§ 116. The Participles.
Cf. Sellin (see above at the head of § 113), p. 6 ff., and Kahan, p. 11 ff.
Rem. That the language was fully conscious of the difference between a state implying action (or effected by external action) and mere passivity, is seen from the fact, that participles proper cannot be formed from the purely stative Qal, but only verbal adjectives of the form b
qaÒtÌeÒl (aleom'Ã dbeK' , &c.) orqaÒtÌoÒl (H;boG" , &c.), whereas the transitive QalanEf' to hate, although it coincides in form with the intransitive Qal (as a verb middle e), nevertheless forms a participle activeanEf , and participle passiveaWnf' (cf. the feminineha'Wnf. ).—In cases where the participle proper and the verbal adjective both occur, they are by no means synonymous. When the Assyrians are called in Is 28:11hp'f' ygE[]l; men of stammering lips, a character is ascribed to them which is inseparably connected with their personality. On the other handyli g[el{ hL{Ku Jer 20:7, describes those about the prophet as continually engaged in casting ridicule upon him. Cf. alsoy Ps 9:18 (yxekev. ) with 50:22 (yxek.vo ).
On the difference between the participle as expressing simple duration and the imperfect as expressing progressive duration, cf. what has been stated above in § 107 d. Nevertheless the participle is sometimes used—especially in the later books, cf. e. g. Neh 6:17, 2 Ch 17:11—where we should expect the action to be divided up into its several parts, and consequently should expect the finite verb. But the substitution of the participle for the tempus historicum, which becomes customary in Aramaic (cf. Kautzsch, Gramm. des Bibl.-Aram., § 76. 2, d and e), is nevtortheless quite foreign to Hebrew. c
By an exhaustive examination of the statistics, Sellin (see the title at the head of § 113), p. 40 ff., shows that the participle when construed as a verb expresses a single and comparatively transitory act, or relates to particular cases, historical facts, and the like, while the participle construed as a noun (see g) indicates repeated, enduring, or commonly occurring acts, occupations, and thoughts.
So also the verbal adjectives of the form
Rem. To the class of objective genitives belong also specifications of place after the participles h
aB' iniens andaceyO egrediens, since the verbsaAB andac'y" , in the sense of ingredi, egredi, can be directly connected with an accusative; e. g. Gn 23:10, 18Ary[i r[;v;ñ yaeB' that went in at the gate of his city; La 1:4; afteryaec.y(o Gn 9:10, 34:24, 46:26, &c.—In poetic language the participle in the construct state may be connected not only with a genitive of the object, but also with any other specifications (especially of space) which otherwise can only be made to depend on the verb in question by means of a preposition; cf. Is 38:18, and frequently,rAb-yder>Ay( they that go down into the pit (the grave);y Ps 88:6rb,q,ñ ybek.v)o that lie in the grave; Dt 32:24 (Mi 7:17); 1 K 2:7, 2 K 11:5, 7, 9 those that came in (or went out) on the sabbath, Pr 2:7, 1 Ch 5:18, &c.; instead of the construction with-!mi , e. g. Is 59:20 (those who turnfrom transgression), Mi 2:8 (cf. § 72 p).
These genitives of nearer definition appear also in the form of a noun-suffix, e. g. i
y Ps 18:40, 49ym;q' (foryl;[' ~ymiq' ) that rise up against me; cf. Ex 15:7, Dt 33:11,y Ps 44:6, Ex 32:25, Is 1:27h'yb,ñv' her converts;y Ps 53:6 (%n"xo ); Pr 2:19h'ya,ñB'-lK' all that go unto her; the construction is especially bold in Is 29:7Ht'd'c)om.W h'yb,ñco-lK' all that fight against her and her stronghold (foräm-l[;w> h'yl,ñ[' ~yaib.C)oh;-lK' );y Ps 102:9 even with a participlePoÇal ,yl;l'Ah)m. they that are mad against me (?), but read perhaps with Olshausenyl;l.Ax)m. who pierce me.—In Is 1:30 as a terebinthh'l,ñ[' tL,b,ñnO fading as regards its leaf, it remains doubtful whethertl,b,ñnO ) is in the absolute state, and consequentlyh'l,ñ[' in the accusative, or whether it is to be regarded as construct state, andh'l,ñ[' as the genitive. In the latter case it would be analogous to Pr 14:2 (see k).
