# 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.

## 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) |  |  |  |  |  |
Type: Verbal VSO | Verb: וַיִּבְרָ֨א — Wayyiqtol Qal 3ms | Subject: אֱלֹהִ֤ים | Object: אֶת-הָאָדָ֙ם֙ (definite, marked by אֵת) | Gloss: "And God created man"
2 | וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָ֔ה אֶל-מֹשֶׁ֖ה (Exo 3:7) |  |  |  |  |  |
Type: Verbal VSO | Verb: וַיֹּ֤אמֶר — Wayyiqtol Qal 3ms | Subject: יְהוָ֔ה | Object: אֶל-מֹשֶׁ֖ה (PP) | Gloss: "And the LORD said to Moses"
3 | שָׁמְע֖וּ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (Deu 6:4 opening) |  |  |  |  |  |
Type: Verbal VSO | Verb: שָׁמְע֖וּ — Qal Imperative 2mp | Subject: — (addressed; בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל is vocative) | Object: — | Gloss: "Hear, O Israel" (Imperative + subject vocative)
4 | וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת-הָ/אוֹר֑ (Gen 1:4) |  |  |  |  |  |
Type: Verbal VSO | Verb: וַיַּ֥רְא — Wayyiqtol Qal 3ms | Subject: אֱלֹהִ֖ים | Object: אֶת-הָאוֹר֑ | Gloss: "And God saw the light"

## 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) |  |  |  |  |
Fronted: הַ/יּ֖וֹם | Type: Temporal adverb | Why: Emphatic — "*Today* (not another day) I have begotten you" | Gloss: "Today I have begotten you"
6 | וְאֶל-קַ֥יִן וְאֶל-מִנְחָת֖וֹ לֹ֥א שָׁעָֽה (Gen 4:5) |  |  |  |  |
Fronted: אֶל-קַ֥יִן | Type: Prepositional phrase | Why: Contrast — "*To Cain* (in contrast to Abel) he did not look" | Gloss: "But to Cain and his offering he did not pay attention"
7 | אֶת-הָ/אָ֖רֶץ הַ/זֹּ֑את אֶתֵּ֥ן לְ/זַרְעֲ/ךָ֖ (Gen 12:7) |  |  |  |  |
Fronted: אֶת-הָאָ֖רֶץ הַזֹּ֑את | Type: Direct object (definite, אֵת-marked) | Why: Emphasis on the object — "*This land* I will give" — the land itself is the focus | Gloss: "This land I will give to your offspring"
8 | בְּ/צֶ֥לֶם אֱלֹהִ֖ים בָּרָ֣א אֹת֑וֹ (Gen 1:27b) |  |  |  |  |
Fronted: בְּצֶ֥לֶם אֱלֹהִ֖ים | Type: Prepositional phrase | Why: Chiastic emphasis — "in God's image" is the central theological point of the verse | Gloss: "In the image of God he created him"

## 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) |  |  |  |  |
Subject: יְהוָ֥ה | Predicate: אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ / אֶחָֽד | Copula: is | Gloss: "The LORD is our God; the LORD is one" — two verbless clauses
10 | טוֹב֙ הָ/אוֹר֑ (Gen 1:4) |  |  |  |  |
Subject: הָאוֹר֑ | Predicate: טוֹב (predicate adjective, fronted before subject) | Copula: was | Gloss: "The light was good"
11 | אָנֹכִ֖י יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ (Exo 20:2) |  |  |  |  |
Subject: אָנֹכִ֖י | Predicate: יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ | Copula: am | Gloss: "I am the LORD your God" — divine self-identification formula
12 | הֲ/שֹׁמֵ֥ר אָחִ֖י אָנֹֽכִי (Gen 4:9) |  |  |  |  |
Subject: אָנֹכִי | Predicate: שֹׁמֵ֥ר (predicate participle) | Copula: am | Gloss: "Am I my brother's keeper?" — interrogative verbless clause; ה interrogative prefix

## 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) |  |  |  |  |
First element: הָאָ֗רֶץ (noun) | Function: Background | Relation: Off-narrative line — sets the scene before creation begins | Gloss: "Now the earth was formless and empty"
14 | וְה֗וּא יֹשֵׁ֤ב פֶּֽתַח-הָ/אֹ֙הֶל֙ (Gen 18:1) |  |  |  |  |
First element: הוּא (pronoun) + יֹשֵׁ֤ב (participle) | Function: Simultaneous circumstance | Relation: Describes what Abraham was doing when the LORD appeared | Gloss: "while he was sitting at the entrance of the tent"
15 | וְהַ/נָּחָשׁ֙ הָיָ֣ה עָר֔וּם (Gen 3:1) |  |  |  |  |
First element: הַנָּחָשׁ (noun) | Function: Background | Relation: Introduces the serpent before his speech | Gloss: "Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast"
16 | וְהוּא֙ לֹ֣א יָדַ֔ע כִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה עָזְבֽוֹ (Jdg 16:20) |  |  |  |  |
First element: הוּא (pronoun) | Function: Contrast/irony | Relation: Contrasts Samson's action with the devastating fact of his ignorance | Gloss: "but he did not know that the LORD had left him"

## 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) |  |  |  |
Type: Verbal — PP fronted | Special feature: Temporal PP בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית fronted to establish the opening time frame; VSO order follows | Gloss: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth"
18 | הִנֵּ֥ה אָנֹכִ֖י שֹׁלֵ֥חַ מַלְאָ֖ךְ לְ/פָנֶ֑יךָ (Exo 23:20) |  |  |  |
Type: Verbless / Presentative | Special feature: הִנֵּה introduces a vivid present scene; pronoun + participle = verbless predicate construction | Gloss: "Behold, I am sending an angel before you"
19 | וְאָהַבְתָּ֙ אֵ֣ת יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ (Deu 6:5) |  |  |  |
Type: Verbal — Weqatal | Special feature: Weqatal continues the command of שְׁמַ֖ע (Deu 6:4); sequential imperatival force | Gloss: "And you shall love the LORD your God"
20 | כִּ֣י אֵ֤ין אֱלֹהִים֙ זוּלָ֣תִי (Deu 32:39) |  |  |  |
Type: Verbless / Existence | Special feature: אֵין = non-existence particle; subject אֱלֹהִים + predicate זוּלָתִי ("besides me"); כִּי = emphatic ("for/indeed") | Gloss: "For there is no God besides me"