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Version: 1.1
Overseer: Ian Atkinson
Introduction
What
The grammatical diagram provides a way to visualise how different parts of a sentence work together. It represents the “surface-level” grammar, or morphosyntax, of a sentence. Morphosyntax includes both the form of words (morphology) and their placement in the sentence (syntax). This approach to visualising the text, based on the Reed-Kellogg diagramming method, places the grammatical subject in one slot, the verb in another slot, and modifiers and connectives in other slots.
Why
A solid understanding of sentence grammar is foundational for understanding the meaning of a text. There are several exegetical "payoffs" for analysing a text in this way. Grammatical diagramming:
- encourages you to slow down and consider how each word relates to the words around it;
- helps reveal grammatical and syntactical ambiguities;
- reveals interpretive possibilities useful for evaluating existing versions and interpretations; and
- aids in discovering grammatical and syntactical parallels and other formal features, especially for poetic texts.
The grammatical diagram is limited to the sentence-level, so in most cases it will not visually represent relationships that obtain across larger sections of text (cf. the “discourse” layer). The method proposed here requires knowledge of basic linguistic terminology and of Hebrew morphology and syntax. For more on grammar basics, see Additional Resources below.
Tools
Hebrew Text: all Layer by Layer materials use the OSHB as the base text.
Diagramming Software: Our developing online diagrammer, with instruction page here.
Diagramming examples:
- Grammatical diagram method overview video
- Ps 1 grammatical diagram and video explanation
- Additional psalms grammatical diagrams
Formatting Conventions
The use of colour and parentheses is meaningful, so please follow these established conventions for your diagram.
–Black font and line colour = default.
– Pink font and line colour (where necessary) = dispreferred reading.
– Blue font = emended text (whether preferred or dispreferred).
– Gray font without parentheses = part of the text that is represented in black elsewhere (e.g. pronominal suffixes, vocatives that are also appositional to a non-subject constituent).
– (Gray font with parentheses) = supplied elided element.
– ( ) Empty gray parentheses = non-supplied elided element. E.g. substantival adj., vocatives that are in apposition to an implied subj of the imperative, and relative clauses [implied head/antecedent].
– Never use black parentheses.
Steps
1. Prepare your workspace.
If using Logos's "Sentence Diagrammer," select the "Tools" tab, and click on "Sentence Diagrammer." Title the document "Psalm [number] and insert the Hebrew text from BHS. Remove all diacritics such as accents and maqqefs, but don't remove vowel points.
2. Diagram the clause.
A. Base Clause
The clause is the heart of every sentence. Every clause has two parts: a subject and a predicate. The #1 rule for diagramming grammar is one line per clause, and one clause per line. The clause is diagrammed as follows:
The horizontal line is called the base line. The vertical line separates the subject from the predicate. All other components of the sentence are built around this core.
B. Clausal Additions
In addition to the verb, the predicate may have additional elements that will be positioned on the base line, since they are a part of the "heart" of the sentence:
– Direct object (vertical line, which does not transect the base line). If present, include the Hebrew definite direct obj. marker אֶת along with the object.
– Predicate adjective / noun (diagonal line, slanting toward the subj.). Hebrew frequently uses verbless, or nominal, clauses. In these cases, the predicate may consist of a noun or noun equivalent (e.g. participle, prepositional phrase, adjective). The verb slot on the diagram will be empty, and the noun will be predicative. Cf. Jouon-Muraoka, 154d; 133c.
– Object complement (diagonal line, slanting toward the verb). The object complement predicates a description of the direct object.
– Infinitive (double vertical slash). Hebrew has two different forms of the infinitive (construct and absolute), each of which can function in more than one way in sentence grammar. Note: See examples below for diagramming the different functions of the infinitive.
These additional to the main clause are diagrammed as follows:
C. Examples
Direct object
Isa 6:5 – אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ רָאוּ עֵינָי׃ ("My eyes have seen the King").
כִּי as complementiser
When the particle כִּי introduces the object, or less commonly the subject, it is placed in the slot which it introduces. This is sometimes called a nominal clause, since it consists of a subordinate clause that functions like a noun phrase. Because the כִּי introduces an embedded clause, the embedded clause is placed on stilts.
Ps 34:9 - טַעֲמ֣וּ וּ֭רְאוּ כִּי־ט֣וֹב יְהוָ֑ה ("Taste and see that the LORD is good!")
