III. Syntax of the Pronoun.

§ 135. The Personal Pronoun.

a

1. The separate pronouns,—apart from their employment as the subject in noun-clauses (cf. § 141 a) and the idiom mentioned under d–h,—are used, according to § 32 b, as a rule, only to give express emphasis to the subject; e. g. Gn 16:5, 2 S 24:17 ykinOa†' i. e. I myself, so also ynIa] 2 S 12:28, 17:15 (after the verb), Ez 34:15, y Ps 2:6; 1 but 1 S 10:18, 2 S 12:7, Is 45:12 ykinOa†' I and none else; cf. also ynOa] ynIa] I, I ! Ho 5:14, &c.; hT'a; Gn 15:15 Ju 15:18 , 1 S 17:56 (as in 20:8, 22:18 Ex 18:19, Dt 5:24, Ju 8:21, after the imperative); 1 K 21:7; ~T,a; Gn 9:7, Ex 20:19 (after the verb, Ju 15:12); fem. Gn 31:6; aWh 1 S 22:18; ayhi Gn 3:20, Ju 14:3; hM'xeñ Jer 5:5.— Sometimes, however, the separate pronoun appears to be placed before the verb more on rhythmical grounds, i. e. in order to give the statement a fuller sound than that of the bare verbal furm (cf. the similar use of the infinitive absolute, § 113 o). Thus Gn 14:23, y Ps 139:2, and most clearly in such passages as Gn 21:24, 47:30, Ex 8:24, Ju 6:18, 11:9, 1 S 12:20, 2 S 3:13, 21:6, 1 K 2:18 (in solemn promises). The same explanation applies to ynIa] at the beginning of sentences, e. g. Gn 24:45, Ho 5:3, 10:11, 12:11, y Ps 39:11, 82:6, Jb 5:3.2

b

Rem. I. Different from this is the pleonastic addition of the separate pronoun immediately affer the verb (according to Delitzsch on Ct 5:5 perhaps a trace of popular language), e. g. 1 S 23:22 (?), Ct 5:5, and (like other indications of the very late origin of the book) very frequently in Ecclesiastes, e. g. 1:16, 2:1, 11, 15, 3:17 f. and thirteen other places; in Aramaic, Dn 5:16.

c

2. Substantival subjects also are somewhat frequently resumed, and thus expressly emphasized, by the insertion of the corresponding separate pronoun of the 3rd person before the predicate is stated, e. g. Gn 3:12 the woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she (ayhi) gave me, &c.; 14:24 (~he); 15:4, 24:7, &c.; but aWh in Is 7:14 after the predicate and subject is equivalent to he himself.3

d

2. Not infrequently the separate pronoun serves to give strong emphasis to a suffix of the same person which precedes (or sometimes even to one which follows), whether the suffix be attached to a verb (as accusative) or to a noun or preposition (as genitive). In English such an emphasis on the pronoun can generally be rendered only by laying greater stress upon it, or sometimes by repeating it; cf., on the contrary, the French mon livre À moi. The separate pronoun in such instances is not to be regarded as a casus obliquus (accusative or genitive), but as the subject of an independent sentence, the predicate of which must in each case be supplied according to the context.

e

Examples of emphasis:—
(a) On a verbal suffix by means of ynIa] ¿ ynIa'ñÀ , Gn 27:34 ynIa'ñ-~g: ynIkeñr]B†' bless me, eren me also (prop. bless me, I also would be blessed); Zc 7:5; cf. also Ez 6:3, 34:11, 20 ynIa'ñ ynIn>hi; by hT'a; ¿ hT'a'ñÀ Pr 22:19 (but the text is most probably corrupt).—The separate pronoun precedes in Gn 24:27 (ykinOa†'); 49:8 (hT'a;, not Judah, thou art he whom, but Judah thee, thee thy brethren shall praise !), and Ec 2:15 ynIa] ~G:.

f

(b) On a noun-suffix with a substantive, by means of ynIa] 2 S 19:1; Pr 23:15; by hT'a; 1 K 21:19 hT'a+'-~G: ^m.D†'-ta, thy blood, even thine; by aWh 2 S 17:5, Jer 27:7, Mi 7:3; by Wnx.n:ña] 1 S 20:42, after WnynEñv., but without special stress; Neh 5:2 (?); by ~T,a; Nu 14:32; by ~he y Ps 38:11 (without special stress), hM'heñ y Ps 9:7.—The separate pronoun precedes in Jb 21:4 (ykinOa†'); Gn 40:16, Is 45:12, 1 Ch 28:2 (ynOa]); Zc 9:11 (T.a;); Jos 23:9 (~T,a;); Ez 33:17 (hM'heñ).—In y Ps 89:48, where ynIa] might be taken as strengthening dlx (equivalent in sense to yDIl.x,), we should read yn"doa] for ynIa], as in verse 51.

