Samuel_Kim_en_uhg/content/adverb/02.md

Article

Biblical Hebrew does not contain many words that are classified directly as adverbs. However, many different kinds of words have potential to function as adverbs, including particles, infinitives, adjectives, and even nouns. Many adverbs in Biblical Hebrew have the potential to serve multiple functions. For example, כֹּה can function as an adverb of place, an adverb of time, or an adverb of manner; פֹּה can function as an adverb of time or an adverb of place, etc.

Many particles are closely related to adverbs in Biblical Hebrew. A general rule is that when a particle occurs after the verb, it functions as an adverb; but when a particle appears before the verb, then it functions in some other way (usually as a particle or conjunction). But this rule is not universal; both adverbs and adverbial particles sometimes appear before the verb rather than after the verb, as in the example below (GEN 32:11).

Adverbs of place

• GEN 22:5

שְׁבוּ־לָכֶ֥ם **פֹּה֙** עִֽם־הַחֲמ֔וֹר וַאֲנִ֣י וְהַנַּ֔עַר נֵלְכָ֖ה עַד־כֹּ֑ה

shevu-lakhem **poh** 'im-hahamor wa'ani wehanna'ar nelekhah 'ad-**koh**

Stay\_to-you **here** with\_the-donkey and-I and-the-lad will-go to\_**there**.

You two stay **here** with the donkey while the boy and I go over **there**.

• DEU 31:26

וְהָֽיָה־**שָׁ֥ם** בְּךָ֖ לְעֵֽד׃

wehayah-**sham** bekha le'ed

it-may-be **there** as-a-witness against-you

it may remain **there** to testify about what Yahweh will do to the people if they disobey him

• EZE 40:30

וְאֵֽלַמּ֖וֹת **סָבִ֣יב ׀ סָבִ֑יב** אֹ֗רֶךְ

we'elammoth **saviv saviv** 'orekh

And-porticos **surrounding surrounding** length

There were also porticos **all around** the inner wall

Adverbs of time

• GEN 32:11

וְעַתָּ֥ה הָיִ֖יתִי לִשְׁנֵ֥י מַחֲנֽוֹת

**and-now** I-have-become to-two companies

**and now** I have become two camps

• GEN 4:26

אָ֣ז הוּחַ֔ל לִקְרֹ֖א בְּשֵׁ֥ם יְהוָֽה

**Then** he-began to-call-out in-name-of Yahweh

**At that time** people began to call on the name of Yahweh.

Adverbs of quantity

• GEN 31:41

וַיִּ֤חַר לְקַ֙יִן֙ מְאֹ֔ד

And-it-burned for-Cain **greatly**

So Cain was **very** angry

• GEN 22:15

וַיִּקְרָ֛א מַלְאַ֥ךְ יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֑ם **שֵׁנִ֖ית** מִן־הַשָּׁמָֽיִם

And-he-called-out angel-of Yahweh to_Abraham **second** from_the-heavens

The angel of Yahweh called to Abraham **a second time** from heaven

Adverbs of manner

• JDG 21:14

וְלֹֽא־מָצְא֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם כֵּֽן׃

but-not they-found for-them **thus**

but there were not **enough** women for all of them.

• ZEP 1:14

מַ֥ר צֹרֵ֖חַ שָׁ֥ם גִּבּֽוֹר׃

**mar** tsoreah sham gibbor

**bitterly** cries there hero.

even brave soldiers will cry **loudly**.

Substantive adverbs

Because there are not many direct adverbs in Biblical Hebrew, other kinds of words often function as adverbs.

Particles

• GEN 3:22

וְלָקַ֕חַת **גַּ֥ם** אֶת־דּוּדָאֵ֖י בְּנִ֑י

and-to-take **also** [dir.obj]_mandrakes-of my-son

Do you now want to take away my son's mandrakes, **too**?

• GEN 6:5

וְכָל־יֵ֙צֶר֙ מַחְשְׁבֹ֣ת לִבּ֔וֹ **רַ֥ק** רַ֖ע כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם

and-all-of_intentions-of thoughts-of his-heart **only** evil all-of_the-day

every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was **only** evil continually

Infinitives (absolute state)

• GEN 2:16

מִכֹּ֥ל עֵֽץ־הַגָּ֖ן **אָכֹ֥ל** תֹּאכֵֽל

mikkol 'ets-haggan **'akhol** tokhel

from-every tree-of_the-garden **eating** you-may-eat

From every tree in the garden you may **freely** eat.

