Tag Archives: Jeremiah

“Then They Will Bring Out the Bones”: Analyzing וְהֹוצִיאוּ in Jeremiah 8:1

Posted on August 1, 2021 by Biblical Hebrew

Introduction to Jeremiah 8:1: Desecration as Judgment Symbol Jeremiah 8:1 begins a chilling oracle of judgment, declaring that even the honored dead—kings, priests, prophets, and residents of Yerushalayim—will be disinterred from their graves. The key verb in this verse, וְהֹוצִיאוּ … Continue reading →

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“The Word That Came to Yirmeyahu”: Analyzing הַדָּבָר…לֵאמֹר in Jeremiah 7:1

Posted on July 1, 2021 by Biblical Hebrew

Introduction to Jeremiah 7:1: The Formal Superscription of Prophetic Speech Jeremiah 7:1 opens a new unit of prophecy, famously known as the “Temple Sermon.” The verse uses a standard formula to introduce divine speech: הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר הָיָה אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ מֵאֵת יְהוָה … Continue reading →

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“If You Find a Man”: Analyzing אִם in Jeremiah 5:1

Posted on May 1, 2021 by Biblical Hebrew

Introduction to Jeremiah 5:1: The Search for Justice in a Corrupt City Jeremiah 5:1 opens with an evocative challenge: search the streets of יְרוּשָׁלִַם (Yerushalayim), seek out one just person. At the heart of this challenge is a double conditional … Continue reading →

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“If You Return, O Yisra’el”: Analyzing תָּשׁוּב in Jeremiah 4:1

Posted on April 1, 2021 by Biblical Hebrew

Introduction to Jeremiah 4:1: The Call to Return and Its Conditional Framework Jeremiah 4:1 opens with a passionate invitation from YHWH to Yisra’el, framed by a double occurrence of the verb תָּשׁוּב—“you return.” This verse is structured around a conditional … Continue reading →

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“Would He Return?”: Analyzing הֲיָשׁוּב in Jeremiah 3:1

Posted on March 1, 2021 by Biblical Hebrew

Introduction to Jeremiah 3:1: Covenant, Divorce, and the Question of Return Jeremiah 3:1 opens with a rhetorical allusion to Deuteronomic law regarding divorce and remarriage (cf. Deut. 24:1–4). The core grammatical and theological tension is framed by the interrogative verb … Continue reading →

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“And the Word of the LORD Came to Me”: Analyzing וַיְהִי דְבַר־יְהוָה אֵלַי לֵאמֹר in Jeremiah 2:1

Posted on February 1, 2021 by Biblical Hebrew

Introduction to Jeremiah 2:1: The Prophetic Speech Formula Jeremiah 2:1 begins with a classic prophetic formula: וַיְהִי דְבַר־יְהוָה אֵלַי לֵאמֹר, “And the word of the LORD came to me, saying.” This formula recurs throughout the prophetic literature and functions not … Continue reading →

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The Construct Chain and Noun Phrase Syntax in Jeremiah 1:1

Posted on January 1, 2021 by Biblical Hebrew

Introduction to Jeremiah 1:1 Jeremiah 1:1 introduces the prophetic book by identifying the prophet’s lineage, his priestly background, and his geographic origin. The verse employs construct chains (סְמִיכוּת), a common feature in Biblical Hebrew used to express relationships between nouns. … Continue reading →

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