BDB2035

1. joined with substantives:
\ \ a. to mark a definite concrete object, as Gen 1:1 the heavens and the earth, הַמֶּלֶךְ the king, etc. Never, however (as in Greek e.g. ὁ Πλάτων), before true proper names, though it is used with certain terms, chiefly geographical, of which the original appellative sense has not been lost, as הַבַּעַל 'Baal,' literally 'the lord,' in plural הַבְּעָלִים i.e. the various local Baals, הַשָּׂטָן the Adversary Job 1:6ff. (as a proper name שָׂטָן, 'Satan,' only 1Chr 21:1); הַלְּבָנוֺן (but not הַחֶרְמוֺן), הַיַּרְדֵּן (but not הָאַרְנֹן), הַכַּרְמֶל, הַשָּׁרוֺן the Sharon, הַשְּׁפֵלָה the (Judaean) lowland, הַכִּכָּר, הַמִּישׁוֺר the (Moabite) table-land, הָעֲרָבָה, הָעַי '`Ai,' הַגִּבְעָה 'Gibeah,' Judg 20:5ff., הַגָּלִיל 'Galilee,' הַגִּלְגָּל, הַגִּלְבֹּעַ, הַבָּשָׁן, הַגִּלְעָד (often), הַשִּׁטִּים, הַמִּצְפָּה, הָרָמָה, הַיְשִׁימוֺן, הָעֹפֶל, הַפִּסְגָּה.
\ \ b. with an adjective to denote one who exhibits a quality κατ’ ἐξοχήν, i.e. to express the comparative or superlative degree: so often, as Gen 1:16 המאור הגדל the greater light, המאור הקטן the lesser light, Gen 27:1 בנו הגדול = his elder son, Gen 48:14 הצעיר the younger, Gen 42:13 הַקָּטֹן the little one, i.e. the youngest, (of Joseph's brethren), Lev 21:10 הַגָּדוֺל מֵאֶחָיו the chiefest of his brethren, Num 35:25 + הכהן הגדול the chief priest, ׳הצעיר ב the least among Judg 6:15, הצעירה מן the least of 1Sam 9:21, ׳הַיָּפָה ב the fairest among Song 1:8; 2Kgs 10:3; Prov 30:30, compare Job 14:15.
\ \ c. with nouns which are not definite in themselves, but acquire their definition from the context, or from the manner in which they are introduced: thus (α) in the standing phrases הַיּוֺם to-day, Gen 4:14; Gen 21:26 + often; הַלַּיְלָה to-night, Gen 19:5; Gen 30:15 +, once 1Sam 15:16 last night; so הַשָּׁנָה this year, 2Kgs 19:29; Jer 28:16 הַפַּעַם this time, Gen 18:32 +. (β) הַנָּהָר the river (κατ’ ἐξοχήν), i.e. the Euphrates; Exod 2:15 the well, the well namely of the district, Josh 8:11 the valley, 1Sam 17:3; 1Sam 19:10 the wall, v1Sam 19:13 the bed, 1Sam 20:21 הַנַּעַר the lad (whom Jonathan would naturally take with him), v1Sam 20:34 the table. Hence occas. where a suffix would define the noun more precisely, as הַחֲמוֺר 2Sam 19:27 + = my ass, Judg 3:20; 1Sam 1:9 הַכִּסֵּא = his seat, Judg 4:15; 1Kgs 22:35; 2Kgs 10:15 + הַמֶּרְכָּבָה, 1Sam 18:10; 1Sam 20:33 הַחֲנִית.
\ \ d. it is a peculiarity of Hebrew thought to conceive an object as defined by its being taken for a particular purpose, and thus by a kind of prolepsis to prefix the article to the noun denoting it: 1Sam 10:1 and Samuel took אֶתפַּֿךְ הַשֶּׁמֶן literally the cruse of oil, not, however, a cruse which had been defined previously, but one rendered definiteby being now taken; in English idiom 'a cruse of oil,' v1Sam 10:25 בַּסֵּפֶר literally in the scroll or book, the one, namely taken for the purpose, i.e. in a scroll (so Exod 17:14; Num 5:23; Job 19:23), Job 21:10 בַּשִּׂמְלָה, Judg 4:18 וַתְּכַסֵּהוּ בַּשְּׂמִיכָה, vJudg 4:19; Judg 7:13 הָאֹהֶל a tent, Judg 8:25; Judg 9:48 אֶתהַֿקַּרְדֻּמֹּת hatchets, Judg 20:16 every one able to sling בָּאֶבֶן אֶלהַֿשַּׂעֲרָה with a stone at a hair, 1Sam 6:8 בָּאַרְגָּז (unless indeed the אַרְגָּז was an understood appendage in every cart), Num 11:27 הַנַּעַר, a young man, Num 13:23 בַּמּוֺט on a pole, Josh 2:15 בַּחֶבֶל with a cord, 2Sam 17:17 השׁפחה a girl (compare Dr^{1Sam 1:4; 1Sam 19:13}). Sometimes it is uncertain whether an article is to be referred to c or d: e.g. 1Sam 2:13 his prong or a prong, 2Sam 18:9 his mule or a mule, etc.
