Ch6 Preposition Parsing Drill¶

For each Hebrew prepositional phrase: (1) identify the preposition as it appears, (2) give the base (dictionary) form of the preposition, (3) describe any vowel change and explain why it occurred, (4) identify the object noun, (5) translate the phrase.

Instructions¶

Column	What to supply
Preposition	The preposition as it actually appears in the phrase (with pointing)
Base Form	The citation/dictionary form of the preposition
Change / Reason	What vowel changed (if any) and the grammatical reason
Object	The noun or word governed by the preposition
Translation	Full idiomatic English translation of the phrase

Part A — Inseparable Prepositions: Standard and Sheva Rules (Items 1–8)¶

#	Hebrew	Preposition	Base Form	Change / Reason	Object	Translation
1	בְּדָבָר
2	לְמֶלֶךְ
3	כְּאִישׁ
4	בִּשְׁמוּאֵל
5	לִשְׁלֹמֹה
6	בֶּאֱמֶת
7	לֵאלֹהִים
8	כֶּחָכְמָה

Part B — Inseparable Prepositions Fused with the Article (Items 9–16)¶

#	Hebrew	Preposition	Base Form	Change / Reason	Object	Translation
9	בַּמֶּלֶךְ
10	לַשָּׁמַיִם
11	כַּיּוֹם
12	בַּבַּיִת
13	לָהָר
14	בָּאָרֶץ
15	לָעָם
16	כָּהָאִישׁ

Part C — מִן: Independent, Prefixed, and Compensatory Forms (Items 17–21)¶

#	Hebrew	Preposition	Base Form	Change / Reason	Object	Translation
17	מִן הַמֶּלֶךְ
18	מִמֶּלֶךְ
19	מִיַּד
20	מֵהָאָרֶץ
21	מֵאֱלֹהִים

Part D — Independent Prepositions (Items 22–25)¶

These prepositions do not change form based on the following consonant.

#	Hebrew	Preposition	Base Form	Change / Reason	Object	Translation
22	אֶל הָעִיר
23	עַל הַשָּׁמַיִם
24	עִם הָעַם
25	אֵת הַמֶּלֶךְ

Answer Key¶

Part A — Standard and Sheva Rules¶

#	Hebrew	Preposition	Base Form	Change / Reason	Object	Translation
1	בְּדָבָר	בְּ	בְּ	None — default sheva before normal consonant	דָּבָר	in a word / with a word
2	לְמֶלֶךְ	לְ	לְ	None — default sheva before normal consonant	מֶלֶךְ	to a king / for a king
3	כְּאִישׁ	כְּ	כְּ	None — default sheva before normal consonant (א is quiescent here)	אִישׁ	like a man
4	בִּשְׁמוּאֵל	בִּ	בְּ	Sheva → hireq: שְׁ has a sheva; two consecutive shevas not permitted; first sheva upgrades to hireq	שְׁמוּאֵל	in/with Samuel
5	לִשְׁלֹמֹה	לִ	לְ	Sheva → hireq: שְׁ has a sheva; two consecutive shevas not permitted	שְׁלֹמֹה	to Solomon
6	בֶּאֱמֶת	בֶּ	בְּ	Composite sheva matching: אֱ has hateph seghol (ֱ); prep takes seghol (ֶ) to match vowel class	אֱמֶת	in truth
7	לֵאלֹהִים	לֵ	לְ	Composite sheva matching: אֱ has hateph seghol under א of אֱלֹהִים; prep takes the matching seghol, then lengthens before א to tsere	אֱלֹהִים	to God
8	כֶּחָכְמָה	כֶּ	כְּ	Composite sheva matching: ח has hateph patach in some forms; the prep takes patach (ַ) class; note: standard form before ח with vocal shewa may also give seghol by assimilation	חָכְמָה	like wisdom

Notes on items 6–8: When the first consonant of the following word is a guttural bearing a composite sheva (hateph vowel), the inseparable preposition takes the simple vowel that matches the class of that composite sheva: hateph patach → patach (ַ); hateph seghol → seghol (ֶ); hateph qamets → qamets (ָ).

