common. It is greatly used before persons, and especially before pronouns, which it assumes as suff. in the case of the pers. pron. It is also used, however, before things. Gen. 2:15 וַיִּקַּח אֶת־הָֽאָדָם he took the man; 2:24 יַֽעֲזֹב אֶת־אָבִיו וְאֶת־אִמּוֹ shall leave his father and his mother; 4:11 לָקַחַת אֶת־דְּמֵי אָחִיךָ to receive thy brother’s blood; 40:4 וַיְשָׁרֶת אֹתָם and he served them; 41:10 וַיִּתֵּן אֹתִי and he put me. Though the use of את is common, it is very often wanting, and is much less employed in poetry and elevated condensed style than in the broader prose writing. It is altogether wanting for ex. in the poems, Ex. 15., Deu. 32., Jud. 5., 1 S. 2., and other poetical passages.
Rem. 1. The direct obj. when a pron. is often appended to the verb. as suff., esp. in earlier style, Gen. 4:8 וַיַּֽהַרְגֵהוּ and slew him; in later style את with suff. has greater currency. But את must be used in these cases: (a) when for the sake of emphasis the obj. is to be placed before the verb; Jud. 14:3 אֹתָהּ קַח־לִי get her for me. Gen. 7:1; 24:14; 41:13, 1 S. 8:7; 21:10, Hos. 2:15. (b) When obj. is governed by inf. abs., which is too inflexible to receive suff.; Gen. 41:43 וְנָתוֹן אֹתוֹ and set him over, &c., 1 S. 2:28, Jer. 9:23, Ez. 36:3 (c) When the verb, whether fin. or infin., has already a nearer suff. either of subj. or obj.; 2 S. 15:25 וְהִרְאַנִי אֹתוֹ he will let me see it; Gen. 29:20 בְּאַֽהֲבָתוֹ אֹתָהּ because of his loving her. Gen. 19:17; 38:5. Deu. 7:24, 1 S. 1:23; 18:3, 2 K. 8:13. — the form Deu. 31:7 is unusual, cf. 1:38; 19:3 Similarly when subj. of inf. cons. is a noun, Deu. 22:2. In Ar. and Eth., as in Ital., the verb can have two suff., a nearer and more remote.
Rem. 2. When several obj. under the same verb are coupled with and את is usually repeated before each of them, esp. if they be distinct from one another, Gen. 1:1. But usage fluctuates, the newer broader style multiplying את. Gen. 8:1; 10:15–18; 12:5, 20; 15:19–21; 21:10.
Rem. 3. The use of את with any acc. except that of direct obj. is rare. (a) Of time, how long? Ex. 13:7, Deu.