\ \ e. with nouns that denote objects or classes of objects that are known to all, as הַצּאֹן, הַזָּהָב, הַמַּיִם; Gen 13:2 Abram was very rich בַּמִּקְנֶה בַּכֶּסֶף וּבַזָּהָב, Exod 31:4 לַעֲשׂוֺת בַּזָּהָב וּבַכֶּסֶף, Deut 14:26 and thou shalt lay out the money בַּבָּקָר וּבַצּאֹן וּבַיַּיִן וּבַשֵּׁכָר, 2Kgs 9:30 וַתָּשֶׂם בַּפּוּךְ עֵינֶיהָ, in French 'elle mit du fard à ses yeux.' It is, however, remarkable that this usage depends mostly on the punctuation, הַכֶּסֶף, הַיַּיִן, הַלֶּחֶם etc. (except as applied to denote definite quantities of gold, wine, etc., as Josh 6:24) being far less common than כֶּסֶף, יַיִן etc., but בַּכֶּסֶף, לַכֶּסֶף etc. being much more frequently than בְּכֶסֶף, לְכֶסֶף etc.: for instances in which the article forms part of the consonantal text, see Gen 6:20; Gen 7:8 + העוף and הבהמה, Deut 8:3 הַלָּחֶם, 1Kgs 5:8; 1Kgs 5:13; Isa 28:7 הַיַּיִן and הַשֵּׁכָר, Isa 60:17; Ezek 15:4; Ezek 15:7 הָאֵשׁ, Hab 2:5; Prov 20:1; Ps 65:14 הַצּאֹן, Song 1:11; Eccl 7:12. compare below, h. feminine in comparisons, the object compared being, as a rule, not an individual as such, but one exhibiting the characteristics of a class: Isa 1:18 כַּשָּׁנִים, כַּתּוֺלָע like scarlet, like crimson (both meant generally), Isa 5:24 כַּמַּק יִהְיֶה, vIsa 5:28 כַּצַּר and כַּסּוּפָה, Isa 10:14 כַּקֵּן, Isa 13:8 כַּיּוֺלֵדָה (as always with this word, e.g. Isa 42:14; Ps 48:7), Ps 11:7 כַּבָּקָר; + often (The usage is not, however, quite uniform, at least according to the punctuation: there occurs e.g. כְּקַשׁ Job 41:21; Isa 47:14 כְּאַרְיֵה Ps 7:3 and elsewhere: and we find both כַּלָּבִיא) Isa 5:29 and כְּלָבִיא Hos 13:8 כָּאֲרִי Isa 38:13 and כַּאֲרִי Num 24:9 כַּגִּבּוֺר Isa 42:13 and כְּגבור Job 16:14 etc.) Similarly Gen 19:28 כְּקִיטֹר הַכִּבְשָׁן as the smoke of a furnace, Num 11:8; Num 11:12 כַּאֲשֶׁר יִשָּׂא הָאֹמֵן אֶתהַֿיֹּנֵק, Deut 28:29 (הָעִוֵּר), Judg 8:18b כְּתֹאַר בְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ, Judg 14:6 כְּשַׁסַּע הַגְּדִי like (a lion's) rending a kid, Judg 16:9; 1Kgs 14:15; Zech 12:10 כְּ מִסְפֵּד עַל הַיָּחִיד as mourning over an only child, Zech 13:9 +. Where, however, the standard of comparison is not the class in general, but only a particular part of it, defined by a special epithet (whether adjective or verb), the article is naturally omitted: thus כַּמֹּץ like chaff (in general) Isa 41:15, but כְּמֹץ עֹבֵר like chaff passing away Isa 29:5 כַּצֵּל Job 14:2, but כְּצֵל נָטוּי Ps 102:12 כַּקַּשׁ Isa 40:24, but כְּקַשׁ נִדָּף Isa 41:2 כָּאַיָּל Isa 35:6, but, ׳כְּאַיָּל תַּעֲרֹג על וג like a hind (that) longeth for streams of water Ps 42:2 כָּאֵשׁ Isa 9:17, but כְּאֵשׁ תבער יער like fire (that) kindleth a wood Ps 83:15 כֶעָשָׁן Isa 51:6, but כְּעָשָׁן מֵאֲרֻבָּה like smoke from a chimney Hos 13:3: so Isa 62:1b Job 9:26; Job 11:16 כְּמַיִם עָֽבְרוּ like waters (that) have passed by, etc.; Deut 32:2 a כַּמָּטָר, כַּטַּל, but vDeut 32:2 b כִּשְׂעִירִים עֲלֵידֶֿשֶׁא, כִּרְבִיבִים עֲלֵיעֵֿשֶׂב. Where the article is found, although a rel. clause follows (as Ps 1:4; Ps 49:13; Isa 61:10), this is probably to be regarded not as limiting the class of object compared, but as describing it.
