methods of fupplying their place; and thefe form peculiar idioms in that language. 145. It was natural for men to denominate fubstances from some of their powers or qualities, the exertion of which had been most striking to them; and confequently, to derive their fubftantive nouns from verbs; and it is fo in the Hebrew tongue. 146. The first words of every language exprefs objects of fenfe. The Hebrew verbs would, therefore, originally fignify the actions or motions of bodies; and they would come to have other fignifications, by being transferred to these from that original sense. 28, 1. To wither, Ifa. xxiv. 4. "The earth mourneth (wi- 147. In a language formed in rude times, it is natural, likewife, to expect, that the primitives or verbs would exprefs very particular ideas, the motion or exertion of a power as it appears in one object, or one fpecies of objects; and from this, would be transferred to other more general fenfes. This is the cafe with the Hebrew; it neceffarily renders the language very tropical; and it occafions the idioms in which words of the fame original are conjoined. Warburt. Div. Leg. Blair, ib. (prim.) "To fmear with pitch." (Sec.) "To atone. " "Seeding feed," for "producing feed. " כפר זרע זרע 148. It is by discovering the primary fignification of a a root, that its fecondary fenfes can be accounted for; for they have all fome analogy to it, though not, perhaps, to one another. 755, (prim.) "To fmear with pitch. " (Sec.) 1. "To cover fin, atone;" 2. "To clofe," which now appears only in fome of its derivatives, 149. Derivatives are, in Hebrew, formed by a very regular analogy, from the roots, by the omiffion or the change of some of their letters, or by the addition of other letters to the beginning, the middle, or the end; and, according to the particular manner of their formation, they have fome correfpondent variety of fignification. Wilfon, Gram. c. 17. Schultens, Gram. 150. It is only the root of the verb that is properly fimple; all the other parts of it are compounds of that with other words, efpecially pronouns; which gives great regularity and fignificance to the conjugations. 151. The Hebrew has few compound verbs, though feveral compound nouns; but it never compounds thefe with the negative particle; and this occafions feveral idioms. Grammars. Lowth on Ifa. x. 15. Hence a negative particle with negation. Pfal. cxliii. 2. Schultens, ib. reg. 122. "all," makes an univerfal - 1-3, "No living man fhall be juftified." Glafs. ib. 1. 3. t. 5. can. 19. Prefixed to nouns, it has a privative force. Prov. xxx. 25. "The ants are a people ( ) not ftrong, " i. e. weak. Job. xxvi. 2, 3. Amos. vi. 13. Lowth Lowth ib. Glaff. ib. can. 20. By a natural tranfition, this particle, with either a verb or adjective, comes to denote a ftrong negation or a contrariety. Exod. xx. 7. " not guiltless," i. e. very guilty. Hos. xi. 9. "I am God (wx-xh) and not man," i. e. far from being man. Ifa. v. 15. “As if the staff should lift itself up against (3) the not wood," i. e. the man who ufes it, who is far from being wood. [N° 885.] ch. xxxi. 8. Iv. 2. In analogy to this, a negative with an adjective forms a fuperlative. Prov. xviii. 5. "It is not good (very bad) to accept the perfon of the wicked. " Pfal. xliii. 1. "Plead my cause very ungodly. Hof. xiii. 13. wife. against a nation not godly," "A fon not wife," very un 152. It is common for those who have a scanty language, to fupply its defects by mixing fomething of natural language with the artificial; and hence may be deduced many peculiarities of the Hebrew. Warburt. Div. Leg. vol. 3. p. 97. Blair, ib. 153. Thus, dwelling on a fyllable, or doubling its confonant, gives it an emphafis in pronunciation, and may therefore, be adopted for giving intenseness to its fignification. Hence the custom in Hebrew, at leaft fince the introduction of the prefent points, of giving force to a word by a dagesh forte; and the conjugations which are formed only by the infertion of it, Pihhel, Pyhhal. 154. In like manner, redoubling a fyllable gives emphasis and force. Hence the nouns formed by doubling fome of the radicals, often expreffive of rapidity or repetition. Wilfon, Gram. 17. Hence Hence alfo, feveral of the additional conjugations which fome have propofed, Pehalhal, Pihlel, Pyhlal, Hithpahlel. Schultens, Gram. Robertfon's Gram. 1. 2. c. i. 155. Redoubling or repeating a whole word, has the fame effect; and into this, many Hebrew idioms are reducible. Glaff. ib. 1. 3. t. I. can. 5. t. 3. can. 32, 37. Repetition of a noun, to exprefs vehemence, Pfal. xxii. 1. "My God, my God." Jer. vii. 4. "Truft not in lying words, faying, "The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord." Or, to express continuance, Deut. xvi. 20. "Ye fhall follow juftice, juftice," i. e. conftantly. Or, to exprefs multitude, Gen. xiv. 10. "The valley of Siddim was flime pits, flime pits," i. e. full of them. Exod. viii. 14. Judg. v. 22. 2 Kings iii. 16. Joel iii. 14. Repetition of an adjective forming its fuperlative. Eccl. vii. 25. "That which is deep deep, " i. e. very deep. Hence alfo, a houn governing itself forms a superlative, Gen. "Canaan fhall be a fervant of servants," i. e. in ix. 25. the most abject flavery. Thus alfo, a verb governing itfelf in the infinitive, expreffes certainty or vehemence, Gen. ii.. 17. "Thou fhalt die to die," i. e. certainly. And in like manner, a verb governing a noun derived from it. felf, or analogous in fenfe, is emphatical. "To die the death, to fear with fear. " 156. Men, while rude and unrefined, do not study to exprefs themselves with accuracy; and from this principle, many Hebrew idioms may be accounted for. Hence, fome of their particles have a great multitude of fignifications; has 75; it always connects, but in very different relations. Hence Hence, alfo, many circumlocutions, fubftantives for adverbs, words redundant, definites for indefinites, as "yefterday" for any past time," to-morrow" for any future. A relative pronoun for a copulative, Ecclef. v. 17. "It is good which (and) comely. " Glafs. ib. 1 3. t. 7. can. 3, 5. A paffive verb for the active of its correlate. monished, warned." Eccl. iv. 13. "to be ad Ezek. xxxiii. 4, 5. "to take warning, listen to admonition." One verb expreffing, not strictly the action intended, but one antecedent to, or connected with it. mph ftrictly" to take," but often" to bring " what had been previously taken. Exod. xxv. 2. "That they take (bring to me) an offering. " Eft. ii. 16. "Efther was taken (brought unto) king Ahafuerus." (N° 871.) Glafs. ib. c. 2. Verbs which denote a complete action, used for fignifying the beginning of it. 2 Sam. ii. 10. "Ifhbofheth was forty years old when he reigned," i. e. began to reign. (N° 873.) Glafs. ib. c. 3. On the other hand, verbs denoting the beginning of action, used for fignifying the complete action. Ifa. lx. 11. INDI "and thy gates fhall be opened," "open, " Eng. "kept open. Glafs. ib. Verbs of doing, fignifying only the continuance of action. Lev. vi. 12. "The fire upon the altar pin shall burn,” continue to burn, made to continue. (N° 873.) Glafs. ib. c. 4. Or fignifying only, the giving occafion to a thing's being done. Gen. xlii. 38. “Then shall ye bring my grey hairs with forrow to the grave," be, though undefignedly and involuntarily, the occafion of their falling, &c. (N° 882.) |