Rem. The passive participle occurs in the construct state before a genitive of the cause, e. g. in Is 1:7 l
vae tApruf. burnt with fire; cf. Gn 41:6, Ex 28:11, Dt 32:24; before a genitive denoting the author, e. g. Gn 24:31hA'hy> %WrB. blessed of the Lord (buty Ps 115:15hA'hyl; ~ykiWrB. , see § 121 f); cf. Is 53:4,y Ps 22:7, Jb 14:1 (15:14, 25:4); hence also with noun-suffixes (which are accordingly genitive) Pr 9:18h'ya,ñruq. her invited ones, i. e. those invited by her; cf. 7:26,y Ps 37:22.
(a) As present, in speaking of truths which hold good at all times, e. g. Ec 1:4 n
aB' rAdw> %leho rAD one generation goeth, and another generation cometh; and the earth abideth (td,m'ñ[o ) for ever; cf. verse 7; also to represent incidental (continuous) occurrences which are just happening, Gn 3:5, 16:8 (I am fleeing); 32:12, Ex 9:17, 1 S 16:15, 23:1, 2 K 7:9, Is 1:7; when the subject is introduced by the emphatic demonstrativehNEhi behold ! (§ 100 o and § 105 b), e. g. Gn 16:11hr'h' %N"hi behold, thou art with child, &c.; 27:42; frequently also in circumstantial clauses (connected byWaÒw ), cf. § 141 e, e. g. Gn 15:2, &c.
(b) To represent past actions or states, sometimes in independent noun-clauses, e. g. Ex 20:18 o
tl{AQh;-ta, ~yairo ~['h'-lk'w> and all the people saw the thunderings, &c.; 1 K 1:5; in negative statements, e. g. Gn 39:23 a; sometimes in relative clauses, e. g. Gn 39:23 b, Dt 3:2 (cf. also the frequent combination of the participle with the article as the equivalent of a relative clause, e. g. Gn 32:10rmeaoh' which saidst; 12:7, 16:13, 35:1, 3, 36:35, 48:16, 2 S 15:31, &c.); sometimes again (see n) in circumstantial clauses, especially those representing actions or states which occurred simultaneously with other past actions, &c., e. g. Gn 19:1 and the two angels came to Sodombvey jAlw> and (i. e. while) Lot sat, &c.; 18:1, 8, 16, 22, 25:26, Ju 13:9, 2 Ch 22:9; also with the subject introduced byhNEhi 37:7, 41:17. (On%leho with a following adjective or participle to express an action constantly or occasionally recurring, cf. § 113 u.)
(c) To announce future actions or events, e. g. 1 K 2:2, 2 K 4:16 at this season when the time cometh round, p
!Be tq,b,ñxo T.a; thou shalt embrace a son; so after a specification of time, Gn 7:4, 15:14, 17:19, 19:13, Hag 2:6 (but in Is 23:15, where, afterhy"h'w> we should rather expect a perfect consecutive, it is better to explaintx;K;ñv.nIw> , withQimhÌi , as the 3rd sing. fem. of the perfect; on the form, cf. § 44 f); or in relative clauses, Gn 41:25, Is 5:5 what I am doing, i. e. am in the act of doing; in a deliberative question, Gn 37:30; but especially often when the subject is introduced byhNEhi (especially also if the subject be attached as a suffix tohNEhi asynIn>hià ^N>hi , &c.), if it is intended to announce the event as imminent, or at least near at hand (and sure to happen), when it is called futurum instans, e. g. Gn 6:17, 15:3, 20:3, 24:13 f., 48:21, 50:5, Ex 3:13, 8:25, 9:3, 34:10, Jos 2:18, Ju 7:17, 9:33, 1 S 3:11, 2 K 7:2, Is 3:1, 7:14, 17:1, Jer 30:10, Zc 2:13, 3:8; with a participle passive, 2 S 20:21: cf. also § 112 t.
