DailyHebrew.com

Several readers have asked for an indexed key to the sentence typology (i.e. diagramming) system found on DailyHebrew.com.  The basic units are listed below with examples and sundry notes.  Please remember that these posts were written over a four-year period, so some variation exists within how these categories are applied.

Abbreviations used:

          S        Subject

          O       Object

          V       Verb

          M       [Adverbial] Modifier

          P        Predicate (no explicit verbal element)

          IO      Indirect Object (*see note below*)

          OC     Object Complement

          SC      Subject Complement (*see note below*) 

Examples:

• Joshua 2:23

          וַיָּשֻׁ֜בוּ שְׁנֵ֤י הָֽאֲנָשִׁים

          And-they-returned the-two men.

          V-S

• Genesis 33:20

          וַיַּצֶּב־שָׁ֖ם מִזְבֵּ֑חַ

          And-he-built there an-altar.

          V-M-O

• Exodus 3:1

          וּמֹשֶׁ֗ה הָיָ֥ה רֹעֶ֛ה אֶת־צֹ֛אן יִתְר֥וֹ חֹתְנֹ֖ו כֹּהֵ֣ן מִדְיָ֑ן

Now-Moses was pasturing the-flock of-Jethro, his father-in-law, the-priest of-Midian.

S-V-O

• Ezekiel 4:10

          וּמַאֲכָֽלְךָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֹּאכֲלֶ֔נּוּ בְּמִשְׁק֕וֹל עֶשְׂרִ֥ים שֶׁ֖קֶל לַיּ֑וֹם

And-your-food which you-shall-eat-it [will be] by-weight twenty shekels for-each-day

          S-P

          Embedded Clause (תֹּאכֲלֶ֔נּוּ): V-O

Notes:

• Only explicit constituents (Subject, Object, Verb, etc.) are listed; when necessary elided constituents are placed in brackets [ ].
• Multiple modifiers will not be designated separately.
• Verbal Negation, though technically a modifier, is not marked.
• Conjunctions are ignored.
• The function of the relative particle is not designated in relative clauses.
• Multi-part verbs (e.g. composite tenses and verbal hendiadys) shall be marked as one verbal unit.
• The content of a quotation is considered the object of the verb of speech.
• Older posts may use the SC and IO designations; however, newer posts will designate these merely as O and M (respectively).

Chris Heard shares some thoughts about Practico & Van Pelt's BH Teaching Grammar on his blog Higgaion.  It seems to me that each teaching grammar (as well as the intermediate grammars) has positive and negative features.  This means that where the grammar is weak we need to provide supplemental instruction/material.  If this were not so, there would not be need for a teacher!

Enjoy this video.

וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ 24 דַּבֵּ֛ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר בַּחֹ֨דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֜י בְּאֶחָ֣ד לַחֹ֗דֶשׁ יִהְיֶ֤ה לָכֶם֙ שַׁבָּת֔וֹן זִכְר֥וֹן תְּרוּעָ֖ה מִקְרָא־קֹֽדֶשׁ׃ 25 כָּל־מְלֶ֥אכֶת עֲבֹדָ֖ה לֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֑וּ וְהִקְרַבְתֶּ֥ם אִשֶּׁ֖ה לַיהוָֽה׃ ס

Vocabulary

Verse 4

            שׁביעי  ordinal number: “seventh”

            שׁבתון  noun: “Sabbath” (BDB, 992)

            זכרון  noun: “memorial” (BDB, 272)

            תדועה  noun: “blast (of trumpet/shofar)” (BDB, 930)

            מקדא  noun: “convocation”

Verse 5

            מלאכה  “work”

            עבדה  “labor”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 3

• Sentence Typology 1 (וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר): V-S-IO-M
• The object is the following quotation.
• Conjunctive dagesh, or conjunctivum, is regularly used when לאמר follows משׁה (cf. Exodus 6:10, 29; 15:24; GKC 20c n.2)

Verse 4

• Embedded Typology A (דַּבֵּ֛ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר): V-IO-M-O
• Asyndeton marks the introduction of the direct speech.
• The quotation is further embedded.
• Embedded Typology i (בַּחֹ֨דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֜י בְּאֶחָ֣ד לַחֹ֗דֶשׁ יִהְיֶ֤ה לָכֶם֙ שַׁבָּת֔וֹן זִכְר֥וֹן תְּרוּעָ֖ה מִקְרָא־קֹֽדֶשׁ): M-V-M-SC-M
• The phrase, באחד לחדשׁ, refers to the “first day of the month.”
• The name Rosh Hashanah ראשׁ השׁנה is not found in the Hebrew Bible.
• The construct phrase, זכרון תרועה, may be understood as appositional—“a memorial with a trumpet blast.”

