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וַיָּ֣מָת הָרָ֔ן עַל־פְּנֵ֖י תֶּ֣רַח אָבִ֑יו בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מוֹלַדְתּ֖וֹ בְּא֥וּר כַּשְׂדִּֽים׃ 29 וַיִּקַּ֨ח אַבְרָ֧ם וְנָח֛וֹר לָהֶ֖ם נָשִׁ֑ים שֵׁ֤ם אֵֽשֶׁת־אַבְרָם֙ שָׂרָ֔י וְשֵׁ֤ם אֵֽשֶׁת־נָחוֹר֙ מִלְכָּ֔ה בַּת־הָרָ֥ן אֲבִֽי־מִלְכָּ֖ה וַֽאֲבִ֥י יִסְכָּֽה׃ 30 וַתְּהִ֥י שָׂרַ֖י עֲקָרָ֑ה אֵ֥ין לָ֖הּ וָלָֽד׃

Vocabulary

Verse 28

            מות  verb: “die”

            מולדת  noun: “kindred” (BDB, 409)

            אור  name: “Ur”

            כשׁדים  name: “Chaldea”

Verse 29

            אִשָּׁה  noun (plural נָשִׁים ): “wife”

            שׁרי  name: “Sarai”

            מלכה  name: “Milcah”

            יסכה  name: “Iscah”

Verse 30

            עקר  adjective: “barren” (BDB, 785)

            ולד  noun: “child” (BDB, 409)

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 28

• Clause Typology 1 (וַיָּ֣מָת הָרָ֔ן עַל־פְּנֵ֖י תֶּ֣רַח אָבִ֑יו בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מוֹלַדְתּ֖וֹ בְּא֥וּר כַּשְׂדִּֽים): V-S-M
• The initial waw-consecutive imperfect, וַיָּ֣מָת, functions to continue the narrative sequence from verse 27 and is understood as a perfect, “he died.”
• The verb מות is an intransitive verb—a verb that does not take an object.
• When a suffix, such as the plural construct ending ֵי, is attached to a word with R3 ה, the final consonant is dropped through elision.
• The word, פָּנֶה “face,” is used idiomatically to mean the presence of an individual, thus “before the face of Terah” means “in the presence of Terah.”
• The noun אביו is in apposition to the proper name תרח.  Apposition occurs when two constituents fill the same grammatical slot.  Example: “He, John, slept” and “I will go to the place of peace, [that is] heaven.”
• A pronominal suffix must refer either backward (anaphora) or forward (cataphora) to another constituent.  In the case of אביו, the 3ms suffix refers anaphorically to הרן “Haran.”

Verse 29

• Clause Typology 1 (וַיִּקַּ֨ח אַבְרָ֧ם וְנָח֛וֹר לָהֶ֖ם נָשִׁ֑ים): V-S-M-O.
• The verb, לקח, acts like a R1 נ verb by “assimilating” the initial ל into a dagesh with prefix forms.
• The compound subject, אַבְרָ֧ם וְנָח֛וֹר, is joined by waw.
• The verbs, לקח “take” and נתן “give,” take a modifier usually marked by the preposition lamed which functions like an indirect object.
• Clause Typology 2 (שֵׁ֤ם אֵֽשֶׁת־אַבְרָם֙ שָׂרָ֔י): S-P.
• The subject is a three member construct phrase, שֵׁ֤ם אֵֽשֶׁת־אַבְרָם֙.  Such a linkage would require the first two nouns to be in the construct state and the last in the absolute state.  Only the second word is morphologically different from its absolute form (אִשָּׁה).
• Clause Typology 3 (וְשֵׁ֤ם אֵֽשֶׁת־נָחוֹר֙ מִלְכָּ֔ה בַּת־הָרָ֥ן אֲבִֽי־מִלְכָּ֖ה וַֽאֲבִ֥י יִסְכָּֽה): S-P
• The clause following the last word of the first clause is not connected by any transition word or conjunctive.  This asyndetic sequence serves to allot further information about the previous clause.  In this case, the asyndetic clauses provide the names of Abraham and Nahor’s wives.
• The last three construct phrases, בַּת־הָרָ֥ן אֲבִֽי־מִלְכָּ֖ה וַֽאֲבִ֥י יִסְכָּֽה, chain the relationship of each individual from the previous phrase.  The final noun phrases are in apposition to the proper name, מלכה.

