An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax

fientive participle (with objects: ## 1–2; with prepositional phrases: ## 3–4), a quasifientive
stative participle (## 5–6), a stative participle (or verbal adjective; with
adverbial accusative, ## 7–8), or a passive participle (with adverbial accusative, ## 9–
11).
1.
םתֹא ָ תֹרֹקּה־ל ַ ָכּ all that (i.e., the events that) befell them
2. ףדֹר ֵ קרָ ָב ה ֵנּהִ וְ
ארָ סי ְ ס־ת ִ אֶ
Gen 42:29
Barak was pursuing Sisera.
Judg 4:22
3. הי ָ ֶל֫ א ֵ ר ֵבֹדּ ה ַ הוהי YHWH who spoke to her
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
׃םיתִּ ְשׁ ִל ְפּ־ם ִע םימִ חָ ְל ִ
׃בֹק ֲעַי־ת ֶ ת ֶבהֹא ֶ֫
הקָ בְ רִ ְ
Gen 16:13
נ fighting with the Philistines
1 Sam 17:19
ו But Rebekah (was one who) loved Jacob.
Gen 25:28
וֹתֹא י ִכֹנ א ָ ארָי־י ֵ ִכּ I fear him.
Gen 32:12
ה֑ לוֹד ָ ג ְ החָ ְמ ִשׂ םיחִ ֵמ ְשׂוּ rejoicing with great joy
ע ַשׁ ר ֫ ֶ ץפֵ ָ
׃ה ָמ חָ ְל ִמ י ֵל ְכּ רוּג ָ
וֹתּ ְנתָּ ֻכּ עוּר ַ ָ
םידִּ בּ ַ שׁ ֻב ָ
1 Kgs 1:40
ח that has pleasure in wickedness
Ps 5:5
ח armed with weapons for battle 21
Judg 18:11
ק rent as regards his coat
2 Sam 15:32
ל clothed in linen 22
Ezek 9:2
c In the construct state, a participle governs an object or some other specification in the
genitive (9.5). The active fientive participle chiefly governs adverbial genitives, for
example, objects (## 12–13) 23 and, with verbs of motion, genitives of location (## 14–
15), where an accusative (10.2) might be expected. In poetry the genitive may refer to
“other specifications (especially of space) which otherwise [viz., in prose] can only be
21 Compare similar phrases in Judg 18:16, 17.
22 Note also hā˒îš hallābuš habbadîm (Ezek 9:3); and M. O’Connor, “The Grammar of
Getting Blessed in Tyrian-Sidonian Phoenician,” Rivista di studi fenici 5 (1977) 5–11,
at 10–11.
23 For an example in a longer construct phrase, note ˒éreṣ zābat ḥālāb ûdbāš (Exod
3:8); cf 1 Kgs 18:19.