An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax

priority over such abstractions. Only the pronouns and some particles fall entirely
outside the root system.
b The root may be modified to form a word with an affix; it may be a prefix (before
the root), a suffix (after the root), an infix (within the root), or some combination
of these. The affixes form various verbal and nominal patterns, and each word is a
representative of a formative pattern. The term stem is sometimes used to describe
a form of the consonantal root with an affix, from which other words can be
derived.
ָ ֽ
ָ
ֶ֫
ִ
ַ
ֶ ֲ
ָ ֶ
ֶ
ֶ
[Page 84] c The root רבח ‘to unite, join’ can be used in illustrating these points.
Here are a dozen words.
1.
וּר ְבח they (were) joined
2.
ר ֵבח associate
3. ר ֶבח company
4.
ר ַבּח he joined (something to something else)
5.
ר ָבּח partner
6. תר ֶ֫ב ח consort
7. הר ְבח association
8. תר ֶ֫בֹח joined thing
9. תר ֶ֫בּח ַמ joining
הרָ ְבּח ְמ clamp
ןוֹר ְב ֶ
ינוֹר ִ ְב ֶ
10.
11.
ח Hebron
12.
ח Hebronite
In the first three forms, the root is complemented by infixed (and in # 1
suffixed) vowels; in the next two, the medial consonant of the root is also
lengthened (or doubled). Forms ## 6–10 bear a feminine suffix; ## 9–10 have in
addition a prefixed mem. Forms ## 11–12 have an -ôn suffix, and the last form has
a further -î suffix. There are other forms that derive from the root ḥbr. The root
never occurs in isolation from an affix pattern; the meaning ‘to unite, join’ is
derived from the attested vocabulary.
d Some of the patterns used in these dozen words are verb patterns; such patterns
tend to be consistent and regular to a much greater degree than those used to form
nouns (substantives and adjectives). The verbal pattern CāCaC (or C 1āC 2aC 3 or
לטַ ק) ָ denotes a complete or perfective situation, for example, ר ַב ָשׁ ‘he broke,’
ר ַמ ָשׁ ‘he guarded,’ ב ַנ ָגּ ‘he stole,’ לזַ א ָ ‘it is gone’; thus וּר ְבח ָ ֽ ‘they (were)
joined.’ The verbal pattern C1iC2C2ēC3 works in a similar way, for example, דבֶּ ִכּ
‘he honored,’ ר ֶפּס ִ ‘he recounted,’ לדֶּ גּ ִ ‘he caused to grow’; thus ר ַבּ ִ
ח ‘he joined