and that man was the greatest of all the natives גָּדוֹל מִכָּל־בְּנֵי־קֶדֶם

of the East, Job 1: 3.

3. When the predicate is a pronoun, it admits of no qualification, e. g. I (am) he, Deut. 32: 39., what (is) this? Gen. 3: 13. 4. When it is a verb, it may be either intransitive or transitive. a. Intransitive verbs may be subdivided into active and neuter. a. Neuter verbs are such as denote a subjective attribute, or state of being (§ 700. 1.); consequently they admit all the specifications of adjectives, besides those which relate to time, e. g. A STATE TY until he became very great, Gen. 26: 13., by great is his mercy towards those that fear him, Ps. 103: 11., and he was the wisest of all mankind, 1 Kings 5:11. intransitive verb denotes an objective attribute, i. e. not a state of being or quality inherent in the subject, but a mode of action (§ 700. 2.); and it admits the same extensions as a neuter verb, e. g. p-by 77

B. An active

and he rode upon a cherub, and flew, Ps. 18: 11., Dan

but they both went away quickly, 2 Sam. 17: 18.,

but I will run after him, 2 Kings 5 : 20.

aban

b. Transitive verbs, besides the qualifications they may receive in common with other verbs, extend the predicate by taking after them one or more nouns denoting the object or objects on which the action

and וְהוֹכִיחַ אַבְרָהָם אֶת־אֲבִימֶלֶךְ .indicated by the verb is exerted, e. g

Abraham reproved Abimelech, Gen. 21: 25.,

God created the heavens and the earth, 1:1. Nouns constituting the object of a verb may become extended in the same manner as the subject (see § 705, et seqq.).

§ 710. It is scarcely necessary to add, that of each of these kinds of predicates there may be two or more in a single proposition, either simple or specified in the same manner as when there is only one, and forming what is termed a compound predicate, e. g.

Rachel bas beautiful in form and comely in יְפַת תֹּאַר וִיפַת מַרְאֶה וַיַּשְׁכֵּם אַבְרָהָם בַּבֹּקֶר וַיַּחֲבֹשׁ אֶת־חֲמֹרוֹ וַיְקַח,.17: 29 .aspect, Gen and Abraham rose early in the morning, and אֶת־שְׁנֵי נְעָרָיו אִתּוֹ וגו'

saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, &c. 22: 3.

Sentences.

§ 711. Sentences may be either simple or compound.

1. A simple sentence consists of a single proposition, one not containing another within itself, e. g. let there be light, Gen.

.the Lord reigns for ever and ever, Ex יְהוָה יִמְלֹךְ לְעֹלָם וָעֶד .1:13 the children וּמִקְנֶה רַב הָיָה לִבְנֵי רְאוּבֵן וְלִבְנֵי־גָד עָצוּם מְאֹד .15:18

of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle, Num. 32: 1.

2. a. A compound sentence is one which contains two or more propositions within itself. In sentences of this kind the first proposition. is frequently further specified by what is affirmed in the second, e. g. naŋ 827 nadh the soul that sinneth, it shall die, Ezek. 18: 4.,

lean and ill-favoured kine that came up after them, are seven years, Gen. Here belong all kinds of relative sentences, e. g. 7 EN

41:27.

these (are) the words that Moses spoke, Deut. 1: 1., DIN happy is the man (that) finds wisdom, Prov. 3: 13.

b. Or it consists of two or more propositions, one declaratory and the other hypothetical, causative, &c., e. g. in

אִם קָרָאתִי,.1: 116 .I desire that the Lord may hear my voice, Ps אֶת־קוֹלִי f I call that he may answer me, I do וַיַּעֲנֵנִי לֹא אַאֲמִין כִּי יַאֲזִין קוֹלִי

not believe that he will hearken to my voice, Job 9: 16.

§ 712. When words thus become combined together in sentences, they are to be viewed no longer as independent existences, but as members of the same body politic, united by a common bond and standing to each other in various and often complicated relations. The investigation of the nature of these relations and the modes of denoting them, which are regulated by principles as general and immutable as those that give rise to the primitive forms of words, constitutes, as we have said, the chief object of the doctrine of Syntax. In Hebrew as in other languages, the relation of one member of a sentence to another is indicated by one or more of the following means: 1st. by the use of particles, consisting of separate words or of prefixed or suffixed letters; 2dly, by changes in the forms of words; and, 3dly, by their respective positions.

§ 713. The relations of the members of a sentence to each other are of two kinds, which may be termed coördinate and subordinate.

1. The coördinate relation is that in which the accessory terms used to modify or restrict the meaning of a principal one, assume a character corresponding to that of the principal term, so as to clearly indicate their relation. Hence proceed the rules of agreement.

2. The subordinate relation is that in which one or more words are employed as the complement of some other term; in which case they fre.

quently assume a form indicative of such relation. And hence the rules of government are derived.

§ 714. The rules of agreement affect accessory words, such as adjectives, pronouns, and verbs, by causing them to assume the charac. ter of the principal term, which is always a noun, with respect to gender, number, person, and the reception or non-reception of the article. The influence exercised by these rules as also by those of government on the structure of the Hebrew language, we are now about to exhibit; in so doing, we shall first discuss separately each member of a simple proposition, and thence gradually proceed to those of a more complex nature.

§ 715. But before beginning to investigate the manner in which the rules of agreement operate on words placed in, a coördinate relation to a noun, whether subject, object, or predicate, we have to consider the modes in which the noun itself may be mentioned. These are two-fold: 1st, a noun may be spoken of as indefinite, that is, in its most general sense without any restriction of its application whatever; or, 2dly, it may be spoken of as definite, whether already so in its nature, as a proper noun, or made so by construction or by the addition of a particle called the definite Article.

