Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Pere Porta <pporta7 AT gmail.com>]

No, Karl. In most of your examples the end nun is the so called "paragogic" nun. It adds nothing to the meaning of the word.  It is a literary "device"...

 

In 2Sa 17:17 we find יוכלו which has exactly the same meaning as יוכלון in Gn 43:32...

 

Heartly

 

Pere Porta

 

 

2012/10/26 K Randolph <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>

Pere:

On Thu, Oct 25, 2012 at 9:25 PM, Pere Porta <pporta7 AT gmail.com> wrote:

(Karl)

 

I was just reading Job 15:28 and noticed the word ישכון and found myself asking, why shouldn’t it be the verb שכך with the plural -WN suffix?

 

(Pere)

First, Karl, the verb here is שכן and not שכך (nun, not kaph)

Second, -WN is not here a plural suffix

The nun in -WN belongs to the root; the .W- is a INfix (a letter inserted between kaph and nun)

Our verb (Job 15:28) is a singular form, not a plural one.

That was my first reaction, but then I tried to fit it into the context, and it doesn’t make sense. 

 

(Karl)

But that leads to my real question, what are the rules concerning the -WN plural verbal suffix? It is used for both second and third person plural. Is there something special about it? What rules govern its usage? A quick look shows that it is used 12 times in Genesis for both second and third person plural.

(Pere)

 Are you sure that -WN is a plural verbal suffix?

Yes.

 

Bring here, please, some samples thereof so that we can follow up dealing with this discussion.

Genesis 3:3–4, 18:28–32, 32:20, 41:43, 43:32, 44:1, 23, Exodus 1:22, 3:12 

 

Friendly,

 

Pere Porta

 (Barcelona, Catalonia, Northeastern Spain)

I see you took this off list. You may put this response on list if you wish.

Karl W. Randolph. 

-- 
Pere Porta