I come unto thee, and bring forth, &c. Cf. 1 S 18 (= when she should have been given); 2 K 2, Ho 7.
[r] Rem. 1. The constructions of the infinitive with a preposition, described above under d, are almost always continued in the further course of the narrative by means of the finite verb, i.e. by an independent sentence, not by a co-ordinate infinitive. Such a finite verb we regard as governed by a conjunction, which corresponds to the preposition standing before the infinitive. Thus the infinitival construction (frequently even with a change of subject) is continued by a perfect (with לֹא), Jer 9 because they have forsaken (עַל־עָזְבָם) my law ... וְלֹא שָֽׁמְעוּ and have not obeyed my voice; Gn 39, 1 S 24, Am 1; without לֹא Jb 28 (perf. after לְ and infin.); by a perfect with וְ (cf. § 112 i and § v) Am 1 עַל־רָדְפוֹ וג׳ because he did pursue his brother with the sword, וְשִׁחֵת and did cast off continually all pity (a frequentative perfect; for examples of the perfect consecutive proper see Gn 27, Ju 6, 1 S 10, 2 K 18 [Is 36], always after עַד־בֹּאִי until I come); by a simple imperfect, e.g. Pr 1 (after בְּ); Is 30 (after בְּיוֹם in the day, a temporal phrase which has here become equivalent to a preposition); Is 5 (after כְּ), 10:2, 13:9, 14:25, 45:1, 49:5, 1 S 2, Pr 2, 5, 8 (always after לְ)[1]; by an imperfect consecutive, e.g. Gn 39 and it came to pass, כַּֽהֲרִימִי קוֹלִי וָֽאֶקְרָא as I lifted up my voice and cried, that ...; 1 K 10, Jb 38 (after לְ); 1 K 18, Is 38, Jb 38, 9 ff. (after בְּ); Is 30, Jer 7, Ez 34 (after יַ֫עַן).
[s] 2. The negation of an infinitive construct, on account of the predominance of the noun-element in its character, is effected not by the verbal negative לֹא(except in the compound בְּלֹא, which has come to be used as a preposition, without, Nu 35, Pr 19), but by בִּלְתִּי, originally a substantive (see the Lexicon), with לְ prefixed (but also Nu 14 מִבִּלְתִּי), e.g. Gn 3 לְבִלְתִּי אֲכָל־מִמֶּ֫נּוּ not to eat of it; in a final sense, 4:15 lest any finding him should smite him; only in 2 K 23 is לְ repeated before the infinitive. In ψ 32 (if the text be right) בַּל negatives, not the infinitive, but the predicate which is understood.
[a] 1. Like the infinitive absolute (see § 113 a), the character of the infinitive construct as a verbal noun is shown by its power of taking the case proper to its verb, and hence in transitive verbs[2] the accusative of the object, e.g. Nu 9 בְּיוֹם הָקִים אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּן on the day the
- ↑ The great frequency of examples of this kind, especially in the poetical books, is due to a striving after what is called chiasmus in the arrangement of the parallel members in the two halves of the verse, i.e. in the instances given, the finite verb at the end of the second (co-ordinate) clause is parallel with the infinitive at the beginning of the first. In this way the verbal form necessarily became separated from the וְ, and consequently the imperfect had to be used instead of the perfect consecutive. Such a parallelism of the external and internal members of a verse is frequent also in other cases, and was evidently felt to be an elegance of elevated—poetic or prophetic—style.
- ↑ For examples of the accus. of the object with a pass. infin., see § 121 c.
