Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Bryan Rocine" <brocine AT earthlink.net>]

Hi Brian, You wrote:

>
> 3. I am a little unhappy with HINN"H  being referred to as
a "predicator of
> existence." Kittle, 44. I thought the predicator of
existence was Y"$ and
> the predicator of non-existence )"YN? Any suggestions for
clarifying Kittle
> here?

I think hinneh seems to be a predicator of existence when
used in constructions that are missing a distinct subject or
predicate such as hinneni "here I am," hinneh ishteka
"there's your wife," hinneh tob me'od "behold it was very
good."  Hinneh + pronominal suffix seems predicative when
used with participles as in hineka met `al ha'isha "look,
you're dead because of the woman" or  'ani hineni mebi' 'et
hamabul "as for Me, I'm about to bring (lit. "behold Me
bringing") the flood."  But then there are cases when hinneh
is used *with* a full predication and its function seems
less than a predicator of existence and more the
demonstrative (or "pointer" with almost imperative force),
as in hinneh natati "behold, I have given" or hinneh 'eshlax
'et hana`ar "behold, I will send the lad."  So perhaps it is
best to say that hinneh is *sometimes* used as a predicator
of existence.


Shalom,
Bryan


B. M. Rocine
Associate Pastor
Living Word Church
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