An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax

הוהי־ר ַבד ְ הָיהָ םרָ ְבא־ל ַ אֶ
Abram.
Gen 15:1
ֵ ֑ ִ ֱ ָ
ֶ ָ֫
ָ ֵ ְ ַ֫
ַ
After a waw-disjunctive (39.2.3) the word order is normally waw + noun (or
its equivalent) + verb.
8. תא םיהלֹא אר ָבּ)
(God created the heavens and the earth.) Now the
( ׃ץראה תאו םִימ ָשּׁ ה earth was without form and devoid of life.
9.
וּהֹת ֫ התְי ָ ה ָ ץרֶ א֫ ָ הָ וְ
וּהֹב֫ וָ
הוָּ ח־ת ַ א ֶ עדָי ַ
םדָ אָ הָ וְ
וֹתּ֑ ְשׁ אִ
Gen 1:1–2
Now hā˒ādām knew Eve, his wife.
Gen 4:1
When two clauses in contrast are joined by a waw-adversative, a species of
waw-disjunctive, the subject often comes first in both.
10.
11.
שׁאֹ ר ךָפוּשְׁי ְ אוּה
׃בקֵ ָע וּנּ ֶפוּשׁ ֫ תּ ְ התָּ אַ וְ
ב ַשָׁי םרָ ְבאַ ב ַשָׁי טוֹלו ְ ן ַענ ֑ ָ֫
ְכּ־ץרֶ אֶ ְבּ
ר ָכּ ִכּה ַ ירֵ ָע ְבּ
He will crush your head, and you will strike his
heel.
Gen 3:15
Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, but Lot dwelt
in the cities of the valley.
Gen 13:12
c In verbless (or nominal) clauses a noun or its equivalent is juxtaposed with the
subject to indicate a predication.
12. חַ ֹנ־י ֑ נֵ ְבּ ה ֶלּא ֵ֫
ה ָשׁלֹ ְשׁ These three (SUBJECT) are the sons of Noah
(PREDICATE).
Gen 9:19
The rules governing the sequence of the subject and predicate deserve separate
treatment (8.4).
[Page 130] d The vocative (or nominative of address) designates the one to whom
the speaker is addressing a statement. It is most clearly identifiable where the
speaker places a definite noun in apposition to a second-person pronoun (# 13) or
an imperative (# 14).
13. ר ַענּ ֑ ָ֫ה
ַ התָּ אַ ימ־ן ִ ֶבּ Whose son are you, young man?
1 Sam 17:50