• 1SA 3:12

אָקִ֣ים אֶל־עֵלִ֔י אֵ֛ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי אֶל־בֵּיתֹ֑ו **הָחֵ֖ל וְכַלֵּֽה**׃

'aqim 'el-'eli 'eth kol-'asher dibbarti 'el-bethow **hahel wekhalleh**

I-will-fulfill to\_Eli [dir.obj] all\_that I-have-spoken to\_his-house **beginning and-ending**.

I will fulfill against Eli everything that I have spoken concerning his house, **from beginning to end**.

Adjectives

• JOS 21:10

כִּ֥י לָהֶ֛ם הָיָ֥ה הַגּוֹרָ֖ל רִיאשֹׁנָֽה

for to-them it-was the-lot **first**

For the **first** casting of lots had fallen to them.

• JOS 1:7

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר עֵשָׂ֖ו יֶשׁ־לִ֣י **רָ֑ב** אָחִ֕י

And-he-said Esau 'There-is_for-me **enough** my-brother'

Esau said, "I have **enough**, my brother."

Nouns

• 1SA 12:11

וַתֵּשְׁב֖וּ **בֶּֽטַח**׃

watteshevu **betah**

and-you-lived **safety**

and you lived **safely**

• HOS 14:4 (in Hebrew: HOS 14:5)

אֹהֲבֵ֖ם נְדָבָ֑ה

'ohavem **nedavah**

I-will-love **free**

I will love them **freely**

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Editor's note (Joel): this material is for deletion.

לֹא

לֹא is for general negation, especially in a verbal clause.

• EXO 6:9

וְלֹ֤א שָֽׁמְעוּ֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה

**welo** shame'u 'el-mosheh

**and-not** they-listened to\_Moses

**but** they **did not** believe what Moses said

• PRO 1:29

וְיִרְאַ֥ת יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה **לֹ֣א** בָחָֽרוּ

weyir'ath yehowah **lo** vaharu

and-fear Yahweh **not** they-chose

and **did not** choose the fear of Yahweh

אַל

אַל is used for negative imperatives.

• GEN 35:17

וַתֹּ֨אמֶר לָ֤הּ הַמְיַלֶּ֙דֶת֙ **אַל**־תִּ֣ירְאִ֔י

wattomer lah hamyalledeth **'al**-tire'i

and-she-said to-her the midwife **not** you-will-fear

the midwife said to Rachel, "**Do not** be afraid"

• NEH 4:5 (NEH 3:37 in Hebrew)

וְאַל־תְּכַס֙ עַל־עֲוֺנָ֔ם

**we'al**-tekhas 'al-'awonam

**And-not**\_you-will-cover over\_their-iniquity

**Do not** take away their guilt

אֵין/אַיִן

אֵין/אַיִן for "there is not".

• DEU 28:29

וְאֵ֥ין מוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃

**we'en** moshia'

**and-not** to-save-you

**and there will not be anyone** to help you.

• JOS 6:1

אֵ֥ין יוֹצֵ֖א וְאֵ֥ין בָּֽא׃

**'en** yotse we'en ba

**No-one** going-out and-no-one coming-in.

**No one** could go enter or leave the city.

בַּל

• בַּל is a negative adverb used in poetry.

• PSA 10:6

אָמַ֣ר בְּ֭לִבּוֹ **בַּל**־אֶמּ֑וֹט

'amar belibbo **bal**-'emmot

He-says in-his-heart **not** I-will-fail"

In his mind he thinks, "**Nothing** bad can happen to me!"

בְּלִי֙

• בְּלִי֙ is a negative adverb usually used in poetry.

• PSA 19:3 (PSA 19:4 in Hebrew)

בְּ֝לִ֗י נִשְׁמָ֥ע קוֹלָֽם׃

**beli** nishma' qolam

**not** it-is-heard their-voice.

There is **no** sound from them for anyone to hear.

בִּלְתִּ֣י

• בִּלְתִּ֣י can mean "not," "except," or "unless"

• GEN 43:3

לֹֽא־תִרְא֣וּ פָנַ֔י **בִּלְתִּ֖י** אֲחִיכֶ֥ם אִתְּכֶֽם׃

lo-thir'u fanay **bilti** 'ahikhem 'ittekhem

Not\_you-will-see my-face **unless** your-brother with-you.

