Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>]

On 17/12/2004 18:27, Karl Randolph wrote:

> Vadim:
>
> In a quick scan of the 62 verses where KMW or BMW are found, I did not notice 
> once where they were used in other than the construct state. ...

What about Psalm 73:15, where KMW precedes HINNEH and so cannot be a 
construct? Similarly also Isaiah 26:18 where it is followed by a verb. 
Of course one might argue that the original pronunciation in these two 
cases was KAMOW, with qamats on the kaf, but this form was somehow lost 
perhaps because of the greater familiarity of the construct form.

In Gen 19:15, Jer 13:21 and Ezk 16:57 KMW carries a disjunctive accent 
(of course part of the Masoretic pointing) but can still be understood 
as a construct. These are all of the five cases of KMW or BMW with 
disjunctive accents.

> ... And as Peter Kirk mentioned, the construct state shortens the vowel under 
> the prefix to a shewa.
>
> Of the 57 verses where LMW is found, the vast majority have the LMW in the 
> ordinate state (did I name it right?), ...

The name I learned is "absolute".

> ... hence the vowel under the prefix L- will be lengthened. This is a 
> grammatical feature, apart from meaning.
>
> Within Biblical Hebrew itself, there is no clue that the -MW suffix existed 
> as other than a unit which, from its use, can be for a singular even though 
> it is more often used for a plural. A speculated etymology may be 
> interesting, but how it is actually used in the text in more important than a 
> speculated etymology.
>
>  
Agreed.

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