HM 
 
 M 
 
 
 ■RW 
 
ELEMENTS 
 
 O F 
 
 HEBREW GRAMMAR: 
 
 TO WHICH IS PREFIXED, 
 
 A DISSERTATION ON THE TWO MODES 
 
 OF READING, WITH OR WITHOUT 
 
 THE POINTS. 
 
 Br CHARLES WILSON, D. D. 
 
 .ATE PROFESSOR OF CHURCH HISTORY IN THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF ST. ANDREWS. 
 
 THE THIRD EDITION. 
 
 OEtiinliurglj : 
 
 PRINTED FOR \V. LAING, P. HILL, AND C. DICKSON. / 
 
 LONDON! 
 
 f*R G. ROBINSON, FATERNOST ER-ROW, AND J. CtJTHELL, HOLBURN. 
 
 ALEX.SMELLIE, Printer, Anchor Chft. 
 l802. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 s r "]~" , HE principal defign of the following work 
 is to render the ftudy of the Hebrew Lan- 
 guage eafy and agreeable. To accomplifh this 
 purpofe the more effe&ually, I have introduced 
 it to the public in an Englifh drefs. It is im- 
 poflible to acquire an accurate knowledge of 
 any language, without afcending to its firft prin- 
 ciples : But, as a continued and minute atten- 
 tion to thefe is dry and uninterefting, every en- 
 couragement to be derived from perfpicuity of 
 method, or facility of communication, becomes 
 
 necefTary, 
 
iv PREFACE. 
 
 neceffary. I found that the peculiarities of He- 
 brew Grammar admitted- of a more eafy and fa-^ 
 miliar explanation in Englifh than in Latin. Be- 
 fides, many perfons who have had little oppor- 
 tunity of acquiring an extenfive knowledge, ei- 
 ther of Latin or of Greek, may incline to obtain, 
 fome acquaintance with that language in which 
 the firfl revelation of the Divine will was writ- 
 ten. The principles, both of the Arabic and 
 Perfic languages, have lately been published in 
 Englifh with much fuccefs. The Hebrew ought 
 not to be excluded from the fame advantage, 
 efpecially when we reflect that it is probably the 
 parent of the other two, and that it contains 
 treafures infinitely more precious to us than any 
 thing that Arabia or Perfia can produce. 
 
 I ardently wifh that my efforts^ may be ac- 
 ceptable and ufeful to thofe who have devoted 
 
 themfelve? 
 
PREFACE. v 
 
 themfelves to the profeffion of theology. The 
 clergy of the Church of Scotland are, in gene- 
 ral, well educated, and diftinguifhed for their 
 abilities and confcientious difcharge of the duties 
 of their office : But the friends of facred litera- 
 ture have long beheld, with regret, a prevailing; 
 indifference or averfion in that body to the ftudy 
 of Hebrew: The knowledge of the language of 
 the Old Teflament feems to be thought neither 
 an ornamental nor an ufeful qualification. Eng- 
 lifli tranflations and commentaries are the chief 
 objects of attention and praife, while the origi- 
 nal is almofl totally neglected and unknown. It 
 is not eafy to difcover a piaufibie excufe for 
 fuch conduct. Had a fimilar inattention to the 
 original prevailed in former ages, how could the 
 reformation of religion have been accomplifh- 
 ed ? How could we have emerged from the dark- 
 nefs of fupeiftition, or efcaped from the chains 
 
 of 
 
vi PREFACE.. 
 
 of that fpiritual tyranny which fo long opprefF- 
 ed the whole of Europe ? Fortunately the op- 
 preflor, in diflributing poifon, conveyed alfo a 
 fovereign antidote. The Church of Rome, even 
 while fhe deviated both in principle and prac- 
 tice from the doctrines and precepts of divine 
 revelation, had the merit of preferving the fa- 
 cred records pure and untainted, and difplayed 
 an ardent zeal to cultivate and diffeminate the 
 knowledge of the antient languages in which 
 they were written. At a time when learning had 
 fcarcely dawned on the weftern world, the Coun- 
 cils of Vienne and Lyons paffed decrees, enjoin- 
 ing, that, to promote the inftruction of thofe who 
 were to be educated for the fervices of religion, 
 two profeflbrs of Hebrew and Oriental Languages 
 mould be eftablimed in the Univerfities of Bo- 
 logna, Paris, and Oxford. Proteftants mould biufh 
 not to cherilh the fpirit and intention of fuch 
 
 wife 
 
PREFACE. vii 
 
 wife inftitutions. It mull be of fingular import- 
 ance, in every age, to pofTefs a fet of men well 
 fkilled in the original languages, who are quali- 
 fied to furnifh new tranflati6ns of the Scriptures, 
 if neceffary, or to judge accurately and decifive- 
 ly of the merit and fidelity of former verfions. 
 Thofe who profefs to explain the Scriptures to 
 others, ought certainly to acquire a competent, 
 and even a critical knowledge of the original 
 languages in which, they are written. Can a 
 teacher of religion be qualified to fpeak with 
 precifion and confidence concerning the oecono- 
 my of Divine revelation, while, from his total 
 ignorance of the language, one of the facred vo- 
 lumes is to him like a fealed book? Can any ar- 
 gument be urged to induce the ftudent of theo- 
 logy to acquire a knowledge of the language of 
 the New Teftament, which does not conclude 
 with double force with regard to that of the Old? 
 
 The 
 
vw PREFACE. 
 
 The two volumes of infpiration are intimately 
 connected, and mutually depend upon each o- 
 ther.. It is fcarcely poffible to underfland the 
 fecond, without having carefully fludied the firfl. 
 The one exhibits the commencement, the other 
 the completion of the fame great plan. - The 
 writers of the New Teflament have a conftant 
 retrofpeft to thofe of the Old: Their flyle, as 
 well as their matter, bear the flrongefl marks of 
 refemblance. Animated with the fame fpirit, 
 they fpeak almofl a dialect of the fame language 
 with thofe antient favourites of heaven, who en- 
 joyed the diflinguifhed honour of delivering to 
 men the firfl oracles of God. Without being 
 
 o 
 
 well acquainted with that venerable language 
 which has tranfmitted to us the firfl written inti- 
 mations of the Divine will,* it is impofiible to re- 
 lifh all the beauties, or to receive the full impref- 
 fion of the apoftolical writings. 
 
 The 
 
PREFACE. b 
 
 The fuppofition of infurmountable difficulties 
 has been a great obftacle to the profecution of 
 this fhidy. Apprehenfions have been entertain- 
 ed, that nothing but what was difgufting could 
 be derived from a language which was imagined 
 to be harm, barbarous, and inelegant. Thefe 
 are the mifreprefentations of inexperience, and 
 the ill-grounded apologies of indolence. Though 
 feme inconveniencies arife from the peculiarity of 
 the alphabet, from the inverted mode of reading, 
 and from an unneceffary load of points and ac« 
 cents which have been introduced, yet there are 
 circumftances which render the acquifition of 
 this language more eafy and expeditious than that 
 of almoft any other, antient or modern. Free 
 from that variety of flexion, which renders the 
 acquifition of the' Greek fo laborious and diffi- 
 cult, the technical part of the Hebrew is eafily 
 attained, and readily remembered. Its primitive 
 
 6 words 
 
x PRE.FAC E, 
 
 words are few in number, and produce the dif- 
 ferent clanes of their derivatives by a mechanifni 
 both fimple and ingenious. The knowledge of 
 Hebrew affords a key to the other eaflern lan- 
 guages, which imitate the ftructure of its flex- 
 ions, but are far inferior to it in point of fimpli-* 
 city, and diftinctnefs of characters. While the 
 Arabic and Perfic exhibit various minute forms 
 of the fame letter when it is initial, medial, final, 
 connected, or unconnected, the Hebrew employs 
 only one fair and large character for each letter, 
 excepting /ve, which have a peculiar fhape 
 when they happen to terminate a word. Thefe 
 circumftances recommend the Hebrew to our 
 firft notice ; becaufe, by beginning with what is 
 eafieft, we gradually afcend to what is more ob- 
 fcure and difficult. 
 
 But ? independent of its utility, the Hebrew is 
 
 well 
 
PREFACE. xi 
 
 well intitled to our attention as an object of li- 
 terature. It porTeffes all the marks of a primitive 
 language. It derives its origin from the mod 
 remote antiquity, and has tranfmitted to us the 
 onlyvwell authenticated hifiory of the antient 
 ilate of mankind with which we are acquainted. 
 It has long been an opinion, confidently main- 
 tained by thofe who have made the greatefc pro- 
 ficiency in Hebrew, that the knowledge of it 
 alone would fupply more materials for a fyflem 
 of etymology, than the laborious refearches of 
 all thofe authors who have devoted their atten- 
 tion to this fubjecl. I have, in the following 
 pages, given fome fpecimens of derivations, which s 
 I prefume, will tend- to fupport this hypothecs. 
 An immenfe number of words, in niofi of the 
 eaftern languages, bear plain marks of a Hebrew 
 original. Great part of the Celtic, and of Ehe 
 northern languages, may be traced to the fame 
 
 fource. 
 
xii PREFACE. 
 
 fource. If we purfue etymologies no farther back 
 than to the Greek or Latin, we will foon find 
 that we have not reached the fountain, and that 
 theie celebrated tongues derive their origin from 
 a much more antient {lock. Were more induf- 
 try bellowed on this fubjecl, the truth of what is 
 here advanced would foon be confirmed by nu- 
 merous and fatisfa&ory proofs. New difcoveries 
 would furnifh new incitements. The progrefs 
 of fociety, of manners, of knowledge, and of 
 arts, would be greatly illuflrated. 
 
 In compofing the treatife I now ofFer to the 
 public, I have confuited the bed informed au- 
 thors on this fubjecl. It may perhaps be thought, 
 that the preliminary difcourfe is protracted to too 
 great a length : but if it b a . recolle&ed, that the 
 difficulty of reading the language, or rather of 
 pronouncing its combinations of conibnants, has 
 
 been 
 
PREFACE. xiii 
 
 been the chief obflacle to the ftudy of it, the dif- 
 fertation will by no means appear prolix. Though 
 I have preferred the mode of reading without 
 points, as the moil natural and expeditious, yet 
 I have not altogether reprobated the other. As 
 the pronunciation of a dead language gives no 
 affiftance to the learner in acquiring a knowledge 
 of it, he may adopt either of the methods to 
 which he mall be moft inclined. It is, however, 
 of feme importance to prefer the eafiefl method 
 of reading ; and, if the letters of a language 
 themfelves can be employed for this purpofe, it 
 would be abfurd to fuperfede thefe, in order to 
 fupply their place by fictitious figns. The mode 
 of reading by the vowel-letters is far from being- 
 new ; but I have confirmed and illuiirated the 
 theory by additional arguments and examples. 
 No new terms are employed without a" particular 
 explanation. I have been attentive not to per* 
 
 plex 
 
*ir PREFACE. 
 
 plex the reader with a multiplicity of rules, but 
 have endeavoured, by a perfpicuous arrangement, 
 to imitate the fimplicity of the language, the 
 principles of which I unfold. "When I differ 
 from other grammarians, I have affigned reafons 
 for my opinion, which are fubmitted to the ex- 
 amination of the candid. The number of ex- 
 amples which I have found it neceffary to intro- 
 duce have augmented the fize of the book ; but 
 thefe examples, befides illuftrating the fubject, 
 may ferve, in fome meafure, the purpofes of a 
 vocabulary. 
 
 Upon the whole, I natter myfelf, that a per- 
 fon of tolerable capacity, who applies to the ftu- 
 dy of Hebrew on the plan recommended in the 
 following work, will, in the courfe of a few 
 months, be able to read, with very little amft- 
 ance from a lexicon, the whole book of Pfalms, 
 
 and 
 
PREFACE. Srt 
 
 and moft of the hiftorical parts of the Old Tes- 
 tament. If he perfifls in the ftudy, he will foon 
 find no great difficulty in underftanding any paf- 
 fage which the firft opening of the facred volume 
 may prefent. Should my labour be productive 
 of fuch happy effects, I will enjoy the fruits of it 
 with peculiar fatisfaction, 
 
 PREFACE 
 
PREFACE 
 
 TO THE 
 
 THIRD EDITION. 
 
 HT^HE firft edition of this Crammar was pub- 
 lifhed in the year 1782, while Dr Wilson 
 was Profeffor of Hebrew in the Univerfity of St 
 Andrews. — A found underftanding, and an ele- 
 gant tafte, improved by an extenfive acquaint- 
 ance with the belt writers both in the ancient and 
 modern languages, qualified him eminently for 
 fuch a talk, and enabled him to exhibit the Ele- 
 ments of Hebrew Literature in a manner that 
 mud be highly gratifying to thofe whofe minds 
 have been opened to views of univerfal grammar. 
 
 c While 
 
xviii PREFACE. 
 
 While this third edition was in the prefs, the 
 Church of Scotland, and the Univerfity of St 
 Andrews, loft one of their brighteft ornaments 
 by the death of its learned and refpectable 
 Author.; an event which will long be lamented 
 by a numerous circle of Friends, who admired 
 his Talents as a Scholar, refpe&ed his Worth as 
 a Man, and enjoyed the happinefs of his inftruc-r 
 tive and delightful converfation in the intercourfe 
 of private life. 
 
 From that time, the whole charge of fuperin- 
 tending the publication devolved on me. — 1 have 
 not taken it upon me to make any .alterations on 
 the Work, but have confined myfelf to the duty 
 of feeing it accurately printed; and if (not- 
 withftanding all my care) a few typographical 
 errors have efcaped'my no^'ce, I am confident 
 they will not be found to be of fo much import- 
 ance 
 
PREFACE. - xix 
 
 ance as to occafion any embarraifment to. the 
 reader. 
 
 Having ufed this Grammar as a clafs book 
 ever fmce my appointment to the office of Pro- 
 feffor of Hebrew and Oriental Languages in the 
 Univerfity of Edinburgh, I have been led to bring 
 its utility to the tefl of experiment : and while 
 I take this opportunity of mentioning, with merit- 
 ed approbation, the proficiency of many fuccef- 
 five clanes of young men whom I have had the 
 pleafure to inftrucl ; I know they will unite with 
 me in acknowledging the benefit which they have 
 derived from Dr Wilson's labours, and in af- 
 furing the Public that, during every feffion of 
 College, we have feen the hopes which he ex- 
 prefles in the conclufion of his preface complete-" 
 ly realized. 
 
 Edinburgh, ? 
 U i. 1802. > 
 
 April 
 
 William Moodie. 
 
 CON- 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Page. 
 
 C H A P. I. 
 
 Of the Alphabet, with the Number, Order, 
 and Powers of the Letters - i 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 Of Reading by the Letters alone, without the 
 affiflance of Vowel Points, and the Means 
 to be employed for pronouncing fuch words 
 as confift only of Combinations of Confonants 
 without any Vowel Letters - - i S 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 The Doclrine of Vowel-Points explained and 
 exemplified - - - - 42 
 
 C Ii A P. IV. 
 
 Of the Nature and Genius of Hebrew Gram- 
 mar - - - - 104 
 
 CHAP, 
 
CONTENTS. xxi 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 Of Nouns Subjiantive - -' 108 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 Of Adjectives and Participles - 116 
 
 CHAP. VII. 
 
 Qomparifon of Adjeclhes - - 120 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 Of Nouns in Government or Confiruclion 125 
 
 CHAP. IX, 
 
 Of Pronouns - - - 137 
 
 CHAP. X. 
 
 
 Concerning the Affixes 
 
 *43 
 
 CHAP. XI. 
 
 
 Of Verbs 
 
 - 156 
 
 
 CHAP. 
 
txli CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAP. XII. 
 
 Obfervatims on the Servile Letters in Verbs, 
 and the ufe of the Infinitive as a Subjlan- 
 tive Noun or Gerund - - 185 
 
 CHAP. XIII. 
 
 Of Defeclive Verbs, particularly fuch as, in 
 flexion, lofe thejirji Radical - 191 
 
 CHAP. XIV. 
 
 Of Verbs which have fome Peculiarities in 
 their Middle Radical - - 201 
 
 CHAP. XV. 
 
 Of Verbs which have n for their lajl Radical 210 
 
 CHAP. XVI. - 
 
 Explanation of Irregularities that take place 
 in the flexion of fome Verbs - 218 
 
 CHAP. XVII. 
 
 Of the Verbal Affixes -. - 222 
 
 CHAP. 
 
CONTENTS. xxiii 
 
 CHAR XVIII. 
 
 Of Derivative Nouns - - $31 
 
 CHAP. XIX. 
 
 Of Numbers *_'.-• 249 
 
 CHAP. XX, 
 
 Lift of Adverbs, Prepofitions, Interjections, 
 and Conjunctions ? - 255 
 
 C H A P. XXI. 
 
 Of Syntax - - - - 264 
 
 CHAP. XXII. 
 
 Of Peculiar Idioms, and Compound Words 28© 
 
 CHAP. XXIII. 
 
 Concerning the Investigation of the Radical 
 Word • 287 
 
 CHAP. 
 
xxiv CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAP. XXIV. 
 
 Pajfages of Hebrew from the Book of Pfalms 
 and the Prophecy of Ifaiah, with Tranfla- 
 . tions - f - - 312 
 
 CHAP. XXV. 
 
 Important Extracls from various Parts of the 
 Hebrew Scriptures, with Tran/Jations and 
 explanatory Notes, not introduced into the 
 Jirft Edition ~ - - 332 
 
 THE 
 
THE 
 
 ELEMENTS 
 
 OF 
 
 HEBREW GRAMMAR. 
 
 CHAP. I, 
 
 Of the Alphabet, with the Number, Order, and 
 Powers of the Letters. 
 
 THE Hebrew, like moft other languages of 
 the Eaft, is written from the right to the 
 left hand ; and the books ill this language com- 
 monly begin where thofe of Europe end. 
 
 The alphabet confifts of twenty-two letters, 
 the names and figures of which are contained in 
 the following table : 
 
 A Aleph 
 
THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Aleph 
 
 K 
 
 Beth 
 
 ^ 
 
 Gimel 
 
 3 
 
 Daleth 
 
 n 
 
 He 
 
 n 
 
 Vau 
 
 i 
 
 Zain 
 
 T 
 
 Heth 
 
 n 
 
 Teth 
 
 & 
 
 Yod 
 
 * 
 
 Caph 
 
 D 
 
 Lamed 
 
 b 
 
 Mem 
 
 » 
 
 Nun 
 
 3 
 
 Samech 
 
 D 
 
 Ain 
 
 V 
 
 Pe 
 
 3 
 
 Tfade 
 
 X 
 
 Koph 
 
 . P 
 
 Refh 
 
 h 
 
 Shin 
 
 V 
 
 Thau 
 
 n 
 
 Five 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 3 
 
 Five of thefe letters have a double form ; one 
 when they are ' in the beginning or middle, the 
 other when in the end of a word. 
 
 Tfade Pe Nun Mem Caph 
 The initial or medial form 24 3 3 D D 
 The final - - - y t] | o "] 
 
 To mark the variation of form which thefe 
 letters undergo, fome Grammarians have given 
 them the denomination of Camnepatz. 
 
 As the Writers of Hebrew never divided a 
 word fo as to place part of it in one line* and 
 part of it in another, they enlarged fome of their 
 letters to fill up the blank fpaces. Thefe enlarg- 
 ed letters are, 
 
 final Mem Thau Lamed Heih Fie Alepli 
 
 on 1 "? n n *»* 
 
 which have obtained the name of Literae dilata* 
 tae> broad or extended letters. 
 
 Particular attention mull be paid to the fol- 
 lowing letters, which- have a near refemblance to 
 
 one 
 
4 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 one another, becaufe numberlefs miftakes have 
 arifen from their being exchanged by carelefs or 
 ignorant transcribers* 
 
 nHe 
 n Heth 
 n Thau 
 
 ir Ain 
 34 Tfade 
 
 1 Dateth 
 
 ^i Reih 
 
 *] Caph final 
 
 a Gimel 
 
 3 Nun 
 
 D Mem final 
 D »Samech 
 
 1 Beth 
 3 Cap|| 
 
 •» Yod 
 1 Vau 
 T Zain 
 ] Nun final 
 
 In the antient manufcripts, all the letters are 
 written in a continued feries, without fpaces at 
 the end of words or fentences, a circumftance 
 which has occafioned much trouble and embar- 
 rafiment to interpreters. 
 
 The prefent Hebrew characters are generally 
 believed to be the Chaldaic* introduced by Ezra 
 after the return of the Jews from the Babylonifh 
 captivity. The old Hebrew characters were thofe 
 of the Phoenicians, now called the Samaritan, 
 becaufe the Samaritan Pentateuch is written in 
 them. 
 
 There 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 5 
 
 There are only two letters in the alphabet 
 which eonfift of feparate lines, viz. He n and 
 Koph p» 
 
 The learner mould make the figure of the let- 
 ters perfectly familiar to himfelf, by clofe and 
 minute attention. In order to acquire a com- 
 plete knowledge of the characters, which a lit- 
 tle labour at the beginning will eafily accom- 
 plish, the following hints of refemblance may be 
 ufeful. , 
 
 Aleph k is not unlike the Roman capital A; 
 
 Heth n differs from He n by only having its 
 three lines connected ; 
 
 Tod'' is exactly the form of a comma; 
 
 Caph 3 is the Roman capital C inverted ; 
 
 Samech d is nearly the fame with the medial 
 figma a of the Greeks inverted; 
 
 Ain y is very like the Roman letter y ; 
 
 Tfadc 24 is not unlike z; 
 
 And Shin w is a trident without the handle. 
 
 After we have fufficiently known the figures 
 
 and 
 
6 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 and names of the letters, the next flep is to 
 learn to enunciate or to pronounce them, ib as 
 to produce articubte founds. On this fubjec"t:, 
 which appears at firft fight very plain and fimple, 
 niimberlefs contentions and varieties of opinion 
 meet us at the thremold. From the earlieil pe- 
 riod of the invention of written characters to re- 
 prefent human language, however more or lefs 
 remote that time may be, it feems abfolutely cer- 
 tain that the diftinction of letters into vowels and 
 confonants mud have obtained. All the fpecula- 
 tions of the Greek grammarians aflume this as a 
 firfl principle. A vowel is a letter which expref- 
 fes an articulate found byitfelf ; that found, with 
 refpect to the time of its enunciation by the voice, 
 may be either long or fhort. A confonant is a 
 letter which, as the name figniries, cannot be 
 uttered or pronounced by itfelf, but con, i. e. in 
 company with a vowel ; and accordingly all the 
 confonants in every alphabet, when they are 
 named or pronounced, mud always be founded 
 with a vowel before or after them. In Englim 
 B, C, D, T, &c. with the vowel after — L, M, 
 N, R, S, with the vowel before. 
 
 In 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. f 
 
 In the Greek alphabet, all the confonants, 
 without one fmgle exception, are enunciated 
 with a vowel after them. 
 
 This, as I mall more fully mew afterwards, is 
 exactly the cafe with refpecl to the Hebrew al- 
 phabet. The naming, the enunciation of every 
 confonant, is always performed by means of. a 
 vowel after it; yet, wondrous as it may appear, 
 the greater part of Jewifh grammarians have had 
 the audacity, or rather the abfurdity, to affirm, 
 That all the letters of the Hebrew alphabet are 
 confonants, and not one of them a vowel: — An 
 opinion which it is aftonifhing that many learned 
 men, well fkilled in Oriental antiquities, and no 
 ways indulgent to Jewifh fables or Rabbinical 
 reveries, have adopted and maintained. As the 
 Hebrew has been a dead language for two thou- 
 fand years, the true pronunciation of it is irreco- 
 verably loft. Maimonides, Aben Ezra, Kimchi, 
 and all the ableft of the Jewifh Rabbis, acknow-: 
 ledge it impomble for them to determine how 
 the Hebrew was read or pronounced in the days 
 of Mofes, of the Judges, or of the Prophets. The 
 
 modern 
 
S THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 modern Jews, in different countries of the world, 
 differ much from each other in their modes of 
 pronunciation; and, whatever they may pretend, 
 can make no difcovery, or give the lead infor- 
 mation refpe&ing the manner in which their fore- 
 fathers read or pronounced the words of their 
 facred books. But the juft pronunciation of any 
 language is not neceffary to the underftanding of 
 it when written; and, as learned men have dif- 
 fered fo much about the method of pronouncing 
 or reading Hebrew, fome infilling upon one 
 mode and fome upon another, we are left at li- 
 berty to propofe or to adopt any method which, 
 on trial, may be found the eafieft, the moft com- 
 prehenfive, the beft accommodated to different 
 nations, and that which will throw the feweff. 
 obflacles in the way of our acquiring the true 
 fenfe and meaning of the language. I have there- 
 fore fubjoined the following ihort fcheme of di- 
 rection, for enabling every inhabitant of Europe, 
 or of any other civilized country, to read and 
 pronounce the characters and words of the He- 
 brew language. I beg leave only to premife this 
 obfervation, that I abfolutely and unequivocally 
 
 deny 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 9 
 
 deny the pofition, That all the letters of the He- 
 brew alphabet are confonants ; and, after the 
 moft careful and minute inquiry, give it as my 
 opinion, that of the twenty-two letters, of which 
 the Hebrew alphabet confifts, Five are vowels 
 and Seventeen are confonants. The five vowels 
 by name are, Aleph, He Vau, Yod> Ain, which, 
 for the fake of eafe and fimplicity, may be pro- 
 nounced with one found, and always confidered 
 as long vowels. 
 
 The mode of pronouncing all the letters is ex- 
 hibited in the following (ketch : 
 
 Form. Sound 
 tt a as in call. 
 3 b 
 
 3 g hard as in gone, govern. 
 1 d 
 
 n c long, as in there, where, tete. 
 •\ u long, as the diphthong 00 in good, 
 
 food; or as the * of the Greeks. 
 j z foft, like f in rofe, pleafure. 
 
 B Form. 
 
io THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Form. Sound. 
 
 n h with a guttural found, fomewhat ftrong* 
 
 er than h in houfe, harmony, 
 ta t 
 
 *» i as in ffeld, or as the diphthong ee in 
 feet, flreet, or as y in ye, your, never ). 
 3 c hard, as in come, carry. 
 h 1 
 
 7D 111 
 
 3 n 
 
 D S 
 
 y o long, like the Greek omega *», 
 
 3 p 
 
 3j tz fomewhat harder than zain u 
 
 p t 
 
 *» r 
 
 W fh or fometimes s. 
 
 n th as in throne, thither, very often t. 
 
 Grammarians have been more perplexed in 
 afcertaining the found of y, than that of all the 
 other letters of the alphabet. According to fome 
 writers, it mould be founded gn, in the begin- 
 ning of a fyllable, as gnaw, gnat j and ng in the 
 
 end, 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. n 
 
 end, as ring, among. Others maintain that it is 
 a ftrong and deep guttural, equal to three h's ; 
 an opinion which, it is to be hoped, will not ge- 
 nerally prevail, both on account of the difficulty 
 of pronunciation, and the number of other gut- 
 turals fuppofed to be in the alphabet. The Se- 
 venty Interpreters, in expreffing Hebrew words 
 by Greek characters, fometimes omit this letter 
 altogether ; at other times they reprefent it by a, 
 y, or o.\ This is a plain proof, that, in their day, 
 the true antient found of p was loft, or that they 
 were entirely ignorant of it. I mod willingly a- 
 dopt the opinion of thofe who think it mould be 
 founded O. Its name, ain, iignifies an eye, or 
 a fountain. Its figure, in the old Hebrew or Sa- 
 maritan alphabet, v? bears a near refemblance 
 to our O ; the fhape of an eye and of a well hav- 
 ing probably fuggefted this common form. As 
 we have borrowed the fhape of this letter from 
 the antient Hebrews, it does not feem unnatur- 
 al that we mould affix to it the found of our O. 
 We fhall perhaps be confirmed in this opinion, 
 when we reflecl: on the fituation of O in the 
 Greek and Latin alphabets. Its place is imme- 
 diately 
 
12 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 diately before P, as am is immediately before pe 
 in the Hebrew alphabet. To this it may be add- 
 ed, that the lips, in pronouncing the found of 
 O, are naturally caft into the exact figure of that 
 letter. 
 
 The names of the Hebrew letters are generally 
 fignifieant words, 
 
 rjVa an ox, a leader, a teacher. 
 rra a houfe. 
 biz^ a camel, 
 nVr leaf of a door~ 
 j*n nvt me, behold, 
 ft a hook, a nait. 
 
 p weapons, arms. 
 jvn an animal, a quadruped. 
 ffH a curvature, a fcroll. 
 TP T a hand, when fhut clofe. 
 
 rp the hollow of the hand, cavity, cup. 
 I'd? a fpit, a goad to drive cattle, to learn. 
 on a ftain, a fpot, «p»/t«$, unfpotted. 
 
 pa a fifh, or fnake. 
 •po a bafis, a fupport, fulcrum* 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 13 
 
 py an eye, a fountain. 
 K3 the lip, the mouth. 
 vis a huntfman's pole, fides^ 
 spp an ape. 
 tfn a head. 
 
 ]*2/ a tooth. 
 
 in a terminus or crofs* 
 
 In the firft fenfe, n ends the alphabet, and, in 
 the fecond, refembles the Patibulum in its form, 
 though the figure of a crofs is more properly pre- 
 ferved in the Samaritan, and from thence, in the 
 Greek and Roman alphabets, -f~ T T * 
 
 As there are feveral Pfalms, and other por- 
 tions of Scripture, divided into parts, each of 
 which parts begins with a different letter of the 
 Hebrew alphabet, the number and order of the 
 letters are determined from very antient times, 
 and by very high authority** 
 
 That 
 
 *- See Pfalms xxv. cxi. cxii. cxix. in which laft, each 
 letter, from Aleph to Thau, inclufive, begins eight ftan- 
 
 zas, 
 
U THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 That the learner may acquire a facility in diftin- 
 guifhing the characters, he ought frequently to 
 name the letters as they occur in the following 
 examples. 
 
 To relieve the eye, I have annexed a tranfla- 
 tion, to each verfe, the utility of which will be 
 more fully difcerned afterwards. 
 
 genesis ix.- S. 
 
 8 And God fpake to Noah, and to his fons- 
 with him, after this manner ; 
 
 zas, verfes, or cn^oi, making in all eight times twenty- 
 two, i: e. one hundred and feventy-fix ftanzas. 
 
 In the third chapter of the Lamentations, every three 
 ftanzas begin with the fame letter. This acroftic mode 
 of compofition eftablifties the number and order of the 
 characters in the Hebrew alphabet beyond all difpute. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR- ij 
 
 :cmnK D^p-iT nxi anna Tim dk erpn ot ^ai 9 
 
 9 Behold I eftablifli my covenant with you, 
 and with your progeny after you ; 
 
 taai noma tjwa D^nK iew rnnn tfS3 ta nw 10 
 : jnan n^n ta 1 ? nnnn •wsp tan aantf y-i*tn nTt 
 
 10 And with every living foul with you, of 
 the fowl, of the cattle *, and of all animals with, 
 you, from thofe which have come out of the ark, 
 extending to every animal of the earth. 
 
 >nn. *ru> itta ta m^ kVi anna wi na Tjnprn 1 1 
 s y -ikh nn^V Vara my nm kVi binnn 
 
 1 1 I have eftablifhed my covenant with you, 
 that all flefh fhall never more be cut off by the 
 waters of a flood ; neither fhall there be again a 
 flood to defolate the earth. 
 
 TO jm "ok "vpw nnnn niK nat arftK "on 12 
 : aVir pnanfr anaK imx irn tw« ta pai caawai 
 
 1 2 And God faid, This fhall be a fign of the 
 covenant which I make between me and you, 
 
 and 
 * The original word comprehends quadrupeds of all 
 kinds, 
 
iS THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 and every living foul with you, through all fu- 
 ture generations (lift, to generations for ever). 
 
 pai ^i rv-q riMib nnm pio Tina *nvp dk 13 
 
 13 I will fet my bow in a cloud, and it mall 
 be for a fign of a covenant between me and the 
 earth; 
 
 t pio nwpn nn*n:i ^nnn by py s :m>:i rtni 14 
 
 14 So that when I fpread a cloud over the 
 earth, and a bow is feen in the cloud, 
 
 tyss to pal a^rni va "wk wi nj< vron 15 
 to nn^ totf? erran "ny nw nVi nao ton rrn 
 
 1 5 I will then remember my covenant between 
 me and you, and every living foul amongfl: all 
 flefh, and the waters of a flood fhall never again 
 appear to deftroy all flefh. 
 