I will not let you see me again **if** you come and your younger brother is **not** with you.

emphasis

In Hebrew, adverbs of negation can combine with another negative word to add emphasis.

• 2KI 1:3

הַֽמִבְּלִ֤י **אֵין**־אֱלֹהִים֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל

hamibbeli **'en**-'elohim beyisra'el

Because **there-is-no**\_God in-Israel

Is it because **there is no** God in Israel?

• GEN 3:6

וַתִּתֵּ֧ן **גַּם**־לְאִישָׁ֛הּ עִמָּ֖הּ וַיֹּאכַֽל׃

wattitten **gam**-le'ishah 'immah wayyokhal

And-she-gave **also** to-her-husband with-her and-he-ate.

Then she gave some to her husband, and he ate it.

Here the smooth translation does not represent the word גַּם.

גַּם ... גַּם can mean "both... and"

• GEN 44:16

גַּם־אֲנַ֕חְנוּ **גַּ֛ם** אֲשֶׁר־נִמְצָ֥א הַגָּבִ֖יעַ בְּיָדֽוֹ׃

**gam**-'anahnu **gam** 'asher-nimtsa haggavia' beyado

**both**_we **and** who it-was-found the-cup in-his-hand

**both** we **and** the one in whose sack the cup was found.

Emphatic

• גַּם can mean "even"

• EXO 4:9

וְהָיָ֡ה אִם־לֹ֣א יַאֲמִ֡ינוּ **גַּם֩** לִשְׁנֵ֨י הָאֹת֜וֹת הָאֵ֗לֶּה וְלֹ֤א יִשְׁמְעוּן֙

wehayah 'im-lo ya'aminu **gam** lishne ha'othoth ha'elleh welo yishme'un

And-it-is if\_not they-believe **even** in-two-of the-signs the-these and-not they-listen

But if they do not believe you or listen to what you say even after you show them these two miracles

Here the smooth translation does not represent the word גַּם.

Rhetorical

• GEN 27:33

וָאֲבָרֲכֵ֑הוּ **גַּם**־בָּר֖וּךְ יִהְיֶֽה׃

wa'avarakhehu **gam**-barukh yihyeh

And-I-will-bless-him **indeed** being-blessed he-will-be.

I cannot take back that blessing.

Here the smooth translation does not represent the word גַּם.

Correlative

• גַּם can mean "on one's part"

• 2SA 12:13

גַּם־יְהוָ֛ה הֶעֱבִ֥יר חַטָּאתְךָ֖

**gam**-yehwah he'evir hattathekha

**on his part** Yahweh has-passed-over your-sin

Yahweh has overlooked your sin.

Here the smooth translation does not represent the word גַּם.

Concessive

• גַּם can show contrast

• ISA 1:15

גַּ֛ם כִּֽי־תַרְבּ֥וּ תְפִלָּ֖ה אֵינֶ֣נִּי שֹׁמֵ֑עַ

**gam** ki-tharbu thefillah 'enenni shomea'

**Even** though\_you-make-many prayer not-I I-will-listen

**Even** though you offer many prayers, I will not listen.

אַךְ

Restrictive

• אַךְ can mean "only" or "however"

• GEN 9:4

אַךְ־בָּשָׂ֕ר בְּנַפְשׁ֥וֹ דָמ֖וֹ לֹ֥א תֹאכֵֽלוּ׃

**'akh**-basar benafsho damo lo thokhelu

**However**\_meat in-its-life its-blood not you-shall-eat

**But** you must not eat meat with its life—that is its blood—in it.

רַ֥ק

Restrictive

• רַ֥ק can mean "only"

• NUM 12:2

הֲרַ֤ק אַךְ־בְּמֹשֶׁה֙ דִּבֶּ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה

**haraq** 'akh-bemosheh dibber yehwah

**only** really\_with-Moses spoken Yahweh

Is Moses the **only** one to whom Yahweh has spoken messages to tell to us?

Emphatic

• רַ֥ק can mean "if only"

• DEU 15:5

רַ֚ק אִם־שָׁמ֣וֹעַ תִּשְׁמַ֔ע בְּק֖וֹל יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ

**raq** 'im-shamoa' tishma' beqol yehwah 'eloheykha

**only** if\_listening you-will-listen to-voice-of Yahweh your-God

if **only** you diligently listen to the voice of Yahweh your God