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Hebrew Adjectives fall into 3 categories: Attributive Predicative Substantive 2
Attributive Adjectives: Modify a noun; Agree in gender, number, and definiteness with the noun; Follow the noun they modify. 3
Predicative Adjectives: Are translated with a to be verb. The house is small. Agree with noun in gender and number, but not with definiteness; it never takes the definite article. Can precede or follow the noun. 4
Hebrew Adjective Substantive Adjective: Are used independently as a noun; they stand alone; The words they modify are implied. The money of the rich (men) The holy (things) 5
The endings of Hebrew adjectives change form (inflect) based on gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural). Adjectives must agree in gender and number with the nouns they are modifying. The masculine singular is the basic lexical form of an adjective. 6
Person Singular Plural Masculine Feminine ט וב ט ו ב ים ט ו בה ט ות וב agreeable means good, pleasant, welfare, ט וב Not all adjectives are attested in all genders and numbers. 7
Adjectives often undergo vowel changes when endings are added. 8
Vowels of monosyllabic adjectives don t change when suffixes are added for feminine and plural forms. Examples of monosyllabic adjectives: good, pleasant, benefit, welfare ט וב tender, delicate, soft ר ך thin, small, fine דק strong, fierce ע ז low, weak, poor, thin דל 9
Genesis 33:13 יד ע א דנ י כי היל ד ים ר כ ים ; ר ך ( tender My lord knows that the children are predicative) ו ירא א לה ים Genesis 1:10 כי ט וב And God saw that it was good (predicative). יצ י ל נ י מ איב י ע ז Psalm 18:18 He delivered me from my strong enemy (attributive). 10
Bi-syllabic adjectives undergo propretonic reduction; the changeably long vowel reduces to a vocal sheva, or hateph patach with gutturals. Examples of bi-syllabic adjectives: ז ק ן old ג ד ול great ור ג ב strong, mighty ח כם wise י שר straight, right precious, valuable י ק ר 11
שר ה וא ו י צד יק Deuteronomy 32:4 Just and right is He (predicative). Exodus 35:25 ו כ ל א שה חכםת ל ב בי ד יה ט ו ו And all the women that were wise hearted (predicative) with their hands did spin י ק ר ה היא Proverbs 3:15 מ פנ יי ם She is more precious than rubies (predicative) 12
מר א ים גדל ים Deuteronomy 4:34 and by great terrors (attributive). וב המסת הגדלת אש ר ר א ו ע יני ך Deuteronomy 7:19 The great trials (sg. מס ה ; attributive) which your eyes saw. ו ישמ י שר ים על זאת Job 17:8 Upright (men; substantive) are/will be astonished at this. 13
ה וא ה י ה ג בר עי ד ל פנ י יהו ה Genesis 10:9 He was a mighty hunter (attributive) before Yehovah. Judges 5:23 ל א ב א ו כי לעז ר ת י הו ה לעז רת י הו ה ב ג בו ר ים Because they did not come to the help of Yehovah (twice for emphasis) against the mighty (substantive). 14
When endings are added to geminate adjectives, the second consonant will have a dagesh forte (doubles consonant); if the second consonant is a guttural, the patach under the first consonant lengthens to a qamets. Examples of geminate adjectives: much, many, great, chief רב bad, evil רע 15
Numbers 20:5 לה ב יא את נ ו א ל המ קום ה ר ע הזה To bring us to this evil place (attributive). Joshua 22:8 אל א ה ל יכם ו יאמר א ל יהם ל אמ ר ב נ כ ס ים ש וב ו רב ים And he spoke to them, saying, return with much riches (attributive) to your tents. 16
