Expression of Subject in Verbal Sentence
Expression of Subject in Verbal Sentence
§ 107. In the verbal sent. the subj. is expressed by the inflectional element of the form, except in 3rd pers., as יָדַעְתִּי I know, מְכַרְתֶּם ye sold (where tem and ti express the subj.). In the nominal sent. the subj. has to be expressed. On its omission with ptcp. cf. § 100.
1. Emphasis on Subject
When emphasis falls on the pronom. subj. in verbal sent. it is expressed separately, being then placed chiefly before, but also after, the verb. The emphasis is often slight, and due to contrast. Genesis 42:8 וְהֵם לֹא הִכִּרֻהוּ but they did not recognise him; Genesis 33:3; Genesis 42:23, Judges 4:3; Judges 13:5, Isaiah 1:2, Hosea 2:8, Amos 2:9. After the verb, Judges 8:23 לֹא־אֶמְשֹׁל אְַנִי בָּכֶם I will not rule over you. Genesis 24:60, Exodus 18:19, 1 Samuel 20:8; 1 Samuel 23:22, 2 Samuel 12:28; 2 Samuel 17:15, 2 Kings 10:4, Isaiah 20:6, Jeremiah 17:18. The pron. is often strengthened by גַּם whether before the verb or after. Genesis 20:6; Genesis 38:11; Genesis 48:19, Judges 1:3, Judges 1:22; Judges 3:31, Hosea 4:6.
Rem. 1. These additional exx. of pron. may be turned up. Genesis 30:26; Genesis 31:6; Genesis 42:19; Genesis 43:9; Genesis 45:8, Exodus 20:22, Deuteronomy 3:28; Deuteronomy 5:24, Judges 8:21; Judges 15:12. In many cases, however, the emphasis is not on the mere pron.; the expression of the pron. gives force or solemnity to the whole phrase, which is emphatic. Particularly in responses to preceding statements or requests, as Genesis 21:24 I will swear, Genesis 38:17; Genesis 47:30, Judges 6:18 (Judges 11:9), 2 Samuel 3:13; 2 Samuel 21:6, 1 Kings 2:18; 1 Kings 5:8, 2 Kings 6:3. But also in other cases, Judges 5:3 I will sing. I will sing to the Lord. Proverbs 24:32. And in prayers the thou is merely part of the solemnity of the sentiment, 1 Kings 3:6. And so in earnest appeals, as in the phrases thou knowest, ye know, the emphasis is not on the mere pron. but belongs to the whole expression. Genesis 44:27, Joshua 14:6, 1 Samuel 28:9, 2 Samuel 17:8, 1 Kings 2:5, 1 Kings 2:15; 1 Kings 5:3, 1 Kings 5:6 (2 Kings 9:11), 2 Kings 4:1, cf. 2 Kings 19:11. Many languages whose inflected verb does not need the pron. show a tendency to express 1James 2:1-26 nd pron. So Moab. James 1:21 seq. Pleonastic expression of אְַנִי after verb is a peculiarity of Eccles., e.g. 2 Kings 1:16; 2 Kings 2:1, 2 Kings 2:11, 2 Kings 2:15, &c., cf. Son_5:5.
2. The Indefinite Subject
§ 108. The indefinite, unnamed subj. (Eng. they, one) is expressed in various ways. (a) By 3 pers. sing. of verb, e.g. in the phrase they called the name, &c. Genesis 11:9 עַל־כֵּן קָרָא שְׁמָהּ בָּבֶל they called its name Babel. Genesis 16:14; Genesis 21:31, Exodus 15:23. The 3 plur. is also used, 1 Samuel 23:28, 1 Chronicles 11:7; 1 Chronicles 14:11. But in other cases 3 sing. is of frequent use. Isaiah 7:24 בַּחִצִּים וּבַקֶּשֶׁת יָבֹא שָׁמָּה with arrows and bow shall one go there; Exodus 10:5 וְלֹא יוּכַל לִרְאֹת הָאָרֶץ so that one shall not be able to see the earth.