 16 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 17 
 
 pa abty rma -nrV rrrvsm jspa n»pn nrrcn 16 
 j y v iKn Vp t»k "»&n tea <rn &'S3 fca pai Jaynto* 
 
 16 For the bow mall be in a cloud, and I will 
 look upon it for a memorial of the everlafting 
 covenant between God and every living foul of all 
 flefh refiding upon the earth. 
 
 psalms cxix. 18. 
 
 j irrnnD rro^s; na*n«i w bz 1 8 
 
 18 Illuminate mine eyes, and I fhall fee won- 
 derful things in thy law. 
 
 ; -pnisa *3»» "iddh Vk p-ua ^a -u 19 
 
 19 I am a ftranger in the earth, conceal not 
 from me thy commandments. 
 
 $ my Vdi y^stm ba nnanb ^33 hd-i3 20 
 
 20 My foul is agitated with continual long- 
 ing towards thy judgments *. 
 
 C CHAP. 
 
 * The original properly fignifies, Decjfions of an equi- 
 table and merciful judge, conlidered as rules of conduct. 
 
THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 CHAP. II, 
 
 Of Reading by the Letters alone, without the af 
 
 fiflance of Vowel Points, and the Means to be 
 
 e?nployed for pronouncing fuch words as conftfi 
 
 only of Combinations of Confonants without any 
 
 Vowel Letters. 
 
 AFTER we have acquired the knowledge of 
 the letters or characters, as divided into 
 vowels and confonants, with the manner of pro- 
 nouncing them feparately, the next ftep in gram- 
 mar is to enunciate or read them, when confti- 
 tuting words expreflive of human fentiment or 
 meaning. That the whole of this fubject may 
 be placed at one view under the reader's eye, it 
 will be neceflary to enlarge fomewhat more par- 
 ticularly both on the divifion and the conjunc- 
 tion of the letters. From this difquifition we 
 mail more clearly afcertain the vowel characters, 
 which have the Angular advantage of being pro- 
 nounced 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 19 
 
 fiounced with perfect eafe, and we fhall com- 
 pletely acquire, at leaft in my opinion, the ca- 
 pacity of enunciating all words in this language, 
 which happen to confift folely of confonants, near- 
 ly with as much facility as though they confifted 
 of vowels, without any affiftance derived from 
 points, dots, accents, or figures of any kind. 
 
 From the firft view of the letters, it is plain 
 that fome of them mull be of that order or clafs 
 which, in other languages, are named vowels, 
 i. e. letters which can be pronounced by them- 
 felves, and which reprefent a diftind; found ; yet 
 it has been ftrenuoufly maintained, as before ob- 
 ferved, That all the letters of this alphabet are 
 confcnants. But why a in the Greek, and a m 
 the Latin and Englilh alphabets, mould be uni- 
 verfally acknowledged as vowels, and j* in He- 
 brew, from which the former have both their 
 fhape and place, mould be condemned to rank 
 among the order of confonants, is altogether in- 
 explicable. 
 
 There 
 
20 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 There are three letters which bear the marks 
 of vowels clearly (lamped upon them, 
 
 a u i 
 
 Thefe have been called matres lett'ionis^ or the 
 parents of reading, becaufe, by their amftance 
 alone, a vaft variety of words may be eafily e- 
 nunciated. 
 
 At the fame time, there is a great number of 
 words in Hebrew that confift entirely of combi- 
 nations of confonants, univerfally acknowledged 
 to be fuch, without any of thofe vowels. There- 
 fore it became a queftion, How are thefe words 
 to be pronounced, fo as to produce intelligible 
 founds ? 
 
 To facilitate the enunciation of this language, 
 feveral men of learning and inquiry have conjec- 
 tured that other letters, befides the three men- 
 tioned above, k l J were vowels. Thus, fome 
 have afferted that n is the fame found with 
 the Greek epfilon, or e fliort, as it holds the 
 
 . fame 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 2 | 
 
 fame place in the Hebrew that t does in the 
 Greek alphabet, being the fifth letter in both : 
 That n is the Greek n or h ; which laft they 
 think derives its name from wn, read and pro- 
 nounced in the Chaldaic manner, Nrvn «<•*•«♦ In 
 fupport of this opinion, the authority of St Je- 
 rom is adduced, who refufe§ it a place among 
 the confonants; but the greater number agree 
 that it is an afpiration, as the h in hekaton. 
 With refpefl: to y, I have already mentioned au- 
 thorities to fupport the conjecture of its being 
 O; fo that, according to this plan, the vowels 
 in the Hebrew alphabet would be, 
 
 K 
 
 a 
 
 n 
 
 e fhort 
 
 n 
 
 e long 
 
 i 
 
 i 
 
 » 
 
 o 
 
 i 
 
 u 
 
 But, on farther inquiry, a more probable hypo= 
 thefis was adopted, viz. That all the letters in 
 the Hebrew alphabet, which feem to have any 
 title to be acknowledged as vowels, reprefent 
 
 only 
 
22 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 only the long vowels ; and that it is fcarcely to be 
 expected that the original writers, or firft fram- 
 ers of the alphabet, would employ two charac- 
 ters to reprefent ?, while they ufed only one cha- 
 racter to reprefent each of the other vowels. It 
 was therefore agreed that n, inftead of reprefent- 
 ing e fhort, mould reprefent e long, or w, and 
 that n mould be deprived of its vowel found, and 
 reflored to its place as a guttural. 
 
 The vowel-letters will then be exactly as I 
 have ftated theni in p. 10. 
 
 K 
 
 a 
 
 n 
 
 A 
 
 e 
 
 n 
 
 i 
 
 V 
 
 o 
 
 i 
 
 u 
 
 But, after all thefe laudable attempts, a vail: 
 number of words appear totally deftitute of thefe 
 vowels. How are thefe words to be pronounc- 
 ed, fo as to make articulate and intelligible 
 founds ? When the antient Hebrews read their 
 facred books, it behoved them undoubtedly to 
 
 pronounce 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 23 
 
 pronounce the combinations of confonants which 
 flood in their antient manufcripts, in fuch a man- 
 ner as to be underftood by the hearers. But, 
 How are we to pronounce or read them ? and, 
 What method fhall we invent to make thefe 
 dumb confonants vocal ? In anfwer to this, I 
 humbly requeft attention to the following obfer- 
 vations : 
 
 1 . We can now entertain no hope of recover- 
 ing the genuine and original pronunciation ufed 
 by the Patriarchs, by Mofes, or any of the an- 
 tient Jews. This is totally and irrecoverably loft. 
 But the lofs is not peculiar to the Hebrew. The 
 true pronunciation of Greek, of Latin, and of 
 every language, the knowledge of which is to be 
 derived only from books, has fhared the fame 
 fate. 
 
 2. The true pronunciation, though we could 
 attain it, would afford no afTiflance toward the 
 underftanding of the language. A perfon of 
 tolerable capacity may underftand Greek, Latin, 
 Spanifh, Italian, French, or German, though he 
 
 be 
 
24 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 be an utter ftranger to the juft pronunciation of 
 any of thefe languages. He will find it much 
 more difficult to acquire the proper pronunciation 
 of any foreign language at prefent in ufe, than 
 either to read or fpeak the Hebrew, according to 
 any mode that has ever been invented. 
 
 3. Any number of perfons may agree to infert 
 a lhort a or e, in any combination of confonants, 
 to facilitate their pronunciation ; or they may ufe 
 the vowel that immediately follows the confon- 
 ant, when pronounced, asV in Beth, i in Gimel, 
 &c. This is the method propofed by Mafclef, a 
 very ingenious French critic and grammarian of 
 the laft century. 
 
 In the prefent improved flate of the art of writ- 
 ing, it is difficult to form an idea how the firffc 
 writers mould venture to exhibit any word, by 
 the affiftance of confonants, without vowels ; yet 
 it is an undoubted fact that they have done fo. 
 In every page of Hebrew writing, we find words 
 that confift folely of confonants, none of which 
 were ever fufpe&ed of pofTefling one feature of 
 
 the 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 25 
 
 the vowel character. Thefe words ftand upon 
 the firm pillars of confonants, as if they contemn- 
 ed the mutability of vowel founds* 
 
 TTtf 
 
 sdd 
 
 nnD 
 
 str 
 
 *8& 
 
 lmd 
 
 Trt 
 
 rdd 
 
 "JD73 
 
 msc 
 
 ~pmn 
 
 mthnkm 
 
 *m 
 
 sll 
 
 npa 
 
 pkd 
 
 E5i2>2 
 
 mfhpt 
 
 ■pa • 
 
 brc 
 
 ' ^P 
 
 kdr 
 
 with a great number more, are combinations of 
 confonants, entirely deftitute of vowels. But, 
 in all words of this kind, we have reafon to be- 
 lieve that it is the Jhort vowels only which are 
 wanting. The caufe of this deficiency feems to 
 have been, that, in the rudiments of the art of 
 writing, the authors confidered one ihort vowel 
 as neceffarily implied in the pronunciation of 
 D every 
 
26 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 every confonant. No confonant can be pronctine^ 
 ed without a fhort vowel either before or after it. 
 The antients, in naming their confonants, always 
 pronounced the vowel founds after ', never before 
 them. The names of all the confonants in the 
 Greek alphabet plainly fhew this^ As no con- 
 fonant, therefore, could be enunciated without a 
 fliort vowel, the Hebrew writers thought it fuffi- ' 
 cient, in words deftitute of long vowels, to note 
 down the confonants only, being fully convinced 
 that, in this abbreviated form, the meaning of 
 fuch words could not be miftaken by the reader.. 
 They employed their vowel characters for the 
 purpofe of expreffing their long vowels, when 
 thefe constituted a radical part of the word. For 
 the fhort vowels they had no characters, deem- 
 ing them unnecefiary, becaufe the very pronuncia- 
 tion of the confonants forced them, as it Were, 
 from the mouth of the fpeaker, while, at the fame 
 time, thefe fleeting and variable founds made no 
 part of the word in its radical and primitive capa- 
 city. As we ufe our vowel characters to reprefent 
 both their long and their fhort found, as the fabric 
 of our language, in the derivation and connection 
 
 of 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 27 
 
 •:-.£ words, is entirely different from that of the He- 
 brew and other languages of the Eafl, the abfence 
 of vowels in any word raifes our furprife, and we 
 can fcarcely think it poffible to pronounce it. 
 But, if we examine the matter with attention, 
 our furprife will ceafe. In pronouncing fhort 
 fyllables in Englifh, the pronunciation is gener- 
 ally fo rapid, that the nicer! ear cannot diftin- 
 guifh what vowel the fpeaker or reader has ut- 
 tered *. Nay, fometimes the vowel is entirely 
 loft, as in bafon, mafo?i, le/fon, lejjen. It is fcaFce- 
 ly poffible to diftinguifh the found of any vowel 
 in the laft fyllable of thefe words. On farther 
 trial, we fhall find that, in common pronuncia- 
 tion, we expel almoft all the fhort vowels to fuch 
 a degree, that, if we place by themfelves the con- 
 fonants which compofe the word, omitting the 
 vowels, we fhall be able to enunciate thefe com- 
 binations as eafily without the vowels as with 
 them. Let the following words ferve for ex- 
 amples. 
 
 Bkr 
 
 * Father, fathir, fathur, fathyr, fathar, fathor, are 
 all the fame as to the article of pronouncing the fhort 
 Spwel in thg laft fyllable. 
 
28 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Bkr 
 
 Baker 
 
 Mrnr 
 
 Mariner 
 
 Vntnr 
 
 Vintner 
 
 Sllr 
 
 Seller 
 
 Mkrl 
 
 Mackerel 
 
 Mrcl 
 
 Miracle 
 
 Prtrirs : 
 
 Partners ' 
 
 Stggr 
 
 Stagger 
 
 Shpmftr 
 
 Shipmafter 
 
 Perfons who are defective in the art of fpelling, 
 generally write in this manner. They crowd 
 their words with confonants, neglecting the 
 vowels. 
 
 Many more inflances might be adduced ; but 
 thefe fufficiently prove that we can eafily read, 
 without written vowels, combinations of confon- 
 ants, much more complex than any that appear 
 in Hebrew, and that it is almofl impoflible for us 
 to utter thofe combinations, without enunciating 
 the very vowels which conflitute the real words, 
 as they are commonly written or fpelled : So 
 that every day we infenfibly practife the rule 
 
 which 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 29 
 
 which I have recommended, with refpect to all 
 thofe words in the Hebrew language which ap- 
 pear diverted of vowels. It is reafonable to think, 
 that an intelligent Hebrew reader would know 
 by tradition, by received cuftom, or fimply by 
 the pofition of the confonants, what vowel found 
 he mould infert, to pronounce intelligibly all 
 fuch words as confift entirely of confonants. 
 Now that we are deprived of all thefe helps, we 
 muft fupply the defect, in the befl manner we can, 
 by inferting fhort vowels, according as the na- 
 ture or pofition of the word, or our ear, may 
 .direct. Difficulties will occur but feldom, and 
 practice will render the work perfectly eafy. 
 
 4. There is another mode which may be in- 
 vented for writing or pronouncing this antient 
 language, and that is, any clafs or body of men 
 may confent to ufejigns in place of vowel-letters, 
 fuch as marks or dots, above, below, and in the 
 bofom of the confonants. Had thefe perfons 
 agreed to employ this method to enunciate com- 
 binations of confonants only, perhaps their in-, 
 yention might have merited fome praife; but un- 
 luckily 
 
jjjfb THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 luckily they built their fyflem on a fandy founda^- 
 tion. They proceeded on the fuppofition, or 
 rather the aflertion, that there were no vowel- 
 letters in the Hebrew alphabet; that it confided 
 entirely of confonants, fo that their vowel-figns 
 muft be appended to every letter, except in fome 
 fituations the letter happen to be the laft in a 
 word, or be extinguifhed or filenced by a vowel- 
 fign. 
 
 This method of ufing marks for vowels was 
 adopted by a fet of Jewifh critics, called Mafo- 
 rites *, who nourished after the commencement 
 of the Chriftian aera. Thefe men bellowed 
 much pains upon the text of the Old Teflament, 
 particularly that portion of it which was named 
 the Law. Their labour, indeed, did not pene- 
 trate very deep. They afford us little or no af- 
 fiftance in the inveftigation of the true fenfe of 
 Scripture. In vain do we feek from them the 
 folution of difficulties, the elucidation of obfcure 
 
 palfages, 
 
 * The nafne is borrowed from a word that fignifies 
 tradition. Mafora, a critic on the text of the Old 
 Teflament, principally founded on tradition.. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 31 
 
 paffages, or any ufeful information concerning 
 the manners and cuftoms of their anceflors. Their 
 lime was chiefly fpent in giving directions about 
 the pronunciation or fpelling of the language, 
 about the manner in which it ought to be read, 
 in numbering the fyllables and words of particu- 
 lar books, and in attempting to unfold the myf- 
 teries, or rather fuperftitious fables, hid under 
 the veil of inverted, enlarged, or diminijhed letters. 
 Their attempts to affix points or marks to the 
 Hebrew letters, with an intention to fupply the 
 defects of vowel-letters in the original text, ap- 
 peared in the fifth century. Thefe attempts con- 
 tinued to increafe till about the tenth, at which 
 period, it is generally thought, this art attained 
 its perfection. 
 
 Many authors affign to the invention of point- 
 ing a much more antient origin, and are difpleaf- 
 ed that 2n art, in their eftimation, fo ingenious 
 and ufeful, mould be deemed the production 
 only of later times. I mail not enter into dis- 
 putes on this fubjecl. A few centuries, more or 
 lefs, is a matter of fmall confequence. It is 
 
 clear, 
 
32 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 clear, from the moft authentic documents, that 
 the complex fyflem of adding points to the He- 
 brew letters, not merely to facilitate the enuncia- 
 tion of confonants, but to difguife and transform 
 thofe very letters, which every one muft, at firft 
 view, difcern to be vowels, was unknown at the 
 time of the Seventy's tranflation, about two hun- 
 dred and eighty years before the birth of Chrifl. 
 Thole tranilators of the Old Teftament into the 
 Greek language, either ufed manufcripts which 
 had no points at all, which is the moil probable 
 fuppofition ; or, if they had any, they were, in 
 ' number and quality, entirely different from thofe 
 which appear in the Bibles printed on the Mafo- 
 retic plan. The differences between the reading 
 of the Septuagint, and that of the Maforites, 
 would afford materials for a very voluminous 
 work. If, therefore, the Hebrew manufcripts, 
 in the time of the Seventy, were unpointed, or 
 if they were pointed in a manner effentially dif- 
 ferent from that mode of pointing which has 
 come down to us, and is alone the fubjecl: of de- 
 bate, the admiffion of either of thefe hypothefes 
 muft deftroy the high antiquity, and, of confe- 
 
 cuence> 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 33 
 
 ^uence, the authority of the prefent vowel-points, 
 and reduce the invention of them to a period pos- 
 terior to the age of the Septuagint tranflation. 
 We are not deficient in proof for the eftablilh- 
 ment of this opinion. For, if we form our judg- 
 ment on the fubjecr, from writers of reputation 
 poflerior to the Chriflian aera, we fhall find that 
 vowel-marks were unknown, or not in life, for 
 feveral centuries after the commencement of that 
 period. Origen, who lived in the third, and St 
 Jerom, who lived in the fourth century, and 
 were both well {killed in Hebrew, make no men- 
 tion of vowel-points. From their writings, it is 
 abundantly evident, that they read many words 
 very differently from that reading attempted to be 
 'fixed as the true one by the Maforetic pointing. 
 The filence of St Jerom on this fubject, is a cir- 
 cumftance truly remarkable. He, of all the an- 
 tient fathers, was mofl devoted to the fludy of 
 Hebrew literature. He fpent more than twenty 
 years in Judea, merely for the purpcfe of attend- 
 ing the fchools of the mofl celebrated Jewifh 
 teachers, and of convening with the mofl intel- 
 ligent native Jews on the fubjecl: of their Ian- 
 El guage, 
 
54 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 guage, and the meaning of their facred writings > 
 yet he has left us no hint concerning vowel- 
 points, no defcription of the niceties of the art ; 
 and, when he treats of the different manner of 
 reading any Hebrew words, his obfervations are 
 confined entirely to the letters. 
 
 The moft ftrenuous advocates for the vowel- 
 points have not afTerted that they were coeval, 
 or of the fame authority, with the letters, but 
 generally think that they were invented during 
 the time the language was fpoken,. or foon after 
 it ceafed to be a living language ; that this in- 
 vention was ufefui or neceffary to- preferve a 
 traditionary pronunciation, and to afcertain the 
 meaning of words, which otherwife would have 
 been ambiguous.. But the expedient is very lame 
 and imperfect Thefe critics are not agreed about 
 the precife founds which the points r«prefent, 
 They affix very different points to the fame 
 words ; and, even where they are agreed, their 
 authority is of little, value, as they lived at a dis- 
 tance fo remote from the times when the lan- 
 guage was fpoken. 
 
 , The 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 35 
 
 The matter has been agitated with keennefs 
 and acrimony. Heat and paflion have been in- 
 troduced into a eontroverfy of little or no impor- 
 tance: For, whether we read with or without 
 vowel-points, the fenfe and meaning of the lan- 
 guage mud entirely depend upon the written 
 characters, deftitute of points and accents, as: 
 they ftill remain in the mod antient and authen- 
 tic manufcripts. The Jews have never fuffered 
 the manufcripts, which are preferved in their fy- 
 nagogues for the purpofes of religious worfhip, 
 to be disfigured with points, Some of their 
 ableft and moft intelligent Rabbies have main- 
 tained and proved, to the conviction of candid 
 judges, that the points are a late invention. Every 
 one acquainted with Hebrew knows, that the 
 whole ftru&ure of the language is independent 
 of them, and can be much more eafily learned, 
 and much better understood, without than with 
 them. 
 
 The method propofed above of reading, by 
 fupplying a fhort a or e between the confonants, 
 is exceedingly fimple; whereas the Maforetk 
 
 pointing 
 
36 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 pointing is complex and difficult beyond mea- 
 fure, and extremely difcouraging to a beginner. 
 It will alfo appear afterwards, that the ufe of 
 points has, without any juft caufe, multiplied the 
 flections of nouns and verbs, to the great dimi- 
 nution of that fnnplkity which is the infallible 
 mark of an original language, and is one of its 
 greateft ornaments. 
 
 The following is a fpecimen of the method of 
 reading without points, by fupplying only a few 
 fhort vowels, which are marked in Italic cha- 
 racters. 
 
 PSALM 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 
 
 3? 
 
 PSALM I. 
 
 ■ray 
 
 Kb 
 
 omtfd 
 
 la 
 
 2tt" 
 
 K 1 ? 
 
 isab 
 
 la 
 
 latan 
 
 nirp 
 
 •jVn kV "ittfj* iy>Kn 
 61rc la afher e-ais 
 
 r^fhoim 
 caftan 
 hhtftaim 
 tPNssb 
 ktzim 
 n-nm 
 hh^phtzu Ieue be-t\iYat 
 jnV^i aav mm 
 u-lil£ ium<2m ieghe 
 
 mim p^lghi ol s^tul k^-otz 
 inyi jrp ma 
 
 b^-otu ten phriu 
 
 ibul 
 MTfa^ ntyy* 
 itzlihh iose 
 
 Afhri 
 
 b^-otzath 
 
 u-b^-dra: 
 
 ntyrani 
 
 u-b^-mufob 
 
 ex »q 
 
 am ki 
 
 imirai 
 
 u-b^-tumtu 
 
 yya ' rrm 
 
 u-eie 
 
 afh^r 
 
 ub inbin 
 
 la u-oleu 
 
 nB?a bm 
 
 afli^r u-col 
 
3« 
 
 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 
 onwin p Kb 
 
 
 evrefhoim k#n la 
 
 
 yina ck o 
 
 
 k^-mutz am ki 
 
 
 :m-> wain i»» 
 
 
 ruh tidpenxi aftW 
 
 eswna 
 
 epyttn lap' 1 kV p Jflp 
 
 be-mispat 
 
 refhoim ikmu la can ol 
 
 
 Ittpjrcai mm D^am 
 
 
 tz#dikim b^-od^th u-htftaim 
 
 O^IS 
 
 ■pi nin^ y-n* *a 
 
 tz^dikim 
 
 dree leue iudo ki 
 
 
 man talari ^-m 
 
 - 
 
 tab^d refhoim u-drec 
 
 In this paffage, which contains fixty-feven 
 words, there are only three totally deftitute of 
 vowel-letters, 
 
 P 
 
 Even in the other words, the vowels to be 
 fupplied are very few, and, upon the foregoing 
 
 fcherae 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 39 
 
 fcheme of vowel-letters, there are fome words 
 which confifl wholly of towels. 
 
 ni7T IeUe 
 
 rwn ueie 
 
 Others have only one confonant, and feveral 
 
 vowels. 
 
 'tirxTX eais 
 ■nVm uoleu 
 ntW iose 
 
 And there are at leaft thirty-three words which 
 ftand in no need of fupplied vowels. 
 
 The letters » n "» ', upon the plan of the Ma- 
 forites, are termed quiefcent, becaufe, according 
 to them, they have, on fome occafions, no found; 
 at other times, thefe fame letters indicate a va- 
 riety of founds, as the fancy of thefe critics has 
 pleaied to diftinguifh them by points. This 
 fmgle circumftance exhibits the whole doctrine 
 of points as the hafelefs fabric of a vijion. To 
 
 fupprefs 
 
4 o THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 fupprefs altogether, or to render infignificant a. 
 radical letter of any word, in order to fupply its 
 place by an arbitrary dot, or a fi&itious mark, 
 is an invention fraught with the groffeft abfur- 
 dity. 
 
 From the preceding example, it is evident 
 that the Hebrew is far from being deflitute of 
 Vowels; that, according to the mode of reading 
 here propofed, its founds are neither difagreeable 
 nor unmuncal ; and that a very little attention 
 will foon render the pronunciation and reading 
 of it perfe&ly eafy and familiar. This will be 
 one eflential point gained ; for it will fuperfede 
 the intricate and embarraffing machinery of the 
 points, and remove thofe obflacles which have 
 deterred fo many from the ftudy of the lan- 
 guage. 
 
 But, as many Bibles are printed on the Ma- 
 foretic plan ; as this plan has been patronifed by 
 refpe&able names, and much time and labour 
 have been fpent in the improvement of it ; as it 
 is a mode of reading invented by yews, who, 
 
 it 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 4l 
 
 it h prefumed, mould beft know the language 
 and traditions of their forefathers, a work of this 
 kind might be thought imperfect, if an explana« 
 tion of the doctrine of vowel-points were altoge- 
 ther neglected. 
 
 The following chapter contains the mofl ma- 
 terial information on this fubjecl. 
 
 CHAR 
 
42 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 CHAP, III, 
 
 The Doclrine of Vowel-Points explained and ex- . 
 emplified. 
 
 THE Vowel-Points and the Accents were at 
 firfi: few in number, but afterwards in- 
 creafed fo much, that now the former amount to 
 fifteen^ and the latter to about thirty. 
 
 The points may be divided into figns of long, 
 of ihort, and of very Ihort vowels. - 
 
 The figns of the long vowels are five, of the 
 ihort five, and of the very fhort four. 
 
 The five Long Vowels. 
 2 ba, Kametz 
 2 be, Tzere, q 
 
 ^ bi, Chirek-longum 
 3 or "h bo, Cholem 
 11 bu, Shurek, * 
 
 The 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 43 
 
 The five Short Vowels. 
 
 5 ba, Patach 
 
 2 be, Saegol 
 
 3 bi, Chirek-breve 
 
 ti or n bo, Kametz-chatuph 
 5 bu, Kibbutz, u 
 
 Two dots, the one placed above the other :, 
 is called Sheva, and reprefents a very fhort e. 
 It is only to be pronounced when under the firft 
 letter of a word, under a doubled letter *, after ' 
 another Sheva, or after a long vowel : On other 
 occafions it is generally quiefcent. 
 
 This Sheva, when prefixed to Patach, Saegol, 
 and Kametz-chatuph, produces three very fhort 
 vowels, marked as under. 
 
 n a Chateph-patach 
 n £ Chateph-faegol 
 k o Ghateph-kametz 
 
 The term Chateph fignifies fhort, or that the 
 
 vowel 
 * Sub litera daghcfTata. 
 
44 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 vowel is to be pronounced very rapidly, as th£ 
 Sheva before each of them implies 
 
 The letter us has fometimes a point above it? 
 right tooth, fometimes above its left. In the firft 
 cafe it is to be founded^, in the other s. 
 
 V Shin 
 \L Sin 
 
 When the letter preceding ttr wants a poinr, 
 the rignt hand point of Shin is Cholem, or 6 
 long. When the letter immediately following 
 has no point, Shin is furniihed with two points 
 JJi the left one, Cholem, if there be no point be- 
 low or ; the right, Cholem, if the preceding let- 
 ter is unpointed. 
 
 n;'B Moflie 
 tih Lefhono- 
 wfeP Sone 
 rwy Gnofa 
 
 By 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 43 
 
 By this frugal invention, the fame point an« 
 fwers feveral purpofes. 
 
 A dot or point (.), in the middle of a letter, 
 fometimes doubles it; in which cafe the point is 
 called Daghejh Forte ; 
 
 As ip3 Pikked 
 \tt}\ Itten' 
 
 Sometimes it only removes the afpiration from 
 the letters nsen:Q» and then it bears the name of 
 Dagejh Lene. 
 
 The fame point placed in the bofom of 1 and 
 rr, imports that they are to be founded, when 
 otherwife they would* be filent. This point is 
 called Mappik* 
 
 When Patach - is below the kft letter of a 
 word, being a guttural, it is to be pronounced 
 before, not after fuch letter ; in which cafe it has 
 the name of Patach-furtivum-, or the Patach who 
 
 has 
 
i*6 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 has flily ftolen a place, or opened a door where 
 he had no title. Patach fignifies to open, nns* 
 
 rrVar Iatzliahh, not iatzlihha 
 tflit zeroang, not zerogna* 
 
 i reprefents two vowels and a conformant ; with 
 a point above^ it is Cholem ; with a point in its 
 bofom, it is Schurek ; but, if it has a point be* 
 low, it becomes the confonant v, and its vowel- 
 point is deftined to ferve other purpofes. 
 
 nirp Iehovah 
 
 r : 
 
 sBty yiwaflieb 
 
 In the language of the Maforites and of all the 
 Jewilh grammarians who adopt their plan, when 
 a letter is not to be pronounced, it is faid qui- 
 efcere> to be filent, or at reft. When it is to be 
 pronounced, it is faid, moveri, to be moved, or 
 put in motion. Agreeable to this rule, the fhort 
 vowel Sheva has two characters j when it is fi- 
 lent, it is named Sheva quiefcens; when it is pro- 
 nounced, it becomes Sheva mobile. 
 
 It 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 47 
 
 It is a general rule, that * after Saegol and 
 Tzere, is always quiefcent; as alfo k and n, when 
 unpointed, in the end of a word. 
 
 The lafl letter of almofl: every word is defli- 
 tute of a vowel-point. The only exceptions are 
 1 and p, which often have either a Sheva quief- 
 cent, or a Kametz, for their attendants. 
 
 The Accents were intended to ferve the pur- 
 pofe of our commas, colons, and points, or to 
 afcertain the various tones and geflures with 
 which a fentence mould be read. As to their 
 utility in regulating the voice and geflure of the 
 reader, the jews themfelves can give us little in- 
 formation; and, with refpeel: to the other pur- 
 pofe, of dividing a fentence into its parts, they 
 often tend rather to miflead than to. elucidate. I 
 have not therefore thought it neceflary to aflign 
 examples. It is furprifmg that the Jewifh critics, 
 with all their ikill in dots, points, and accents, 
 never had the ingenuity to invent a point of in- 
 terrogation, of admiration, or a parenthefis. 
 
 The 
 
$$ THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 The above (ketch is fufficient to afford a gene- 
 ral notion of the Maforetic method of reading 
 Hebrew by means of points. 
 
 But, when we have attained the knowledge of 
 thefe figns, and are able readily to diftinguifh the 
 vowels which they reprefent, we are ftill far from 
 being adepts in the art. The application of them 
 to the purpofes of flexion, compofition, and de- 
 rivation, is a work ef fingular labour and diffi- 
 culty. The addition of one letter to a word, 
 changes the whole mafs of its points. It may 
 convert them, perhaps, from long to fhort, or 
 from fhort to long ; it may expel fome and in- 
 troduce others ; it may make vowels confonants, 
 and confonants vowels 5 fo that the learner, loft 
 in a maze of intricacy, relinquifhes the painful 
 tafk. This circumftance, in, all its unhappy ef- 
 fects, was well known to the great patrons of 
 this mode. They complained of it, but they ftill 
 adhered to their plan. , 
 
 Buxtorf, who fights for the authenticity of the 
 points, as if he were fighting for infpired truth, 
 
 fays, 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 49 
 
 fays, in one of his treatifes on the ftudy of He- 
 brew, c That the changing of the vowel-points,' 
 he means when the genders and cafes of nouns, 
 and the different flexions of verbs require it, ' is 
 ' a mod laborious and difficult work, where, 
 
 * after wearifome toil and pains, a young man, 
 6 finding he is making but fmall progrefc, and 
 4 o-atherino; but little fruit, contracts a ftrong 
 6 averfion to the bufinefs, and altogether gives 
 1 up the purfuit V 
 
 Elias Grammaticus, in his book entitled Hab- 
 bachur, Difc. III. chap. 2d. afligns four reafons 
 for changing the points of nouns : c 1 . The mo- 
 ' tion from mafculine to feminine. 2. The flex- 
 4 ion from fmgular to plural. 3. Regimen. 4. 
 c The Affixes. Some add a fifth to thefe, viz. 
 ' Accent, to be underflood in a threefold fenfe : 
 
 * 1 . When the rightful accent is taken away from 
 
 G < the 
 
 * Mutatio punclorum vocalium in lingua Hebraea, res 
 eft foilicita et cperola, in qua juventus cum multo fudors 
 fe torquet, fed cum exiguo faepe fru&u, ita ut fe expe- 
 tlire ncfciens naufeam concipiat, ac ftudium tandem ab- 
 jiciat. Buxtorf. Epitom. 
 
5 o THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 ' the word. 2. When it is tranfpofed or re- 
 ' moved from its proper place. 3. When paufe 
 ' takes the place of a fy liable *.' 
 
 This, furely, is but poor recommendation of 
 the do&rine from teachers, and fmall encourage- 
 ment to learners. 
 
