Ch10 Construct Chain Drill

BBH Chapter 10 · 25 construct chains

Instructions: For each Hebrew construct chain, fill in: (a) Construct Noun — give the Hebrew word and note its form type; (b) Absolute Noun — the governing noun; (c) Definite? — Yes or No; (d) Translation — natural English.
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Part A — Simple 2-Link Chains (Indefinite)

The absolute noun has no article and is not a proper noun. The whole chain is indefinite.

# Hebrew Construct Noun Absolute Noun Definite? Translation
1 דְּבַר מֶלֶךְ
✓ דְּבַר מֶלֶךְ דְּבַר (ms cstr; propretonic reduction) מֶלֶךְ No a word of a king
2 בֵּית אִישׁ
✓ בֵּית אִישׁ בֵּית (ms cstr of בַּיִת) אִישׁ No a man's house
3 כְּבוֹד עָם
✓ כְּבוֹד עָם כְּבוֹד (ms cstr of כָּבוֹד) עָם No glory of a people
4 עֶבֶד מֶלֶךְ
✓ עֶבֶד מֶלֶךְ עֶבֶד (ms cstr; segolate, unchanged) מֶלֶךְ No a servant of a king
5 בְּנֵי אָדָם
✓ בְּנֵי אָדָם בְּנֵי (mp cstr of בֵּן; ִים → ֵי) אָדָם No sons of man / humankind
6 סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה
✓ סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה סֵפֶר (ms cstr; segolate, unchanged) תּוֹרָה No a book of the law
7 כֹּהֵן אֱלֹהִים
✓ כֹּהֵן אֱלֹהִים כֹּהֵן (ms cstr; unchanged) אֱלֹהִים No a priest of God
8 רוּחַ אָדָם
✓ רוּחַ אָדָם רוּחַ (fs cstr; unchanged) אָדָם No the spirit of man

Part B — Simple 2-Link Chains (Definite)

The absolute noun has the definite article הַ or is a proper noun. The whole chain is definite.

# Hebrew Construct Noun Absolute Noun Definite? Translation
9 דְּבַר יְהוָה
✓ דְּבַר יְהוָה דְּבַר (ms cstr; propretonic reduction) יְהוָה (proper noun) Yes — proper noun the word of the LORD
10 בֵּית יְהוָה
✓ בֵּית יְהוָה בֵּית (ms cstr of בַּיִת) יְהוָה (proper noun) Yes — proper noun the house of the LORD
11 כְּבוֹד יְהוָה
✓ כְּבוֹד יְהוָה כְּבוֹד (ms cstr of כָּבוֹד) יְהוָה (proper noun) Yes — proper noun the glory of the LORD
12 שֵׁם יְהוָה
✓ שֵׁם יְהוָה שֵׁם (ms cstr; unchanged) יְהוָה (proper noun) Yes — proper noun the name of the LORD
13 בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ
✓ בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ בֵּית (ms cstr of בַּיִת) הַמֶּלֶךְ (definite article) Yes — article on absolute the king's house
14 מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל
✓ מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל מֶלֶךְ (ms cstr; segolate, unchanged) יִשְׂרָאֵל (proper noun) Yes — proper noun the king of Israel
15 עִיר דָּוִד
✓ עִיר דָּוִד עִיר (fs cstr; unchanged) דָּוִד (proper noun) Yes — proper noun the city of David
16 בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
✓ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּנֵי (mp cstr of בֵּן; ִים → ֵי) יִשְׂרָאֵל (proper noun) Yes — proper noun the sons / children of Israel

Part C — Extended 3-Link Chains

Each chain has three nouns. Identify all construct nouns (there will be two) and the single absolute noun.

# Hebrew Construct Nouns (both) Absolute Noun Definite? Translation
17 דְּבַר תּוֹרַת יְהוָה
✓ דְּבַר תּוֹרַת יְהוָה דְּבַר (ms cstr) + תּוֹרַת (fs cstr) יְהוָה (proper noun) Yes — proper noun the word of the law of the LORD
18 בֵּית אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
✓ בֵּית אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בֵּית (ms cstr) + אֱלֹהֵי (mp cstr; ִים → ֵי) יִשְׂרָאֵל (proper noun) Yes — proper noun the house of the God of Israel
19 מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים
✓ מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים מֶלֶךְ (ms cstr) + מַלְכֵי (mp cstr; ִים → ֵי) הַמְּלָכִים (definite article) Yes — article on absolute king of kings of the kings (= king of all kings)
20 שֵׁם יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ
✓ שֵׁם יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ שֵׁם (ms cstr); אֱלֹהֵינוּ is appositive יְהוָה (proper noun) + אֱלֹהֵינוּ (appositive) Yes — proper noun the name of the LORD our God
21 עֶבֶד עַבְדֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ
✓ עֶבֶד עַבְדֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ עֶבֶד (ms cstr) + עַבְדֵי (mp cstr; ִים → ֵי) הַמֶּלֶךְ (definite article) Yes — article on absolute servant of the servants of the king

Part D — Feminine Construct Nouns (ַת ending)

Each chain uses a feminine singular noun in the construct state. Note the characteristic ָה → ַת change.

# Hebrew Construct Noun Absolute Noun Definite? Translation
22 תּוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה
✓ תּוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה תּוֹרַת (fs cstr; תּוֹרָה → תּוֹרַת) מֹשֶׁה (proper noun) Yes — proper noun the law / Torah of Moses
23 תּוֹרַת יְהוָה
✓ תּוֹרַת יְהוָה תּוֹרַת (fs cstr; תּוֹרָה → תּוֹרַת) יְהוָה (proper noun) Yes — proper noun the law / Torah of the LORD
24 מַלְכַּת שְׁבָא
✓ מַלְכַּת שְׁבָא מַלְכַּת (fs cstr; מַלְכָּה → מַלְכַּת) שְׁבָא (proper noun) Yes — proper noun the queen of Sheba
25 בִּרְכַּת יְהוָה
✓ בִּרְכַּת יְהוָה בִּרְכַּת (fs cstr; בְּרָכָה → בִּרְכַּת) יְהוָה (proper noun) Yes — proper noun the blessing of the LORD
Reflection Questions
  1. In items 5 and 16, both chains contain בְּנֵי. What morphological change marks this word as a construct plural rather than an absolute plural? What is the absolute form of this noun?
  2. Why can't the definite article appear on the construct noun? In item 13 (בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ), which noun carries the article — and what does that tell us about the definiteness of the entire chain?
  3. In item 17 (דְּבַר תּוֹרַת יְהוָה), two nouns are in the construct state. How do you know תּוֹרַת is in the construct state? What would the absolute form of that noun look like, and what ending would it have?