Page:Introductory Hebrew Grammar- Hebrew Syntax (1902).djvu/136

 בְּכוּ בָכוֹ לַֽהֹלֵךְ  weep, indeed, for him that is gone away. Jud. 5:23, Is. 6:9. With ptcp. Jer. 23:17, Is. 22:17, Jud. 11:25?

But inf. abs. after its verb suggests an indefinitely prolonged state of the action, and therefore expresses continuance, prevalence, &c. Nu. 11:32 וַיִּשְׁטְחוּ לָהֶם שָׁטוֹחַ  and they went spreading them out (the quails). Jer. 6:29. This use is clearer when another inf. abs. is added; Jud. 14:9 וַיֵּלֶךְ הָלוֹךְ וְאָכֹל  he went on, eating as he went; Gen. 8:7 וַיֵּצֵא יָצוֹא וָשׁוֹב   and it went (always) out and back. 1 S. 6:12, 1 K. 20:37, 2 K. 2:11, Is. 19:22. This use is akin to the adverbial use, cf. 2 K. 21:13, where rd. probably מָחֹה וְהָפֹךְ , with larger accent at dish. This inf. before the verb, Is. 3:16, cf. Ps. 126:6.

Rem. 1. Exx. like Gen. 43:3, 7, Am. 9:8 hardly prove that infin. abs. intensifies the action in the same sense as the pi. With 1 S. 20:6 cf. v. 28. In Gen. 19:9 the inf. after verb may emphasise the assumption to be judge on the part of one who was a stranger rather than the habit of judging. Jos. 24:10.

Rem. 2. The inf. abs. is oftenest of the same conjug. as the finite, whether before or after it, e.g. Kal Gen. 2:16, niph. Ex. 22:3, pi. Gen. 22:17, pu. 40:15, hiph. 3:16, hoph. Ez. 16:4, hith. Nu. 16:13. But as the nomen actionis of the Kal expresses the abstract idea of the verb in general, it may be joined with any other conjug., e.g. with niph. Ex. 21:20; pi. 2 S. 20:18; pu. Gen. 37:33; hiph. 1 S. 23:22, Gen. 46:4; hoph. Ex. 21:12 (and always in this phrase shall be put to death); hithpo. Is. 24:19. Other combinations are rarer, e.g. inf. hoph. with niph. 2 K. 3:23, and with pu. Ez. 16:4; inf. pi. with hiph. 1 S. 2:16. Occasionally the inf. is from another verb, cognate and similar in sound, Is. 28:28, Jer. 8:13; 48:9. (Zeph. 1:2?). If text right in Jer. 42:10, שׁוב , the weak yod has fallen away, cf. Jud. 19:11, 2 S. 22:41.

Rem. 3. Instead of inf. abs. the abstract noun is some-