151 Desiderative Sentences

§ 151. Desiderative Sentences.

a

A wish may be expressed not only by the simple imperfect ( § 107 n), cohortative (§ 108, especially with an" § 108 c), jussive (§ 109; with an" § 109 b), imperative (§ 110 a), perfect consecutive (§ 112 aa) or by a simple noun-clause ( § 116 r, note, and § 141 g) but also in the following ways:—

1. By exclamations in the form of interrogative clauses:¹ especially sentences with ymi followed by the imperfect as being the mood of that which is still unfulfilled but possible, and hence also of that which is desired, e. g. 2 S 15:4 jpevo ynImeñy>-ym†i who maketh me judge ? i. e. O that I were made judge ! 1 S 20:10, 2 S 23:15. On the other hand, ymi with the perfect (Gn 21:7, Nu 23:10, 1 S 26:9, Is 53:1 &c.) or participle (y Ps 59:8, Pr 24:22, &c.), rather expresses a rhetorical question, i.e. a denial, cf. § 150 d. Especially frequent is the use of !TeyI-ym†i (prop. who gives ?) to introduce all kinds of desiderative clauses (see under b).—In Mal 1:10 the desiderative clause proper is co-ordinated with an interrogative clause, ~yIt;ñl'D> rGOs.yIw> ~k,B'-~g: ymi would that one were among you and would shut the doors, i. e. O that one would shut the doors !

b
Rem. Sometimes the original sense of !TeyI-ym†i is still plainly discernible, e. g. Ju 9:29 ydIy"b. hZ<h; ~['h'-ta, !T.yI-ym†i who gives this people into my hand ? equivalent to, O that this people were given into my hand ! cf. y Ps 55:7. In these examples, however, !TeyI-ym†i is still equivalent to O had I ! and in numerous other instances the idea of giving has entirely disappeared, !TeyI-ym†i having become stereotyped as a mere desiderative particle (utinam). Its construction is either—

(a) With the accusative (in accordance with its original meaning) of a substantive, Dt 28:67 would that it were even ! … morning ! Ju 9:29, y Ps 14:7 (53:7), 55:7; with an accusative and a following infinitive, Jb 11:5; with two accusatives, Nu 11:29, Jer 8:23; with the accusative of an infinitive, Ex 16:3, 2 S 19:1 !TyI-ym†i ^yT,ñx.t; ynIa] ytiWm would that I had died for thee (for ynIa] cf. § 135 f); of a participle, Jb 31:35; of a personal pronoun (as a suffix), Jb 29:2 (with a following K.; but ynInEñT.yI-ym†i Is 27:4 and Jer 9:1 with a following accusative is not simply equivalent to yli !TeyI-ym†i, but is properly who endows me with, &c.; cf. § 117 ff).—With a still greater weakening of the original meaning !TeyI-ym†i is used with an adjective in Jb 14:4 could a clean thing but come out of an unclean ! i. e. how can a clean thing come, &c.; similarly in Jb 31:31 who can find one that hath not been satisfied !

c
(b) With a following perfect, Jb 23:3 (cf. § 120 e); with a perfect consecutive, Dt 5:26 O that they had such an heart !

d
(c) With a following imperfect, Jb 6:8, 13:5, 14:13; in Jb 19:23 the imperfect is twice added with WaÒw (cf. a above, on Mal. 1:10).

On the cohortative in the apodosis to such desiderative clauses, cf. § 108 f.

e

2. The wish may also be expressed by the particles ~ai (y Ps 81:9, 95:7, 139:19, Pr 24:11, 1 Ch 4:10; always with a following imperfect) and Wl (for which in y Ps 119:5 we have yl;x.a;, 2 K 5:3 ylex]a†;, from xa' ah ! and yl; = Wl; both with a following imperfect) si, o si ! utinam.² Wl is followed by the imperfect, Gn 17:18, Jb 6:2; by the jussive, Gn 30:34 (rather concessive, equivalent to let it be 80); by the perfect, as the expression of a wish that something might have happened in past time (cf. § 106 p), Nu 14:2 Wnt.m;ñ Wl would that we had died; 20:3 and Jos 7:7 (both times Wlw>); on the other hand, Is 48:18 and 63:19 (both times aWl) to express a wish that something expected in the future may already have happened.—On Wl with the imperative (by an anacoluthon) Gn 23:13 cf. § 110 e. On the perfect after ~ai yKi Gn 40:14, 2 K 5:20, cf. § 106 n, note 2.

Footnotes:

¹[3] The transition from a question to a wish may be seen, e. g. in Nu 11:4 who shall give us flesh to eat ? i. e. O that we had flesh to eat !