Verse 30

• Clause Typology 1 (וַתְּהִ֥י שָׂרַ֖י עֲקָרָ֑ה): V-S-O
• R3 ה imperfect verbs loose the final letter in the waw-consecutive because of apocopation—retraction of stress.
• The feminine adjective, עֲקָרָה, is used as a substantive.
• Clause Typology 2 (אֵ֥ין לָ֖הּ וָלָֽד): P
• The lack of a connection to the previous clause—asyndeton—marks the final clause as explanatory or redundant.
• The negative predicator of existence is אֵין “there is not.”
• The lamed preposition marks a type of possession; literally, “there is not to her a child” meaning “she does not have a child.”
• Mappiq serves to distinguish the ה as a 3fs suffix and not merely a vowel (GKC, 14a).

וַֽיְחִי־תֶ֖רַח שִׁבְעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֑ה וַיּ֙וֹלֶד֙ אֶת־אַבְרָ֔ם אֶת־נָח֖וֹר וְאֶת־הָרָֽן׃ 27 וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ תּוֹלְדֹ֣ת תֶּ֔רַח תֶּ֚רַח הוֹלִ֣יד אֶת־אַבְרָ֔ם אֶת־נָח֖וֹר וְאֶת־הָרָ֑ן וְהָרָ֖ן הוֹלִ֥יד אֶת־לֽוֹט׃

Vocabulary

Verse 26

            היה  verb (Qal waw-consecutive imperfect 3ms): “to be”

            תרח  name: “Terah”

            ילד  verb (Hiphil): “beget, father, have children”

            אברם  name: “Abram”

            נחור  name: “Nahor”

            הרן  name: “Haran”

Verse 27

            תולדות  noun: “generations” (BDB, 410)

            לוט  name: “Lot”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 26

• Sentence Typology is a type of sentence diagramming that denotes the clause constituents (e.g. Subject [S], Subject Compliment [SC], Predicate Nominative [P], Object [O], Verb [V], Indirect Object [IO], Modifier [M], etc.) of the matrix sentence.  As in English, Biblical Hebrew contains several static sentence typologies from which modification may occur.  Learning to identify the basic constituents and how they typically are arraigned will lead to a better reading knowledge of BH. 
• Sentence Typology 1 (וַֽיְחִי־תֶ֖רַח שִׁבְעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֑ה): V-S-SC.
• The word היה is one of the most common verbs in BH (second only to אָמַר “to say”).  The addition of the waw causes retraction of stress and loss of the final root [R3] letter ה (called apocopation).  The doubling of yod is dropped because of the shewa (BHRG 8.2.5).
• The waw-consecutive imperfect (or wayyiqtol) construction functions both as the aspectual equivalent of the perfect and as a continuer of narrative, progression, or succession (BHRG, 21.2; GKC, 111; Joüon, 118).
• The plural form of שֶׁבַע “seven” is שִׁבְעִים “seventy.”
• A number is a substantive that may be connected to a noun in three ways: (1) in construct before the noun, (2) in absolute before the noun, or (3) after the noun in the absolute state (GKC, 134a).  This verse is an example of the second case.
• Sentence Typology 2 (וַיּ֙וֹלֶד֙ אֶת־אַבְרָ֔ם אֶת־נָח֖וֹר וְאֶת־הָרָֽן): V-O
• The implied subject, תרח, continues from the first clause.
• The most common Hebrew morpheme/word is וְ waw (more than fifty thousand occurrences).  Although waw can function in many different capacities within and without the clause, the most basic understanding is that it connects two equal components (e.g. a noun to a noun, a verbal clause to a verbal clause, or a paragraph to a paragraph).  The initial waw of וַיּ֙וֹלֶד֙ joins the first clause to the second.
• Verbs with the first root radical [R1] of yod fall into two categories—original R1 waw and R1 yod verbs.  With the addition of a preformative, the original waw reappears, hence יודל (GKC, 69).
• The particle, אֵת, marks the definite direct object in the clause.  When it is attached to the following word with a maqqep (־), the vowel shorts to a seghol, אֶת־ [Note: In 8% of the occurrences, אֵת functions as a preposition, “with, beside;” it is distinguishable in form only with suffixes].
• The conjunction of three or more items may be indicated in several ways: (1) waw between each word, (2) waw between sets of two words, or (3) waw connecting on the last element.  The last of these conjunctive forms is used to link together the complex object of this clause.