 As I have refolved, in the following work, to 
 make no ufe of points, from a conviction that 
 the grammatical principles of the language are 
 totally independent of them, it becomes unnecef- 
 fary for me to enumerate or explain the various 
 rules which have been laid down for afcertaining 
 the changes to be made upon v them. If any per- 
 fon choofe to read the language, or to learn its 
 
 grammar, 
 
 * Elias Grammaticus in libro Habbachur, Orat. 3. 
 cap. 2. quatuor ponit caufas ob quas nomina mutentur, 
 1. Eft Mct'iO) e mafculino in foeminium ; 2. F/exio, c 
 lingular! in pluralem ; 3. Regimen; 4. Affixa. Qui- 
 dam his quintam adjungunt, Acccntus> idque tripliciter. 
 Primo, Quando legitimus accentus a voce aufertur. Se- 
 cundo, Quando a proprio loco tranfponitur. Tertio, 
 Quando paufa fyllabam occupat. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 51 
 
 rrrammar, upon that plan, he may confult Bux- 
 torf's or Leufden's Grammar, or many others 
 of the fame kind, where he will find the fubject 
 treated with great induftry, and at great length. 
 
 The following Pfalms, in which the enuncia- 
 tion of the Hebrew letters and vowel-points, is 
 exprefled by Roman characters, on the left hand 
 page, will ferve as fpecimens of that mode of 
 reading. 
 
 To ftate more accurately a comparifon be- 
 tween reading with the Points, and reading with 
 the Letters, affifted with a few fhort fupplied 
 vowels, this lad mode is exhibited on the right 
 hand page. 
 
 the 
 
52 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 The XV. Pfalm, as read or pronounced iyith the 
 Points. 
 
 Mizmor leDavid, 
 
 i Iehovah mi lagur beoholeca 
 Mi ilhcon behar kodfheca. 
 
 2 Holech tamim upognel tzedek 
 udober emeth bilbabo. 
 
 3 Lo ragal gnal lefliono 
 
 lo gnafah leregnehu ragnah 
 vehherpah lo nafa gnal kerobo, 
 
 4 Nibzeh begnenai'v nimas 
 ve eth ire Iehova yecabbed 
 nifhbang leharang vela iamir. 
 
 5 Cafpo lo nathan benefhech 
 ve-fhohhad gnal naki lo lakahh 
 gnofeh elleh lo yimmot legnolam. 
 
 The- 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR, ga 
 
 The XV. Pfalm according to the Letters, with Enun% \ 
 ciatory Short Vowels fupplied ; thefe laft are in 
 Italics. 
 
 M/zmur \e Dud. 
 
 i Ieue ml igur b^aekc 
 mi ifhean b^er k^d^fh^c 
 
 2 EiiLx tamim upol tze&ez 
 uddbn- am/th bd<?bbu 
 
 3 La regal ol kfhenu 
 la ose l<?roeu roe 
 uhn^pe la ndfa ol k^robu 
 
 4 N/'b/ze broiniu n<?mas 
 uath irai Ieue ictfbol 
 n^fh^bo kero ula irrar 
 
 5 Ctffepu la nathtfn benethec 
 ufhdi<zd ol n^ki la lakah 
 ose ale la imut \eo\i\im 
 
 In this Pfalm, according to the Hebrew mode 
 of writing, there are, including the title, fifty- 
 five words, of which there are only fix totally 
 deflitute of vowel-letters, one in each of the firfl 
 four verfes, and two in the fifth. 
 
 The 
 
54 TOE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 The-CX. Pfalm read or pronounced according fa 
 the. Points. 
 
 LeDavid Mizmor. 
 
 i Neiim Iehovah ledoni fheb limini 
 gnad afhith oiebeca hhadom leragleca. 
 
 2 Matteh gnuzzeca ifhlahh Iehovah mitziou 
 redeh bekereb oiebeca, 
 
 3 Gnammecha nedaboth beiom hheleca 
 behadre-kodefh 
 
 merehhem mifhhhar lecha tal ialdutheca. 
 
 4 Nifhbang Iehovah, velo yinnahhem attah 
 
 cohen 
 legnolam gnal dibrathi malchi-tzedek. 
 
 5 Adonai gnal yemineca mahhatz 
 beiom appo melachim. 
 
 6 Yaddin baggoim male gheviyoth 
 mahhatz rofh gnol eretz rabbah. 
 
 7 Minnahhal baderec yifhteh 
 gnal-cken iarim rofh. 
 
 The 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. $ 5 
 
 The CX. Pfalm read or pronounced by Letters, 
 ivitb Enunciatory Short Vowels fupplied, 
 
 L,e Dud M/zmur. 
 
 i Nam Ieue l<?adni iheb feimini 
 od afhith aibic h#dom \erega\ic 
 
 2 M/te oz^c ifhl/h Ieue metziun 
 rede bekereb aibic 
 
 3 Omrc nedabicth. beium hil<?c 
 b<?ederi-k<jd<?fh 
 
 merehem meftiahav \ec ta\ ikdtftrc 
 
 4 N/fh/bo Ieue ula in^hem ate ken 
 Ifoiilain ol d<fb#rthi Melcki-tzedVc 
 
 5 Adni ol iminec mahatz 
 baum apu melrckim 
 
 6 Idin beguim mda guiuth 
 rruzhtftz rafh ol aretz r#be 
 
 7 Mnwhtfl bfderec ifhte 
 olc^n irim rafh. 
 
 N. B. There are no diphthongs in Hebrew ; 
 where three or four vowels meet in a word, they 
 
 nraft 
 
56 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 mud all be pronounced feparately. The founds 
 of two or three vowels do not coalefce, as dl in 
 rain, oa in coach, or eau in beauty* 
 
 After the learner hath perufed with attention 
 thefe two different modes of reading, the one by 
 the letters, and the other by vowel-figns, he will 
 not find it a matter of great difficulty to deter- 
 mine, on a comparative view, to which he mould 
 give the preference. 
 
 The method of reading by the vowel-letters* 
 wherever they occur, and by inferting a few 
 fhort vowels in the combinations of confonants, 
 recommends itfelf from its fimplicity. It pre- 
 ferves the original and radical letters of every 
 word, in that flate of dignity and importance to 
 which they are naturally entitled. The vowels 
 which it fupplies are intended for no other pur- 
 pofe but to facilitate the pronunciation, and claim 
 no title to determine the meaning, or to adjufl 
 the grammatical place of any word. It can be 
 learned in a very fhort time, and retained with 
 very little pra&ice. It clears the grammar of an 
 
 uncommon 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. S y 
 
 uncommon load of rubbifh, and minute criticifm, 
 under which it has long groaned, and reflores 
 the language to its native fimplicity and beauty. 
 
 The Maforetic plan can lay no claim to any of 
 thefe advantages. 
 
 The patrons of this plan, indeed, celebrate its 
 fuperior excellence ; becaufe, according to them, 
 it fixes, in the moft decifive manner, what vowel 
 found is to be ufed, in alliance with the confon- 
 ants^ without leaving the reader to the uncer- 
 tainty of conjecture concerning the fhort vowel, 
 which, according to the other method, he may 
 find it necefiary to fupply. They trace it to re- 
 mote antiquity. They think it a matter of great 
 importance, becaufe it was invented by Jews, 
 who furely were the fitted perfons to tranfmit to, 
 pofterity that antient pronunciation which they 
 had received by tradition from their fathers. As 
 an accumulation of its honours, they affirm that 
 it determines the fenfe of many words, which 
 would otherwife be ambiguous, and gives energy 
 to the verb, by diftinguifhing two conjugations 
 H or 
 
58 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 or forms, which, without points, have no exiftv 
 ence. 
 
 But thefe affertions ftand on no folid founda- 
 tion. Though fome of them were allowed to be* 
 juft, yet all the boafted advantages of the vowefc 
 points can never counterbalance the injuries which 
 the language has firftained, by the application of 
 them to the purpofes of grammar.' 
 
 Had the friends of the points confined the ufe 
 of them, fblely to the purpofe. of reading, I fhould 
 have had no objection to their employing fifty 
 for one, if they had thought them necefiary, and 
 could have procured perfons equally laborious 
 with themfelves to adopt their complex fyflem. 
 But when, by the application of them to gram- 
 mar, they new-model the language, increafe its 
 declenfions and conjugations without any caufe, 
 deface the original letters, and expel, in pronun- 
 ciation, eflential parts of the word, fo that the 
 hearer cannot determine betwixt the real letter, 
 and the fictitious fign, the matter becomes more 
 ferious, and requires a deeper inveftigation, by 
 
 all 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 59 
 
 •all who wifh to fee Scripture-criticifm eflablifhed 
 on folid and rational principles. 
 
 The verbs jni and nba are pointed by the Ma- 
 forites with a Kametz below each of the two firft 
 letters, the lad letters in both being unpointed, 
 and, -of courfe, according to the rule, quiefcent. 
 Thefe words muft therefore be read or pronounc- 
 ed, Bara, Gala, Any perfon who hears thefe 
 founds would naturally conclude that both the 
 words end in a ; whereas the one terminates in 
 j^, and the other in n ; both of which letters 
 are radically and eflentially neceffary to determine 
 the fignification of the different words ; yet; by 
 this fcheme, they are rendered ufelefs and infig- 
 nificant. 
 
 una is commonly tranflated to create^ to make ; 
 rfry to reveal: But, without the laft letters, which 
 are expelled, or confounded by the points, -a 
 iignifies a fon, and b) to roll. What a maflacre 
 of language is this ? 
 
 It has been already faid, that we have good 
 
 grounds 
 
6o THE ELEMENTS OF , 
 
 grounds to think the invention of pointing is of 
 no great antiquity, and that, in all probability, 
 it had no existence before the Chriftian aera. 
 Even though we fhould acknowledge, that the 
 original intention of it, was to preferve the tradi- 
 tionary pronunciation of times much more an- 
 tient, we have no certainty that it is the true 
 fymbol of this antient pronunciation. How do 
 we know that Tzere, confiding of two horizon- 
 tal points, if it had a being in the ages before the 
 Maforites, founded as e long, or that Saego/, 
 confiding of three dots, in a triangular form, 
 founded as e fhort, when we do not know the 
 exa& found of any letter in the alphabet ; nay, 
 are taught by thefe very perfons, that # is a con- 
 fonant, or the fpiritus lenis of the Greeks, i.e. 
 nothing at all. Is it not much more credible that 
 the Alexandrian Jews, who tranflated the Old 
 Teflament into Greek, the authors of the Chal- 
 dee Paraphrafes, the Jewifh Rabbies, and the 
 Maforites, were all equally ignorant of the true 
 pronunciation of the Hebrew, which had ceafed 
 to be a living language many centuries before 
 their time ? 
 
 The 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 6; 
 
 The vowel-marks are no indications to us of 
 the antient founds of the language*. Thefe 
 founds have vaniilied, like the breath of thofe 
 who uttered them \ an<J no tradition could either 
 arreft or tranfmit them. We are at liberty to in- 
 vent founds for ourfelves, and no objection can 
 lie againft this expedient, if we employ them 
 only far the purpofes of pronunciation, not to al- 
 ter the radical parts of the words, not to deter- 
 mine their fignification, nor to confound the 
 original principles of the grammar, as the inven- 
 tors of points have done. 
 
 It is a favourite argument with the advocates 
 for the vowel-points, that, without their ailiit- 
 ance, the fenfe of a vafl number of words would 
 be left in a fluctuating and uncertain ftate — that, 
 on this account, they are abfolutely necelfary to 
 prevent ambiguities in the language. 
 
 A very little reflection will (hew the weaknefs 
 of this argument. It is the unavoidable fate of 
 all languages to be liable to ambiguities. The 
 
 Hebrew 
 
 * See Bifhpp Hare's Prolegomena in Pfalmos. 
 
it THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Hebrew is not more fo than any other. But 
 thefe ambiguities muft be refolved by an invefti- 
 gation of the fenfe of the period, by confidering 
 the difpofition and connection of the words, and 
 not by points or marks, which particular perfons 
 may impofe. 
 
 When, for inftance, the word Terra appears 
 in any Latin fentence, it is capable of various in- 
 terpretations, according as it is confidered to be 
 in the nominative, the vocative, or the ablative 
 cafe. Some writers, to prevent ambiguity, invent- 
 ed a mark to determine the ablative, and, by a 
 circumflex on the laft letter, gave feafonable in- 
 timation of this cafe. But, furely the particular 
 cafe of Terra, in any fentence, muft be deter- 
 mined by circumftances altogether independent 
 of this mark. Thofe who have made any pro- 
 grefs in the language defpife it, and the inventory 
 are entitled to little credit for their fagacity. 
 They have only performed the third part of their 
 work ; they have left two other cafes, in this and 
 all fimilar words, in their natural ambiguity. 
 
 The pointing of the Maforites is, in every re r 
 
 fpect, 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 6j 
 
 fpe&, equally deficient, and can be of no ufe in 
 refolving the ambiguities of words. 
 
 The three confonants, yn may either reprefent 
 a noun or a verb. In the firft cafe, it is com- 
 monly tranflated vki, a way, and, in the laft, 
 cnlcavit, to trample upon, or tread under foot. 
 To mark thefe different fignifications, the Mafo~ 
 rites, when it is to be underflood in the firft 
 fenfe, place below it two Saegols, -j-n ; when in 
 
 the other, a Kametz and a Patach, -pi. But 
 
 m . T 
 
 what advantage is gained by this ? Though, in 
 their opinion, the ambiguity is removed, it may 
 ftill remain in all its confequences, if concomit- 
 ant words', or the general tenor of the fentence ? 
 do not determine the meaning. The fenfe muft 
 be inveftigated without any regard to the points ; 
 and it may often be difcovered, on examination, 
 that the points have affixed to a verb the mean- 
 ing of a noun, and to a noun the meaning of a 
 verb. 
 
 I pafs over entirely their two conjugations of 
 Pihel and Pyhal, as unneceffary incumbrances 
 
 with 
 
64 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 with which they have loaded the language. The 
 abfurdity of them is fo obvious, and the inven- 
 tion of them fo groundlefs, as to ftand in no need 
 of any confutation. 
 
 Several other circumftances might be mention- 
 ed to illuftrate the confufion and contradiction 
 with which the Maforetic plan is embar raffed. I 
 mall particularize only the following : 
 
 Kametz, their longefl a, and Kametz-chatuph, 
 their fhort 0,' have both the fame mark. When 
 this fignature ftands for the fhort 0, it is fome- 
 times marked with a Sheva, to diftinguifh it from 
 Kametz, the long a, but, unluckily, the inven- 
 tion makes it the fame with Chateph-kametz, the 
 very fhort 0, and an amazing number of rules 
 becomes necefiary to diflinguifh the three from 
 each other. 
 
 The firft and fundamental principle of the 
 doctrine of pointing is, that all the letters are 
 confonants. This is an incontrovertible maxim, 
 maintained by all the proficients in the art. But, 
 
 notwithstanding 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 
 
 notwlthftanding this pofition, the points are en- 
 dowed with the lingular or magical virtue, that 
 they can, at pleafure, transform a vowel into a 
 confonant, or a confonant into a vowel. Na> , 
 they can compel the fame letter to be both a 
 vowel and a confonant at the fame time. Da- 
 gefh-forte makes one letter two ; i and w are 
 forced perpetually to vary their phafes ; and, 
 fhould they, or any ether letter, remonftrate 
 againfl; this treatment, the fovereign authority of 
 the points can reduce them to abfolute filence. 
 
 Such frivolous diftinetions, and complicated 
 rules, have infpired thoufands w ith difguft at the 
 language, and with contempt for the inventors. 
 Too much praife, therefore, cannot be beftowed 
 on thofe who, by their ingenuity in difcovering 
 vowel-letters, and readinefs in fuppiying other 
 means of aiTiftance, have enabled us to extricate 
 ourfelves from this dark labyrinth, and to profe- 
 cute the Itudy of Hebrew with equal pleafure and 
 profit. ^ •• 
 
 It is a common practice with the advocates for 
 I the 
 
66 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 the points to fpeak difrefpect fully of the Septirs*- 
 gint tranflation *. The reafon is obvious *, it 
 does not favour their plan. But their antipathy 
 is extremely ill founded : For, next to the facred 
 original, the Septuagint or Greek tranflation of 
 the Old Teflament is one of the mofl precious 
 remnants of antiquity that Providence hath pre- 
 ferred to the Church f. 
 
 Origen, to his great honour, executed a mofl 
 ufeful and laborious work, entitled, Hexapla, of 
 which, unfortunately, fome fragments only re- 
 main. 
 
 His defign was to tranfmit, in as great purity 
 as pofiible, the Hebrew Scriptures, with the 
 
 • Greek- 
 
 * ViJe GoffetiuiTi in Lexico. 
 
 •{• H2be t .t fane textus Hebraeus, praerogativam fon- 
 tis, habeat etiam vulgara Latina, locum luum, Graeca 
 tamen apu'd otnnes cordatos et moderatos viros, qui de 
 ifliufmodi rebus optime judicare norunt, femper in ho- 
 nore erit. IntroduElw ad Left Ling. Orient, per Bria- 
 nam Walton, Praef. p. 66. Fid. etiam Augufi. de Civ. 
 Dei, lib. 18. cap. 43. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 6 7 
 
 Greek tranflations that had been made of them 
 before his time. 
 
 The Hexapla was divided into fix columns. 
 In the iirfl was placed the original Hebrew ; 
 
 In the fecond, the Hebrew expreifed in Greek 
 characters ; 
 
 In the third, the Greek tranilation of Aquiias ; 
 
 In the fourth, that of Symmachus ; 
 
 In the fifth, the tranilation of the Seventy ; 
 And, 
 
 In the fixth, that of Theodoticn. 
 
 Aquiias, Symmachus, and Theodotion, to- 
 wards the end of the third century of the Chris- 
 tian aera, tranflated the books of the Old Tefta- 
 ment into Greek for the benefit of the Jews who 
 4id not underfiand Hebrew. Aquiias was a 
 
 mere 
 
68 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 mere verbal tranflator, even to the etymology of 
 proper names. The two laft tranflated fomewhat 
 more liberally ; but of all the three, Symmachus 
 is by far. the moil elegant and judicious. It is 
 pity fo few fragments of his work have furvived 
 the ravage of time. 
 
 As it is a matter of fome curiofity to know in 
 what manner the Hebrew was read by Greek 
 writers in the third century, and as copies of the 
 Hexapla are not always eafily to be found, I have 
 fubjoined a fpecimen of that part of Origen's 
 work which contains the Hebrew Text converted 
 into Greek Characters. 
 
 Genesis* 
 
jro THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 e n 5 s i s, Cap. I. 
 
 TO EBPAIKON. 
 
 ?yiKn nm a*iawn n** o-n^K ana rptpjna t 
 
 eainmas ^r *]tym inai inn nn^n i>" 1 ^ r f> 2 
 ; cmn *33 Vr nsma nrnVa nm 
 
 jIik »iin ma vp izrnVN iqkm 3 
 
 |*a cn^K Vra*i aita »a imn na hviVk kti 4 
 
 :inK av npn. *fn :i; 
 ^Vian s rri o^n Tina yp-i ^n" a*rfck -loan # 
 
 -ity* arran pa Vna^i mp-in n» &ti^n tvm 7 
 vri yp-1 1 ? Vyn iwk onan pa.i p*p"iV nnna 
 
 npa '•rpi any >n^ erraty p^piV crnbK knpn 8 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. Ji 
 
 Genesis, Cap. I. 
 
 TO EBPAIKON. 
 
 E" EXXuvixeis y^xppxrt. 
 
 1 B^s-jl) fiet^x EXvvit id et<?et(tct([A tvtS xx^ig 
 
 2 Ovxx%is xnSx Suov ev/Zoov oua>?t% xX Q*i Stufi *gjoj 
 EA*«f» px£cti$i$ xX tpti xuxip. 
 
 3 Ovtvpig EXuiifx, in «g »*« »g. 
 
 4 0-j;ag EA»«(t« s0 x»% %i ru/2 8<»6J»|A LXa&fc Gn* 
 «»g xGtiv xu<n%. 
 
 5 Ovixpx EXuHp Xxug ivpc, xXxuri% xxga XqXx if in 
 
 SgtS K(g< (ZuKlfi tup XXO. 
 
 6 Ovmiuho EXaj&fi in gxxtx jSx9e>% ctftxifA mtt fS«£5«A 
 
 telJV fl«i^ Xxf&Xtp. 
 
 1 Ovixxg EXu&p Xx^xx x XtxZot,X 5«» xux'ce x<rlp 
 uxSxxd Xx^vxix sSi;v cc(ixi(& x<ri% pxxX Xxpxkix met 
 
 8 Ovix£* Ea»«« A«g«Kf«e crxpxiu, xm t£t0 mu Paxil? 
 lau. cm. 
 
>2 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Were we to examine this paffage attentively, 
 it might furnifh fcope for various obfervations. I 
 mail only mention a few. 
 
 It is very remarkable that Origen exprefies the 
 four letters xn p which the Maforites call £>m> 
 efcent, by vowels ; with fuch a variety, however, 
 that he feems to look on it as a matter of indif- 
 ference whether he denotes k by a, e, u, or < t . n 
 is generally converted into e or a -, ' into / or >s ; 
 1 into » or a. 
 
 But, what is particularly worthy of notice, as 
 it fo clearly confirms the doftrine taught in pages 
 13 and 14, is, that y and n are treated by him 
 as vowels, and never as confonants. 
 
 y Occurs no lefs than eleven times in this paf- 
 fage, in nine of which it is expreffed by «, in the 
 other two by «. 
 
 n Appears /even times, in three of which it is 
 expreffed by a, twice by «, once by «, and once 
 by g. 
 
 He 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 7* 
 
 He reprefents the Hebrew confonants almoft 
 exa&Iy by the fame Greek confonants which we 
 would life in converting the Hebrew into Greek, 
 excepting it, which he renders by s. But it is 
 difficult to affign the reafon why he exprefles 
 i*pnn riN the third and fourth words of the feventh 
 verfe, by the fingle word **£,*«/*, when, according 
 to the analogy which he obferves on fimilar oc~ 
 cafions, the expreffion ought to have been %$ 
 
 He is nowife fcrupulous about the vowel to be 
 fupplied between two confonants, for their enun- 
 ciation, but promifcuoufly employs *, £ , j,, and 
 even u *, to accomplifh this purpofe. 
 
 Should any perfon be at the pains to tran- 
 scribe this paiTage of Hebrew into Roman cha- 
 racters, either upon the firft or fecond fcheme of 
 vowel-letters, he would be furprifed to fee the 
 coincidence betwixt the copy and the Greek ex- 
 preffion. 
 
 K The 
 
 * Ex. or. npi fimtt^ 
 
74 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 The principal varieties take place in the vowels. 
 The confonants remain firm and inflexible. The 
 fame thing happens in our own language, though 
 habit makes us inattentive to it. The fame 
 vowel is perpetually changing its founds, ac- 
 cording to its fituation in different words, and 
 even in the fame words, according to the coun- 
 try or province where the fpeaker refides. This 
 muft have been the cafe with the Hebrew in the 
 time of Origen ; and, indeed, it is the cafe with 
 all languages, at all times. Examples might be 
 adduced from the Latin, and from the different 
 dialects of the Greek. St Jerom affirms, in the 
 moll exprefs terms, that the Jews, in his time, 
 were not folicitous about the intermediate vowels 
 which they inferted betwixt their confonants ; 
 that they obferved no uniformity in this article ; 
 and that the inhabitants of cne province differed 
 widely, in their mode of fpeaking, from thofe of 
 another. So little notion had this learned father 
 of a traditionary pronunciation, and of thofe 
 ftandards and regulations by, which the Mafo- 
 rites attempted to fix what, in its own nature, 
 muft ever be fleeting and changeable. Speak- 
 ing 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 75 
 
 mg on one occaffion of a Hebrew word, oVttf 
 which confifts of three confonants, Shin, La- 
 med, Mem, he adopts the following remarkable 
 language : 
 
 " Nee refert utrum salem aut salim nomi- 
 netur : Cum vocalibus in medio Uteris perra- 
 ro utantur Hebraei, et pro voluntate leclorum 
 ac varietate regionum eadem verba diverfis fo- 
 nis atque accentibus proferantur *." 
 
 " It is cf no importance whether you pre- 
 " nounce it salem or salim ; for the Hebrews 
 " very feldom employ written vowels between 
 " their confonants, and the fame words may be 
 " uttered with different founds and different ac- 
 " cents, according to the pleafure of the readers, 
 " or the variety of the climates and countries 
 " where they refide." 
 
 What has been advanced will, I natter myfelf, 
 ferve fufficiently to illuftrate the different modes 
 of reading, with or without the points. The ar- 
 guments 
 
 * Hieronymus in Epift. ad Evangelum. 
 
7 6 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 guments in favour of the laft mode, viz. reading 
 by the letters, appear to me perfectly concluiive : 
 But the reader may adopt the other, if he inclines 
 to fubject himfelf to the labour of acquiring the 
 knowledge of its complicated rules. 
 
 Thofe who choofe to enter more deeply into- 
 the controverfy concerning the points, and all 
 who wifh to be completely informed of the ad- 
 vantages to be derived from the fludy of Hebrew, 
 and the related languages, Chaldaic, Syriac. Ara- 
 bic, &c. may confult the following authors. From 
 thefe writers they will learn, that the knowledge 
 of thefe languages will enable them to difcern the 
 fenfe and beauty of antient Scripture, in a mul- 
 titude of pafTages otherwife very obfcure, and 
 will pave the way for the acquifition of every 
 thing either ufeful or ornamental in *Eaftren 
 fcience. 
 
 Treatife 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 77 
 
 Treatife of Elias Levita, a Jewifh Rabbi of the fix- 
 teenth century, who firft ventured to call in queftion 
 the antiquity of the points. 
 
 Ludovicus Capellus's Arcanum Punctationis revela- 
 turn. 
 
 The two Buxtorfs, father and fon, ftrenuous defen- 
 ders of thq points ; the firft in his book called, " Ti» 
 berias, live Commentarius Maforeticus ;" the latter, in 
 his " Traclatus de Punctorum Vocalium et Accentuum 
 in Libris Vet. Teftamenti Hebraicis, origine, antiquitate 
 et auctoritate. Part ii. cap. 1 1. 
 
 Capellus's Vindiciae Arcani, et Critica Sacra, lib. v, 
 cap. 12. 
 
 Scaliger, Epift. ad Buxtorf. 243. 
 
 Morin, Exercitat. Biblicae. Exercit. vi. 
 
 Drufius, ad Loca difficil. Pentateuch, cap. 25. 
 
 Pfeifferi Critica Sacra, cap. iv. feci:, iii. quaeft. ii. p„ 
 83. 84. Lipfiae, 1712. 
 
 Prideaux's Connect, part. i. book v. vol. ii. p. 501. 
 edit- 20th." 
 
 Pr 
 
f$ THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Dr Kennicot's DilTerutions on the Hebrew Text, 
 pajjim, 
 
 Dr Jennings's Jevvifti Antiquities, vol. ii. p. 344 — 
 372. London, 1766. 
 
 Mr Sievewright's Treatife againft the Maforetic 
 Pointing. 
 
 Dr John Robertfon's true and antient manner of 
 Reading Hebrew. London, 1 748. 
 
 Dr Gregory Sharp's DifTertation on the Original 
 Powers of Letters. 
 
 Shuckford's Connections. Pref. vol. i. p. 47. et/eq, 
 
 Huetii Demonft. Evang. prop. 4. c. 8. § io> 
 
 Temple's EfTay on Ancient and Modern Learning. 
 8vo edit, of Mifcellan. part ii. p. 12. 22. 
 
 Lamy de Tabernac. lib. 2. § 5. 
 
 Bochart. Phaleg. lib. 4. c. 24. alio his Canaan illus- 
 trated. 
 
 An Eflay on the ufefulnefs of Oriental Learning, by 
 R. Parker. London, 1 744. 
 
 DifTertation 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 7$ 
 
 Diflertation fur la Literature Orientale, par Jones, 
 
 1771. 
 
 Caftelli Oratio de Ling. Arab. p. 15. 
 Schickard. Horol. Ebraeum, p. 141. 
 
 Stackhoufe's Apparatus to Hift. of the Bible, p. xlv. 
 
 &c. 
 
 Lamy's Introd. to Holy Script, as tranflated by 
 Bundy, book ii. chap. v. 
 
 Fi lien Mifcell. Sacr. lib. ii. cap. vi. lib. iv. cap. xiv. 
 
 Th. Hayne, Diflert. de Ling, cognat. ap. Crenii ana-i 
 lcfta, p. 23. 36. 37. 
 
 Rollin's Ancient Hift. torn. ii. part ii. 
 
 Univerfal Hiftory, vol. iii. p. 33 r. 
 
 Blackwall's Sacred Qaffics. 
 
 Beveridge de Ling. Orient. Praeftant, 
 
 Ockleii Introd. ad Ling. Orient. 
 
 Houbigant's 
 
8<? THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Houbigant's elegant edition of the Hebrew Bible x 
 with Latin tranflation, 4 vols, folio. Paris, 1750. 
 
 Dupin's Hiftory of the Canon of the Old and New 
 Teftament. 
 
 Pococke Orat. de Ling. Arab. 
 
 Kidder's Demonftration of the Meffias, part II. and 
 III. 
 
 Reland. Prolegom. in Analecla Rabbin, p. 14. 
 
 Helvici Traft. de Chald. Paraphraf. 
 
 Dr Shaw's Travels to Egypt and Syria. 
 
 Volney's Travels through Egypt, Sec. 
 
 Savary's, ditto ditto. 
 
 Hanmer's Obfervations on Sacred Scripture. 
 
 Dr Grey's Hebrew Grammar. - 
 
 That the learner, before he proceed to the 
 Grammar, may be capable of reading eafily on 
 the plan which I have recommended, he mufl 
 render the following paffages familiar, by fre- 
 quent. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 81 
 
 quent repetition. Below each word of the firft 
 paifage, I have tranfcribed the Hebrew letters in 
 Roman characters. 
 
 To remove the irkfomenefs of reading an un- 
 known tongue, I have annexed a translation on 
 the oppofite page, expreflive of the connected 
 fenfe, rather than the literal meaning. Expla- 
 natory notes are added, which, I hope, will be 
 found both entertaining and inftructive. 
 
 L Exodus, 
 
82 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Exodus, Chap. XX. Ver. i. 
 
 THE DECALOGUE, OR TEN COMMANDMENTS. 
 
 lam^r eale ed^btfrim col ath Aleim uid<zb<;r 
 
 yixi2 -pnKsin -)vx yrtbx mn? , o:jk ■ 
 m^aretz eutzathic afh<?r aleic Ieue ancki 
 
 ; anni n-ntD Sanaa 
 obfdim m^bith m/tzrim 
 
 Firft Commandment. 
 
 nasi Vp unns BvjVk -jb n^n'' kV 
 pnii ol ahm'im Aleim \ec ieie la 
 
 Second Commandment. 
 •vtfN f?3TOn bm Vdd -jV ntzwn Kb 
 aftW temune ucol p<?frl kc tofe la 
 nnntt p-ian -iwni by^n o^nita 
 nuttfhtfth braretz uafh<?r m^mol bt'fhfmim 
 kV fiK 1 ? * nnnn a^ni -lttfKi 
 la tearetz m^tohtfth b^mim uanVr 
 nw 03K "o D^yn akbi anV mnntiri 
 Ieue ancki ki tob^d^m ula l<?em t/fhtehue 
 by ED"oa br nnK pir -rps K3p Vk "jTttot 
 ol b^nim ol abcth oiin pakad kma Al Aleic 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 83 
 
 Exodus, Chap. XX. Ver. 1. 
 
 STJBJi DECALOGUE, OR TEN COMMANDMENTS. 
 
 And God fpake all thefe words in this man- 
 ner : 
 
 I am Jehovah ' thy God, who brought thee 
 out from the land of Egypt, out from the houfe 
 of flavery 3 . 
 
 Firft Commandment. 
 
 Thou malt have no ftrange 3 gods in my pre- 
 fence. 
 
 Second Commandment. 
 
 Thou fhalt not make to thee any carved re- 
 prefentation 4 , or any likenefs of objects in heaven 
 above s , or in 'the earth below 6 , or in the waters 
 below the earth 7 ; thou fhalt not bow down thy- 
 felf to them, nor ferve them ; for I Jehovah 
 thy God am a jealous § God, vifiting the iniquity 
 of the fathers upon the fons, to the third and 
 
 fourth 
 
3 4 
 
 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 non nwm •wie/ 1 ? &ni bri ct&'bty 
 
 hdki uofe l^nai reboim uol fhelefhim 
 
 pmita nnwVi ^rmV • e^sVk 1 ? 
 
 m<?tzuthi ukfhomra l<?aebi kakpim 
 
 Third Commandment. 
 
