# Ch10 Construct Chain Drill

*BBH Chapter 10 — Hebrew Construct Chain*

For each item: (1) identify the construct noun (nomen regens) and its form type, (2) identify the absolute noun (nomen rectum), (3) state whether the chain is definite or indefinite, (4) translate into 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 | | | | |
| 2 | בֵּית אִישׁ | | | | |
| 3 | כְּבוֹד עָם | | | | |
| 4 | עֶבֶד מֶלֶךְ | | | | |
| 5 | בְּנֵי אָדָם | | | | |
| 6 | סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה | | | | |
| 7 | כֹּהֵן אֱלֹהִים | | | | |
| 8 | רוּחַ אָדָם | | | | |

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## Part B — Simple 2-Link Chains (Definite)

The absolute noun has the definite article or is a proper noun, making the entire chain definite.

| # | Hebrew | Construct Noun | Absolute Noun | Definite? | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | דְּבַר יְהוָה | | | | |
| 10 | בֵּית יְהוָה | | | | |
| 11 | כְּבוֹד יְהוָה | | | | |
| 12 | שֵׁם יְהוָה | | | | |
| 13 | בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ | | | | |
| 14 | מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל | | | | |
| 15 | עִיר דָּוִד | | | | |
| 16 | בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל | | | | |

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## Part C — Extended 3-Link Chains

Each chain has three nouns. Identify which nouns are in the construct state and which is the absolute.

| # | Hebrew | Construct Nouns | Absolute Noun | Definite? | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | דְּבַר תּוֹרַת יְהוָה | | | | |
| 18 | בֵּית אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל | | | | |
| 19 | מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים | | | | |
| 20 | שֵׁם יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ | | | | |
| 21 | עֶבֶד עַבְדֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ | | | | |

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## Part D — Feminine Construct Nouns (ַת- ending)

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

| # | Hebrew | Construct Noun | Absolute Noun | Definite? | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | תּוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה | | | | |
| 23 | תּוֹרַת יְהוָה | | | | |
| 24 | מַלְכַּת שְׁבָא | | | | |
| 25 | בִּרְכַּת יְהוָה | | | | |

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## Answer Key

### Part A — Simple 2-Link Chains (Indefinite)

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

---

### Part B — Simple 2-Link Chains (Definite)

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

---

### Part C — Extended 3-Link Chains

| # | Hebrew | Construct Nouns | Absolute Noun | Definite? | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | דְּבַר תּוֹרַת יְהוָה | דְּבַר, תּוֹרַת (both construct) | יְהוָה (proper) | Yes | the word of the law of the LORD |
| 18 | בֵּית אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל | בֵּית, אֱלֹהֵי (both construct) | יִשְׂרָאֵל (proper) | Yes | the house of the God of Israel |
| 19 | מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים | מֶלֶךְ, מַלְכֵי (both construct) | הַמְּלָכִים (definite art.) | Yes | the king of kings of kings (= king of the kings of kings) |
| 20 | שֵׁם יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ | שֵׁם (construct) | יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ (proper + appositive) | Yes | the name of the LORD our God |
| 21 | עֶבֶד עַבְדֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ | עֶבֶד, עַבְדֵי (both construct) | הַמֶּלֶךְ (definite art.) | Yes | servant of the servants of the king |

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### Part D — Feminine Construct Nouns

| # | Hebrew | Construct Noun | Absolute Noun | Definite? | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | תּוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה | תּוֹרַת (fs cstr; תּוֹרָה → תּוֹרַת) | מֹשֶׁה (proper) | Yes | the law/Torah of Moses |
| 23 | תּוֹרַת יְהוָה | תּוֹרַת (fs cstr) | יְהוָה (proper) | Yes | the law/Torah of the LORD |
| 24 | מַלְכַּת שְׁבָא | מַלְכַּת (fs cstr; מַלְכָּה → מַלְכַּת) | שְׁבָא (proper) | Yes | the queen of Sheba |
| 25 | בִּרְכַּת יְהוָה | בִּרְכַּת (fs cstr; בְּרָכָה → בִּרְכַּת) | יְהוָה (proper) | Yes | the blessing of the LORD |

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## Reflection Questions

1. In Part A, items 5 and 16 both contain בְּנֵי. What change marks it as a construct plural rather than an absolute plural? What is the absolute form?

2. Why can't the definite article appear on the construct noun? What happens to definiteness in the phrase בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ — which noun carries the article, and what does that tell us about the whole chain?

3. In Part C, 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?
