§ 146. Construction of Compound Subjects.
1. When the subject is composed of a nomen regens (in the construct state) with a following genitive, the predicate sometimes agrees in gender and number not with the nomen regens, but with the genitive, when this represents the principal idea of the compound subject.1 Thus 1 S 2:4 ~yTix; ~yrIBoGI tv,q,ñ the bow of the mighty men is broken, as if it were the mighty men with their bow are broken; Ex 26:12, Lv 13:9, 1 K 1:41 (but the text is clearly very corrupt), 17:16, Is 2:11, 21:17, Zc 8:10, Jb 15:20, 21:21, 29:10, 32:7 (~ynIv' bro equivalent to many years); 38:21; with the predicate preceding, 2 S 10:9, unless it is to be explained according to § 145 k.
Rem. 1. The cases in which lAq (voice, sound) with a following genitive stands at the beginning of a sentence, apparently in this construction, are really of a different kind. The lAq is there to be taken as an exclamation, and the supposed predicate as in apposition to the genitive, e. g. Gn 4:10 the voice of thy brother's blood, which crieth (prop. as one crying) … ! = hark! thy brother's blood is crying, &c.; Is 13:4, 66:6. In Is 52:8 an independent verbal-clause follows the exclamation the voice of thy watchmen !; in Jer 10:22 and Ct 2:8 an independent noun-clause; in Is 40:3 areqo lAq the voice of one that crieth ! i. e. hark ! there is one crying is followed immediately by direct speech; in Mi 6:9 lAq hark ! may be used disconnectedly (cf. the almost adverbial use of lAq in § 144 m) and hA'hy> be taken as the subject to ar'q.yI.
2. When the substantive lKo (-lK') entirely is used in connexion with a genitive as subject of the sentence, the predicate usually agrees in gender and number with the genitive, since lKo is equivalent in sense to an attribute (whole, all) of the genitive; hence, e. g. with the predicate preceding, Gn 5:5 ~d'a' ymey>-lK' Wyh.Y)iw: and all the days of Adam were, &c. (in 5:23, 9:29 yhiy>w:; but the Samaritan reads wyhyw here also); Ex 15:20; with the predicate following, y Ps 150:6, &c. Exceptions are, e. g. Lv 17:14 (but cf. § 145 l), Jos 8:25, Is 64:10, Pr 16:2, Na 3:7. On the other hand, in such cases as Ex 12:16 the agreement of the predicate with -lK' is explained from the stress laid upon the latter, hk'al'm.-lK' aol being equivalent to the whole of work (is forbidden).
2. When the subject of the sentence consists of several nouns connected by waÒw copulative, usually
(a) The predicate following is put in the plural, e. g. Gn 8:22 seed time and harvest, and cold and heat … shall not cease (WtBoñv.yI aol); after subjects of different genders it is in the masculine (as the prior gender, cf. § 132 d), e.g. Gn 18:11 ~ynIqez> hr'f'w> ~h'r'b.a; Abraham and Sarah were old; Dt 28:32, 1 K 1:21.
Rem. Rare exceptions are Pr 27:9 ble-xM;f;y> tr,joñq.W !m,v,ñ ointment and perfume rejoice the heart, where the predicate agrees in gender with the masculine !m,v,ñ (as in Is 51:3 with !Aff'); on the other hand, in Ex 21:4 (where hV'aih†' h'yd,ñl'yw)i are the subjects) it agrees with hV'aih†' as being the principal person; in the compound sentence, Is 9:4, it agrees with the feminine subject immediately preceding.2
(b) The predicate preceding two or more subjects may likewise be used in the plural (Gn 40:1, Jb 3:5, &c.); not infrequently, however, it agrees in gender and number with the first, as being the subject nearest to it. Thus the predicate is put in the singular masculine before several masculines singular in Gn 9:23, 11:29, 21:32, 24:50, 34:20, Ju 14:5; before a masculine and a feminine singular, e.g. Gn 3:8, 24:55 then said (rm,aoñYw:) her brother and her mother; 33:7; before a masculine singular and a plural, e.g. Gn 7:7 wyn"b'W x;nO aobY"w: and Noah went in, and his sons, &c.; Gn 8:18 (where feminines plural also follow); 44:14, Ex 15:1, 2 S 5:21; before collectives feminine and masculine, 2 S 12:2.
Similarly, the feminine singular occurs before several feminines singular, e. g. Gn 31:14 ha'lew> lxer' ![;T;ñw: then answered Rachel and Leah; before a feminine singular and a feminine plural, e.g. Gn 24:61; before a feminine singular and a masculine singular, Nu 12:1 ~y"r>mi rBed;T.w: !Arh]a†;w> then spake Miriam and Aaron; Ju 5:1; before a feminine singular and a masculine plural, e.g. Gn 33:7 (cf., on the other hand, y Ps 75:4 h'yb,ñv.y)-lk'w> #r,a,ñ ~ygImon> dissolved are the earth and all the inhabitants thereof). The plural feminine occurs before a plural feminine and a plural masculine in Am 8:13.—In Jer 44:25 for ~k,yven>W ~T,a; read ~T,a; ~yviN"h; with the LXX, and cf. verse 19.
(c) When other predicates follow after the subjects have been mentioned, they are necessarily put in the plural; cf. Gn 21:32, 24:61, 31:14, 33:7, &c., and § 145 s.
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