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Recent Articles
- Trumpet Blasts and Assembly Syntax in Numbers 10:3
- Right and Left: A Beginner’s Guide to Hebrew Word Order in Ecclesiastes 10:2
- A Call to Listen: A Beginner’s Guide to Hebrew Grammar in Jeremiah 10:1
- “Even If I Wash with Snow”: Job’s Cry of Purity and Futility in Hebrew
- Your People and Your Inheritance: Strength and Arm Between Hebrew and Greek
- Who is Abimelek? Political Defiance in Hebrew Speech
- May God Enlarge Japheth: Syntax, Blessing, and Subordination in Genesis 9:27
- The Plea of the Prophet: Syntax, Intercession, and Covenant Echoes in Deuteronomy 9:26
- The Swift Flight of Life: Syntax and Poetic Motion in Job 9:25
- Fear and Syntax in Giveʿon: Nested Clauses and Theological Strategy in Joshua 9:24
- Wayyiqtol Verbs, Ruach Imagery, and Political Betrayal in Judges 9:23
- Imperatives, Prophetic Syntax, and Stark Imagery in Jeremiah 9:22
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The Syntax of Sacred Prohibition: Blood in Leviticus 7:26
וְכָל־דָּם֙ לֹ֣א תֹאכְל֔וּ בְּכֹ֖ל מֹושְׁבֹתֵיכֶ֑ם לָעֹ֖וף וְלַבְּהֵמָֽה׃
(Leviticus 7:26)
And all blood you shall not eat in all your dwellings: of the bird and of the beast.
Clause Layout and Logical Flow
This verse is a prohibitive command composed of a negated verbal clause followed by a distributive spatial phrase and a dual object of scope. Its structure articulates an absolute prohibition applicable across all Israelite settlements:
וְכָל־דָּם לֹא תֹאכְלוּ — Main prohibitive clause (“you shall not eat any blood”)
בְּכֹל מֹושְׁבֹתֵיכֶם — Prepositional phrase limiting the command to all dwelling places
לָעֹוף וְלַבְּהֵמָה — Disjunctive phrase qualifying which types of blood are included (birds and beasts)
Syntactic Features and Highlights
Phrase
Syntactic Role
Explanation
וְכָל־דָּם
Subject (fronted)
Definite noun with כָּל emphasizes the totality of the prohibition.… Learn Hebrew
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From Exodus to Exhortation: The Syntax of Divine Persistence
לְמִן־הַיֹּ֗ום אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָצְא֤וּ אֲבֹֽותֵיכֶם֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם עַ֖ד הַיֹּ֣ום הַזֶּ֑ה וָאֶשְׁלַ֤ח אֲלֵיכֶם֙ אֶת־כָּל־עֲבָדַ֣י הַנְּבִיאִ֔ים יֹ֖ום הַשְׁכֵּ֥ם וְשָׁלֹֽחַ׃
(Jeremiah 7:25)
From the day that your fathers went out from the land of Egypt until this day, I sent to you all My servants the prophets: daily, early rising and sending.
Clause Structure Overview
This verse presents a temporal span from the Exodus to Jeremiah’s own day and depicts YHWH’s repeated, intentional action of sending prophets. Its syntax divides neatly into two halves:
Temporal subordinate clause introduced by לְמִן־הַיּוֹם…עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה – setting the time frame.… Learn Hebrew
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Gathered for Judgment: Syntactic Accumulation in Joshua 7:24
וַיִּקַּ֣ח יְהֹושֻׁ֣עַ אֶת־עָכָ֣ן בֶּן־זֶ֡רַח וְאֶת־הַכֶּ֣סֶף וְאֶת־הָאַדֶּ֣רֶת וְֽאֶת־לְשֹׁ֣ון הַזָּהָ֡ב וְֽאֶת־בָּנָ֡יו וְֽאֶת־בְּנֹתָ֡יו וְאֶת־שֹׁורֹו֩ וְאֶת־חֲמֹרֹ֨ו וְאֶת־צֹאנֹ֤ו וְאֶֽת־אָהֳלֹו֙ וְאֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לֹ֔ו וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עִמֹּ֑ו וַיַּעֲל֥וּ אֹתָ֖ם עֵ֥מֶק עָכֹֽור׃
(Joshua 7:24)
And Joshua took Achan son of Zerah, and the silver, and the cloak, and the tongue of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his ox, and his donkey, and his flock, and his tent, and all that was his; and all Israel with him; and they brought them up to the Valley of Achor.
