# 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.

Column | What to supply
--- | ---
Preposition | The preposition as it actually appears in this 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 governed by the preposition
Translation | Full idiomatic English translation

## Part A — Inseparable Prepositions: Standard and Sheva Rules

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

# | Hebrew | Preposition | Base Form | Change / Reason | Object | Translation |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
1 | בְּדָבָר |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | בְּדָבָר | בְּ | בְּ | None — default sheva before normal consonant | דָּבָר | in a word / with a word |
2 | לְמֶלֶךְ |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | לְמֶלֶךְ | לְ | לְ | None — default sheva before normal consonant | מֶלֶךְ | to a king / for a king |
3 | כְּאִישׁ |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | כְּאִישׁ | כְּ | כְּ | None — default sheva; א is quiescent here | אִישׁ | like a man |
4 | בִּשְׁמוּאֵל |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | בִּשְׁמוּאֵל | בִּ | בְּ | Sheva → hireq: שְׁ has a sheva; two consecutive shevas not permitted; prep sheva upgrades to hireq (ִ) | שְׁמוּאֵל | in Samuel / with Samuel |
5 | לִשְׁלֹמֹה |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | לִשְׁלֹמֹה | לִ | לְ | Sheva → hireq: שְׁ has a sheva; two consecutive shevas not permitted | שְׁלֹמֹה | to Solomon |
6 | בֶּאֱמֶת |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | בֶּאֱמֶת | בֶּ | בְּ | Composite sheva matching: אֱ has hateph seghol (ֱ); prep takes seghol (ֶ) to match the vowel class | אֱמֶת | in truth / truly |
7 | לֵאלֹהִים |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | לֵאלֹהִים | לֵ | לְ | Composite sheva 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 sheva 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 (patach + dagesh forte) and gutturals (qamets, no dagesh)

# | Hebrew | Preposition | Base Form | Change / Reason | Object | Translation |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
9 | בַּמֶּלֶךְ |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | בַּמֶּלֶךְ | בַּ | בְּ | Article fusion: הַ of הַמֶּלֶךְ drops; its patach 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; patach transfers to לְ; dagesh forte in שּׁ | שָּׁמַיִם | to the heavens |
11 | כַּיּוֹם |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | כַּיּוֹם | כַּ | כְּ | Article fusion: הַ of הַיּוֹם drops; patach transfers to כְּ; dagesh forte in יּ | יּוֹם | like the day / as today |
12 | בַּבַּיִת |  |  |  |  |  |
✓ | בַּבַּיִת | בַּ | בְּ | Article fusion: הַ of הַבַּיִת drops; patach 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; patach 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; patach 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; patach 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; patach 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

# | Hebrew | Preposition | Base Form | Change / Reason | Object | Translation |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
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)

# | Hebrew | Preposition | Base Form | Change / Reason | Object | Translation |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
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 patach + 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?