Nuances of sentence structure in Biblical Hebrew

Word Order

In Biblical Hebrew, the standard word order in a clause is Verb-Subject-Object (VSO).
Unlike English which has SVO word order, verbs in Biblical Hebrew generally occupy the initial position in the clause.
Subjects and objects typically come after the verb and can often be identified by context or definite articles.

Understand the importance of verb chain sequences in Biblical Hebrew as a primary tool for expressing narrative sequence.
Learn how to use the consecutive waw to join verbs together. In these sequences, the tense of the consecutive verb depends on the leading verb.
Comprehend how weqatal and wayyiqtol forms are used in verb chains to express different aspects of the action such as completion, succession or reaction.

Become familiar with inversion as a technique for emphasis in Biblical Hebrew. Where English may use tone of voice or additional words to indicate emphasis, Biblical Hebrew often uses word order.
For instance, when the subject is placed before the verb (Subject-Verb order), it serves to emphasize the subject. The same applies when an object precedes both subject and verb.
Be aware of the casus pendens or “hanging nominative” as another syntactical construct used for emphasis in Biblical Hebrew.

Comprehend the role of particles in Biblical Hebrew, including conjunctions, interrogatives, adjectives, and prepositions, and how they can profoundly affect the meaning and structure of a sentence.
Be aware of the use of the inseparable prepositions – ‘in’, ‘like’ and ‘to, toward’ – which attach directly to the next word and can change the meaning of the word or sentence.

Get an understanding of noun clauses and nominal sentences, both of which do not contain a verb.
In a nominal sentence, the predicate comes before the subject, also known as a predicate-subject arrangement. An important characteristic of Biblical Hebrew, these sentences usually describe a state or condition.
Distinguish these from verbless clauses, which instead use a pronoun or noun in place of the verb.
Get acquainted with circumstantial clauses, introduced by a conjunction, and provide additional detail or circumstances surrounding the main clause.