that is the thing. Deu. 1:1 אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים these are the words. On their use as adj. § 32, and R. 3.
In usage זה refers to a subject when first mentioned, or when about to be mentioned (= the following), while הוא refers back to a subj. already spoken of. Jud. 7:4, of whom I shall say זֶה יֵלֵךְ אִתָּךְ הוּא יֵלֵךְ this one shall go with thee, that one shall go. Gen. 42:14 הוּא אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתִּי that is what I said to you. 32:3; 44:17. So the common prophetic phrase בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא on that day (time just spoken of), Is. 4:2.
The pron. זה is used almost as a noun in all the three cases. Gen. 29:27 שְׁבֻעַ זאֹת the week of this one. 1 K. 21:2. Gen. 2:23 לְזֹאת יִקָּרֵא this shall be called. 1 S. 21:12, 1 K. 22:17. Is. 29:11 קְרָא־נָא זֶה read this (writing). 2 S. 13:17 שִׁלְחוּ־נָא אֶת־זֹאת send this person away; and mas. with same contemptuous sense, 1 K. 22:27 (1 S. 21:16). 2 K. 6:20 פְּקַח את־עֵֽינֵי־אֵלֶּה open the eyes of these men. Gen. 29:33. Pron. הוא is not used in this way, though cf. 1 K. 20:40.
Rem. 1. When this, that are used neuterly while הוּא is perhaps more common than fem. (Gen. 42:14, Am. 7:6), זֹאת is much oftener used than mas. Gen. 42:18 זֹאת עֲשׂוּ וִֽחְיוּ do this and ye shall live. 42:15 בְּזֹאת by this shall ye be proved. Is. 5:25 בכל־זאת for (amidst) all this. Is. 9:11, 20; 10:4, Hos. 7:10, Am. 7:3. The mas., however, is not unusual, esp. in the sense of such, Gen. 11:6, 2 K. 4:43. The distinction between this and that stated above is usually preserved, but this thing, these things seem exclusively used. Gen. 24:9; 15:1; 20:8.
§ 5. When זה is repeated it is equivalent to this … that, the one … the other. Is. 6:3 וְקָרָא זֶה אֶל־זֶה and the one called to the other. 1 K. 3:23 זֹאת אֹמֶרֶת ··· וְזֹאת אֹמֶרֶת this one says … and the other says. Jos. 8:22 אֵלֶּה מִזֶּה
