An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax

׃םהֶ ָל
Ezek 1:6
g The preposition l is used to mark the topic of a verb of saying (## 51–54, cf. # 26), a
use not far removed from the lamed of specification. It also denotes the agent of a
passive verb, usually a Niphal (## 55–56); 84 rarely, l governs the subject of a passive
verb (# 57). With an active transitive verb, l can mark the object (## 58–60; see
10.4b) 85 or, very rarely, the subject (# 61).
51. ׃אוּה יחִ א ָ י ִל־ירִ ְמ אִ Say of me, “He is my brother.”
52. אוּה תוֹקוֹחר ְ םיתִּ ִע ְלוּ
׃א ָבּ ִנ
53. ךְתֹא ָ ר ֵבּד ַמ
ְ ינִ אֲ
הוהי־תיבּ ֵ תוֹקּח־ל ֻ ָכל ְ
54. ָשׁ ד֑ ָ ח ָ רי ִשׁ הוהי ַל וּרי ֫
55. וּנ ְב ַשׁ ֫ חְ ֶנ תוֹיּרִ ְכ ָנ אוֹלהֲ וֹל
56. םי ִיּחַ ֵמ תוֶ ָמ ֫ רחַ ְב ִנוְ תירִ אֵ ְשּׁ ה ַ לֹכלְ 57.
Gen 20:13
He speaks prophecies about far distant times.
Ezek 12:27
I am telling you of all the rules of YHWH’s house.
Ezek 44:5
ִשׁ Sing of YHWH a new song. 86
Ps 96:1, 98:1
Aren’t we considered foreigners by him?
Gen 31:15
Death will be chosen over life by all the remnant.
Jer 8:3
׃וּנ ָל־א ֫ ָפּר ְ ִנ וֹתרָ ֻבחֲ ַבוּ 87
Through his stripes we are healed.
Isa 53:5
58. ידִּ בְ ַע קידִּ ַצ קידִּ ְצַי The just one, my servant, shall adjudge (or, make)
84 R. Althann inconclusively argues that the six occurrences of lamed with the Niphal
of mwl ‘to circumcise’ are all lameds of agency; “MWL, ‘Circumcise’ with the lamedh
of Agency,” Biblica 62 (1981) 239–40. Note also J. Carmignac, “Le Complément
d’agent après un verbe passif dans l’Hébreu et l’Araméen de Qumrân,” Revue de
Qumran 9 (1978) 409–27 (includes a discussion of certain New Testament Greek
prepositions).
85 The verb is often a Hiphil (as in # 58). The use of l with the direct object may
reflect Aramaic influence, and such influence can be seen in some late Akkadian uses
of ana; see von Soden, Grundriss der akkadischen Grammatik, §114e / p. 164.
86 P. de Boer, “Cantate Domino: An Erroneous Dative?” Oudtestamentische Studiën
21 (1981) 55–67, at 62, calls this “a lāmedh of reference designating an accusative of
theme.” Consideration of the associated expressions, e.g., zmr l, corroborates his
conclusion that the expression should not be translated ‘sing to.’
87 There is no agent specified in this passage; the b is instrumental.