6.3 Independent and Maqqef prepositions

There are three different types of Hebrew prepositions: independent, Maqqef, and inseparable

An independent preposition is a separate word with a space before it and after it

The preposition comes first, followed by its object (just like English). E.g., תַּחַת אֹתוֹ (under it)

In a Maqqef preposition, the Maqqef connects a preposition to its object

Again, the preposition comes first: עַל־מֶלֶךְ
- English prepositions are NOT written this way; we would never see “on-a-king.”
- One notable aspect about the Maqqef is that the first word (to the left of the Maqqef) loses its accent
- As a result, the vowel that loses its accent may change
Maqqef is a mark like the English hyphen
- The two marks are nearly identical in meaning and appearance
  - the Hebrew Maqqef is raised: א־בּ
  - the English hyphen is midline: a-b
- Like the hyphen used to join two English words, the Maqqef lets us know that two Hebrew words are closely connected grammatically

The same preposition may be written both with and without the Maqqef