Part B — Article Fusion¶

#	Hebrew	Preposition	Base Form	Change / Reason	Object	Translation
9	בַּמֶּלֶךְ	בַּ	בְּ	Article fusion: הַ of הַמֶּלֶךְ drops; its patach transfers to בְּ; dagesh forte in מ	מֶלֶךְ	in the king / with the king
10	לַשָּׁמַיִם	לַ	לְ	Article fusion: הַ of הַשָּׁמַיִם drops; patach transfers to לְ; dagesh forte in שׁ	שָּׁמַיִם	to the heavens
11	כַּיּוֹם	כַּ	כְּ	Article fusion: הַ of הַיּוֹם drops; patach transfers to כְּ; dagesh forte in י	יּוֹם	like the day / as today
12	בַּבַּיִת	בַּ	בְּ	Article fusion: הַ of הַבַּיִת drops; patach transfers; dagesh forte in בּ (the article's dagesh and the dagesh lene merge)	בַּיִת	in the house
13	לָהָר	לָ	לְ	Article fusion with guttural: הָ of הָהָר drops; ה is a guttural — cannot take dagesh forte; short patach lengthens compensatorily to qamets (ָ)	הָר	to the mountain
14	בָּאָרֶץ	בָּ	בְּ	Article fusion with guttural: הָ of הָאָרֶץ drops; א is a guttural — no dagesh forte; patach lengthens to qamets (ָ)	אָרֶץ	in the earth / in the land
15	לָעָם	לָ	לְ	Article fusion with guttural: הָ of הָעָם drops; ע is a guttural — no dagesh forte; patach lengthens to qamets (ָ)	עָם	to the people
16	כָּהָאִישׁ	כָּ	כְּ	Article fusion with guttural: הָ of הָאִישׁ drops; א is a guttural — no dagesh forte; qamets under כָּ	אִישׁ	like the man

Guttural article-fusion diagnostic: If you see בָּ לָ כָּ (with qamets) rather than בַּ לַ כַּ (with patach + dagesh), the following noun begins with a guttural or ר that rejected the dagesh forte.

Part C — מִן Forms¶

#	Hebrew	Preposition	Base Form	Change / Reason	Object	Translation
17	מִן הַמֶּלֶךְ	מִן	מִן	No change — independent form before article	הַמֶּלֶךְ	from the king
18	מִמֶּלֶךְ	מִ	מִן	Nun assimilates: נ disappears; dagesh forte in מ of מֶּלֶךְ marks the assimilation	מֶלֶךְ	from a king
19	מִיַּד	מִ	מִן	Nun assimilates: dagesh forte in י of יַּד (יד = "hand")	יָד	from the hand
20	מֵהָאָרֶץ	מֵ	מִן	Compensatory lengthening: ה is a guttural; rejects dagesh forte; hireq (ִ) → tsere (ֵ) as compensation	הָאָרֶץ	from the earth
21	מֵאֱלֹהִים	מֵ	מִן	Compensatory lengthening: א is a guttural; rejects dagesh forte; hireq → tsere	אֱלֹהִים	from God

Part D — Independent Prepositions¶

#	Hebrew	Preposition	Base Form	Change / Reason	Object	Translation
22	אֶל הָעִיר	אֶל	אֶל	None — independent preposition, no prefix change	הָעִיר	to the city
23	עַל הַשָּׁמַיִם	עַל	עַל	None — independent preposition	הַשָּׁמַיִם	upon the heavens / over the heavens
24	עִם הָעַם	עִם	עִם	None — independent preposition	הָעַם	with the people
25	אֵת הַמֶּלֶךְ	אֵת	אֵת	None — direct object marker; no vowel change rule; note: this is the DOM, not a preposition	הַמֶּלֶךְ	[marks "the king" as the definite direct object] — untranslated

Reflection Questions¶

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?
Guttural contrast: Compare בַּמֶּלֶךְ (item 9) with בָּהָר (item 13). Both represent בְּ fused with the definite article. Why does one have patach + dagesh forte (בַּ) and the other has qamets without dagesh (בָּ)? What principle governs the difference?
מִן forms: Explain the difference between מִן הַמֶּלֶךְ, מִמֶּלֶךְ, and מֵאֱלֹהִים. Why does each one look different, and what single underlying form (מִן) connects them all?