Verse 27

• Sentence Typology 1 (וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ תּוֹלְדֹ֣ת תֶּ֔רַח): S-P
• A verbless clause is a clause that does not have an explicit verb.  The verb, היה, is implied.  Some grammarians call these nominal clauses.  The typology of verbless clause may be S-P or P-S. 
• The Hebrew represented in the biblical text is uninflected meaning it does not mark nouns morphologically with specific case (as in Greek or Latin).  Function is determined primarily by word order and particles, such as the definite direct object marker, אֵת.  When two (or more) nouns are closely related, however, the morphology of the nouns changes to reflect this relationship, called a construct phrase.  The head noun looses its accent causing phonological changes.  The first element is in this “construct state;” whereas the second element is not, that is in “absolute state.”  Other names for this phenomenon are bound and free forms, the status constructus and postconstructus, nomen regens and nomen rectum, or נִסְמָךְ (supported) and סֹמֵךְ (supporter).
• On a metanarrative scale, the term, תולדת “generations,” serves to separate the book of Genesis into eleven distinct units each beginning with the phrase אֵלֶּה תוֹלְדוֹת (“of the heavens and the earth” 2:4; “of Adam” 5:1; “of Noah” 6:9; “of Noah” 10:1; “of Shem” 11:10, “of Terah” 11:27; “of Ishmael” 25:12, “of Isaac” 25:19; “of Esau” 36:1, “of Esau” 36:9; “of Jacob” 37:2.
• Sentence Typology 2 (תֶּ֚רַח הוֹלִ֣יד אֶת־אַבְרָ֔ם אֶת־נָח֖וֹר וְאֶת־הָרָ֑ן): S-V-O
• The lack of a clause connector, or asyndeton, is used to indicate an explication, or recapitulation, of previously discussed material.  This may be used to give the reader new details about the story, but does not further the narrative (much like the normal use of parentheses in English).
• The Hiphil stem is one of the seven main verbal stems in BH.  It is marked in the perfect by a prefixed הִ (the Hiphil imperfect prefers a qames as the preformative vowel) and an “i-class” theme vowel with yod infix (sere is used in the short forms of the jussive, waw-consecutive imperfect, imperative and infinitive absolute).  Hiphil verbs are characterized by a primarily causative meaning of a root (that is the subject causes the object to do the action of the verb).  In this case, יָלַד (Qal) means “to bear, or birth, a child;” whereas הֹלִיד (Hiphil) means “to beget (father) a child.”
• Sentence Typology 3 (וְהָרָ֖ן הוֹלִ֥יד אֶת־לֽוֹט): S-V-O
• The clause demonstrates a disjunctive clause arraignment with the initial position filled by a non-verbal unit.

31 וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הִנֵּֽה־נָ֤א הוֹאַ֙לְתִּי֙ לְדַבֵּ֣ר אֶל־אֲדֹנָ֔י אוּלַ֛י יִמָּצְא֥וּן שָׁ֖ם עֶשְׂרִ֑ים וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א אַשְׁחִ֔ית בַּעֲב֖וּר הָֽעֶשְׂרִֽים׃ 32 וַ֠יֹּאמֶר אַל־נָ֞א יִ֤חַר לַֽאדֹנָי֙ וַאֲדַבְּרָ֣ה אַךְ־הַפַּ֔עַם אוּלַ֛י יִמָּצְא֥וּן שָׁ֖ם עֲשָׂרָ֑ה וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א אַשְׁחִ֔ית בַּעֲב֖וּר הָעֲשָׂרָֽה׃ 33 וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ יְהוָ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר כִּלָּ֔ה לְדַבֵּ֖ר אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֑ם וְאַבְרָהָ֖ם שָׁ֥ב לִמְקֹמֽוֹ׃

Vocabulary

Verse 31

            יאל  verb (Hiphil perfect 1cs): “undertake” (BDB, 383)

            אולי  “if perhaps” (BDB, 19)

            שׁחת  verb (Hiphil imperfect 2ms): “ruin, destroy”

            בעבור  “on account of” (BDB, 721)

Verse 32

            אולי  “if perhaps” (BDB, 19)

            חרה  verb (Qal jussive 3ms): “burn (with anger), be angry” (BDB, 354)

            פעם  noun: “occurrence”

            בעבור  “on account of” (BDB, 721)

Verse 33

            כלה  verb (Piel perfect 3ms): “finish, complete”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 31

