10.6 How to Recognize a Construct Chain

Figure 10.7: Proverbs 1:1

The following are characteristics of nouns in the construct state:

Never an article
Never a pronominal suffix
Never an unaccented long vowel unless it is a vowel letter
- We will often see Tsere-yod and Holem-Vav
- We will not typically see unaccented Holem, Qamets, or Tsere
  - We will see accented long vowels in the penult⁸⁶ - סֵ֫פֶר
No diphthong (will see Tsere+Yod or Holem-Vav)
May have a reduced vowel in the penult
Noun endings may change (next page)
Two nouns connected by maqqef is a construct chain
- כְּבוֹד־יְהוָה = The glory of the LORD
When there are no spelling changes, we must rely on context
There are three construct chains in Proverbs 1:1
- מִשְׁלֵי שְׁלֹמֹה בֶן־דָּוִד מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל
- Context tells us that the last two words should not be “King Israel” but “King OF Israel” (a construct chain)

A good rule of thumb is: “Unaccented long vowel, not a vowel letter, not construct”