genitive), e.g. בֶּן־יְמִינִי (see § 86 h) a Benjamite, בֶּן־הַיְמִינִי Ju 3, &c., the Benjamite; בֵּֽית־הַלַּחְמִי the Bethlehemite, 1 S 16, &c. (cf., however, 1 Ch 27 Qerê לַבֵּן יְמִינִי); בֵּֽית־הַשִּׁמְשִׁי the Beth-shemite, 1 S 6; אֲבִי הָֽעֶזְרִי the Abiezrite, Ju 6, &c., cf. 1 K 16.
[e] 3. In a few instances the nomen regens appears to be used indefinitely notwithstanding a following determinate genitive; it is not so, however, in Gn 16, where the reference is to a well-known fountain; 21:28, where in the original context there must have been some reason for the seven ewe lambs of the flock; 2 S 12 the spoil found in the city; but it often is so before a proper name, as in Ex 10 חַג יְהֹוָה a feast of the Lord (unless it is the spring festival), Dt 7, and frequently תּֽוֹעֲבַת יְהֹוָה an abomination unto the Lord; cf. also Gn 46, Dt 22 a virgin of Israel; 1 S 4 a man of Benjamin; Pr 25, Ct 2, 3; similarly before appellatives with the article (or before a genitive determined by a suffix, as in Lv 14), 1 S 20 three arrows; 2 S 23 חֶלְקַת הַשָּׂדֶה a plot of the ground (but see Gn 33, Jos 24); Ju 13, Jer 13, 41, Ct 1, 13 f., 5:13, 7:3, 8:2. On the other hand, שִׁיר הַמַּֽעֲלוֹת in the titles of Psalms 120 to 134 (except 121:1, שִׁיר לַמַּֽעֲלוֹת) was most probably originally the title of a collection, in the sense of ‘the pilgrimage-songs’ (according to § 124 r), and was subsequently added to these Psalms severally.—In Ex 20 בְּכָל־הַמָּקוֹם in all the place, sc. of the sanctuary, is a dogmatic correction of בְּכָל־מָקוֹם, in every place, to avoid the difficulty that several holy-places are here authorized, instead of the one central sanctuary. In Gn 20 also כָּל־הַמָּקוֹם (unless it means in the whole place) is remarkable, since elsewhere every place is always (8 times) כָּל־מָקוֹם.
[f] 4. The deviations mentioned under e, from a fundamental rule of syntax, are in some cases open to suspicion on textual grounds, but much more doubtful are the instances in which the article is found before a noun already determined in some other way, as—
(a) Before a noun which appears to be determined by a following independent determinate genitive. The least questionable are the instances in which the genitive is a proper name, since these may be elliptical forms of expression like the apparent construction of proper names with a genitive, noticed in § 125 h, e.g. Nu 21 הַנְּחָלִים אַרְנוֹן the valleys, namely the valleys of Arnon; 2 K 23 הַמִּזְבַּח בֵּית־אֵל the altar, namely the altar of Bethel (i.e. with the suppression of the real nomen regens, מִזְבַּח without the article; by the pointing הַמִּזְבַּח the Masora evidently intends to allow the choice either of reading הַמִּזְבֵּחַ or correcting it to מִזְבַּח); הָאֵל בֵּית־אֵל the God of Beth-el[1] (equivalent to הָאֵל אֵל בּ׳), Gn 31 (the LXX read הָאֵל הַנִּרְאֶה אֵלֶיךָ כַמָּקוֹם the God who appeared to thee in the holy place); הַמֶּלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר the king of Assyria, Is 36 (probably a scribal error due to verse 13; it does not occur in the parallel passage, 2 K 18), cf. Jos 13, 2 K 25, Jer 38, Ez 47; in the vocative, Jer 48, La 2. On the other hand, שָׂרָה אִמּוֹ Gn 24 is no doubt
- ↑ According to Philippi (st. constr., p. 38) בית־אל is rather a case of ‘sub-position’ in the accusative, as also הַדֶּ֫רֶךְ חֶתְלוֹן Ez 47 (for which, however, in 48:1 there is the correct reading דֶּ֫רֶךְ חֶתְלוֹן) by the way to Hethlon; and in fact, Ez 47 may without difficulty be explained in this way; so שֵׁשׁ Ex 39 as an accusative of the material.
