Questions tagged [grammar-dikduk]
Questions about Hebrew and Aramaic grammar as related to Judaism.
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The dagesh in "elo-ha" means what?
I'm not so clear on the use of the dagesh as a point of definition -- I understand some fo the pronunciation issues but not all of them either so I would appreciate any help here.
I recall learning ...
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Gender in Vayishlach 33:6-7
In Vayishlach (Bereishis 33:6-7), Yaakov's wives and children bow to Esav. With regard to the maidservants and their sons, the verse states וַתִּשְׁתַּחֲוֶיןָ - in the feminine, whereas by Leah and ...
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Shva na and shva nach on almost the same word in מגילת אסתר?
Esther 2:3 ends with the word תמרקיהן. Esther 2:9 contains the word תמרוקיה.
The question is about the sh'va under the mem. My source, via Kinnor software, says that this sh'va is na in the first ...
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Why is Sefer Tehillim called Tehillim and not Tehillos?
Tehillim is plural of Tehilla (תהלה). Tehilla looks like a feminine noun, which is why there's a word called תהלות.
So why is the sefer called Sefer Tehillim?
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Why singular "וְלֹא הָיָה מַיִם" in Bamidbar 20:2?
The word מַיִם is, as far as I know, pretty consistently grammatically plural in Chumash (and, incidentally, in more modern Hebrew also). That is, the adjectives that modify it are plural adjectives, ...
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Why not פִּטְדָּֽה?
Exodus 28:17 and 39:10 tell that the second stone in the first row of the breastplate of the high priest was פִּטְדָֽה (often translated as topaz).
The first unaccented syllable is פִּטְ which is a ...
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On schwa following word-initial "וּ"
Mishna B'rura 61:36 specifies that we should be careful to pronounce a sh'va na (mobile schwa) as na and a sh'va nach (quiescent schwa) as nach in "Sh'ma". Unfortunately, there's a class of sh'va I'm ...
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יִבָּנֶה הַמִּקְדָּשׁ עִיר צִיּוֹן תְּמַלֵּא — why not תִּמָּלֵא?
The Shabas table song "Tzur mishelo achalnu" contains the following line:
יִבָּנֶה הַמִּקְדָּשׁ עִיר צִיּוֹן תְּמַלֵּא
yibane hamikdash ir Tziyon t'male
the Temple should be built; you ...
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"Hayom yom X b'shabas" or "bashabas"?
A sidur I used this morning had the introductory line of the shir shel yom as "hayom yom sheni b'shabas". When I checked the two sidurim I trust the most for excatitude in these matters, one had "...
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Grammatical difficulty in root אשר (happy)
The root אשר seems to act weirdly in relation to number.
On the one hand, it takes on plural morphology in situations that are clearly singular, here in the form of a plural (const.) noun (...
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What are the differences between "Olam" "Netzach" "Selah" "Va'ed" "Adey Ad"?
What are the differences between "Olam" "Netzach" "Selah" "Va'ed" "Adey Ad"?
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When did siddurim first start showing sheva na - nach differently?
Some (most?) widely used siddurim today give the reader some pronunciation information that is not obvious in standard Hebrew lettering: when a sheva is pronounced (e.g., by making the sheva na bold, ...
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Hakeves echad and not hakeves haechad?
On Rosh Chodesh we read in Bamidbar 28:4"et hakeves echad..." Shouldn't the grammar dictate there be a definite article on adjectives that modify definite nouns? Later in the pasuk it says "hakeves ...
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Why the person switches in Shemos 14:2-4?
Shemos 14:2-4:
דבר, אל-בני ישראל, וישובו ויחנו לפני פי החירות, בין מגדול ובין הים: לפני בעל צפון, נכחו תחנו על-הים.
ואמר פרעה לבני ישראל, נבוכים הם בארץ; סגר עליהם, המדבר.
וחיזקתי את-לב-פרעה, ורדף ...
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Verbs or Nouns in the Amidah
In the second brakhah of the amidah, מחיה is vocalized with a segol under the yud in some siddurim--making it a present-tense verb (1); and with a tzere in other siddurim--making it a noun in ...
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The torah sometimes uses "olah tamid" and sometimes "olat tamid" but they seem to mean the same thing; what's the difference?
I know that in Biblical Hebrew (and presumably other varieties), we see the construct "noun adjective", with the noun unodified, such as "parah adamah" (red heifer). We also see the noun-chain ...
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Why is א-להי נשמה not א-להי הנשמה?
In the morning blessing of א-להי נשמה the first few words read א-להי ,נשמה שנתת בי.
To me this literally translates as 'My G-d, soul that you put in me...'
It sounds strange.
Why not say, א-להי ,...
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Ascending or descending order when mentioning units in a number?
I noticed an apparent conflict when the Torah uses units of a large number. It seems to occur with mentioning someone's age.
