Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu>]

Pere,

OK I will state my case again. There are no "paragogic" letters in  
Hebrew, and there can not be "paragogic" letters in Hebrew. The  
ancient Hebrews did not construct their language out of "paragogic"  
letters and "thematic" vowels. The Hebrews did not slap a extra H  
[and why H?] at the end of RIB just [or "simply" as Dr. Reinhard G.  
Lehmann puts it] to extend it [the longer the better?] by 33 and a  
1/3 percent.
You are saying: "Then you do not accept that a form like "RYB" (Mic  
6:1) and a form like "RYBH" (Psa 35:1) are the same thing". The  
question is what is the "same thing".
The word RYB is from the root RB. As the noun 'dispute, quarrel', the  
internal personal pronoun stands for the thing itself, while as the  
act 'fight!', the internal personal pronoun stands for the person  
incited to fight.
Hebrew is in the habit of forgoing the addition of an extra personal  
pronoun for the person confronted, but there are instances where it  
does. Then it is RIBAH = RIH-HI) in line with RIBI = RIB-HI) said to  
a woman and RIBU = RIB-HU) said to a group. If this grammatical form  
is just a relic of a distant past used to add a flavor of quaintness  
to the poetry, or if it is a special form reserved for a tactful  
address I don't know. I think that the additional HI) is akin to a  
following NA), or a preceding ANA), which I also suspect of being  
personal pronouns, ANA) = )ATAH.
The KUM and RIB of Micah 6:1 are God's authoritative commands, while  
the RIBAH of Psalms 35:1 is David's submissive and obsequious  
pleadings to his God. The first is 'stand up and confront', while the  
second is 'please fight'.
From the noun RIB we have also RIBAH = RIB-HI) in the sense of 'her  
RIB, her dispute', with a mapik in the closing H and a stressed BAH;  
and also *RIBAH, 'a young woman'.
The extra personal pronoun may be stationed as a token of respect and  
to function as an imperative mollifier before the root, as in the  
YAQUM = HI)-QUM of Genesis 27:31.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On Sep 26, 2007, at 10:44 PM, <pporta AT oham.net> <pporta AT oham.net> wrote:

> What do you mean by "Either I agree with your statement about the  
> inner structure of the second type of Imperative or not"? You have  
> to agree with me, how can you otherwise explain the structure of  
> RIB and RIBAH?
> Better leave the "paragogic" letters business to the dictionary  
> readers.
> Stressing the 'RI' of RIBAH I hear 'please fight', while stressing  
> the 'BAH' I hear 'a young woman'. Stressing the 'QU' of QUMI I hear  
> 'rise girl', while stressing 'MI' I hear 'my rising'.
>
> _________
>
> Then you do not accept that a form like "RYB" (Mic 6:1) and a form  
> like "RYBH" (Psa 35:1) are the same thing ---- Qal Imperative, 2nd  
> person singular masculine---  with the only difference that the  
> latter has a paragogic heh added to the word found in Mic 6:1?
>
> Pere
> Barcelona (Spain)
>
> > So,
> > 1. Paragogic heh all grammars and dictionaries tell about.... does  
> > not exist in Hebrew?
> > 2. Either I agree with your statement about the inner structure of  
> > the second type of Imperative or not... you do not answer to my  
> > question on the stress place within this type of Imperatives: are  
> > they always oxytone? And if not... which are the cases when they  
> > are paroxytone?
> >
> > Pere Porta
> > Barcelona (Spain)
> >
> > The middle vowel of the QAL imperatives forms you mention is a  
> > personal pronoun referring the the person ordered. In this, the  
> > vowel 'I' is the essential part of HI), and the vowel 'U' is the  
> > essential part of HU), gender and number independently. Often 'I'  
> > is reduced to 'E', and 'U' to 'O'. Thus, QUM = Q-HU)-M, SIM = S- 
> > HI)-M, $EB = $-HI)-B, XOG = X-HU)-G. Addressing a woman you add  
> > for clarity of reference an extra HI) at the end to say KUMI=K-HU)- 
> > M-HI), and addressing a group you add an extra HU) at the end to  
> > say KUMU = K-HU)-M-HU).
> > Addressing an important person, and assuming a pleading attitude,  
> > an extra reverential HI), you', is added at the end, as when the  
> > elders of Israel respectfully and beseechingly address $MUEL by  
> > SIMAH = SIM-HI).
> > There is, of course, no "paragogic" letters in Hebrew words.
> >
> > Isaac Fried, Boston University
> >
> > On Sep 24, 2007, at 12:56 AM, <pporta AT oham.net> <pporta AT oham.net>  
> > wrote:
> >
> > > There are some Imperative forms in the Bible that consist of  
> > > three letters
> > > of which the middle one is yud, which are, so to say, normal. I  
> > > mean for
> > > example LYN (Jdg 19:9) or &YM (Gn 24:2).
> > >
> > > But sometimes this type of Imperative takes a paragogic heh as in  
> > > &YMH (1Sa
> > > 8:5) or $YTH (Ps 9:21) or RYBH (Ps 35:1)
> > >
> > > I'm wondering: as regards these latter, are these words as a rule  
> > > always
> > > oxytone?
> > >
> > > Pere Porta
> > > Barcelona (Spain)
> > >
> > >
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