Genesis 38:28; Genesis 48:1, Deuteronomy 15:2, 1 Samuel 16:4; 1 Samuel 23:22; 1 Samuel 26:20, 2 Samuel 15:31; 2 Samuel 16:23, 1 Kings 18:26, 2 Kings 5:4, Isaiah 6:10; Isaiah 8:4; Isaiah 14:32, Amos 6:12, Micah 2:4.
(b) By 3 plur. Genesis 29:2 מִן־הַבְּאֵר הַהִוא יַשְׁקוּ הָֽעְַדָרִים from that well they watered the flocks; 1 Samuel 27:5 יִתְּנוּ־לִי מָקוֹם let them give me a place. Genesis 41:14; Genesis 49:31, 1 Samuel 1:25, 1 Kings 1:2; 1 Kings 15:8, Hosea 11:2, Hosea 11:7; Hosea 12:9, Jeremiah 8:4; Jeremiah 16:6 (sing. and pl.), Job 6:2, 2 Chronicles 25:16.
(c) By ptcp., in plur. Genesis 39:22 ואת כָּל־אְַשֶׁר עשִֹׁים שָׁם הוּא הָיָה עשֶֹׁה and whatever they did there. Isaiah 32:12, Jeremiah 38:23, Ezekiel 13:7, Nehemiah 6:10, 2 Chronicles 9:28. More rarely sing., Isaiah 21:11 אֵלַי קֹרֵא one calleth unto me from Seir.
Rem. 1. The 3 sing. fem. seems used Numbers 26:59, 1 Kings 1:6. The real subject in a, b is the ptcp. sing. or plur., קָרָא קֹרֵא a caller, or הַקֹּרֵא the caller, called. The ptcp. is often expressed: Isaiah 28:4 אְַשֶׁר יִרְאֶה הָֽרֹאֶה אֹתָהּ which one (the seer) sees; Isaiah 28:24. Numbers 6:9, Deuteronomy 22:8, 2 Samuel 17:9, Isaiah 16:10, Jeremiah 9:24; Jeremiah 31:5, Ezekiel 33:4, Amos 9:1, Micah 5:3, Nahum 2:2, Psalms 129:3. In 2 Kings 12:9 אִישׁ is used for one, cf. 23:8. Amos 6:10 הַעוֹד עִמָּךְ are there any still beside thee? the subj. is rather understood.
Rem. 2. The 3 plur. is sometimes used where human agents cannot be supposed, in the sense of pass. Job 7:3 and wearisome nights מִנּוּ לִי are appointed me; Job 6:2; Job 19:26; Job 34:20, Ezekiel 32:1-32; Ezekiel 25:1-17, Proverbs 9:11. The usage is common in Aram., Daniel 2:30; Daniel 4:22. So ptcp. Daniel 4:28, Daniel 4:29. Peculiar ptcp. sing., Judges 13:19 וּמַפְלִא לַֽעְַשׂוֹת and something marvellous was done.
Rem. 3. The use of 2nd person for the indeterminate subj. is rare, except in the phrase בֹּֽאְַךָ, עַד־בֹּֽאְַךָ (בֹּֽאְַכָה) till thou comest = as far as, 1 Kings 18:46, Genesis 10:19, Genesis 10:30; Genesis 13:10. Apparently, Isaiah 7:25 לא תָבוֹא שָׁמָּה thou shalt not come there. In the injunctions of the Law thou is the community personified or each person, and in Prov. thou is the pupil of the Wiseman, though cf. Proverbs 19:25; Proverbs 26:12; Proverbs 30:28.
