Questions tagged [grammar-dikduk]
Questions about Hebrew grammar as related to Judaism.
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What does "Bechozek Yad Hotzianu" mean?
At the end of Parshas Bo, we see the concept of "BeChozek Yad Hotzianu" 4 times, twice in connection with mitzvas t'fillin.
What does "Bechozek Yad Hotzianu" really mean and what ...
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Why is the word "youth" בְּחֽוּרֹתֶ֑יךָ in the plural?
Why is the word "youth" בְּחֽוּרֹתֶ֑יךָ in Kohelet 12:1 in the plural, when the first word, the first verb in the sentence, indicates that the speaker is speaking to one person?
וּזְכֹר֙ ...
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What does שליט"א stand for?
I thought that שליט"א came from the Aramaic word שליט (Ruler). But a Rabbi I told this to, pointed out that שליט"א is always written as with " , in the Middle so each the letters must ...
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How to apply the Masoretic note, "2x, once plene and once defectively" to Ruth 1:1?
In Ruth 1:1, there is a Masoretic note on שְׁפֹט which I do not understand:
The picture is a little unclear, but the note says (I have highlighted the letters with a dot above them):
ב חד מל וחד חס
...
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1
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Ambiguity due to lack of punctuation
In Hungarian medieval history there's an interesting episode, when a few high ranking noblemen conspired to kill the queen. They asked the archbishop what to do, but he was hesitant to join either ...
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Similarity between atonement in Leviticus 4:20 & cover in Genesis 6:14 in terms of semantics, wording/phrasing, lettering/grammer, pronunciation?
I apologize but I do not know any Old Testament Hebrew so I'll have to rely on the responders to this post when it comes to analyzing the Old Testament Hebrew.
Leviticus 4:20 (NASB 1995)
20 He shall ...
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Stressed syllable of באה
Yesterday I was looking at the text of how the incense had been prepared. In my ArtScroll book it is written:
בֹּרִית כַּרְשִׁינָה לָמָה הִיא בָֽאָה
A bit later it says:
אַחַת לְשִׁשִּׁים אוֹ ...
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How do you pronounce this word in Onkelos
This word in Onkelos bereshis 41:50.
Is the word pronounced “di y’lidat,” with the second letter of the word taking the sh’va na sound, or is the second letter of the word silent, with the word ...
user24484
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What's the purpose of first yod in Eideihen - Avodah Zarah 2a
עידיהן Referred to in Talmud (Avodah Zarah 2a) which is derived from Isaiah 43:9 have twoי (yods) whereas the one in Isaiah 43:9 is without the first yod ( עדיהם).The enlarged letters (witness) in ...
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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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Why are Hebrew cardinal numbers switched to the other gender after the first two?
When counting in Hebrew, the first two cardinal numbers are in the correct gender, but all subsequent numbers seem to be in the opposite gender?
For example:
Feminine Numbers are: אַחַתֹ-שְתַּיִםֹ-...
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Penultimate stress of אתה
By default, the world אַתָּה (you) has a final stress. If I am correct (and the concordance as well), out of 172 occurrences 159 satisfies this rule in the Torah (92%).* However, if this word is in a ...
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5
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Letter צד"י or צדי"ק?
One of the letters of the hebrew alphabet is the letter 'צ'.
When I was taught the hebrew alphabet, this letter was introduced as 'צד"י'. I believe this to be the generally accepted name of the ...
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Why the weird spelling of וַאֲבָרֶכְכָ֛ה in Breisheet 27:7?
Statement: In Breisheet Parashas Toldos, it says הָבִ֨יאָה לִּ֥י ... וַאֲבָרֶכְכָ֛ה לִפְנֵ֥י ה' לִפְנֵ֥י מוֹתִֽי: .
Question: Why is the word וַאֲבָרֶכְכָ֛ה spelled in such an unusual manner instead of ...
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What is the rationale for only marking certain letters with sheva, when they are the last letter in a word?
In printed and manuscript editions of Tanach, I've noticed that a sheva on the final letter of a word is almost never marked, and is meant to be inferred.
The two exceptions I've come across are:
A ...
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Is it חִסָרון or חֶסרון?
In this Lechem Mishnah on the Rambam in Hilchos Deos says "ונראה לפרש דקצה ראשון הוא החסרון וקצה אחרון התוספת". Is it correct to put the nekudos as חִסָרון or חֶסרון?
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Are there any cases in the Tanakh where the form of the word could ambiguously have either the root יָרֵא (fear) or רָאָה (see)?
Abijah originally asked this question in Biblical Hermeneutics (https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/52502/translating-forms-of-yirah-as-fear-or-seeing). Abijah stated how the question ...
