# Ch23 Clause Analysis Drill

*For each clause: (a) Clause type (Verbal VSO / Verbal — fronted / Verbless / Waw-disjunctive / Circumstantial), (b) Identify the main verb and its conjugation (if any), (c) Identify what is fronted (if anything) and why, (d) Provide the full English gloss.*

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## Part A — Verbal Clauses: Default VSO

*Identify subject, verb, and object in their expected positions.*

| # | Hebrew | Clause Type | Verb & Conjugation | Subject | Object/Predicate | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | וַיִּבְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים אֶת\-הָ/אָדָ֙ם֙ (Gen 1:27) | | | | | |
| 2 | וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָ֔ה אֶל\-מֹשֶׁ֖ה (Exo 3:7) | | | | | |
| 3 | שָׁמְע֖וּ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (Deu 6:4 opening) | | | | | |
| 4 | וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת\-הָ/אוֹר֑ (Gen 1:4) | | | | | |

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## Part B — Fronted Elements

*Identify the fronted element, its type, and the rhetorical function of the fronting.*

| # | Hebrew | What is fronted? | Type of element | Why fronted? | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | הַ/יּ֖וֹם יָלַ֥דְתִּי (Psa 2:7) | | | | |
| 6 | וְאֶל\-קַ֥יִן וְאֶל\-מִנְחָת֖וֹ לֹ֥א שָׁעָֽה (Gen 4:5) | | | | |
| 7 | אֶת\-הָ/אָ֖רֶץ הַ/זֹּ֑את אֶתֵּ֥ן לְ/זַרְעֲ/ךָ֖ (Gen 12:7) | | | | |
| 8 | בְּ/צֶ֥לֶם אֱלֹהִ֖ים בָּרָ֣א אֹת֑וֹ (Gen 1:27b) | | | | |

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## Part C — Verbless Clauses

*Identify the subject and predicate. State the implied copula (is/was/were).*

| # | Hebrew | Subject | Predicate | Implied copula | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יְהוָ֥ה אֶחָֽד (Deu 6:4b) | | | | |
| 10 | טוֹב֙ הָ/אוֹר֑ (Gen 1:4) | | | | |
| 11 | אָנֹכִ֖י יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ (Exo 20:2) | | | | |
| 12 | הֲ/שֹׁמֵ֥ר אָחִ֖י אָנֹֽכִי (Gen 4:9) | | | | |

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## Part D — Waw-Disjunctive and Circumstantial Clauses

*Identify the function of each clause: Background / Contrast / Simultaneous circumstance.*

| # | Hebrew | First element after וְ | Function | Relation to main narrative | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | וְהָ/אָ֗רֶץ הָיְתָ֥ה תֹ֙הוּ֙ וָ/בֹ֔הוּ (Gen 1:2) | | | | |
| 14 | וְה֗וּא יֹשֵׁ֤ב פֶּֽתַח\-הָ/אֹ֙הֶל֙ (Gen 18:1) | | | | |
| 15 | וְהַ/נָּחָשׁ֙ הָיָ֣ה עָר֔וּם (Gen 3:1) | | | | |
| 16 | וְהוּא֙ לֹ֣א יָדַ֔ע כִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה עָזְבֽוֹ (Jdg 16:20) | | | | |

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## Part E — Mixed Analysis

*Identify clause type and describe any special features.*

| # | Hebrew | Clause type | Special feature | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | בְּ/רֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַ/שָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָ/אָֽרֶץ (Gen 1:1) | | | |
| 18 | הִנֵּ֥ה אָנֹכִ֖י שֹׁלֵ֥חַ מַלְאָ֖ךְ לְ/פָנֶ֑יךָ (Exo 23:20) | | | |
| 19 | וְאָהַבְתָּ֙ אֵ֣ת יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ (Deu 6:5) | | | |
| 20 | כִּ֣י אֵ֤ין אֱלֹהִים֙ זוּלָ֣תִי (Deu 32:39) | | | |

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## Answer Key

### Part A — VSO Verbal Clauses

| # | Hebrew | Type | Verb | Subject | Object | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | וַיִּבְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים אֶת\-הָ/אָדָ֙ם֙ | Verbal VSO | וַיִּבְרָ֨א (Wayyiqtol Qal 3ms) | אֱלֹהִ֤ים | אֶת\-הָ/אָדָ֙ם֙ (definite, marked by אֵת) | "And God created man" |
| 2 | וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָ֔ה אֶל\-מֹשֶׁ֖ה | Verbal VSO | וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (Wayyiqtol Qal 3ms) | יְהוָ֔ה | אֶל\-מֹשֶׁ֖ה (PP) | "And the LORD said to Moses" |
| 3 | שָׁמְע֖וּ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | Verbal VSO | שָׁמְע֖וּ (Qal Imperative 2mp) | — (addressed) | — | "Hear, O Israel" (Imperative + subject vocative) |
| 4 | וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת\-הָ/אוֹר֑ | Verbal VSO | וַיַּ֥רְא (Wayyiqtol Qal 3ms) | אֱלֹהִ֖ים | אֶת\-הָ/אוֹר֑ | "And God saw the light" |