3. Impersonal Construction
§ 109. The verb is also used impersonally in 3 sing., perf. and impf., chiefly mas. but also fem. Judges 2:15 וַיֵּצֶר לָהֶם מְאֹד they were greatly distressed; Genesis 32:7. 1 Samuel 30:6 וַתֵּצֶר לְדָוִד מְאֹד, Judges 10:9. So mas. in וַיְהִי and it was, וְהָיָה and it shall be. So many words followed by prep. ל; as רַע ל to be amiss to, Numbers 22:34, Genesis 21:12, 2 Samuel 19:7; Jeremiah 7:6. טוֹב ל 1 Samuel 16:16, Hosea 10:1, Jeremiah 7:23. מַר ל bitter, Rth_1:13, Lamentations 1:4. חַם ל to have heat, 1 K. I. I, 2, Haggai 1:6. Job 3:14 אָז יָנוּחַ לִי I should have had rest, Isaiah 23:12, Nehemiah 9:28. Cf. Genesis 4:5, 1 Samuel 16:23.
The fem. seems used in reference to the phenomena of nature. Job 11:17 תָּעֻפָה (cohort.) should it be dark. Am.
Job 4:7 תַּמְטִיר it rained (freq.). Micah 3:6 it shall be dark, Psalms 50:3; Psalms 68:15. (But cf. 1 Samuel 29:10 when it is light (mas.), 2 Samuel 2:32, see Genesis 44:3, Jeremiah 13:16.) And of an unseen power, Job 18:14 it brings him (he is brought) to the king of terrors. The pass. is also used impersonally in the mas. Genesis 4:26 אָז הוּחַל לִקְרֹא then it was begun to invoke; Ezekiel 16:34 וְאַֽחְַרַיִךְ לֹא זוּנָּה there was no whoring after thee. The pass. in this case often governs like the act. (§ 79), Amos 4:2 וְנִשָּׂא אֶתְכֶם ye shall be taken away. Numbers 16:29, Deuteronomy 21:3-4, 2 Samuel 17:16, Isaiah 14:3; Isaiah 16:10; Isaiah 27:13; Isaiah 53:5, Jeremiah 16:6, Amos 9:9, Malachi 1:11 (ptcp.), Psalms 87:3.
Rem. 1. The forms טוֹב, רַע, מַר, &c., might be adjectives, but the use of impf. and inf. makes it more probable that they are perfs. Peculiar is Proverbs 13:10, by pride יִתֵּן מַצָּה there comes strife (es giebt). Rarely with suff., Job 6:17 בְּחֻמּוֹ when it is hot.
Rem. 2. It is scarcely impersonal use of fem. when it is employed of a subject suggested by some statement preceding, where we say it. Isaiah 7:7 לֹא תָקוּם it shall not stand (the purpose); Isaiah 14:24, Judges 11:39, 1 Samuel 10:12. The fem. is often, however, used for neut.— Comp. these cases of fem.: Genesis 24:14 (thereby), 1 Samuel 11:2 ושׂמתיה (it, putting out their eye), Genesis 15:6 counted it (the fact that he believed) Exodus 30:21, Joshua 11:20 היתה, 2 Samuel 2:26; 2 Samuel 3:37, 1 Kings 2:15, 2 Kings 19:25; 2 Kings 24:3, 2 Kings 24:20, Isaiah 22:11; Isaiah 30:8, Micah 1:9, Jeremiah 4:28; Jeremiah 5:31; Jeremiah 7:31; Jeremiah 10:7; Jeremiah 19:5, Ezekiel 33:33, Job 4:5; Job 18:15.
Rem. 3. In poetry a peculiar consn. occurs in which the verb seems to have a double subj., one personal and the other the organ or member, &c., by which the action is actually performed. This neuter subj. has always a suff. of the same person as the personal subj., and may precede or follow the verb. Psalms 3:4 קוֹלִי אל־י׳ אֶקְרָא my voice, I cried, i.e. I cried aloud; Isaiah 10:30 צַֽהְַלִי קוֹלֵךְ shout aloud! Isaiah 26:9, Habakkuk 3:15, Psalms 17:10, Psalms 17:13-14; Psalms 32:8; Psalms 44:3; Psalms 60:7; Psalms 66:17; Psalms 69:11; Psalms 108:2, Psalms 108:7; Psalms 142:2. In a nominal sent. Psalms 83:18.
—Others consider קולי, &c.. to be acc., but the presence of the suff. distinguishes the present case from that in § 67, R. 3.