Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>]

On 19/02/2004 19:28, VALEDICTION wrote:

> From: "Harold R. Holmyard III" <hholmyard AT ont.com>
>  
>
> > HH: There are grammatical and stylistic reasons. The "H" on the beginning
> > of XZQ and RPH is an interrogative particle.
> >    
>
> Follow-up question, Harold...
> How can one tell that the "H" is supposed to represent an interrogative
> particle in this case?  For instance, I read that the "H" can also signify
> the article "the".  How do you know when the "H" is indicating a question
> and when it is simply used as an article?
>
> Case in point... the "H" is used on the beginning of RPH a number of times
> in 2 Samuel 21 (vv. 16, 18, 20, 22) where it is translated "the Rapha" (the
> weak one).  What is the distinction in this case?
>
>  
Interrogative H comes with different pointing from the article H. The 
article is nearly always H with patah followed by dagesh in the 
following letter, or is lengthened to H with qamats or sometimes segol 
if the following letter cannot take dagesh - but not always lengthened 
before he and het. Interrogative H usually has hataf patah or patah with 
no following dagesh. And so in most cases there is no ambiguity in a 
pointed text, although I think there may be before he and het.

--
Peter Kirk
peter AT qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/