Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

Steve:

On 7/10/07, Steve Miller <smille10 AT sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> > From: Harold Holmyard
> >
> > Dear Steve,
> >
> > HH; .... But Ps 11:7
> > and Job 22:2 show that the suffix can be taken as a singular, ...
> >
> > Yours,
> > Harold Holmyard
> >
>
> [Steve Miller] Thanks Harold.
> These 2 verses do not show me that the -MW suffix can refer to an
> individual.
>
> Ps 11:7 ... The upright will behold His face.
> PNYMW refers to the face of God. God can take a plural pronoun (Gen 1:26;
> 3:22; Isa 6:8).

But never when God is the subject of a singular verb.

> Job 22:2 ... For he that is wise is profitable unto himself.
> (LYMW here does refer to an individual. In Hebrew the 3ms can be the
> indefinite pronoun, best translated as "they" in English, ...
> (LYMW is used 11 times in the Tanach. None refer to an individual.
Where do you get this translation?
הלאל יסכן־גבר כי־יסכן עלימו משׂכיל׃
This is a question, not a statement. There are two possible subjects
for the -MW suffix in this question, either GBR which is in the
singular, or the one I think is more likely, )L which is again in the
singular (can you show me a single example where )L is used with a
plural pronoun or verb?) None of the words in this question are
plural.

> -Steve Miller
> Detroit
> www.voiceInWilderness.info

Examples where the -MW suffix takes the singular, Genesis 9:26, 27,
19:15, Deuteronomy 33:2, Job 10:22, 14:9, 16:5, 19:16, 20:23, 22:2,
27:23 (context starts at verse 13), 37:8, 40:4, 41:16, Psalm 28:8 ...

Where it takes a subject other than 3rd person: Job 16:5, 19:16, 40:4,
Psalm 28:8 (context from verse 6 is first person), ...

I read about half way through the list, then ran out of time. There
were a few that I did not list, where -MW suffix takes the singular
when it refers to the subject of the context, but many translators
don't treat it as such.

Karl W. Randolph.