g

(c) On a suffix united with a preposition, 1 S 25:24 ynIa] yBi upon me, upon me; 1 K 1:26 ynIa] … yliÈ 2 Ch 35:21 hT'a; ^yl,ñ['-aol† not against thee; 1 S 19:23 ~G: wyl'[' aWh upon him also; Dt 5:3 Wnx.n:òa] WnT'ai yKi but with us, even us; Hag 1:4 ~T,a; ~k,l' for you yourselves; Jer 25:14 hM'heñ-~G: ~B'.—The separate pronoun precedes in 1 S 12:23 yli … ykinOa†'; 1 K 1:20 ^yl,ñ[' … hT'a;; Mi 5:1 ^M.mi … hT'a;, and 2 Ch 28:10 ~k,M'[i ~T,a;.

h

The same principle also explains Gn 4:26 aWh-~G: tvel. to Seth, to him also (not Al-~G:); cf. 10:21, and Ex 35:34, Nu 4:22.

i

3. The oblique cases of the personal pronouns expressed by means of a preposition (or the nota accus. ta) with a suffix may be used either in a demonstrative or reflexive sense,4 as Al to him, but also to himself, e. g. Ju 3:16 and Ehud made Al for himself a sword, cf. Gn 33:17; so also ~h,l' sibi, Is 3:9; wyl'ae unto him, and Gn 8:9 unto himself; ATai with him, and Gn 22:3 with himself; HM'[i with her, and 1 S 1:24. with herself; also apparently as a pleonastic dativus ethicus (see § 119 s), Jb 12:11, 13:1.

k

Rarely, and only when marked emphasis is intended, is the accusative of the reflexive pronoun represented by the nota accusativi ta with a suffix (this being ordinarily expressed by the reflexive conjugations NiphÇal and HithpaÇeÒl5); thus, ~t'ao se ipsos, Ex 5:19, Jer 7:19 in sharp antithesis to ytiaoh†;; Ez 34:2, 8, 10. Cf. § 57 at the end, together with note 2.

l

Rem. There is a similar emphasis in Is 49:26 on ~r'f'B. and ~m'D' in the sense of their own flesh, their own blood. On the sometimes demonstrative, sometimes reflexive meaning of noun-suffixes of the 3rd person singular and plural, cf. § 91 p, and q. For other circumlocutions to express the idea of self, see § 139 f.

m

4. The possessive pronouns are, according to § 33 c, expressed by the suffixes of the noun (in the genitive),6 which may represent either a subjective genitive, or (like the genitives proper, § 128 h) an objective genitive, e. g. ysim'x] the wrong done against me, Gn 16:5, Jer 51:35; cf. Gn 9:2, 18:21, 27:13 (2 S 16:12 Keth.); Gn 30:23, 39:21 (cf. Ex 3:21, &c.); 50:4, Ex 20:20, 21:35, Ju 4:9, 13:12 (Whfeñ[]m†; the treatment of him); Is 56:7, Jer 9:7, Na 3:19, Pr 1:27, 24:22, Jb 20:29, 23:14, 34:6. Cf. also such pregnant expressions as y Ps 20:3 ^r>z>[, xl;v.yI he will send thy help (help for thee), i. e. he will send thee help; Gn 30:18, 39:21, Ex 2:9, Is 1:26 (and I will restore judges for thee); Ez 37:15.

When several substantives are co-ordinated, the pronominal suffix must be attached to each singly, e. g. Gn 36:6 and Esau took -ta,w> wyn"B'-ta,w> wyv'n"-ta, wyt'nOB. his wives and his sons and his daughters, &c.; 38:18, &c. In 2 S 23:5 the text is hardly correct.

n

5.When the genitive, following a construct state, is used periphrastically to express the idea of a material or attribute (§ 128 o and p), the pronominal suffix, which properly belongs to the compound idea (represented by the nomen regens and genitive), is, like the article (§ 127), attached to the second substantive (the genitive), e. g. yvid>q'-rh; prop. the hill of my holiness, i. e. my holy hill, y Ps 2:6, &c.; ^v.d>q' ry[i thy holy city, Dn 9:24; APs.k; yleylia/ his idols of silver, Is 2:20, 30:22, 31:7; 7 cf. Dt 1:41, Is 9:3, 28:4, 41:11, Ez 9:1f., y Ps 41:10, 150:1, Jb 18:7; AnAa yde[]c); his steps of strength; 38:6; after an adjective as nomen regens, Is 13:3 (Zp 3:11) yzEyLi[; ytiw"a]g); my proudly exulting ones.—On the same analogy is the use of e. g. ATm.x;l.mi yleK. Dt 1:41 his weapons of war [cf. Is 41:12]; Is 56:7 tyBe ytiL'piT. my house of prayer, although the genitive here does not convey the idea of an attribute.