Subject Complement
Predicate noun
Ps 10:16a - יְהוָה מֶלֶךְ ("YHWH is King").
An entire prepositional phrase can function as subject complement, e.g. Ps 14:5b - אֱלֹהִים בְּדוֹר צַדִּיק ("God is in the righteous generation.")
Object complement
Ps 104:4 - עֹשֶׂה מַלְאָכָיו רוּחוֹת ("He makes his angels winds").
Infinitive construct
As adverbial modifier
Ps 3:1 - בְּבָרְחוֹ מִפְּנֵי אַבְשָׁלוֹם ("When he fled from the presence of Absalom . . ."). Note: the 3ms pronominal suffix on the infinitive form בְּבָרְחוֹ functions like a subject of the infinitive. The diagram reflects both its form as a pronominal suffix (stair step) and its semantic function as the subject of the infinitive (dotted line back to the subject slot). See GKC §115 for infinitive construct with subject and object.
As subject
Ps 133:1 - הִנֵּ֣ה מַה־טּ֭וֹב וּמַה־נָּעִ֑ים שֶׁ֖בֶת אַחִ֣ים גַּם־יָֽחַד׃ ("Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers live together!" [Lit. Behold, the living of brothers together [is] how good and pleasant]).
Infinitive absolute
As adverbial modifier
Ps 132:15 - צֵידָהּ בָּרֵ֣ךְ אֲבָרֵ֑ךְ ("I will greatly bless her provisions.")
3. Diagram modifiers.
A. Modifiers
Modifiers expand the sentence. In addition to the heart of the sentence (subject + predicate), a clause may be expanded with modifiers. Modifiers are typically diagrammed below the word they modify. Modifiers include:
– Adjectives (slanted line)
– Adverb (slanted line)
– Construct relationships, also called "bound forms" (stair step). This includes pronominal suffixes.
– Prepositional phrases (including infinitives with inseparable prepositions) (horizontal line via slanting line)
– Participles (horizontal line via curved line; placement depends on function [see below])
–Adverbials (horizontal line via dotted slanting line). An adverbial is a word or phrase that functions like an adverb (gives more information about the verb or verbal action). Because Biblical Hebrew has few true adverbs (in terms of morphology), it frequently uses nouns with an adverbial function.
These are diagrammed as follows:
Notes:
• The definite article הַ should be represented as an adj., represented twice (once in gray). Substantival adjectives are also placed below the base line, along with gray parentheses on the line to indicate the elided noun which they represent.
• For pronominal suffixes, as with the definite article, preserve the form on its head noun in grey font.
• Some participles are "concretised" nouns (e.g. כֹּהֵן priest; אֹיֵב enemy). Because these frozen forms act more like nouns than typical participles, they may be diagrammed as nouns. When in doubt, diagram with the curved line per the participle convention.
B. Examples
Adjectives
Attributive adjective
Gen 21:8 – וַיַּעַשׂ אַבְרָהָם מִשְׁתֶּה גָדוֹל ("And Abraham threw a great feast").
Predicate adjective
Ps 3:2 – רַבִּים קָמִים עָלָי ("Those rising up against me are many").
Substantival adjective
Ps 1:1 – וּבְדֶרֶךְ חַטָּאִים לֹא עָמָד (". . .and he does not stand in the path of sinful [people])."
Definite Article
Ps 2:7 – אֲנִי הַיּוֹם יְלִדְתִּיךָ ("Today I have begotten you.")
Adverbs
Ps 6:4 – וְנַפְשִׁי נִבְהֲלָה מְאֹד (". . . my soul is very dismayed").
Construct Chains
Ps 1:2 - בְּתוֹרַת יְהוָה חֶפְצוֹ ("His delight is in the instruction of YHWH").
Ps 13:4 - הָאִירָה עֵינַי ("Illuminate my eyes").
Ps 6:9 – שָׁמַע יְהוָה קוֹל בִּכְיִי ("YHWH heard the sound of my cry").
Prepositional Phrases
Ps 150:3 – הַלְלוּהוּ בְּתֵקַע שׁוֹפָר ("Praise him with the sound of the shofar!").
Infinitives with inseparable preposition
Ps 11:2 – כּוֹנְנ֣וּ חִץָּ֣ם . . . לִיר֥וֹת . . . לְיִשְׁרֵי־לֵֽב׃ ("They prepared their arrow to shoot the upright of heart.") Note that the infinitive construct and inseparable preposition modify the verb, so they are placed underneath the adverb slot.
