1. Class V: Prepositions Dr. Esa Autero
LAN 404 Beginning Hebrew I
*Photo from
Class V: Prepositions
Dr. Esa Autero

2. Prepositions 1.1 Introduction Prepositions in English
Used to describe relationship between words
The book is on the table; I am going to school etc.
The word following the preposition is called
the object of the preposition
Prepositions in Hebrew
Function in a same way as English prepositions
Three types of Hebrew prepositions:
1) Independent prepositions (majority)
2) Maqqef prepositions
3) Inseparable prepositions
*Photo:

3. Prepositions 2.1 Forms types, and functions of Hebrew prepositions
1) Independent prepositions
Most prepositions stand alone  independent prepositions (like in English)
לִפְנֵי הַמֶּ֫לֶךְ  before the king
תַּחַת הָעֵץ  under the tree
אַחַר הַמַּבּוּל  after the flood
בֵּין הַמַּ֫יִם  between the waters *

4. Prepositions עַל־הָאֶ֫בֶן אֶל־הַהֶכָל עַד־הַנָּהָר מִן־הָאָ֫רֶץ
2) Maqqef prepositions
Almost always connected to their objects via Maqqef line (raised line)
Most common prepositions in this category:
עַל־ - on, upon, concerning
אֶל־ - to, toward
עַד־ - until, as far as
מִן־ - from *
עַל־הָאֶ֫בֶן
upon the stone
אֶל־הַהֶכָל
to the temple
עַד־הַנָּהָר
as far as the river
מִן־הָאָ֫רֶץ
from the land

5. Prepositions בְּ לְ כְּ בְּשָׂדֶה לְנַ֫עַר כְּמֶ֫לֶךְ
3) Inseparable prepositions
Prefixed to the their objects – never occur independently
 Inseparable prepositions
a) Before most consonants, the inseparable preposition w/ vocal Shewa
בְּ
in, by, with (15,559x)* לְ
to, for (20.321x)
כְּ
like, as, according to (30,53x)
*Number of occurrences in HB. Bible. Stats from Pratico and Van Pelt 2001: 51
בְּשָׂדֶה
In a field
לְנַ֫עַר
For a young man
כְּמֶ֫לֶךְ
Like a king

6. Prepositions כַּאֲנַשִׁים בֶּאֱמֶת לָהֳלִי לִנְבִיאִים לִבְרִית
b) Before a reduced or Hateph vowel
Corresponding short vowel of the Hateph vowel (cf. conjunction וְ rule)
c) Before consonants with Vocal Shewa  Hireq*
כַּאֲנַשִׁים
Like men
בֶּאֱמֶת
In truth
לָהֳלִי
For sickness
*Cotigious Vocal Shewas cannot stand at the beginning of a word  the rule of Shewa applies (2001: 51).
לִנְבִיאִים
For prophets
לִבְרִית
For a covenant

7. Prepositions שָׂדֶה הַשָּׂדֶה בַּשָּׂדֶה אֶשׁ הָאֶשׁ בָּאֶשׁ נַ֫עַר
d) In nouns with the definite article
Vowel and Dagesh Forte retained but the -ה disappears
שָׂדֶה
A field
הַשָּׂדֶה
בַּשָּׂדֶה
The field
In the field
אֶשׁ
A fire
הָאֶשׁ
בָּאֶשׁ
The fire
In the fire
נַ֫עַר
A boy
הַנַּ֫עַר
לַנַּ֫עַר
The boy
For the boy
מֶ֫לֶךְ
A king
הַמֶּלֶךְ
כַּמֶּלֶךְ
The king
Like the king *

8. Prepositions
The form of the prepositionמִן
מִן Occurs as Maqqef or as inseparable preposition
As Maqqef preposition
מִן־הַבַּיִת  from the house מִן־הַמַּלְכָּה  from the queen
As inseparable preposition
Generally נ assimilates into the first consonant & Daghesh Forte is added
מִן־מֶ֫לֶךְ from a king  מִמֶּ֫לֶךְ from a king *

