Biblical Hebrew

“Before Me”: Pronominal Prepositions and Divine Proximity in Targum Onkelos

Posted on October 24, 2019 by Aramaic Grammar

בְּעִדָּנָא הַהִיא אֲמַר יְיָ לִי פְּסַל לָךְ תְּרֵין לוּחֵי אַבְנַיָּא כְּקַדְמָאֵי וְסַק לָקֳדָמַי לְטוּרָא וְתַעְבֵּד לָךְ אֲרוֹנָא דְאָעָא (Deuteronomy 10:1) At that time the LORD said to me, “Carve for yourself two tablets of stone like the first ones and go up before Me to the mountain, and make for yourself an ark of wood.” Why This Verse? This verse from Targum Onkelos contains a rich variety of morphological and syntactic constructions, but our focus will be on the phrase לָקֳדָמַי — a superb illustration of compound prepositions with attached pronominal suffixes in literary Jewish Aramaic.… Learn Hebrew

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Infinitives, Verbal Parallelism, and Philosophical Irony in Ecclesiastes 10:19

Posted on October 19, 2019 by Biblical Hebrew

Wisdom Discourse and Literary Ambiguity in Qohelet Ecclesiastes 10:19 is a compact yet theologically and grammatically dense aphorism. As with much of Qohelet, its ambiguity is deliberate, and its grammar is tightly structured to allow multiple interpretive layers. The verse reads: לִשְׂחֹוק֙ עֹשִׂ֣ים לֶ֔חֶם וְיַ֖יִן יְשַׂמַּ֣ח חַיִּ֑ים וְהַכֶּ֖סֶף יַעֲנֶ֥ה אֶת־הַכֹּֽל׃ Bread is made for laughter, and wine gladdens life, and money answers everything. This verse concludes a section reflecting on folly and wisdom in political and social life. It is syntactically structured in a triadic form: each clause presents a subject, a verb, and an object or complement.… Learn Hebrew

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When Silence Becomes Guilt

Posted on October 18, 2019 by Hebrew Grammar for Beginners

וְהָיָ֗ה הָאִישׁ֙ אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־יִשְׁמַע֙ אֶל־דְּבָרַ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר יְדַבֵּ֖ר בִּשְׁמִ֑י אָנֹכִ֖י אֶדְרֹ֥שׁ מֵעִמֹּֽו׃ (Deuteronomy 18:19) A Voice That Must Be Heard This verse is a solemn divine warning. YHWH declares that He Himself will hold accountable any person who refuses to heed the prophet who speaks in His name. The setting is covenantal: Israel has asked for an intermediary so they won’t hear God’s overwhelming voice directly (see v. 16), and God agrees—yet with one condition: the prophet’s word must still carry divine authority.… Learn Hebrew

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Iron, Effort, and Wisdom: Poetic Economy and Syntax in Ecclesiastes 10:10

Posted on October 10, 2019 by Biblical Hebrew

אִם־קֵהָ֣ה הַבַּרְזֶ֗ל וְהוּא֙ לֹא־פָנִ֣ים קִלְקַ֔ל וַחֲיָלִ֖ים יְגַבֵּ֑ר וְיִתְרֹ֥ון הַכְשֵׁ֖יר חָכְמָֽה׃ Contextual Introduction Ecclesiastes 10:10 presents a metaphor of labor and effort: a dull iron blade, extra exertion, and the wisdom required to succeed. It fits within the broader themes of Qohelet, where wisdom is praised, yet human limitations and futility are acknowledged. This verse invites reflection on the balance between brute force and strategic thinking. The poetic structure is compact and layered, and the grammar reflects a chiastic tension between human effort and divine-gifted wisdom.… Learn Hebrew

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The Joy and Sorrow of a Son: Analyzing יְשַׂמַּח in Proverbs 10:1

Posted on October 1, 2019 by Biblical Hebrew

Introduction to Proverbs 10:1: Wisdom and Folly in the Household Proverbs 10:1 marks the beginning of a new literary section—the collected sayings of Solomon. This verse presents a stark contrast between wisdom and folly, framed within the parental relationship. The verb יְשַׂמַּח (yəsammaḥ), “he makes glad,” plays a central role, revealing the power of a child’s actions to shape the emotional world of the family. מִשְׁלֵ֗י שְׁלֹ֫מֹ֥ה פ בֵּ֣ן חָ֭כָם יְשַׂמַּח־אָ֑ב וּבֵ֥ן כְּ֝סִ֗יל תּוּגַ֥ת אִמֹּֽו׃ Examining the Core Structure: The Parallelism of Joy and Sorrow The two-part parallelism of this verse is clear: בֵּ֣ן חָ֭כָם יְשַׂמַּח־אָ֑ב בֵּן (bēn) – “A son” (subject).… Learn Hebrew

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When Heaven Answers with Song: Sound, Response, and Divine Dialogue in Exodus 19:19 (Targum Jonathan)

