Biblical Hebrew

Strength in Repetition: The Binyanim Behind Divine Encouragement

Posted on April 2, 2019 by Biblical Hebrew

וְעַתָּ֣ה חֲזַ֣ק זְרֻבָּבֶ֣ל נְאֻם־יְהוָ֡ה וַחֲזַ֣ק יְהֹושֻׁ֣עַ בֶּן־יְהֹוצָדָק֩ הַכֹּהֵ֨ן הַגָּדֹ֜ול וַחֲזַ֨ק כָּל־עַ֥ם הָאָ֛רֶץ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֖ה וַֽעֲשׂ֑וּ כִּֽי־אֲנִ֣י אִתְּכֶ֔ם נְאֻ֖ם יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֹֽות׃ (Haggai 2:4) But now, be strong, Zerubbabel—declares YHWH—and be strong, Yehoshua son of Yehotsadaq, the high priest, and be strong, all the people of the land—declares YHWH—and work! For I am with you—declares YHWH of Hosts. Divine Grammar in Triplets The Hebrew of Haggai 2:4 builds intensity through grammatical repetition. Three consecutive imperatives of the verb חזק (“be strong”) frame YHWH’s address to three distinct groups.… Learn Hebrew

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The Hifil Verb וַיַּלְעֵג in Nehemiah 4:1

Posted on April 1, 2019 by Biblical Hebrew

וַיְהִ֞י כַּאֲשֶׁ֧ר שָׁמַ֣ע סַנְבַלַּ֗ט כִּֽי־אֲנַ֤חְנוּ בֹונִים֙ אֶת־הַ֣חֹומָ֔ה וַיִּ֣חַר לֹ֔ו וַיִּכְעַ֖ס הַרְבֵּ֑ה וַיַּלְעֵ֖ג עַל־הַיְּהוּדִֽים׃ (Nehemiah 4:1) And it happened, when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he became angry and was greatly enraged, and he mocked the Jews. Nehemiah 4:1 describes the reaction of Sanballat upon hearing that the Israelites were rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. His response is one of anger and mockery, as captured by the Hifil verb וַיַּלְעֵג (vayyilʿēg). This verb is key to understanding the intensity and direction of his scorn, as the Hifil stem often implies causative action.… Learn Hebrew

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Grammatical-Theological Analysis of Psalm 30:4

Posted on March 30, 2019 by Biblical Hebrew

יְֽהוָ֗ה הֶֽעֱלִ֣יתָ מִן־שְׁאֹ֣ול נַפְשִׁ֑י חִ֝יִּיתַ֗נִי מִיֹּרְדֵי־בֹֽור׃ 1. Verb Forms and Divine Action: הֶעֱלִ֣יתָ and חִיִּיתַ֗נִי The first verb, הֶֽעֱלִ֣יתָ (“You brought up”), is a Hifil perfect 2nd person masculine singular from the root עָלָה (“to go up”). The Hifil stem gives it a causative nuance—”You caused [me] to ascend.” This verb conveys divine initiative in reversing the downward trajectory of death or despair. The perfect form marks the action as completed: God has definitively intervened. The second verb, חִיִּיתַ֗נִי (“You gave me life”), is also a Hifil perfect 2nd person masculine singular, from the root חָיָה (“to live”).… Learn Hebrew

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The Push and Pull of Hiphil in Job 36:18

Posted on March 18, 2019 by Advanced Hebrew Grammar

כִּֽי־֭חֵמָה פֶּן־יְסִֽיתְךָ֣ בְסָ֑פֶק וְרָב־֝כֹּ֗פֶר אַל־יַטֶּֽךָּ׃ (Job 36:18) For wrath lest it entice you into doubt, and abundance of ransom do not let it turn you aside Why the Stems Matter Here This verse sits within Elihu’s discourse, a caution to Job against being pulled off course—whether by the consuming power of anger or by the deceptive weight of wealth. Both dangers are portrayed with verbs in the Hiphil, the causative stem. The grammar makes wrath and ransom into active agents that pressure Job, rather than neutral realities he simply observes.… Learn Hebrew

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The Nifal Imperative הֵאָסְפוּ in Amos 3:9