9. Prepositions מֵאִישׁ  from a man מֵעִיר  from a city
In separable form of מִן and begadkephat consonants
a) Inseparable מִן+ begadkephat consonant  Dagesh Lene becomes Forte
בַּ֫יִת a house  מִבּ֫יִת from a house
 Daghesh Forte represents the assimilated נ of the preposition
b) Inseparable מִן+ guttural  Daghesh Forte rejected, hireq lengthens to tsere
מֵאִישׁ  from a man מֵעִיר  from a city
c) Inseparable מִן+ a word w/ ח  Daghesh Forte rejected  virtual doubling
מִחוּץ  from outside מֵחֶ֫רֶב  from a sword
When מִן is prefixed to a word with definite article ה is retained
מֵהָאָ֫רֶץ  from the land *
When מִן is prefixed to a word with definite article ה is retained
מֵהָאָ֫רֶץ  from the land

10. טוֹבָה חָכְמָה מִזָּהַב קָשָׁה הָעֲבוֹדָה מֵהָאֲנָשִׁים
Prepositions
The use of the prepositionמִן
Special uses of מִן (occurs 7,592x in HB.*)
a) Comparative use
מִן is often used to indicate comparative or “better than” idea
Comparative idea also communicates the idea of “too…for”
טוֹבָה חָכְמָה מִזָּהַב
Literally: Wisdom is good from gold
Meaning: Wisdom is better than gold
*Pratico and van Pelt 2001: 53.
קָשָׁה הָעֲבוֹדָה מֵהָאֲנָשִׁים
Literally: The work is difficult from the men
Meaning: The work is too difficult for the men

11. עָרוּם מִכֹּל הַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶ
Prepositions
b) Superlative use
מִן can be used with כֹּל(all, each, every) to form superlative
c) Partitive use
מִן expresses part or portion of something
עָרוּם מִכֹּל הַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶ
Literally: clever from every living thing of the field
Superlative: the most clever living thing of the field *
מִפְּרִי
Literally: from a fruit
Partitively: some (of the) fruit
מֵהָאֲנָשִׁים
Literally: from the men
Partitively: some (of the) men

12. Prepositions כָּתַב אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים בַּסֵּ֫פֶר
The definitive object marker
Direct object – word that receives the action of the verb
God created the earth – what is the direct object of the sentence?
 Earth is the direct object (also definite since it has “the”)
In Hebrew the definite direct object marker is אֵת/אֶת־
אֵת/אֶת־ is also a preposition “with”
 Context will tell you which one
כָּתַב אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים בַּסֵּ֫פֶר
He wrote the words in the book *

13. Prepositions בָּרָה אֱלֹהִים אֶת הַשָּׁמַ֫יִם
More examples
בָּרָה אֱלֹהִים אֶת הַשָּׁמַ֫יִם
God created the heavens
נָתַן הַנָּבִיא אֶת־הַסֵּ֫פֶר לַמֶ֫לֶךְ
The prophet gave the book to the king
בָּנָה הַמֶּ֫לֶךְ אֶת־הַהֵיכָל הַגָּדוֹל
The king built the great temple *

14. Prepositions שָׁמַר הַמֶּ֫לֶךְ אֶת־המִּצְוָה וְאֶת־הַתּוֹרָה
The king observed the commandment and the law
אָהַב דָּוִד אֶת־יְהוֹנָתָן
David loved Jonathan
נָתָן הַמֶּ֫לֶךְ אֶת־תּוֹרוֹתָיו לָעָם
The king gave his laws to the people *

15. Prepositions בָּנָה הַמֶּלֶךְ הֵיכָל גָּדוֹל
If the direct object marker is not definite, definite object marker not used
בָּנָה הַמֶּלֶךְ הֵיכָל גָּדוֹל
The king built a great temple
בָּנַה הַנַּ֫עַר בַּ֫יִת קָתֹן בָּעִיר
The young man built a small house in the city *

16. Prepositions Practice Homework Workbook, p 25-26
Inseparable prepositions, no: 1-7
Prepositions, no: 1-8
Homework
Workbook “Bible Translation” p , no: 1-10
Practice letters and reading (out loud) – e.g. words on vocabulary & workbook
EXAM I – Next week (Tue 9/29/2015)
Chapters 1-6
Basic grammar:
Nouns (words in sg./pl., masc./fem.)
Recognition of definite article, conjunction waw & prepositions
Vocabulary
Translation sentences similar to what is found in the workbook
*Photo: