contained in the Ḥaṭeph (see § 102 d and § 104 d). To the same category belong also the cases where these prepositions with Ḥireq stand before a consonant with simple Šewâ mobile, e.g. בִּדְבַר, כִּדְבַּר, &c.
[k] (e) In forms like יֶֽחֶזְקוּ yäḥä-ze-qû (they are strong), פָּֽעָלְךָ pŏʿŏlekhā (thy deed). These again are cases of the subsequent opening of closed syllables (hence, e.g. יֶחְזְקוּ also occurs); פָּֽעָלְךָ is properly pŏʿlekhā; cf. generally § 22 m, end, and § 28 c.
[l] Such cases as הַחֹ֫דֶשׁ, אַחִים (§ 96), הַֽחִתֹּ֫תָ (§ 67 w) do not come under this head, since they all have ă in a virtually sharpened syllable; nor does the tone-bearing Seghôl in suffixes (e.g. דְּבָרֶ֫ךָ), nor Seghôl for ă before a guttural with Qameṣ (§ 22 c). On שָֽׁרָשִׁים and קָֽדָשִׁים, see § 9 v.
[m] 4. The independent syllables with a firm vowel which have been described above, are frequently preceded by a single consonant with vocal Šewâ, simple or compound. Such a consonant with vocal Šewâ never has the value of an independent syllable, but rather attaches itself so closely to the following syllable that it forms practically one syllable with it, e.g. לְחִי (cheek) leḥî; חֳלִי (sickness) ḥolî; יִלְמְדוּ yil-medhû. This concerns especially the prefixes וְ, בְ, כְ, לְ. See § 102.
[n] The Šewâ mobile is no doubt in all such eases weakened from an original full vowel (e.g. יִקְטְלוּ Arab. yaqtŭlû, בְּךָ Arab. bĭkă, &c.); from this, however, it cannot be inferred that the Masoretes regarded it as forming a kind of open syllable, for this would be even more directly opposed to their fundamental law (viz. that a long vowel should stand in an open syllable), than are the exceptions cited above, f–k. Even the use of Metheg with Šewâ in special cases (see § 16 f) is no proof of such a view on the part of the Masoretes.
[o] 5. Closed syllables ending with one consonant, when without the tone, necessarily have short vowels, whether at the beginning or at the end of words,[1] e.g. מַלְכָּה queen, חֶשְׁבּוֹן understanding, חָכְמָה wisdom, וַיָּ֫סַר and he turned back, וַיָּ֫קֶם, וַיָּ֫קָם (wayyāqǒm).
[p] A tone-bearing closed syllable may have either a long or short vowel, but if the latter, it must as a rule be either Pathaḥ or Seghôl.[2] The tone-bearing closed penultima admits, of the long vowels, only the tone-long ā, ē, ō, not the longest î, ê, ô, û; of the short vowels, only ă, ĕ, not ĭ, ŭ, ŏ (but on ĭ and ŭ, see § 29 g). Thus יַקְטִ֫ילוּ (3rd pl. masc. Imperf. Hiph.) but תַּקְטֵ֫לְנָה 3rd pl. fem., and קוּ֫מוּ (and pl. masc. Imperat. Qal) but קֹ֫מְנָה fem.
- ↑ In exceptions such as שָֽׁת־לִי Gn 4 (where šāt is required by the character of the form, although the closed syllable has lost the tone owing to the following Maqqeph), Metheg is used to guard against a wrong pronunciation; similarly ē is sometimes retained before Maqqeph, e.g. שֵֽׁם־ Gn 2; עֵֽץ־ Gn 2.
- ↑ See § 9 e, f. ĭ occurs thus only in the particles אִם, עִם, מִן; but these usually (מִן always) are rendered toneless by a following Maqqeph. Cf. also such forms as וַיִּשְׁבְּ § 26 r and § 75 q.