 ^V "3 *w^ ynbx mrp oiy n» kiwi n 1 ? 
 
 la cki ldhua Aleic Ieue (hem ath tefa la 
 mwb vy& fit* men ii^k ha mn 1 ppa* 1 
 
 l<?fhua ftamu ath ifa airier ath Ieue in<rke 
 
 Fourth Commandment. 
 
 jtefeth kkod^fhu efcbtfth ium 
 
 on "jnrwVn Vd irt&'in 
 uium mdacl/c col uofith 
 
 col tofe la Aleic kleue fabath enVbiol 
 ITyqhi "pay -jnm *pm nn« naitVa 
 uamethec obedec ubaihec ub«?n^c ate mdacke 
 
 nK ma? 
 ath Zifcur 
 nam rarrp 
 tob<?d imim 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 85 
 
 fourth generation 9 of them that hate me ; but 
 exercifing mercy to thoufands ,0 of generations 
 of them that love me and keep my command- 
 ments. 
 
 Third Commandment. 
 
 Thou malt not lift up the name x ' of Jehovah 
 thy God to a falfehood * ; for Jehovah will not 
 hold him innocent f, who (hall lift up his name 
 to a falfehood. 
 
 Fourth Commandment. 
 
 Remember the Day of Reft, to fanctify it j : 
 Six days malt thou labour, and do all thy work ; 
 but the feventh day is a day of reft IZ in honour 
 c/*§ Jehovah thy God : Thou fhalt not do any 
 work, thou, nor thy fon, nor thy daughter, nor 
 thy man-fervant, nor thy maid-fervant, nor thy 
 
 cattle 
 
 * Or, to a vanity. 
 
 f i. e. will treat him as highly criminal. 
 
 % Litt. to feparate and let apart from all others. 
 
 § Or, appointed by. 
 
86 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 iVfcth cki b^fhoric afiW ug<?n?c ubem<7th«?c 
 
 •pi^n riKi ca^ovn n* mrv riBW r^D" 1 
 
 ear^tz uath efhmiim ath Ieue ofe imim 
 
 CDvn rm an -ibw Vj n»i Q^n ns 
 
 b(?ium uin#h b#m afh<?r col uath eim' ath 
 
 nawn ov hfc mrr -pn p Vy *jnaarn 
 
 efebtfth ium ath Ieue barac can ol efhfbioi 
 
 uik^ddhcu 
 
 Fifth Commandment. 
 
 PD-IN" 1 )mV "JEN DN1 ^3N na inn 
 
 iarecun l<?mon am^c uath abic ath cabad 
 
 jha . T»nVK mrr icw n^ian bp "pa* 
 
 nath/m Aleic Ieue afhcr ezdame ol imic 
 
 lee 
 
 Sixth Commandment. 
 
 t n2S"in j*5> 
 tiratztfh la 
 
 Seventh Commandment. 
 
 t?nap la 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. &y 
 
 cattle *, nor the ftranger that is within thy gates; 
 for in fix days Jehovah made the heavens, and 
 the earth, the fea, and all that is in them; and 
 refted ' 3 on the feventh day ; wherefore Jeho- 
 vah bleffed M that as the day of reft y and fancli- 
 tied it l5 . 
 
 Fifth Commandment. 
 
 Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy 
 days may be prolonged upon the land which Je- 
 hovah thy God giveth thee. 
 
 Sixth Commandment. 
 Thou ihalt not commit murder. 
 
 Seventh Commandment. 
 Thou malt not commit adultery. 
 
 Eighth 
 
 * i. e. Beafts of labour or burden, camels, afTes, 
 mules, oxen, horfes. 
 
88 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Eighth Commandment. 
 
 i nsa'n . yb 
 teganab la 
 
 Ninth Commandment. 
 
 tlpm ir -jinn rum nV 
 lh^kjr od b^roc tone la 
 
 Tenth Commandment. 
 
 nwx Tttnn nV im jvn innn kV 
 
 afh^th tfhjmod la roc bith t<?h^mod la 
 bm nam ni^i in?2Ni nnm -jm 
 uccl uhflnwu ulhuru uamrthu uob^du roc 
 
 n^ "wit 
 
 kroc anVr 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 8) 
 
 Eighth Commandment. 
 Thou malt not fteal. 
 
 Ninth Commandment. 
 
 Thou (halt not bear lG falfe witnefs againft thy 
 neighbour * 7 , 
 
 Tenth Commandment, 
 
 Thou flialt not covet the houfe of thy neigh- 
 bour; thou fhait not covet the wife of thy neigh- 
 bour, nor his man-fervant, nor his maid-fervant, 
 nor his ox, nor his afs, nor any thing that is thy 
 neighbour's. 
 
 M Explanatory 
 
9o THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Explanatory Notes on the above Paffage. 
 
 i Jehovah — This is the appropriated name or title 
 of the true God among the Jews. A more full ex- 
 planation of its meaning will be given afterwards. 
 
 2 Houfe of Jlavery~Litt. the houfe of flaves, or 
 bondmen. 
 
 3 Thou Jhalt have no Jl range god, &c. — Strange, or 
 alien, exprefTes more properly the force of the terra 
 EZKinK than other, in our tranflation. The prohibition 
 is, You fhall not have in your poiTefiion, as objects of 
 adoration, any forms or memorials of the gods of the 
 neighbouring nations devoted to idolatry •, for this 
 would be an infult upon my prefence, Pfal. xvt. 4. 
 " Their forror/s {hall be multiplied that haften after 
 M another god— their drink offerings of blood will I not 
 *« offer, nor take up their names into my lips." 
 
 It ought to have been translated, " Their forrows 
 " fhall be multiplied who haften to adopt ftrange gods 
 << — I win prefent no drink offerings of blood to them, 
 " nor will I lift up their names upon my lips." — To 
 lift up the name of a god, is an idiomatic phrafe in 
 Hebrew, to fignify an a£t of folemn religious worfhip, 
 addreffed to the Deity, by calling his name. The in- 
 
 fpire4 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 91 
 
 fpired author means, " I wi'l offer no part of religious 
 " fervice to fuch alien gods/' For, as he adds, in ver. 5. 
 c< Jehovah is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my 
 " cup." 
 
 4 Carved reprefentation — Vd3 properly fignifies any 
 figure carved with a graving tool. It chiefly expreffes 
 figures in wood or frone, of which materials the earlieft 
 idols were made. It was late before molten images 
 were introduced, or fuch as were made of metal liqui- 
 fied by fire, and caft into moulds. 
 
 5 In heaven above — That is, any reprefentation of 
 any of the heavenly bodies, the fun, moon, or ftars, 
 the clouds, or perhaps the fowls of the air, which laft 
 word is frequently named the heaven, in Hebrew Scrip- 
 ture. 
 
 6 In the earth below — Reprefentation of any of the 
 animals upon the earth, of any kind or quality. 
 
 7 In the waters under or be lew the earth — Reprefen- 
 taiion of any fifties, or aquatic animals. 
 
 8 Jealous God — i. e. An avenging God, particularly 
 ready to punifh this fin of idol-worfhip, which, among 
 antient nations, was the parent of every abomination, 
 and is ftill in many places of the earth, the fource of 
 
 much 
 
92 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 much evil and moral depravity. This is evident from 
 th^ hiftnry of the Old Teflament reflecting the wormip' 
 of Moloch, Baalpeor, the Golden Calf, and the Calves 
 at Dan and Bethel. Recollect alfo the impure rites 
 pra<51ifed among the Greeks and R.omnns, and the hu- 
 man facrifices which take place among many fa vase 
 nations. 
 
 9 To the third ami fourth generation — To the third 
 and fourth in the line of defcent. 
 
 10 Mercy to thoufands — Mercy to the thcufandth gene- 
 ration, in the line of defcenti What an amiable view 
 of the Divine goodnefs ! How beautifully does mercy 
 rejoice over judgment ! 
 
 li Thou J<j ait not lift upthe name—oze note 3. Ac- 
 cording to our Engltfh tranflationj "Thou fhalt not 
 a take the name of h Lord thy G-od in vain," the, 
 Interoreters feem to have reftricted the meaning to a. 
 prohibition of what is called prophane (wearing in com- 
 mon converfation, which no doubt is very blameable 
 and offenfive to all pious perfons. Though the precept 
 may imply this, yet the opinion- of the beft commen- 
 tators is \ referable,, That this commandment properly 
 contains a foleinn prohibition of perjury, or (wearing a 
 falfe oath, i. e. afferting a falfehood in the name of the 
 God of Truth, the Guardian, of Innocence, the Aven- 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 93 
 
 ger of Wickednefs. Another meaning may be, a pro- 
 hibition againft applying the name of the true God, or 
 afcribing his honours, to a vanity, i. e. an idol, which, as 
 the Apoftle Paul fays, is nothing in the world. The com- 
 mon title given in Scripture to the heathen gods is va- 
 nities, things of nought, neither objects of fear nor of 
 truft, whofe power needs not to be dreaded, and whofe 
 favour is of no avail. 
 
 1 2 Rcjl in honour of Jehovah — I think this translation 
 exhibits a jufter meaning than the common one, the 
 Sabbath of the Lord thy God. The prepofition Vfe is often 
 ui'ed to exprefs in honour of, or by appointment of and: 
 more clearly points out the great defign of the inftitu- 
 tion of the Sabbath, as a periodical reft for man and 
 bealt, and a proper allotment of time for rational beings 
 to meditate upon God, and recollect, with fentiments 
 of true devotion, his power, wifdom, and goodnefs, fo 
 cortfpicuoufly difphyed in the creation and prefervation 
 of the Univerfe. 
 
 Rfied — i. e. Ceafed from creation. By this term the 
 .completion of the work is reprefented ; conveying, 
 however, no intimation of wearinefs and fatigue in the 
 Deity, as if retiring into the repofe of Epicurus's gods. 
 According to the language and doftrine of Scripture, 
 the Creator continues to be the Preferver of the uni- 
 
 verfej 
 
94 THE ELEMENTS OF- 
 
 verfe, and never fufpends his parental care. Oar Sa- 
 viour, vindicating his own conduct in performing mi- 
 raculous cures on the Sabbath, corrects the fuperfti- 
 tious notions of the Jews with refpect to the refl of that 
 day. John v. 17. " Jefus anfwered them, My father 
 " worketh hitherto, ' and I work." See Dr Clarke's 
 excellent paraphrafe on the pafTage. 
 
 14 Blejfed thefeventh day — Appointed it for a blejfng 
 and relief to mankind. 
 
 15 Sanftified it-~ Diftinguifhed it from all other days 
 — fet it fpecially apart for reft and devotion. 
 
 \6 Bear falfe ivitnefs — The original word here ren- 
 dered to bear, properly fignifies to anfwer, to make a 
 reply or return to fome queftion ; and the precept cer- 
 tainly means to enjoin the greateft tendernefs with re- 
 fpecl to our neighbour's character, and to prohibit every 
 degree of calumny and falfe accufation. 
 
 17 Thy neighbour — The original word in ufed here, 
 and in the following precept, the fifteenth Pfalm, and 
 many ether paflages of Scripture, properly means 
 any of our fellow: creatures, who, by this term, are 
 all recommended to us as common friends. It is ge- 
 nerally rendered by words that imply contiguity of 
 Situation or dwelling, n^ncr, proxitnus, focius, neigh- 
 bour, 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. qj 
 
 bour, companion, one in whom we either are or ought 
 to be interefted. Cain had no jufl: fenfe of this rela- 
 tion, when he faid, Am I my brother's keeper? And 
 the Jewifti teacher, converting with our Saviour, in the 
 tenth chapter of Luke, had very little knowledge of 
 the law, or of his profefljoq, when he afked the que(lion s 
 Who is my neighbour ? 
 
 ^B73 
 
§$ THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 3 ibvra 
 
 natyn bx Trim >n i 
 
 o^n rmtyi o^ 1 *pK *o 2 
 
 ^w ^k r-ittio non 3 
 t -p 1 ? mV by 02D3 
 
 ■p 1 ? ban mrr *-m hdi 5 
 
 inn "pain bra 6 
 
 TWai can ^nn h» 7 
 jpiD "iiDi mm r\x n? 
 
 ■pwV »nn mam 8 
 :*pmnaex^ v)p2n 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 9; 
 
 Proverbs, Chap. III. 
 
 1 My fon, forget not my law, 
 
 and let thine heart keep my commandments : 
 
 2 For length of days, and years of life, 
 and peace fhall they add to thee. 
 
 3 Let not companion and truth forfake thee ; 
 bind them around thy neck ; 
 
 engrave them upon the tablet of thine heart. 
 
 4 So (halt thou find favour and profperitv 
 in the fight of God and man. 
 
 5 Confide in Jehovah with all thine heart, 
 and lean not on thine own underftanding. 
 
 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, 
 and he fhall make thy paths (traight. 
 
 7 Be not wife in thine own eyes ; 
 fear Jehovah, and depart from evil. 
 
 8 It fhall be healing tc, thy flefh *, 
 and marrow to thy bones. 
 
 * LXX. taa-ii kttxi tm <?6ip*Tt <ns. The reading in 
 their copy was probably "pti'2'? lebaRierec, inftcad of 
 TVw'*? \e(hatec. 
 
 N 
 
5 S THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 ■pinn r-nrp-riK "m:> 9 
 
 DKDn-hK ^3 rnrn "idits 11 
 nnnmra ypn h*t 
 
 mav r-nrv* in** -itsm dk s d 12 
 :n2TP p-na nnm 
 
 rmrm i^2J» o*in new 13 
 ♦♦rmin pisp a-un 
 
 *p3 -mon mno aio *a 14 
 t nrumn ynnm 
 
 a^^sn **rn mp^ 15 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 99 
 
 9 Honour Jehovah from thy fubftance, 
 and from the beft part of all thy crop : 
 
 10 So mail thy barns be filled with plenty, 
 
 and thy prefles ihal! overflow with new wine. 
 
 1 1 My fon defpife not the correction of Jehovah ; 
 neither be weary of his reproof. 
 
 1 2 For whom Jehovah loves he reproveth ; 
 
 and corre&eth the fon whom he favoureth *. 
 
 13 Happy is the man that findeth wifdom, 
 
 and the man that getteth hold of knowledge: 
 
 14 For her merchandize is better than the mer- 
 
 chandize of filver, 
 and her produce than fine gold* 
 
 1 5 She is more valuable than pearls ; 
 
 and all the objects of thy delight cannot b# 
 compared unto her. 
 
 * This Is according to the tr an flat ion of the Seventy, 
 as quoted by the Apoftle, Heb, xii. 6. " Whom the 
 " Lord loveth he chafteneth, and fcourgeth every fon 
 «* whom he receiveth." — It ought to have been, " whom 
 • : he accepteth," or, « whom he favoureth." 
 
ioo THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 rnta'a era* -ps 16 
 
 tcaiVw srhjrna b3i 
 
 1>"m td" n?32nn r-nm 19 
 
 trpi: r-mainn inxns 20 
 j hta wr td'pnvi 
 
 nnmi r-pttnn "iss: 21 
 t ywa itV* 1 Sk *:3? 
 
 •]3"n n&3b -jbn m 23 
 : rpan ***? iVam 
 
 nnsn i^V 3312m a** 24 
 j-jiw m-im D2D^ 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. »tf 
 
 1 6 Length of days is in her right hand ; 
 in her left, riches and honour. 
 
 1 7 Her ways are ways of pleafantnefs, 
 and all her paths, peace. 
 
 18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold 
 
 upon her-; 
 and they that keep her faft are bleffed. 
 
 19 Jehovah, by wifdom, founded the earth ; 
 eflablifhing the heavens by underflanding. 
 
 20 By his knowledge the deeps are broken up *, 
 and the fkies drop dew. 
 
 21 Keep found wifdom and difcretion, 
 
 my fon, let them not depart from thy view. 
 
 22 For they mall be life to thy foul, 
 and ornament to thy neck. 
 
 23 Then (halt thou walk thy way in confidence, 
 and thy foot mall not (tumble. 
 
 24 If thou lieft down thou malt not be afraid ; 
 yea, thou (halt lie down, and thy deep (hall 
 
 be fweet. 
 * See Genefis, vii. 11. 
 
102 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 rzjKna iTtsfi ^rn hx 25 
 :i?an o cyan r-userbi 
 
 -jbDm s-pjt Him *a 26 
 
 «naVn i^i -men 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. i©~ 
 
 « 5 Thou fhalt not be difmaid at fudden terror, 
 nor at the defolation of the wicked when it 
 cometh, 
 
 26 For Jehovah mall be on thy way*, 
 and (hall keep thy foot from every fnare. 
 
 * LXX. y#£ Ki'g<«s tTTttt net icotwv 'otctv o-tf. Probably 
 they mi^ht read inVOTD^ tte-uirnVt^c, in via tua, on thy 
 way, which makes the fenfe much more coherent than 
 the reading of the common copies, "T7CD1 beckefe\ec 9 
 infiducia tua y thy confidence. 
 
 CHAR 
 
"^•4 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 Of the Nature and Genius of Hebrew Grammar* 
 
 THE Terms of Grammar, in Hebrew, and 
 the other Eaflern Languages, are very- 
 different from thofe of Greek and Latin Gram- 
 mar, which the common courfe of education 
 renders fo familiar as to fuperfede the neceffity 
 of a particular explanation. 
 
 That nice attention to the changes of termina- 
 tion, fo requfite in acquiring the knowledge of 
 other antient languages, has here no exiflence. 
 We defcend from Words to their Elements ; and 
 the accurate knowledge of letters is the prin- 
 cipal part of Hebrew Grammar. 
 
 Its flexion nearly approaches that of the mo- 
 dern languages, particularly the Englifh. The 
 
 relations 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 105 
 
 relations and dependencies of nouns are not dii- 
 tinguiflied by Terminations, or Cafes, but by 
 Particles or Prepontions prefixed. The Perfons, 
 Moods, or Tenfes of Verbs, are not marked by 
 the changes of their laft fyllables, but by means 
 of letters of a particular order, which fometimes 
 appear in the middle, fomelimes in the beginning, 
 and fometimes in the end of the original word. 
 For the full unuerftanding of this circumftance, 
 it is neceffary to attend to the following diftinc- 
 tion. 
 
 All the letters of the alphabet are divided into 
 two claffes. They are either Radical or Servile. 
 
 The firft conllitute primitive or original words, 
 which, by a fignificant metaphor, are called roots. 
 
 The fecond conftitute derivatives, or branches 
 from thefe roots, and are employed in all the dif- 
 ferent flexions. 
 
 O The 
 
ioS THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 The Roots are generally verbs, and confifc 
 commonly of three, fometimes of two, rarely of 
 four letters. 
 
 All the twenty-two letters of the alphabet may 
 
 • be radicals, i. e. primitive words may confift of 
 
 any of thefe letters ; but eleven letters properly 
 
 claim this title, becaufe they never can beferviles. 
 
 The Serviles are the other eleven letters, by 
 means of which the whole bufinefs of Flexion, 
 Derivation, Numbers, Genders, Perfons, and 
 Tenfes is accompliftied. 
 
 Even thefe letters are fomewhat limited in 
 their fervile power ; for only two of them, viz. 
 1 and % can be inferted or ingrafted between ra- 
 dical letters ; the others mull either be prefixed 
 or poft-nxed to the root. 
 
 The 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR, ic; 
 
 The Eleven Radicals. 
 
 r/^ 
 
 Eleven Scrvilcs 
 
 y 
 
 
 « 
 
 i 
 
 
 3 
 
 T 
 
 
 n 
 
 n 
 
 
 1 
 
 © 
 
 
 ■s 
 
 D 
 
 
 3 
 
 V 
 
 
 V 
 
 9 
 
 
 73 
 
 at 
 
 
 3 
 
 P 
 
 
 ur 
 
 -> 
 
 
 n 
 
 It is remarkable that the alphabet mould be 
 equally divided between thefe two kinds of let- 
 ters. 
 
 Few words have more than ten letters. Thofe 
 which confift of that number are not many. A 
 great number confifts of three or four. But, of 
 whatever letters any word confifts, it mud at leafl 
 contain one of a radical character. 
 
 CHAP. 
 
ioS 
 
 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 Of Nouns Sub/iantive. 
 
 NOUNS have only two genders, mafculine 
 and feminine. Their cafes are not diflin- 
 guifhed by terminations, but by letters or pre- 
 pofitions prefixed, as in Englifh. 
 
 The common figns of the cafes are, 
 Of the 
 
 b fignifying, to, for, in ho- 
 nour of, made by. 
 ni* Which feldom admits of 
 tranflation into Englifh af- 
 ter an aclive verb. When 
 prefixed to a perfon, it 
 commonly fignifies With. 
 To 1 After verbs of 
 Upon j motion. 
 In, by. 
 From. 
 
 The 
 
 Gen. and Dat. 
 
 Accufative 
 
 Ablative 
 
 B or p 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 109 
 
 The letter n is the definite article often placed 
 before nouns, anfwering the fame purpofe as the 
 Greek article •', «, re, or The, in Englilh. 
 
 Declcvjlon cf Nouns Subjlanthe. 
 
 The Declenfions are two : 
 
 1 Of mafeuiines, which form their plural by 
 adding o^ to the fingular. 
 
 2 Of feminin.es, which fcrm the plural by add- 
 ing rn to the fingular. 
 
 Of Nouns Mufculine. 
 Mafculine nouns are, 
 
 Names of men -m David 
 
 Of offices belonging to men "jm A king 
 
 tosltz/ A judge 
 Of rivers yvrs Pifchon 
 
 Of mountains Ve*d Carmel 
 
 Of 
 
no THE ELEMENTS OF * 
 
 Of nations rap An Hebrew 
 
 Of months p^ Nifan. 
 
 Or they are known by their terminating in a 
 radical letter, or in i a ) ; 
 
 -a*7 A word 
 •op An afflicted man 
 avns A ranfom, redemption. 
 This rule is not univerfal. 
 
 Feminine s. 
 
 Names of women ton Rachel 
 
 Offices belonging to women ni^vu A midwife 
 
 Countries or provinces Egnxn -^gypt 
 
 Cities inn 1 ' Jericho. 
 
 Or they are known by their terminations, far 
 the greater part of feminine nouns ending either 
 in n or n, 
 
 raw 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. n: 
 
 n^K A woman 
 npbn A part or portion 
 mm Law, do&rine 
 n^rm Wifdom 
 nnsa Sulphur 
 mSD Lid of a cheft, a cover. 
 
 Yet niD Death, is mafculine, and there arc 
 many ether exceptions. 
 
 Example of a Mafculine Hebrew Noun, with its 
 Prepofitions, or Signs of Cafes prefixed. 
 
 Singular. Plural. 
 
 Nom. -j^a a king s^Va Kings 
 
 G. D. -]b72b of, to, for a king coVaV 
 
 Ace. -jVDnK a king sa'aVnrot 
 
 Voc. -jVd O king svsbn 
 
 Abl. -jVm in a king o^ca, 
 
 -jVan from a king co^nn 
 
 Sometimes the vocative has n before it, as 
 a van «?«wy. The figns of the cafes are con- 
 joined 
 
a ia THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 joined with the noun, as if they were a part of 
 it, which is, very apt to perplex the learner, as he 
 muft (trip the noun of thsfe figns, before its pri- 
 mitive form can appear. 
 
 Inftances of this in our own language would 
 feem very uncouth : Aman, theman, toaman* 
 withaman, fromthekings, intheday. 
 
 The conjunction i and, alfo the comparative 
 letter d fignifying as, like to, and the article n the, 
 are prefixed to nouns, in the fame manner as if 
 they were a part of thefe nouns. 
 
 anmi "isd A book and words 
 
 CD^ai "y?72 A king and nations 
 
 ypD As a tree 
 
 nnsD Like a lion 
 
 ^72tyn The fun 
 
 yiKn The earth. 
 
 All the fervile letters ufed as prefixes to nouns, 
 are comprehended in the memorial nVsi nwn 
 
 Examples 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. u 3 
 
 Examples to be declined -as above* 
 
 hsD A book m 1 ? A heart 
 
 few A man pty A neighbour 
 
 WI3K A man bxy A fluggard 
 
 niy A prince -iy;j A boy 
 
 pVn An inn pn A fhield 
 
 •Ha A kid nyi A foreft. 
 
 Declenjion of Nouns Feminine. 
 
 Singular. 
 
 Plural. 
 
 Nom. mn A fword. 
 
 mmn Swords. 
 
 G. D. mnV 
 
 rwnnb 
 
 Ace. inn n» 
 
 nmn nw 
 
 Voc. tnn 
 
 nmn 
 
 Ab. mro 
 
 mnm 
 
 mnp 
 
 nmna 
 
 Feminines which end in n or n in the lingu- 
 lar, change thefe letters into ni in the plural. 
 
 P Singular 
 
U4 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Singular. PluraL 
 
 nsbn A queen jtdVd Queens 
 
 may A crown nvuoy Crowns 
 
 nisaa A lamb rrnsoa Lambs 
 
 naVp A virgin mnVy Virgins 
 
 nyVpn An engraving. nuftpo Engravings. 
 
 Sometimes n feminine of the fingular is 
 changed into j-i, and a plural mafculine termi- 
 nation is added, as r\iw a year, otisw /wo yran-, 
 q^H' and ni3Bf _y«*rj, are alfo in ufe. 
 
 Some mafculine nouns form their plurals after 
 the manner of feminines, as, 
 
 Singular. Plural. 
 
 UK A father mm* Fathers 
 
 "jaw A treafure nnxiK Treafures 
 
 caty A name rnnttf Names 
 
 his An army. nianat Armies, hofts* 
 
 On the other hand, fome feminines form thejr 
 plurals as mafculines, by changing H into q> 
 
 Singular. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 115 
 
 Singular. Plural. 
 
 nbn A word ta^n Words 
 
 hVn* An oak ed^k Oaks 
 
 nai* A dove l±P3\» Doves 
 
 n3Kh A fig-tree. D^n Fig-trees. 
 
 Some nouns have both a mafculine and femi- 
 nine termination in the plural. 
 
 Singular. Plural, 
 
 nsn A court Dni'n and nnsn Courts 
 b^n A palace, cpfcrn and n^n Palaces. 
 
 CHAP. 
 
ti6 THE ELEMENTS 0? 
 
 CHAP. VL 
 
 Of Adjettfoes and Participles. 
 
 THE fingular feminine of adjectives generally 
 terminates in n, the plural mafculine al- 
 ways in ed* the feminine in m 
 
 The fingular feminine of participles terminates 
 either in n or m, the plural in j-n 
 
 The prefixes of the fubftantive, or its figns of 
 cafe, are not repeated before the adjective. 
 
 p^36 iVttV to a juft king, 
 not pnaV ■jVnV 
 
 pnas 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 11/ 
 
 pns juftus ipia Vifitans vir 
 
 np-nas jufta mpiS 7 trr* r ■ 
 
 . ' J- Vifitans iemina 
 
 EPpvra juih mpia 3 
 
 mpHji juftae o^pip Vifitantes viri 
 
 nnpia Vifitantes feminae. 
 
 Adjectives an,d participles are often ufed as 
 fubftantives, particularly the participles prefent of 
 active verbs, expreffing not only a& 9 but habit or 
 practice, 
 
 Cuftodiens for cuftos "raw He that keepeth, 
 
 or, a keeper. 
 
 Scribens for fcriptor -,31D He that writes, 
 
 or, a writer. 
 
 Pafcens for paflor npn He that feeds, 
 
 or, a fhepherd. 
 
 When ufed in this fenfe, they have very often 
 the definite article n before them. 
 
 ittbttn He that teaches, or, the teacher. 
 11 in He that brings into fubjeclion. 
 The fubduer, 
 
 "VQVffil 
 
*i8 the elements of 
 
 tontt^ "ittv^n He that keepeth Ifrael. The 
 keeper of Ifrael. 
 
 The adjective commonly, and the participle 
 often, are placed after the fubftantive. 
 
 aio w>a Vir bonus. 
 Dan p Filius fapiens. 
 mns isp Sepulchrum apertunu 
 p*j/ttn Q^:k Homines impii. 
 mi tip nc^K Femina derelidta. 
 nimu> nwK Feminae derelictae. 
 
 A Angular adje&ive is fometimes joined to a 
 plural fubftantive. 
 
 pnat ta^K Dii juftus. 
 nti'p "oik T3 In manum Dominorum duri. 
 
 Sometimes a plural adjective has a fingular 
 fubftantive. 
 
 p*x tfix A thoufand man. Milk homo. 
 nsw D^ntyy Twenty year. Viginti annus. 
 
 Sometimes, 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR, u$ 
 
 Sometimes, but very rarely, the adje&ive has 
 a feminine termination when the fubftantive is 
 mafculine. 
 
 nnnna cV:n Swift feet 
 nibna caaa Lapides magnae,/cr magni 
 mm erry Lofty eyes. 
 
 CHAfc 
 
*20 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 CHAP. VIL 
 
 Comparifon of Adjectives '; 
 
 THE comparifon of adjectives is very fimple, 
 and is commonly performed by adverbs or 
 prepofitions ; forhetimes by a repetition of the 
 adjective. 
 
 The degrees of comparifon are expreifed by 
 inv ?nore, and inq moji, very much. The 
 firfl precedes, the other follows the adjective. 
 pHS inv morejuft, inn pns moft jiifl. 
 
 Sometimes, to exaggerate or enforce, thefe ad- 
 verbs are doubled, -mr "inv ind lav* 
 
 Comparifon is frequently denoted by the pre* 
 pofition jq or », while the adjective continues in 
 the pofitive degree. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAk. 121 
 
 Bona eft fapientia prae margaritis* 
 
 tinna «p3B TiNnm T2?3i ynhn ^ns aito 
 Better is my fruit than gold, even than fine gold 5 
 and my revenue than chofen filver<, 
 
 iV T2"i^» inm ^enm 
 Better is the man flow to anger than the ftrong j 
 And he who hath rule in his fpirit than the taker 
 of a city. 
 
 The fuperlative degree is exprefled by a repe- 
 tition of the pofitive. 
 
 mta nits Good, good 
 bli Via Great, great. 
 
 Ardor of fentiment naturally forces repetition. 
 O Abfalom ! my fon ! my fon ! 
 
122 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 :nVinx '•xra *yn 
 My bowels ! my bowels ! I am pained *V 
 
 Order of fucceflion-, or continuance, is ex- 
 prefled by repetition of perfons, number, or di- 
 vifion of time. 
 
 Man. by man wx wnt Man, man- 
 
 By pairs, two and two o^itf tzptti Two, two 
 Every day, or day by day 2M-V CSV Day, day. 
 
 If 
 
 * The repetition in the following lines is beautiful. 
 
 Ex illo, Cory don t Corydon eft, tempore, nobis. 
 
 Virg. Eclog. \ii„ 
 
 Te, dulcis corijux, te folo in littore, fediim 
 Tc, veniente die, te,.decedente canebat. 
 
 Virg. Georg. lib. iv, 
 
 Me, me, adfum qui feci, in me convertite ferrum, 
 O Rutuli. Mea fraus omnis : 
 
 Virg. JEneid. lib. ix. 
 
 — — — Non ilia virum, tion ilia pericli, 
 Telorumcuie memor. 
 
 Ibid. lib. is. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 12^ 
 
 If the conjunction 1 intervene, oppofition or 
 diverfity is meant. 
 
 In a heart and in a heart they fpeak. *. e. They 
 fpeak with duplicity of heart. 
 
 There (hall not be to thee in thy bag a ftone and 
 a flone, a great and a final!, i. e. Thou fhalt 
 not have different weights 
 
 :n:api nVna nsnn pjPK $n*a9i ^ rvrr kV 
 
 There mail not be to thee in thy houfe an ephah 
 and an ephah, a great and a fmall. /*. e. Thou 
 (halt not have different meafures. 
 
 Inftead of -jx rs very, the propofition 1 is pre- 
 iaxed to a noun-collective, or to a plural. 
 
 dpi cnyn Brutifh among the people. The 
 mod brutifh of the people. 
 
124 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 dtki E-vtms The treacherous among men# 
 or, The moft treacherous of men*. 
 
 The other methods of comparifon, or of ex- 
 preffing the fuperlative degree, will be explained 
 in the next chapter. 
 
 * The expreffions, San&ae Deorum, 
 
 Virg. 
 
 t;z Steeav, 
 
 Homer. 
 
 it ftxTccat rar etvfyunuv, 
 
 Lucian. Dial. Mort. Dial. j. 
 bear fome refemblance to this conftru&ion. 
 
 CHAR 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. i$J 
 
 CHAP. VII. 
 
 Of Nouns in Government or Conjiruclion *. 
 
 WHEN two fubftantives, different in their 
 fignifications, follow one another, the: 
 firji of them is faid to be in government or con- 
 struction, and commonly fuffers a change of ter- 
 mination, The fecond, which, in Greek or Latin, 
 is the word governed^ fuffers no change, though 
 it is to be confidered as in the genitive, and is to 
 be tranflated with the fign of that cafe. Were 
 I allowed to coin a new term, I would call it the 
 Genitive of Pofition. 
 
