Learning To Read Biblical Hebrew An Introductory Grammar Robert Ray Ellis Updated 2025
Learning To Read Biblical Hebrew An Introductory Grammar Robert Ray Ellis Updated 2025
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Learning to Read Biblical Hebrew An Introductory Grammar
Robert Ray Ellis
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LEARNING
TO READ
BIBLICAL
HEBREW
AN INTRODUCTORY GRAMMAR
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing of Baylor
University Press.
The BibleWorks Version 3.5 Hebrew font BWHEBB was used in the production of this
grammar. The font was adapted by means of the addition of a generic Hebrew accent,
boxes that indicate unspecified consonants, and dashes that indicate words of unspecified
length. The author is grateful to BibleWorks for permission to use the font. BWHEBB,
BWHEBL [Hebrew]; BWGRKL, BWGRKN, and BWGRKI [Greek] Postscript® Type 1
and TrueTypeT fonts Copyright © 1994-2002 BibleWorks, LLC. All rights reserved.
These Biblical Greek and Hebrew fonts are used with permission and are from
BibleWorks, software for Biblical exegesis and research. Anyone distributing any derived
publications must comply with displaying and preserving the copyright for the font.
PJ4567.3.E45 2006
492.4'82421--dc22
2006019302
Acknowledgments xvii
Abbreviations and Symbols xix
Lesson 1 1
1A CONSONANTS 1
1. Introduction 1
2. Consonant chart 2
3. Characteristics of certain consonants 3
4. Writing the forms of the consonants 4
5. Transliteration 4
6. Pronunciation 5
EXERCISES 6
Lesson 2 9
2A VOWELS 9
1. Introduction 9
2. Vowel chart 10
3. Full vowels 11
4. Half vowels 12
5. Placement of vowels with consonants 12
6. Pronunciation of vowels and vowel classes 15
7. Transliteration 17
EXERCISES 18
Lesson 3 21
3A ACCENTING 21
1. Major accent for a word 21
2. Meteg 22
3B SYLLABLES 22
1. Characteristics of syllables 22
2. Open syllables 23
3. Closed syllables 25
vii
viii | Table of Contents
________________________________________________________________________
3C SIMPLE SHEVA 26
3D QAMES-HATUF 27
3E TRANSLITERATION 29
EXERCISES 30
Lesson 4 32
4A MAQQEF 32
4B DAGESH 33
1. Dagesh-lene 33
2. Dagesh-forte 34
3. Distinguishing dagesh-lene and dagesh-forte 35
4. Transliteration 36
4C VOWEL ALTERATIONS 37
EXERCISES 39
Lesson 5 41
5A NOUNS, VERBS, and SENTENCES 41
1. Nouns 41
2. Verbs 41
3. Sentences 42
5B DEFINITE ARTICLE 43
EXERCISES 45
Lesson 6 49
6A PREPOSITIONS 49
1. Independent prepositions 49
2. Prefixed prepositions 49
3. Preposition !mi 52
6B CONJUNCTIONS 53
1. Independent conjunctions 53
2. Vav conjunction 53
6C WEAK CONSONANTS 55
EXERCISES 56
Lesson 7 60
7A NOUNS 60
1. Absolute and construct states 60
Table of Contents | ix
________________________________________________________________________
2. Inflection of nouns 61
3. Function of nouns 66
EXERCISES 67
Lesson 8 71
8A ADJECTIVES 71
1. Inflection of adjectives 71
2. Function of adjectives 72
3. Degrees of Comparison 74
8B SIGN OF THE OBJECT 76
EXERCISES 77
Lesson 9 80
9A PRONOMINAL SUFFIXES ON NOUNS 80
1. Introduction 80
2. Pronominal suffixes for singular nouns 80
3. Pronominal suffixes for plural nouns 83
4. More nouns with pronominal suffixes 85
EXERCISES 88
Lesson 10 93
10A PREPOSITIONS WITH PRONOMINAL SUFFIXES 93
1. Prepositions with the forms of the pronominal suffixes
used with singular nouns 93
2. Prepositions with the forms of the pronominal suffixes
used with plural nouns 95
EXERCISES 96
Lesson 11 100
11A PERSONAL PRONOUNS 100
11B SIGN OF THE OBJECT WITH PRONOMINAL SUFFIXES 101
11C DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES 104
11D RELATIVE CLAUSES 107
EXERCISES 108
112
x | Table of Contents
________________________________________________________________________
Lesson 12
12A VERBS IN GENERAL 112
1. Verb roots 112
2. Strong and weak verbs 112
3. Moods and tenses 112
4. Stems 113
12B PERFECT CONJUGATION OF THE VERB 116
1. Meaning of perfect verbs 116
2. Perfect verb suffixes 116
12C PERFECT CONJUGATION IN THE QAL STEM 117
EXERCISES 119
Lesson 13 122
13A PERFECT CONJUGATION IN THE OTHER MAJOR STEMS 122
1. Introduction 122
2. Perfect conjugation in the nifal stem 122
3. Perfect conjugation in the piel stem 123
4. Perfect conjugation in the pual stem 125
5. Perfect conjugation in the hifil stem 126
6. Perfect conjugation in the hofal stem 127
7. Perfect conjugation in the hitpael stem 128
13B SUMMARY OF THE PERFECT CONJUGATION 129
EXERCISES 132
Lesson 14 136
14A IMPERFECT CONJUGATION OF THE VERB 136
1. Meaning of imperfect verbs 136
2. Imperfect verb prefixes and suffixes 136
14B IMPERFECT CONJUGATION IN THE QAL STEM 138
14C ANALYSIS OF THE VERB 140
EXERCISES 142
Lesson 15 146
15A IMPERFECT CONJUGATION IN THE OTHER MAJOR STEMS 146
1. Introduction 146
2. Imperfect conjugation in the nifal stem 146
Table of Contents | xi
________________________________________________________________________
Lesson 16 160
