B-Hebrew: The Biblical Hebrew Forum

Deuteronomy 5:7 says, "You must have no other gods besides me."

לֹ֣א יִהְיֶ֥ה־לְךָ֛֩ אֱלֹהִ֥֨ים אֲחֵרִ֖֜ים עַל־פָּנָֽ֗יַ׃

There appears to be a patach underneath the yod of פני at the end of the verse. What's it doing there? Also, I checked HALOT and DCH. Both of those dictionaries routinely list every extant form that occurs in the literature. Neither of those works included this form.

-Andrew Hodge

I think I understand. Since this verse is given two sets of accents, one for liturgical use and the other for personal, the qamets is the pausal form associated with the siluk, and the patach is the non-pausal form associated with the revia.

Andrew,

Exactly right. Good call!

Kirk

HebrewLover wrote:Deuteronomy 5:7 says, "You must have no other gods besides me."

לֹ֣א יִהְיֶ֥ה־לְךָ֛֩ אֱלֹהִ֥֨ים אֲחֵרִ֖֜ים עַל־פָּנָֽ֗יַ׃

There appears to be a patach underneath the yod of פני at the end of the verse. What's it doing there? Also, I checked HALOT and DCH. Both of those dictionaries routinely list every extant form that occurs in the literature. Neither of those works included this form.

-Andrew Hodge

Isn't it also interesting that the quote is translated as "there will not be (singular verb) to you other gods..." instead of "there will not be (singular verb) to you another god..." since the verb is yeehye (singular) and not yeehyoo (plural)? Or am I wrong about this?

Kenneth Greifer

It seems that the יהיה comes as a general form
Even though it is masculine singular, it is used sometimes to represent feminine or plural or feminine plural

For example:
תּוֹרָה אַחַת יִהְיֶה לָאֶזְרָח וְלַגֵּר הַגָּר בְּתוֹכְכֶם
("should be" תהיה because תורה is feminine)

וְאַרְבַּע הַיָּדֹת יִהְיֶה לָכֶם
("Should be" תהינה since the ידת are feminine plural)


In this verse, however, we can look at it in another way
the אלהים represent a singular noun
(the plural form is because of the sense of "authority")
And so the יהיה is in its pure meaning of a singular
and the meaning of this verse is like saying "any god" (or a singular that represents the idea)
(Just like it is said לא תעשה לך פסל - it doesn't mean "one statue" but it means statues at all)


When I said "plural of authority" I mean that in Hebrew there is a singular noun that is written in the plural form, but keeps the meaning of the singular.
This happens in words that represent an authority
(never mind if it related to God or a secular meaning)

And the known examples are the words אדון, בעל
For example
יָּשֶׂם הָעֶבֶד אֶת יָדוֹ תַּחַת יֶרֶךְ אַבְרָהָם אֲדֹנָיו
the master is Abraham, and he is called אדניו (as "masters")
and even though the word is in the form of plural, the meaning and its behavior is singular

Another example
הַשּׁוֹר יִסָּקֵל וְגַם בְּעָלָיו יוּמָת
here, the בעליו is written in the plural form, but it represents a singular person, and it behaves like that. And so it say s that he יומת (singular verb)

David,

It would be helpful if you gave the citations with the quotes, so people can look at them in the Hebrew Bible.

I was looking up quotes like Deuteronomy 5:7 with the verb "to be" in singular or plural with plural nouns. I used the word "sons" mostly in quotes that said "sons were (or were not) (plural or singular verb) to someone", meaning someone had sons or did not have sons.

I found the verb "to be" as singular in Judges 10:4, 12:9, 12:14, Job 42:12-13, 1 Chronicles 2:34, 23:17, and 24:28, and plural in Numbers 27:3, Judges 8:30, 1 Chronicles 2:52, and 23:22. I thought it would always be plural for a plural noun like "sons."

I put the Hebrew quotes in the next posting.

Singular "to be"

Judges 10:4
10:4וַֽיְהִי־ל֞וֹ שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים בָּנִ֗ים רֹֽכְבִים֙ עַל־שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים עֲיָרִ֔ים וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים עֲיָרִ֖ים לָהֶ֑ם לָהֶ֞ם יִקְרְא֣וּ ׀ חַוֺּ֣ת יָאִ֗יר עַ֚ד הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּאֶ֥רֶץ הַגִּלְעָֽד׃

Judges 12:9
9וַיְהִי־ל֞וֹ שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים בָּנִ֗ים וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֤ים בָּנוֹת֙ שִׁלַּ֣ח הַח֔וּצָה וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים בָּנ֔וֹת הֵבִ֥יא לְבָנָ֖יו מִן־הַח֑וּץ וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֥ט אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל שֶׁ֥בַע שָׁנִֽים

Judges 12:14
14וַיְהִי־ל֞וֹ אַרְבָּעִ֣ים בָּנִ֗ים וּשְׁלֹשִׁים֙ בְּנֵ֣י בָנִ֔ים רֹכְבִ֖ים עַל־שִׁבְעִ֣ים עֲיָרִ֑ם וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֥ט אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל שְׁמֹנֶ֥ה שָׁנִֽים׃

Job 42:12-13
42:12וַֽיהוָ֗ה בֵּרַ֛ךְ אֶת־אַחֲרִ֥ית אִיּ֖וֹב מֵרֵאשִׁת֑וֹ וַֽיְהִי־ל֡וֹ אַרְבָּעָה֩ עָשָׂ֨ר אֶ֜לֶף צֹ֗אן וְשֵׁ֤שֶׁת אֲלָפִים֙ גְּמַלִּ֔ים וְאֶֽלֶף־צֶ֥מֶד בָּקָ֖ר וְאֶ֥לֶף אֲתוֹנֽוֹת׃ 42:13וַֽיְהִי־ל֛וֹ שִׁבְעָ֥נָה בָנִ֖ים וְשָׁל֥וֹשׁ בָּנֽוֹת׃

1 Chronicles 2:34
2:34וְלֹֽא־הָיָ֧ה לְשֵׁשָׁ֛ן בָּנִ֖ים כִּ֣י אִם־בָּנ֑וֹת וּלְשֵׁשָׁ֛ן עֶ֥בֶד מִצְרִ֖י וּשְׁמ֥וֹ יַרְחָֽע׃

1 Chronicles 23:17
23:17וַיִּֽהְי֥וּ בְנֵי־אֱלִיעֶ֖זֶר רְחַבְיָ֣ה הָרֹ֑אשׁ וְלֹא־הָיָ֤ה לֶאֱלִיעֶ֙זֶר֙ בָּנִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים וּבְנֵ֥י רְחַבְיָ֖ה רָב֥וּ לְמָֽעְלָה׃

1 Chronicles 24:28
24:28לְמַחְלִי֙ אֶלְעָזָ֔ר וְלֹא־הָ֥יָה ל֖וֹ בָּנִֽים׃

Plural "to be"

Numbers 27:3
27:3אָבִינוּ֮ מֵ֣ת בַּמִּדְבָּר֒ וְה֨וּא לֹא־הָיָ֜ה בְּת֣וֹךְ הָעֵדָ֗ה הַנּוֹעָדִ֛ים עַל־יְהוָ֖ה בַּעֲדַת־קֹ֑רַח כִּֽי־בְחֶטְא֣וֹ מֵ֔ת וּבָנִ֖ים לֹא־הָ֥יוּ לֽוֹ׃

The last few quotes are also plural. I am not copying them here.