Syntax of Indictment
This verse captures the solemn procession of justice as Yehoshua leads the nation in confronting ʿAkan’s sin.… Learn Hebrew
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Flying into the Trap: Syntactic Irony in Proverbs 7:23
עַ֤ד יְפַלַּ֪ח חֵ֡ץ כְּֽבֵדֹ֗ו כְּמַהֵ֣ר צִפֹּ֣ור אֶל־פָּ֑ח וְלֹֽא־֝יָדַ֗ע כִּֽי־בְנַפְשֹׁ֥ו הֽוּא׃
(Proverbs 7:23)
Until an arrow pierces his liver; like a bird hastening to the trap, he does not know that it is for his life.
Clause Structure and Sequential Tension
The verse is structured as a sequence of clauses that depict a sudden and fatal downfall—syntactically layered to match the speed and inevitability of the event:
עַד יְפַלַּ֪ח חֵ֡ץ כְּֽבֵדֹ֗ו – “Until an arrow pierces his liver”
עַד (“until”) sets up a temporal clause leading to climax.… Learn Hebrew
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Little by Little: Divine Delay and Wild Beasts
Καὶ καταναλώσει Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου τὰ ἔθνη ταῦτα ἀπὸ προσώπου σου κατὰ μικρὸν μικρόν οὐ δυνήσῃ ἐξαναλῶσαι αὐτοὺς τὸ τάχος ἵνα μὴ γένηται ἡ γῆ ἔρημος καὶ πληθυνθῇ ἐπὶ σὲ τὰ θηρία τὰ ἄγρια (Deuteronomy 7:22 LXX)
וְנָשַׁל֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ אֶת־הַגֹּויִ֥ם הָאֵ֛ל מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ מְעַ֣ט מְעָ֑ט לֹ֤א תוּכַל֙ כַּלֹּתָ֣ם מַהֵ֔ר פֶּן־תִּרְבֶּ֥ה עָלֶ֖יךָ חַיַּ֥ת הַשָּׂדֶֽה׃
Measured Conquest and the Grammar of Mercy
Deuteronomy 7:22 offers a striking glimpse into the divine logic of conquest. The Hebrew and Greek versions both reflect God’s intentional gradualism, but they differ in the way they express process, capacity, and consequence.… Learn Hebrew
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“And the Fish Died and the Nile Stank”: A Hebrew Lesson from Egypt’s First Plague
וְהַדָּגָ֨ה אֲשֶׁר־בַּיְאֹ֥ר מֵ֨תָה֙ וַיִּבְאַ֣שׁ הַיְאֹ֔ר וְלֹא־יָכְל֣וּ מִצְרַ֔יִם לִשְׁתֹּ֥ות מַ֖יִם מִן־הַיְאֹ֑ר וַיְהִ֥י הַדָּ֖ם בְּכָל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
(Exodus 7:21)
And the fish that were in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, and the Mitsrites could not drink water from the Nile, and the blood was in all the land of Mitsrayim.
Word-by-Word Explanation
וְהַדָּגָ֨ה – “And the fish” Noun. דָּגָה is a collective feminine noun for “fish.” The וְ is the conjunction “and,” and הַ is the definite article “the.”
אֲשֶׁר־בַּיְאֹ֥ר – “that were in the Nile”אֲשֶׁר = “who/which/that” (relative pronoun);
בַּיְאֹר = “in the Nile” (בְּ = in, הַיְאֹר = the Nile → assimilated to בַּיְאֹר).… Learn Hebrew
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The Subtle Grammar of Possession in Biblical Hebrew
Possession in Biblical Hebrew is expressed through a range of syntactic and morphological constructions, reflecting both semantic nuance and contextual emphasis. Unlike English, which typically uses the possessive marker “of” or a possessive pronoun, Biblical Hebrew relies on the construct chain (סְמִיכוּת) and possessive suffixes attached directly to nouns. Understanding these structures requires examining both their grammatical behavior and their role within Biblical discourse.
