1. Not only does the suffix of the third pers. sing. masc. often

also falls י but the ,חָצְרו i.), as in his arrows, for .2 .$133) י reject ,ארְבֵי כף our enemies, for לְבֵנוּ away before certain other suffixes, as ,thy ways דְּרָכֶךָ,34 .3 .Sam 2 יָדָיךְ thy hands, for יָדָךְ,10 .19 .Sam 2

9

77, Ps. 119. 37. On the other hand an adventitious has

for

תְּהִלָּתֶיךָ for some reason been inserted between the noun and suffix in

Ps. 9. 15. Instead of the suffix there occurs also the fuller ,

.12 .116 .Ps תַּגְמוּלָיו for

his mighty men, for

or once appears

his recompenses or benefits,

2. The suffix of the third pers. sing. masc. sometimes occurs in

* is found instead of, viz. Ezek. 36. 5.

T

3. The suffixes,,,,and, occasionally receive a paragogic, as thy hand, for 77, n, in thee, for, to thee, for, their (f.) carcases, for,

to you (f.), for

13, all of them, tor, &c. The fem. suffix in later writings is sometimes changed, according to Aramaic usage, into, and is thus appended to both singular and plur. nouns, as thine iniquity, Ps. 103. 3, thine infirmities, v. 3, life, v. 4,

thy crowner, v. 4,

gle instance, Nah. 2. 14, occurs

מַלְאָכֵךְ or

thy

thy youth, v. 5. In a sinthy messenger, for

4. Instead of the suffixes, and 1, some sing. nouns require Dand, which more appropriately belong to the plural, as the whole of them, bid. (f.); yet bid. also occurs. In 2 Sam. 23. 6. we meet with the unique form ; also be for 17, 1 Kings, 7. 37, and again for 15, Gen. 42. 36. Altogether peculiar is their (f.) midst, for or 375, Gen.

41. 21.

=

TIT:

5. Nominal Infinitives and Participles have suffixes attached to them, for the most part in the same way with nouns, but occasionally they follow the construction of verbs; as when the pronoun of the first pers. sing. is to be translated by an accusative, then the verbal suffix or is used instead of ". as

the helping me, seeing me. On the

There are cases,

in the deceiving me; making me, contrary signifies, act. my helping another. however, where participles have ". annexed though indicating an accusative, as seeing me, Job 7. 8. In Ezek. 47. 7, moreover, we have my returning, instead of normal az.

6. It is observable that in several instances the suffixes of the second and third persons singular are used without a strict regard to gender, as Day with you, to you, □ more than you, Ruth

1. 8-11, where the address is to the daughters-in-law of Naomi. So Dp their (f.) fruit, Lam. 2. 20; Di Dig their (f.) fathers or their (f.) brothers, Judg. 21. 22; his them (f.), Judg. 19. 24; iris her, Lev. 20. 6; you (f.), Cant. 2. 7.—3. 5.

7. Originating probably in the suffixes, yet distinct from them, are the paragogic ", i, and D., which are appended to nouns in the same way with the ordinary suffixes. Whatever significancy these adventitious letters may originally have had, it seems to have been at length entirely lost, and we discern no other reason than that of euphony for their being retained.* Thus Gen. 49. 11,

unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; Gen. 1. 24,

the fountain of water; (for 3) great among the na

T TT: T :

לְמָחָרָתָם ; that duelleth in the heavens (הַיֹּשֵׁב for) הַיֹּשְׁבִי בַּשָּׁמַיִם ; tions -gra חֵן from) חִנָּם ; in vain (רִיק for) רֵיקָם ; to-morrow (לְמָחֲרָה for)

tia) gratis, causelessly; (from ) truth, truly; Prov. 25. 27, Dyip (for Ti) glory; 1 Sam. 6. 4, D (for 553) all; Di daily, assiduously.

By recurrence to § 117. 2, it will be seen that instead of ranking the Adjective as an independent part of speech, we have considered it simply as one of the several species of nouns. As such its derivation and inflection have already been virtually treated, so that the following additional remarks will be all that is required under this head.

(a) As qualifying words, adjectives are usually placed after their respective nouns, as is a man good, i. e. a good man; aking great (am) I. For the sake of emphasis, however, the adjective occasionally precedes the noun, as great is my crime, Gen. 4. 13, the uncircumcised male, Gen. 17. 14.

