Page:Introductory Hebrew Grammar- Hebrew Syntax (1902).djvu/177

 2 K. 25:5, Am. 1:5, Hos. 10:5; 11:7, Is. 16:4; 19:13. Gen. 34:24. Nu. 20:11; 21:7, Job 8:19.

§ 116. On the other hand, plur. of inanimate objects that may be grouped under one conception, of the lower creatures, and abstract plurals are frequently construed with fem. sing. of pred. 1 S. 4:15 וְעֵינָיו קָמָה  and his eyes were set, Mic. 4:11. Jo. 1:20 בַּֽהֲמוֹת שָׂדֶה תַּֽעֲרֹג אֵלֶיךָ  the beasts of the field pant unto thee. Ps. 103:5 תִּתְחַדֵּשׁ כַּנֶּשֶׁר נְעוּרָיְכִי  thy youth is renewed like the eagle. Gen. 49:22, Is. 34:13; 59:12, Jer. 4:14; 12:4, Mic. 1:9, Ps. 18:35; 37:31, Neh. 13:10, Job 12:7; 14:19; 20:11. Cf. 2 S. 24:13. 2 K. 3:3 מִמֶּנָּה  (sins of Jeroboam); 13:11, Is. 59:8. There is no reason for K’ri Ps. 73:2, שׁקכה. Deu. 21:7 is more unusual. — Sometimes when subj. precedes it is treated almost as casus pendens, and its general idea becomes subj.; Gen. 47:24 the four fifths יִֽהְיֶה  it shall be. Ex. 12:49, Ecc. 2:7. Cf. Is. 16:8, Hab. 3:17.

Rem. 1. General plurals are sometimes construed with sing. pred. from a tendency to individualise and distribute over every individual, or apply it to any individual supposed. Gen. 27:29 אֹֽרֲרֶיךָ אָרוּר  they that curse thee shall be cursed. Nu. 24:9, Jer. 22:4. Ex. 31:14, Lev, 17:14; 19:8, Zech. 11:5, Ps. 64:9, Pr. 3:18, 35; 14:9; 27:16; 28:1, 2 Chr. 10:8 (rd. יְעָצָהוּ  ). In particular a sing. suff. frequently refers back to a plur. Is. 2:20 אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ־לוֹ  which they made each for himself, Hos. 4:8. Deu. 21:10; 28:48, Is. 1:23; 2:8; 5:23; 8:20, Jos. 2:4, Ex. 28:3, Zech. 14:12, Or sing. and plur. interchange, Is. 30:22; 56:5, Ps. 62:5; 141:10. Cf. Deu. 4:37; 7:3, Jud. 1:34, 2 K. 19:14. Sometimes sing. pron. refers back to plur. as a collective unity, Is. 17:13, Jer. 31:15 אֵינֶנּוּ  (of Rachel’s children), 2 S. 24:13, Jos. 13:14, and perhaps some of the exx. above. Or the pron. expresses a generalised it, Jud. 11:34 אֵין־לוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ בֵּן אוֹ־בַת  he had not besides it (her) son or daughter. Ex. 11:6 like it.

Rem. 2. When the compound subj. is a noun with its