-
Recent Articles
- 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
- “Counsel Is Mine” — Exploring the Voice of Wisdom in Proverbs 8:14
Categories
Archives
“Prophesy to the Wind”: The Grammar of Breath and Life in Ezekiel’s Valley of Dry Bones
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י הִנָּבֵ֖א אֶל־הָר֑וּחַ הִנָּבֵ֣א בֶן־֠אָדָם וְאָמַרְתָּ֨ אֶל־הָר֜וּחַ כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה מֵאַרְבַּ֤ע רוּחֹות֙ בֹּ֣אִי הָר֔וּחַ וּפְחִ֛י בַּהֲרוּגִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה וְיִֽחְיֽוּ׃
(Ezekiel 37:9)
And He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath: Thus says my Lord YHWH, ‘From the four winds, come, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, so that they may live.’”
In one of the most vivid visions of prophetic literature, Ezekiel 37:9 places the prophet at the center of a divine command: to speak to the wind itself.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar
Tagged Ezekiel 37:9
Comments Off on “Prophesy to the Wind”: The Grammar of Breath and Life in Ezekiel’s Valley of Dry Bones
Carrying Guilt: The Hifil of נשׂא and Priestly Consecration in Leviticus 22:16
וְהִשִּׂ֤יאוּ אֹותָם֙ עֲוֹ֣ן אַשְׁמָ֔ה בְּאָכְלָ֖ם אֶת־קָדְשֵׁיהֶ֑ם כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה מְקַדְּשָֽׁם׃
And they shall cause them to bear the guilt of trespass when they eat their holy things, for I am the LORD who sanctifies them.
Leviticus 22:16 forms part of the priestly code, warning against improper participation in sacred offerings. At its center is the verb וְהִשִּׂיאוּ—a Hifil form of נ־שׂ־א, commonly rendered “to cause to bear” or “to make bear.” Here it functions causatively: they cause others (non-priests or the unclean) to bear guilt by allowing them to eat sanctified offerings illegitimately.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar
Tagged Leviticus 22:16
Comments Off on Carrying Guilt: The Hifil of נשׂא and Priestly Consecration in Leviticus 22:16
“Cast Your Bread”: Imperatives of Faith and Risk in Ecclesiastes 11:1
שַׁלַּ֥ח לַחְמְךָ֖ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הַמָּ֑יִם כִּֽי־בְרֹ֥ב הַיָּמִ֖ים תִּמְצָאֶֽנּוּ׃
(Ecclesiastes 11:1)
Send out your bread upon the surface of the waters, for in many days you will find it.
Wisdom in Motion Over the Waters
Ecclesiastes 11:1 opens a new thematic section of Qohelet, blending wisdom with paradox, urging action amidst uncertainty. The imperative שַׁלַּ֥ח לַחְמְךָ֖ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הַמָּ֑יִם—“Cast your bread upon the waters”—is a vivid, poetic command that has intrigued interpreters for centuries. What does it mean to cast bread on water? Is this generosity, investment, or a leap of faith?… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar, Theology
Tagged Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiastes 11:1
Comments Off on “Cast Your Bread”: Imperatives of Faith and Risk in Ecclesiastes 11:1
“Dead Flies in the Perfume”: The Disruptive Power of Minimal Folly in Ecclesiastes 10:1
זְב֣וּבֵי מָ֔וֶת יַבְאִ֥ישׁ יַבִּ֖יעַ שֶׁ֣מֶן רֹוקֵ֑חַ יָקָ֛ר מֵחָכְמָ֥ה מִכָּבֹ֖וד סִכְל֥וּת מְעָֽט׃
(Ecclesiastes 10:1)
Dead flies cause the perfumer’s oil to stink and ferment; a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
Wisdom Spoiled by a Whisper of Folly
This verse opens the tenth chapter of Ecclesiastes with a powerful metaphor: זְב֣וּבֵי מָ֔וֶת יַבְאִ֥ישׁ יַבִּ֖יעַ שֶׁ֣מֶן רֹוקֵ֑חַ—“Dead flies make the perfumer’s oil stink.” What follows is a moral insight: a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. The contrast is stark and deliberate: tiny elements, when misplaced, can destroy that which is refined and valuable.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar
Tagged Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiastes 10:1
Comments Off on “Dead Flies in the Perfume”: The Disruptive Power of Minimal Folly in Ecclesiastes 10:1
Terror as a Teacher: How Binyanim Drive the Plea in Psalm 9:20
שִׁ֘יתָ֤ה יְהוָ֨ה מֹורָ֗ה לָ֫הֶ֥ם יֵדְע֥וּ גֹויִ֑ם אֱנֹ֖ושׁ הֵ֣מָּה סֶּֽלָה׃
(Psalm 9:20)
Place YHWH terror upon them let the nations know they are mortals Selah
When Syntax Pleads and Binyanim Roar
Psalm 9:20 is not merely a poetic appeal for justice—it is a syntactic cry for divine instruction through fear. The verbs שִׁ֘יתָ֤ה and יֵדְע֥וּ stand as cornerstones in this verse, one anchoring a divine imperative, the other foretelling its human result. Each verb comes wrapped in a distinct binyan, and together they construct a powerful theological architecture: God places terror, and in response, the nations come to know who and what they truly are.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Binyanim
Tagged Psalm 9:20
Comments Off on Terror as a Teacher: How Binyanim Drive the Plea in Psalm 9:20
Volitional Imperfects and Poetic Subjunctive Expression
אָמַ֨רְתִּי֙ אֶעֱלֶ֣ה בְתָמָ֔ר אֹֽחֲזָ֖ה בְּסַנְסִנָּ֑יו וְיִֽהְיוּ־נָ֤א שָׁדַ֨יִךְ֙ כְּאֶשְׁכְּלֹ֣ות הַגֶּ֔פֶן וְרֵ֥יחַ אַפֵּ֖ךְ כַּתַּפּוּחִֽים׃
(Song of Songs 7:9)
I said, “I will climb the palm tree; I will grasp its branches. May your breasts be like clusters of the vine, and the scent of your nose like apples.”