If the masculine singular adjective ends in seghol heh ), the seghol heh drops off before adding feminine ה) or plural endings. Examples of adjectives ending in seghol heh: fair, beautiful י פה hard, severe, obstinate, stubborn קשה proud ג אה 17
ה נ ך י פ ה רעי ת י ה נ ך י פ ה ע ינ י ך Song of Solomon 1:15 יו נ ים Behold, you (f) are fair (predicative) my love; behold you (f) are fair (predicative); you have eyes of doves. ה שב גמ ול על ג א ים Psalm 94:2 Render a reward to the proud (substantive). ה רא ית ה עמ ך ק שה Psalm 60:5 You have showed your people hard things (substantive). 18
I will give more examples of the use of adjectives. 19
More bi-syllabic adjectives: sacred, holy ק ד ו ש clean, pure ט ה ור unclean ט מ א poor, afflicted, humble ע נ י small, insignificant ן ק ט strong, stout, mighty ח ז ק 20
וב ין Leviticus 10:10 הט מ א וב ין הט ה ור ו ל הבד יל וב ין החל ש ב ין הקד And that you may distinguish between the holy and between the unholy, and between the unclean and between the clean (substantive X4). 2 Samuel 12:3 קטנ ה אחת כ ב שה אם כי כל אן ש ו ל ר But the poor (man; substantive) had nothing, except one little ewe lamb (attributive). 21
מ קום אשר את ה עו מ ד ע ל יו אדמת קד ש Exodus 3:5 ה וא For the place which you are standing on is holy ground.(ה וא (attributive; note resumptive pronoun כי ה ו נ שא אה רן את עון הק ד ש ים Exodus 28:38 That Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things (substantive). כ ל צ פ ור טהר ה תאכ ל ו Deuteronomy 14:11 All clean birds (collective; attributive) you shall eat. 22
Jeremiah 50:34 גא ל ם ח ז ק י הו ה צ ב אות שמ ו Their Redeemer is strong (predicative); Yehovah of Hosts is His name. 23
More bi-syllabic adjectives: new ח ד ש kind, pious, godly ח סיד small, young, unimportant ק ט ן majestic, excellent, famous אד יר 24
י בחר א לה ים ח ד ש ים Judges 5:8 They chose new gods (attributive). Jeremiah 3:12 ח סיד כי א נ י נ א ם י הו ה ל א א טור לעל ם For I am merciful (predicative), says Yehovah; I will not remain angry forever. יהו ה א דנ ינ ו מ ה אד יר שמ ך בכ ל ה א ר ץ Psalm 8:10 O Yehovah, our Lord how majestic (predicative) is your name in all the earth. 25
More bi-syllabic adjectives ר ע ב ע נ ו hungry poor, afflicted, humble, meek mighty, valiant אב יר faint, weary, thirsty ע י ף deep ע מק low ש פ ל 26
אם ר ע ב שנא ך הא כ ל ה ו לחם ואם צ מ א Proverbs 25:21 ו השקה מ י ם If your enemy is hungry (predicative), give him bread to eat and if he is thirsty (predicative), give him water to drink. ו ע נ ו ים י יר ש ו א רץ Psalm 37:11 But the meek (substantive) shall inherit the earth. ס ל ה כ ל אב ירי א דנ י Lamentations 1:15 The Lord has trodden under foot all my mighty (men; substantive). 27
כ מה ל ך ב שרי באר ץ צ יה ו ע י ף בל י מ י ם Psalm 63:1 My flesh longs for you in a dry and thirsty land (attributive) where there is no water. מ י ם ע מ קים ד בר י פי א י ש Proverbs 18:4 The words of a mouth of a man are as deep waters (attributive). טוב שפל ר וח את ע נ יי ם Proverbs 16:19 Better is an humble spirit (attributive) with the lowly (substantive) 28
Biblical Hebrew A Compact Guide, Miles Van Pelt, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, copyright 2012. Biblical Hebrew An Introductory Grammar, Page H. Kelly, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, copyright 1992. 29
Hebrew lessons compiled by: Beth C. Mehaffey https://holyhiway.wordpress.com Contact: betmeh2 at gmail.com 30