Cats are a salient feature of Jerusalem’s scenery. Throughout the city, one can find them napping in gardens, reposing on lofty ledges, or slinking along the streets in search of their next meal. A pedestrian, walking past a trash bin, may be startled as several cats leap out. Likewise, Hebraisms in the synoptic gospels are as ubiquitous as cats in Jerusalem. While perusing the synoptic gospels, the informed reader may be startled, too, as Hebrew idioms leap out from both the Greek texts and their English translations.
Hebrew’s Limited Inventory of Adjectives
Compared to Greek and English, Hebrew has few adjectives. As noted in “Hendiadys in the Synoptic Gospels” (JP 52, pp. 14-15), one way Hebrew overcomes this scarcity of adjectives is by linking two nouns with the conjunction “and.” Grammarians call this usage “hendiadys,” two terms connected by “and” forming a unit in which one member is used to qualify the other.
Paid Content
Premium Members and Friends of JP must be logged in to access this content: Login
If you do not have a paid subscription, please consider registering as a Premium Member starting at $10/month (paid monthly) or only $5/month (paid annually): Register
One Time Purchase Rather Than Membership
Rather than purchasing a membership subscription, you may purchase access to this single page for $1.99 USD. To purchase access we strongly encourage users to first register for a free account with JP (Register), which will make the process of accessing your purchase much simpler. Once you have registered you may login and purchase access to this page at this link:
