An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax

heading may be included the very frequent רמא ל,
used to introduce direct discourse
after verbs of saying and of mental activity (thinking, praying, etc.).
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30.
29. ת ָבּ ַשּׁ ה ַ םוֹי־תא ֶ רוֹמ ָשׁ
וֹ ֑שׁ דְּ קַ ְל
. הוהי לוֹקבּ ְ ע ַמ ְשׁ ת ִ י ִכּ
רֹמ ְשׁ ִל . .
. . . ויתוֹ ָ ְצ ִמ־ל ָכּ־תאֶ ר ָשָׁיּ ה ַ תוֹשׂ ֲע ַל
31. דחַ אַ ְכּ הָיה ָ םדָ אָ ה ָ ןהֵ ער֑ ָו
ָ בוֹט ת ַעדַ֫ ָל וּנּ ֶמּ ֫ ִמ
32. ר ַענּ־ה ַ֫
ֶכּזְי ַ ה ֶמּ ַבּ
רֹמ ְשׁ ִל וֹח֑ רְ א־ת ָ אֶ
׃ךָר֫ ֶ ָבד ְ ִכּ
Keep the Sabbath day by sanctifying it.
Deut 5:12
If you obey YHWH…by keeping all his
commandments…by doing what is right…
Deut 13:19
Hā˒ādām has become as one of us in knowing good
and evil.
Gen 3:22
How can a young man keep his way pure? By living
according to your word.
Ps 119:9
f The modal senses of l clauses are found in verbless clauses or clauses with שֵׁי or
ןיא. ֵ 34 Usually a prepositional phrase is also used, generally with l (to indicate
possibility or permission; ## 33–38) or ˓l (to indicate obligation or permission; ## 39–
40), though other prepositions are found, too (## 41–43). Modal clauses with no
prepositional phrase tend to be used in poetry (## 44–45).
34.
35.
36.
37.
33. שֵׁיה ֲ ךְ ָל תוֹשׂ ֲע ַל ה ֶמ
ךְ ֶל ֶמּ ֫ ה־ל ַ א ֶ ךְ ָל־ר ֶבּד ַ ְל
What can be done for you? Can we speak on your
behalf to the king?
2 Kgs 4:13
יקּ֑ ָח
ֻ ר ֵפּסַ ל ְ ךָ ְלּ־ה ַמ What right have you to recite my statutes?
Ps 50:16
תא֑ ֹ ז ָבּ םחֵ ָלּהִ ְל ם ֶכל ָ אֹ ל You are not to fight in this (battle).
2 Chr 20:17
ריטִ ְק הַ ְל וּהָיּ֫ זִּ ֻע ךָ ְל־אֹ ל It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense.
ךָ ְל תתֶ ָל ֫ הוהי ַל שֵׁי
׃הזֶּ מ ִ ה ֵבּר ְהַ
38. תימִ הָ ְל שׁיא ִ וּנ ָל־ןי ֫ אֵ ְ
2 Chr 26:18
YHWH can give you much more than that.
2 Chr 25:9
ו None of us has a right to kill an Israelite citizen.
34
A precative use of l + infinitive is common at Qumran; see Qimron, Dead Sea
Scrolls, 70–72.