1. CHAPTER 3 Duane A. Garrett & Jason S. DeRouchie
A MODERN GRAMMAR FOR BIBLICAL HEBREW
(B&H, 2009)

2. Daghesh Forte, Mappiq, Metheg, & Rules for Gutturals
CHAPTER 3

3. Distinguishing Daghesh Lene & Daghesh Forte
If Non-begadkephat: Daghesh Forte (e.g., אִשָּׁה, “woman”)
If בגדכפת:
First letter: Daghesh Lene (e.g., בְּרִית, “covenant”)
Last letter: Daghesh Forte (e.g., אַתְּ, “you”)
Middle letter:
After a vowel: Daghesh Forte (e.g., גִּבּוֹר, “hero”)
After a consonant + silent shewa: Daghesh Lene (e.g., מַלְכָּה, “queen”)

5. Syllable Division with Daghesh Forte
Initial Rules––Syllables:
Begin with a consonant and have only one vowel
Are either Open = CV or Closed = CVC
If closed, end in silent Shewa
There is always a syllable division “between the letters” of a Daghesh Forte.
חַט/טָאת < חַטָּאת
אִשׁ/שָׁה < אִשָּׁה
גִּבּ/בּוֹר < גִּבּוֹר

6. Gutturals (ע ,ח ,ה ,א) & Resh (ר)
“Weak” consonants; all others are “strong.”
Cannot be doubled (i.e., no Daghesh Forte).
Take composite rather than vocal Shewas.
Prefer a-class vowels (e.g., מֶ֫לֶךְ, “king” vs. שַׁ֫עַר, “gate”).
Prefer Seghol, when Hireq is expected.

7. Other Noteworthy Info Furtive Pathach (“glide vowel”) Mappiq
If Pathach is under a guttural that is the last
letter of a word, the Pathach is pronounced
before the consonant.
Mappiq
A dot in a ה at the end of a word that signals the guttural is a true consonant and not a vowel letter (= הּ).
E.g., סוּסָהּ, “her horse” vs. סוּסָה, “mare”

8. Qamets Hatuph & the Metheg
Closed, unaccented syllables are always
short; the ambiguous vowel sign ( ָ ) in such a
syllable = Qamets Hatuph.
When Qamets is in an open syllable, a Metheg
(“bridle”) often appears to indicate that a
short pause occurs after the vowel and that
the following consonant does not close the
syllable.
E.g., כָּתְבָה, “she wrote”

9. Verbless/Nominal Clause
Two nominals (noun, adjective, prepositional
phrase, etc.) side-by-side that together express
a complete thought (N is N) without an explicit
verb.
Always supply an understood “to be”/helping
E.g., מֶ֫לֶךְ דָּוִד = “David is a king”
E.g., דָּוִד הָכְמָה = “David is wise”

10. Summary of Chapter 3 Daghesh Forte
“Doubling dot”; the Daghesh in all non-begadkephat letters and the Daghesh in begadkephat letters when they end a word or when they follow a vowel.
Gutterals & ר
Can’t double; take composite shewa; prefer a-class vowels.
Furtive Pathach
“Glide vowel”; sound glides onto end of previous vowel sound (רוּחַ, “spirit”).
Mappiq
Marker of ה at the end of a word as a true consonant (הּ)
and not a vowel letter.
Metheg
Small, vertical line following the ambiguous vowel sign ( ָ ) to mark the sign as a Qamets (i.e., not Qamets Hatuph) in an open syllable.
Verbless Clause
Two adjacent nominals (noun, adjective, prep. phrase, etc.) that bear an equative relationship and express a complete thought apart from a fully inflected finite verb.