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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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“You Are Crossing Today”: Analyzing עֹבֵר in Deuteronomy 9:1
שְׁמַ֣ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אַתָּ֨ה עֹבֵ֤ר הַיֹּום֙ אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן לָבֹא֙ לָרֶ֣שֶׁת גֹּויִ֔ם גְּדֹלִ֥ים וַעֲצֻמִ֖ים מִמֶּ֑ךָּ עָרִ֛ים גְּדֹלֹ֥ת וּבְצֻרֹ֖ת בַּשָּׁמָֽיִם׃
(Deuteronomy 9:1)
Hear, Israel. Today you are crossing the Jordan to enter and dispossess nations greater and mightier than you, cities great and fortified in the heavens.
Threshold of Conquest
Deuteronomy 9:1 opens with a solemn charge to Israel as they stand poised to cross the Jordan and enter the promised land. The participle עֹבֵר (“you are crossing”) appears in the expression אַתָּ֨ה עֹבֵ֤ר הַיֹּום – “You are crossing today” – conveying not just an action but a moment of theological and national significance.… Learn Hebrew
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Harvesting the Mouth: Parallelism and Metaphor in Proverbs 18:20
מִפְּרִ֣י פִי־֭אִישׁ תִּשְׂבַּ֣ע בִּטְנֹ֑ו תְּבוּאַ֖ת שְׂפָתָ֣יו יִשְׂבָּֽע׃
(Proverbs 18:20)
From the fruit of a man’s mouth his belly will be satisfied. The yield of his lips he will be satisfied with.
Metaphor in Motion: פִּי־אִישׁ and תְּבוּאַת שְׂפָתָיו
This proverb is built on a beautifully balanced metaphor: a man’s words are compared to fruit (פְּרִי) and harvest (תְּבוּאָה). The noun פִּי־אִישׁ (“the mouth of a man”) is in construct form with פִּי (“mouth”) linking directly to אִישׁ (“man”) — meaning “the fruit of a man’s mouth.”… Learn Hebrew
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Nominal Clauses with Temporal Markers and Sacred Attribution
בַּיֹּ֣ום הַה֗וּא יִֽהְיֶה֙ עַל־מְצִלֹּ֣ות הַסּ֔וּס קֹ֖דֶשׁ לַֽיהוָ֑ה וְהָיָ֤ה הַסִּירֹות֙ בְּבֵ֣ית יְהוָ֔ה כַּמִּזְרָקִ֖ים לִפְנֵ֥י הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃
(Zechariah 14:20)
On that day, there will be on the bells of the horse, “Holy to YHWH.” And the pots in the house of YHWH will be like the basins before the altar.
This prophetic verse describes a future day when even the most ordinary objects—like horse bells and temple bowls—will be consecrated to YHWH. The structure features nominal clauses framed with temporal expressions and sacred attributions.… Learn Hebrew
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The Victory of the Suffering Servant: Verb Patterns and Poetic Syntax in Isaiah 53:12
לָכֵ֞ן אֲחַלֶּק־לֹ֣ו בָרַבִּ֗ים וְאֶת־עֲצוּמִים֮ יְחַלֵּ֣ק שָׁלָל֒ תַּ֗חַת אֲשֶׁ֨ר הֶעֱרָ֤ה לַמָּ֨וֶת֙ נַפְשֹׁ֔ו וְאֶת־פֹּשְׁעִ֖ים נִמְנָ֑ה וְהוּא֙ חֵטְא־רַבִּ֣ים נָשָׂ֔א וְלַפֹּשְׁעִ֖ים יַפְגִּֽיעַ:
(Isaiah 53:12)
Therefore I will divide to him among the many, and with the strong he will divide spoil, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with transgressors. Yet he bore the sin of many and interceded for the transgressors.
Focus on the Cohortative and Imperfect: אֲחַלֶּק and יְחַלֵּק
The verse begins with אֲחַלֶּק, a cohortative form of the root ח־ל־ק (“to divide,” “to apportion”), conveying volition or resolve — “I will apportion.”… Learn Hebrew
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Pegging Hope in Exile: The Syntax and Semantics of לָתֶת and Its Purpose Clauses
וְעַתָּ֡ה כִּמְעַט־רֶגַע֩ הָיְתָ֨ה תְחִנָּ֜ה מֵאֵ֣ת יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ לְהַשְׁאִ֥יר לָ֨נוּ֙ פְּלֵיטָ֔ה וְלָתֶת־לָ֥נוּ יָתֵ֖ד בִּמְקֹ֣ום קָדְשֹׁ֑ו לְהָאִ֤יר עֵינֵ֨ינוּ֙ אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ וּלְתִתֵּ֛נוּ מִֽחְיָ֥ה מְעַ֖ט בְּעַבְדֻתֵֽנוּ׃
(Ezra 9:8)
And now for a brief moment there has been favor from YHWH our God to leave us a remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place to enlighten our eyes our God and to give us a little reviving in our bondage
A Syntax of Relief in Exilic Breath
Ezra 9:8 is a rich tapestry of emotion, restoration, and covenant memory woven into layered Hebrew syntax.… Learn Hebrew
“It Was Not You Who Sent Me Here, But God”: The Grammar of Divine Redirection in Genesis 45:8
וְעַתָּ֗ה לֹֽא־אַתֶּ֞ם שְׁלַחְתֶּ֤ם אֹתִי֙ הֵ֔נָּה כִּ֖י הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַיְשִׂימֵ֨נִֽי לְאָ֜ב לְפַרְעֹ֗ה וּלְאָדֹון֙ לְכָל־בֵּיתֹ֔ו וּמֹשֵׁ֖ל בְּכָל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
(Genesis 45:8)
In one of the most emotionally charged moments of the Torah, Joseph reveals himself to his brothers and delivers a declaration that redefines their entire history:
וְעַתָּה לֹא־אַתֶּם שְׁלַחְתֶּם אֹתִי הֵנָּה כִּי הָאֱלֹהִים
“And now it was not you who sent me here, but God.”