Participles: Substantival
Ps 3:2 – רַבִּים קָמִים עָלָֽי ("Those rising up against me are many").
Participles: Predicate
Ps 1:6 – יוֹדֵעַ יְהוָה דֶּרֶךְ צַדִּיקִים ("YHWH knows the way of the righteous").
Participles: Attributive
Ps 5:5 – לֹא אֵל־חָפֵץ רֶשַׁע ׀ אָתָּה ("You are not a God who delights in evil").
Adverbial
Ps 5:4 – בֹּקֶר אֶעֱרָךְ־לְךָ וַאֲצַפֶּה׃ ("In the morning, I arrange [a case] for you").
4. Diagram particles.
A. Particles
Particles are diagrammed near the line, but are not connected to it. Interjections, vocatives, and appositional words are treated like particles. Appositional words are shown with an equals sign (=) to indicate co-referentiality. These are diagrammed as follows:
B. Examples
Interjection
Ps 7:15 - הִנֵּ֥ה יְחַבֶּל־אָ֑וֶן וְהָרָ֥ה ("Behold, he conceives evil!")
Vocative
Ps 3:2 - יְהוָה מָה-רַבּוּ צָרָי ("YHWH, how my enemies have multiplied!").
Ps 6:3 – חָנֵּ֥נִי יְהוָה֮ כִּ֤י אֻמְלַ֫ל אָ֥נִי ("Have mercy on me, YHWH, because I am languishing").
Apposition
Gen 4:8 - וַיֹּ֥אמֶר קַ֖יִן אֶל־הֶ֣בֶל אָחִ֑יו ("And Cain said to Abel, his brother . . .").
5. Diagram connectives.
A. Connectives
Connectives join two or more words, phrases, or clauses. Conjunctions, the grammatical label given to most connectives, can be either coordinate (joining texts of the same syntactic level) or subordinate (joining text of different syntactic levels):
- Coordinate conjunctions (straight, dashed lines)
- Subordinate conjunctions (stair-step, dashed lines)
Words, phrases, and clauses can be joined in a variety of ways:
–Compound predicate. A compound predicate is a clause with two or more verbs that share the same subject.
–Compound subject. A compound subject is a clause with two or more subjects that share the same verb.
–Compound sentence. A compound sentence is one composed of two or more coordinate clauses.
–Subordinating particle (dashed lines)
–Embedded Clause (stilts, to distinguish internal structure from function within the main clause)
B. Examples
Coordinating Connectives
Compound predicate
Ps 1:1 - אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי־הָאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר ׀ לֹ֥א הָלַךְ֮ בַּעֲצַ֪ת רְשָׁ֫עִ֥ים וּבְדֶ֣רֶךְ חַ֭טָּאִים לֹ֥אעָמָ֑ד וּבְמוֹשַׁ֥ב לֵ֝צִ֗ים לֹ֣א יָשָֽׁב׃ ("How blessed is the one who does not go in the counsel of wicked people, and does not come to a standstill in the pathway of sinful people, and does not settle in the dwelling place of insolent people").
Compound sentence
Ps 4:5 - רִגְזוּ וְאַל־תֶּחֱטָאוּ ("Tremble, and do not sin").
Subordinating Connectives
Ps 1:3 - וְהָיָה כְּעֵץ שָׁתוּל עַל־פַּלְגֵי מָיִם אֲשֶׁר פִּרְיוֹ יִתֵּן בְּעִתּוֹ ("And he will be like a tree, planted by streams of water, which produces its fruit in its season").
Embedded Clauses
Ps 2:7 - יְהוָה אָמַר אֵלַי בְּנִי אַתָּה ("YHWH said to me, 'You are my son.'")
Ps 5:7 - תְּאַבֵּד דֹּבְרֵי כָזָב ("You will destroy those who speak lies")
6. Diagram special cases.
A. Explanation
There are several specific constructions that merit special attention:
–Ellipsis (gray font and parentheses)
–Particles of existence / non-existence יֵשׁ and אֵין (usually diagrammed as an adverbial). Note: these particles are morphologically nouns (“existence” and “nonexistence"), appearing in both the absolute and construct states. However, rarely do they function as nouns. If the particle functions more like a noun, then reflect this in the diagram. More often, though, it should be diagrammed according to its function as an adverbial.
