Ch6 Preposition Parsing Drill — Hebrew Prepositions

BBH Chapter 6 · 25 prepositional phrases

Instructions: For each Hebrew prepositional phrase, fill in all five columns, then click ▶ Answer to check.
ColumnWhat to supply
PrepositionThe preposition as it actually appears in this phrase (with pointing)
Base FormThe citation/dictionary form of the preposition
Change / ReasonWhat vowel changed (if any) and the grammatical reason
ObjectThe noun governed by the preposition
TranslationFull idiomatic English translation

Part A — Inseparable Prepositions: Standard and Shewa Rules

Items 1–8 · Default Shewa, two-Shewa rule, composite Shewa matching

#HebrewPrepositionBase FormChange / ReasonObjectTranslation
1 בְּדָבָר
✓ בְּדָבָר בְּ בְּ None — default Shewa before normal consonant דָּבָר in a word / with a word
2 לְמֶלֶךְ
✓ לְמֶלֶךְ לְ לְ None — default Shewa before normal consonant מֶלֶךְ to a king / for a king
3 כְּאִישׁ
✓ כְּאִישׁ כְּ כְּ None — default Shewa; א is quiescent here אִישׁ like a man
4 בִּשְׁמוּאֵל
✓ בִּשְׁמוּאֵל בִּ בְּ Shewa → Hireq: שְׁ has a Shewa; two consecutive shewas not permitted; prep Shewa upgrades to Hireq (ִ) שְׁמוּאֵל in Samuel / with Samuel
5 לִשְׁלֹמֹה
✓ לִשְׁלֹמֹה לִ לְ Shewa → Hireq: שְׁ has a Shewa; two consecutive shewas not permitted שְׁלֹמֹה to Solomon
6 בֶּאֱמֶת
✓ בֶּאֱמֶת בֶּ בְּ Composite Shewa matching: אֱ has hateph Seghol (ֱ); prep takes Seghol (ֶ) to match the vowel class אֱמֶת in truth / truly
7 לֵאלֹהִים
✓ לֵאלֹהִים לֵ לְ Composite Shewa matching: אֱלֹהִים has hateph Seghol under א; prep takes matching Seghol, which lengthens to Tsere (ֵ) before the quiescent א אֱלֹהִים to God
8 כֶּחָכְמָה
✓ כֶּחָכְמָה כֶּ כְּ Composite Shewa matching: ח is a guttural; prep takes Seghol (ֶ) by assimilation to the guttural's vowel environment חָכְמָה like wisdom

Part B — Inseparable Prepositions Fused with the Definite Article

Items 9–16 · Normal consonants (Pathach + dagesh forte) and gutturals (Qamets, no dagesh)

#HebrewPrepositionBase FormChange / ReasonObjectTranslation
9 בַּמֶּלֶךְ
✓ בַּמֶּלֶךְ בַּ בְּ Article fusion: הַ of הַמֶּלֶךְ drops; its Pathach transfers to בְּ; dagesh forte in מּ marks the absorbed article מֶלֶךְ in the king / with the king
10 לַשָּׁמַיִם
✓ לַשָּׁמַיִם לַ לְ Article fusion: הַ of הַשָּׁמַיִם drops; Pathach transfers to לְ; dagesh forte in שּׁ שָּׁמַיִם to the heavens
11 כַּיּוֹם
✓ כַּיּוֹם כַּ כְּ Article fusion: הַ of הַיּוֹם drops; Pathach transfers to כְּ; dagesh forte in יּ יּוֹם like the day / as today
12 בַּבַּיִת
✓ בַּבַּיִת בַּ בְּ Article fusion: הַ of הַבַּיִת drops; Pathach transfers; the article's dagesh and the dagesh lene in בּ merge into one dagesh forte בַּיִת in the house
13 לָהָר
✓ לָהָר לָ לְ Article fusion with guttural: הָ of הָהָר drops; ה is a guttural — cannot take dagesh forte; Pathach lengthens compensatorily to Qamets (ָ) הָר to the mountain
14 בָּאָרֶץ
✓ בָּאָרֶץ בָּ בְּ Article fusion with guttural: הָ of הָאָרֶץ drops; א is a guttural — no dagesh forte; Pathach lengthens to Qamets (ָ) אָרֶץ in the earth / in the land
15 לָעָם
✓ לָעָם לָ לְ Article fusion with guttural: הָ of הָעָם drops; ע is a guttural — no dagesh forte; Pathach lengthens to Qamets (ָ) עָם to the people
16 כָּהָאִישׁ
✓ כָּהָאִישׁ כָּ כְּ Article fusion with guttural: הָ of הָאִישׁ drops; א is a guttural — no dagesh forte; Pathach lengthens to Qamets (ָ) אִישׁ like the man

Part C — מִן: Independent, Prefixed, and Compensatory Forms

Items 17–21 · Independent form · Nun assimilation · Compensatory lengthening before gutturals

#HebrewPrepositionBase FormChange / ReasonObjectTranslation
17 מִן הַמֶּלֶךְ
✓ מִן הַמֶּלֶךְ מִן מִן No change — independent form used before words with the definite article הַמֶּלֶךְ from the king
18 מִמֶּלֶךְ
✓ מִמֶּלֶךְ מִ מִן Nun assimilation: נ disappears and is represented by the dagesh forte in the following מּ מֶלֶךְ from a king
19 מִיַּד
✓ מִיַּד מִ מִן Nun assimilation: dagesh forte in יּ of יַּד (יָד = "hand") represents the assimilated נ יָד from the hand
20 מֵהָאָרֶץ
✓ מֵהָאָרֶץ מֵ מִן Compensatory lengthening: ה is a guttural — rejects dagesh forte; Hireq (ִ) lengthens to Tsere (ֵ) as compensation הָאָרֶץ from the earth / from the land
21 מֵאֱלֹהִים
✓ מֵאֱלֹהִים מֵ מִן Compensatory lengthening: א is a guttural — rejects dagesh forte; Hireq → Tsere (ֵ) אֱלֹהִים from God

Part D — Independent Prepositions and the Direct Object Marker

Items 22–25 · אֶל · עַל · עִם · אֵת (DOM)

#HebrewPrepositionBase FormChange / ReasonObjectTranslation
22 אֶל הָעִיר
✓ אֶל הָעִיר אֶל אֶל None — independent preposition; no prefix rule applies הָעִיר to the city
23 עַל הַשָּׁמַיִם
✓ עַל הַשָּׁמַיִם עַל עַל None — independent preposition הַשָּׁמַיִם upon the heavens / over the heavens
24 עִם הָעַם
✓ עִם הָעַם עִם עִם None — independent preposition הָעַם with the people
25 אֵת הַמֶּלֶךְ
✓ אֵת הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵת אֵת None — אֵת is the direct object marker (DOM), not a true preposition; no vowel-change rule applies הַמֶּלֶךְ [marks "the king" as the definite direct object — untranslated in English]

Reflection Questions

  1. Identifying article fusion: You encounter the form לַבַּיִת. How do you know that the definite article is present even though the letter ה does not appear? What two clues tell you the article has been absorbed?
  2. Guttural contrast: Compare בַּמֶּלֶךְ (item 9) with בָּהָר (item 13). Both represent בְּ fused with the definite article. Why does one have Pathach + dagesh forte (בַּ) and the other has Qamets without dagesh (בָּ)? What principle governs the difference?
  3. מִן forms: Explain the difference between מִן הַמֶּלֶךְ, מִמֶּלֶךְ, and מֵאֱלֹהִים. Why does each one look different, and what single underlying form connects them all?