וַאֲהֵ֣בְךָ֔ וּבֵרַכְךָ֖ וְהִרְבֶּ֑ךָ וּבֵרַ֣ךְ פְּרִֽי־בִטְנְךָ֣ וּפְרִֽי־֠אַדְמָתֶךָ דְּגָ֨נְךָ֜ וְתִֽירֹשְׁךָ֣ וְיִצְהָרֶ֗ךָ שְׁגַר־אֲלָפֶ֨יךָ֙ וְעַשְׁתְּרֹ֣ת צֹאנֶ֔ךָ עַ֚ל הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּ֥ע לַאֲבֹתֶ֖יךָ לָ֥תֶת לָֽךְ׃
(Deuteronomy 7:13)
And He will love you and bless you and multiply you and He will bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land—your grain and your new wine and your oil—the offspring of your cattle and the increase of your flock on the land that He swore to your fathers to give to you
A Grammatical Liturgy of Abundance
Deuteronomy 7:13 is a cascade of divine blessing. It is liturgical, agricultural, covenantal—and intensely grammatical. The verse unfolds through a succession of wayyiqtol and qatal verbs, moving from emotional affection to material prosperity. What makes the grammar of this verse remarkable is its paratactic structure—a poetic technique where clauses are stacked without conjunctions or subordinators, relying on repetition and rhythm to create momentum.
This article explores the morphosyntactic flow of the verse, particularly the interplay of verb forms and direct object constructions, and how Biblical Hebrew grammar elevates the theology of blessing into living rhythm.
Morphological and Syntactic Breakdown
- וַאֲהֵבְךָ – Wayyiqtol, Qal, 3ms + 2ms suffix
Root: אהב – “and He will love you”
Notes: Opening with love (emotion) before physical blessing sets the covenantal tone. - וּבֵרַכְךָ – Wayyiqtol, Piel, 3ms + 2ms suffix
Root: ברך – “and He will bless you”
Notes: The Piel stem here intensifies the act—abundant blessing. - וְהִרְבֶּךָ – Wayyiqtol, Hiphil, 3ms + 2ms suffix
Root: רבה – “and He will multiply you”
Notes: Hiphil expresses causation—God as the one who causes increase. - וּבֵרַךְ – Qatal (perfect), Piel, 3ms
Root: ברך – “He will bless”
Notes: Shift from wayyiqtol to perfect form marks a parallel, not new narrative action, emphasizing result. - פְּרִי־בִטְנְךָ – “the fruit of your womb”
Root: פרי / בטן – direct object of the blessing - וּפְרִי־אַדְמָתֶךָ – “and the fruit of your land”
Root: פרי / אדמה – poetic mirroring of earlier phrase - דְּגָנְךָ וְתִירֹשְׁךָ וְיִצְהָרֶךָ – “your grain, your new wine, your oil”
Roots: דגן / תירוש / יצהר – Triad of agricultural staples, each with 2ms pronominal suffix. - שְׁגַר־אֲלָפֶיךָ – “offspring of your cattle”
Root: שגר – “offspring” or “young,” construct with אֲלָפֶיךָ (“your oxen”). - וְעַשְׁתְּרֹת צֹאנֶךָ – “and the increase of your flock”
Root: עשתרת – abstract noun for multiplication or breeding; צֹאן = sheep/goats. - עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ לָתֶת לָךְ – “on the land that He swore to your fathers to give to you”
Notes: Relative clause with Qal נִשְׁבַּע (He swore) and infinitive לָתֶת as result.
Table: Verb Forms and Blessing Objects
| Verb | Stem | Form | Object or Target | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַאֲהֵבְךָ | Qal | Wayyiqtol | 2ms pronoun | Covenantal love |
| וּבֵרַכְךָ | Piel | Wayyiqtol | 2ms pronoun | Personal blessing |
| וְהִרְבֶּךָ | Hiphil | Wayyiqtol | 2ms pronoun | Multiplication |
| וּבֵרַךְ | Piel | Perfect | Fruit of womb, land, produce | Result emphasis |
Semantics of Repetition and Rhythm
This verse uses parataxis—the stacking of clauses without subordination—to mimic the abundance it describes. The repeated use of ו-prefixed verbs is not syntactic laziness, but poetic fullness. Each blessing flows from the last, each object multiplies the scope.
The shift from personal blessings (בֵרַכְךָ) to agricultural and familial domains (פְּרִי־בִטְנְךָ, דְּגָנְךָ) reflects a holistic vision of divine favor.
Lexical and Cultural Theology
– שְׁגַר and עַשְׁתְּרֹת both relate to animal reproduction, connecting fertility to covenantal promise.
– תִירֹשׁ (new wine) and יִצְהָר (oil) were staples of Israelite sacrificial and daily life—blessing here has ritual, economic, and relational dimensions.
When Blessings Multiply Grammatically
Deuteronomy 7:13 is not just a list of good things—it is a grammar of grace. Its wayyiqtol sequence builds cadence and continuity. Its switch to qatal form for וּבֵרַךְ breaks the rhythm momentarily to underscore the effect of divine love. Its nouns cascade with covenantal significance—from womb to soil to livestock to land. Here, Hebrew syntax does not simply record blessing—it becomes blessing.