–Psalm superscriptions (diagrammed as sentence fragments)
–Grammatical ambiguity (non-preferred reading[s] in pink)
–Emended text (any divergence from MT in blue)
–Selah (as particle, on right-hand margin)
B. Examples
Ellipsis
Ps 2:1 - לָ֭מָּה רָגְשׁ֣וּ גוֹיִ֑ם וּ֝לְאֻמִּ֗ים יֶהְגּוּ־רִֽיק׃ ("Why do the nations throng, and [why] do the peoples mutter vanity?"). Represent elided words in gray and parentheses, e.g. לָמָּה (why?) in the second line of Ps 2:1.
Particles of existence / non-existence Ps 3:3 - אֵין יְשׁוּעָתָה לּוֹ בֵאלֹהִים ("There is no salvation for him in God").
Psalms superscriptions
Many psalms have a brief superscription, which gives information such as title, authorship, collection, and performance information. These annotations are not complete sentences, so they should be diagrammed as below. If there is more than one element, they should be diagrammed separately.
Grammatical ambiguity
In cases where there is more than one possible grammatical construal, place the preferred reading on the main diagram as normal, and include non-preferred reading(s) in pink. Where possible, place the non-preferred reading on the main diagram (as below); otherwise, place alongside the main diagram.
Ps 5:5 – לֹ֖א יְגֻרְךָ֣ רָֽע
Preferred: “Evil will not sojourn with you.”
Non-preferred: “The evil [person] will not sojourn with you.”
Emended text
In cases where an emended text is diagrammed, it should be placed in blue font, regardless of whether it is the preferred or the alternate reading. Note: it is strongly encouraged that you provide a note to the side of the diagram which lists the textual options and explains the reason(s) for the preferred text.
Ps 11:1 – נוּדוּ [נ֝֗וּדִי] הַרְכֶ֥ם צִפּֽוֹר
Preferred: “Birds, flee [pl.] to your mountain.”
Alternate 1: “Flee [pl.] to your mountain as a bird.”
Alternate 2 (emended): “Flee [s.] to the mountain like a bird.”
Selah
For the Hebrew term סֶלָה, treat as a particle and align on the right-hand margin below the main clause.
Ps 4:3 – תֶּאֱהָב֣וּן רִ֑יק תְּבַקְשׁ֖וּ כָזָ֣ב סֶֽלָה׃ ("[How long] will you love vanity and seek falsehood? Selah.")
Periphrastic Constructions
For verbal constructions which use a form of the vb. היה + participle, place both words in the verb slot. Include the curved participle line like normal.
Ps 122:2 – עֹמְדוֹת הָי֣וּ רַגְלֵ֑ינוּ בִּ֝שְׁעָרַ֗יִךְ יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ ("Our feet were standing in your gates, Jerusalem!")
Additional Resources
- Reed-Kellogg Method
- Diagramming Sentences (slides by L. Kip Wheeler for Carson-Newman University)
- Hebrew Grammar (Learning)
- AnimatedHebrew: beginning Hebrew video lectures.
- Aleph with Beth: biblical Hebrew video course in an immersive style.
- “Biblical Hebrew: A Student Grammar”: draft copy by John A. Cook and Robert D. Holmstedt, 2009.
- Pronominal Suffixes." Chapter notes from Basics of Biblical Hebrew. Gary D. Pratico and Miles V. Van Pelt.
- Van Pelt, Miles V. Basics of Biblical Hebrew Video Lectures. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012. Available on Logos's "Translator's Workplace."
- Hebrew Grammar (Reference)
- Gesenius, Wilhelm. Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar. Edited and revised by E. Kautzsch and A. E. Cowley. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1910. Available on archive.org or Wikisource.
- Joüon, Paul, and T. Muraoka. A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew, 2d ed. Subsidia Biblica, 27. Rome: Editrice Pontificio Istituto Biblico, 2006.
- Van der Merwe, Christo, et al. A Biblical Hebrew Reference Grammar. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic, 1990. Available on archive.org.
- Waltke, Bruce and Michael Patrick O'Conner. An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1990. Available on archive.org.
- Other
- GrammarBook.com: “Finding Nouns, Verbs, and Subjects.”
- SIL "Glossary of Linguistic Terms."
- SIL "French/English Glossary of Linguistic Terms."
- Van Pelt, Miles V. English Grammar to Ace Biblical Hebrew. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010. Available on Logos's "Translator's Workplace."