Biblical Hebrew Forum

["K Randolph" <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>]

Dear Steve:

On 7/9/07, Steve Miller <smille10 AT sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> > [Karl]:
> > This is where the understanding of the -MW suffix comes into play: 1)
> > does it always refer to the plural and 2) does it always refer to the
> > third person? The answer to both is "No". Just because it is appended
> > onto the L- prefix does not change its uses. And as I stated before,
> > one of its purposes is to refer back to the subject of the sentence
> > and/or context.
> >
>
> [Steve Miller] Karl, This is a good argument if the facts back you up.
> Please give me some other Hebrew words with the -MW suffix, so I can see if
> your #1) and #2) points above hold.
>
> It would be a waste for me to answer your other points, because if this
> point of yours is true, then the other points don't matter.
> Thanks.
>
> -Steve Miller
> Detroit
> www.voiceInWilderness.info
I see Harold Holmyard already addressed the question of usage in the singular.

I used to think that the -MW suffix always referred to the third
person indefinite number, but when I was recently analyzing Job 40:4,
I came to the realization that the subject of the -MW suffix was Job
himself, in the first person. Now I'll have to go back and see if this
is the only usage that is not third person, or if there are others as
well. This is a new assignment for me.

Karl W. Randolph.