-
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
Categories
Archives
Hunger and Calamity: A Miniature Poem of Judgment in Job 18:12
יְהִי־רָעֵ֥ב אֹנֹ֑ו וְ֝אֵ֗יד נָכֹ֥ון לְצַלְעֹֽו׃
(Job 18:12)
This short poetic verse is part of Bildad’s speech in the Book of Job, describing the fate of the wicked. The verse may look small, but it’s packed with Biblical Hebrew features: jussive verbs (wishes or commands), rare vocabulary, parallel structure, and construct phrases. Let’s learn how it works!
English Translation
May hunger consume his strength, and disaster be ready at his side.
This is a poetic curse or expression of ruin. The speaker is calling for physical and emotional destruction upon someone by invoking two forces: hunger and disaster.… Learn Hebrew
Prepositions of Comparison: The Power of מִן and כְּ in Proverbs 18:19
אָ֗ח נִפְשָׁ֥ע מִקִּרְיַת־עֹ֑ז וּמְדֹונִים כִּבְרִ֥יחַ אַרְמֹֽון׃
Proverbs 18:19 presents a striking image of broken trust: “A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city, and quarrels are like the bars of a fortress.” This comparison is grammatically anchored in two small but powerful prepositions: מִן (“more than”) and כְּ (“like”). These prepositions shape the entire logic and rhetorical force of the proverb.
Hebrew uses prepositions not only to describe relationships in space or time—but also to build similes, comparisons, and even superlatives.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Theology
Tagged Proverbs 18:19
Comments Off on Prepositions of Comparison: The Power of מִן and כְּ in Proverbs 18:19
Sequential Wayyiqtol Verbs in Topographical Descriptions
וַיְהִ֨י לָהֶ֧ם הַגְּב֛וּל לִפְאַ֥ת צָפֹ֖ונָה מִן־הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן וְעָלָ֣ה הַגְּבוּל֩ אֶל־כֶּ֨תֶף יְרִיחֹ֜ו מִצָּפֹ֗ון וְעָלָ֤ה בָהָר֙ יָ֔מָּה וְהָיָה תֹּֽצְאֹתָ֔יו מִדְבַּ֖רָה בֵּ֥ית אָֽוֶן׃
(Joshua 18:12)
And their border was on the northern side from the Yarden, and the border went up to the shoulder of Yeriḥo from the north and went up into the hill country westward, and its end was at the wilderness of Beit Aven.
Joshua 18:12 describes the northern border of the territory assigned to the tribe of Binyamin. The verse features a series of actions marked by wayyiqtol verbs describing how the border ascends, shifts, and proceeds through various landmarks.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar
Tagged Joshua 18:12
Comments Off on Sequential Wayyiqtol Verbs in Topographical Descriptions
The Imperative לֶךְ־לְךָ and the Command to Abram in Genesis 12:1
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־אַבְרָ֔ם לֶךְ־לְךָ֛ מֵאַרְצְךָ֥ וּמִמֹּֽולַדְתְּךָ֖ וּמִבֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑יךָ אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַרְאֶֽךָּ׃
(Genesis 12:1)
And YHWH said to Avram, “Go forth from your land, from your birthplace, and from the house of your father, to the land that I will show you.
Genesis 12:1 marks a pivotal moment in biblical history, where יְהוָה (YHWH) commands אַבְרָם (Avram, “Abram”) to leave his homeland and journey to an unknown land. The grammatical structure of this verse is significant, particularly the imperative phrase לֶךְ־לְךָ (lekh-lekha, “Go for yourself” or “Go forth”).… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar, Theology
Tagged Genesis, Genesis 12:1
Comments Off on The Imperative לֶךְ־לְךָ and the Command to Abram in Genesis 12:1
The Verb That Breathes: Aspect and Theology in Isaiah 6:3
וְקָרָא זֶה אֶל־זֶה וְאָמַר קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת מְלֹא כָל־הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדוֹ
(Isaiah 6:3)
And one called to another and said, “Holy, holy, holy is YHWH of Hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.”
In the sixth chapter of Isaiah, the prophet stands awestruck before a vision of the divine throne. The seraphim cry out in unison, their voices weaving a tapestry of sanctity that fills the heavens—and our ears. This verse is not only one of the most profound theological declarations in Scripture but also a masterclass in Biblical Hebrew grammar.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar
Tagged Isaiah 6:3
Comments Off on The Verb That Breathes: Aspect and Theology in Isaiah 6:3
The Use of Collective Singular and Plural Agreement in Genesis 11:1
וַֽיְהִ֥י כָל־הָאָ֖רֶץ שָׂפָ֣ה אֶחָ֑ת וּדְבָרִ֖ים אֲחָדִֽים׃
(Genesis 11:1)
And the whole earth had one language and the same words.
