Genesis 27:19
And Heel is saying toward his father, `Myself is Prepared your first-born. I have made as when you have ordered toward me; stand up, now, sit,906 and eat907 from my hunter, in account of your breath kneeling me.`
| 906 | The “Paragogic Hay” Hebrew qum na sebah. Stand up, now, sit. Interesting, no? What is going on? The verb sebah is in the masculine singular imperative, yet with a “feminine singular” suffix. This suffix is a mystery and thus given the label “paragogic hay”. According to unfoldingWord’s Hebrew Grammar, “The paragogic ה (hay) suffix can only attach to an imperative verb and most likely expresses some kind of added emphasis to the verb. However, the specific nature and meaning of this emphasis is unknown.” Gesenius doesn’t explain it (Cf. Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar (§45 d). Opinions are varied and abstract or dull and often make these appear like pointless, wasted ink. The rule seems to be, if it is a mystery, it is likely just for emphasis or an idiomatic expression. Did God take ancient cultural human expressions with meanings which were impossible to preserve and use them for his Word? Did he inspire them? I do not believe there is any way to know an “expression” unless it is interpreted by the person or culture from which it comes. Expressions are culturally and verbally preserved. When the culture is gone, the true meanings are lost. Perhaps they are not idioms or poetic expressions at all? Many scholars like to fancy that the Hebrew Scriptures are meant to be pretty poetry and euphonic. Yet I must ask, What the hell for? Is it really God’s intention to save humanity through euphonic lullaby and enchant the rest to hell? What if they are literary codes meant for the reader, as in, “let the reader understand”? What if they are prophetic? What if the answer is the easiest one? Cf. https://uhg.readthedocs.io/en/latest/suffix_paragogic_he.html |