16A VAV WITH PERFECT AND IMPERFECT VERBS 160
1. Introduction 160
2. Vav consecutive with perfect verbs 160
3. Vav consecutive with imperfect verbs 162
4. Analysis of verbs with vav consecutives 165
16B ORIENTATION TO THE HEBREW BIBLE AND LEXICON 165
1. The Hebrew Bible 165
2. Hebrew lexicons 168
EXERCISES 171
Lesson 17 174
17A JUSSIVE AND COHORTATIVE 174
1. Introduction 174
2. Jussive 174
3. Cohortative 176
17B THE IMPERATIVE CONJUGATION OF THE VERB 177
1. Introduction 177
2. Regular imperative conjugation in the major stems 178
3. Long form of the imperative 180
17C VERBS OF PROHIBITION 182
17D ANALYSIS OF VOLITIONAL VERB FORMS 182
EXERCISES 183
Lesson 18 186
18A INFINITIVE 186
1. Introduction 186
2. Infinitive construct 186
xii | Table of Contents
________________________________________________________________________
Lesson 19 207
19A PRONOMINAL SUFFIXES ON FINITE VERBS 207
1. Introduction 207
2. Pronominal suffixes on perfect verbs 207
3. Pronominal suffixes on imperfect and imperative verbs 211
19B PRONOMINAL SUFFIXES ON NON-FINITE VERBS 216
1. Pronominal suffixes on infinitive constructs 216
2. Pronominal suffixes on participles 218
EXERCISES 219
Lesson 20 222
20A CONNOTATIONS OF VERB TENSES AND STEMS 222
1. Connotations of verb tenses 222
2. Connotations of verb stems 226
EXERCISES 232
Lesson 21 234
21A STATIVE VERBS 234
21B INTRODUCTION TO WEAK VERBS 237
1. Classification of weak verbs 238
2. Disappearance of consonants 239
EXERCISES 242
Lesson 22 245
22A WEAK VERBS: PE-GUTTURAL, PE-ALEF, AYIN-GUTTURAL,
AND LAMED-GUTTURAL 245
1. Introduction 245
Table of Contents | xiii
________________________________________________________________________
Lesson 23 259
23A WEAK VERB: PE-NUN 259
23B NOUN PATTERNS 264
1. Segolate nouns 264
2. Geminate nouns 264
3. Noun prefixes and suffixes 265
4. Nouns based on weak roots 266
23C HE DIRECTIVE 271
EXERCISES 271
Lesson 24 274
24A WEAK VERB: PE-YOD 274
1. True pe-yod verbs 274
2. Pe-yod/vav verbs (pe-yod based on pe-vav) 275
3. Summary of characteristics of pe-yods 279
24B INTERROGATIVE CLAUSES 281
1. Introduction 281
2. He interrogative 282
3. Interrogative pronouns 283
4. Interrogative adverbs 284
EXERCISES 285
Lesson 25 288
25A WEAK VERBS: AYIN-VAV, AYIN-YOD, AND DOUBLE-AYIN 288
1. Ayin-vav and ayin-yod verbs 288
2. Double-ayin verbs 293
3. Summary of characterisitics of ayin-vavs, ayin-yods, and
double-ayins 296
xiv | Table of Contents
________________________________________________________________________
Lesson 26 305
26A WEAK VERBS: LAMED-ALEF AND LAMED-HE 305
1. Lamed-alef verbs 305
2. Lamed-he verbs 306
3. Summary of characteristics of lamed-alefs and lamed-hes 308
26B IDENTIFICATION OF WEAK VERB ROOTS 310
EXERCISES 312
Index 383
Acknowledgments
Harry Hunt, my Hebrew teacher and mentor, taught me to love this remarkable
language and to cultivate compassionate excellence. Southwestern Baptist Theological
Seminary provided a sabbatical to begin this project, and then several years later Hardin-
Simmons University and Logsdon School of Theology provided a sabbatical that allowed
for its completion. Many graduate student assistants have painstakingly helped with this
grammar through the years – most recently, Jason Patrick, Nathan Maxwell, Meredith
Stone, Cory Murman, Walt Henson, and Amanda Cutbirth. Finally, I am grateful to all
my students who year by year teach and inspire me with their hunger to read the ancient
sacred words of the Hebrew Bible.
xvii
Abbreviations
and Symbols
Ab absolute N noun
act active NFP noun, feminine, plural
adj adjective NFS noun, feminine, singular
adv adverb nif nifal
art article NMP noun, masculine, plural
BDB Brown, Driver, and Briggs NMS noun, masculine, singular
BHS Biblia Hebraica Stuttgatensia P plural
cohort cohortative part participle
conj conjunction pass passive
Cs construct perf perfect
dem adj demonstrative adjective P/G/N person, gender, and number
Du dual prep preposition
Eng English pron pronoun
F feminine PS pronominal suffix
FP feminine, plural S singular
FS feminine, singular V verb
G/N gender and number vav conj vav conjunction
hif hifil vav cons vav consecutive
hit hitpael
hof hofal 1CP first, common, plural
impf imperfect 1CS first, common, singular
impv imperative 2FP second, feminine, plural
inf infinitive 2FS second, feminine, singular
juss jussive 2MP second, masculine, plural
M masculine 2MS second, masculine, singular
Mm Masora magna 3CP third, common, plural
MP masculine, plural 3FP third, feminine, plural
Mp Masora parva 3FS third, feminine, singular
MS masculine, singular 3MP third, masculine, plural
MT Masoretic text 3MS third, masculine, singular
xix
xx | Abbreviations and Symbols
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filii
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genitum
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day nicht 8
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