• Sentence Typology 1 (וַיֹּאמַ֑ר הִנֵּה־נָ֤א הוֹאַ֙לְתִּי֙ לְדַבֵּ֣ר אֶל־אֲדֹנָ֔י): V-O
• The embedded object clause is direct speech
• Embedded Sentence Typology 1 (הִנֵּה־נָ֤א הוֹאַ֙לְתִּי֙ לְדַבֵּ֣ר אֶל־אֲדֹנָ֔י): V-M
• The embedded clause is an infinitival.
• Embedded Sentence Typology 2 (לְדַבֵּ֣ר אֶל־אֲדֹנָ֔י): V-O
• This clause is exactly the same as verse 27
• Sentence Typology 2 (אוּלַ֛י יִמָּצְא֥וּן שָׁ֖ם עֶשְׂרִ֑ים): V-M-S
• The final letter of the verb, יִמָּצְא֥וּן, is a paragogic nun.
• The Niphal verb is passive with the agent as God.
• Sentence Typology 3 (וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א אַשְׁחִ֔ית בַּעֲב֖וּר הָֽעֶשְׂרִֽים): V-O
• The embedded object clause is direct speech.
• Embedded Sentence Typology 1 (לֹ֣א אַשְׁחִ֔ית בַּעֲב֖וּר הָֽעֶשְׂרִֽים): V-M-[O]
• The implied object [O] is עיר.

Verse 32

• Sentence Typology 1 ( וַ֠יֹּאמֶר אַל־נָ֞א יִ֤חַר לַֽאדֹנָי֙ וַאֲדַבְּרָ֣ה אַךְ־הַפַּ֔עַם אוּלַ֛י יִמָּצְא֥וּן שָׁ֖ם עֲשָׂרָ֑ה): V-O
• The embedded compound object is the quotation.
• Embedded Sentence Typology 1 (אַל־נָ֞א יִ֤חַר לַֽאדֹנָי֙): V-M
• The negative participle, אַל, is used with the jussive verb.
• The verb, חרה, is apocopated losing its final root he.
• Embedded Sentence Typology 2 (וַאֲדַבְּרָ֣ה אַךְ־הַפַּ֔עַם): V-M
• The verb is a cohortative.
• The adverbial idiom, אַךְ־הַפַּ֔עַם, means “only once more” or “surely one more time.”
• Embedded Sentence Typology 3 (אוּלַ֛י יִמָּצְא֥וּן שָׁ֖ם עֲשָׂרָ֑ה): V-M-S
• The final letter of the verb, יִמָּצְא֥וּן, is a paragogic nun.
• The Niphal verb is passive with the agent as God.
• Sentence Typology 2 (וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א אַשְׁחִ֔ית בַּעֲב֖וּר הָעֲשָׂרָֽה): V-O
• The embedded object is direct speech.
• Embedded Sentence Typology 1 (לֹ֣א אַשְׁחִ֔ית בַּעֲב֖וּר הָעֲשָׂרָֽה): V-M-[O]
• The implied object [O] is עיר.

Verse 33

• Sentence Typology 1 (וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ יְהוָ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר כִּלָּ֔ה לְדַבֵּ֖ר אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֑ם): V-S-M
• The modifier contains a temporal clause.
• Embedded Sentence Typology 1 (כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר כִּלָּ֔ה לְדַבֵּ֖ר אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֑ם): V-M
• The relative marker, כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר, is used temporally, “when.”
• The modifying clause is infinitival.
• Embedded Sentence Typology 2 (לְדַבֵּ֖ר אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֑ם): V-M
• Sentence Typology 2 (וְאַבְרָהָ֖ם שָׁ֥ב לִמְקֹמֽוֹ): S-V
• The waw + nonverb construction indicates a disjunctive or parenthetical relationship, “now.”
• The verb, שָׁ֥ב, is from the root שׁוב.

Check out Daniel R. Driver’s online bibliography of the works of Brevard Childs.

The official dig weblog of Tell es-Safi/Gath has its own bibliography online. 

Rob at http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk made available an article by Edwin Yamauchi on the order of Ezra/Nehemiah.

Michael Law gives a summary of G. Norton’s article on text criticism in the ::amazon(0199254257,Oxford Handbook of Biblical Studies)::. 

The guys at Evangelical Textual Criticism also have an interesting article by James Snapp on the early Hebrew Census data.

By an overwhelming margin, the book of Genesis was your favorite for DH’s summer reading program.  If you missed any of the chapters (12-18), go to the Genesis page to access the previous readings.  Additionally, I will be posting a couple of introductory readings from chapter 11 probably over the next couple of weekends (Would you like the readings to continue through the weekends on a regular basis?).

Besides going to a one book format, I will make an effort to shorten each reading a little (2-4 verses) and produce more in depth comments.  One aspect I am adding is a breakdown of each clause’s sentence typology.  Sentence typology is basically a broad diagram of the essential constituents of each clausal construction (I will post more on this later).  Also, I have separated the vocabulary and grammar/syntax sections completely. 

As always, please continue to leave feedback and let me know how this resource can better help YOU read Hebrew daily!