 As 
 
 * Though the fubjecl of this chapter properly be- 
 longs to Syntax, it was necefTary to introduce it here, 
 not only on account of the change which conflruction, 
 produces jn nouns, but becaufe this change occurs in; 
 almofl: every fentence of the language. 
 
•126 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 As this is the only change which Hebrew 
 nouns undergo, excepting that expreflive of the 
 plural number, it requires a particular explana- 
 tion. 
 
 Nouns (landing alone, or confidered by them- 
 felves as independent of other words, are, by 
 Hebrew grammarians, faid to be injlatu abfoluto; 
 but, when thefe nouns are placed before fubflan- 
 tives, which differ from them in fignifieation, they 
 are faid to be injlatu regiminis five conftruBo. 
 
 All words whatever may be confidered either as 
 abfolute or appropriated, as in a general or par- 
 ticular flate. Thus, for inftance, 
 
 The words, Kings, Ships, Houfe, Law, Fifoes, 
 (landing alone, are in ftatu abfoluto. They be- 
 long, fo to fpeak, to nothing. But, when I fay, 
 Kings of the earth, Kings of IfraeL Ships of War, 
 Houfe of God, Law of the Lord, Fijhes of the fea, 
 Fijhes of the river, I take thefe words out of their 
 abfolute flate, and put them in a reftridled or ap- 
 propriated flate. A change is made upon them, 
 
 but 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 127 
 
 but none upon the words that follow them. This 
 change is therefore very naturally, and even phi- 
 lofophically, marked in Hebrew by a change of 
 the terminations of the words fo reftri&ed. They 
 are in Jlatu regiminis Jive conjlruilo, or perhaps, 
 more properly, rejlriclo, 
 
 Sometimes the word in regimen fuffers no 
 change. When this is the cafe, its regimen is 
 known only by juxta-pofiiion : For the rule is 
 univerfal and invariable, that the word in Jlatu 
 regiminis is always placed immediately before the 
 word, which is to be tranflated as in the geni- 
 tive. 
 
 The changes made upon words, when placed 
 in Jlatu regiminis, are principally thefe, 
 
 1 cd final, in mafculine plurals, is expunged,- 
 which makes them terminate in 1 
 
 1 n the mark of the feminine lingular, is 
 changed into j— 1, while j-n of the plural remains 
 unchanged. 
 
 Attention 
 
jfcS THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Attention to the following examples will ren- 
 der this peculiarity of Hebrew Syntax perfectly 
 familiar. 
 
 Nouns in their abfoluiejldte. 
 
 Q^Vq Kings 
 
 nraa Ships 
 
 iva A houfe 
 
 rmn Law 
 
 0^7 Fifhes. . 
 
 The 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR, 
 
 129 
 
 The fame Nouns in Regimen with their Genitives 
 of Pofition immediately after them. 
 
 yia i^n Kings of the earth 
 
 bmw> "oVn .Kings of Ifrael 
 
 nran^ ttp3n Ships of war 
 
 bx rcn The Houfe of God 
 
 mm mm The Law of Jehovah 
 
 pVl •oi Fifties of die fea 
 
 "in an 1*1 Fifties of the river. 
 
 It will be of great advantage to the learner, if 
 he frequently read the following examples of 
 nouns in regimen with their fubfequent genitives, 
 and endeavour to commit them to memory. 
 
 c^ttw tid 2 Fowl of heaven 
 ^ttfn -mitt The inftruction of wifdom. 
 E^NBn i*n The way of finners 
 ym *»Dim The bounds of the earth 
 Vm tanicr A rod or fceptre of iron 
 
 R to* 
 
130 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 pnas TTSt Sacrifices of righteoufnefs 
 cs^n mat The way of life 
 T~vv Misty The lips of a ftrange woman 
 
 nttN ny A witnefs of truth 
 nra <3ii The ways of death 
 rb^at^ ityiTs The feat of the mockers 
 IBP bayn The path of uprightnefs 
 ca^nV^n Tibx The God of gods 
 O^D 'j9*9tt Streams of water 
 
 "»33 *33 The fons of the ftranger 
 cnx p A fon of man 
 nin^ m~n The arm of Jehovah 
 ana "O^s Canals of water 
 Esntt" ~m The generation of the upright 
 fcrytzn m^n The defire of the wicked 
 
 Hk no The houfe of God 
 Ci a mrjbtt^ Kingdoms of the nations 
 nrnnVn K33 The hoft of the war or of the bat- 
 tle 
 cma s nns The gates of the nobles 
 yw\ ^hk The tents of the wicked 
 ov-aty SE'' The days of heaven 
 onn "HDitt The foundations of the hills 
 mrr nK~p The fear of Jehovah 
 
 ypaq 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 131 
 
 yi*e *"afljy Judges of the earth 
 bstt/a ntt»m The paths of judgment. 
 
 Participles and adjectives are frequently placed 
 in the Hate of Regimen, and by that means they 
 are connected with the fubftantives which follow 
 them. 
 
 Examples. 
 
 mm K"V One that feareth the Lord, r. e. 
 
 A fearer of the Lord 
 tq "H-p They that go down to the pit 
 The goers down of the pit 
 -p*i nmy Thofe that pafs by 
 
 The pafTengers of the way 
 n 1 ? ivn Void of heart 
 
 Deftitute of underflanding or cour* 
 age 
 mi bDV Having a humble fpirit 
 
 Humble of fpirit 
 20 nan Liars 
 
 Speakers of falfehood 
 
 arte 
 
1 3 2 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 a^nsw KQ&] Having unclean lips 
 Unclean of lips 
 nV *nc" Upright in heart 
 Upright of heart 
 px ^ina They thai work iniquity 
 
 Doers of iniquity 
 map "»ni2P Thofe who dwell in the extreme 
 parts 
 The inhabitants of the extremities. 
 
 Both energy and elegance are happily con-* 
 joined in the following expreflions : 
 
 can wk A bloody man 
 A man of blood 
 ]wb epk A talkative man 
 A man of tongue 
 D^lfl TTO Glay -built houfes 
 
 Houfes of day 
 niV ^twa Courageous men 
 Mdvz of heart 
 zz^vizri W^ A violent man 
 
 A man of violence. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. *$$ 
 
 1SDO T17D Few 
 
 Men of number 9 that can eafily b& 
 counted 
 •hid tit^ My privy counfellors, or 
 My intimate friends 
 The men of 'my fecret 
 obiy tidd As thofe long dead 
 As the dead of ages 
 nman '32i Thofe that are near death, or con* 
 demned to die 
 Sons of death 
 3^2jrn anb Bread acquired with much pain and 
 anxiety 
 The bread of farrows. 
 
 Sometimes the Status regim'yiis is employed to 
 foften the found, or to vary the expreflion; when 
 the following word is not the genitive of por- 
 tion, but is governed by a prepofition. in •'Din 
 they who trufl in him, for in e^Din 
 
 When a fubftantive is in Jlatu regiminis, and 
 fuffers a change upon that account, the corref- 
 ponding adjective fuffers no change, but con- 
 tinues 
 
'2 34 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 tinues as if the conftrucled fubflantlve were In 
 the abfolute ftate; 
 
 orphan ^a D-'-ii'm mrp wyo o^na 
 
 Great are the works of Jehovah, fought out by- 
 all that delight in them. 
 
 Where aftm great; and own fought out, 
 are in the abfolute ftate, though nw?a works, the 
 fubftantive each of them agrees with, is in Jlatu 
 regiminis. 
 
 It was neceffary to explain the ftate of regi- 
 men, in order to illuftrate the propriety of the 
 following forms of comparifon. 
 
 To exprefs the greateft, or the higheft quality, 
 the noun is fometimes repeated, appearing firft 
 in the ftate of regimen, and then in the genitive 
 of portion. 
 
 V2V 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. *^| 
 
 erEm *T2W The higheft heavens 
 
 The heavens of heavens 
 QWTp tu/Tp The moil holy place 
 
 The holy of holies 
 £p*vu/n "pW The moft excellent fong 
 
 The fong of fangs 
 cVnn Vnn Complete vanity 
 
 Vanity of vanities. 
 
 A very high degree is exprefled by joining 
 two words nearly fynonimous, the firfl being in 
 Jlaiu regiminis. 
 
 *b % 3 nnofc' My chief joy 
 
 Laetitia gandii met 
 |vn trta Deep clay 
 Lutum coeni. 
 
 To exprefs the fuperhtive degree, the name. 
 of God is very often fubjoined to words in Jiatu 
 regiminis, Vk r\bx oti'jk God. 
 
 T«S 
 
t$6 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 bx tin Cedars of God, i. e* 
 
 The loftieji cedars 
 Vk mn The mountains of God 
 The higheji mountains 
 CO N^E DTiVk ibs The river of God, full of 
 
 waters *. 
 
 * An elegant expreffion to denote rain. 
 
 CHAP. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 137 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 Of Pronouns. 
 
 I HE detached Perfonal Pronouns are thefe, 
 
 Singular. 
 
 *338 or ^n I 
 
 nnK Thou M. 
 >riN n« Thou F. 
 Nirt He 
 ion She. 
 
 Plural. 
 
 13K 13m 1Dn3K We 
 
 an* Ye M. 
 jnx Ye F. 
 nan on They M. 
 njn |n They F. 
 
 S The 
 
138 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 The figns of the cafes are thus prefixed* 
 
 
 Singular. 
 
 Nom. 
 
 *33K '•DK I 
 
 G. D. 
 
 <h Of, to, for me * 
 
 Ace. 
 
 vm* Me 
 
 Abl. 
 
 »i In me 
 
 
 ••3737a From me. 
 
 Plural. 
 
 Nom. 
 
 13773 
 
 3I3773K We 
 
 G. D. 
 
 
 iaV Of, to, for us 
 
 Ace. 
 
 
 iam» Us 
 
 Abl. 
 
 
 13a In us 
 33 eq From us. 
 
 Singular, 
 
 * iVttf Has been improperly reckoned the genitive, 
 it is compounded of Ttf for nttfK the relative, and ? the 
 fign of the dative, and is equivalent to Quod ejl mihi, 
 >X )W JT2; Domus Quae efl mihi t Mea domus t Domits mei. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 
 
 
 Singular. 
 
 Nom. 
 
 rrnx Thou M. 
 
 G. D. 
 
 •*f> Of, to, for thee 
 
 Ace. 
 
 •j din Thee 
 
 Abl. 
 
 •p In thee 
 
 
 <]£» From thee. 
 
 139 
 
 Plural. 
 
 Nom. or>K You, ye 
 
 Q. D, DDb Of, to, for you 
 
 Ace. pana You 
 
 Abl. oDi In you 
 
 pDtta From you. 
 
 Singular. 
 
 Nom. nK Thou F. 
 
 G. D. -jV Of, to, for thee 
 
 Ace. *]niK Thee 
 
 Abl. *p In thee 
 
 •po From thee. 
 
 Plural 
 
140 THE ELEMENTS QF 
 
 Plural. 
 
 Nom. ninK jr>K Ye, you F. 
 G. D. pV Of, to, for you 
 
 Ace. )ddk You 
 
 Abl. pa In you 
 
 pnn From you. 
 
 Singular. 
 
 Nom. Kin He 
 
 G. D. iV Of, to, for him 
 
 Ace. in ik Him 
 
 Abl. n In him 
 
 iipr> From him. 
 
 Plural. 
 
 Nom. nttn or on They M. 
 G. D. iDb on 1 ? Of, to, for them 
 Ace. oma Them 
 
 Abl. onn In them 
 
 on a From them. 
 
 Singular. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 14* 
 
 Singular. 
 
 Nom. ntt She 
 
 G, D. nV Of, to, for her 
 
 Ace, nniN Her 
 
 Abl, na In her 
 
 H3DD From her.. 
 
 Plural. 
 
 ls T oiru nan jn They F. 
 
 G. D. ]nV Of, to, for them 
 
 Ace. jnwiK Them 
 
 Abl. jm la them 
 
 |nn From them. 
 
 The accufatives of the perfonal pronouns have 
 frequently the particles Vk and by before them, 
 or with a Tod, ^k »^y Thus, "j^n to thee, irVy 
 v^o« or aga'mjl us. 
 
 ! 
 
 The ablatives have often before them or fig- 
 nifying with, as, 1722? with me, -\ny w/fA /£<?<?.. 
 Sometimes alfo id is prefixed to ar making a 
 compound prepofition, as *pyn /row w/VA thee, 
 xtajrofiom with us. 
 
 In 
 
i 4 2 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 In thefe pronouns, it is eafy to diflinguifh the 
 radical part to which the figns of cafes are pre- 
 fixed. This radical part conftitutes the affixes 
 mentioned in the next chapter. 
 
 The other pronouns are, 
 
 m Hie, is, ifte 
 run F. Haec Sing. 
 it Hie et haec 
 ^?K or nVK PI. Mi, illae, ilia . 
 
 -\wx Indech Qui, quae, quod. Sing, et PI. 
 •»» Quis? 
 n» Quid? 
 
 CHAP. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR* 'US 
 
 CHAP. X. 
 
 Concerning the Affixes. 
 
 THE Affixes, or, as they are fometimes called, 
 the Suffixes, are the perfonal pronouns 
 iubjoined to nouns and verbs. When fubjoined 
 to nouns, they may be called Pojfejfive Affixes, 
 when to verbs, Verbal Affixes. 
 
 Pojfejfive Affixes. 
 
 Singular. Plural. 
 
 * My ID Our 
 
 1 Thy M. 28 Your M. 
 
 1 Thy F. . p Your F. 
 
 in i His id d rzin Their M. 
 
 n Her jn ) Their F. 
 
 Verbal 
 
144 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Verbal Affixes. 
 
 Singular. 
 
 Plural. 
 
 ^ Me 13 Us 
 
 ro t Thee M. ed You Mi 
 
 •o T Thee F. p You Fi 
 
 in ii Him i» a on 'them M. 
 
 n n3 Her pThem F. 
 
 Thefe affixes are joined to nouns, verbs, parti- 
 ciples, and prepofitions, Which is the reafon why 
 a great number of words in this language have 
 the fame termination. 
 
 Feminine nouns ending in n change n into n 
 before they afTume the affixes, and infert * after 
 the plural feminine termination ro feemingly to 
 foften the found. 
 
 oof 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 145 
 
 C of the plural mafculine termination is ex- 
 pelled by the affixes, and when *■ my, is affixed 
 to the plural, after a is expelled, the ^ of the 
 plural alfo lofes its place, to prevent the hiatus 
 of two Tods ; in which cafe the fmgular and 
 plural coincide, and are diftinguifhable only by 
 the fenfe, or by other words in the fentence. 
 
 There is very little difference betwixt the pof- 
 feflive and the verbal affixes* 
 
 My * 
 
 After verbs is M Me, to me 
 
 His in i 
 
 After verbs in 13 Him 
 
 Belonging to her n 
 
 After verbs n n: Her perfonally* 
 
 an Mafc. and p Fern, are fubjoined both to 
 nouns and verbs j only, after the firft, they fig- 
 
 nify your, after the lalt, you. 
 
 to 
 
146 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 id Both as a poffeffive and a verbal affix, is 
 moftly ufed in poetic compofitions, for zzn or n 
 theirs, them. 
 
 I fhall here give an example of a mafculine and 
 feminine noun, fingular and plural, with the pof- 
 feffive affixes ; referving examples of the verbal 
 affixes till the verb be explained. 
 
 nSD A book M. 
 nsD My book 
 "nso for nsD My books 
 1D12D Our book 
 isnsD Our book*. 
 
 *]i5D Thy book 
 
 in 2D Thy books 
 
 omsD Your book M. 
 
 p-iSD Your book F. 
 
 aansD Your books M. 
 
 pnsD Your books F. 
 
 rise 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. i 4 ? 
 
 i-\2D His book 
 
 vi bd His books 
 
 17312D or Q"i3D Their book M. 
 
 onnso Their books M. 
 
 map Her book 
 
 PinsD Her books 
 
 )12D Their book F. 
 jnnsD Their books F. 
 
 nuin A reproach F. 
 
 ••nann My reproach 
 
 'main My reproaches 
 
 lansnn Our reproach 
 
 i^nisin Our reproaches. 
 
 ■jnmn Thy reproach 
 *rm£nn Thy reproaches 
 osnain Your reproach M. 
 pnsin Your reproach F. 
 
 
148 THE ELEMENTS OP 
 
 ta^msin Your reproaches M. 
 pTnsnn Your reproaches F. 
 
 m*nn His reproach 
 
 vmsnn His reproaches 
 
 itt or onsin Their reproach M. 
 
 vo or orpmsin Their reproaches M. 
 
 rnnsnn Her reproach 
 
 j-iTiflin Her reproaches 
 
 •jnspn Their reproach F. 
 trrmsnn Their reproaches F. 
 
 iK Father, nx brother, and en father-in-law* 
 aflume " before the affixes, as, *pnK thy father, 
 vnK his brother, n^n her father-in-law. 
 
 ns A mouth, changes n into * before the af- 
 fixes, as, -p3 thy month, vs his mouth* 
 
 For 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 143 
 
 For the benefit of the learner, a table of 
 nouns, with their prefixes and affixes, is fub* 
 joined. 
 
 Noun* 
 
*5<* THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Nouns alone* 
 
 rPttffc Anointed 
 •pn Middle, midft 
 n^i A houfe 
 nV A heart 
 r-inmn Reproof, admonition 
 mrn Hidden things 
 rbD A rock 
 bin A foot 
 ^a* The right hand 
 omys Youth 
 py A tree 
 -inn A word 
 Tns Fear 
 Dtv A name 
 n>D3 A path 
 TO.3 Glory 
 ytvu Tranfgreflion 
 >rt Life 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 15 
 
 The fame Nouns with their Affixes and 
 Prefixes. 
 
 "irptyn His anointed Aff. 
 1331 n 2 In the midft of us Pref. aff. 
 13 Til Our houfes Aff. 
 *pVa In thy heart Pref. aff. 
 "•nnmnV At my reproof Pref. aff. 
 cniTm And their dark fayings Pref. aff. 
 ybDn The rock Pref. 
 tampan Their feet Aff. 
 na^a In her right hand Pref. aff. 
 nmra Her youth Aff. 
 }»!Oi And as a tree Pref. 
 nn** My words Aff. 
 anna Your fear Aff. 
 "]BW Thy name Aff. 
 amai^naa From their paths Pref. aff. 
 mill And my glory Pref. aff. 
 orvyiffs Their tranfgreffions Aff, 
 ■«n My life, or lives Aff. 
 
J|* THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 rja Anger 
 p-ja Righteoufnefs 
 
 nup A bow 
 uni A head 
 r-i^n God 
 eras Faces 
 IDT Memorial 
 rim it" 1 Salvation 
 urn Neck 
 py Eye 
 hSip Young child 
 hip Voice 
 3N Father 
 rm Brother 
 tzin Father-in-law 
 iz/23 Soul 
 *-?t3 Dew 
 Titty Pillar 
 r-pn Houfe 
 itrsa Soul 
 ns Mouth 
 nam** Truth 
 av Day 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 153 
 
 *]£K3 In thy anger Pref. aff. 
 
 *pn23 According to ray righteoufnefs Pref. 
 
 afe 
 iDw'pi And his bow Pref. afF. 
 ll^Kin On his head Pref. aff. 
 Ya'hVit Our God Aff. 
 "pas From thy face Pref. afF. 
 ED"l»T Their memorial Aff. 
 ■jr.rvr^ In thy falvation Pref. aff* 
 ■pNias Thy neck Aff. 
 ■pa^y Thine eyes Aff. 
 "pWw Thy little ones Aff. 
 
 *]V")p Thy voice Aff. 
 ■pairt To thy father Pref. aff. 
 vntt His brother Aff. 
 rv»n Her father-in-law Aff. 
 ^•zib For my foul Pref. aff. 
 y^m And as dew Pref. . 
 mTi»y Her pillars Aff. 
 irpnm And in his houfe Pref. aff. 
 rz's: 3 In his foul Pref. aff. 
 van In his mouth Pref. aff. 
 nainnm And the truth Pref. 
 vo^i And in his days Pref. aff. 
 * ■ IT 
 
154 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 p"TK Lord 
 •ma Enemy 
 
 D^au Heavens 
 idid Band 
 pin Hot anger 
 ay People 
 is ik Treafure. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 155 
 
 ia*31"TK Our Lord AfF. 
 *]n~ii3i Thine enemies AfF. 
 I^nvj Thy heavens AfF. 
 tonviDia Their bands Aff. 
 
 I3nnm And in his hot anger Pref. afF. 
 *]tty , ? , ! And to thy people Pref. afF. 
 vnmiKn In his treafures Pref. afF. 
 
 CHAP. 
 
i 5 6 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 CHAP. XI. 
 
 Of Verbs. 
 
 ALL Verbs pafs through the fame forms, and 
 may be faid to have only one conjugation, 
 or rather to be indecli?iable. 
 
 The radical word remains unvaried, while the 
 inflection is carried on by Servile Letters, fome 
 of which perform their office as abbreviated Pro^ 
 nouns, prefixed or poftfixed to the original word;, 
 others as Characters of the different forms, and 
 twa of them, viz. "i and "* as Auxiliaries, inferted 
 between the radical letters. 
 
 The various appearances of Verbs, which, in 
 common grammars, are diftinguimed by the 
 
 terms 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 157 
 
 terms Modes and Voices, are called, by the Jewiih 
 grammarians, Conjugations, and have received 
 from them. the technical names of Kal, Niphal> 
 Hiphil and Hophal, and HithpaheL 
 
 Thefe names of the conjugations are derive4 
 from the old theme Vrs operatus eft, which the 
 grammarians employed as the model to repre- 
 sent all verbs, pronouncing the middle letter y as 
 a firong guttural. 
 
 H'j-'S Pahhal 
 Hysa Niphal 
 'rysn Hiphil 
 Span Hophal 
 '-jpsnn HithpaheL 
 
 All thefe are the third perfons lingular mafeu, 
 line of the preterite, in the different conjugations 
 which they denominate. 
 
 The word hffs is the Pure Roof, unburdened 
 with any fervile letter, and is, on this account, 
 more commonly named hp Kai, /. e. Levis. It 
 
 reprefents 
 
J^S THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 reprefents the a&ive voice, or conveys thd fimple 
 affirmation of the verb : 
 
 hys He wrought. 
 
 Niphal is the paffive of Kal, formed by pre- 
 fixing 3 to the radical letters : 
 
 hys) He or it was wrought. 
 
 Hiphil, in the active voice, is formed by pre- 
 fixing n to the firfl radical, and inferring » be- 
 twixt the fecond and the third. It fignifies, to 
 eaufe, or command another to perform the action 
 of the verb : 
 
 b^an He caufed to work. Operari fecit. 
 
 Hophal is the paffive of Hiphil, formed by 
 prefixing n to the radical letters, and fignifies to 
 be under the influence of the fore-mentioned 
 caufe r 
 
 hrsn 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. i0 
 
 h&pn He was caufed to work. 
 
 Hithpahel bears a near refemblance to the 
 middle voice of the Greeks, is formed by pre- 
 fixing nn to the radical letters, and commonly 
 fignifies to perform the action of the verb to one's 
 felf, or to repeat frequently the action. 
 
 '"■rpann He wrought his own work, or 
 wrought frequently. 
 
 The letters prefixed to, or inferted between r 
 the radical letters, are named the Charafterijlics 
 of the Conjugations, where they appear. 
 
 2 Characleriflic of Niphal 
 
 n and * of Hiphil 
 
 n - - of Hophal 
 nn - of Hithpahel. 
 
 Thefe technical terms have obtained fuch lone? 
 pofleiTion in Hebrew grammar, that it would be 
 difficult, and perhaps improper, to expel them 5 
 or to fubftitute others in their room. 
 
 The 
 
i6o THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 The chief inconvenience of them is, that they 
 reprefent only the pofition or fituation of the let- 
 ters in the different modes or voices, but give no 
 intimation of the meaning conveyed by thefe 
 modes. , 
 
 The following illuftration may be found ufe- 
 ful, though the old terms mould flill be retained. 
 
 Kal may be confidered as reprefenting the 
 verb in its fimple ftate, and may 
 be named, 
 The fimple form 
 
 Niphal The paffive of the fimple form 
 
 Hiphil The caufal form 
 
 Hophal The pqffive of the caufal form 
 
 Hithpahel The reflex or frequentative form. 
 
 Example 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 161 
 
 Example of a Verb, with the Signification of its 
 different Forms fubjoined. 
 
 Simple form ipa He vifited 
 
 Its pafllve -rasa He was vifited 
 
 Caufal form Tpsn He caufed ano- 
 
 ther to vifit 
 Its paflive npan He was caufed to 
 
 vifit 
 Reflex or frequenta- 
 tive form ipsnn He vifited himfelf 
 
 He fuperintended 
 his own affairs, 
 or, 
 He vifited fre- 
 quently*. 
 
 The 
 
 * The Maforites, by their points, create other two 
 conjugations, which they name Pihhel and Pyhhal. The 
 firft, active, fignifying, as they pretend, to perform the 
 action of the verb diligently, the other paflive, fignifying 
 that the action of the verb is diligently performed. The 
 
 X letters 
 
i62 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 The parts of the verb which require particular 
 attention, are, Kal, Niphal, and Hiphil. 
 
 The principal tenfes are, the pajl and the fu- 
 ture. Sometimes the participle prefentis made 
 ufe of to denote prefent time; the fubilantive 
 verb being underftood or implied in the perfonal 
 pronoun. 
 
 npis *3K Ego vjfitans ^pis *:k Ego operant. 
 
 The fubftantive verb mn or ninfuit; is feldom 
 introduced as an auxiliary to form compound 
 
 tenfes 
 
 letters of thefe conjugations, excepting in their pretend- 
 ed participles, are exactly the fame with thofe of Kal ; 
 nay, the fame with each other, only pointed in a diffe- 
 rent manner. Pihhel has Chirelc-breve under the firft 
 radical, Dagefh-forie in the fecond, and, below it, 
 Tzere. Pyhhal has Kibbutz under the firft radical, 
 Daoefh-forte under the fecond, and, below it, Patach. 
 What egregious trifling ! The noble fimplicity of an- 
 tient Hebrew writers was incompatible with fuch filly 
 difUnctions. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. - 163 
 
 tenfes with participles, as in Greek and Latin, 
 but it often appears by itfelf. 
 
 w Is ufed in the prefent tenfe for he is, or it 
 is, or they are, and with affixes, tyfc is ufed in 
 the fame manner ; and fometimes rPJTJ is found 
 in Niphal. 
 
 Hebrew verbs have but three moods : The 
 Indicative, Imperative, and Infinitive, which lafl 
 is called, by grammarians, -\xpa the fountain, 
 from -\vp fodit. The future is often ufed for the 
 imperative mood, as in the Ten Commandments. 
 
 The fubjun&ive 'or optative mood is expreffed 
 by conjunctions fituated before the indicative. 
 Sometimes the future fupplies the place of both, 
 or the infinitive with a prefix* 
 
 Kal, or the fimple form, has two participles, 
 active and paffive. The active, termed Benoni, 
 is formed by inferting 1 after the firft radical, as 
 ipis vifiting. The paffive, or Pahul, by infert- 
 ing 1 before the lafl, as Tips vtjited; but the 1 is 
 
 often 
 
1 64 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 often expunged in the text, efpecially in the par- 
 ticiple active, but may be retained in the pronun- 
 ciation. The other conjugations have alfo their 
 participles formed by prefixing a, as "ppsra * in 
 Hiphil, caufing to vifit ; ip3nr> in Hithpahel, 
 *vifiting his own, or frequently. They are all de- 
 clined as adjectives. 
 
 Tod inferted before the laft radicaL, denotes 
 the effect produced by the action of the verb, 
 without reference to time, or denotes only conti- 
 nuance, or eftablifhment. nwn to anoint, nisntt 
 anointing, mttftt anointed, rpttftt ejiablijhed in of- 
 jice by anointing. 
 
 Kal, pi 2 to jujlify, to declare jujl, free of the 
 crime alledged ; p"n:a jujlify ing, pns jujlified, 
 jn2i an habitually juji man. 
 
 All verbs are declined by fragments of the 
 perfonal pronouns, prefixed or poftfixed to the 
 radical letters. Thefe fragments are poftfixed in 
 the praeter tenfe of the indicative, and in the 
 
 imperative 
 * Q In this fituation, is denominated Mem praeformans. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 16"? 
 
 _? 
 
 imperative mood ; prefixed in moft of the per- 
 fons of the future tenfe, though, in fome of them., 
 they are both prefixed and poftfixed. 
 
 It is remarkable that, in the paft tenfe, the 
 verb or action is fet before the perfon, as, tniD 1 ? 
 Didici ego, learn did I ; where nnV is the root or 
 body of the verb To learn, ti is the fign of the 
 Perfon, from Tiltf* Qg.^H ego. But, in the future 
 tenfe, the verb or root is fet after the perfon, as, 
 TiD 1 ?^ / will learn, where k is ego, from 08 the 
 former part of the pronoun being generally pre- 
 fixed, and the latter affixed to the verb. 
 
 Fragments 
 
*6€ THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Fragments of Pronouns poftjixed in the Indicative, 
 
 Singular. 
 
 3d Perf. n She 
 
 2d Perf. n Thou M. & F. 
 
 1 ft Perf. vi L 
 
 Plural. 
 
 3d Perf. 
 2d Perf. 
 
 \ They 
 en Te M. 
 
 2d Perf. 
 
 in r* F. 
 
 ift Perf. 12 We. 
 
 Thefe letters jrcynn may be called the etimwfi 
 perfonal poftfixes of the preterite. 
 
 In the imperative the poftfixes are, 
 
 2d Perf. ling. F. ■> 
 2d Perf. plur. M. 1 
 2d Perf. plur. F. na With 1 fometimes 
 inferted after the middle radical. 
 
 Thefe 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 167 
 
 Th'efe letters rfifl* may be called the fans per- 
 fonal poftfixes of the imperative. 
 
 The prefixed and poflfixed pronouns of the 
 future are, 
 
 Singular. 
 
 3d Perf. M. - He Pref. 
 
 F. n She Pref. 
 
 cd Perf. M. n Thou Pref. 
 
 F. n Thou Pref. and i poft. 
 
 1 ft Perf. x I. Pref. 
 
 ' Plural. 
 
 3d Perf. M. ' Pref. 1 Poft. They 
 
 F. n Pref. n: Poft. They 
 
 2d Perf. M. n Pref. 1 Poft. Te 
 
 F. n Pref. m Poft. Te 
 
 1 ft Perf. a Pref. We. ' 
 
 Hence it appears, that the prefixes of the fu- 
 ture are the letters ]Krv Ita?i, and the poftfixes 
 
 the 
 
3 68 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 the letters rav lune the fame with the poftfixes 
 of the imperative formerly mentioned. 
 
 The whole inflection of verbs is carried on by 
 the affiflance of SEVEN Letters, j— ircirm 
 
 Sometimes ^ and n are added, merely to fof- 
 ten the found. When employed for this pur- 
 pofe, they are named Paralogical. 
 
 The letters ■* i n 4* may be fubflituted for 
 each other, i is often changed into t and n 
 into n or * *. 
 
 n As a prefix or characterise in verbs, and 3 
 charafteriflic of the paffive Niphal, are generally 
 fuperfeded by the perfonal prefixes of the future 
 of Niphal and Hiphil. t and ■■ frequently under- 
 go the fame fate. 
 
 Verbs are Perfect or Defective. Perfect, when 
 
 they 
 
 * Regula. Literae ejufdem organi facile inter fe 
 commutantur. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 169 
 
 they retain all their radical letters, through every 
 mood and form : Defective, not by wanting any 
 part of the verb, but by rejecting one or more 
 radical letters, in fome of their parts. 
 
 ipB He vifited, is a perfect verb ; "sxp He fat 
 or dwelt 1 is defective; becaufe, in the imperative, 
 infinitive, and future Kal, it lofes 1 radical, and is 
 abbreviated, rh'x He revealed, in like manner, 
 lofes, in fome perfons, n final, or has its place 
 fupplied by , or \ into which it is commuted. 
 
 In the language of Jewifh grammarians, the 
 radical letters are numbered from the theme "?ps? 
 £3 firft, p fecond, *? third radical. 
 
 Verbs defective in * and 3 firft radicals, are 
 faid to be defective in Pe Tod, and Pe Nun, 
 Thofe that double the fecond or middle radical, 
 are faid to be verbs, Duplicantia five geminantia 
 Ain, as mo He encircled, Thofe defective in 
 the third radical n are faid to be defective in 
 Lamed He, 
 
 Let 
 
170 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Let an example of a perfect verb be ips He 
 vifited, which is thus inflected : 
 
 Kal. The Indicative Active. Paji Time. 
 
