Tag Archives: Nehemiah 5:9

The Interrogative with הֲלֹא: Rebuke and Rhetoric in Nehemiah 5:9

This article examines how הֲלֹא functions in biblical dialogue and how Nehemiah’s syntax heightens the moral appeal by placing יִרְאַת אֱלֹהֵינוּ at the very center of the question. ויאמר לֹא־טֹ֥וב הַדָּבָ֖ר אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּ֣ם עֹשִׂ֑ים הֲלֹ֞וא בְּיִרְאַ֤ת אֱלֹהֵ֨ינוּ֙ תֵּלֵ֔כוּ מֵחֶרְפַּ֖ת הַגֹּויִ֥ם אֹויְבֵֽינוּ׃ “And he said, ‘The thing you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God, because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?’” Nehemiah 5:9 is a direct moral rebuke wrapped in rhetorical craftsmanship.… Learn Hebrew
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