Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

Hi Bill, you wrote:
>>>>>
My question then would be, if the suffix relates to an
abstraction
("it") then would it not relate to the nearest subject/verb
like so?:

"Abraham believed God, and [Abraham] counted it [the
promise]
faithfulness?
>>>>>

I don't think so.  The abstraction the pronominal suffix
refers to is the verbal activity of the previous verb,
vehe'emin, so that we could put it like this:  "Abraham
believed in YHVH, and He (YHVH) counted it (the belief) his
(Abraham's) righeousness."  In other words, Abraham's belief
registers with YHVH as righteousness.  I would say the
absence of noun to specify the clitic pronoun subject of
vayyaxshabeha serves to preserve *the believing* as the
dominant focal element in both clauses.

Shalom, Bryan

B. M. Rocine
Associate Pastor
Living Word Church
6101 Court St. Rd.
Syracuse, NY 13206

(office) 315-437-6744
(home) 315-445-3085

It's an interesting use of the weqatal (vehe'emin, that is).