Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peter AT qaya.org>]

On 06/07/2006 17:22, Vadim Cherny wrote:
> Bryan,
>
> but what is wrong with the common idea that the difference resembles that
> between phrases with verb and with dash? Perhaps the noun phrase implies
> deictic center shift, the author's immersion in the events which he relates
> as current.
>
> Russian, again, provides perfect analogy to the Hebrew. In Russian, you can
> say both,
>
> the entire earth - desert
> the entire earth was desert
>
>   
And what is the difference between these two in Russian? From my 
knowledge, the only difference is that the first is present and the 
second is past; in fact there is no way to say this in the present with 
a verb, for (in modern Russian at least) there is no present tense of 
"to be". But if you claim that there is any other real distinction here, 
please let us know what it is so we can consider whether it is also 
applicable to Hebrew.

--
Peter Kirk
E-mail:  peter AT qaya.org
Blog:    http://speakertruth.blogspot.com/
Website: http://www.qaya.org/