Examples:
Breishit 23:1 Sarah lived 100 years and 20 years and 7 years
...
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Understanding Wording in Bamidbar 16:6
Numbers 16:6 says:
זאת עשו קחו לכם מחתות קרח וכל עדתו.
This do: take you censers, Korah, and all his company;
I'm struggling to understand the last three words which are in the third person when the ...
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What does מִלְמַעְלָה in Gen 7:20 mean?
Genesis 7:20, describing the flood, says:
חֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה אַמָּה מִלְמַעְלָה, גָּבְרוּ הַמָּיִם; וַיְכֻסּוּ, הֶהָרִים.
Almost everybody translates the first clause as some approximation of "...
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Why is there no דגש in the כ״ף of הכזונה in פרשת וישלח לד:לא?
I know that the rule of ה״א התימה is that it usually takes a הֲ unless it precedes a שוא, such as here in הַכְזוֹנָה, where it then just takes a הַ and the following letter doesn't have a דגש in order ...
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Which word is said under the chuppah - זוֹ or זוּ?
The groom tells the bride under the chuppah:
הרי את מקודשת לי בטבעת זו כדת משה וישראל
Is the word זו pronounced with a cholam (וֹ) as in "zo" or with a shuruk (וּ) as in "zu"? I have seen both ...
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לא (lamed-aleph) vs אל (aleph-lamed)
Hebrew beginner, here. I was asking why the prefix for "not" was usually לא but occasionally אל. Some kind Hebrew students told me אל was only used for future tense, saying not to do something.
One ...
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Shifting subjects and objects in Gen 12:15
There are three statements in Genesis 12:15:
וַיִּרְאוּ אֹתָהּ שָׂרֵי פַרְעֹה וַיְהַלְלוּ אֹתָהּ אֶל פַּרְעֹה וַתֻּקַּח הָאִשָּׁה בֵּית פַּרְעֹה
And Pharaoh's princes saw her, and they praised her to ...
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Mil'al vs. Milra on "Lamah"
In a few places in the Torah, the word למה is pronounced מלעיל (accent on 1st syllable) and in other places מלרע (accent on 2nd syllable.)
I viewed Bemidbar 11:11 which has both in the same verse. ...
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How do you pronounce Hashem's name when there is a prefix?
When you have a prefix, such as a lamed, before the name YKVK people pronounce it la | donai instead of la | a | donai. Why?
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Bamidbar or Bemidbar?
What is the name of this week's parsha? What about the sefer?
The text clearly says "Bemidbar" (or B'midbar), but many call it Bamidbar. Is this a grammatical or traditional difference? Could one ever ...
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ולא תתורו: kadma veazla or azla-geresh?
In the third parashah of Shema' (maftir from P' Shelach) we have a divergence of cantillation on the words ולא תתורו. In R' Wolf Heidenheim (see Koren for a contempary example) these words are ...
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"Good trees" grammar in the blessing on trees
I see* various versions of the blessing on seeing trees: most seem to refer to good trees as "אילנות טובות", while some refer to them as "אילנות טובים".
(Grammatically, as far as I know, "טובים" is ...
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Same phrase in two places, one uses dageish and one doesn't -- why?
In the seventh aliyah of Parshat Noach, the passage about the tower of Bavel contains the phrase עַל-פְּנֵי כָל-הָאָרֶץ three times. Twice it is written כָל and once כָּל and I would like to ...
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What's the difference between LaZman and LeZman?
In the Mishnah Brurah (676:1) it says:
והגיענו לזמן הזה הלמ"ד בחיר"ק ולא בפת"ח
That in the Bracha of Shehechiyanu, the Lamed in the word Lazman should be said with a Hiriq and not with a Patach.
...
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Dagesh after an interrogative hey
Bereshit 18:21
אֵֽרְדָה-נָּ֣א וְאֶרְאֶ֔ה הַכְּצַֽעֲקָתָ֛הּ הַבָּ֥אָה אֵלַ֖י עָשׂ֣וּ | כָּלָ֑ה וְאִם-לֹ֖א אֵדָֽעָה:
I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry ...
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Neḥemia 8:7 - Six pazers?
Neḥemia 8:7
וְיֵשׁ֡וּעַ וּבָנִ֡י וְשֵׁרֵ֥בְיָ֣ה ׀ יָמִ֡ין עַקּ֡וּב שַׁבְּתַ֣י ׀ הֽוֹדִיָּ֡֡ה מַעֲשֵׂיָ֡ה קְלִיטָ֣א עֲזַרְיָה֩ יוֹזָבָ֨ד חָנָ֤ן פְּלָאיָה֙ וְהַלְוִיִּ֔֔ם מְבִינִ֥ים אֶת־הָעָ֖ם ...
user13937
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Why does the Rambam change language?