 Singular. 
 
 3d Perf. nps He vifited 
 
 nips She vifited 
 r\ip2 Thou vifitedfl 
 TnpD I vifited. 
 
 Plural. 
 
 MpD They vifited 
 amps Ye vifited M, 
 ]DipD Ye vifited F. 
 linpB We vifited. 
 
 Participle Prefent. Benoni. 
 
 Singular. 
 
 np-js Vifiting M. 
 rnpia or mpis Vifiting F. 
 
 Plural 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 171 
 
 Plural. 
 
 onpis Vifiting M. 
 nnpis Vifiting F. 
 Or without the i after the firfl radical. 
 
 Participle Preterite. Pahul. 
 
 Singular. 
 
 Tips Vifitatus vifited M. 
 mips Vifitata vifited F. 
 
 Plural. 
 
 c^-nps Vifitati vifited M. 
 nmps Vifitatae vifited F. 
 
 Infinitive. 
 
 Tp2 or Tips To vifit. 
 
 Imperative. 
 
 IpB or Tips Vifit thou M. 
 **pfl Vifit thou F. 
 WpB Vifit ye M. 
 rUTipa Vifit ye F. 
 
 Future. 
 
iyz THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Future. 
 
 Singular. 
 
 lips'' He fhall vifit 
 Tipsn She fhall vifit 
 Tipsn Thou (halt vifit M. 
 "Hpsn Thou (halt vifit F. 
 ■npsN I fhall vifit. 
 
 Plural. 
 
 Hpjgi They {hall vifit M. 
 rmipsn They fhall vifit F. 
 
 npsn Ye fhall vifit M. 
 nmpsn Ye fhall vifit F. 
 
 Tip a: We fhall vifit. 
 
 The future is formed from the infinitive by 
 the addition of the prefixes and poflfixes, and 
 generally by the infertion of l after the middle 
 radical ; but 3 is not admitted into fome perfons, 
 viz. the fecond perfon fingular feminine, and the 
 
 third 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 
 
 l U 
 
 third and fecond perfons plural mafculine. Very 
 often, in writing, 1 medial of the other perfons is 
 omitted, but may be fupplied in reading, as in 
 the participle prefent. 
 
 The characleriftic letters that form Niphal, or 
 
 the pafiive voice, are 3 prefixed to the root, in 
 
 the preterite and participle ; and n prefixed to 
 the infinitive and imperative. 
 
 But, from thefe laft, 3 is expelled by n, and 
 both n and 3 are expelled from all the perfons of 
 the future Niphal, by the pronominal ferviles : 
 For it is a rule univerfally obferved, That the 
 letter character ijllcal of the tenfe excludes the let- 
 ter char act eriftical of the conjugation. 
 
 This expulficn of the chara&eriflic letters oc-> 
 cafions an abbreviation or contraction of the 
 verb, wherever it takes place. 
 
 The contraction is, indeed, attended with one 
 unfavourable circumftancee, that feveral perfons in 
 
 the 
 
174 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 the future tenfe pamve, coincide with correspond- 
 ing perfons in the fame tenfe active ; but fuch coin- 
 cidence, and variety of fignification, occur in the 
 words of moft languages, without producing that 
 confufion which, at firft, we are apt to fufpect. 
 
 The following inftances will clearly fhew that 
 ambiguities are frequent, and occafion but little 
 embarraflinent. 
 
 Legit, may either be the third perfcta fmgular 
 of the prefent or of the preterite tenfe. 
 
 Legimus, is either the firft perfon plural of the 
 prefent or preterite. 
 
 Legere, if we regard only the letters, may be 
 either the prefent of the infinitive, the third per- 
 fon plural of the preterite active, the fecond perfon 
 fingular of the prefent, or the fame perfon of the 
 future paffiye. 
 
 Prodite, may be either the fecond perfon plural 
 
 of 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 175 
 
 cf the imperative of Prodo, or of Prodeo, or the 
 vocative fingular of Proditus. 
 
 Capite, may be either the ablative fingular of 
 Caput, or the fecond perfon plural of the imper- 
 ative of Capio. 
 
 Domini, may either be the genitive fingular, or 
 the nominative or vocative plural of Dominus. 
 
 Mafculine Latin nouns of the fourth declenfion 
 have fix cafes alike ; three in the fingular, and 
 three in the plural. 
 
 The dative and ablative plural are alike in all 
 the five declenflons. 
 
 The nominative, accufative, and vocative, of all 
 neuter nouns, are the fame. Thefe cafes, in neu- 
 ter plurals, both in Greek and Latin, terminate 
 in the fame letter, viz. in a. 
 
 Tv^r, may be either the third perfon fingular of 
 
 the 
 
i?6 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 the fubjunctive, firft aorift active, the fecond per- 
 fon fingular of the firft future indicative middle 
 voice, or the fecond perfon fingular of the fub- 
 junctive, firft aorift of the fame voice. 
 
 The fecond and the third perfons dual of the 
 prefent indicative active, in all conjugations and 
 voices, are the fame. 
 
 Tw5TT»e-;, is either the third perfon plural of the 
 prefent of the indicative active, or the dative maf- 
 culine plural of the participle prefent active, or 
 the dative neuter plural of the fame participle. 
 
 / cut, I read, denote either the prefent or the 
 paft time. 
 
 The paft tenfe, and the participle perfect of the 
 moft part of Englifh verbs, coincide. 
 
 Few perfons of verbs are marked by termina- 
 tions ; and adjectives have no distinction of gen- 
 der or number. 
 
 Labour, 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 177 
 
 Labour, Temper, Love, Trouble, and many fi- 
 milar words, may be either nouns or verbs. 
 
 The word Poji may fignify an office, a Jhition, 
 a letter-carrier, part of the defence of a garrifon, 
 a , pillar. 
 
 Would it not appear very phantaftical to in- 
 vent points to diftinguifh thefe different fignifi- 
 cations ? Or, are they liable to be miftaken or 
 mifunderflood ? 
 
 Niphal. PaJJive Voice, 
 Preterite, 
 
 
 Singular. 
 
 Fern. 
 
 Mafc. 
 
 rnpaa 
 
 Ipsa 3 He was vifited. 
 
 
 rnpsa 2 
 
 
 Tnpm 1 
 
 Plural, 
 
i 7 8 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Plural. 
 
 Fern. Mafc- 
 
 npaa 3 
 jmpaa nmpaa 2 
 
 131pS3 I 
 
 Participle. 
 
 Plural. Singular, 
 
 canpaa ipaa M. 
 
 Hp33 F 
 
 nW |p 
 
 npaa 
 
 Infinitive. 
 npan To be vifitecL 
 
 Imperative. 
 
 Plural. Singular, 
 
 npari ipsn M*. 
 
 rmpan npan F. 
 
 Future. 
 * Contracted for Ipaan &c 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 
 
 
 Future. 
 
 
 Singular. 
 
 Fern. 
 
 Mafc. 
 
 ipsrt 
 
 npa> 3 * 
 
 Hpun 
 
 ipan 2 
 
 Plural. 
 
 nnpsn 
 
 npa* 3 
 
 mi pan 
 
 vrpsn 2 
 
 
 -rp33 i 
 
 * Contra&ed for npsajr &c. 
 
 m 
 
 Caufai 
 
i8o THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Caufal Form. Hiphil. To caufc to vifih 
 
 , ■ 
 
 Preterite. 
 
 
 
 Singular. 
 
 . 
 
 Fern. 
 
 Mafc. 
 
 
 nrpan 
 
 "ppan 3 
 J— npan 2 
 TTipsn i 
 
 Plural. 
 
 iTpsn 3 
 
 
 jmpan 
 
 Drnpsn 2 
 mpan 1 
 
 
 Participle. 
 
 
 Plural". 
 
 Singular. 
 
 
 CDyr'pap 
 
 Tpaa M. 
 
 
 mTpap 
 
 Cr-i-ppatt 
 £ j-npap 
 
 Infinitive. 
 
 
 •7 pan 
 
 or -ppan 
 
 Imperative, 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 181 
 
 Imperative. 
 
 Plural. Singular. 
 
 i*pp3n ipBn M. 
 
 r-mpsn •H-'psn F. 
 
 Future. 
 
 Singular. 
 
 Fern. Mafc* 
 
 Tpsn Tps* 1 3 
 
 ' yppsn Tpsn 2 
 
 T-pDX I 
 Plural. 
 
 naipsn iTps* 3 
 
 r-mpsn ivpsn 2 
 
 Tp33 1 
 
 Kophal, the paflive, is the fame, in every re- 
 fpecl, with Hiphil, only 1 medial is not inferted. 
 
 This conjugation is not much in ufe. 
 
 The 
 
1 82 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 The chara&eriftic ferviles of Hiphil are n be- 
 fore the firft, and s before the third radical. 
 
 The characteriftic of Hophal is n before the 
 firft radical. 
 
 Reflex, or Frequentative Form. Hithpahel. 
 Vox Media. 
 
 Preterite. 
 
 Singular. 
 
 Fern. Mafc. 
 
 r-npsnn npsnn 3 
 
 r-npsnn 2 
 ^mp^nn 1 
 
 Plural. 
 
 npsnn 3 
 
 jmpsnn empsnn 2 
 
 mpsnn 1 
 
 Participle. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 
 
 Participle. 
 Plural. Singular. 
 
 183 
 
 crnpsntt 
 
 
 ipsntt M 
 
 nnpsna 
 
 
 CmpDDK F. 
 
 (mpsna 
 
 
 Infinitive. 
 
 
 npsnn 
 
 
 Imperative. 
 
 Plural. 
 
 
 Singular. 
 
 npsnn 
 
 
 npsnn M 
 
 nnpsnn 
 
 
 npsnn r. 
 
 Future. 
 
 Singular. 
 
 Fern. Male. 
 
 npsnn npsn 1 3 
 
 npsnn npsnn 2 
 
 npsnK 1 
 
 Plural. 
 
 rnnpsnn npan* 3 
 
 mnpsnn npsnn 2 
 
 npsna 1 
 
 The 
 
1 84 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 The characteriftic of Hithpahel is the fylla- 
 ble nn prefixed to the radical letters. The n is 
 fometimes rejected, according to the Rule page 
 1 68, parag. 4. 
 
 CHAP. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 185 
 
 CHAP. XII. 
 
 Obfervations on the Servile Letters in Verbs, and 
 the ufe of the Infinitive as a Subfiantive Noun 
 or Gerund. 
 
 FROM the confideration of the preceding ex- 
 amples, it will be eafy to form a judgment 
 of the nature and ufe of the fervile letters, which 
 were mentioned in the beginning of Chap. XL 
 They are divided into the following claifes. 
 
 1. Serviles, additional or final, fubjoined to 
 the root ]iDTin 
 
 2. ■ Inferted in the root, 1 and 1 
 
 3. "Prefixed,- or put before the root,. 
 
 )$w with n in Hithpahel, and d participial. 
 
 A a 4. 
 
1 36 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 4, Serviles Charac~teriflic of the different forms, 
 Niphal, Hiphil, Hophal, and Hithpahel, 3 m nn 
 Thjfe, however, particularly 3 and n initial, are 
 commonly ejected by the prefixed ferviles. 
 
 The fervile letters in verbs, to which the ge- 
 nius of the language gives the preference, and 
 on which the learner mould beltow the greatefl 
 attention, are thofe employed to reprefent the 
 perfonal pronouns, and have already been nam- 
 ed Pronominal Serviles. 
 
 The inferted or medial letters, 1 and •> even 
 though the tail be characteriftical, are treated 
 with more indifference, and frequently excluded 
 in flexion. 
 
 3 and n though characterise of four forms, 
 are fometimes deprived of their places in thefe 
 forms, by the pronominal ferviles, and the par- 
 ticipial a, 
 
 But it ought to be remembered, that, of the 
 characieriftics of Niphal, 3 remains immoveable 
 
 in 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. iS; 
 
 in the preterite and participle, and r. in the infi- 
 nitive and imperative, though both difappear in 
 the future. 
 
 n The prefixed characleriftic of Hiphil, retains 
 its place in the preterite, infinitive, and impera- 
 tive, but difappears in the participle and future. 
 
 n In Hophal, Hands as charact.erilt.ic of the 
 preterite and infinitive, but is excluded both from 
 the participle and the future. 
 
 The prefixed fy liable nn keeps its place as 
 characteriftical of the preterite, infinitive, and 
 imperative of Hithpahel ; but the n of this fyl- 
 lable is ejected from the participle by 72, and 
 from the future by the pronominal ferviies.. n 
 only remains as the characleriflic of the whole 
 form. 
 
 Thefe obfervations are applicable to all werbs, 
 whether perfect or defective, and mark an uni- 
 formity in their flection which will enable the 
 learner eafily to retain them in his memory. 
 
 The 
 
188 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 The Infinitive Mood, often admits the prefixes 
 of the nouns, as if it were a fubftantive, nearly 
 in the fame manner as the infinitives of Greek 
 verbs aifume the article before them, or as thofe 
 of Latin verbs admit of adjectives in the neuter 
 gender. 
 
 To Xlyuv, h ran y^xtpuv, th 7caiY t creti, 
 
 Scire tuum. 
 
 Infinitive. 
 Tips Vifitare. 
 
 With the Prefixes. 
 
 Tips 1 ? Vifitatum, ad vifitandum, ut vifitaret- 
 
 ■*nps:i In vifitando. 
 
 Tip 372 A vifitando. 
 
 Tip 3 r> Quafi vifitabat, vifitaret. 
 
 Sometimes it is converted into a feminine fub- 
 ftantive., 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 189 
 
 ftantive, by the addition of n, efpecially in verbs 
 defective in the firft radical. 
 
 aw 1 Sedit, habltavit. Infinitive Kal ntc or 
 row to fit. 
 
 r-inttf To fit 
 
 i 
 
 mwb To fit 
 n3^i~ In fitting 
 nira From fitting 
 j-intto As fitting. 
 
 Verbs ending in n change n into 1 before n« 
 
 nba to reveal, miVa to reveal, mVj 1 ? for re- 
 vealing. 
 
 The infinitive, in this manner, poffefles all the 
 properties of a fubflantive, may be put in Jiatu 
 regiminis, and may even affume the affixes. 
 
i 9 o THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 o^ -paV mm mm ^rowi 
 And my feat (abode) fhall be in the Hcufe of 
 Jehovah for length of days. 
 
 In his flying (when he fled) from the face of Ab- 
 falom his fon. 
 
 ""Qip savV In the day of my rifing up. 
 
 CHAP. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 19 c 
 
 CHAP. XIII. 
 
 Of Defective Verbs, particularly fuch as, in Flexion ', 
 lofe the firft Radical. 
 
 THE greateft number of defe&ive verbs con- 
 fift of fuch as have either 3 or 1 for their 
 firft radical. 
 
 The chief difference between thefe verbs, and 
 thofe honoured with the name of perfect, con-; 
 fifts in extirpating the firft radical from the in- 
 finitive, imperative, and future of Kal. The ad- 
 dition of n to the infinitive is taken notice of in 
 the former chapter. 
 
 In verbs -defective in Nun firft radical, the 
 Nun fuffers an elifion through the whole of 
 Niphal, Hiphil, and Hophal. The intention was 
 probably to avoid the harfh found which the 
 
 conjunction 
 
i 9 2 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 conjunction of two Nuns, or of Nun. with an^ 
 other confonant, might produce. The preterite, 
 and both participles in Kal, imitate the form of 
 perfect verbs already exhibited. 
 
 Kal. 
 
 rrttoa w:n 3 He approached. 
 
 nut: 2 
 &c. "•rit^ja i 
 
 Participle. Benoni. 
 ivXft 
 
 Participle. Pahul. 
 
 The Defective Parts. 
 
 Infinitive. 
 ntM or ttU 
 
 Imperative 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 193 
 
 Imperative, 
 Wi tya M. 
 
 Future. 
 
 twn awn 3 
 ^ifi a>an 2 
 
 ttOK I 
 
 Snatwn wx 1 3 
 
 •nawan iwan 2 
 £>aa i 
 
 Niphal, or the pafiive voice of thefe verbs, 
 coincides in many parts with the active, becaufe 
 a charaCteriftical of Niphal, ejects a the firft ra- 
 dical, to foften the found. Both 3 chara&eriftic 
 and n are ejected in their turn, by the perfonai 
 or pronominal letters. 
 
 Specimen of what Niphal -would be in its 
 Natural State. 
 
 n^aaa twaa Preter. 
 ©aaan Infin. 
 B b Future. 
 
i94 t;he elements of 
 
 Future. 
 
 ^::nn bp:i33tt» 3d perf. ling. 
 Eoaam ift perf. plur. 
 
 Niphal in its contrasted State, commonly ufed. 
 
 ttoan Infin. 
 
 Future. 
 tyaan wiv 3 
 
 &c. wnx 1 
 
 3 Firft radical totally difappears in the forms 
 Hiphil and Hophal. 
 
 Hiphil. 
 
 &c. vnznn 
 
 Hophal. 
 
 ntwn twn 
 
 &c. TlE^n 
 
 Part. Pre/. 
 
 wm 
 
 Part. Prefer. 
 1 Infinitive. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 
 
 Infinitive. 
 vnr\ or ty^rr 
 
 l 9S 
 
 Infinitive. 
 con 
 
 Imperative. 
 itt^jn ft'Jn M. 
 
 Caret. 
 
 Future, 
 &c. ttf^N e 
 
 Future. 
 win iyai 3 
 
 &c. IWN 1 
 
 Hithpahel. 
 
 tyaann 
 
 Declined regularly 
 
 Verbs which have 1 for their firfl radical, ex- 
 clude it from the infinitive, imperative, and fu- 
 ture of Kal, in the fame manner as 3 is exclud- 
 ed from the contracted parts of the verbs juft 
 now defcribed. They alfo undergo fome other 
 alterations. For inftance, -they change 1 c'f Kal 
 into 1 after 3 chara&eriftic of Niphal, and regain 
 
 the 
 
196 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 the 1 in all the tenfes. i alfo continues as the 
 fubftitute of » through both the forms Hiphil 
 and Hophal ; and the latter is diftinguifhed from 
 the former by the abfence only of * before the laft 
 radical. 
 
 The preterite and participles in Kal, of verbs 
 defective in 1 when firft radical, imitate the form 
 of perfect verbs. 
 
 Preterite. Kal. 
 Singular. 
 
 . Fern. Mafc. 
 
 y. nnw S,&" 3 He faf, or dwelt. 
 
 j-inif 1 2 
 
 Plural. 
 
 13 &" 3 
 
 |na^ omtt" 2 
 
 mEo 1 
 
 Participle. Benoni. 
 3W 
 
 Participle. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 197 
 
 Participle. Pahul. 
 
 miy 
 
 The defective or abbreviated Parts. 
 
 Infinitive. 
 
 mrni* or nty 
 Imperative. 
 
 Plural. Singular. 
 
 13» at* M. 
 
 n:nty -o^ F. 
 
 Fitture. 
 
 
 Singular. 
 
 Fern. 
 
 
 Mafc. 
 
 awn 
 
 
 3W 3 
 
 ■aiyn 
 
 
 n^/n 2 
 
 
 Plural. 
 
 mtzm 
 
 
 WW* 3 
 
 aaipri 
 
 
 lawn 2 
 
 3W3 I 
 
 Niphal. 
 
i 9 8 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 NipbaL 
 
 Singular. 
 
 Fern. Mafc. 
 
 nntsna n^na 3 
 
 r-ntyia 2 
 
 ^nnttna 1 
 
 Plural. 
 
 inawtt crawia 2 
 
 ijaena 1 
 
 Participle Prefent. 
 a ma 
 
 . Infinitive. 
 atann 
 
 Imperative. 
 
 Plural. Singular. 
 
 nattftn atznn M. 
 
 rjpa&nn . ••a^in F.. 
 
 Future, 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 
 
 - 
 
 Future. 
 
 
 Singular. 
 
 Fern. 
 
 Mafc. 
 
 Sttnn 
 
 nty'p 3 
 
 •atsnn 
 
 n^nn 2 
 
 
 ntyi» i 
 
 l 9? 
 
 Plural. 
 
 Hiphil. 
 
 &c. .j-jntmrr 
 
 Participle Prefent, 
 
 WW 
 
 Infinitve. 
 3tt>in or 2^in 
 
 Imperative, ' 
 
■-S03 
 
 THE 
 
 ELEMENTS OF 
 
 
 Imperative. 
 
 ' 
 
 ia^ttnn 
 
 
 atpin 
 
 r-ianEnn 
 
 Future^ 
 
 > 
 
 &c. apu^n 
 
 
 anti'V 
 
 Hophal is the fame frith Hiphil, except that 
 it is deficient in J before the third radical* 
 
 Hithpahel is regularly inflected. 
 
 &c. ni^nn awnn. 
 
 - ic To chqftife, or to injirucl, j>t> to know, 
 and nan to reprove or confute, change •» into \ 
 after nn 
 
 iDtnn 
 irnnn 
 nsinn 
 
 CHAP. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 
 
 201 
 
 C II A P. XIV. 
 
 Of Verbs which have fomc Peculiarities in their 
 Middle Radical. 
 
 THERE are two fets of vcibs in. Hebrew, 
 which nearly refemble each other in flexion, 
 though, from their arrangement in common lexi- 
 cons and grammars, they appear very different, 
 and exceedingly irregular. The one fet confifts 
 of verbs which double the fecond, or middle ra- 
 dical, as nnD to go round, p-i to Jing, tw to dc- 
 Jiroy *. The other, of verbs which have 1 fof 
 their middle radical, as c=np to rife, ya to prepare, 
 to efiablijh, - *.d to go back, yy\ to run f. 
 
 C c Thefe 
 
 * Verba geminantia Ain.. 
 
 f Verba defrctivz, five quiefecnib, in Am Yau, 
 
2G2 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Thefe laft verbs are commonly thought to 
 have their roots in the infinitive, as here expref- 
 fed, while all other Hebrew verbs have their 
 roots in the third perfon preterite of Kal. But, 
 if the reader attend to the following inftances of 
 fimilarity between verbs that double the fecond 
 radical, and fuch as are faid to have l for their 
 middle radical, he will probably be of opinion, 
 that the third perfon preterite of Kal, in thefe 
 laft, ought alio to be reckoned the root, as well 
 as in other verbs, and that the l is inferted in 
 the infinitive, according to the common analogy 
 of the language. 
 
 The circumflances in which thefe two kinds of 
 verbs refemble each other are, 
 
 i. They both feem to have a double Kal, the 
 one full, the other contracted. 
 
 Full. Contracted. 
 
 smo 01 niD . no 
 
 E3KNp or CWp E2p 
 
 2 t In 
 
IIIBREW GRAMMAR. 205 
 
 2. In feveral parts of their flexion, both of 
 them infert 1 before the pronominal ferviles, par- 
 ticularly before'n*. 
 
 Kal. Hiphil. 
 
 rrcD ni^ipn 
 
 Tint) Ti'ttppn 
 
 3. In the enlarged or full form of Kal, they 
 refemble each other through the whole flexion ; 
 in the contracted form they refemble each other 
 in the infinitive, imperative, and future. In 
 Hiphil and Hophal, they differ very little, and in 
 Hithpahel not at all ; fo that, on the whole, they 
 may be confidered as belonging to one clafs, 
 capable of being eafily reduced to the general 
 analogy. 
 
 Had proper attention been paid to the refem- 
 blanceof thefe verbs, and had their roots been 
 
 dated 
 
 * 1 In this fituation has obtained the name of Fair 
 euphonicitm, becaufe it foftens the found. 
 
204 
 
 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Hated in lexicons, as in the preterite Kal, either 
 full or contracted, much fuperfluous trouble 
 might have been fpared ; for, in this cafe, the 
 fearcher would have had letters to guide him in 
 his inveftigation of the root ; but, on the prefent 
 plan, he is obliged to have recourfe to conjec- 
 tures which often difappoint his hopes. 
 
 Example of the enlarged Form of Kal in the Verbs 
 above defcribed. 
 
 They commonly affume 1 after the firft radical, 
 as the participle prefent of perfect verbs, and are 
 regularly inflected. 
 
 nanip ebmp 
 &c. xnaata 
 
 nay® amr 
 &c. maaio 
 
 Participle. Benoni. 
 
 asp 
 
 Participle 
 
 * Sometimes a is prefixed, 3I11D73 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 405 
 
 Participle. Pahul. 
 
 niSD 
 
 Infinitive. 
 Future. 
 
 Example of the Contracted Form. 
 
 j-dd 2D 
 
 
 r-inp op 3 
 
 r-TQD 
 
 
 J — I73p 2 
 
 ttqd 
 
 
 TIMp I 
 
 pD 
 
 
 1»P 3 
 
 ;nnD amiD 
 
 
 jnnp onnp 2 
 
 wnp 
 
 
 13Dp 1 
 
 
 Participle. 
 
 Benoni. 
 
 ._. 
 
 
 OP 
 
 Participle. Pahul. 
 
 oip 
 
 Infinitive, 
 
Sc6 the elements of 
 
 Infinitive. 
 
 21D Dip 
 
 Future. 
 n\on no*' ;=ipn sip"* 
 
 Niphal, in both, appears only in the contract- 
 ed form. 
 
 Preterite. 
 
 7-&D2 103 
 
 
 riTDip: c:ip3 
 
 rmD3 
 
 
 rrittipa 
 
 
 Infinitive. 
 
 
 11DH 
 
 
 tznpn 
 
 Future, 
 
 Hiphil is alfo contracted. 
 
 Preterite* 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 
 
 
 Preterite. 
 
 mon non 
 
 rnpipn a*pn 
 
 r-nnon 
 
 rWrpprr 
 
 
 Participle. 
 
 SDtt 
 
 0>p?3 
 
 Hophal affumes l between the prefixed ferviles 
 and the root. 
 
 Preterite. 
 
 npin opirr 
 
 Future, 
 
 3DV" QpV 3 
 
 nnn cpin 2 
 
 2D1K OpIK I 
 
 Yet this Vau is fometimes omitted. 
 
 In Hithpahel of thefe verbs, nn is prefixed to 
 the enlarged form, as, 
 
 Diitrin DTjipnn 
 
 But, 
 
 
tio8 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 But, when the firft letter of any verb is d or 
 tf, thefe letters exchange places with n in the 
 fyllable nn of Hithpahel, becaufe it would ap- 
 pear that the antient Hebrews could not eafily 
 pronounce the fibilant found of d or w after n. 
 Inftead of nrnDnn they read nmnon ; inflead of 
 "Dtt/nn they read -nnt&TT from n^uy to break. 
 
 ZDp Is fometimes founded with the letters k 
 and * inferted between the radicals, os*p cp. 
 This lafh form is frequent in Chaldaic and Rab- 
 binical writings, 
 
 Several Hebrew verbs have "* for their middle 
 radical, as, 
 
 rptf To be an enemy 
 r~pn To live 
 y*n To ring, or exprefs joy by noife 
 m To breathe, odorari, olfacere. 
 
 Several nouns alfo, which feem to be primitive 
 words, have s for their middle radical, as, 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. zo 9 
 
 tfi} An old lion rvt An olive 
 
 p Wine j— pi A houfe 
 
 wn A he-goat ntp A wall 
 
 yp A fpear td A thorn. 
 W? Night 
 
 Dd CHAP. 
 
2io THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 CHAP. XV. 
 
 Of Verbs which have n for their lajl Radical*. 
 
 r T^HE knowledge of thefe verbs will be eafily 
 -*- acquired, by attending to the following 
 circumftances which mark their character. 
 
 n Their laft radical, is fometimes changed 
 into n, fometimes into \ and fometimes altoge- 
 ther expelled before the pronominal ferviles. 
 
 Niphal differs in nothing from Kal, except 
 that it affumes 3 before the firft radical in the 
 preterite and participle Benoni, and n before the 
 infinitive and imperative. 
 
 The 
 * They are commonly named quiefcent in Lamed He* 
 

 HEBREW GRAMMAR. 21 r 
 
 The preterite, infinitive, and imperative of 
 Hiphil, are formed by prefixing n to the corres- 
 ponding parts of Kal. io prefixed to the radical 
 letters forms the participle both of Hiphil and 
 Hophal, which* agree in all their parts. 
 
 A fpecimen of Kal will be fufffcient to give a 
 clear idea of the whole verb. 
 
 Preterite. Kal. 
 
 
 Singular. 
 
 Fern. 
 
 Mafc. 
 
 nrh) 
 
 * mii* 3 He revealed. 
 
 
 rvVa 2 
 
 
 wbi 1 
 
 
 Plural. 
 
 
 ibi 3 
 
 )T\^ 
 
 cn^ 2 
 
 
 la^a 1 
 
 Participle. 
 
 * Its fignifkations are commonly ftated thus, Tlbl 
 revelavitj migravit, abduclits fuit in captivitatem, vel exi- 
 litim. 
 
2i2 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Participle. Benoni. 
 
 
 Plural. 
 
 Singular. 
 
 
 &bM 
 
 mbM M. 
 
 
 nib™ 
 
 mbv F. 
 
 
 Participle. 
 
 Pahul. 
 
 I 
 
 Plural. 
 
 Singular. 
 
 
 ZD"tb* 
 
 ^bi M. 
 
 1 
 
 r-\v\b> 
 
 rvfo F. 
 
 r-nVa 
 
 Infinitive. 
 
 mbi 
 
 
 Future. 
 
 
 
 Singular. 
 
 
 Fern. 
 
 
 Mafc. 
 
 nVari 
 
 
 T\bv 3 
 
 "■ban 
 
 Plural. 
 
 r-^an 2 
 nbai* i 
 
 i-ia^an 
 
 
 i^> 3 
 
 na^an 
 
 
 iVan 2 
 r-i^aa i 
 
 Niphal, 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. a 13 
 
 Niphal. 
 
 Hiphil. 
 
 Hophal. 
 
 nVaa Pret. 
 
 TT?)n 
 
 r-fan 
 
 H"!md Part. 
 
 rrbsb 
 
 Hithpahel. 
 
 r-fainn Pret. 
 r-birm Part. 
 
 rto 
 
 The fubflantive verb rrn or r-nn fuit, is in- 
 flected in the fame manner with n^ or the other 
 verbs defective in n. From rrn is derived mm 
 the peculiar name of the true God among the 
 Jews, rytiv he who exists, 1 «r. 
 
 The following pafTage from the book of Exo- 
 dus * contains a defcription of this exalted title. 
 
 srrm nam rrnN nttfE Vk nTibtt iBitvi 14 
 "inb^ r-rnN Vmw 'aab nnxn n: "lmoi 
 
 • Chap. iii. 14. 
 
2i4 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Dm:« Tibu Ez3-nn« viVa r~nrr ^nty »32 
 
 s^ty r-n aa^a •orrt'tf apr* 1 tiVki pna" 1 -riV* 
 
 : in nn? nDt nn ed^ 
 
 The name J'ehovah, in the original, is expref- 
 five of the feif-exiftence, independence, and eter- 
 nity of God. It has been faid, and perhaps 
 juftly, that its full meaning and energy cannot 
 be conveyed by a fingle term in any language. 
 The Seventy render it by k^*»s, which is more 
 properly a tranilation of \nw Dominus. Our trans- 
 lators commonly render it by the word Lord. 
 It appears that, even in the time of Jofephus, the 
 cuitom had obtained, which flill prevails among 
 the jews, not to pronounce the name -nrr from 
 a reverence which feems to favour of fuperfti- 
 tion. " God revealed .to Mofes," fays that hif- 
 torian, " his proper and peculiar title, never bc- 
 " fore made known to men, which it is not law- 
 " ful for me to mention *." 
 
 Speaking 
 
 * As the paflage is curious, the reader may perhaps 
 wifh to perufe it in the original. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 215 
 
 Speaking of the legiflators of different coun- 
 tries, Diodoms Siculus remarks, " That Mofes 
 " affirmed he had received the taws which he 
 
 " eftablifhed 
 
 Maivcrii Oi hy. i-Z/^v en <5-T5;v «;; Ejr/,yyi?.£T5 to Quov SiX- 
 TYiS 7' TOlHTUV (ZjoCtiUflCttttV XXI XKpZXTY.S ylVOft ill J Vj%StfAV> 0$ 
 
 etiitui kui -/riifxCy/.a. TofuTjjS ^K? ovvautas zv Kiyvvrfx di;$-: g, 
 v,.,. ; 3;P.3: ,u;,3i o'.cpy.Ti; ctutai -y.u:n 7» tout ty&evnjreit) (J'ivvijj 
 o ci-jtm (.-■.? i7'/7.x.cr i >-zi e*Y-*'S '•"><■ y -"s-i ~'; y Trfftcvsyapteo) «w«» 
 i'.v. hie/* 6§ ovopazTis oi^^o'/ irxpttvett rng ilaueis 5r*>«*«A»j, has* 
 
 o O-nj cf.-jTd ?ryr.<"fi i-/,v >c.v~;h "r^!'/r/»»i«i g wgnTsa'-ii 6;j 
 -?_-' vh y W'i -)•;>-:;' fijxwv. JoSEFH'US*, 
 
 Am Vol L r* to6. Ed. H{psevcam£. 1762. 
 
