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Grammar Analysis: Genesis 8:20

Text

Hebrew: וַיִּ֥בֶן נֹ֛חַ מִזְבֵּ֖חַ לַֽיהוָ֑ה וַיִּקַּ֞ח מִכֹּ֣ל׀ הַבְּהֵמָ֣ה הַטְּהֹורָ֗ה וּמִכֹּל֙ הָעֹ֣וף הַטָּהֹ֔ר וַיַּ֥עַל עֹלֹ֖ת בַּמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃

KJV: And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

Word-by-Word Parsing

# Hebrew Lemma Parsing Gloss
1 וַ ו Conj.+NAN and
2 יִּ֥בֶן בנה Verb.Qal.Wayq.3ms build
3 נֹ֛חַ נח PropN.ms.Abs.+NAN Noah
4 מִזְבֵּ֖חַ מזבח Noun.ms.Abs altar
5 לַֽ ל Prep to
6 יהוָ֑ה יהוה PropN.ms.Abs.+NAN YHWH
7 וַ ו Conj.+NAN and
8 יִּקַּ֞ח לקח Verb.Qal.Wayq.3ms take
9 מִ מן Prep from
10 כֹּ֣ל כל Noun.ms.Cst whole
11 הַ ה Art.+NAN the
12 בְּהֵמָ֣ה בהמה Noun.fs.Abs cattle
13 הַ ה Art.+NAN the
14 טְּהֹורָ֗ה טהר Adj.fs.Abs pure
15 וּ ו Conj.+NAN and
16 מִ מן Prep from
17 כֹּל֙ כל Noun.ms.Cst whole
18 הָ ה Art.+NAN the
19 עֹ֣וף עוף Noun.ms.Abs birds
20 הַ ה Art.+NAN the
21 טָּהֹ֔ר טהר Adj.ms.Abs pure
22 וַ ו Conj.+NAN and
23 יַּ֥עַל עלה Verb.Hiphil.Wayq.3ms ascend
24 עֹלֹ֖ת עלה Noun.fp.Abs burnt-offering
25 בַּ ב + ה Prep + Art in/on the
26 מִּזְבֵּֽחַ מזבח Noun.ms.Abs altar

Key Grammatical Features

1. וַיִּבֶן / וַיִּקַּח / וַיַּעַל — wayyiqtol narrative chain

  • Form: Three finite verbs occur as wayyiqtol forms: Qal wayyiqtol 3ms וַיִּבֶן, Qal wayyiqtol 3ms וַיִּקַּח, and Hiphil wayyiqtol 3ms וַיַּעַל.
  • Significance: The clause sequence presents three narrated actions in order: altar-building, selection from clean animals/birds, and offering of burnt offerings. The chain is narrative grammar, not legal instruction grammar.
  • Grammar reference: syntax-waw-conjunction, stem-hiphil.

2. מִכֹּל הַבְּהֵמָה הַטְּהֹורָה / מִכֹּל הָעֹוף הַטָּהֹר — repeated "from every clean..." complements

  • Form: Each phrase begins with מִן + כֹּל in construct, followed by a definite noun and an agreeing adjective: feminine הַבְּהֵמָה הַטְּהֹורָה; masculine הָעֹוף הַטָּהֹר.
  • Significance: The clean category is grammatically applied to both beasts and birds, with adjective gender agreement tracking the head noun. The two source phrases are coordinated and together form the complement of וַיִּקַּח.
  • Grammar reference: construct-state, syntax-compound-object-waw.

3. וַיַּעַל עֹלֹת — Hiphil offering idiom

  • Form: וַיַּעַל is Hiphil wayyiqtol 3ms of עלה, "cause to go up / bring up / offer." Its object is עֹלֹת, feminine plural absolute, "burnt offerings."
  • Significance: The offering action is expressed by a causative verb plus the burnt-offering noun. Grammatically, Noah is the subject causing the offerings to ascend on the altar.
  • Grammar reference: stem-hiphil.

4. בַּמִּזְבֵּחַ — altar as governed location/complement

  • Form: בַּ combines preposition ב plus article ה, followed by מִזְבֵּחַ, "the altar."
  • Significance: The altar appears first as the direct object of וַיִּבֶן and finally as the location/complement of the offering action. The repeated noun frames the verse.
  • Grammar reference: no dedicated altar syntax entry exists.

Clause Structure

  • Clause 1: WayX: וַיִּבֶן predicate; נֹחַ subject; מִזְבֵּחַ object; לַיהוָה complement.
  • Clause 2: Way0: וַיִּקַּח predicate; coordinated source complement מִכֹּל הַבְּהֵמָה הַטְּהֹורָה וּמִכֹּל הָעֹוף הַטָּהֹר.
  • Clause 3: Way0: וַיַּעַל predicate; עֹלֹת object; בַּמִּזְבֵּחַ complement.

Construct Chains

  • כֹּל הַבְּהֵמָה הַטְּהֹורָה — "all/every of the clean beast."
  • כֹּל הָעֹוף הַטָּהֹר — "all/every of the clean bird."

Cross-References