Tag Archives: Isaiah

Introduction to Isaiah 23:3: Trade and Wealth in Poetic Prophecy Isaiah 23 is a poetic oracle against the city of Tsor (Tyre), a hub of international commerce and maritime influence. In verse 3, the prophet depicts the city’s economic entanglements using vivid agricultural and geographical metaphors. One key phrase is זֶרַע שִׁחֹר—“the seed of Shīḥor”—which encapsulates Tyre’s reliance on the abundant produce of foreign lands. This article analyzes the construct noun chain, identifies the meaning of שִׁחֹר, and explores the poetic function of this expression.… Learn Hebrew

Introduction to Isaiah 5:1 Isaiah 5:1 introduces the famous “Song of the Vineyard,” a poetic allegory describing YHWH’s relationship with Israel through the imagery of a vineyard. The opening verb אָשִׁירָה (ʾāšîrāh) is in the cohortative form, a grammatical structure often used to express intention, resolve, or exhortation in Biblical Hebrew. This analysis will explore the morphology, syntactic role, and semantic significance of אָשִׁירָה in its literary and prophetic context. אָשִׁ֤ירָה נָּא֙ לִֽידִידִ֔י שִׁירַ֥ת דֹּודִ֖י לְכַרְמֹ֑ו כֶּ֛רֶם הָיָ֥ה לִֽידִידִ֖י בְּקֶ֥רֶן בֶּן־שָֽׁמֶן׃ Analysis of Key Words/Phrases The Cohortative verb אָשִׁירָה (ʾāšîrāh) appears at the beginning of the verse: אָשִׁ֤ירָה נָּא֙ לִֽידִידִ֔י This phrase consists of: אָשִׁירָה (ʾāšîrāh) – “Let me sing” (Cohortative verb).… Learn Hebrew

Introduction to Isaiah 13:4 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. This analysis will explore the morphology, syntactic function, and semantic implications of this participle in the context of Biblical Hebrew. קֹ֥ול הָמֹ֛ון בֶּֽהָרִ֖ים דְּמ֣וּת עַם־רָ֑ב קֹ֠ול שְׁאֹ֞ון מַמְלְכֹ֤ות גֹּויִם֙ נֶֽאֱסָפִ֔ים יְהוָ֣ה צְבָאֹ֔ות מְפַקֵּ֖ד צְבָ֥א מִלְחָמָֽה׃ Analysis of Key Words/Phrases The Nifal participle נֶאֱסָפִים (neʾesafim) appears in the phrase: קֹ֠ול שְׁאֹ֞ון מַמְלְכֹ֤ות גֹּויִם֙ נֶֽאֱסָפִ֔ים This phrase consists of: קֹ֠ול שְׁאֹ֞ון (qōl šeʾōn) – “the sound of tumult” (construct phrase).… Learn Hebrew