Biblical Hebrew Forum

[mjoseph <mjoseph AT terminal.cz>]

Dave Washburn wrote:

>> PaNeYMO (his face, which is *plural* in Hebrew, though singular in 
>> English).
>> 
>> At first glance, therefore, it looks like an open and shut case. The 
>> plural verb has to have the plural noun as the subject, the other noun 
>> must be the object, and the sentence should be translated: "His face will 
>> see the upright." 

>Just as a preliminary response, I would point out that PFNIYM, 
>"face," is always plural.  It never appears in the HB in a singular 
>form, even though it most often carries a singular meaning.

I know that; I just didn't edit my answer to my friend (a layman) 
adequately for this list.  There are lots of words with plural forms and 
singular meanings, such as scissors, pants, and glasses in English, and 
the words for Christmas, stove, and violin in Czech.

>Who 
>knows why *shrug* but that's the way it is, so the fact that it's 
>plural can't really tip the scales either way.

Not so, if I'm not mistaken. Nouns with plural forms usually (ELOHIM 
being an exception, of course) take a *plural* verb--"the scissors are 
sharp," "Christmas are just around the corner" (literally from the Czech 
expression). The first reference to PaNiYM in BDB is with the plural verb 
(assuming, for a moment, that Hebrew really *does* have verbs ;-) NaFaLU 
in Gen. 4:6; I assume, without checking, that it usually, if not always, 
takes a plural verb.  This would be important in the verse, given that 
the verb here is plural, and the two nouns are one singular, one plural 
(in form).

>More later, I hope...

Me too. I'd like to hear what you think.

Mark Joseph

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The other says, "This is new, therefore it is better."
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