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Should one read the story of the cursing of Canaan in a different way?
The verses of Genesis 9: 24-27 are generally believed to be part of a larger context, including the verses 9: 20-23. In other words, that these verses together tell one (a complete) story. But what if ...
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Where in the Tanakh, on a peshat level, is "Yetzer HaTov" derived?
Where in the Tanakh, on a peshat level, is "Yetzer HaTov" derived?
Rashi seems to derive "Yetzer HaRa" from Genesis 8:21 (because the words "yetzer" and "ra" ...
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Final Pay ף ??? - Exists or Not? [duplicate]
Just confirming that there doesn't exist anywhere in Tanach a final Pay (not Fay but rather a ף with a Dagesh). If so, it is a fascinating that it doesn't.
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Plural and singular in Shmuel 2:24:14
In Shmuel 2:24:14 it says:
"David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for His compassion is great; and let me not fall into the hands of men.”"
...
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Does the Hebrew word "Torah" originate from BOTH the words “Hora’ah” (meaning, Teaching) and “Orah” (meaning, Light)?
Does the Hebrew word "Torah" originate from BOTH the words “Hora’ah” (meaning, Teaching) and “Orah” (meaning, Light)?
The accurate meaning of “Torah” is twofold. Firstly it comes from the
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The second yod in Mechiyael
Bereishit 4:18 contains the word:
וּמְחִיָּיאֵ֗ל
There is no vowel under the second yod, so I assume that it is not pronounced at all.
What is its function?
Is it a mater lectionis? Is a yod ever ...
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Prophecies about past or future events?
Why are some prophecies described as if they already happend, as if they occurred in the past, while at the time/moment the prophecy is spoken it all still has to take place and talks about the future....
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Was there a traditional Hebrew equivalent of a Sator Square? [duplicate]
It seems a lot of old Latin stuff liked this Sator Square, five five-letter words that form a palindrome:
S A T O R
A R E P O
T E N E T
O P E R A
R O T A S
Was there ever a Hebrew equivalent to this? ...
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Why does Al Chet not have the definite article, i.e., Al HAchet?
Since the phrase is translated, "for the sin," and it isn't smichut, why is there no definite article?
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Chirik: the long and short of it
My understanding is that (according to at least some Hebrew grammarians) a chirik is classified as a short vowel if it is part of a closed unstressed syllable, and otherwise it is long. A 'short' ...
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Smichut or Noun and adjective in Lashon remiya (Tehilim 120)
In Tehilim 120:2 and 3 we find lashon remiya (לשון רמייה) where lamed has qamets:
יְֽהוָ֗ה הַצִּ֣ילָה נַ֭פְשִׁי מִשְּׂפַת־שֶׁ֑קֶר מִלָּשׁ֥וֹן רְמִיָּֽה׃ מַה־יִּתֵּ֣ן לְ֭ךָ וּמַה־יֹּסִ֥יף לָ֗ךְ ...
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Isaiah 40:4 -- is the word pronounced "geh" or "gay"?
כָּל גֶּיא יִנָּשֵׂא
(In Isaiah 40:4, and therefore also the Haftarah for Nachamu, just after Tisha B'Av.)
It's a segol under the gimmel so I'd say "geh" ... but then there's a yud, but it's ...
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He Hayedyia before the letter Chet. Segol or Patach?
in Achare Mot the verses say:
וְהִקְרִ֖יב אֶת־הַשָּׂעִ֥יר הֶחָֽי׃ כא וְסָמַ֨ךְ אַהֲרֹ֜ן אֶת־שְׁתֵּ֣י יָדָ֗ו עַ֣ל רֹ֣אשׁ הַשָּׂעִיר֮ הַחַי֒
The first occurence on the end of a verse is Hechay, and ...
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Gendered text for Gomel
related to Bentching Ha-Gommel after a Birth
Do women bentch gomel less often?
According to some opinions, a woman can say the thanksgiving blessing ("bentch gomel")
The text that one says ...
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Could the trop of מה-פעל אל be a me'ayla?
כִּ֤י לֹא־נַ֙חַשׁ֙ בְּיַעֲקֹ֔ב וְלֹא־קֶ֖סֶם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כָּעֵ֗ת יֵאָמֵ֤ר לְיַעֲקֹב֙ וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מַה־פָּ֖עַל אֵֽל׃
Bamidbar 23:23
The word פעל is mile'eil (according to R' Breuer's conclusion ...
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Reason for different punctuation of the prefix vav?
