Suffix Pronominal

Summary

Pronominal suffixes refer to a person(s) or thing(s) and can be attached to nouns, verbs, prepositions, participles, infinitives, even some particles. A pronominal suffix nearly always functions as either a personal pronoun (for example, “I” or “me” in English) or a possessive pronoun (for example, “my” or “mine” in English).

Article

A pronominal suffix refers to a person(s) or a thing(s) and can change form according to gender (masculine or feminine), number (singular or plural), and person (first, second, or third person). These various suffixes look quite similar to their corresponding personal pronouns. Only nouns in the construct state can take a pronominal suffix.

Note

In Biblical Hebrew, a noun always becomes definite when a pronominal suffix is attached to it.

Form

Paradigm

Pronominal Suffix with a Singular Noun

Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
common singular first person	סוּסִי	susi	my horse
masculine singular second person	סוּסְךָ	suskha	your horse
feminine singular second person	סוּסֵךְ	susekh	your horse
masculine singular third person	סוּסוֹ / סוּסֹה / סוּסֵהוּ	suso / susoh / susehu	his horse
feminine singular third person	סוּסהָ / סוּסָהּ	susha / susah	her horse
common plural first person	סוּסֵנוּ	susenu	our horse
masculine plural second person	סוּסְכֶם	susekhem	your horse
feminine plural second person	סוּסְכֶן	susekhen	your horse
masculine plural third person	סוּסְהֶם / סוּסָם	susehem / susam	their horse
feminine plural third person	סוּסְהֶן / סוּסָן	susehen / susan	their horse

Pronominal Suffix with a Plural Noun

Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
common singular first person	סוּסַי	susay	my horses
masculine singular second person	סוּסֶיךָ	susekha	your horses
feminine singular second person	סוּסַיִךְ	susayikh	your horses
masculine singular third person	סוּסָיו	susayw	his horses
feminine singular third person	סוּסֶיהָ	suseyha	her horses
common plural first person	סוּסֵינוּ	susenu	our horses
masculine plural second person	סוּסֵיכֶם	susekhem	your horses
feminine plural second person	סוּסֵיכֶן	susekhen	your horses
masculine plural third person	סוּסֵיהֶם	susehem	their horses
feminine plural third person	סוּסֵיהֶן	susehen	their horses

Function

Attached to a noun

When attached to a noun, a pronominal suffix functions as a personal pronoun in a construct relationship with the noun to which it is attached. Very often, the pronoun functions as a possessive attributive adjective indentifying the person(s) or thing(s) in possession of that noun.

Example: 2SA 17:23

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

Example: 2SA 19:4 (2SA 19:1 in Hebrew)

בְּנִ֤י אַבְשָׁלֹום֙ בְּנִ֣י בְנִ֣י

beni ‘avshalowm beni veni

My-son Absalom my-son my-son

My son Absalom, my son, my son!

Example: EZR 9:12

וְ֠עַתָּה בְּֽנֹותֵיכֶ֞ם אַל־תִּתְּנ֣וּ לִבְנֵיהֶ֗ם וּבְנֹֽתֵיהֶם֙ אַל־תִּשְׂא֣וּ לִבְנֵיכֶ֔ם

we’attah benowthekhem ‘al-tittenu livnehem uvenothehem ‘al-tis’u livnekhem

And-now your-daughters not_give to-their-sons and-their-daughters not_take for-your-sons

So now, do not give your daughters to their sons; do not take their daughters for your sons

Attached to a finite verb

A pronominal suffix can be attached to any finite verb conjugation to indicate the direct object of the verb. In these cases, the pronominal suffix always functions as a personal pronoun.

Example: GEN 37:14

וַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֨הוּ֙ מֵעֵ֣מֶק חֶבְרֹ֔ון וַיָּבֹ֖א שְׁכֶֽמָה׃

wayyishlahehu me’emeq hevrown wayyavo shekhemah

and-he-sent-him from-Valley-of Hebron and-he-came-in Shechem.

So he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem.

Example: 2CH 15:2

וְאִֽם־תִּדְרְשֻׁ֨הוּ֙ יִמָּצֵ֣א לָכֶ֔ם

we’im-tidreshuhu yimmatse lakhem

And-if_you-seek-him he-will-be-found by-you

If you seek him, he will be found by you

Example: HOS 8:7

זָרִ֖ים יִבְלָעֻֽהוּ׃

zarim yivla’uhu

strangers will-swallow-him

foreigners will devour it

Attached to a preposition

Similar to verbs, a pronominal suffix attached to a preposition is always the object of that preposition, functioning as a personal pronoun.

בְּ

Example: 1SA 25:28

וְרָעָ֛ה לֹא־תִמָּצֵ֥א בְךָ֖ מִיָּמֶֽיךָ׃

wera’ah lo-thimmatse vekha miyyameykha

and-evil not_will-be-found in-you from-your-days

and evil will not be found in you so long as you live.

Example: JOB 39:12

הֲתַאֲמִ֣ין בֹּ֖ו

hatha’amin bow

Do-you-believe in-him

Will you depend on him?

כְּ

Example: 2KI 17:15

אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ אֹתָ֔ם לְבִלְתִּ֖י עֲשֹׂ֥ות כָּהֶֽם׃

‘asher tsiwwah yehwah ‘otham levilti ‘asowth kahem

whom had-commanded Yahweh [dir.obj]-them to-abstain doing like-them

those that Yahweh had commanded them not to do like them.

Example: ISA 46:9

וְאֶ֥פֶס כָּמֹֽונִי׃

we’efes kamowni

and no-one like-me

and there is no one like me.

לְ and אֶל

Example: EXO 19:5

כִּי־לִ֖י כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

ki-li kol-ha’arets

for_to-me all_the-earth

for all the earth is mine.

Example: EXO 9:13

וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֵלָ֗יו

we’amarta ‘elayw

and-say to-him

and say to him

Example: JDG 11:36

וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֗יו

wattomer ‘elayw

And-she-said to-him

She said to him

עַל

Example: DEU 17:14

אָשִׂ֤ימָה עָלַי֙ מֶ֔לֶךְ

‘asimah ‘alay melekh

I-will-set over-me king

I will set a king over myself

Example: ISA 62:5

יָשִׂ֥ישׂ עָלַ֖יִךְ אֱלֹהָֽיִךְ׃

yasis ‘alayikh ‘elohayikh

he-will-rejoice over-you your-God.

your God will rejoice over you.

אַחַר

Example: 2CH 8:8

אֲשֶׁ֨ר נֹותְר֤וּ אַחֲרֵיהֶם֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ

‘asher nowthru ‘aharehem ba’arets

who were-left after-them in-the-land

who were left after them in the land

Example: JER 9:16 (JER 9:15 in Hebrew)

וְשִׁלַּחְתִּ֤י אַֽחֲרֵיהֶם֙ אֶת־הַחֶ֔רֶב

weshillahti ‘aharehem ‘eth-haherev

and-I-will-send-out after-them [dir.obj]_the-sword

I will send out a sword after them

תַּחַת

Example: DEU 28:23

וְהָאָ֥רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־תַּחְתֶּ֖יךָ בַּרְזֶֽל׃

weha’arets ‘asher-tahteykha barzel

and-the-earth which_under-you will-be-iron.

and the earth that is under you will be iron.

Example: PSA 47:3 (PSA 47:4 in Hebrew)

יַדְבֵּ֣ר עַמִּ֣ים תַּחְתֵּ֑ינוּ

yadber ‘ammim tahtenu

He-will-drive-back peoples beneath-us

He subdues peoples under us

עַד

Example: NUM 23:18

הַאֲזִ֥ינָה עָדַ֖י בְּנֹ֥ו צִפֹּֽר׃

ha’azinah ‘aday benow tsippor

Listen unto-me son-of Zippor.

