Summary
An adverb is a word that describes a verb, or sometimes describes a sentence as a whole.
Some particles in Biblical Hebrew are closely related to adverbs.
Note
Because there are not many direct adverbs in Biblical Hebrew, other kinds of words often function as adverbs.
Article
Biblical Hebrew does not contain many words that are classified directly
as adverbs. However, many different kinds of words can
function as adverbs, including an
infinitive absolute, an
adjective, or even a noun.
Many particles are closely related to adverbs in Biblical Hebrew. A
general rule is that when a particle occurs after the verb, it functions
as an adverb; but when a particle appears before the verb, then it
functions in some other way (usually as a conjunction or a discourse marker). But
this rule is not universal; sometimes both adverbs and particles
can appear before the verb rather than after the verb, as in the
example below (GEN 32:11).
Describes a verb
There are several different ways that an adverb can describe a verb.
Many adverbs in Biblical Hebrew have the potential to serve multiple
functions. For example, כֹּה can function as an adverb of place, an
adverb of time, or an adverb of manner; פֹּה can function as an adverb
of time or an adverb of place, etc.
describes a place or location
A locative adverb describes something about the place or location where the action of the verb happens.
Example: GEN 22:5
- שְׁבוּ־לָכֶ֥ם פֹּה֙ עִֽם־הַחֲמ֔וֹר וַאֲנִ֣י וְהַנַּ֔עַר נֵלְכָ֖ה
- עַד־כֹּ֑ה
|
- shevu-lakhem poh ‘im-hahamor wa’ani wehanna’ar nelekhah
- ‘ad-koh
|
- Stay_to-you here with_the-donkey and-I and-the-lad will-go
- to_there.
|
- You two stay here with the donkey while the boy and I go over
- there.
|
Example: DEU 31:26
| וְהָֽיָה־שָׁ֥ם בְּךָ֖ לְעֵֽד׃ |
| wehayah-sham bekha le’ed |
| it-may-be there as-a-witness against-you |
- it may remain there to testify about what Yahweh will do to the
- people if they disobey him
|
Example: EZE 40:30
| וְאֵֽלַמּ֖וֹת סָבִ֣יב ׀ סָבִ֑יב אֹ֗רֶךְ |
| we’elammoth saviv saviv ‘orekh |
| And-porticos surrounding surrounding length |
| There were also porticos all around the inner wall |
describes time
A temporal adverb describes something about the time when the action of the verb happens.
Example: GEN 32:11
| וְעַתָּ֥ה הָיִ֖יתִי לִשְׁנֵ֥י מַחֲנֽוֹת |
| and-now I-have-become to-two companies |
| and now I have become two camps |
Example: GEN 4:26
| אָ֣ז הוּחַ֔ל לִקְרֹ֖א בְּשֵׁ֥ם יְהוָֽה |
| Then he-began to-call-out in-name-of Yahweh |
| At that time people began to call on the name of Yahweh. |
describes quantity
A quantitative adverb describes an amount of something in relation to the action of the verb.
Example: GEN 31:41
| וַיִּ֤חַר לְקַ֙יִן֙ מְאֹ֔ד |
| And-it-burned for-Cain greatly |
| So Cain was very angry |
Example: GEN 22:15
- וַיִּקְרָ֛א מַלְאַ֥ךְ יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֑ם שֵׁנִ֖ית
- מִן־הַשָּׁמָֽיִם
|
- And-he-called-out angel-of Yahweh to_Abraham second
- from_the-heavens
|
| The angel of Yahweh called to Abraham a second time from heaven |
describes manner of action
An adverb of manner describes something about how the action of the verb happens.
Example: JDG 21:14
| וְלֹֽא־מָצְא֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם כֵּֽן׃ |
| but-not they-found for-them thus |
| but there were not enough women for all of them. |
Example: ZEP 1:14
| מַ֥ר צֹרֵ֖חַ שָׁ֥ם גִּבּֽוֹר׃ |
| mar tsoreah sham gibbor |
| bitterly cries there hero. |
| even brave soldiers will cry loudly. |
Other words functioning as adverbs
Because Biblical Hebrew does not contain many adverbs, sometimes other kinds of words can function as adverbs.
Particles functioning as adverbs
Example: GEN 3:22
| וְלָקַ֕חַת גַּ֥ם אֶת־דּוּדָאֵ֖י בְּנִ֑י |
| and-to-take also [dir.obj]_mandrakes-of my-son |
| Do you now want to take away my son’s mandrakes, too? |
Example: GEN 6:5
| וְכָל־יֵ֙צֶר֙ מַחְשְׁבֹ֣ת לִבּ֔וֹ רַ֥ק רַ֖ע כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם |
| |
- and-all-of_intentions-of thoughts-of his-heart only evil
- all-of_the-day
|
- every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil
- continually
|
Example: GEN 2:16
| מִכֹּ֥ל עֵֽץ־הַגָּ֖ן אָכֹ֥ל תֹּאכֵֽל |
| mikkol ‘ets-haggan ‘akhol tokhel |
| from-every tree-of_the-garden eating you-may-eat |
| From every tree in the garden you may freely eat. |
Example: 1SA 3:12
| אָקִ֣ים אֶל־עֵלִ֔י אֵ֛ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי אֶל־בֵּיתֹ֑ו הָחֵ֖ל וְכַלֵּֽה |
- ‘aqim ‘el-‘eli ‘eth kol-‘asher dibbarti ‘el-bethow
- hahel wekhalleh
|
- I-will-fulfill to_Eli [dir.obj] all_that I-have-spoken
- to_his-house beginning and-ending.
|
- I will fulfill against Eli everything that I have spoken concerning
- his house, from beginning to end.
|
Adjectives functioning as adverbs
This is called an adverbial adjective.
Example: JOS 21:10
| כִּ֥י לָהֶ֛ם הָיָ֥ה הַגּוֹרָ֖ל רִיאשֹׁנָֽה |
| for to-them it-was the-lot first |
| For the first casting of lots had fallen to them. |
Example: JOS 1:7
| וַיֹּ֥אמֶר עֵשָׂ֖ו יֶשׁ־לִ֣י רָ֑ב אָחִ֕י |
| And-he-said Esau ‘There-is_for-me enough my-brother’ |
| Esau said, “I have enough, my brother.” |
Nouns functioning as adverbs
This is called an adverbial noun.
Example: 1SA 12:11
| וַתֵּשְׁב֖וּ בֶּֽטַח׃ |
| watteshevu betah |
| and-you-lived safety |
| and you lived safely |
Example: HOS 14:4 (in Hebrew: HOS 14:5)
| אֹהֲבֵ֖ם נְדָבָ֑ה |
| ‘ohavem nedavah |
| I-will-love free |
| I will love them freely |