Person Third¶
Summary¶
The third person form of a term refers to a person(s) or thing(s) other than the writer/speaker and the person being addressed by the writer/speaker.
Article¶
In English, the third person pronouns include: “he”, “him”, “his”, “she”, or “her”, for singular; and “they”, “them”, or “their,” for plural. In Biblical Hebrew, terms which are marked for third person can change form according to both gender (masculine and feminine) and number (singular or plural). In Biblical Hebrew, verbs, pronouns, and pronominal suffixes can all be marked for third person.
Form¶
In Biblical Hebrew, a term marked for third person can be recognized by a variety of changes to the form. These changes differ greatly from each other, so it is difficult to sum them up in a simple, helpful way. The paradigm below shows a sample of the kinds of changes that signal a third person form.
Paradigm¶
Parsing | Hebrew | Transliteration | Gloss |
third person masculine singular” | קָטַל | qatal | he killed |
third person feminine singular” | קָטְלָה | qatlah | she killed |
third person common plural” | קָטְלוּ | qatlu | they killed |
Parsing | Hebrew | Transliteration | Gloss |
third person masculine singular” | יִקְטֹל | yiqtol | he will kill |
third person feminine singular” | תִּקְטֹל | tiqtol | she will kill |
third person masculine plural” | יִקְטְלוּ | yiqtelu | they will kill |
third person feminine plural” | תִּקְטֹלְנָה | tiqtolenah | they will kill |
Parsing | Hebrew | Transliteration | Gloss |
third person masculine singular” | הוּא | hu | he / it |
third person feminine singular” | הִיא / הִוא | hi / hiw | she / it |
third person masculine plural” | הֵם / הֵמָּה | hem / hemmah | they |
third person feminine plural” | הֵן / הֵנָּה | hen / hennah | they |
Parsing | Hebrew | Transliteration | Gloss |
third person masculine singular” | אֹתוֹ | ‘otho | him / it |
third person feminine singular” | אֹתָהּ | ‘othah | her / it |
third person masculine plural” | אֶתְהֶם / אֹתָם | ‘ethhem / ‘otham | them |
third person feminine plural” | אֶתְהֶן / אֹתָן | ‘ethhen / ‘othan | them |
Parsing | Hebrew | Transliteration | Gloss |
third person masculine singular” | לוֹ / -וֹ | lo / -o | (to) him |
third person feminine singular” | לָהּ / - ָהּ | lah / -ah | (to) her |
third person masculine plural” | לָהֶם / -הֶם / - ָם | lahem / -hem / -am | (to) them |
third person feminine plural” | לָהֶן / -הֶן / - ָן | lahen / -hen / -an | (to) them |
Examples¶
Finite verb marked for third person¶
A finite verb (and/or verbal participle) in third person form indicates that the subject of the verb is someone/something other than the writer/speaker or the person being addressed.
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־אַבְרָ֔ם |
wayyomer yehwah ‘el-‘avram |
and-he-said Yahweh to_Abram |
Now Yahweh said to Abram |
Personal pronoun marked for third person¶
A third person independent personal pronoun refers either to a person/thing (for singular) or group of persons/things (for plural) other than the writer/speaker and the person being addressed by the writer/speaker.
עֵשָׂ֖ו ה֥וּא אֱדֽוֹם |
‘esaw hu ‘edom |
Esau he Edom |
Esau (also called Edom) |
Pronominal suffix marked for third person¶
A third person pronominal suffix usually functions either as a personal pronoun (for verbs and prepositions) or as a possessive adjective (for nouns).
As attached to a verb¶
וַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֨הוּ֙ מֵעֵ֣מֶק חֶבְרֹ֔ון וַיָּבֹ֖א שְׁכֶֽמָה׃ |
wayyishlahehu me’emeq hevrown wayyavo shekhemah |
and-he-sent-him from-the-Valley-of Hebron and-he-went to-Shechem. |
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As attached to a noun¶
וַיָּ֜קָם וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ אֶל־בֵּיתוֹ֙ אֶל־עִיר֔וֹ |
wayyaqom wayyelekh ‘el-betho ‘el-‘iro |
And-he-stood-up and-went to_his-house to_his-city |
He went home to his own city |
As attached to a preposition¶
הֲתַאֲמִ֣ין בֹּ֖ו |
hatha’amin bow |
Do-you-believe in-him? |
Will you depend on him? |
אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ אֹתָ֔ם לְבִלְתִּ֖י עֲשֹׂ֥ות כָּהֶֽם׃ |
‘asher tsiwwah yehwah ‘otham levilti ‘asowth kahem |
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those that Yahweh had commanded them not to do like them. |