\ \ g. prefixed to generic nouns (in the singular) it designates the class, i.e. it imparts to the noun a collective force, as Exod 1:22 כָּלהַֿבֵּן all (literally the whole of) the sons, כָּלהַֿבַּת all the daughters, Lev 17:8; Lev 17:10 מִןהַֿגֵּר of the strangers, who sojourn in their midst, Num 21:7 הַגנָּחָשׁ the serpents; Gen 14:13; Ezek 24:26; Ezek 33:21 הַפָּלִיט those who escaped; Josh 6:7 + הֶחָלוּץ, v Josh 9:13 הַמְאַסֵּף; Josh 8:19 הָאוֺרֵב; 1Sam 13:17 הַמַּשְׁחִית; Mic 2:13; Isa 6:4 הַקּוֺרֵא the choir of criers; 1Sam 24:14 הַקַּדְמֹנִי the ancients; Eccl 7:26 אֶתהַֿאִשָּׁה woman, and often with gentile names, as הַיְבוּסִי the Jebusites, הַכְּרֵתִי וְהַפְּלֵתִי 2Sam 8:18 and elsewhere, הַדָּנִי Judg 18:1 etc., הַלֵּוִי the Levites, Mal 2:8; Ps 135:20 +.
\ \ h. with nouns denoting abstract ideas, especially the names of moral qualities (compare Greek ἡ δίκη, French la justice), chiefly in two cases — (α) where the article is recognizable in the consonantal text, exceptionally, when some emphasis or definiteness is intended, as Deut 7:9 שׁומר הברית והחסד; החסד הזה 2Sam 2:5; 1Kgs 3:6 את החסד והרחמים Jer 16:5 (contr. Zech 7:9); הצדק Isa 1:26; Isa 61:3; Eccl 3:16 הַצְּדָקָה Isa 32:17 (twice in verse) (contrast vIsa 32:16) Dan 9:7 (emphatic); הַדַּעַת Hos 4:6 הָאֱמֶת Gen 32:11 (followed by אֲשֶׁר), Isa 59:15 (contrast vIsa 59:14) Zech 8:3; Zech 8:19 הָאֱמוּנָה Isa 11:5b (contr. v^a) Jer 7:28 הַחָכְמָה Job 28:12; Job 28:20 הַחַיִּים Gen 2:9 +; הָאַהֲבָה Song 2:7; Song 3:5; Song 8:4; Song 8:7 הַשֶּׁקֶר Jer 7:4; Jer 7:8; Jer 23:26 הַמָּוֶת Isa 25:8; Ruth 1:17 +; הָרֶשַׁע Ps 125:3; Eccl 3:16 הָרִשְׁעָה Zech 5:8 הַחשֶׁךְ Isa 60:2; Eccl 2:13 see also Deut 30:15; Deut 30:19 (Jer 21:8), 1Kgs 7:14; Jer 32:19; Mal 2:5 החיים והשׁלום, Ps 123:4; Ps 130:4; Dan 9:9; 1Chr 29:11; 2Chr 1:12; Prov 31:30; Eccl 2:18; Eccl 2:17; Eccl 7:12; Eccl 7:19; Eccl 10:6; Eccl 11:10: but in all such cases חֶסֶד, צֶדֶק, אֱמֶת, etc. are far more common. (β) where the article depends on the punctuation, after prepositions, especially בְּ, but with much irregularity, as בַּחֶסֶד Isa 16:5; Prov 20:28 (but ׳בְּח Hos 2:21; Prov 16:6), בַּצֶּדֶק Prov 25:5 (elsewhere always ׳בִּצְדָקָה ׃בְּצ also always); בֶּאֱמֶת and בֶּאֱמוּנָה always; בַּשֶּׁקֶר Isa 28:15 (but || כָּזָב, not הַכָּזָב) Jer 5:31; Jer 13:25; Jer 20:6; Jer 23:14 (בְּשֶׁקֶר Jer 3:10; Jer 29:9); בַּשָּׁלוֺם Ps 29:11; Job 15:21 (elsewhere בְּשָׁלוֺם); Zech 12:4 to smite בַּשִּׁגָּעוֺן וּבַעִוָּרוֺן (but Deut 28:28 בְּשׁגעון וּבְעורון), compare Gen 19:11; Deut 28:22 to enter with one בַּמִּשְׁפָּט Job 9:32; Job 22:4 (but בְּמשׁפט Ps 143:2), contrast also Prov 18:5 with