In Hilchos Megillah V'Chanukah, the Rambam writes in 2:15
טו. כיצד חובת סעודה זו שיאכל בשר ויתקן סעודה נאה כפי אשר תמצא ידו,
ושותה יין עד שישתכר וירדם בשכרות
Why does the Rambam switch from ...
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Eliphaz and Bildad Zophar
Iyov 42:9:
וַיֵּלְכוּ אֱלִיפַז הַתֵּימָנִי וּבִלְדַּד הַשּׁוּחִי צֹפַר הַנַּעֲמָתִי וַיַּעֲשׂוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֲלֵיהֶם ה׳
In the JPS translation:
So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the ...
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Ibn Ezra's Arabic-based explanation of the vav heading some clauses
Sh'mos 9:21:
וַאֲשֶׁר לֹא שָׂם לִבּוֹ אֶל דְּבַר יהוה וַיַּעֲזֹב אֶת עֲבָדָיו וְאֶת מִקְנֵהוּ בַּשָּׂדֶה
And 13:17:
וַיְהִי בְּשַׁלַּח פַּרְעֹה אֶת הָעָם וְלֹא נָחָם אֱלֹהִים דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ ...
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Yumatu and the plural in Dev 24
Devarim 24:16 makes a statement which is central to Jewish theology. The posuk makes clear that a father will not be put to death for the sins of his son and that a son will not be put to death for ...
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Meaning of Mappik in יה
One more question about mappik
(I don't know what happened to me, but this topic somewhat disturbs me lately :))
What is the meaning of the mappik in the following Hebrew words:
יָהּ
הַלְלוּיָהּ
I ...
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BinyOn or binyAn adai-ad in one of the sheva brochos?
At a chupah today, in the brocho of “asher yotzar es ho’odom betzalmo” a learned Rabbi said the word “binyOn” before “adai-ad” rather than the more usual “binyAn”. “binyOn” is the text in the Baer ...
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Kohelet 12:13 what does kol ha'adam mean
Looking at the verse of Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) 12:13 I found a couple of translations for כי-זה כל-האדם :
...for this is the whole of man
... for these are for all of mankind
... for these applies ...
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Makers and Creators: Job 35:10 & 12:1 Kohelet singular v.s. plural
After reading the description of the Zohar from the Chabad website, I got confused:
What is the correct translation for Job 35:10: 'My Maker', ' Our Maker', or Makers?
After searching the internet ...
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Why does the number of letters Vav in name Achashverosh vary?
Why does Megillas Esther spell Achashverosh's name varyingly with one (as in 2:21), two (as in 1:1), and zero (as in 10:1) letters Vav?
user17319
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I am looking for a resource that finds words with a certain root in Tanakh
I am a beginner in Hebrew and so please forgive me if my question shows profound ignorance.
I would like to pull up or list verses in the Tanakh based on them having a particular vocabulary word in ...
- 407
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Titkabbel vs. Titkabbal
In קדיש תתקבל, most Ashkenazi siddurim I've seen say "תִּתְקַבַּל." ArtScroll, however, has "תִּתְקַבֵּל." Why did this difference arise?
- 3,671
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Understanding derivation of rule that "פרו ורבו" is mandatory only for men?
The Gmara (Yevamot 65b) says that the reason why men are the only ones that have to keep "פרו ורבו" is because right after it its written "וכבשוה" (the human has to take over the world), and men are ...
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Why is the word "mitzvos" treated as grammatically masculine in certain prayers?
The prayer accompanying several mitzvos (such as putting on tallis and tefillin) expresses the desire that it be considered that the mitzvah is fulfilled as well as all the "613 mitzvos dependent on ...
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What does Rashi mean by לין שם דבר?
Rashi on bereshis 24:23 says "לין שם דבר." ie. "lin" is a noun. How does that fit in the context considering that Eliezer was asking for a place to "lodge". Even though lodge can be a noun, in this ...
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Why is "שבי" switched from masculine to feminine?
The beginning of Parshas Ki Seitze says:
כִּי תֵצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה עַל אֹיְבֶיךָ וּנְתָנוֹ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּיָדֶךָ וְשָׁבִיתָ שִׁבְיוֹ
וְרָאִיתָ בַּשִּׁבְיָה אֵשֶׁת יְפַת תֹּאַר וְחָשַׁקְתָּ בָהּ ...
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Is there a reason for the change in word order in Vayikra 25:10?
In parshat Behar (Vayikra 25:10) is the phrase ושבתם איש אל אחוזתו ואיש אל משפחתו תשובו - "You shall return every man to his inheritance, and every man to his family shall you return."
Is there a ...
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Two-letter shorashim and phonetic shorashim?
I have heard many times in the name of Rabbi Shimshon Rafael Hirsch that every Hebrew shoresh (usually defined with three letters) has a more basic root of two letters. I also heard in his name that ...
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