative Formula and Literary Structure: וְאֵלֶּה תֹּולְדֹות
The phrase וְאֵלֶּה תֹּולְדֹות (“and these are the generations of…”) is a recurring genealogical formula found throughout the Torah (cf. Genesis 2:4; 5:1; 10:1). It introduces a transition or literary boundary marker, often leading to a genealogy or important narrative shift.
תֹּולְדֹות is a feminine plural noun from the root יָלַד (“to bear, beget”), referring to genealogical records, descendants, or historical developments stemming from a person. The prefixed וְ (“and”) ties the verse back to the previous context, providing continuity from the story of Ruth and Boaz to the Davidic line.… Learn Hebrew
Thorns in the Eyes: Syntax of Judgment in Joshua 23:13
יָדֹ֨ועַ֙ תֵּֽדְע֔וּ כִּי֩ לֹ֨א יֹוסִ֜יף יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֗ם לְהֹורִ֛ישׁ אֶת־הַגֹּויִ֥ם הָאֵ֖לֶּה מִלִּפְנֵיכֶ֑ם וְהָי֨וּ לָכֶ֜ם לְפַ֣ח וּלְמֹוקֵ֗שׁ וּלְשֹׁטֵ֤ט בְּצִדֵּיכֶם֙ וְלִצְנִנִ֣ים בְּעֵינֵיכֶ֔ם עַד־אֲבָדְכֶ֗ם מֵ֠עַל הָאֲדָמָ֤ה הַטֹּובָה֙ הַזֹּ֔את אֲשֶׁר֙ נָתַ֣ן לָכֶ֔ם יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃
(Joshua 23:13)
Opening Imperative and Double Infinitive
יָדֹ֨ועַ֙ תֵּֽדְע֔וּ
“You shall surely know”
This structure uses an infinitive absolute + imperfect verb of the same root (י־ד־ע), functioning as an emphatic future declaration. It ensures certainty, a Hebrew idiom for “you shall most certainly know.” The syntax introduces a solemn announcement.
Future Negative Clause and Divine Subject
כִּי לֹא יֹוסִ֜יף יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֗ם לְהֹורִ֛ישׁ…
“For YHWH your God will no longer dispossess…”
The subject is placed after the verb (יֹוסִ֜יף יְהוָ֣ה), a common verb-subject order in Hebrew narrative and prophecy.… Learn Hebrew
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“You Have Strengthened Knees That Were Bowing”: Causative Stems and Parallelism in Job 4:4
Introduction to Job 4:4: Eliphaz and the Power of Speech
Job 4:4 is part of Eliphaz’s opening speech, where he reminds Job of his past influence and moral strength. The verse praises Job for encouraging the weak, using evocative imagery of stumbling and bowed knees. The focus of this study is the poetic structure and the grammatical form תְּאַמֵּֽץ, a Piel stem that adds causative force to the meaning of the verb “to be strong.” This article explores how Hebrew poetry combines verbal morphology and parallelism to create emotional and theological impact.… Learn Hebrew
Ezekiel 43:3 – Repetition with כ and אֲשֶׁר in Comparative Clauses
וּכְמַרְאֵ֨ה הַמַּרְאֶ֜ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר רָאִ֗יתִי כַּמַּרְאֶ֤ה אֲשֶׁר־רָאִ֨יתִי֙ בְּבֹאִי֙ לְשַׁחֵ֣ת אֶת־הָעִ֔יר וּמַרְאֹ֕ות כַּמַּרְאֶ֕ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר רָאִ֖יתִי אֶל־נְהַר־כְּבָ֑ר וָאֶפֹּ֖ל אֶל־פָּנָֽי׃
And like the appearance of the vision that I saw, like the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city, and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the River Kevar, and I fell upon my face.
Explanation of Feature
This verse from Ezekiel 43:3 highlights two key grammatical features:
1. Repetitive comparative clauses using the particle כְּ (“like/as”) combined with אֲשֶׁר (“which/that”) to form descriptive comparisons.… Learn Hebrew
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