Listen to me, you son of Zippor.

Example: AMO 4:10

וְלֹֽא־שַׁבְתֶּ֥ם עָדַ֖י

welo-shavtem ‘aday

And-not you-have-returned unto-me

Yet you have not returned to me

מִן

Example: GEN 22:12

וְלֹ֥א חָשַׂ֛כְתָּ אֶת־בִּנְךָ֥ אֶת־יְחִידְךָ֖ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃

welo hasakhta ‘eth-binkha ‘eth-yehidekha mimmenni

and-not you-witheld [dir.obj]_your-son [dir.obj]_your-only from-me.

you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.

Example: 1CH 29:14

כִּֽי־מִמְּךָ֣ הַכֹּ֔ל

ki-mimmekha hakkol

for_from-you the-all

all things come from you

עִם

Example: PSA 50:18

וַתִּ֣רֶץ עִמֹּ֑ו

wattirets ‘immow

and-you-are-pleased with-him

you agree with him

Example: ZEC 14:5

כָּל־קְדֹשִׁ֖ים עִמָּֽךְ׃

kol-qedoshim ‘immakh

all_holy-ones with-him

all the holy ones will be with him

אֵת

When the preposition אֵת takes a pronominal suffix, it can be distinguished from the direct object marker. The preposition will take a hireq vowel with a daghesh in the taw consonant (see examples below).

Example: PSA 12:4

שְׂפָתֵ֣ינוּ אִתָּ֑נוּ

sefathenu ‘ittanu

our-lips with-us.

our lips speak and they make us prevail.

Example: PRO 1:11

לְכָ֪ה אִ֫תָּ֥נוּ

lekhah ‘ittanu

walk with-us

come with us

Attached to a participle

When attached to a participle, the pronominal suffix can function as a personal pronoun, a possessive adjective, or as a noun in construct relationship with the particle.

Attached to an infinitive construct

as object of the infinitive

When attached to an infinitive construct, the pronominal suffix can function as the object of the verbal action.

EXAMPLE

as subject of the infinitive

When attached to an infinitive construct, the pronominal suffix can function as the subject of the verbal action described by the infinitive. In these cases, often the object of the infinitive (with the direct object marker) will appear immediately following the infinitive.

EXAMPLE

as possessive adjective describing the infinitive

EXAMPLE

Attached to a particle

SENTENCE/PARAGRAPH

the direct object marker (אֵת)

When the direct object marker takes a pronominal suffix, it can be distinguished from the preposition אֵת. The direct object marker will take a holem vowel without a daghesh in the taw consonant (see examples below).

Example: 1SA 17:9

וַעֲבַדְתֶּ֖ם אֹתָֽנוּ׃

wa’avadtem ‘othanu

and-you-will-serve [dir.obj]-us.

then you will serve us.

Example: JDG 10:13

וְאַתֶּם֙ עֲזַבְתֶּ֣ם אֹותִ֔י

we’attem ‘azavtem ‘owthi

And-you have-left [dir.obj]-me

Yet you abandoned me

the particle הִנֵּה

When attached to the demonstrative particle הִנֵּה, a pronominal suffix can function as either the object of the particle or the subject of a verbal participle that immediately follows the particle.

as object of the particle

In these cases, the pronominal suffix functions as the object of the verbal action expressed by the demonstrative particle.

Example: ISA 65:1

אָמַ֨רְתִּי֙ הִנֵּ֣נִי הִנֵּ֔נִי אֶל־גֹּ֖וי לֹֽא־קֹרָ֥א

בִשְׁמִֽי׃

‘amartiy hinneni hinneni ‘el-gowy lo-qora vishmi

I-said look-me look-me to_nation not_called by-my-name.

I said “”Here I am! Here I am!”” to a nation that did not call on my name.

as subject of a participle

Sometimes, a pronominal suffix attached to the particle הִנֵּה functions as the subject of a participle that immediately follows the particle.