Page:Introductory Hebrew Grammar- Hebrew Syntax (1902).djvu/170

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Rem. 1. The 3 sing. fem. seems used Num. 26:59, 1 K. 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: Is. 28:4 אֲשֶׁר יִרְאֶה הָֽרֹאֶה אֹתָהּ which one (the seer) sees; v. 24. Nu. 6:9, Deu. 22:8, 2 S. 17:9, Is. 16:10, Jer. 9:23; 31:5, Ez. 33:4, Am. 9:1 Mic. 5:2, Nah. 2:3, Ps. 129:3. In 2 K. 12:10 אִישׁ is used for one, cf. 23:8. Am. 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; 6:2; 19:26; 34:20, Ez. 32, 25, Pr. 9:11. The usage is common in Aram., Dan. 2:30; 4:22. So ptcp. 4:28, 29. Peculiar ptcp. sing., Jud. 13:19 וּמַפְלִא לַֽעֲשׂוֹת and something marvellous was done.

Rem. 3. The use of 2nd person for the indeterminate subj. is rare, except in the phrase בֹּֽאֲךָ, (בֹּֽאֲכָה) עַד־בֹּֽאֲךָ till thou comest = as far as, 1 K. 18:46, Gen. 10:19, 30; 13:10. Apparently, Is. 7:25 לא חָבוֹא 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. Pr. 19:25; 26:12; 30:28.

3. Impersonal Construction

§ 109. The verb is also used impersonally in 3 sing., perf. and impf., chiefly mas. but also fem. Jud. 2:15 וַיֵּצֶר לָהֶם מְאֹד they were greatly distressed; Gen. 32:8 1 S. 30:6 וַתֵּצֶר· לְדָוִד מְאֹד, Jud. 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, Nu. 22:34, Gen. 21:12, 2 S. 19:8; Jer. 7:6. טוֹב ל 1 S. 16:16, Hos. 10:1, Jer. 7:23. מַר ל bitter, Ru. 1.13, Lam. 1:4. חַם ל to have heat, 1 K. 1:1, 2, Hag. 1:6. Job 3:13 אָז יָנוּחַ לִי I should have had rest, Is. 23:12, Neh. 9:28. Cf. Gen. 4:5, 1 S. 16:23.

The fem. seems used in reference to the phenomena of