 TRANSLATION : 
 
 " As it was unpoflible for Mofi - to difbelieve the 
 < ; promises which the Deity had made to him, after 
 " having feen ^nJ heard fo many confirmations of 
 (t th >r., l\e earneftly entreated that he m'.dit be aUow r 
 <c ed to e^ercife miraculous powers in E ypt, and, above 
 u a!!, that God would make a difcovoy ro him of his, 
 " proper name and peculiar : on, that, during 
 
 <c the rites of facrifice, he might addreis ham in due 
 " form: and accordingly God d. - uanifeft to him his 
 " diftinguifhing title, which had never before reached 
 " the ear of man, and which i: is not lawful for me to 
 « utter." 
 
ti6 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Ci eftablifhed among the Jews, from the God 
 " whofe name was iao." We can fcarcely en- 
 tertain a doubt that this was a particular mode 
 of pronouncing the word r—nrp*. 
 
 Verbs which terminate in k as their lafl radi- 
 cal, 
 
 * TIx^x iif yoco A%iu.u?7r6ig Za$exv?T/iv t-Toptt<rt rov ctyec- 
 &6V Actttiovu Treoo-TreiYiciiea&eii T«y; vatsoy; wjTca oiowtzt itxpx 
 ce rot? ovipafyusvoi? TiTxig Za^JoAf^v Jr«yT»; ryjV koivyii E<t- 
 tixv, TTxpcc 6s Te;j labscton; M.uvr,v tov Ixai SttikccXouuivo' Oto*. 
 
 Diodorus Siculus, Edit. Rhodomanl Hanoviae, 1604. 
 p. 48. c. 
 
 TRANSLATION : 
 
 « The claims to infpiration are innunierable : For 
 " hiftorians inform us, that Zathrauftes, among the 
 «« Arimafpians, pretended that the Good Demon gave 
 " him his laws. Zamolxis, among the Getae, affirmed 
 ** that the Common or Univerfal Vefta infpired him with 
 K legiilative powers: And Mofes, the lawgiver of the 
 " JewSj recommended his inftitutions as the revelations 
 " of the God iao." 
 
 Vide Orationem Ludovici Capelli de Nomine Jehovah, 
 ■deem libri de arcano punEl. revelato y et in appendice ad 
 Criticam fyicram. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 217 
 
 cal, named by the Maforites quicfccnt in Lamed 
 Alcpb, are complete and perfect in every re- 
 fpect, and are inflected in a manner exactly fi- 
 milar to ips fo that they require no feparate il- 
 Juftration. 
 
 Examples* 
 
 *ro To create \zas. To be thirity 
 
 K3^' To hate neb To be impure 
 
 «Vn To be full nsq To find. 
 
 E e CHAR 
 
ai8 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 CHAP. XVI. 
 
 Explanation of Irregularities that take place in the 
 Flexion offome Verbs. 
 
 FROM T~xnw to bow down, is formed with i 
 inferted after the middle radical mrnffnn 
 per metathefm, ninntr/n to bow down one's f elf in 
 worfoip) a verb frequently ufed in the Pfalms. 
 
 Some few retain n in declining, as, 
 
 nn3 Gibbus, to be protuberant, high. 
 r~inn:i Gibba. 
 
 Common Form. 
 
 ma 
 nroa 
 
 Verbs 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 219 
 
 Verbs ending in 3 fometimes expunge it be- 
 fore a Nun fervile, as nantfn for rrwnfcn Fern. 
 They Jhall be fupported or made jinn, from pK j 
 fldeiis, jirmus, credidit. 
 
 So verbs in n often lofe it before n fervile. 
 
 thd for Tima I cut 
 Tin for Tinn I die. 
 
 Two letters of the fame kind are feldom placed 
 together. Serviles expel ferviles, whether of the 
 fame or of a different clafs. 
 
 Some verbs are doubly defective, chiefly fuch 
 as have "> or 3 for their firfl radical, and n for 
 their laft. • , 
 
 jvan 2d per. plur. mafc. fut. from fix 1 to af- 
 flict. ) paragogical. 
 
22o THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 inin I ft per. plur. mafc. pret. Hiphil, from 
 
 J— it* to caji down. Hiphil, rrnn to 
 confefs* 
 
 ta" 3d per. fing. mafc. fut. Kal, from 
 nto3 to extend, ta> contracted for 
 
 -jk 1 ft per. fing. fut. Kal, from J-D3 to finite, 
 •jk foftened for n33x 
 
 The verb jro ft? £^j is doubly defective, and 
 in a peculiar manner ; for it not only lofes its 
 firft 3 as -jd: to pour, and other verbs defective in 
 Pe Nun, and its laft before another 3 as jen but 
 it alfo lofes its final 3 before the fei vile n as Tiri3 
 for Ti3n3 I gave, cznna for c:n3n3 ye gave, and 
 has its infinitive in m to give, for P3n which 
 fometimes is thought to affume n paragogical in- 
 ftead of n and appear nsn dare* rn3n in the 
 8th Pfalm, which has much perplexed the critics, 
 by their taking it for the infinitive, is probably a 
 
 contraction 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 221 
 
 contraction for nann 2d perfon fmgular rnaf- 
 culine future Kal, with n paragogical. frr jnn 
 p- Dnri comrade pori rejecting either the firft or 
 the fecond n. 
 
 CHAR 
 
222 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 CHAP. XVII. 
 
 Of the Verbal Affixes. 
 
 IT was formerly obferved, that the pofleflive 
 pronouns are fubjoined to nouns, under the 
 name of Affixes. The perfonal pronouns are fub- 
 joined to verbs in the fame manner, and will 
 require fome exemplification to render them fa- 
 miliar. 
 
 A Verb with its Affixes. 
 
 He vifited. 
 
 
 «a 
 
 ips 
 
 Me 
 
 
 13 
 
 
 Us 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 Thee 
 
 
 ZDD 
 
 
 You 
 
 M. 
 
 P 
 
 
 You 
 
 F. 
 
 Him 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. £23 
 
 i np3 Him 
 
 in Him 
 
 a Them, eos 
 
 to Them, <?w 
 
 n Her 
 
 1 Them, eas. 
 
 n Of the third perfon fingular feminine is 
 changed into n before the affixes, in the fame 
 manner as n feminine of nouns. Analogous to, 
 the fame rule, n cff the fecond perfon fingular fe- 
 minine, aifumes ' before the affixes. 
 
 mpa She vifited. 
 •a mps Me 
 
 13 US 
 
 ■j Thee 
 
 □d &c. You 
 as above. 
 
 rVip3 Thou didft vifit F. 
 
224 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 *ffi%m Me F. 
 
 13 US 
 
 in &c. Him. 
 
 In the fecond perfons plural mafculine and fe- 
 minine of Kal, ]m?D cmpD the zn and ] final 
 are ejected, and their place is fupplied by i in- 
 ferted before the affixes. 
 
 Ye vifited. 
 
 
 • 
 
 'Whips 
 
 Me 
 
 ID 
 
 Us 
 
 in 
 
 Him 
 
 £3 
 
 Them, eos 
 
 1 
 
 Them, cas 
 
 n 
 
 Her. 
 
 13 For him, and nn for her, are generally affix- 
 ed to the future, from which the inferted Vau is 
 expelled by the affixes. 3 feems to be inferted 
 or added, to give the voice a refling place, and 
 avoid hiatus vocaliwiu 
 
 The 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 
 
 22 
 
 The adding of the fyllable on to the end of 
 words, is a practice frequent among Arabic wri- 
 ters; and, in Greek, the letter r is fubjoined to 
 words terminating in a vowel, when the next 
 word begins with one, as, 
 
 Tips'" He fhall vifit 
 
 ppJEy With ] paragogical 
 
 irmp*y He fhall vifit him 
 
 Dips* Contra&e 
 
 mpip 
 
 He will vifit her. 
 
 : Is fometimes inferted before -j thee, "paw 
 they JJoall bear or carry thee, from Ntw tulit, a 
 verb defective in Pe Nun. 
 
 Ff 
 
 Examples 
 
226 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Examples of Verbs with their Pronominal Affixes, 
 
 S'i/ To place, to put 
 iniaw Thou haft put him 
 ni2") To deceive 
 •^Trm Thou (fern.) hall deceived me 
 
 mxi To fee 
 rn\sn I have feen him 
 
 td* 1 To inftrudt 
 ^niD' 1 She inftructed him 
 N2D To find 
 can NX a She found them 
 maa To incline 
 man She inclined him 
 nna To write 
 □nsnD Thou haft written them 
 
 bbp To defpife 
 *an^pn Thou haft defpifed me 
 
 jna To give 
 m^nna Thou (fern.) haft given him 
 Ktya To lift up, to bear 
 o^nKtya Thou (fern.) haft borne them 
 
 TT8 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 227 
 
 *na To curfe 
 rrnriN I have curfed her 
 nu* To forfake 
 nnu* They have forfaken me 
 nVy To go up 
 iJiivViTi Ye have brought us up, caufed us to 
 afeend 
 naw To forget 
 ■psnaty We have forgotten thee 
 
 ri'o To die 
 iDivnn It (fern.) (hall kill him 
 ]m To give 
 imn Give him 
 npV To take 
 
 i:np Take him • 
 
 pn To ihew favour 
 rjan Have mercy upon me 
 bxiv To fee, to afk 
 ^i^ke; Afk ye me 
 t|*n To purfue 
 istv He will purfue him 
 
 -173T To fing 
 *par He will fmg of thee 
 32 v To go round 
 
S2 8 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 inaaaiD'' He will lead him about 
 11VJ To deftroy 
 CDTii"' He will deftroy them 
 pnn To embrace 
 •opnnn She will embrace me . 
 n:p To opprefs 
 CDr: Let us opprefs them 
 K2tD To find 
 niiK^D 11 They mall find her 
 jnp To cry 
 "OaitfTj^ They mail call upon me 
 j—iki To fee 
 ''m-p They (hall fee me 
 
 rnn To flee 
 imnn When he fled, in his flying, p.*. 
 
 s]"n To pursue 
 "J d ~ -1*7 To purfue thee, p. 
 
 nns To open 
 mnss When I open, at my opening, p. 
 
 DKt3 To defpife 
 CDK72 To defpife them 
 tipn To feek 
 
 TWpb 
 
 * Thofe marked with p. have Prefixes as well as 
 Affixes. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 439 
 
 -ppiV To feek thee, p. 
 BOa To approach • 
 cnti'32 When they drew near, p. 
 
 oan To be hot 
 372m When they grew hot, p. 
 op To rife 
 
 •pap They that rife up againft thee 
 lb* To bear 
 nrnb When {lie brought forth, p. 
 
 :— ns To build 
 •pmaaa When thou buildefl, in thy build- 
 ing, .p. '. 
 p To prepare 
 trana W T hen he prepared, in his prepara- 
 tion, p. 
 nm To deceive 
 •*:nr£iV To deceive me, p. 
 ^72 To circumcife. 
 iVuna When he was circumcifed, 0, 
 m-\\ To difperfe 
 orrnrnm When ye mall be difperfed 
 Kip To cry, to call 
 vmp They that call upon him 
 ntCP To do 
 
-2 3 o THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 orPttW They that do them 
 
 yy To advife 
 nnstrv She that counfelled him 
 
 a-in To flay 
 vi"\-\n His ilain, thofe flain by him 
 Knp To call 
 rranp Her guefts. Litt. Thofe invited by 
 her 
 f-lW To afflia 
 yivn They that afflict thee 
 j-mn To fee 
 no They that fee me. 
 
 CHAP. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR* ait 
 
 CHAP. XVIIL 
 
 Of Derivative Nouns. 
 
 NOUNS are derived or formed from verbs 
 in five different ways. 
 
 i . By abftrac~tion of radical letters 
 
 2. By commutation of radical letters 
 
 3. By prefixion T 
 
 4. Byinfertion > of ferviles. 
 
 5. By addition J 
 
 By radical, in the above divifion, is not meant 
 any of the eleven letters which properly deferve 
 that title, becaufe none of them ever defert their 
 flation in the verb, or in the noun derived from 
 it, but fuch letters only as become occafionally 
 radical, though they generally belong to the clafs 
 of ferviles. 
 
 Nouns 
 
- 3 2 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Nouns which are formed by the prefixicn or 
 addition of ferviles, have received the technical 
 name of Hee'?na?itic, becaufe the letters which 
 compofe the word TiDttKn credidi, are employed in 
 their formation. The letter 1 however, ought 
 to have been added to the number, as contribut- 
 ing its fervice to the fame work ; and then with 
 pleafure we mould have obferved the fame feven 
 letters, which carry on the whole inflection of 
 verbs, acting in another capacity, reducing verbs 
 to nouns, and amamng a vaft ft ore of words 
 from a flock feemmgly narrow and circumfcrib- 
 ed. 
 
 Heemantic Nouns placed below the Verbs whence 
 they are derived* 
 
 i. Such as are formed from verbs by the 
 abftra&ion of radical letters, rn final being fome- 
 times added. 
 
 y^p To know 
 jh nn Knowledge 
 
 Dm 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 253 
 
 saTV To be hot 
 an nnn Heat 
 
 7 V To beget 
 nib A birth 
 
 n]" 1 To pledge 
 nm A depofit 
 
 ly* To fix a place or time 
 nil? A congregation, a meeting 
 at ftated times 
 yy< To confult, to advife 
 r-jjjy A counfel 
 
 ir-pa To go 
 nm A going out 
 km 3 To carry, to lift up 
 k^ J-ike/ Elevation 
 
 i— 112s To command 
 128 A precept. 
 
 73 One of the Heemantic letters, is fometimes 
 prefixed. 
 
 Ntao To carry 
 »tK73 A load, mafs 
 hid: To blow 
 na nsQ Blowing, bellows. 
 
 G g 2. Such 
 
234 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 2. Such as are formed by commutation of 
 radicals, n into \ 
 
 r- uy To afflict 
 •»3P Afflicted, affliction 
 
 j— im To weep 
 "•nn Weeping 
 
 j— » is To bring forth fruit 
 ns Fruit 
 
 ns^ To be beautiful 
 »S , < Beauty. 
 
 Nouns formed from Verbs, by the prefixing or 
 pojlfixing of Servile Letters. 
 
 K Prefixed. 
 
 JOB To paint 
 rax a A finger 
 
 rnt To rife, to fpring up 
 mm A native, Indigena 
 
 no To lie, to deceive 
 3T2K A liar, a deceitful man 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. * 235 
 
 *?dw To profper 
 ^DS/K A bunch of grapes. . 
 
 n Prefixed. 
 
 j ly To feel delight 
 
 }1VQ A dainty or delicacy 
 bnp To gather 
 
 bnpD A congregation 
 
 2 jo To be grieved 
 3KDQ Grief 
 
 ■jtfifi To be dark 
 ■jiyrm Darknefs 
 
 naw To be high 
 aat&'Q A tower 
 IK 1 ? To carry a meffage 
 
 ■jkto A meffenger, an angel 
 
 123^ To judge 
 aatyn Judgment 
 
 inn To choofe 
 -mna Achofenthing 
 
 n:p To poflefs 
 nipQ Apoffeffion 
 
236 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 r~j£T To make 
 TT&yQ A work 
 n tan To trufl 
 ntann Hope, confidence 
 
 -\nw To keep 
 *)72*i2/r) A watch 
 231 To ride 
 nm72 A chariot. 
 
 Nouns of inftrument are commonly expreffed. 
 by to prefixed. 
 
 nns To open 
 nn372 An opener, a key 
 
 mt To blow 
 r~n *72 A wind-maker, a fan 
 pj To protect, to cover 
 pn A coverer, a fhield 
 TDK To bind 
 r-nD«72 A binder, a band 
 
 npb To take 
 *=3 ,, np , ?72 Tongs 
 
 ••Is 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 23? 
 
 * Is frequently commuted into 1, and n or n 
 prefixed to the root in that form. 
 
 3H1 To know 
 mir> An acquaintance 
 
 nty To fit 
 nii'm A feat 
 
 KT« To fear 
 Kma Fear 
 
 tt'-p To inherit 
 «m?a An inheritance 
 
 Nji s To go out 
 K2J1Q An outgoing 
 
 typ"» To enfnare 
 ' ttfpia A fnare. 
 
 n 
 
 nr To make forrowful 
 r-T^in Sorrow 
 'nv To throw, to take aim 
 mm Law, doctrine 
 
 pit To confefs 
 mm Confeflion 
 
 n3» 
 
2 3 $ THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 nip To reprove 
 nriDin Reproof 
 
 bw To expert 
 n^nin Hope. 
 
 j Prefixed forms proper names, 
 
 "ntt To rebel 
 TnD3 Nimrod 
 
 Vns To ilruggle 
 "■bnsa Naphthaii. 
 
 2 Poftfixed produces appellatives or diminutives. 
 
 r~Diy Quievit 
 ]iroty Sabbatulum 
 
 tt^K Vir 
 \wa Virunculus, vel pupilla 
 oculi 
 
 mp To approach 
 
 pnp An offering 
 
 idt To remember 
 
 jnat Memory. 
 
 There 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 239 
 
 There are fome examples of Mem Hecmantic 
 terminating words. 
 
 EDV72 A ranfom 
 
 C373V By day 
 czKna Suddenly 
 
 czi:n Freely, undefervedly. 
 
 n and n final are commonly figns of the 
 feminine gender. Sometimes 1 or 1 are inferted 
 before j—i, as nibVE) regnum, j— insa fulphur. 
 
 From "ins to be fair, or to make fair, is deriv- 
 ed j—riKsn beauty, glory, with n both prefixed 
 and pofl fixed. 
 
 Examples 
 
c4o THE ELEMENTS Of 
 
 Examples of * prefixed and poftfixed. 
 
 * Prefixed, commonly forms proper names. 
 
 npp To fupplant 
 npy Jacob 
 
 pn To mew favour 
 pm* 1 Joannes, Gratiofus 
 
 pn2J To laugh 
 $nv Ifaac 
 mn To be, to exift 
 i-piT 1 Jehovah. 
 
 Sometimes common nouns are formed in the 
 fame manner. 
 
 apV To gather 
 eip^ Aknapfack 
 
 *]ti>2 Darknefs 
 rj«ni?3i The bird of night 
 -ins To fhine 
 •^^2J , ■ Oil. 
 
 'Port- 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 241 
 
 1 Poftfixed forms Patronymics, names of na- 
 tions, and ordinal numbers. By affixing n or 
 n they become feminine. 
 
 my Hebraeus 
 
 > Hebraea 
 
 r-inniO 
 
 nxn An Egyptian. 
 
 The addition of n eonftitutes the feminine of 
 ordinal numbers. 
 
 ptwn Firft 
 
 "»3cr Second 
 wbw Third 
 
 T31 Fourth 
 ^^n Fifth 
 ■■lyttf Sixth 
 ip^iy Seventh 
 
 tqe/ Eighth 
 \pt£Ti Ninth 
 n^y Tenth. 
 
 Hh 
 
242 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 M 
 
 Nouns formed by n final, are commonly of 
 the feminine gender. 
 
 nriK To love 
 nini? Love 
 
 ins To fear 
 r-nns Fear 
 
 Vip To be unjuft 
 ribw Iniquity 
 
 rsb:; To hide, to conceal 
 na^A virgin 
 
 pbn To divide into fhares 
 np^n A (hare, a portion 
 
 *pn To blefs 
 n^ni A bleffing 
 
 pV To be white 
 n^nV The moon 
 
 tin To lofe, to perifli 
 mas A loft thing 
 
 bxv To alk 
 nVKty A petition 
 Dan To be wife 
 r-ittsn Wifdom. 
 
 Examples 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 243 
 
 Examples of Nouns having a Servile Letter both 
 p-ejixed and affixed to the Root, as alfo l and * 
 inferted* 
 
 hh) To roll 
 nbm A volume 
 nnn To terrify 
 nnna Deftru&ion 
 
 Q72T To plot 
 
 nnm A wicked device 
 hhn To praife 
 n'rrm Praife 
 hhs To pray 
 nbun Prayer 
 H^7D To raife 
 n^Dn A high-way 
 SSn To bore 
 n^nn A beginning 
 
 -iik To mine 
 r-niKn A den* 
 ni To move 
 r-intn A door-poft, 
 
 pis 
 
 * 70 Privativum. 
 
244 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 pia To ftraiten 
 J-rpixa A ftrait 
 
 mw To return 
 riaiim A turning back 
 
 an To flrive 
 nana Contention 
 
 ■p 1 ? To mock 
 ns^a Interpretation 
 
 pa To know, to confider 
 n:nan Underftanding 
 
 CD13 To flumber 
 n72i3n Drowfinefs 
 
 non To fly to 
 mvniz A refuge 
 
 "ir>D To hide 
 mnDD A covert. 
 
 Nouns of four or five letters, moftly confon- 
 ants, are formed by doubling one or more of the 
 radicals, and frequently reprefent rapidity, or re- 
 peated motion. 
 
 i. By 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR, 
 i . By doubling the two firft radicals. 
 
 iplp The fcalp, from up 
 hfo A wheel, hbi 
 
 s\!/3y An eye-lid, rjs^ 
 
 2. By doubling the fecond. 
 
 ysn Meditation, r^rt 
 
 ]iiT Fornication, ;— i:t 
 
 3. By doubling the third. 
 
 •ptoW Quiet, )kvj 
 
 pin Green, . jm 
 
 nfrVsn Rednefs, hsn 
 
 Doubling the two firft, and inferting l 
 
 ywyv Delight, n^ 
 
 yinyn Error, niTi 
 
 *4£ 
 
 The 
 
U6 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 The fecond and third. 
 
 pbpbn Slippery, from fin 
 
 iszsn Fro ward, *]srr 
 
 Dimx Red, oik 
 
 kens Offspring, $& 
 
 Nouns compounded, or of foreign extrac- 
 tion, fometimes confift of four or five radical 
 letters. 
 
 rph) A ftorm 
 *i2Dy A moufe 
 hm Iron 
 dtis A garden 
 ynss A frog 
 pm* Purple. 
 
 Nouns 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 447 
 
 Nouns of one Syllable, and two Letters, from 
 hnperfecl Verbs. 
 
 en Hot, heat 
 
 an Perfect, integrity 
 
 ay People 
 
 »• The fea 
 qk A mother 
 
 3.1 Gibbous 
 
 an Afeflival 
 
 -jjt A fide 
 
 ts Fine gold 
 
 m White 
 
 -p Soft 
 
 -]t Pure 
 HtD Dew 
 
 hp Light, not heavy 
 
 pp A little child 
 
 «]n A drum 
 p Garden 
 
 *p The hollow of the httnd 
 
 *p A threlhold, a cup 
 
 *ra Bitter 
 
 12 
 
M& THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 *o Clean 
 np Cold 
 j—.j A wine-prefs 
 ns A morfel 
 •W The navel 
 nb The heart 
 ^-jn A heap 
 jn Grace 
 yn An arrow 
 hD All 
 ■jn Palate 
 jiy A tooth 
 D3 A ftandard 
 ny A feafon 
 TP Strength 
 , S24 A fhadow 
 
 ]p A nefl 
 yp The end 
 m A bear 
 pn A ftatute. 
 
 CHAP. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. -49 
 
 CHAP. XIX. 
 
 Of Numbers, 
 
 JL HE Cardinal Numbers are, 
 
 inn M. One 
 
 nns F. 
 
 a*»3ty M, Two 
 o^nty F. 
 
 nwbw M. Three 
 mwbw M. 
 "div? F. 
 
 nwi» M. Four 
 2>n-iN F. 
 
 n^nn M. Five 
 ^an F. 
 
 Wtf M. Six 
 
 urw F. 
 
 I i i""UDty 
 
2 5 o THE ELEMENTS 
 
 r-ipns; M. Seven 
 yniy F. 
 
 riaraw M. Eight 
 nanw E. 
 
 nrwn M. Nine 
 yiyn F. 
 
 ntttt> M, Ten 
 
 mc/y F. 
 niifp F. 
 
 pnu/p Twenty 
 ctyVw Thirty 
 OWiK Forty 
 tD-iy7Dn Fifty 
 a-iftt' Sixty 
 cmiy Seventy 
 ca^niy Eighty 
 ca^yiyn Ninety 
 
 r-iKn One hundred 
 Cdtikd Two hundred 
 J— ilNtt wbiy Three hundred 
 sbtt A thoufand 
 
 ersVa 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR 251 
 
 ezp.dVx Two thoufand 
 fcraVl* wbv Three thoufand 
 *\bto ^wbvf Thirty thoufand 
 Km Ten thoufand 
 a^nsji Twenty thoufand 
 iiiKin vt^w Thirty thoufand, or three ten 
 thoufands. 
 
 For the ordinal numbers, from two to ten, 
 fee page 241. 
 
 The Ordinals above ten do not differ from 
 the Cardinals, and are expreifed in this manner. 
 
 "Wi; THS One and ten, The nth 
 
 *wy CW Two and ten, The 12th 
 
 inui antw Twenty and one, The 21ft. 
 
 The Jews employ alfo the letters of the alpha- 
 bet to exprefs numbers, in the fame manner as 
 the Greeks and Romans ; but this practice is 
 chiefly confined to the writings of the Rabbies 
 and of the Maforites. To the twenty-two com- 
 mon 
 
252 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 mon letters of the alphabet, the five finals are 
 added, making in all twenty-feven* which are 
 divided into three claffes, confifting of nine each. 
 The firft clafs reprefents Units, the fecond Tens, 
 the third Hundreds, in this manner : 
 
 tt 
 
 I 
 
 s 
 
 16 
 
 p 
 
 100 
 
 3 
 
 o 
 
 3 
 
 20 
 
 n 
 
 200 
 
 a 
 
 3 
 
 * 
 
 3° 
 
 OS 
 
 300 
 
 1 
 
 4 
 
 a 
 
 40 
 
 n 
 
 400 
 
 n 
 
 5 
 
 3 
 
 50 
 
 1 
 
 500 
 
 * 
 
 6 
 
 D 
 
 60 
 
 
 
 600 
 
 t 
 
 7 
 
 If 
 
 70 
 
 1 
 
 700 
 
 n 
 
 8 
 
 2 
 
 80 
 
 s 
 
 8co 
 
 ES 
 
 9 
 
 2 
 
 90 
 
 V 
 
 900 
 
 In joining Hebrew letters to denote numbers, 
 it mull be remembered, that the letter of the 
 higheft numerical value is placed firft on the 
 right hand, before the ktter of lefs value, con- 
 trary to our method of calculation by figures, 
 according to which, the value of a figure in- 
 creafes towards the left, and diminifhes towards 
 Che right. 
 
 s Stands 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 253 
 
 ■» Stands for ten, 1 for two. Placed thus n** 
 they fignify 12, kV 31, 32 93, np 105, idi 
 266. 
 
 The number 15 fliould be reprefented by rr< 
 but, becaufe thefe letters conflitute part of the 
 word mm the letters ib or 9 and 6, reprefent 
 15, to prevent, as the Jews allege, the profana- 
 tion of the peculiar name of God. For the fame 
 reafon, tb 9 and 7, is ufed inflead of t» 10 and 
 6, to exprefs 16. 
 
 An acute accent above any one of the firil 
 nine letters, multiplies its value by a thoufand, 
 
 n 1000, 3 3000; though fometimes the number 
 of thoufands is reprefented by a common letter 
 
 u 
 
 prefixed to a doubly accented »\\ 
 
 // // 
 
 jo 2000 nn Soop 
 
 If hundreds are added, the accented Aleph is 
 omitted. 
 
254 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 pn 2100 wi 4300 aajM 1782. 
 
 As the pages and the chapters of printed He- 
 brew Bibles, are generally marked with letters 
 for numerical figns, it is proper that the learner 
 be acquainted with this method. 
 
 Let him alfo attend to the following obferva- 
 tion: 
 
 Keri and Chetib, the one derived froin K*;p to 
 read, and the other from nro to write, are terms 
 frequently ufed by Jewim authors, to exprefs the 
 difference between the reading of the manu- 
 fcripts, and that of the printed copies of the Old 
 Teflament. The Chetib is the word adopted in 
 the text, and is marked with a fmall circle above 
 it, which refers to a different reading in the 
 margin, named the Keri, commonly diftinguifh- 
 ed by the letter Koph below it, and fometimes 
 written in Rabinical characters. 
 
 CHAP. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 255 
 
 CHAP. XX. 
 
 Lift of Adverbs, Prepofitions, Interjeclions, and 
 Conjunctions. 
 
 T is impoflible, in any table,, to aflign the pre- 
 cife meaning of Adverbs. As they limit and 
 qualify verbs, their fenfe is chiefly to be gather- 
 ed from the general turn of the fentences where 
 they appear. 
 
 r-i^xi Where? 
 
 ,n3K)N Whither, where? 
 
 pfctt Whence? 
 
 na ns Here, hither 
 
 isr> nri73 Thence, hence 
 
 ' ' > Here, hither 
 
 Dty There 
 
 OW» 
 
%$$ 
 
 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 otz/a Thence 
 
 £ Within 
 
 •pn Without 
 nVra Above 
 
 , > From above 
 
 r-ian Below 
 -urn* Backward 
 tid When? 
 
 }► How long: 
 
 nny Now 
 
 in a To-morrow 
 
 onv- By day 
 frWM ? Yefterd 
 
 ot^ttf The day before yellerday 
 n^sba Before this time 
 T»nn Conftantly 
 
 BH " W ? Until 
 
 jznta Before that 
 ihd Quickly 
 ro Then 
 
 nan 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 257 
 
 a»n Is it fo ? 
 
 K^n Is it not? 
 
 *]N How ? 
 
 jmn Wherefore? 
 
 nab Why? 
 
 r-ros How many, how often? 
 
 p So 
 
 pa Truly 
 
 IK Yes, furdy 
 
 bn«J CertainI > r 
 i^V > Not 
 
 hi* Do not 
 
 )s Left 
 
 •<Vik Perhaps 
 
 cp'n In vain 
 
 **lltf Vainly 
 
 am Without a caufe, undeferv- 
 edly 
 
 r-p-nrp Like a Jew 
 
 lrp ? A 
 rnrp £ At once, together 
 
 inV Only 
 K k 
 
258 THE ELEMENTS Of 
 
 Kg* 
 
 ■nyVn Except 
 inv Rather 
 
 ^ ? Much 
 
 ■•3-^i* How much more ? Aft*. 
 •o~*]K How much lefs? Neg. 
 aa Slowly 
 
 B#7D By little, fcarcely 
 ayba Almoft, as little 
 
 p>o Ahnoft, fcarce any, if not 
 
 J3-TO3 Juftfb* 
 
 naa In fuch a way 
 nns Once 
 
 j—pDty Twice, fecondly 
 
 r^V^iV Thrice, thirdly. 
 
 Pre- 
 
 * The fyllable ID is often expletive. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 259 
 
 Prepofitions. 
 
 # ^K but To 
 
 Hisn At, near to 
 
 "HP 13/ Even to 
 
 TJ3 Before, over againfl 
 
 n^V n^3 Over againfl 
 
 j—itdpV^ 
 Hi 73 > Over againfl, oppofite to 
 
 pa Between 
 
 73 "Otd p From, than, in comparifon of, 
 away from 
 
 "OS 1 ? Before. £///. at the face 
 
 "♦Vp Hp Upon, above 
 
 n"nD Around 
 
 lip On this fide 
 
 "in p 73 Beyond, over 
 
 j-TK^ri Beyond 
 
 nn* inn After 
 
 nnn Undefr, for, inflead of 
 
 * > Is often added to prepofitions and adverbs, Eu- 
 phoniae Caufa. 
 

 »6o" THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Upon account of, becaufe of 
 
 > For, inftead of 
 
 *22 According to 
 "3 1 ? At, near by 
 iisya Becaufe 
 
 r-iK £ With 
 
 nrh ^Without, unlefs 
 
 nib) 
 nrtVtt C Befides, only. 
 
 v5 
 
 The letters n b D 1 are called infeparable Pre* 
 pofitions, or Prepofitives, 
 
 n /#, a according as, like, V to, for, at, i^from. 
 
 There 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 263 
 
 There is only one infeparable poft-pofitive^ 
 n towards. 
 
 7-u:mD Towards Sodom 
 naix Towards the earth 
 nnb Towards Luz. 
 
 Conjunctions. 
 