Posted on September 19, 2019 by Biblical Hebrew

וְהַוָּה קַל שׁוֹפָרָא אָזִיל וְתַקִּיף לַחֲדָא משֶׁה הֲוָה מְמַלֵּיל וּמִן קֳדָם יְיָ הֲוָה מִתְעַנֵי בְקַל נָעִים וּמְשַׁבַּח וּנְעִימָתָא מַלְיָא And the sound of the shofar kept going and becoming very strong; Moshe was speaking, and from before YHWH, there came a pleasant voice responding and praising—full of melody. Poetic Reflection: The Mountain that Listened The giving of the Torah was not only law—it was music. Targum Jonathan’s rendering of Exodus 19:19 transforms Sinai from a site of thunder into a place of harmony.… Learn Hebrew

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“For I Have Known Him”: The Grammar of Covenantal Command in Genesis 18:19

Posted on September 18, 2019 by Advanced Hebrew Grammar

כִּ֣י יְדַעְתִּ֗יו לְמַעַן֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְצַוֶּ֜ה אֶת־בָּנָ֤יו וְאֶת־בֵּיתֹו֙ אַחֲרָ֔יו וְשָֽׁמְרוּ֙ דֶּ֣רֶךְ יְהוָ֔ה לַעֲשֹׂ֥ות צְדָקָ֖ה וּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט לְמַ֗עַן הָבִ֤יא יְהוָה֙ עַל־אַבְרָהָ֔ם אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֖ר עָלָֽיו׃ In one of the most intimate moments of divine reflection, God speaks not only about Abraham but to Himself — or perhaps to the heavenly court. In Bereishit 18:19, He declares: כִּי יְדַעְתִּיו לְמַעַן אֲשֶׁר יְצַוֶּה אֶת בָּנָיו וְאֶת־בֵּיתוֹ אַחֲרָיו “For I have known him, because he will command his sons and his household after him.” This verse does more than affirm Abraham’s righteousness — it defines the very purpose of divine election through a grammatical structure that is both precise and profound.… Learn Hebrew

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Joyful Return: Exploring Isaiah 35:10 in Beginner Hebrew

Posted on September 15, 2019 by Hebrew Grammar for Beginners

וּפְדוּיֵ֨י יְהוָ֜ה יְשֻׁב֗וּן וּבָ֤אוּ צִיֹּון֙ בְּרִנָּ֔ה וְשִׂמְחַ֥ת עֹולָ֖ם עַל־רֹאשָׁ֑ם שָׂשֹׂ֤ון וְשִׂמְחָה֙ יַשִּׂ֔יגוּ וְנָ֖סוּ יָגֹ֥ון וַאֲנָחָֽה (Isaiah 35:10) This powerful and poetic verse from Isaiah is filled with emotion, movement, and transformation. We’ll use it to explore basic Hebrew grammar, focusing on verbs, nouns, and how Hebrew expresses joy and deliverance using rhythm and repetition. English Translation (Simple and Clear) And the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and they shall come to Zion with singing, and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads.… Learn Hebrew

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The House that Wisdom Built: Analyzing בָּנְתָה in Proverbs 9:1

Posted on September 1, 2019 by Biblical Hebrew

Introduction to Proverbs 9:1: The Architecture of Wisdom Proverbs 9:1 presents one of the most striking images in biblical poetry—Wisdom, personified as a master architect, building her house with seven pillars. The verb בָּנְתָה (bāntāh), “she has built,” is not merely a grammatical structure; it is a theological and poetic blueprint, revealing how divine wisdom constructs the very foundations of knowledge, righteousness, and creation itself. חָ֭כְמֹות בָּנְתָ֣ה בֵיתָ֑הּ חָצְבָ֖ה עַמּוּדֶ֣יהָ שִׁבְעָֽה׃ The Foundation of the Text: What is Being Built? At the heart of this verse is a grand metaphor: Wisdom builds her house—but what does this house symbolize?… Learn Hebrew

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Infinitive Purpose: The Hidden Aim of Wisdom in Proverbs 19:8

Posted on August 19, 2019 by Biblical Hebrew

קֹֽנֶה־֭לֵּב אֹהֵ֣ב נַפְשֹׁ֑ו שֹׁמֵ֥ר תְּ֝בוּנָ֗ה לִמְצֹא־טֹֽוב׃ Proverbs 19:8 offers more than a praise of self-care—it offers a tightly woven grammatical chain that climaxes in the infinitive phrase לִמְצֹא־טֹוב, “to find good.” The proverb joins two clauses, each with its own participle, and ends with an infinitive construct that expresses purpose or result. This structure showcases one of Biblical Hebrew’s elegant tools: the infinitive construct with a prefixed לְ to express intention or outcome. Literal Meaning “One who acquires heart loves his soul; one who keeps understanding [does so] to find good.”… Learn Hebrew

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