Rem. 1. As the above examples show, a noun-clause with a participle as predicate may have for its subject either a substantive or a personal pronoun; in both cases the participle, especially if there be a certain emphasis upon it, may precede the subject. Also in noun-clauses introduced by q
hNEhi the subject may be either a substantive, or (e. g. Gn 37:7) a separate personal pronoun, or a suffix attached tohNEhi . In the same way, the subject may also be introduced byvyE (est, see the Lexicon) with a suffix, and in negative sentences by!yae (non est) with a suffix, e. g. Ju 6:36[;yviAm ^v.y<-~ai if thou wilt save; Gn 43:5x;Lev;m. ^n>yae-~ai if thou wilt not send; 1 S 19:11.—In such cases as Is 14:27hy"WjN>h; Ady" the stretched out hand is his,hy"WjN>h; is not, likehy"Wjn> in 9:11, 16, &c., the predicate (in which case the participle could not take the article), but the subject; cf. Gn 2:11, 45:12, Is 66:9, Ez 20:29, Zc 7:6 (cf. § 126 k), where the participle with the article likewise refers to the present, also Nu 7:2, Dt 3:21, 4:3, &c., 1 S 4:16. where it refers to the past. In 1 K 12:8 and 21:11 even in relative clauses afterrv,a] .
2. To give express emphasis to an action continuing in the past, the perfect r
hy"h' in the corresponding person is sometimes added to the participle, and similarly the imperfecthy<h.y)i (or the jussiveyhiy> , or the imperfect consecutive) is used to emphasize an action continuing in the future, e. g. Jb 1:14Wyh' rq'B'h; tAvr>x)o the oxen (cows) were plowing; Gn 37:2, 39:22, Ex 3:1, Dt 9:24, Ju 1:7, 1 S 2:11, 2 S 3:6; the same occurs with a passive participle, e. g. Jos 5:5, Zc 3:3;hy<h.y)i with a participle is found e. g. in Is 2:2; the jussive in Gn 1:6,y Ps 109:12; 5 andyhyw with a participle in Ju 16:21, Neh 1:4.
3. The personal pronoun which would be expected as the subject of a participial clause is frequently omitted, or at least (as elsewhere in noun-clauses, cf. Is 26:3, s
y Ps 16:8, Jb 9:32) the pronoun of the 3rd pers.aWh , e. g. Gn 24:30, 37:15, 38:24, 41:1, 1 S 10:11, 15:12, Is 29:8 (the participle always afterhNEhi ); cf., moreover, Gn 32:7, Dt 33:3, 1 S 17:25, 20:1, Is 33:5, 40:19,y Ps 22:29, 33:5, 55:20, Jb 12:17, 19 ff., 25:2, 26:7.—ayhi is omitted in Lv 18:28;hM'heñ in Is 32:12, Ez 8:12, Neh 9:3; in a relative clause, Gn 39:22, Is 24:2.—The personal pronoun of the 2nd pers. masc. (hT'a; ) is omitted in Hb 2:10; the 2nd fem. (T.a; ) in Gn 20:16 (where, however, for the participletx;k;ñnOw> the 2nd fem. perf.T.x;k;ñnOw> is to be read); the pronoun of the 1st sing. in Hb 1:5 (?), Zc 9:12, Mal 2:16; the 2nd plur. (~T,a; ) 1 S 2:24 (if the text be right), 6:3, Ez 13:7 (?). But these passages are all more or less doubtful.
Of a different kind are the cases in which some undefined subject is to be supplied with the participle; e. g. Is 21:11 t
areqo yl;ae there is one calling unto me (= one calleth; § 144 d); cf. Is 30:24, 33:4.—So with participles in the plur., e. g. Ex 5:16 (~yrIm.a)o sc. the taskmasters); Jer 38:23 (in 33:5 the text is corrupt), Ez 13:7 (?), 36:13, 37:11 (equivalent to sunt qui dicant).