CHAPTER II.

THE ARTICLE.

Use with respect to Nouns.

§ 716. NOUNS in Hebrew are either definite or indefinite. In their nude state, without any addition or change of form, they convey for the most part, with the exception of proper nouns, an idea not specific but general and indeterminate, and hence are termed indefinite. Definite nouns are such as are already definite in their signification, or are made so by their construction or by receiving the definite article (see § 645, et seqq.), the only one which the Hebrew as

*

well as the Greek language possesses.' We shall first enumerate the cases in which nouns appear without the article, and afterwards those in which they receive it.

A. Nouns without the Article.

§ 717. Nouns remain without the article, 1st, when used indefi. nitely; and, 2dly, when rendered definite by some other means. I. An indefinite noun may be either,

1. a. A common appellative noun employed without reference to a particular individual of the kind it denotes, and where in English it would usually receive the indefinite article, e. g. when thou approachest a city, Deut. 20:10. 21: 1.,

?

if

מֵפִיץ וְחֶרֶב וְחֵץ שָׁנוּן אִישׁ עֹנֶה בְרֵעֵהוּ עַד שֶׁקֶר .1 :5 .a person sin, Lev

a maul, a sword, and a sharp arrow, (is) a man that bears false witness against his neighbour, Prov. 25: 18.† So too when accompanied by a qualifying term, e. g. and there arose a new king, Ex. 72 10? E a wholesome

1:8, 14. Deut. 4:38. 22:8, 14., tongue (is) a tree of life, Prov. 15: 4.

b. An appellative used to signify a whole class of existences, e. g. DN Lord, what (is) man? Ps. 144: 3, 4. And thus often Din

וַיְהִי לִי שׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר צֹאן וְעֶבֶד וְשִׁפְחָה .when used collectively, e. g

and I have oxen and asses, flocks, men-servants and maid servants, Gen. 32: 6., a dad and thou shalt see horses and chariots, Deut. 20: 1.

2. A material-noun used in its widest acceptation, e. g.

בַּרְזֶל מֵעָפָר יִקָּח .7:15 .clotted milk and honey shall he eat, Is יאכל

iron is taken out of the ground, and stone (is) melted

into brass, Job 28: 2.

• We do indeed occasionally find the numeral one made use of without especial reference to number, and equivalently to the indefinite article, Eng. a or an, Germ. ein, French un, e. g. a basket, Ex. 29:3.,

a certain man (vir quidam, avo

a prophet, 1 Kings 20: 13. 19:4. employed in a similar manner, e. g. stone, 6: 18.,

a man,

tis), Judg. 13:2. 1 Sam. 1: 1., TN N The Chaldee and the Syriac

у

are

oby an image, Dan. 2:31., a

a certain man, Acts 5: 1.

†This applies also to patronymic and gentile nouns, which in effect are

and וַיַּרְא אִישׁ מִצְרִי מַכֶּה אִישׁ עִבְרִי .appellatives formed from proper nouns, e. g

he saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, Ex. 2:11.

3. An abstract noun used in like manner, e. g.

TD fear and dread shall fall upon them, Ex. 15: 16., O mercy and truth have met together, righteousness and peace have kissed (each other), Ps. 85: 11. 89: 15. 96: 6.

II. Nouns may be definite without the article.

1. By their signification, as is the case with proper nouns, e. g.

2. By their construction. a. The article is not used before nouns having a pronominal suffix, as this kind of specification renders them sufficiently definite without it, e. g. my servant,

*.your families, &c משפחתיכם,his or שורו

thy son,

b. Neither is the article prefixed to a noun in construction with a definite noun, since in this case also the sense of the whole phrase is sufficiently restricted by the definiteness of the governing noun. This rule holds good whether the governing noun be rendered definite, a. By its signification, as when a proper noun, e. g.

the

the children בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל,the wife of Abram אֲשֶׁת אַבְרָם,house of God

of Israel. When three or more nouns are thus connected into one compound term, and the last is a proper noun, it renders the whole

A few instances are met with where under peculiar circumstances a noun with a pronominal suffix does receive the article. Thus in the passage, in one half of them opposite Mount Gerizim, and the other half of them opposite Mount Ebal, Josh. 8: 33., the article is prefixed to the latter for the purpose of rendering it emphatic, so as to mark distinctly the opposition between it and the preceding one. In most cases, however, where a noun receives both suffix and article, it specifies and governs a preceding noun in the construct, and the article appears to have been superadded for the purpose of rendering the definiteness of the entire expression more conspicuous, e. g. 7 the worth of thy estimation, Lev. 27 : 23. Josh. 7:21., the midst of its fold, Mic. 2: 12., ¬nn-be all (lit. the whole of its pregnant women, 2 Kings 15: 16.

†The article is emphatically employed in a few instances where the noun in construction is also in apposition with a preceding proper noun or pronoun, e. g.

אָנֹכִי הָאֵל בֵּית־אֵל .8 : 36 .my master, the king of Assyria, Is אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ אַשׁוּר

I (am) the God of Bethel, Gen. 31: 13.; and also where it is preceded by, to indicate that it is used collectively and not distributively (see § 725. II. 1.), e. g. nanban Den-be all the people of war, Josh. 8:11. Jer. 25: 26. Ezek. 45 : 16.; but very rarely when neither of these is the case, e. g. beam, Judg. 16: 14. Jer. 32: 16. In the passage,

the pin of the

and he

brought her to the tent Sarah's, i. e. Sarah's tent, Gen. 24: 67., the cannot properly be said to be in construction, on account of the affixed and consequently may receive the article.

noun

directive,