Posted on March 9, 2019 by Biblical Hebrew

הַשְׁמִ֨יעוּ֙ עַל־אַרְמְנֹ֣ות בְּאַשְׁדֹּ֔וד וְעַֽל־אַרְמְנֹ֖ות בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וְאִמְר֗וּ הֵאָֽסְפוּ֙ עַל־הָרֵ֣י שֹׁמְרֹ֔ון וּרְא֞וּ מְהוּמֹ֤ת רַבֹּות֙ בְּתֹוכָ֔הּ וַעֲשׁוּקִ֖ים בְּקִרְבָּֽהּ׃ (Amos 3:9) Proclaim over the palaces in Ashdod and over the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say: Gather yourselves on the mountains of Samaria, and see the great tumults within her and the oppressed in her midst. Amos 3:9 records a divine summons to the nations, calling them to assemble and witness the injustice occurring in Shomron (Samaria). The verb הֵאָסְפוּ (heʾasəfū) appears in the Nifal imperative form, which is significant because it conveys a command to gather while also implying a passive or reflexive nuance.… Learn Hebrew

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The Nifal Participle נֶאֱסָפִים in Isaiah 13:4

Posted on March 1, 2019 by Biblical Hebrew

קֹ֥ול הָמֹ֛ון בֶּֽהָרִ֖ים דְּמ֣וּת עַם־רָ֑ב קֹ֠ול שְׁאֹ֞ון מַמְלְכֹ֤ות גֹּויִם֙ נֶֽאֱסָפִ֔ים יְהוָ֣ה צְבָאֹ֔ות מְפַקֵּ֖ד צְבָ֥א מִלְחָמָֽה׃ (Isaiah 13:4) A sound of tumult on the mountains, like the likeness of a great people. A sound of uproar from kingdoms, nations gathered together. Yahweh of hosts is mustering a host for battle. Isaiah 13:4 describes a prophetic vision of a great army assembling for war, with nations gathering under divine command. The Nifal participle נֶאֱסָפִים (neʾesafim) plays a crucial role in conveying the passive nature of the assembly, highlighting that these nations are not gathering by their own initiative but rather under an external force.… Learn Hebrew

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The Nifal Participle נִבְחָר in Proverbs 22:1

Posted on February 1, 2019 by Biblical Hebrew

נִבְחָ֣ר שֵׁ֭ם מֵעֹ֣שֶׁר רָ֑ב מִכֶּ֥סֶף וּ֝מִזָּהָ֗ב חֵ֣ן טֹֽוב׃ (Proverbs 22:1) A name is chosen above great riches; favor is better than silver and gold. Proverbs 22:1 emphasizes the value of a good name over material wealth. The verse opens with the Nifal participle נִבְחָר (nivḥar), meaning “chosen” or “preferred,” which plays a crucial role in shaping the meaning of the passage. This analysis will explore the morphology, syntactic function, and semantic significance of this participle within Biblical Hebrew grammar. Analysis of Key Words/Phrases The Nifal participle נִבְחָר (nivḥar) appears at the beginning of the verse: נִבְחָ֣ר שֵׁ֭ם This phrase consists of: נִבְחָר (nivḥar) – “chosen” or “preferred” (Nifal participle) שֵׁם (shem) – “a name” (noun, subject) The Nifal participle נִבְחָר is the focus of our grammatical analysis.… Learn Hebrew

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The Nifal Verb יִנָּשְׂאוּ in Ezekiel 1:21

Posted on January 21, 2019 by Biblical Hebrew

בְּלֶכְתָּ֣ם יֵלֵ֔כוּ וּבְעָמְדָ֖ם יַֽעֲמֹ֑דוּ וּֽבְהִנָּשְׂאָ֞ם מֵעַ֣ל הָאָ֗רֶץ יִנָּשְׂא֤וּ הָאֹֽופַנִּים֙ לְעֻמָּתָ֔ם כִּ֛י ר֥וּחַ הַחַיָּ֖ה בָּאֹופַנִּֽים׃ (Ezekiel 1:21) When they went, they went, and when they stood, they stood; and when they were lifted up from upon the earth, the wheels were lifted up alongside them, for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. Ezekiel 1:21 describes the synchronized movement of the wheels in the prophet’s vision, explaining that they move and rise in unison with the living creatures. A key grammatical feature in this verse is the verb יִנָּשְׂאוּ (yinnāśəʾū), which is in the Nifal stem, a binyan that often expresses passive or reflexive action.… Learn Hebrew

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Hunger and Calamity: A Miniature Poem of Judgment in Job 18:12

Posted on December 30, 2018 by Hebrew Grammar for Beginners

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

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Prepositions of Comparison: The Power of מִן and כְּ in Proverbs 18:19

Posted on December 19, 2018 by Biblical Hebrew

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

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