Introduction to Song of Songs 7:9
This highly poetic and sensuous verse expresses a male speaker’s desire using a sequence of imperfect verbs that reflect volition, desire, and poetic imagination. The verse features multiple uses of the imperfect with cohortative or subjunctive meaning, including the particle נָא, which emphasizes the speaker’s wish.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar
Tagged Song of Songs 7:9
Comments Off on Volitional Imperfects and Poetic Subjunctive Expression
The Untamed Beast: Interrogatives, Imperfects, and Domestication Imagery in Job 39:9
הֲיֹ֣אבֶה רֵּ֣ים עָבְדֶ֑ךָ אִם־יָלִין עַל־אֲבוּסֶֽךָ׃
(Job 39:9)
Will the wild ox be willing to serve you, or will he lodge by your manger?
Opening Interrogative: הֲיֹאבֶה רֵים עָבְדֶךָ
הֲ is the interrogative particle introducing a yes/no question: “Will…?”
יֹאבֶה (“will he be willing?”) is a Qal imperfect 3ms of א־ב־ה (“to be willing, consent”) — projecting a hypothetical or doubtful future action.
רֵים — a wild ox or untamable beast, used symbolically here for strength and independence
עָבְדֶךָ — “your servant,” from עֶבֶד with the 2ms possessive suffix
Together: “Will the wild ox be willing to serve you?”… Learn Hebrew
“I Gave to My Heart”: The Inner Dialogue of Qohelet in Ecclesiastes 9:1
כִּ֣י אֶת־כָּל־זֶ֞ה נָתַ֤תִּי אֶל־לִבִּי֙ וְלָב֣וּר אֶת־כָּל־זֶ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר הַצַּדִּיקִ֧ים וְהַחֲכָמִ֛ים וַעֲבָדֵיהֶ֖ם בְּיַ֣ד הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים גַּֽם־אַהֲבָ֣ה גַם־שִׂנְאָ֗ה אֵ֤ין יֹודֵ֨עַ֙ הָֽאָדָ֔ם הַכֹּ֖ל לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃
(Ecclesiastes 9:1)
For all this I set to my heart, and to examine all this: that the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God. Both love as well as hatred, man does not know; everything is before them.
Reflection in the Hand of God
Ecclesiastes 9:1 opens with a deeply introspective declaration: כִּ֣י אֶת־כָּל־זֶ֞ה נָתַ֤תִּי אֶל־לִבִּי֙—“For all this I laid to my heart.”… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar
Tagged Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiastes 9:1
Comments Off on “I Gave to My Heart”: The Inner Dialogue of Qohelet in Ecclesiastes 9:1
Farming Injustice: The Power of Participial Constructions in Proverbs
זֹורֵ֣עַ עַ֭וְלָה יקצור־אָ֑וֶן וְשֵׁ֖בֶט עֶבְרָתֹ֣ו יִכְלֶֽה׃
(Proverbs 22:8)
Sowing injustice, he will reap iniquity, and the rod of his fury will come to an end.
Introduction to Participial Constructions
In Biblical Hebrew, participial constructions—especially those built on the Qal binyan—are far more than descriptive modifiers. They frequently function as predicates that carry temporal, habitual, or even modal meaning. The participle זֹורֵעַ (“sowing”) in Proverbs 22:8 opens a proverbial declaration about moral causality, serving as a vivid emblem of ongoing or characteristic behavior.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar, Syntax
Tagged Proverbs 22:8
Comments Off on Farming Injustice: The Power of Participial Constructions in Proverbs
Open Hand, Open Eyes: Participles and Antithetic Parallelism in Proverbs 28:27
נֹותֵ֣ן לָ֭רָשׁ אֵ֣ין מַחְסֹ֑ור וּמַעְלִ֥ים עֵ֝ינָ֗יו רַב־מְאֵרֹֽות׃
(Proverbs 28:27)
He who gives to the poor will not lack; but he who hides his eyes will have many curses.
Qal Participle as Subject: נֹותֵ֣ן לָ֭רָשׁ
נֹותֵ֣ן (“one who gives”) is a Qal participle masculine singular from the root נ־ת־ן (“to give”). In Hebrew proverbs, participles often function as nouns — here, “the giver.” The phrase לָרָשׁ (“to the poor”) uses the preposition לְ with the definite article prefixed to רָשׁ (“poor, destitute”), indicating the recipient of the giving.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar
Tagged Proverbs 28:27
Comments Off on Open Hand, Open Eyes: Participles and Antithetic Parallelism in Proverbs 28:27