### Part B — Fronted Elements

| # | Hebrew | Fronted element | Type | Why fronted | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | הַ/יּ֖וֹם יָלַ֥דְתִּי | הַ/יּ֖וֹם | Temporal adverb | Emphatic: "*Today* (not another day) I have begotten you" | "Today I have begotten you" (Psa 2:7) |
| 6 | וְאֶל\-קַ֥יִן … לֹ֥א שָׁעָֽה | אֶל\-קַ֥יִן | Prepositional phrase | Contrast: *to Cain* (in contrast to Abel) he did not look | "But to Cain and his offering he did not pay attention" |
| 7 | אֶת\-הָ/אָ֖רֶץ הַ/זֹּ֑את אֶתֵּ֥ן | אֶת\-הָ/אָ֖רֶץ | Object | Emphasis on the object: "*This land* I will give" — the land is the focus | "This land I will give to your offspring" |
| 8 | בְּ/צֶ֥לֶם אֱלֹהִ֖ים בָּרָ֣א | בְּ/צֶ֥לֶם אֱלֹהִ֖ים | Prepositional phrase | Chiastic emphasis: "in God's image" — the *image* is the central point of the verse | "In the image of God he created him" |

### Part C — Verbless Clauses

| # | Hebrew | Subject | Predicate | Copula | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יְהוָ֥ה אֶחָֽד | יְהוָ֥ה | אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ / אֶחָֽד | is | "The LORD is our God; the LORD is one" — two verbless clauses |
| 10 | טוֹב֙ הָ/אוֹר֑ | הָ/אוֹר | טוֹב | was | "The light was good"; predicate adj. fronted before subject |
| 11 | אָנֹכִ֖י יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ | אָנֹכִ֖י | יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ | am | "I am the LORD your God" — divine self-identification formula |
| 12 | הֲ/שֹׁמֵ֥ר אָחִ֖י אָנֹֽכִי | אָנֹכִי | שֹׁמֵ֥ר (predicate ptc.) | am | "Am I my brother's keeper?" — interrogative verbless clause; ה interrogative |

### Part D — Waw-Disjunctive and Circumstantial

| # | Hebrew | First element | Function | Relation to narrative | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | וְהָ/אָ֗רֶץ הָיְתָ֥ה תֹ֙הוּ֙ | הָ/אָ֗רֶץ (noun) | Background | Off-narrative line: sets the scene before creation begins | "Now the earth was formless and empty" |
| 14 | וְה֗וּא יֹשֵׁ֤ב פֶּ֙תַח | הוּא (pronoun) + ptc. | Simultaneous circumstance | Describes what Abraham was doing when the LORD appeared | "while he was sitting at the entrance of the tent" |
| 15 | וְהַ/נָּחָשׁ֙ הָיָ֣ה עָר֔וּם | הַ/נָּחָשׁ (noun) | Background | Introduces the serpent before his speech | "Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast" |
| 16 | וְהוּא֙ לֹ֣א יָדַ֔ע | הוּא (pronoun) | Contrast/irony | Contrasts Samson's action with the devastating fact of his ignorance | "but he did not know that the LORD had left him" |

### Part E — Mixed Analysis

| # | Hebrew | Type | Special feature | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | בְּ/רֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים | Verbal — PP fronted | Temporal PP בְּ/רֵאשִׁ֖ית fronted to establish the opening time frame; VSO after | "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" |
| 18 | הִנֵּ֥ה אָנֹכִ֖י שֹׁלֵ֥חַ | Verbless / Presentative | הִנֵּה introduces a vivid present; pronoun + participle = verbless predicate | "Behold, I am sending an angel before you" |
| 19 | וְאָהַבְתָּ֙ אֵ֣ת יְהוָ֣ה | Verbal — Weqatal | Weqatal continues the command of שְׁמַ֖ע (Deu 6:4); sequential imperatival | "And you shall love the LORD your God" |
| 20 | כִּ֣י אֵ֤ין אֱלֹהִים֙ זוּלָ֣תִי | Verbless / Existence | אֵין = non-existence particle; subject אֱלֹהִים + predicate zûlātî; כִּי = emphatic ("for/indeed") | "For there is no God besides me" |
