Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Harold R. Holmyard III" <hholmyard AT ont.com>]

Dear Dave,

>  >>>
> Hey is there a rule that only gutterals can have composite shewa?
> > > >
>
> Go to the Link shown below:
> http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Grammar/grammar.html
> Click on [Unit Two: The Vowels]
> Click on [A-Type Vowels]
> It says:
> ìThe Chateph Patach is sometimes called a ìhalf vowelî and is the
> shortest of all vowels:
>  it can only appear under the guttural letters (and is usually part of
> the following syllable). î
>
> Go back and click on [E-Type Vowels]
> It says:
> ìThe Chateph Segol is sometimes called a ìhalf vowelî and is the shortest
> of all vowels:
> it can only appear under the guttural letters.î
>
> Then check the second occurrence of YHWH in Judges 16:28,
> and you will find that there is a composite shewa [e.g. Hatef-Segol]
> under the yod,
> which is not a guttural letter.
>
> Apparently rules were meant to be broken.

HH: That's good, but this is really an exception, 
isn't it? The Tetragrammaton seems to be pointed 
with the vowel letters for the word Elohim. But 
Elohim begins with a guttural Aleph, so the 
Hatef-Segol really belongs to the Aleph and 
follows the rule. It is due to this unusual 
practice of pointing the divine name with vowel 
letters belonging to other words for fear of 
pronouncing Yahweh's name.

                                Yours,
                                Harold Holmyard