Page:Introductory Hebrew Grammar- Hebrew Syntax (1902).djvu/164

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latent or expressed. Gen. 3:13 הַנָּחָשׁ הִשִּׁיאַנִי the serpent beguiled me; 37:33 כְּתֹנֶת בְּנִי חַיָּה רָעָה אֲכָלָתְהוּ it is my son’s coat, an evil beast hath devoured him; 37:27 וְיָדֵנוּ אַל־תְּהִי־בוֹ but let not our hand be upon him. Often the antithesis is expressed: Is. 1:3 יָדַע שׁוֹר קֹנֵהוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא יָדַע the ox knoweth his owner, Israel does not know; Gen. 4:2 Abel was a shepherd וְקַיִן הָיָה עֹבֵד אֲדָמָה but Cain was a tiller of the ground; 1 S. 1:22 … וַיַּעַל הָאִישׁ וְחַנָּה לֹא עָֽלְתָה the man went up, but Hannah did not go up. Gen. 6:8; 18:33; 33:17; 35:18; 37:11, Hos. 2:23, 24; Is. 1:2 and they; Am. 7:17. A new subject in distinction from others is thus introduced, e.g. Jud. 1:29 and Ephraim; sometimes without and, Jud. 1:30, 31, 33. Or any new point that is to be somewhat signalised, Gen. 2:6 and a mist went up. 1 K. 2:28 and the report came to Joab. But rhythm and style must also be taken into account.

In the circumstantial sent. (§ 137) the subj. is prominent, and precedes the verbal pred. Gen. 24:31 why stand outside וְאָֽנֹכִי פִּנִּיתִי הַבַּיִת when I have made ready the house? Job 21:22 הַלְאֵל יְלַמֶּד־דַּעַת וְהוּא רָמִים יִשְׁפּוֹט shall one teach God knowledge when he judges those on high? Ex. 23:9; 33:12, Jud. 4:21.

Rem. 1. As stated above, there is a departure from the ordinary prose narrative style with vav impf. when a new subject has to be introduced or any important point signalised which is the beginning of a new development, e.g. Gen. 4:1, the new history after the fall. In these cases the subj. is placed first even in the verbal sent. This is aprticularly the usage when the event to be singalised was anterior to the events in the current of the narrative. Jud. 1:16 וּבְנֵי קֵינִי עָלוּ now the Kenites had gone up with Judah. Gen. 16:1; 24:62; 31:19, Jud. 4:11. See exx. § 39c.

Rem. 2. It is a point of style, however, especially in prophetic parallelism, and even otherwise, to vary the consn.,