Tag Archives: 2 Chronicles

The Construct Chain in 2 Chronicles 35:3

Posted on March 19, 2025 by Biblical Hebrew
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לַ֠לְוִיִּם המבונים לְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל הַקְּדֹושִׁ֣ים לַיהוָ֗ה תְּנ֤וּ אֶת־אֲרֹון־הַקֹּ֨דֶשׁ֙ בַּ֠בַּיִת אֲשֶׁ֨ר בָּנָ֜ה שְׁלֹמֹ֤ה בֶן־דָּוִיד֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֵין־לָכֶ֥ם מַשָּׂ֖א בַּכָּתֵ֑ף עַתָּ֗ה עִבְדוּ֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם וְאֵ֖ת עַמֹּ֥ו יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (2 Chronicles 35:3) And he said to the Levites, the instructors of all Israel, the holy ones to YHWH: “Put the ark of holiness in the house that Solomon son of David, king of Israel, built. You do not need to carry it on the shoulder. Now serve Yahweh your God and His people Israel.” Introduction to the Verse The construct chain (סְמִיכוּת) is a fundamental feature of Biblical Hebrew syntax, expressing possession, description, or relationships between two or more nouns.… Learn Hebrew
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The Use of Construct Chains and Measurement Syntax in 2 Chronicles 4:1

Posted on April 1, 2018 by Biblical Hebrew
וַיַּ֨עַשׂ֙ מִזְבַּ֣ח נְחֹ֔שֶׁת עֶשְׂרִ֤ים אַמָּה֙ אָרְכֹּ֔ו וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים אַמָּ֖ה רָחְבֹּ֑ו וְעֶ֥שֶׂר אַמֹּ֖ות קֹומָתֹֽו׃ ס (2 Chronicles 4:1) And he made a bronze altar: twenty cubits its length, and twenty cubits its width, and ten cubits its height. 2 Chronicles 4:1 describes the construction of a מִזְבַּח נְחֹשֶׁת (mizbeaḥ neḥoshet, “bronze altar”) in Solomon’s Temple. This verse is notable for its use of construct chains (smikhut), which indicate possessive or descriptive relationships between nouns, and its syntax for expressing measurements. Understanding how Biblical Hebrew expresses dimensions and proportions is essential for interpreting descriptions of sacred architecture.… Learn Hebrew
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