Verse 5

• Embedded Typology ii (כָּל־מְלֶ֥אכֶת עֲבֹדָ֖ה לֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֑וּ): O-V
• Asyndeton explains further instructions for the observance.
• The construct is attributive, “laborious work.”
• Embedded Typology iii (וְהִקְרַבְתֶּ֥ם אִשֶּׁ֖ה לַיהוָֽה):  V-M
• The Hiphil of קרב implies the bringing of a sacrifice.

וַיְהִי בִּשְׁנַת אַרְבַּע לְדָרְיָוֶשׁ הַמֶּלֶךְ הָיָה דְבַר־יְהוָה אֶל־זְכַרְיָה בְּאַרְבָּעָה לַחֹדֶשׁ הַתְּשִׁעִי בְּכִסְלֵו׃ 2 וַיִּשְׁלַח בֵּית־אֵל שַׂר־אֶצֶר וְרֶגֶם מֶלֶךְ וַאֲנָשָׁיו לְחַלּוֹת אֶת־פְּנֵי יְהוָה׃ 3 לֵאמֹר אֶל־הַכֹּהֲנִים אֲשֶׁר לְבֵית־יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת וְאֶל־הַנְּבִיאִים לֵאמֹר הַאֶבְכֶּה בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַחֲמִשִׁי הִנָּזֵר כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי זֶה כַּמֶּה שָׁנִים׃   פ

Vocabulary

Verse 1

            דריושׁ  name: “Darius”

            זכריה  name: “Zechariah”

            תשׁיעי  ordinal: “ninth”

            כסלו  name (ninth month): “Chislev”

Verse 2

            שֹר־אצר  name: “Sharezer”

            רגם מלך  name: “Regem-melech”

            חלה  verb (Piel infinitive construct): “appease”

Verse 3

            בכה  verb: “weep”

            חמשׁי  ordinal: “fifth”

            נזר  verb (Niphal infinitive absolute): “consecrating oneself [by fasting]”

            כמה  “how many/often!”

Syntax & Miscellaneous

• Sentence Typology 1 (וַיְהִי בִּשְׁנַת אַרְבַּע לְדָרְיָוֶשׁ הַמֶּלֶךְ): V-M
• This may well be classified as an introductory temporal clause.
• Sentence Typology 2 (הָיָה דְבַר־יְהוָה אֶל־זְכַרְיָה בְּאַרְבָּעָה לַחֹדֶשׁ הַתְּשִׁעִי בְּכִסְלֵו): S-V-M
• Ordinal numbers are always used with months (GKC 134p).

Verse 2

• Sentence Typology 1 (וַיִּשְׁלַח בֵּית־אֵל שַׂר־אֶצֶר וְרֶגֶם מֶלֶךְ וַאֲנָשָׁיו לְחַלּוֹת אֶת־פְּנֵי יְהוָה): V-S-O-M
• The subject is the personification of Bethel (meaning: “[the people of] Bethel).
• The compound object includes three members.
• The infinitive clause modifies the finite verb, שׁלח.
• Embedded Typology A (לְחַלּוֹת אֶת־פְּנֵי יְהוָה): V-O

Verse 3

• Embedded Typology i (לֵאמֹר אֶל־הַכֹּהֲנִים אֲשֶׁר לְבֵית־יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת וְאֶל־הַנְּבִיאִים): V-IO-O
• The two infinitives, לאמר, to modify the previous infinitive, לחלות.
• The indirect object is compound.
• The use of the lamed preposition to describe the relationship of the priests (הכהנים) to the house of the Lord (בית־יהוה) is that they “belong to” the temple.
• The object (i.e. direct speech) follows the second לאמר.
• Embedded Typology ii (הַאֶבְכֶּה בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַחֲמִשִׁי הִנָּזֵר): V-M
• The initial he is an interrogative he.
• The beth preposition marks a temporal phrase.
• The reflexive verb, הנזר, serves to designate the attendant circumstances of the verb, אבכה (GKC 113h).  In English, a participle may best translate this constituent.
• Embedded Typology iii (כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי זֶה כַּמֶּה שָׁנִים): V-O-M
• The final phrase, כמה שׁנים “so many years,” is an adverbial modifier.