Biblical Hebrew Forum

[K Randolph <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>]

Pere:

On Thu, Oct 25, 2012 at 10:47 PM, Pere Porta <pporta7 AT gmail.com> wrote:

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"...

If it adds nothing to the meaning, then why do we find verses where there is a mixture—a verb with a “paragogic” nun and in the same verse a verb without? E.g. Genesis 3:3, Exodus 3:21, etc.?

 

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

“Exactly the same meaning”? 

 

Heartly

 

Pere Porta

 

As George wrote, it is seldom found. So far all the examples I found are conjugated as Yiqtols.

You have to admit that based on the form alone, ישכון can be from שכך with only the context to differentiate that reading and שכן. If you are depending on the Masoretic points to make the distinction, you know I have found them to be untrustworthy even for meaning, not counting that they can’t be trusted to give Biblical era pronunciation.

Could this be an indication of a middle tone, neither active nor passive?

Karl W. Randolph.