An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax

׃וּנדֵ֫ בְ ָע ֵמ they will no longer serve us
Exod 14:5
38.4 Causal Clauses
a If one situation constitutes the basis for another, that first or causal situation can be
described with an infinitive clause (36.2.2–3), a clause with relative waw and suffix
form (32.2.3), or by a clause introduced by one of a number of particles. The most
common are יכּ (## 1–2) and רשׁא (# 3). Both of these can be used with ן ַע֫ ַי (11.2.8),
which can also be used alone (## 4–7); ןעי can govern a finite form (## 4–6) or an
infinitive construct (# 7). 27 Like ( ל)
ֵ ַ֫
ֶ ֑ ָ֫
ַ
ןעמ , ןעי is derived from the root of the verb הנע
‘to answer.’
1. ינ ְפּ־ל ַע םִימ־י ִכּ
ץרעה־ל ָכ
because there was water over all the surface of the earth
2. רוּרא ָ תאֹ זּ תי ָ ִשׂ ֫ ָע י ִכּ
התָּ אַ
3.
׃וי ָל ָע ה ָב ְכ ָשׁ ר ֶשׁ ֲ
4. ר ַבדּ־ת ְ א ֶ תָּ סְ א֫ ַ ָמ ן ַע֫ ַי
הוהי
5. םתֶּ סְ אַ ְמ־י ִכּ ן ַע֫ ַי
הוהי־תאֶ 6. ָ
תי ִשׂ ֫ ָע ר ֶשׁ א ֲ ן ַע֫ ַי י ִכּ
הזֶּ ה ַ ר ָבדּ ָ ה־ת ַ אֶ
7. ר ָבדּ ָ ה־ת ַ א ֶ ם ֶכרְ ָמ א ֲ ן ַע֫ ַי
הזּה ֶ
Gen 8:9
Because you did this, may you be cursed.
Gen 3:14
א because she lay on top of him
1 Kgs 3:19
because you have rejected the word of YHWH
1 Sam 15:23
because you have rejected YHWH
Num 11:20
because you did this thing
Gen 22:16
because you use this word
Jer 23:38
Less frequent combinations are numerous. The preposition לע (11.2.13) can
introduce causal clauses with other particles, yielding רשׁא לע (# 8), יכּ־לע, and
ר ֶשׁ א ֲ ר ַבדּ־ל ְ ַע ‘through the fact that.’ The preposition ןמ (11.2.11) is also so used,
in רשׁאמ (# 9) or[Page 641] ינֵ ְפּ ִמ ר ֶשׁ א, ֲ as are תחתּ (11.2.15), in רשׁא תחתּ (#
27 See M. J. Mulder, “Die Partikel ן ַעַי,” Oudtestamentische Studiën 18 (1973) 49–83,
esp. pp. 56–80, on other causal conjunctions, see pp. 80–82.