Biblical Hebrew Forum

[yochanan bitan <ButhFam AT compuserve.com>]

On accusative verb suffixes and separate pronominal accusatives and
historical considerations:
(Cynthia Edenburg wrote:)
>For example, it is frequently stated
>that Classical BH uses accusative pronouns alongside accusative suffixes,
>while LBH has near exclusive use of accusative suffixes. However, in this
>matter oddly enough, Iron Age inscriptional Hebrew displays the usage
>considered characteristic of LBH, rather than the alternation of suffixes
>with separate acc. pronouns in "classical" biblical texts.

A good point but a methodological problem.

This is something that is not properly controlled by philology in that they
ignore the questions of when one form is used or when the other for CBH,
e.g. back in Polzin's book (which could also have used some methodological
tidying up ala Hurvitz). Thus, a relatively short inscription cannot be
properly analyzed as to its internal consistency with -ehu // oto. Citing
it as 'contradictory' becomes irrelevant, even if multiplied by several
examples. 

The literary/discourse phenomena need to be controlled before this piece of
the puzzle can be properly used. With which I think Cynthia would be in
agreement.

braxot
Randall Buth