The Construct Chain as the Primary Possessive Structure
The construct chain (סְמִיכוּת) is the quintessential method for expressing possession in Biblical Hebrew.… Learn Hebrew
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Syntax and Strategy: Analyzing Poetic Combat Syntax in Judges 7:20
וַֽ֠יִּתְקְעוּ שְׁלֹ֨שֶׁת הָרָאשִׁ֥ים בַּשֹּֽׁופָרֹות֮ וַיִּשְׁבְּר֣וּ הַכַּדִּים֒ וַיַּחֲזִ֤יקוּ בְיַד־שְׂמאֹולָם֙ בַּלַּפִּדִ֔ים וּבְיַ֨ד־יְמִינָ֔ם הַשֹּׁופָרֹ֖ות לִתְקֹ֑ועַ וַֽיִּקְרְא֔וּ חֶ֥רֶב לַֽיהוָ֖ה וּלְגִדְעֹֽון׃
(Judges 7:20)
Strategic Word Order and Emphatic Actions
This verse vividly depicts the synchronized attack of Gideon’s 300 men through a sequence of tightly packed verbal clauses. The syntax mirrors the rapidity and coordination of the ambush:
וַיִּתְקְעוּ (“and they blew”) – initiates the clause with immediate action.
וַיִּשְׁבְּרוּ (“and they broke”) – continues the rapid progression.
וַיַּחֲזִ֤יקוּ (“and they grasped”) – introduces the detailed tactics with marked agency.… Learn Hebrew
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Exceeding Might: When the Waters Conquered Syntax and Summit
Τὸ δὲ ὕδωρ ἐπεκράτει σφόδρα σφοδρῶς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἐπεκάλυψεν πάντα τὰ ὄρη τὰ ὑψηλά ἃ ἦν ὑποκάτω τοῦ οὐρανοῦ (Genesis 7:19 LXX)
וְהַמַּ֗יִם גָּ֥בְר֛וּ מְאֹ֥ד מְאֹ֖ד עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיְכֻסּ֗וּ כָּל־הֶֽהָרִים֙ הַגְּבֹהִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־תַּ֖חַת כָּל־הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃
The Flood’s Crescendo in Two Tongues
Genesis 7:19 is one of the most intense verses in the Flood narrative, narrating the climax of chaos overtaking creation. The Hebrew text uses repetition, superlatives, and relative clauses to dramatize the overwhelming nature of the waters. The Greek Septuagint renders this passage with powerful participles and expanded syntax, capturing the weight of the event but subtly shifting the emphasis in grammar and scope.… Learn Hebrew
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Sound and Fury: The Syntax and Strategy in Judges 7:18
וְתָקַעְתִּי֙ בַּשֹּׁופָ֔ר אָנֹכִ֖י וְכָל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִתִּ֑י וּתְקַעְתֶּ֨ם בַּשֹּׁופָרֹ֜ות גַּם־אַתֶּ֗ם סְבִיבֹות֙ כָּל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם לַיהוָ֥ה וּלְגִדְעֹֽון׃
(Judges 7:18)
Word Order and Flow
This verse is a military directive. The sentence begins with a sequential waw-consecutive verb (וְתָקַעְתִּי), continuing a chain of action. The subject follows the verb (אָנֹכִי), and the object is clear: בַּשֹּׁופָר, “the shofar.” The second clause mirrors the first, reinforcing the coordinated movement of Gideon’s men.
Morphology
וְתָקַעְתִּי (vetāqaʿtī) –
Root: תקע;
Form: Qal waw-consecutive perfect 1cs;
Translation: “And I will blow”;
Notes: The perfect form with וְ indicates future action in narrative sequence.… Learn Hebrew
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