Genesis 11:1 introduces the Tower of Babel narrative by describing the state of human language before divine intervention. The verse contains an interesting grammatical interplay between singular and plural forms, particularly in שָׂפָ֣ה אֶחָ֑ת (safah eḥat, “one language”) and דְּבָרִ֖ים אֲחָדִֽים (devarim aḥadim, “unified words” or “same speech”). These constructions demonstrate how Biblical Hebrew expresses collective unity while maintaining distinctions between singular and plural agreement.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar
Tagged Genesis, Genesis 11:1
Comments Off on The Use of Collective Singular and Plural Agreement in Genesis 11:1
Collective Subjects and Mixed Word Order in Post-Exilic Prose
כָּל־אֵ֕לֶּה נָשְׂא֣וּ נָשִׁ֣ים נָכְרִיֹּ֑ות וְיֵ֣שׁ מֵהֶ֣ם נָשִׁ֔ים וַיָּשִׂ֖ימוּ בָּנִֽים׃
(Ezra 10:44)
All these had taken foreign women as wives, and some of them had women by whom they bore children.
This verse concludes the list of Israelites who had married foreign women, a central issue in Ezra’s reform movement. The syntax in this verse reflects post-exilic Hebrew style, featuring collective subjects, mixed singular/plural agreement, and a syntactically loose final clause. This lesson will focus on the interaction between collective nouns and verb agreement, and the use of mixed word order to convey summary judgments in administrative Hebrew.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar
Tagged Ezra 10:44
Comments Off on Collective Subjects and Mixed Word Order in Post-Exilic Prose
The Structure of וַיִּוָּלְד֥וּ and the Concept of Genealogy in Genesis 10:1
וְאֵ֨לֶּה֙ תֹּולְדֹ֣ת בְּנֵי־נֹ֔חַ שֵׁ֖ם חָ֣ם וָיָ֑פֶת וַיִּוָּלְד֥וּ לָהֶ֛ם בָּנִ֖ים אַחַ֥ר הַמַּבּֽוּל׃
(Genesis 10:1)
And these are the generations of the sons of Noaḥ: Shem, Ḥam, and Yafet; and sons were born to them after the flood.
Genesis 10:1 serves as an introduction to the Table of Nations, listing the descendants of שֵׁם, חָם, וָיָפֶת (Shem, Ḥam, and Yafet), the sons of נֹחַ (Noaḥ), who repopulated the earth after the Flood. This verse features significant grammatical elements, including the Niphal verb וַיִּוָּלְד֥וּ, which expresses passive action in Biblical Hebrew.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar
Tagged Genesis, Genesis 10:1
Comments Off on The Structure of וַיִּוָּלְד֥וּ and the Concept of Genealogy in Genesis 10:1
The Use of Imperatives and Divine Blessing in Genesis 9:1
וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֱלֹהִ֔ים אֶת־נֹ֖חַ וְאֶת־בָּנָ֑יו וַיֹּ֧אמֶר לָהֶ֛ם פְּר֥וּ וּרְב֖וּ וּמִלְא֥וּ אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
(Genesis 9:1)
And God blessed Noaḥ and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.”
Genesis 9:1 marks a new beginning after the Flood, where אֱלֹהִים (Elohim, “God”) blesses נֹחַ (Noaḥ, “Noah”) and his sons, giving them a command similar to that given to Adam and Eve in Genesis 1:28. This verse prominently features imperative verbs (פְּרוּ, רְבוּ, מִלְאוּ – “be fruitful, multiply, and fill”), which express direct commands.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Grammar, Theology
Tagged Genesis, Genesis 9:1
Comments Off on The Use of Imperatives and Divine Blessing in Genesis 9:1
Walk, Write, Return: The Binyanim of Obedient Action in Joshua 18:8
וַיָּקֻ֥מוּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים וַיֵּלֵ֑כוּ וַיְצַ֣ו יְהֹושֻׁ֡עַ אֶת־הַהֹלְכִים֩ לִכְתֹּ֨ב אֶת־הָאָ֜רֶץ לֵאמֹ֗ר לְ֠כוּ וְהִתְהַלְּכ֨וּ בָאָ֜רֶץ וְכִתְב֤וּ אֹותָּהּ֙ וְשׁ֣וּבוּ אֵלַ֔י וּ֠פֹה אַשְׁלִ֨יךְ לָכֶ֥ם גֹּורָ֛ל לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה בְּשִׁלֹֽה׃
(Joshua 18:8)
And the men arose and went, and Yehoshua commanded those going to describe the land, saying, “Go and walk through the land and write it, and return to me, and here I will cast lots for you before YHWH in Shiloh.”
Mobilizing the Tribal Surveyors
In this verse, Yehoshua instructs a group of men to map the land of Yisraʾel in preparation for its distribution.… Learn Hebrew
Posted in Binyanim
Tagged Joshua 18:8
Comments Off on Walk, Write, Return: The Binyanim of Obedient Action in Joshua 18:8