This verse from Bereishit 45:8 is not only a theological turning point — it is a grammatical marvel. Through a single negated verb and a carefully constructed sequence of roles, Joseph reframes betrayal as divine orchestration.… Learn Hebrew
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“The Whole Commandment”: Analyzing כָּל־הַמִּצְוָה in Deuteronomy 8:1
כָּל־הַמִּצְוָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָנֹכִ֧י מְצַוְּךָ֛ הַיֹּ֖ום תִּשְׁמְר֣וּן לַעֲשֹׂ֑ות לְמַ֨עַן תִּֽחְי֜וּן וּרְבִיתֶ֗ם וּבָאתֶם֙ וִֽירִשְׁתֶּ֣ם אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּ֥ע יְהוָ֖ה לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶֽם׃
(Deuteronomy 8:1)
All the commandment that I am commanding you today, you shall keep to do, so that you may live and multiply and go in and possess the land that YHWH swore to your fathers.
Total Obedience and Covenant Continuity
Deuteronomy 8:1 begins with a striking phrase: כָּל־הַמִּצְוָה, literally “all the commandment.” This phrase captures the heart of the Mosaic theology of obedience: the call to complete and undivided commitment to YHWH’s instruction.… Learn Hebrew
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When the Stem Cuts Deep: The Power of Passive and Active Binyanim in Leviticus 7:20
וְהַנֶּ֜פֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר־תֹּאכַ֣ל בָּשָׂ֗ר מִזֶּ֤בַח הַשְּׁלָמִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לַיהוָ֔ה וְטֻמְאָתֹ֖ו עָלָ֑יו וְנִכְרְתָ֛ה הַנֶּ֥פֶשׁ הַהִ֖וא מֵעַמֶּֽיהָ׃
(Leviticus 7:20)
And the person who eats flesh from the slaughter-offering of peace which is for YHWH and his impurity is upon him that person shall be cut off from his people
Verbal Landscape of the Verse
This verse contains two verbs of critical legal and theological weight:
1. תֹּאכַל — “eats”
2. וְנִכְרְתָה — “shall be cut off”
Each verb represents a distinct binyan and communicates contrasting grammatical voices—active versus passive.… Learn Hebrew
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The Chain of Consecutives: Narrative Sequence and Moral Accountability in Judges 14:20
וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּים֮ מִ֣י עָ֣שָׂה זֹאת֒ וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ שִׁמְשֹׁון֙ חֲתַ֣ן הַתִּמְנִ֔י כִּ֚י לָקַ֣ח אֶת־אִשְׁתֹּ֔ו וַֽיִּתְּנָ֖הּ לְמֵרֵעֵ֑הוּ וַיַּעֲל֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וַיִּשְׂרְפ֥וּ אֹותָ֛הּ וְאֶת־אָבִ֖יהָ בָּאֵֽשׁ׃
(Judges 14:20)
And the Philistines said, “Who did this?” And they said, “Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he took his wife and gave her to his companion.” So the Philistines went up and burned her and her father with fire.
In this passage from the Book of Judges, we witness the unraveling of a tragic marital dispute that spirals into vengeance, fire, and death.… Learn Hebrew
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Sweetness on the Lips: Simile and Sequential Syntax in Song of Songs 7:10
וְחִכֵּ֕ךְ כְּיֵ֥ין הַטֹּ֛וב הֹולֵ֥ךְ לְדֹודִ֖י לְמֵישָׁרִ֑ים דֹּובֵ֖ב שִׂפְתֵ֥י יְשֵׁנִֽים׃
(Song of Songs 7:10)
And your palate is like the good wine, going down smoothly for my beloved, flowing over the lips of those who sleep.
Simile Construction: וְחִכֵּךְ כְּיֵין הַטֹּוב
וְחִכֵּךְ (“and your palate”) is the noun חֵךְ (“palate, roof of the mouth, taste”) with the 2fs pronominal suffix ־ךְ (“your”). The simile כְּיֵין הַטֹּוב (“like good wine”) uses the preposition כְּ (“like, as”) to draw a poetic comparison between the beloved’s taste/speech and the finest wine.… Learn Hebrew
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