o

Rem. 1. Through a weakening in the distinction of gender, which is noticeable elsewhere (cf. § 110 k, 144 a, 145 p, t, u) and which probably passed from the colloquial language8 into that of literature, masculine suffixes (especially in the plural) are not infrequently used to refer to feminine substantives; thus a noun-suffix in the singular, Ex 11:6, 25:19, Ju 11:34; 9 in the plural, Gn 31:9, 32:16, 41:23, Ex 1:21, 2:17, Nu 27:7 (but the feminine suffix twice immediately after, and so the Samaritan also in verse 7); 36:6 (Samaritan !h,ybia], but also ~h,ynEy[†eB.); Ju 19:24, 21:22, 1 S 6:7, 10b (~h,ynEB.); 9:20, Is 3:16, Ez 23:45 ff. (alternating with !h,); Am 4:1f., (but afterwards a feminine suffix); Jb 1:14, 39:3 (~h,yleb.x, in parallelism with !h,ydel.y:); 42:15, Ct 4:2, 6:6, Ru 1:8 ff. (along with feminine suffixes); Dn 1:5, 8:9. Verbal suffixes in the singular, Ex 22:25; in the plural, Ju 16:3, Pr 6:21, Jb 1:15. But Gn 26:15, 18, 33:13, Ex 2:17, 1 S 6:10a are to be explained according to § 60 h. On hM'heñ as feminine, see § 32 n. On the use of the masculine in general as the prior gender, see § 122 g.

p

2. The suffix of the 3rd person singular feminine (us also the separate pronoun ayhi Nu 14:14, Jos 10:13, Ju 14:4) sometimes refers in a general sense to the verbal idea contained in a preceding sentence (corresponding to our it); thus the verbal suffix, Gn 15:6, Nu 23:19, 1 S 11:2, 1 K 11:12, Is 30:8, Am 8:10; cf. Gn 24:14 (HB' thereby), 42:36, 47:26, Ex 10:11 (Ht'ao that), Is 47:7. Elsewhere the suffix of the 3rd singular feminine refers to the plurals of things, e. g. 2 K 3:3 [but see Kittel; so 13:2, 6, 11; 10:26, but LXX tb;Cim;], Jer 36:23, Jb 6:20 (if the text is correct), 39:15 (read ~mex'Te in v. 14), and to the plurals of names of a animals, Is 35:7, Ezr 11:5. Conversely, plural suffixes refer to collective singulars, e. g. in Gn 15:13, Nu 16:3, 1 S 2:8, Zp 2:7 [but read ~Y"h; l[;]; and to a verbal idea contained in the preceding clause, in Ez 33:18, Jb 22:21 (~h,B' thereby), Ez 18:26, 33:19 (~h,yle[] on that account, thereby).10 But the suffix in Ant'n> Dt 21:10 refers to the collective idea contained in ^yb,ñy>a†o; in Jon 1:3 ~h,M'[i refers to the sailors included in sense under the term hY"nIa\. In Jos 2:4 read ~nEP.c.Tiw:; in Is 30:6 (~h,me), 38:16, y Ps 19:5 (~h,B') the text is most probably corrupt.

q

3. In a few examples the force of the noun-suffix or possessive pronoun has become so weak that the language appears to be almost entirely unconscious of it. Thus in yn"doa] my Lord, usually explained as being from the pluralis maiestatis ~ynIdoa] (§ 124 i) with the suffix of the 1st singular (always with QamesÌ to distinguish it from yn:doa] my lords, Gn 19:2; but see note below), used exclusively of God, not only in addressing him (Gn 15:2, 18:3, y Ps 35:23), but ultimately (see, however, the note below), without any regard to the pronoun, as equivalent to the Lord.11 On yn"doa] as a QereÖ perpetuum of the Masoretes for hwhy see § 17 c and § 102 m.

r

A similar loss of vitality in the suffix is generally assumed in wD'x.y: prop. in his unitedness, i. e. he &c. together, e. g. wD'x.y: ~['h'-lK' Ex 19:8; then, without regard to the suffix, even after the 1st person wD'x.y: Wnx.n:òa] 1 K 3:18 in reference to two women; Is 41:1, Jb 9:32, Neh 6:2, 7; after the 2nd person, Is 45:20, &c. But the supposed pronominal suffix is perhaps rather to be explained, with Brockelmann, ZA. xiv. 344 f., as an old adverbial ending, which survives in the Arabic adverbs in u and in Assyrian.—Cf. further ~L'Ku prop. their entirety, but also after the 2nd person equivalent to all together, 1 K 22:28, Mi 1:2 (hear, ye peoples, all of you; cf. § 144 p), and even before the 2nd person, Jb 17:10 (in 1 S 6:4 read ~k,l' with the LXX).—On the redundant suffix in ^K.r>[,h†' Lv 27:23, cf. § 127 i.

