Tag Archives: Isaiah

“The Seed of Shīḥor”: Analyzing the Construct Chain זֶרַע שִׁחֹר in Isaiah 23:3

וּבְמַ֤יִם רַבִּים֙ זֶ֣רַע שִׁחֹ֔ר קְצִ֥יר יְאֹ֖ור תְּבֽוּאָתָ֑הּ וַתְּהִ֖י סְחַ֥ר גֹּויִֽם׃ (Isaiah 23:3) And in many waters, the seed of Shiḥor, the harvest of the River, was her revenue, and it became commerce for the nations. 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.… Learn Hebrew
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The Cohortative Verb אָשִׁירָה in Isaiah 5:1

אָשִׁ֤ירָה נָּא֙ לִֽידִידִ֔י שִׁירַ֥ת דֹּודִ֖י לְכַרְמֹ֑ו כֶּ֛רֶם הָיָ֥ה לִֽידִידִ֖י בְּקֶ֥רֶן בֶּן־שָֽׁמֶן׃ (Isaiah 5:1) Let me sing now for my beloved a song of my beloved about his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. 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.… Learn Hebrew
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The Nifal Participle נֶאֱסָפִים in Isaiah 13:4

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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