(b) When the noun is accompanied by the definite article (~) or by any of the pronominal suffixes, the adjective also receives the

,the good woman הָאִשָּׁה הַטוֹבָה,the good man הָאִישׁ הַטוֹב article, as .his little sons בָּנָיו הַקְטַנִּים,my little son בְּנִי הַקָּטוֹ

Otherwise the ad

* Ewald however, recognises in these letters, at least in and, slight traces of a primitive union-vowel or intermediate sound belonging to the const.

state.

jective ceases to be the the qualifying word, and becomes the predi

עוּ בְּנִי קָטן ,the man (is) good הָאִישׁ טוֹב cate of the substantive, as

son (is) little, &c.

(c) Adjectives ending in Yod with Hireq are mostly gentile denominations, as a Hebrew man, a Hebrew woman,

an Ephrathite ; so אֶפְרָתִי ,an Israelite יִשְׂרָאֵלִי an Egyptian מִצְרִי

also a foreigner, northern. To this ception, the Yod being merely paragogic.

cruel is an ex

§ 136. Degrees of Comparison in Adjective Nouns.

1. The degrees of comparison are not indicated in Hebrew, as in Latin and Greek, by a change in the adjective, but by certain accompanying words, especially prepositions and adverbs, placed before it. Thus the Comparative degree is expressed by the preposition (from 2) signifying from, than, in comparison of, placed after the adjective and before the noun with which the comparison is made; as ping sweeter from honey, i. e. sweeter than

greater than all גָּדוֹל מִכָּל־בְּנֵי קָדָם,better than life טוֹב מֵחַיִּים ; honey

the sons of the East. So when constructed with a verb,

I understood more than the elders. The effect of is sometimes to give to an expression the force of the superlative, as cunning above all the beasts of the field, i. e. the

most cunning.

2. The Superlative degree is not marked by any appropriate sign. but is expressed by various circumlocutions; as

(a) By the use of the intensive adverb is very, or is is? very, very, as, The waters increased ? N very exceedingly, Gen. 7. 19.

(b) By repeating a noun in the Genitive, as

holy

of holies, i. e. the most holy place a vanity of vanities;

:

(c) By repeating the adjective; as

bad, bad,

says the buyer, i. e. very bad, Prov. 20. 14. pay pay deep, deep, i. e. exceedingly deep, Eccl. 7. 24.

(d) By appending the name of God to a substantive, as

נְשִׂיא אֱלֹהִים ; a city great to God, i. e. exceedingly great גְדוֹלָה לֵאלֹהִים .a

a prince of God, i. e. a peculiarly great and eminent prince. So in Greek, aoTaos TW EW, fair to God, i. e. exceedingly fair, Acts

his אָחִיו הַגָּדוֹל e) By the article prefixed to the positive, as) בְּנֵי יִשַׁי הַגְּדוֹלִים;17.28 great brother, i. e. his eldest brother, 1 Sam בְּנוֹ הַקָּטָן ; 13 .17 .the great sons of Jesse, i. e. the eldest sons, 1 Sam

his little son, i. e. his youngest son, Gen. 9. 24.

I will make thee small among the nations, i. e. I will make thee least,

קָטוֹן נְתַתִּיךְ בַּגּוֹיִם f) By means of the preposition a in, among, as)

-the lion strong among beasts, i. e. strong לַיִשׁ גִּבּוֹר בַּבְּהֵמָה ; 49.15 .Jer

est, Prov. 30. 30.

§ 137. NUMERALS.

The Hebrew Numerals constitute a peculiar class of words, whose connexion with the living roots of the language is not easy to be recognised. They are essentially primitive substantives, though often having a mere adverbial usage. Only one is employed as a proper adjective. They are divided into two principal classes, Cardinals and Ordinals.

§ 138. Cardinals.

1. The Cardinal numbers from one to ten exhibit both a masculine and feminine form, subject like common nouns to the state of construction, which presents the usual variety of vowel changes, as

,too (ef) witnesses שְׁנֵי עֵדִים ,one woman אִשָּׁה אַחַת,one man אִישׁ אֶחָד -: sir (ef) days. They are as follows שֵׁשׁ יָמִים