Prov 24:23 לַמִּשְׁפָּט Isa 59:11; Ps 9:8 (but ׳לְמ Isa 5:7; Ps 122:5); Prov 2:2; Prov 7:4 לַחָכְמָה, (but never הַחכמה in Prov 1-9, or indeed in the whole book); Prov 2:3; Prov 7:4 לַבִּינָה, Job 39:17 בַּבִּינָה (but never הַבִּינָה); Prov 2:2; Prov 2:3 לַתְּבוּנָה (but הַתְּבוּנָה only 1Kgs 7:14 emphatic); to perish בַּצָּמָא Judg 15:18 +; Isa 29:21 בַּתֹּהוּ, Isa 32:19 בַּשִּׁפְּלָה תִּשְׁפַּל הָעִיר German in die Niedrigkeit sinkt die Stadt, Isa 45:16 together they go בַכְּלִמָּה (in die Schmach), Isa 46:2 בַּשְּׁבִי into captivity, Isa 47:5 בֹּאִי בַחשֶׁךְ (so always: never בְחשׁך). The living language may have used the article more readily after a preposition, where it did not lengthen the word by an entire syll.; still the disparity of usage between α and β makes it not improbable that the article in β is in many cases not original but due to the punctuators.
\ \ i. to mark the vocative: 1Sam 17:55 חֵינֿפשׁך הַמֶּלֶךְ as thy soul liveth, O king, I do not know, v1Sam 17:58 בן מי אתה הַנַּעַר Whose son art thou, lad ? 2Sam 14:4 Help, O king ! 1Kgs 18:26 הַבַּעַל עֲנֵנוּ, 2Kgs 9:5 אֵלֶיךָ הַשָּׂר, Isa 42:18 הֵַ˜חרְשִׁים שְׁמָ֑עוּ, Jer 2:31 ׳הַדּֿוֺר אַתֶּם רְאוּ וג, Ezek 37:4 הָעֲצָמוֺת הַיְּבֵשׁוֺת O dry bones, Mal 3:9 הַגּוֺי כֻּלּוֺ (Dr^{§ 198} Obs. 2).

2. With adjectives, participles, and demonstrative pronouns (הוא, היא, המה, הם, זה, זאת, אלה): namely
\ \ a. (so regularly) when the substantive qualified by these words is defined by it likewise, as המלך הגדול = ὁ βασιλεὺς ὁ μέγας, Gen 2:12 הארץ ההוא, Gen 20:1 הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה, Josh 2:3 האנשׁים הבאים אליך = οἱ ἄνδρες οἱ ἐλθόντες πρὸς σέ, Gen 13:5; Gen 16:13; Gen 24:65; Gen 32:21; Judg 6:28; Isa 65:3; Isa 65:4; Isa 65:5; Isa 66:24; Ps 31:9. So also with adjectives & participles, if the substantive be defined by a suffix (as Deut 4:37 בְּכֹחוֺ הַגָּדֹל, 1Sam 8:14 זֵיתֵיכֶם הַטֹּבוֺת); and with a pronoun, if it be defined by a genitive (as Deut 29:20; 1Sam 14:29; 1Sam 15:14; 2Kgs 6:32 בֶןהַֿמְּרַצֵּחַ הַזֶּה this son of a murderer), but not if it be defined by a suffix, as Exod 10:1 אֹתֹתַי אֵלֶּה (not אתתי הָאֵלָּה), Josh 2:14 דְבָרֵנוּ זֶה this our word (not הַזֶּה ׳ד): see Dr^{§ 209} Obs. Similarly when the article with the participle has a resumptive force, Ps 33:15 (Ps 14, he looketh forth from the place, &c.), הַיֹּצֵר יַחַד לִבָּם he that formeth, etc., Ps 19:11 הַנֶּחֱמָדִים מִזָּהָב which (Ps 10 b) are more desirable than gold, Ps 49:7. (:6 b the iniquity of my aggressors surroundeth me), הַבֹּטְחִים who trust in their riches, etc., Gen 49:21; Isa 46:6; Isa 51:20; Job 6:16 + (see Dr^{§ 135. 7}).
