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Recent Articles
- Scroll Marginalia: Weighted Syntax and Sanctified Measures (Numbers 7:31, Onkelos)
- “His Hands Shall Bring the Fire-Offerings”: Learning Sacred Hebrew Through Priestly Ritual
- Grammar of Offering: Enumerative Syntax and Appositional Closure
- The Nation That Would Not Listen: Relative Clauses, Coordinated Verbs, and Elliptical Judgment
- Wisdom in Layers: Demonstrative Syntax and Infinitive Purpose in Qohelet
- The Syntax of Sacred Prohibition: Blood in Leviticus 7:26
- From Exodus to Exhortation: The Syntax of Divine Persistence
- Gathered for Judgment: Syntactic Accumulation in Joshua 7:24
- Flying into the Trap: Syntactic Irony in Proverbs 7:23
- Little by Little: Divine Delay and Wild Beasts
- “And the Fish Died and the Nile Stank”: A Hebrew Lesson from Egypt’s First Plague
- The Subtle Grammar of Possession in Biblical Hebrew
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The Verb That Turns Purity into Time: A Journey Through Ritual Transition
וְכִבֶּס֩ הַמִּטַּהֵ֨ר אֶת־בְּגָדָ֜יו וְגִלַּ֣ח אֶת־כָּל־שְׂעָרֹ֗ו וְרָחַ֤ץ בַּמַּ֨יִם֙ וְטָהֵ֔ר וְאַחַ֖ר יָבֹ֣וא אֶל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה וְיָשַׁ֛ב מִח֥וּץ לְאָהֳלֹ֖ו שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים׃
In the intricate choreography of ritual purity described in the Torah, language becomes more than a tool for instruction — it is the very mechanism through which metaphysical states are transformed. In this verse from Vayiqra 14:8, we find a striking grammatical phenomenon embedded within the sequence of actions that must be performed by the one who has become pure after contact with impurity. The verbs march forward in perfect coordination — washing, shaving, bathing — but one verb stands apart, not only in form, but in function.… Learn Hebrew
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Comparative Similes and the Imagery of Swiftness in Habakkuk 1:8
Introduction to Habakkuk 1:8
Habakkuk 1:8 describes the unstoppable power and speed of the invading Chaldean army, using comparative similes to evoke fear and devastation. The verse employs three key comparisons:
1. Horses are swifter than leopards (נְמֵרִים)
2. They are fiercer than evening wolves (זְאֵבֵי עֶרֶב)
3. Riders swoop down like an eagle to devour (נֶשֶׁר לֶאֱכֹל)
These similes intensify the image of an army that is both unstoppable and ruthless. This study will analyze the syntactic role of comparative similes, their poetic function, and the theological implications of divine judgment through an invading force.… Learn Hebrew
Construct Chains in Exodus 2:5
Introduction to Exodus 2:5
Exodus 2:5 describes a pivotal moment in the early life of Moshe. Pharaoh’s daughter comes to bathe in the Nile and finds the infant Moshe in the reeds. This verse contains several grammatical features significant in Biblical Hebrew, including verb forms, prepositional phrases, and construct chains. This article will focus on the construct chains (סְמִיכוּת), a fundamental aspect of Hebrew grammar that affects syntax and meaning.
וַתֵּ֤רֶד בַּת־פַּרְעֹה֙ לִרְחֹ֣ץ עַל־הַיְאֹ֔ר וְנַעֲרֹתֶ֥יהָ הֹלְכֹ֖ת עַל־יַ֣ד הַיְאֹ֑ר וַתֵּ֤רֶא אֶת־הַתֵּבָה֙ בְּתֹ֣וךְ הַסּ֔וּף וַתִּשְׁלַ֥ח אֶת־אֲמָתָ֖הּ וַתִּקָּחֶֽהָ:
Analysis of Key Words/Phrases
Exodus 2:5 contains three construct chains:
1.… Learn Hebrew
The Tribal Inheritance of Joseph’s Sons: Construct Chains in Joshua 14:4
Introduction to Joshua 14:4
Joshua 14:4 is part of the allotment of land among the Israelite tribes, specifically highlighting the inheritance of the descendants of יֹוסֵף (Yosef). The verse explains that Yosef’s sons, מְנַשֶּׁה (Menashsheh) and אֶפְרָיִם (Efrayim), were counted as two separate tribes, making up two of the twelve tribal allocations. It also clarifies that the Levites did not receive a land inheritance but were given cities and pasturelands.
Grammatically, this verse presents an important example of construct chains (סְמִיכוּת), a fundamental feature of Biblical Hebrew syntax.… Learn Hebrew
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The Prohibition of Remarrying a Divorced Wife: Syntax and Verb Forms in Deuteronomy 24:4
Introduction to Deuteronomy 24:4
Deuteronomy 24:4 is part of a legal passage dealing with divorce and remarriage within Israelite society. The verse prohibits a man from remarrying his former wife after she has married another man and subsequently been divorced or widowed. This law is framed as a divine prohibition, emphasizing moral and theological principles.
