Tag Archives: 1 Samuel

“Good of Understanding and Beautiful in Appearance”: Construct Chains and Characterization in 1 Samuel 25:3

Posted on March 25, 2025 by Biblical Hebrew
This article analyzes 1 Samuel 25:3, focusing on the construct chain and adjective-noun coordination in the character descriptions of Nabal and Avigayil. It explores how the syntactic structure and word order reflect theological and narrative characterization. וְשֵׁ֤ם הָאִישׁ֙ נָבָ֔ל וְשֵׁ֥ם אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ אֲבִגָ֑יִל וְהָאִשָּׁ֤ה טֽוֹבַת־שֶׂ֨כֶל֙ וִ֣יפַת תֹּ֔אַר וְהָאִ֥ישׁ קָשֶׁ֛ה וְרַ֥ע מַעֲלָלִ֖ים וְה֥וּא כָלִבִּֽי׃ (1 Samuel 25:3) Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife was Abigail. And the woman was intelligent and beautiful in appearance, but the man was harsh and evil in his deeds.… Learn Hebrew
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The Idiomatic Expression וַתָּ֥שָׁב רוּחֹ֖ו אֵלָ֑יו (“His Spirit Returned to Him”) in 1 Samuel 30:12

Posted on March 20, 2025 by Biblical Hebrew
Introduction to 1 Samuel 30:12 1 Samuel 30:12 describes an Egyptian servant found in a weakened state by David’s men, who is then revived with food and water. The key phrase וַתָּ֥שָׁב רוּחֹ֖ו אֵלָ֑יו (“his spirit returned to him”) is an idiom that expresses recovery from extreme exhaustion, distress, or near-death experiences. This verse consists of: The provision of food: פֶ֨לַח דְּבֵלָ֜ה וּשְׁנֵ֤י צִמֻּקִים (“a piece of pressed fig and two cakes of raisins”). The action of eating: וַיֹּ֔אכַל (“and he ate”), which initiates his recovery.… Learn Hebrew
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