use of mem in מִצְעֲדֵי Ps 37:23

A place for those new to Biblical Hebrew to ask basic questions about the language of the Hebrew Bible.
Forum rules
Members will observe the rules for respectful discourse at all times!
Please sign all posts with your first and last (family) name.
Post Reply
User avatar
Galena
Posts: 144
Joined: Fri Jul 24, 2015 8:55 am
Location: Ireland

use of mem in מִצְעֲדֵי Ps 37:23

Post by Galena »

מֵיְהוָה מִצְעֲדֵי־גֶבֶר כּוֹנָנוּ

Grammatically I can not translate this mem in this word מִצְעֲדֵי however understanding what the mem (as contracted from מן) means semantically, I decided to translate this (semantically) as "The deliberate, well placed steps of a good man that emanate/have their origin from the Lord are maintained/made firm/supported". To make this less awkward I suppose: Proceeding from the Lord are the thoughtful steps of a good man and they will be supported..

Noticing the the usual words to describe a man's path/way are not used here and this word slants towards a procession, solemn, slow and deliberate; Also the word כּוֹנָנוּ is extremely complex in its varied interpretations (and I do not know enough of scripture to mentally visualise all the varied nuances) it is a Piel perfect (Polel) and not a hiphil (hophal) or Pual (polal), therfore it can not mean ordered or directed as I understand things at the moment.

Advice please?
regards
Chris Watts
kwrandolph
Posts: 1531
Joined: Sun Sep 29, 2013 12:51 am

Re: use of mem in מִצְעֲדֵי Ps 37:23

Post by kwrandolph »

Galena wrote:מֵיְהוָה מִצְעֲדֵי־גֶבֶר כּוֹנָנוּ

Grammatically I can not translate this mem in this word מִצְעֲדֵי however understanding what the mem (as contracted from מן) means semantically,
This is a Piel plural participle in construct used as a noun. Grammatically speaking, Piel participles start with a mem.

My understanding of the Piel and Pual at this time is tending toward the idea that it signifies repeated, habitual or continuous action. So this would be not a one time thing, rather always.

As for כוננו, I’ve heard that in other language that that doubling of the final letter refers to emphatic—I wonder if that is the same in Biblical Hebrew?

Karl W. Randolph.
User avatar
Galena
Posts: 144
Joined: Fri Jul 24, 2015 8:55 am
Location: Ireland

Re: use of mem in מִצְעֲדֵי Ps 37:23

Post by Galena »

Thankyou Karl but once again I messed this up, just realised this. I saw a verb with a mem pronoun prefix in construct, which was stupid because I usually recognise participles, but then you can not have a verbal construct unless a governing verb at the beginning of a clause? For example Job 3:8 - still climbing the grammatical mountain.
As for כוננו, I’ve heard that in other language that that doubling of the final letter refers to emphatic—I wonder if that is the same in Biblical Hebrew?
I have no idea and my Gesenius is no help because it is difficult, nigh impossible, to track down specifics such as this since his index is appallingly lacking.Sorry.


Kind regards
Chris Watts
kwrandolph
Posts: 1531
Joined: Sun Sep 29, 2013 12:51 am

Re: use of mem in מִצְעֲדֵי Ps 37:23

Post by kwrandolph »

Galena wrote: but then you can not have a verbal construct unless a governing verb at the beginning of a clause? For example Job 3:8.
???? There’s none such in Job 3:8.
Galena wrote:
As for כוננו, I’ve heard that in other language that that doubling of the final letter refers to emphatic—I wonder if that is the same in Biblical Hebrew?
I have no idea and my Gesenius is no help because it is difficult, nigh impossible, to track down specifics such as this since his index is appallingly lacking.Sorry.
Why bother with Gesenius? His point of reference was the cognate language of medieval Hebrew, not Biblical Hebrew.

You really need just to get into the text. Read Tanakh through, then again, then again, until you’ve learned Biblical Hebrew.

Karl W. Randolph.
User avatar
Galena
Posts: 144
Joined: Fri Jul 24, 2015 8:55 am
Location: Ireland

Re: use of mem in מִצְעֲדֵי Ps 37:23

Post by Galena »

You need to stop being fanatical in your approach to how people learn and the fact that you read it without vowels. You can not learn a modern language by just reading it, much less BH. How can anyone learn without a dictionary. Stop criticizing Gesenius since God uses non-believers to do His work sometimes. I also use tragelles and he was of your club, and He translated Gesenius and made corrections and endorses this great work, and Gesenius learned phonecian by the way.
Chris Watts
Post Reply