An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax

Hag 1:4
[Page 300]
Less often, the suffixed pronoun with the apposition is a verbal suffix in an
accusative function. 37
9. םוֹצהֲ . . . םתֶּ ְמ ַצ־י ִכּ
וּל ְכאֹ ת י ִכו ְ ׃ינִ א ָ֫
ינִ תֻּ ֫ ְמ ַצ
םתֶּ א ַ אוֹלה ֲ וּתּ֑ ְשׁ ת ִ י ִכוְ םתֶּ אַ ו ְ םי ִל ְכֹא הָ
׃םיתֹשּׁ ִ ה ַ
When you fasted, was it for me that you fasted? When
you ate and when you drank, weren’t you the eaters,
weren’t you the drinkers?
Zech 7:5–6
An apparent obverse of this construction involves an independent pronoun as a
casus pendens with the same referent as a suffixed pronoun.
10. םִימ ַ֫
ָשׁ וּטנ ָ ידָי ַ ינִ א ֲ I, my hands have stretched out the heavens.
Isa 45:12
16.3.5 Minor Uses
a Under this general rubric are considered three quite distinct uses of the independent
personal pronouns: with particles, as a neutrum referring to an unspecific antecedent,
and as a prepositive marker of names. The last two of these uses involve only third-
person forms.
b The two particles of interest are ה ֵנּה, ִ usually ‘behold’ (and the related ןה), ֵ and ם ַגּ,
usually ‘also’ (and the similar ףא). ַ The particles ן ֵ
ה and ה ֵנּ ִ
ה can call special
attention either to a certain statement as a whole or to a single word out of the
statement. 38 They may stand before the independent pronouns to highlight the
pronominal element. 39 A participle commonly follows הנה + pronoun (# 1; cf. 37.6f,
40.2.1d), sometimes with intervening elements (# 2); other forms may follow the
combination of הנה + pronoun (# 3).
1. אוּה־ה ֵנּה ִ הוהי ר ֶמאֹ
יּ֫ וַ
YHWH said, “He has hidden himself in the baggage.”
׃םי ִל ֵכּה־ל ַ א ֶ א ָבּחְ ֶנ
2. ה ֵנּה ִ הוהי ר ַמ א ָ הֹכּ
סרֹה ֵ ינִ א ֲ יתי ִ נִ֫ ָבּ־ר ֶשׁ אֲ
1 Sam 10:22
YHWH said this: “What I built, I’ll tear down.”
Jer 45:4
37
Muraoka claims that # 9 is a unique case; see Emphatic Words, 61–62.
38
Muraoka, Emphatic Words, 137–40. For more on the presentative particles, see
40.2.1.
39
In case the personal pronoun stands before hnh, it serves as a nominative absolute
(see 4.7, 8.3a) to the clause after hnh. If hnh has no suffix, the clause is usually verbal
(e.g., Num 3:12 = 18:6). If hnh is suffixed, the clause is participial (e.g., Gen 6:17).
For a personal pronoun before unsuffixed hnh introducing a verbless clause, see
40.2.1c # 14.