Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar/151. Desiderative Sentences
a A wish may be expressed not only by the simple imperfect (§ 107 n), cohortative (§ 108, especially with נָא § 108 c), jussive (§ 109; with נָא § 109 b), imperative (§ 110 a), perfect consecutive (§ 112 aa) or by a simple noun-clause (§ 116 r, note, and § 141 g) but also in the following ways:—
1. By exclamations in the form of interrogative clauses:[1] especially sentences with מִי followed by the imperfect as being the mood of that which is still unfulfilled but possible, and hence also of that which is desired, e.g. 2 S 15 מִֽי־יְשִׂמֵ֫נִי שֹׁפֵט who maketh me judge? i.e. O that I were made judge! 1 S 20, 2 S 23. On the other hand, מִי with the perfect (Gn 21, Nu 23, 1 S 26, Is 53, &c.) or participle (ψ 59, Pr 24, &c.), rather expresses a rhetorical question, i.e. a denial, cf. § 150 d. Especially frequent is the use of מִֽי־יִתֵּן (prop. who gives?) to introduce all kinds of desiderative clauses (see under b).—In Mal 1 the desiderative clause proper is co-ordinated with an interrogative clause, מִי גַם־בָּכֶם וְיִסְגּׄר דְּלָתַ֫יִם would that one were among you and would shut the doors, i.e. O that one would shut the doors!
b Rem. Sometimes the original sense of מִֽי־יִתֵּן is still plainly discernible, e.g. Ju 9 מִֽי־יִתֵּן אֶת־הָעָם הַוֶּה בְיָדִי who gives this people into my hand? equivalent to, O that this people were given into my hand! cf. ψ 55. In these examples, however, מִֽי־יִתֵּן is still equivalent to O had I! and in numerous other instances the idea of giving has entirely disappeared, מִֽי־יִתֵּן having become stereotyped as a more desiderative particle (utinam). Its construction is either—
(a) With the accusative (in accordance with its original meaning) of a substantive, Dt 28 would that it were even!... morning! Ju 9, ψ 14 (53:7), 55:7; with an accusative and a following infinitive, Jb 11; with two accusatives, Nu 11, Jer 8; with the accusative of an infinitive, Ex 16, 2 S 19 מִֽי־יִתֵּן מוּתִי אֲנִי תַחְתֶּ֫יךָ would that I had died for thee (for אֲנִי cf. § 135 f); of a participle, Jb 31; of a personal pronoun (as a suffix), Jb 29 (with a following ךְּ; but מִֽי־יִתְּנֵ֫נִי Is 27 and Jer 9 with a following accusative is not simply equivalent to מִֽי־יִתֵּן לִי, but is properly who endows me with, &c.; cf. § 117 ff).—With a still greater weakening of the original meaning מִֽי־יִתֵּן is used with an adjective in Jb 14 could a clean thing but come out of an unclean! i.e. how can a clean thing come, &c.; similarly in Jb 31 who can find one that hath not been satisfied!
c (b) With a following perfect, Jb 23 (cf. § 120 e); with a perfect consecutive, Dt 5 O that they had such an heart!
d (c) With a following imperfect, Jb 6, 13, 14; in Jb 19 the imperfect is twice added with Wāw (cf. a above, on Mal. 1).
On the cohortative in the apodosis to such desiderative clauses, cf. § 108 f.
e 2. The wish may also be expressed by the particles אִם (ψ 81, 95, 139, Pr 24, 1 Ch 4; always with a following imperfect) and לוּ (for which in ψ 119 we have אַחְלַי, 2 K 5 אַֽחֲלֵי, from אָח ah! and לַי=לוּ; both with a following imperfect)si, o si! utinam.[2] לוּ is followed by the imperfect, Gn 17, Jb 6; by the jussive, Gn 30 (rather concessive, equivalent to let it be so); by the perfect, as the expression of a wish that something might have happened in past time (cf. § 106 p), Nu 14 לוּ מַ֫תְנוּ would that we had died; 20:3 and Jos 7 (both times וְלוּ); on the other hand, Is 48 and 63:19 (both times לוּא) to express a wish that something expected in the future may already have happened.—On לוּ with the imperative (by an anacoluthon) Gn 23 cf. § 110 e. On the perfect after בִּי אִם Gn 40, 2 K 5, cf. § 106 n, note 2.
- ↑ The transition from a question to a wish may be seen, e.g. in Nu 11 who shall give us flesh to eat? i.e. O that we had flesh to eat!
- ↑ Cf. a similar transition from a conditional to a desiderative particle, in consequence of the suppression of the apodosis, in the English, O if I had! and the like; e.g. Nu 22 if there were (לוּ יֶשׁ־) a sword in my hand now had I surely killed thee!