Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Steve Miller" <smille10 AT sbcglobal.net>]

> From: Yitzhak Sapir
> Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 8:10 PM
> To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
> Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Ps 24:6 that seek your face, O Jacob
> 
> On 2010/5/1 Steve Miller wrote:
> > Ps 24:6 6  This is the generation of them that seek Him, that seek
> > your face, O Jacob. Selah.
> >
> > Would it be possible to translate it as:
> >
> > This is the generation that seeks Him Who seeks your face, O Jacob.
> Selah.
> >
> > In other words, would it be possible for the 2nd “seek”, מבקשי, to
> > have as its subject the immediately preceding pronoun suffix from the
> > 1st “seek, דרשו?
> 
> No.

> > A problem is that מבקשי is plural. Is it possible that מבקשי if
> > vowelled differently could be singular?
> 
> No.  The problem is that the syntax doesn't work.  מבקשי could only be
> singular if י is the suffixed pronoun "my/me" -- "the one who seeks
> me."
> If you do that you get the same problem in syntax in trying to combine
> מבקשי with פניך as you do for דרשו with מבקשי.  Suffixed pronouns in
> Hebrew just don't work like that.  It is something like: "This is the
> generation of his seekers.  my seeker.  your face."  This is how it
> looks like in Hebrew.  It just doesn't work.
> 
> Yitzhak Sapir

[SteveMiller:] Thanks, Yitzhak. 
Is the reason that the pronoun suffix from דרשו cannot be the subject of 
מבקשי only because of the singular vs plural mismatch, or is it also that a 
pronoun suffix in Hebrew cannot be the subject of a following verb.

Another question: I see that דרשיו is an alternate reading for דרשו. Is there 
any difference in meaning between the 2?

Thanks.

-Steve Miller
Detroit
www.voiceInWilderness.info
O Lord, of those that humble are,  
Thou their desire didst hear.
Thou wilt prepare their heart, and Thou
will cause Your ear to hear. (Ps10:17)