Grammatically, this verse provides significant insights into Biblical Hebrew syntax and verb forms, particularly the use of יוּכַ֣ל (yukhal, “he will be able”) in the imperfect form, as well as the passive הֻטַּמָּ֔אָה (huttammāʾāh, “she has been defiled”).… Learn Hebrew
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The Use of the Verb שָׂנֵא in Deuteronomy 24:3
Introduction to Deuteronomy 24:3
Deuteronomy 24:3 is part of a legal passage addressing the conditions under which a divorced woman may or may not remarry. This verse presents a scenario in which a woman, having been previously divorced and remarried, faces either a second divorce or widowhood. A key verb in this passage is וּשְׂנֵאָהּ, which derives from the root שָׂנֵא (“to hate” or “to reject”). This verb plays a crucial role in legal and covenantal language in Biblical Hebrew. In this study, we will analyze its morphology, syntactic function, and semantic significance in Deuteronomy 24:3.… Learn Hebrew
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The Use of the Hiphil Imperative in Genesis 1:11
Introduction to Genesis 1:11
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֗ים תַּֽדְשֵׁ֤א הָאָ֨רֶץ֙ דֶּ֔שֶׁא עֵ֚שֶׂב מַזְרִ֣יעַ זֶ֔רַע עֵ֣ץ פְּרִ֞י עֹ֤שֶׂה פְּרִי֙ לְמִינֹ֔ו אֲשֶׁ֥ר זַרְעֹו־בֹ֖ו עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַֽיְהִי־כֵֽן׃
Genesis 1:11 records part of the creation narrative, where God commands the earth to bring forth vegetation. The key verb in this verse, תַּֽדְשֵׁ֤א (tadshēʾ), is a Hiphil imperative, an important grammatical construction in Biblical Hebrew. The Hiphil stem conveys causative action, meaning that God does not simply state that vegetation will grow but actively commands the earth to produce it.… Learn Hebrew
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The Use of the Wayyiqtol Form in Esther 3:1
Esther 3:1 in Hebrew
אַחַ֣ר הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה גִּדַּל֩ הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרֹ֜ושׁ אֶת־הָמָ֧ן בֶּֽן־הַמְּדָ֛תָא הָאֲגָגִ֖י וַֽיְנַשְּׂאֵ֑הוּ וַיָּ֨שֶׂם֙ אֶת־כִּסְאֹ֔ו מֵעַ֕ל כָּל־הַשָּׂרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר אִתֹּֽו׃
Introduction to the Verse
Esther 3:1 introduces the elevation of Haman to a position of high authority. The verb forms in this verse follow the wayyiqtol construction, which is a primary narrative tense in Biblical Hebrew. This tense is essential in structuring sequential events in biblical storytelling.
Understanding the Wayyiqtol Form
1. What is Wayyiqtol?
– The wayyiqtol form is a past narrative tense used frequently in biblical prose.… Learn Hebrew
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The Use of Conditional Structures in Leviticus 12:8
Leviticus 12:8 in Hebrew
וְאִם־לֹ֨א תִמְצָ֣א יָדָהּ֮ דֵּ֣י שֶׂה֒ וְלָקְחָ֣ה שְׁתֵּֽי־תֹרִ֗ים אֹ֤ו שְׁנֵי֙ בְּנֵ֣י יֹונָ֔ה אֶחָ֥ד לְעֹלָ֖ה וְאֶחָ֣ד לְחַטָּ֑את וְכִפֶּ֥ר עָלֶ֛יהָ הַכֹּהֵ֖ן וְטָהֵֽרָה׃
Introduction to the Verse
Leviticus 12:8 outlines the alternative sacrificial offering for a woman after childbirth when she cannot afford a lamb. This verse demonstrates a conditional clause structure, where an alternative provision is made based on economic limitations.
Understanding the Conditional Structure
1. וְאִם־לֹ֨א (Ve’im-lo) – “And if not”
– וְאִם (ve’im) is a conditional phrase, meaning “and if.”… Learn Hebrew
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The Use of the Qal Imperfect and Negative Particles in Leviticus 12:4
Leviticus 12:4 in Hebrew
וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים יֹום֙ וּשְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת יָמִ֔ים תֵּשֵׁ֖ב בִּדְמֵ֣י טָהֳרָ֑ה בְּכָל־קֹ֣דֶשׁ לֹֽא־תִגָּ֗ע וְאֶל־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ֙ לֹ֣א תָבֹ֔א עַד־מְלֹ֖את יְמֵ֥י טָהֳרָֽהּ׃
Introduction to the Verse
Leviticus 12:4 discusses the period of purification after childbirth, focusing on ritual purity laws. A key grammatical feature in this verse is the use of the Qal imperfect verbs along with the negative particles לֹא and עַד to express prohibitions and time restrictions.
Examining the Key Verbs and Negative Particles
1. תֵּשֵׁ֖ב (Tēshēv) – “She shall remain”
– This verb comes from the root י־ש־ב (y-sh-v), meaning “to sit, dwell, or remain”.… Learn Hebrew
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