In the Siddur, the prefix vav is seen with various punctuations (e.g., shva, kamatz, patah, shuruk). When is each of these different punctuations used with a prefix vav and how does each affect the ...
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Correct pronunciation of Kaddish
The opening two words of Kaddish begin with the words:
יִתְגַּדַּל וְיִתְקַדַּשׁ
Both the gimmel and the dalet of 'Yisgadal' carry a dagesh as does the dalet in 'veyiskadash' - normally a function ...
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What is the correct translation of Exodus 6:3?
According to BHS, Exodus 6:3 reads:
וָאֵרָ֗א אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֶל־יִצְחָ֥ק וְאֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֖ב בְּאֵ֣ל שַׁדָּ֑י
וּשְׁמִ֣י יְהוָ֔ה לֹ֥א נוֹדַ֖עְתִּי לָהֶֽם׃
This all almost universally translated as ...
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Function of a dagesh
Occasionally Hebrew letters in Tanach have a dagesh mark. I saw one in a khaf sofit, as at the end of the second line of the Priestly Blessing and the 4th line of Ashrei, and it sparked my interest. ...
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What are the rabbinic (hebrew) words that could equate to "Anti-Torah"?
What are the rabbinic (hebrew) words that could equate to "Anti-Torah"?
I am hoping there is only one. In English, I would say the word "Anti-Torah" equates to "lawless" or "lawlessness".
When I ...
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"Tekhelet" and "Shechelet"?
Might there be some relationship between the words "tekhelet" (תְּכֵלֶת ; the Biblical blue dye) and "shechelet" (שחֵלֶת ; one of the four named ingredients of the holy incense, listed in Exodus 30:34)...
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Help finding source ונטמתם
There seems to be this teaching (gemarah) in the Talmud (Yoma 39) on Vayikra/Leviticus 11:43 regards the phrase ונטמתם. Because this is written without the expected alef it could be read as v’nitamtem ...
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Where can I find how many roots the author needs to compose for each book of the Tenach
For example: I am reading now the book of Joshua in Hebrew. It looks to me quite simple language. The author uses often the same terms. Poetry and wisdom-litterature is much more complex. My ...
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2
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Genesis 18:21 then I will know?
I find it strange that Genesis/Bereshit 18:21 seems to imply that G-d has limited knowledge of what's going on in Sodom and Amorah, so I wondered if the word eda'ah (אֵדָעָה) could be translated as: ...
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Translating וידבר using BDB Lexicon and Gesenius' Grammar
Context
I am practicing my biblical Hebrew by translating the weekly Parshah. As resources, I have the Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB) Lexicon (coded with Strong's concordance numbers) and Gesenius' ...
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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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Does Avraham invite one of his visitors inside?
I've a question regards the following phrase from Genesis 18:10: "וְשָׂרָה שֹׁמַעַת פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל וְהוּא אַחֲרָיו".
"And Sarah was listening at the opening of the tent, and it was behind him."
"And ...
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What or is there a difference in Adonai and Adonoy?
I have just started learning Hebrew and I found a transliteration for the after meal blessing which includes Adonai and Adonoy; what is the difference between the two?
“Baruch ha-gever asher yivtach ...
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Is A Plural Verb Indicative on Singular or Plural When Modifying Elokim
Rashi on Shemot 32:1 says bnei Yisrael desired many gods (ד״ה ״אשר ילכו לפנינו״) because as Be’er Mayim Chaim points out, the verse uses the plural verb ילכו instead of ילך. There really should be no ...
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Yeraeh el HaAdon, or Yeraeh es HaAdon
The mitzvah of aliya leregel, the thrice-yearly pilgrimage festival, appears a few times in the Torah.
In Exodus 23:17 it's written:
שָׁלֹ֥שׁ פְּעָמִ֖ים בַּשָּׁנָ֑ה יֵרָאֶה֙ כָּל־זְכ֣וּרְךָ֔ אֶל־...
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0
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HaShem's Name After The Letters of ו / כ / ל / ב
Not sure if this was asked before...
Statement: When the letters of ו / כ / ל / ב , (which spells the word “and Kalayv”) come in front the names of HaShem of: אֲ-דֹנָי / אֱ-לֹהֵי / אֱ-...
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What is the correct pronunciation? 'Mesirut nefesh' or 'mesirat nefesh'? [closed]
Which is correct? Mesirut nefesh or mesirat nefesh?
I have always used mesirut, but see mesirat also.
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Put a samech in Kel Adon?
The piyyut Kel Adon (below), the Song of Creation which we recite or sing on Shabbat morning, is an acrostic: Each verse begins with a different letter of the alphabet, in order. Except for "Smechim ...
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