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  • From: "Nir cohen - Prof. Mat." <nir AT ccet.ufrn.br>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] would you give a command
  • Date: Thu, 13 Jun 2013 14:56:44 -0200

num 16:16 is very precise as to whom the command is addressed: to korah
and his men only, not to aaron, even if he was there. but it is also very
precise as to who has to be there tomorrow:
korah, and his men, and aaron. the spirit of the sentence is: "you take care
your men will be there - and i will make sure
aaron will be there too".

as to the general question of plural vs singular, the general context is not
that of a command but that of a verb in general, in terms of both number and
gender.

the question of whether the verb form comes before or after the person's name
is a question of fronting, and the order in most of the cases can be explained
out in general terms of emphasis, continuity etc.

e.g. in num 1:3, the entire sentence starts with MBN (SRYM $NH... (a topical
fronting made for emphasis on the details of the event). this makes it
syntactically uncomfortable to squeeze everything before the verb, being a
command. but moses and aaron too needed emphasis, and fronting is ruled out.
the solution was to divide the clause into two, the second enjoying allipsis.

as to deut 6:4, 2chr 20:15,13:4,15:2, jer 2:4, the vocative "listen" clearly
demanded to be first, and its singular/plural value agrees with the number of
listeners (considering israel in deut 6:4 as a single entity). is there a
vocative like "listen to me" which does not agree with the addressee(s) number
or gender?

nir cohen




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