An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax

Jer 5:9
3. א ֵשּׂ נַ תְ ִמ . . . הָיּנֹד ִ אֲ וַ
Now Adonijah…exalted himself.
4. רתֵּ תַּ סְ ִמ דוִ ד ָ אוֹלהֲ וּנ ָמּ ֫ ִע
1 Kgs 1:5
Is not David hiding (himself) with us?
1 Sam 23:19
d In the indirect reflexive use the subject is also the indirect object of the action; often a
direct object is expressed.
5. ם ָעה־ל ָ ָכּ וּקרְ ָפּתִ ְ יּוַ בהָ זָּ ה ַ ימֵ זְ נ־ת ִ אֵ
6. ןתָ ָנוֹהְי ט ֵשּׁ פַּ תִ ְ יּוַ לי ִע ְמּ ה־ת ַ אֶ
And all the people took off (from themselves) their gold
earrings.
Exod 32:3
And Jonathan stripped off (from himself) the robe.
1 Sam 18:4
e The benefactive reflexive refers to an action done on one’s own behalf. 23
8.
7.
וּנ ְנּחַ תְ הִ וְ
וּל ְל ַפּתְ הִ וְ
ךָי ֶל֫ א ֵ
ךָדְ ַע ַבּ ל ֵלּ ַפּתִי ְ ְ
9. י ַלגְ ר ַ י ֵשׁ רְ ָשׁ־ל ַע
׃הקֶּ חַ תְ תּ ִ
10. םח ָ וּנ ֵמ ֫ חְ ַל הזֶ וֹתֹא וּנדְ ַיּ֫ טַ ְצה ִ
They pray and implore you for favor (lit., make a
mediation [by asking you] for themselves).
1 Kgs 8:33
ו And he will pray for you (lit., he will cause a mediation
[by seeking or asking] for himself on your behalf).
Gen 20:7
You put slave markings (for yourself) on the soles of my
feet.
Job 13:27
This is our bread—it was hot—we packed it as
provisions (for ourselves). 24
Josh 9:12
f The estimative-declarative reflexive is the counterpart to the Piel’s use to esteem
someone as in a state or to declare someone as existing in a state; the Hithpael
may[Page 431] denote esteeming or presenting oneself in a state, sometimes without
regard to the question of truthfulness (## 12–13, 15?).
11. יתִּ ְשׁ דִּ קַ תְ הִ ו ְ יתִּ לְ דִּ גַּ תְ הִ וְ
םִיוֹגּ יני ֵ ֵע ְל יתִּ ְעדוֹנ ַ וְ
םיבּ֑ ִ רַ
And I will show my greatness and display my holiness,
and I will make myself known before the eyes of many
nations.
23 See John Lyons, Introduction to Theoretical Linguistics (Cambridge: Cambridge
University, 1968) 374; and 1–1.2.10.
24 A denominative from ṣáyid ‘provisions.’