\ \ b. (rare) when the substantive qualified by the adjective or participle was felt to be sufficiently definite for its own article to be dispensed with, as sometimes with the word day Gen 1:31 יום השׁשׁי, Gen 2:3 יום השׁביעי, Exod 12:15; Exod 12:18; Exod 20:10 (= Deut 5:14) Lev 19:6; Lev 22:27: so with מָנוֺא entrance Jer 38:14, שַׁעַר Zech 14:10 חָצֵר court 1Kgs 7:8; 1Kgs 7:12; Ezek 40:28 and elsewhere; also in certain phrases (peculiar to P) where the substantive is defined by כל, as Gen 1:21 כָּלנֶֿפֶשׁ הַחַיָּה all living souls, vGen 1:28 כָּלחַֿיָּה הָרֹמֶשֶׂת all living things that creep, etc., Gen 7:21; Gen 9:10; Lev 11:10; Lev 11:46 further in isolated cases, hardly reducible to rule, Lev 24:10; 1Sam 12:23 דֶּרֶךְ הַטּוֺבָה, 1Sam 16:23 רוּחַ הָרָעָה, 2Sam 12:4 לְאישׁ העשׁיר Jer 6:20; Jer 17:2; Zech 4:7; Ps 104:18; Ezra 10:9 חֹדֶשׁ הַתְּשִׁיעִי (quite exceptional in OT). (With pronouns this use is so rare that, where it occurs, it is dubious if the text be sound: 1Sam 17:12; 1Sam 17:17; Jer 40:3 Kt Mic 7:11). And with the participle: 1Sam 25:10 רַבִּים עֲבָדִים הַמִּתְפָּֽרְצִים many are the slaves who break away etc., Isa 7:20; Jer 27:3; Jer 46:16 = Jer 50:16 חֶרֶב הַיּוֺנָה the oppressing sword, Ezek 2:3 (but ᵐ5 Co omit הגוים), Ezek 14:22; Ezek 32:22; Ezek 32:24; Ps 62:4; Prov 26:18; Judg 21:19 (very anomalous, read probably לַמְּסִלָּה). This usage is somewhat more frequently in the later parts of OT; and in Post-Biblical Hebrew it is very general (e.g. יֵצֶד הָרַע the evil inclination): see further Dr^{§ 209.}
\ \ c. with the participle, where the participle with the article forms really the subject: Gen 2:11 הוּא הַסּוֺבֵב not 'it was encompassing,' but 'it is that which encompassed,' Gen 45:12 פִּי הַמְדַבֵּר my mouth is that which speaketh, Deut 3:21 עֵינֶיךָ הָראֹוֺת thine eyes were those which saw, Deut 4:3; Deut 8:18 ὅτι οὗτος ἐστιν ὁ διδοὺς σοί, Isa 14:27; Isa 66:9 (see Dr^{§ 135. 7}).

3. The article is prefixed exceptionally — mostly in the latest Hebrew — with the force of a relative to the verb: Josh 10:24 הֶהָֽלְכוּא אִתּוֺ that went with him, Ezek 26:17, הָעִיר הַהֻ֫לָּלָה, 1Chr 26:28 וְכֹל הַהִקְדִּישׁ שְׁמוּאֵל and all that Samuel had dedicated, 1Chr 29:8; 1Chr 29:17; 2Chr 1:4 ַ˜בּהֵכִין in (the place) that he had prepared, 2Chr 29:36; Ezra 8:25; Ezra 10:14; Ezra 10:17. According to the punctuation, it occurs similarly elsewhere, as Gen 18:21 הַשָבּאָה (so Gen 46:27; Job 2:11), Job 21:3 הַנּוֺלַדלֿוֺ, 1Kgs 11:9 & Dan 8:1 הַנִּרְאָה, Isa 51:10 הַשָּׂ֨מָה֨, Isa 56:3 הַנִּלְוָה, Ruth 1:22; Ruth 2:6; Ruth 4:3 (all הַשָּׁ֫בָה): but in all these passages, the change of a point, or even sometimes of an accent, would restore the normal participial construction (as הַבָּשָאה The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon
License: Public domain document; formatting developed for use in https://marvel.bible by Eliran Wong.
Source: provided by Tim Morton, the developer of Bible Analyzer