4. We must mention as a special class those noun-clauses which occur at the beginning of a period, and are intended to lay stress upon the fact that the first action still continues on the occurrence of the second (always introduced by u
w> ); e. g. Jb 1:16 f.ab' hw<w> rBed;m. hw< dA[ he was yet speaking, and (= when) another came, &c.6; cf. Gn 29:9, 1 S 9:11, 27, 20:36, 1 K 14:17 she was entering the threshold of the house, when the child died; 2 K 2:23, 4:5, Dn 9:20 f.; also in Ju 19:22, 1 S 9:14, 17:23, 1 K 1:42, Jb 1:18 f., in all which passages the apodosis is introduced byhNEhiw> .—On the other hand, in 1 K 1:14 the noun-clause itself is introduced byhNEhi (as in verse 22 byhNEhiw> ), and denotes an action only just impending.7 Finally, when the whole sentence is introduced by means ofyhiy>w: (cf. § 111 g), and the apodosis byhNEhiw> , Gn 42:35, 2 K 2:11, 13:21; withouthNEhi in the apodosis, 1 S 7:10, 2 K 19:37 (Is 37:38).
Participles active, which are used in the sense of the perfect participle, and also participles passive, in accordance with their meaning, express in such noun-clauses a state still continuing on the occurrence of the principal action, e. g. Gn 38:25 v
hx'l.v' ayhiw> taceWm awhi she was being brought forth, when she sent, &c.; cf. Gn 50:24. [See further in Driver, Tenses, §§ 166–169).]
5. Different from the examples treated in u and v are the instances in which a participle (either alone or as the attribute of a noun) stands at the beginning of the sentence as a casus pendens (or as the subject of a compound noun-clause, see § 143 c) to indicate a condition, the contingent occurrence of which involves a further consequence; e. g. Gn 9:6 w
AmD' ~d'a'B' ~d'a'h' ~D; %pevo %peV'yI shedding man's blood, i. e. if any one sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed; Ex 21:12,y Ps 75:4, Pr 17:14, Jb 41:18; so especially if-lK' every precedes the participle, Gn 4:15, 1 S 3:11 (2 K 21:12), 2 S 5:8 (whosoever smiteth), 1 Ch 11:6. The apodosis is very often introduced byw> (waÒw apodosis), e. g. Ex 12:15 (with a following perfect consecutive), Nu 35:30; 1 S 2:13x;bezO vyai-lK' !heKoh; r[;n:ò ab'W hb;z<ò when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, &c.; 2 S 14:10 (participle with article); 22:41 (where, however, the text is to be emended in accordance withy Ps 18:41); 2 S 23:3 f., Pr 23:24 Keth.; 29:9.—As in the instances discussed under u, such sentences are sometimes preceded byyhiy>w: , cf. 1 S 10:11, 11:11, 2 S 2:23aB'h;-lK' yhiy>w: and it came to pass, that as many as came, &c. [or byhy"h'w> , frequentative, Ju 19:30].—On the other hand,tr,B,ñv.NIh;w> Dn 8:22 is a mere catchword (equivalent to and as for that which was broken) to call to mind the contents of verse 8.
6. On the use of the participle after the infinitive absolute%Alh' cf. § 113 u.
7. Almost as a rule the participial construction beginning a sentence (like the infinitival constructions according to § 114 r) is continued by means of a finite verb with or without x
w> , before which the English construction requires us to supply the relative pronoun implied in the participle; thus, continued by means of a perfect, Is 14:17sr+'h' wyr'['w> rB'd>MiB; lbeTe ~f' that made the world as a wilderness, and overthrew the cities thereof8; 43:7, Ez 22:3,y Ps 136:13 ff., Pr 2:17; by a perfect withoutWaÒw, Gn 49:11; by a simple imperfect (as the modus rei repetitae in the present), Is 5:23, 46:6, Pr 7:8, Jb 12:17, 19 ff., 24:21; by an imperect withoutWaÒw, e. g. 1 S 2:8, Is 5:8, Pr 2:14, 19:26; by an imperfect consecutive, Gn 27:33, 35:3, 1 S 2:6, Jer 13:10 (after several participles),y Ps 18:33, 136:10 f.
Footnotes:
2[2] On the other hand, in Is. 11:9 as the waters
3[1] When, as in Jb 40:19, the participle with the noun-suffix
4[2] On the proper force of this accusative when retained in the passive construction cf. below, § 117 cc, &c., and § 121 c, d. So also Neh 4:12 is to be understood, and the builders were
5[1] A jussive is practically to be supplied also in the formulae of blessing and cursing,
7[2] At the same time the preceding
8[1] On the parallelism between the external and internal members, which appears here and in many other examples of this kind, see the note on § 114 r.