An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax

9.
ה֑ לֶ ֲענ ַ ךְרֶ דֶּ֫ ה ַ הז־י ֶ ֵ
2 Kgs 3:8
The tautologous הז also occurs with הנה.
10. וֹבּ עַ ֵגֹנ ךְאָ ְל ַמ הז־ה ֶ ֵנּהִ ְ
11. תאֵ ֵמ ה ָערָ ה ֽ ָ תאֹ ז־ה ֵנּהִ הוהי
א By whatever route shall we attack?
ו Look [here], an angel touches him.
1 Kgs 19:5
Look [here], the disaster is from YHWH.
2 Kgs 6:33
d The pronoun רשׁא dominates all relative usage, but there are instances in which a
relative clause is headed by הז (or the closely related וּז; 20 19.5). Most are poetic.
12. ׃וֹבּ תָּ ְנ ַכ֫ ָשׁ הז ֶ ןוֹיּ ִצ־רהַ Mount Zion, where you dwelt
Ps 74:2
13. עַ ֵלֹק הז־ל ֶ ָכּ each of whom was a slinger
Judg 20:16
17.5 Quasi-Demonstratives
a The determined pronouns, אוהה and the like, share some of the syntactic duties of
the true demonstratives. אוהה can have a simple deictic force.
1. לוֹדגָּ ה ַ ר ָבּד ְמִּ
ה־ל ַ ָכּ תאֵ אוּהה ַ ארוֹנּ
ָ הַ וְ
that great and awesome wilderness
Deut 1:19
It can also be used anaphorically, as a relative deictic.
2. ץרֶ א֫ ָ ה־ל ָ ַע יתיא ִ ֵבהֵ וְ
איהִ ה ַ
and I brought upon that land 21
Jer 25:13
b In expressions of time אוהה is frequent. 22 In ordinary narrative, past-time אוהה
םויבּ occasionally serves to incorporate “supplementary material” (# 3), frequently
“functions as part of a concluding formula” (# 4), and in still other places “serves as
part of a transition to a following episode within the pericope” (# 5). 23 Simon DeVries
also refers[Page 314] to its use in an epitome, “a summarizing characterization
20
In, e.g., the archaic poem Exod 15:13. Note also Ps 104:8, 26. See J. M. Allegro,
“Uses of the Semitic Demonstrative Element z in Hebrew,” Vetus Testamentum 5
(1955) 309–12.
21
In # 2 h˒rṣ hhy˒ refers to Babylon, just mentioned. Cf. Jer 25:9, 11 for Judah as h˒rṣ
hz˒t.
22
The anarthrous phrase blylh hw˒ ‘in that night’ (Gen 19:33, 30:16, 32:23) is both
anomalous and textually suspect—the Samaritan Pentateuch read hhw˒ in each of the
three cases.
23
DeVries, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, 60–61.