B-Hebrew: The Biblical Hebrew Forum

Dr. Fuller's demonstration on this one issue is disappointing, sadly lacking in any explanation at all. I have gone through these verses and can not recognise any indications at all about parenthesis, despite knowing exactly what the text says and understanding the accents - I see nothing to indicate a parenthesis. He begins his talk here : 1.05.55. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAbvJwLetKQ
Here are the first three verses that he gives as examples:

A particular issue I have is when he constantly repeats the phrase : '...here is the accent and here is its remote.." One wonders, no matter how much I search the verses for an indication about how the parenthesis is being demonstrated by the accents alone, how remote exactly is remote? The hierarchical ordering of the accents in either a verbal or nominal clause does not seem to provide any clues either.

1. כִּ֣י יֶֽחֶטְאוּ־לָ֗ךְ כִּ֣י אֵ֤ין אָדָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־יֶחֱטָ֔א וְאָנַפְתָּ֣ בָ֔ם וּנְתַתָּ֖ם לִפְנֵ֣י אוֹיֵ֑ב 1 Kings 8:6

2. הִנְנִ֣י מֵשִׁ֣יב אֶת־צֵ֣ל הַֽמַּעֲל֡וֹת אֲשֶׁ֣ר יָרְדָה֩ בְמַעֲל֨וֹת אָחָ֥ז בַּשֶּׁ֛מֶשׁ אֲחֹרַנִּ֖ית עֶ֣שֶׂר מַעֲל֑וֹת Isaiah 38:8

3. וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע פַּשְׁחוּר֙ בֶּן־אִמֵּ֣ר הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְהֽוּא־פָקִ֥יד נָגִ֖יד בְּבֵ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה אֶֽת־יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ נִבָּ֖א אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֥ים הָאֵֽלֶּה Jeremiah 20:1

Chris watts

The parenthesis is when the sentence is cut with a side note.
It is very clear to see it in examples 1 and 3.

In example 1 - When it says כי אין אדם אשר לא יחטא - it is a side note, which we can skip. The main sentence is:
כי יחטאו לך ואנפת בם ונתתם לפני אויב.

In example 3 - When it says והוא פקיד נגיד בבית י"י it is also a side note that tells us who פשחור is - and it is not part of the main sentence.

As for example 2 - Before I refer to it, I wonder how he translates the verse - what is the subject of ירדה according to his translation.

Hallo Ducky,

Firstly as for the subject in Isaiah 38:8, he does not actually say, but it is obvious that it is the 'Shadow on the sundial'.

Secondly, I believe you have misunderstood my original query, probably my fault, I know where the parenthesis is on all the verses. And this would never have been an issue except for the fact that Dr.Fuller gives the impression that the accents can reveal a parenthesis. But after careful reading I just do not see how this is true, a combination of logic, the hebrew itself and accents combined yes, but not on the basis of any accent alone - there is no formula. So maybe I have misunderstood his point here, the rest of his video though is extremely helpful.

Chris watts

Hi,

I saw this part of the video.
I think you understand it right.
I didn't hear him say that the accent tells it.
But he says, that when the reader tries to read and sees that his reading is not coherent, he may suspect that the verse includes some side note, a parenthesis.
And then, to cut the verse in the right way, he should use the accents to see the starting point and the ending point.