Footnotes:

1[1] Also aWhàayhi he himself, she herself (of persons and things), e. g. Is 7:14 aWh yn"doa] the Lord himself; Est 9:1 hM'heñ ~ydIWhY>h; the Jews themselves. In the sense of the same (o` auvto,j) or (one and) the same, aWh is used in Is 41:4, 43:10, 13, 46:4, 48:12 (always aWh ynIa]), y Ps 102:28 (aWh hT'a;), and probably also Jb 3:19.—The position of hM'heñ, as an accusative of the object, before a perfect in 1 Ch 9:22, can nt most be explained on the analogy of Aramaic (Ezr 5:12).

2[2] As early as the MeÖsëaÇ inscription (line 21 ff.) $na frequently stands at the beginning of a new sentence after the dividing stroke.

3[1] Analogous to this is the resumption of a noun dependent on a preposition, by means of a pronominal suffix united with the slime preposition, e. g. Gn 2:17, 2 S 6:22, 2 K 22:18, or of an object by means of the nota accusativi ta with suffix, e. g. 1 S 15:9 (where t~,a,ñm.nIw> is certainly to be read), Is 8:13.

4[1] As in Luther's Bible jm (ihm), jr (ihr) for sich, and in our version him, her for himself, herself.

5[2] NiphÇal according to § 51 e (like HilhpaÇeÒl according to § 54 f) may also include the dative of the reflexive pronoun.

6[3] Like the substantival genitive, according to § 129 h, the possessive pronoun may also be paraphrased by a relative clause, e. g. Ru 2:21 ~yrI['N>h; yli rv,a] the young men, which are to me, i. e. my young men; so especially, when the substantive, which should take a genitive suffix, is already followed by a genitive, e. g. 1 S 17:40. In this case, however, the suffix also is sometimes attached pleonastically, e. g. Ct 1:6 yLiv, ymir>K; my vineyard, which belongs to me. Cf. Ct 3:7, and the analogous pleonasms in 2 S 22:2 (but see y Ps 18:2) and y Ps 27:2.

7[1] On the other hand, more explicitly in prose, Gn 44:2 @s,K,ñh; [;ybig> y[iybiG>-ta, my cup, the silver cup.

8[2] According to Diehl (see the title at the head of § 91 a), who adduces numerous instances on pp. 44 ff., 54 ff., 67 f., many of these cases may be set down to corruption of the traditional text, while the sudden (and sometimes repeated) change of gender in suffixes is mainly due to the influence exercised on the copyists by the Mishnic and popular Aramaic dialects, neither of which recognizes such distinctions. Such influence, however, is insufficient to explain the large number of instances of this weakening, occurring even in the earlier documents.

9[3] The Masora reckons six instances of WNM,ñmi, where hN"M,ñmi would be expected (Ju 11:34, where, however, the text is most probably corrupt), Ex 25:15 (?), Lv 6:8, 7:18, 27:9, Jos 1:7; almost all these passllges can, however, be easily explained in other ways.

10[1] In 2 K 7:10 for r[evo (the LXX had r[;v;ñ) read yre[]v†o.

11[2] Cf. the same weakening of the force of the possessive pronoun in yBir; prop. my master, from the second century A. D. onwards the master; so also in Syriac yrm my lord, and ultimately as a title the lord; in Italian Madonna, French Madame, Notre Dame, Monsieur, Monseigneur, &c. It can, however, hardly be doubted that the regular distinction between yn"doa] as a holy name, and ynIdoa] as an ordinary appellative is merely due to the practice of the later Rabbis. G. H. Dalman. Der Gottesname Adonaj und seine Geschichte (Berlin, 1889), in an exhaustive discussion, shows that apart from the book of Daniel and the eight critically doubtful passages, in which ynda is used by God himself, there is nowhere any necessity to regard the suffix as entirely meaningless, since ynda is always used either in an address to or (like ynIdoa], which also is never a mere phrase or title) in reverent language about God—as the Lord of the speaker—like the Assyrian beÒli-ia, my lord. Against any original distinction between yn"doa] and ynIdoa] it may be urged especially that when unconnected with suffixes the singular !Ada' is always used of God, and not the pluralis maiestatis presupposed by yn"doa].