Page:Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar (1910 Kautzsch-Cowley edition).djvu/444

 be regarded as a transposition, but  is used epexegetically for the general term omitted before  (as it were, a poem of David, a psalm). Moreover, the introduction of the author, poet, &c., by this Lamed auctoris is the customary idiom also in the other Semitic dialects, especially in Arabic.

(b) When a genitive is to be made dependent on a nomen regens, which is itself composed of a nomen regens and rectum, and represents, as a compound, one united idea, e.g.  ( would be the portion of the field of Boaz);  at the house-door of Elisha. This especially applies to the cases in which the compound regens represents a term in very common use, the fixed form of which cannot be altered, e.g. ; 15:23, &c.; cf. also.

(c) When for any other reason the construction with the nomen regens in the construct state is inadmissible; cf. e.g., where , on account of the suffix, cannot be used in the construct state; but ff., &c., ;  the Jordan fords of Moab ( as a proper name cannot be used in the construct state);  upon the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hats me;  must be kept in the absolute state for the sake of conformity with , and for the same reason also.

(d) After statements of number in such cases as ; cf. 7:11, 16:3 and frequently, or as in ; the numeral here is always one compound idea with the substantive numbered, and consequently (as in the examples under b) does not admit of being in the constr. st. with a genitive. The same naturally applies also to such examples as  (i.e. after my giving birth). Cf. also the standing phrase (day) of the month,  and frequently.

Rem. In cases like and his firstborn was Amnon, the genitive expressed by circumlocution with  is in reality dependent on a regens which is omitted ; cf. , 5,, (unless  originally depended on thus spake the Lord), and the remarks on  under c above.

2. The periphrastic expression of the genitive by means of is used principally to state the possessor, e.g.   her father’s sheep (prop. the sheep which belonged to her father);  and frequently. So also (according to ) when a genitive depends on more than one substantive, e.g. the butler and the baker who (belonged) to the king of Egypt ( would indicate only the baker as belonging to the king); or when a genitive (as in the examples under d above) is added to a compound, which expresses one united idea ; or when, as a fixed term (e.g. a title), it appears always in the same form, e.g.  ;, , ; cf. also.