 C3 ^n Alfo 
 
 i And 
 
 * ty Which, who 
 
 ex If 
 
 CK "»3 But 
 
 j«*V tzm If not 
 
 iV rta If 
 
 mVi 1 ? Unlefs 
 
 *jk But 
 
 ^ntf But, neverthelefs, not- 
 withstanding 
 
 dVin Neverthelefs 
 
 * A contra&ion for "ilt'K 
 
262 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 \a 0:1 Even though, though it 
 mould be fo 
 ik Or 
 ip For, becaufe 
 
 npy >For which caufe 
 
 V)^ Not 
 
 pV ^ Wherefore, upon which 
 p S^5 account, therefore. 
 
 Inter] ettions. 
 
 jn r-T3n an Lo! Behold! 
 
 13 K3J* >n Prithee, I pray 
 
 ^k ^n Wo, O! Alas! 
 
 "^Vn Woes me! 
 
 nWtr God forbid ! 
 nan nan Irony or laughter 
 inn nsn Come now! Goto! 
 
 ^ * ? O that! 
 
 |73K Surely, be it fo. 
 
 Prepofitions 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 263 
 
 Prcpofitions affume the affixes. ^ Is often in- 
 ferted betwixt the prepofition and the pronoun, 
 to foften the found. 
 
 HP To me 
 
 Hp Upon me, towards me 
 
 -jHy To thee 
 
 cypnnn Under them. 
 
 CHAP. 
 
;64 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 C H A P. XXL 
 
 Of Syntax, 
 
 HEBREW Syntax enjoys the advantage of 
 being extremely fimple, and is free from 
 the elliptical and irregular phrafeology which 
 often perplexes us in other languages. The 
 words commonly ftand in their natural order ; 
 and fentences admit of being tranflated into Eng- 
 lifh, aimed without any alteration of the arrange- 
 ment. The chief exception is, that the nomina- 
 tives very frequently follow their verbs, and the 
 adjectives their fubflantives. 
 
 A fubftantive noun is often found alone in 
 the body of a fentence,. when it is neither a no- 
 minative to a verb, nor governed by a verb, and 
 has no prepofition or figii of cafe before it. In 
 
 this 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 265 
 
 this fituation, it frequently indicates the inftru- 
 ment by which the energy of fome principal verb 
 of the fentence is exerted, and muft generally be 
 tranflated, fo as to refer to this verb, with figns 
 that expreis the ablative in Latin. 
 
 Their tongue (/. e. with their tongue) they flat- 
 ter, 
 
 maim pan 
 Favour (/'. e. with favour) fhalt thou crown him. 
 
 Cin "pN j-in Vbm xns ju 
 
 Left I come and ftrike the earth — curfe, u e. with 
 a curfe. 
 
 Trim lTin yoa t*p \v pin man 
 
 Gird thy fword upon thy thigh, O thou mighty, 
 in thy glory and thy majefty. 
 
 L 1 ~~r^> 
 
266 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 And in thy Majefty profper, ride. 
 
 The verb Nfo fignifies to be full, and, in Hi- 
 phil, to Jill, we fay, A veffelfidl of water, Fill 
 this veffel with water, Fill this granary with corn. 
 Were thefe fentences to be converted into He- 
 brew, the words water and corn would want the 
 figns ofdxvi with, and {land folitary. 
 
 And he faid fill four cafks with water. 
 
 m»328 mrr oto yd a nm nnn dk tim^i 
 
 And I will fill this houfe glory, (/, e. with glory), 
 faith Jehovah (God) of hofts. 
 
 And the houfe was filled fmoke, (7. e. with 
 fmoke). 
 
 The 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 267 
 
 The perfonal pronouns are often placed by 
 themfelves, the fubftantive verb to be fupplied. 
 
 Hip hi* ^k 
 I God all-fufficient. Sup. am. 
 
 I weak or fick. Sup. am, 
 
 mm* yen ysn hx *<tb »3 
 
 For not a God delighting in wickednefs art 
 thou. 
 
 Akin to this is another form of conftru&ion, 
 in which the perfonal pronoun -on is conjoined 
 with a fubftantive, without any verb, denoting a 
 particular attachment in the perfon to what the 
 fubftantive implies or expreffes. 
 
 n^sn *am 
 But I prayer, i. e. I am devoted to prayer. 
 
268 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 I peace, i. e. I am much inclined to peace. 
 
 The pronoun is often repeated after the rela- 
 tive by a pleonafm. 
 
 Which the wind driveth /'/ away. 
 
 r-p mo'n "lira nmn nfcflt 
 
 Blefled is the man whom thou malt chailen him 7 . 
 O Jehovah! 
 
 The fame conflruction, derived from this fource, 
 fometimes occurs in the Greek of the New Tef- 
 tament. 
 
 K*< t*£ a l 5 0WJ5 p'.yaXy re«f rttra-a-^irDi xyyiXoi? a;; £'/«£>) ttvroi; 
 «to«jj5-«« Tr,K y>jv jc«< tjjv S-xXxFO-a*. 
 
 And he cried with a loud voice to the four an- 
 gels to whom it was given to them to hurt the 
 earth and the fea. 
 
 TAiTtc 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 269 
 
 MiTtc rxvTx a$o» Kut i$tt o%Xo{ wohvs i» ot^ii^Txi ecvTor 
 
 After thefe things I looked, and behold a great 
 multitude, which no man could number it* 
 
 A verb generally agrees with its nominative in 
 gender, number, and perfon. 
 
 Sometimes, however, a plural nominative is 
 joined to a verb lingular. 
 
 In principio creavit Dii. 
 
 In this cafe, Kin is to be confidered as the 
 radical term, before or behind which any nomi- 
 native may be placed, itfelf remaining indeclin- 
 able, as, 
 
 / loved, Te loved, They loved, Loved he them ? 
 In all thefe inftances, loved is invariable. 
 
27 b THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 '•>3K Tps and i3n3» ipa may be faid with as great 
 propriety as wpa and inpa only the laft is more 
 frequently ufed. 
 
 Words that exprefs dominion, dignity, majef- 
 ty, are commonly put in the plural. 
 
 nvr?K Gods O'ST.vt Lords 
 
 cyVjtt Hufbands, matters. 
 
 Though, at the fame time, they may have a verb, 
 noun, or affix lingular. 
 
 WMp "fixn ibst mans mrp l>wj? ^Vtya 'a 
 
 Nip'' Y~u*Ti hs tfVk baity 
 
 For thy Maker is thy hufband, Jehovah (God) 
 of hofts, his name, and thy Redeemer the 
 Holy One of Ifrael, God of all the earth (hall 
 he be called. 
 
 In this fentence, though 1V1D w and tiVk be 
 plural, yet n}^ the affix 1 bis, bmi Redeemer, 
 
 temp 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 271 
 
 ttmp the Holy One, and the verb x~\p he Jhall be 
 called, are all in the fmgular number. 
 
 An adje&ive lingular is fometimes joined to a 
 fubftantive plural. 
 
 "ptosi^D ~\W Right are thy judgments. 
 
 Colle&ive nouns, or nouns fmgular, that com-* 
 prehend many individuals, may have an adjective, 
 participle, or verb plural. 
 
 crnw dp ca^jn op 
 
 Populus laetantes, Populus videntes. 
 
 Happy the people who know the joyful found, 
 O Jehovah, in the light of thy countenance 
 mail they walk. 
 
 Though oyn be fmgular, yet the participle 
 7TP and the verb ]i±rr< are plural. 
 
 Two 
 
272 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Two or more fubflantives fingular may have a 
 verb, adje&ive, participle, or pofleflive affix plu- 
 ral. 
 
 Dm©* 1 r-inN naVrai bin 
 
 The world and its fulnefs, thou haft founded 
 
 them. 
 
 133-p yqqa ')imni -nan 
 
 Thabor and Hermon, in thy name (they) mail 
 rejoice. 
 
 Property or pofleffion is reprefented by ^ the 
 fign of the dative, the verb being omitted. 
 
 W urn Hd ••V *3 
 For to me-— every wild beaft of the foreft. 
 
 To thee — the day, and to thee — the night. 
 
 1> 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 2 73 
 
 To thee — the heavens, alfo to thee — the earth. 
 
 Such phrafeology correfponds to the Latin 
 rule. Eft pro habeo, Tibi dies, et tibj nox, &c. 
 
 b Before fubftantive nouns often appears re- 
 dundant, correfponding to the dative of the 
 thing, in fuch Latin phrafes as thefe, Erant aux- 
 ilio mihi, Eft mihi voluptati. 
 
 r-naxa n^-\p r-nir? r-rrvn hd^ 
 
 How is fhe become an harlot, the faithful city? 
 
 Quomodo facta eft meretrici civitas fidelis ? 
 
 amatf "nmi fis^^ iVysi j-nyaV ]vnn rrm 
 H3D?3 p*i nw 
 
 x\nd the ftrong man mall be tow, (for tow) and 
 his work a fpark (for a fpark), and they (hall 
 burn both together without a quencher. 
 
 M m ara 
 
474 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 nai in^^i "asb htirn rvnx n^n* tnrin av3 
 
 In that day mall the branch of Jehovah be for a 
 beauty, and for a glory, and the fruit of the 
 earth for excellency and ornament, to the es- 
 caped of Ifrael. 
 
 ambif? ^ mrp rrni 
 Eritque Jehovah mihi Deo. 
 
 Faclufque eft homo animae viventi. 
 
 Inftances of variety or irregularity in the ufe 
 of the paft and future tenfes frequently occur. 
 Thefe are apt to embarrafs at firft, but practice 
 will render them eafy and intelligible. 
 
 Whatever happens by cuftom, habit, or the 
 courfe of nature, is commonly expreffed in the 
 future tenfe. 
 
 r-niro 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 275 
 
 nam riMi^ rmm 
 
 In the law of Jehovah he will meditate, /'. e. it 
 is his conftaiit practice to do fo. 
 
 T^tt 3-u'n *v$i p an: "•jrrsa "^v ^irn hnta 
 
 As the hart crieth for (Lift, mail cry for) dreams 
 of waters, fo fhall my foul cry for thee, O 
 God! 
 
 Speaking of God, Job fays, chap. ix. n. 
 
 Behold he paifeth over me, and I fee him not j 
 he turneth again alfo, and I underfland him 
 not. 
 
 All thefe verbs, in the original, are in the fu- 
 ture tenfe. 
 
 The letter 1 before the perfect, often converts 
 it into a future, and, before the future, con- 
 verts 
 
276 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 verts it into a perfect tenfe, bearing, in this cha- 
 racter, the title of Vau converfivum *. 
 
 -i-m »m tin w crn^K TQW) 
 
 And God faid, let light be, and light was, Lift. 
 and God mall fay, &c. 
 
 vnisn r-iKi vpn j-in j-nratsn 
 
 And thou malt keep his flatutes and command- 
 ments, Litt. and thou haft kept, &c. 
 
 The word tx has frequently the fame effect of 
 changing the future into the perfect. 
 
 r-m-uD )nn , n -\iyi any is^ty nw» Hns* 1 tk 
 
 Then Mofes fet apart three cities on this fide 
 Jordan towards the fun-rifing. 
 
 The 
 
 * This promifcuous ufe of the preterite and future 
 appears to me very inexplicable. After all my refearch 
 I have found no fatisfa&ory account of it. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. ' 277 
 The verb h^^ is in the future tenfe. 
 
 Then fung Mofes and the fons of Ifrael this 
 fong. 
 
 "W Is in the future tenfe. 
 
 Verbs often have after them nouns derived 
 from the fame root with themfelves. 
 
 Why do you ufe this proverb ? 
 
 ^Jtyra A proverb, a parable, a fententious fay- 
 ing. 
 
 h wn To fpeak or ufe fuch a faying. 
 
 nzwn KtaKtaan rprmtoNtai 
 
 And I will fweep it away with the /weeping or 
 befom of dtitru&ion. 
 
 tfnwn 
 
* 7 $ THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 And thou didft caufe it to take root. 
 Et fecifti ut radicaret radices fuos. 
 
 ttnttf fometimes alfo fignifies to eradicate. 
 
 In the fame manner, &n> in Hiph. cmr? fignifies 
 to put in pojfejton, or to expel from a pojfejfion* 
 
 jc/tTo remove afhes, to cover with allies, to 
 fatten, to reduce to afhes. 
 
 The verb to Jkin, in our own language, has 
 oppofite fignifications. 
 
 He judged the judgment (the caufe) of the af- 
 flicted and the indigent. 
 
 •an nn 
 
 Plead my pleading, i. e. my caufe. 
 
 As if we faid, 
 
 Contende contentionem meam. 
 
 As 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 279 
 
 As fynonimous nouns are fometimes placed 
 together, the firft, in Jiatu rcgi?ni?iis, to exprefs 
 the fuperlative degree ; fo a noun and verb, of 
 nearly the fame fignification, are frequently con»- 
 joined, to convey an idea of fomething complete 
 and entire. 
 
 And the land be wafted with defolation, i. e. be 
 made utterly defolate. 
 
 CHAP. 
 
fc86 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 CHAP. XXII. 
 
 Of Peculiar Idioms, and Compound Words. 
 
 IN the chapter concerning nouns in conftruc- 
 tion, inftances were given of fome beautiful 
 peculiarities of expreffion, for which the He- 
 brew is diftinguimed. It will not be improper to 
 add fome more fpecimens in this chapter. 
 
 The word p jilius, is often placed in regimen, 
 as related to, connected with, or produced by, 
 the fubft'antive which follows it in the genitive of 
 pofition. 
 
 mv anaw p A f° n °f twenty years 
 A man twenty years old 
 
 tmvp p A fon of the bow 
 An arrow 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 281 
 
 Sybil ^3 Sons of Belial, or of the 
 worthlefs 
 Men of b afe char after 
 
 ■o-i."! ]H The fon of my floor 
 Grain when threjhed 
 
 »|ttn *33 Sons of the burning coal 
 Sparks. 
 
 It is to be expected that a very antient and 
 primitive language, fpoken at a period when 
 fociety was neither corrupted nor embellifhed by 
 art, would be exceedingly fimple, but, at the 
 fame time, highly figurative and metaphorical. 
 It is probable alfo, that it would borrow its 
 images not merely from the grand objects of na- 
 ture, but from thofe with which men are mod 
 familiarly acquainted, fuch as, from the parts 
 and members of the human body, or from the 
 inftruments and occurrences of rural life. 
 
 The following idioms may ferve to illuftrate 
 this obfervation. 
 
 N n ffcfr 
 
282 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 ' £'K ]Y&b A tongue of fire* 
 Flame 
 
 ybv ]VJ The tooth of a rock 
 
 A jharp pointed rock, a crag; 
 
 CD" 1 matf The lip of the fea 
 The fea-foore 
 
 r~)V2 mn A fword of mouths 
 A two-edged fword 
 
 jrp *72 Who fhall give? 
 that! 
 
 nm Ti72 nwa His glory are men of famine 
 The men in whom he gloried 
 are famijhcd 
 
 dtiVk wx A man of God 
 
 A pious or infpired man, a pro- 
 phet 
 
 * A&s ii. 3. Cloven tcngues, as of fire, 1. e. divided 
 Sames. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 283 
 
 mm bip The voice of Jehovah 
 
 The thunder 
 
 tnisn nn The breath of Jehovah 
 The wind 
 
 ■QJ32? py The iniquity of my heels 
 
 The violence of thofe who un- 
 jujlly purfue or per fe cute 
 me* 
 
 HiNitf T The hand of the grave 
 The power of the grave 
 
 ypby p£P j — iiDtz/ The years of the right hand 
 of the Mod High 
 
 Paji times, in which the Al- 
 mighty had given fignal dif- 
 plays of his power 
 
 D-n" 1 lb The heart of the feas 
 The middle of the fea 
 
 * Pfalms xlix* 5. I mention this only as a probable 
 meaning, for the expreffion is very obfeure. 
 
284 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 inty '•sysy The eye-lids of the morning 
 The jirft dawning of the day 
 
 M# an The blood of the grape 
 Red ivine. 
 
 Y"\K7\ ha -j-na jhm ^n 
 I go the way of all the earth. 
 
 vnns 1 ay natsrn 
 And he flept with his fathers. 
 
 AVe meet with few compound words in He- 
 brew, and, when they do occur, they exhibit 
 little of that foft and mufical coalition remark- 
 able in fimilar words of the Greek, but rather 
 refemble fuch combinations as the following, 
 which frequently prefent themfelves in Englifh j 
 Sun-rifing, hard-hearted, ftiff-necked, bare-foot, 
 dim-fghted, book-feller, fre-ivorker. 
 
 Examples 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 285 
 
 Examples of Compound Hebrew' Words. 
 
 □ 13K Abram, an eminent father, compound-: 
 ed of nK father, and :zn high* 
 
 sn-QK Abraham, the eminent father of a mul- 
 titude, compounded of the former word, and 
 an contracted for nDn a multitude. 
 
 fwchi A deadly made, comp. of hz a Jha- 
 dow, and r M2 death. 
 
 u ?k~H£"' Ifrael, a prince of or with God, comp. 
 of •* one of the Hecmantic letters, -iir a prince, 
 and Sk "God. 
 
 j-rnsian Moles, from -isn to dig, doubling 
 the two laft radicals, isian 
 
 "hv^h"} A worthlefs perfon, comp. of Sn not r 
 and *-j#i to profit, to be of advantage. 
 
 CD^VKa Proud opprefibrs, comp. of riKJ to be 
 proud, and n: s to opprefs, to afflicl. 
 
 nrsVn An armoury, a place for hanging up 
 weapons of war, a mount of obfervation, a high 
 place for worjhip. 
 
 The 
 
 
a86 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 The Rabbies, and writers of the Talmud, 
 aflign thefe different fignifications to this com- 
 pound word, becaufe they are at a lofs whether 
 they mould derive it from nVn to hang up, and 
 rrpfl acies, the edge or point of a /harp weapon, 
 or from ^n a heap, a mound of earth, and j— ivs 
 ora, mouths, faces. The firft is the mod proba- 
 ble meaning. 
 
 CHAP. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. -287 
 
 CHAP. XXIII. 
 
 Concerning the Invefiigation of the Radical 
 Word. 
 
 THAT the Primitives, in the Hebrew and 
 other Eaflern languages, may be found 
 with facility, it is neceffary to be well acquainted 
 with the divifion of the Letters into radical and 
 fertile, becaufe thefe lad mult be rejected before 
 the root appear. 
 
 If the root confifl of pure radicals, common- 
 ly three in number, it is eafily found, and as 
 eafiiy diverted of the ferviles which attend it. 
 But, as the fervile letters may alfo conftitute 
 roots, it is fometimes a matter of difficulty to 
 diftinguifh when thefe letters ought to be confi- 
 dered in their radical, and when in their fervile, 
 
 capacity, 
 
288 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 capacity. This difficulty is increafed in the verbs 
 denominated i/nperfed ; for, in fome of their 
 parts, either by contraction or commutation, 
 thefe verbs lofe fometimes one, fometimes two of 
 their radical letters, which muft be reftored to 
 their place, before the root can be exhibited in 
 its true form. 
 
 The learner muft therefore endeavour, by fre- 
 quent practice, to acquire a dexterity in disco- 
 vering the radical letters, in diverting them of 
 their ferviles, and in reiloring them where they 
 are loft by the abbreviated flexions. This ex- 
 ercife is the more neceffary, as, in almoft all 
 lexicons, the words are arranged according to 
 the alohabetical order of the roots. Thefe are 
 
 x * 
 
 commonly printed in a larger character, and 
 have below them their derivatives, as children 
 and defcendants. By this plan, neither the fig- 
 nification of any verb, nor of any noun derived 
 from it, can be found, till its root be inveftigat- 
 ed and determined. 
 
 The 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 289 
 
 The following directions will be found ufeful 
 in the invefligation of radical words. 
 
 The chief things to be attended to are, What 
 letters are commonly fervile, either in nouns or 
 verbs ; in what part of the word they moft ge- 
 nerally appear ; and what is the mod probable 
 conjecture to be formed, in order to reftore fuch 
 radicals as are loft by the abbreviated flexions. 
 
 The fervile letters in nouns * are fuch as form 
 the feminine gender, and the plural terminations, 
 the prefixes, including the figns of the cafes, the 
 heimantic letters, and the poifeffive pronouns or 
 
 affixes. 
 
 The fervile letters in verbs are the perfonal 
 prefixes and poflfixes, formerly named the pro- 
 nominal fervites, the chara&eriftics of the differ- 
 ent forms, and the verbal affixes. 
 
 O o 1 and 
 
 * Under this title are included not only fubflantives, 
 adjectives, and participles, but alfo infinitives, when ufed 
 as nouns or as gerunds. 
 
2 9 o THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 1 and "• whether inferted in nouns or verbs mull 
 be rejected in the inveftigation of the root. 
 
 As the ferviles generally appear in greatefl 
 number at the end of v/ords, the moft proper 
 method of difcovering the root feems to be this : 
 
 Begin from the left hand, remove the ferviles 
 as you go ak>ng, retain the pure and the fup- 
 pofed radicals, reject the inferted 1 and ', reftore 
 or commute the radicals loft by abbreviation ; 
 and, finally, reject the prefixes. 
 
 Directions 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 391 
 
 Dircclions for finding the Root, and for restoring 
 the deficient Radicals. 
 
 I. If, after rejecting the ferviles, three pure 
 radicals remain, you may conclude thefe to be 
 the root. 
 
 II. If only two remain, as is the common 
 cafe in abbreviated roots, prefix to thefe either 
 2 or ^ or infert 1 1 betwixt them, or poftpone n, or 
 double the fecond. 
 
 For the fake of brevity, in pointing out the 
 ferviles to be rejected, I fhali ufe the words a 
 capite, when they are to be removed from the 
 beginning of a word, a medio, when from the 
 middle, and a fine, when from the end 5 or thefe 
 abbreviations, a cap. a med. a fin. 
 
 R. Placed before a word intimates that it is 
 the root. 
 
 Examples, 
 
292 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 » 
 
 Examples. 
 
 *np*m a med. v—- a cap. x — R. Tpa 
 
 QiTpsn a fin. a* — a med. * — a cap. 71 — R. 
 -npD 
 
 tii^' 1 ? a fin. ti — a cap. b — hide zw to which 
 prefix * — R. zw 
 
 hns" 1 a med. 1 — a cap. * — hide bs to which pre- 
 fix 2 — R. hitt to fall. 
 
 MWpn a fin. i:* — a med. * — a cap. n — ftufe 
 cp which may be fuppofed to be a root of two 
 letters in the third perfon lingular of Kal ; but, 
 according to the common opinion of grammari- 
 ans, 1 mufl be inferted to place the root in the 
 infinitive 01 p See pages 201, 202. 
 
 iba a fin. 1 — add n — inde -ft a 
 
 niw a fin. n— a cap. c — R. 2D or ssd 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 293 
 
 ■Di a fin. v- a cap. 1— Remains only 3 to which 
 prefix 3 and poftfix n — inde R. ;— D3 toftrike. 
 
 That the learner may have this fubjecl: fully 
 before him, and be accuflomed to an expediti- 
 ous inveftigation of the radical term, I have an- 
 nexed the following table, which contains an 
 analyfis both of nouns and verbs according to 
 the doctrine and rules above laid down. 
 
 Example of the Mode of invejligating Roots in 
 Hebrew Words, both Nouns and Verbs. 
 
 ■paatyn Thy judgments, a fin. 1 final poffeffive. 
 affix, and 1 fign of the plural jmafc. — a cap. ft 
 hesm.-R. dsi^ to judge, 
 
 V3J-D Hispriejls, a fin. \ pofT. affix, and'' fign of 
 mafc. piur. — R. |na to ferve in a public office, 
 either f acred or civil. 
 
i 9 4 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 a^mttbi And for comforters, a fin. a* term, 
 plur. mafc. — a cap. -: heemantic, b pref. of thc- 
 dative, and i conjunction — R. ans to comfort. 
 
 ^bfertr They/hall comfort me, a fin. «a verbal af- 
 fix — a cap. , prefix — k. an: 
 
 ■jnipaftn And thyjlaff, prop, or fupport, a fin. 
 ■j polf. affix, and n term. fern. — a cap. td heeman- 
 tic, and 1 conj.— R. jyttf to lean upon. 
 
 ittaVam And thou didji deliver them, a fin. to 
 poetic verbal affix— a cap. n perf. and 1 converf. 
 — R. tD"?2 to refcue, to deliver. 
 
 sywvi -^^ ^ /w^ ffoffz, a fin. 73 verbal 
 affix— a med. * — commute l into ^— reject, a cap. 
 ■• perfonal, and i converf.— inde R. yw tofave. 
 
 nennn 37jo« fiewejt thy f elf merciful, a cap. 
 nn char. Hithpahel— R. ion tfz^/ry, compajfion. 
 
 With W* g/i;* thanks, or we confefs, a fin. ia 
 perf.— a med. ^— a cap. l commutable, and n 
 
 char. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 295 
 
 char, of Hiphil, remains only 1 to which prefix 
 1 and poftfix n—inde riT in Hiphil irfnn conji- 
 teri. There are few fo difficult as this. 
 
 HVwi&to Exalting thy/elf, a med. 1 tranfpofe 
 n and place it before v — reject a cap. dd — 
 the word is in the participle Hithpahel of the 
 root H>'?D elevavit. 
 
 -\8V "ixn "T£>x He whom thou curfcjl foal! be 
 curfed, T2'X pronoun radical, ixn a cap. n perf. 
 — R. ix a contraction for -nx maledixh. -ixv a 
 cap. 1 and , perf. It is the third perfon fingular 
 male, of Hophal.— R. nx See p. 207, 1, 6. 
 
 GrpmnJDTStt From their clofe places or confine- 
 ments, e claufir is fuis, a fin. an poff. affix, ex- 
 pletive, rm term. plur. fern.— a cap. a hec'man- 
 tic and a prefix, remains the root -ud to Jlrat up. 
 In this word there are three pure radicals, ancj 
 feven ferviles, of which two are before, and five 
 behind the root. 
 
 CjrmxiNEtt From or by their own counfels, 
 
 a 
 
296 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 a fin. orpmas above, commute i into •» — a cap. 
 a heemantic and "o prefix — inde R. yy> to confult, 
 to advife. This word has only two pure radicals, 
 and eight ferviles. 
 
 Q'nyitfi In the gates, a fin. a* 1 term. plur. 
 mafc. — a cap. n prefix— R, -iyu/ a gate. 
 
 r~ptr/yE) Her works, a fin. n fern. port, affix, 
 i fign of mafc. plural — a cap. n heem. — R. nzy 
 fecit. 
 
 rroi Thou buildejl, a fin. n perfonal and * 
 commutable into n — inde 7-122 to build. 
 
 -jrv:i Thy houfe, a fin. *] — R. j— pi domus. 
 
 •"irirJN 1 ?^ T/fry ww£, fervice, labour, a fin. -j 
 poflf. affix, and n fern, term — a cap. 73 heemantic 
 — R. -[X 1 ? to work, toferve, cok^E Angels, the 
 mejfengers and fervants of God. 
 
 Specimen 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 297 
 
 Specimens of the invefiigation of the Root in other 
 Languages befide the Hebrew. 
 
 The inveftigation of roots is net peculiar to 
 the Hebrew, but common to all languages, and 
 is of fmgukr advantage, if we would attend to 
 accuracy and propriety of writing. 
 
 In fuch languages as do not admit of the dif- 
 tinction between radical and - fervile letters, the 
 following may be obferved as general rules for 
 reducing words to their firlt principles. Let 
 that part of the word which remains unvaried 
 be confidered as the radical term, and let the 
 changes of termination be difregarded or cut off. 
 Compound words mud be refolved into their 
 component parts, and the prepofitions excluded. 
 In thefe words which feem reducible to Hebrew 
 roots confiding entirely of coiifonants, the inter- 
 mediate vowels employed for their enunciation, 
 P p are 
 
2 9 3 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 are not to be confidered as effential, or as con- 
 figuring a part of the root. 
 
 An universal rule, to be conftantly attended 
 to in tracing radical words, is the one formerly 
 mentioned : Liters ejufdem organi facile inter fe 
 commuta biles, i. e. <£ Letters pronounced by the 
 " fame organ of fpeech, may eafily be fubftitut- 
 " ed for one another.'' From this circumftance 
 letters have been divided into Labials, Dentals, 
 and Gutturals, 
 
 Labials in Hebrew, n s 
 in Greek, •*&<*> 
 in Latin and Englifh, p b f or ph or v. 
 
 Dentals in Hebrew, & i n 
 in Greek, t J e 
 in Latin and Englifh, t d th. 
 
 Gutturals in Hebrew, span 
 in Greek, » y x 
 in Latin and Englifh, c k g ch. 
 
 By 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 299 
 
 By careful attention to the various changes 
 and mutual fubftitutions of thefe letters, the 
 learner will make a rapid progrefs in tracing 
 words to their ultimate etymologies. 
 
 The following inftances, aniongft many that 
 might be given, will ferve to illuftrate thefe ob- 
 fervations, and fhew how words of different lan- 
 guages may be traced to a Hebrew original. 
 
 In all the inflections artd derivatives of twwt*, 
 
 the radical part is xvn, probably from t\n tap, to 
 
 Jlrike, to beat. Hence tap, in Englifh, is ufed 
 
 in the fame fenfe. The word is derived from 
 
 the found produced by beating. 
 
 In capio, and all its derivatives or changes, the 
 radical part remains cap, from «p caph, or cap, 
 the hollow of the hand. Hence, to take in the 
 hand, to hold. Inde, captivus, cavus, and many 
 more. 
 
 x^dTTv, to carve, to engrave. The radical 
 
 confonants 
 
3oo 
 
 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 confonants are, ^r from j-td to cut, to engrave 
 in wood orjlone* 
 
 BipuTx, faftxrt, R. faftx, from ;— rca a high place, 
 
 . pa pheren, to endow, cpi^a dowry, paraphar- 
 nalia, all befide the dowry. 
 
 e<5w, video, R» jtp i<io, /o £«0it>* 
 
 ^K tf/#, «0/„ Hence the negative particle in; 
 inimicus, imprudens, 
 
 «H^>vfl voluptas, «aj5i*v fuavior, *«^ «»}«i>« placeo, 
 may be derived from py wfe/z, obleclare fe, vo- 
 luptas, deiiciae, Eden. 
 
 Suffetes, Carthaginian 7iiagijlrates , a Punic or 
 Phoenician word, generally thought to be de- 
 rived from aicsity fuffetim, judges, R. asty /o 
 judge. 
 
 Safta, e-sj^va, ta />$/«/ out, to dijlinguijh, from 
 aw Jem, any mark of dijlinclion, a name. Per- 
 
 fons 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 301 
 
 fons of diftinction, or of renoun, are called i» 
 Hebrew ojp ' , iy3K Men of name. 
 
 id cad, a cqfk or barrel. Inde cad-us, 
 
 TQ mad, a meafure. Inde modius, modus, mcr* 
 dcror, &c. 
 
 Commotion — rejed the prepofition and termina- 
 tion, remains mot, from taitt moveo, motunu 
 
 Mixture — mixtura, mifceo, ptryu, radical con- 
 fonants ^y, from -]V72 to mix. 
 
 "isd fepher, to count, to write. Inde to cypher, 
 to ufe a particular mode of writing ; cyphers, in- 
 ftruments of numbering. 
 
 The refemblance between the following words , 
 both in found and fenfe, is ftrongly marked. 
 
 r-nnK m -fib, abbut, abbot 
 ^•ott Auil, evil, folly 
 
VCttr 
 
 3©2 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 nNa Gde, gay 
 nm Gibbe, gibbous 
 an D«w, to be filent 
 ^in .Hw/, to howl 
 NDT De?na, hpxs, like 
 
 ]."« //;z, wine, vinum, »mt 
 •UK ^r, * y6<? «, congrego 
 Y'W Saraz, to multiply, to increafej «-«£ 
 a heap • 
 . nitf Ave, to defire, aw^ 
 aK? hat, to hide, /#ta? 
 pn Dik, a mound, a fortification, a 
 
 dyke 
 inp 0^^/, to labour, to ferve, obedio 
 ^"2V Obr, over 
 duk ^^j, to be fat, obefus 
 hiD Cabel, a rope or chain, a cable 
 ptp Sac, faccus, fackcloth • 
 id Mar, bitter j amarus 
 s^iu Phera, wild, fierce, ferus, ferae 
 "Opttf Succui, fuccus, juice, moiflure 
 iop Kara, to cry, to crow 
 pp Keren, cornu, a horn 
 "pdV Lapid, xxciTxs, xttpxxbo:, a lamp. 
 
 This 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 303 
 
 This table might be greatly enlarged : I have 
 only adduced thefe as fpecimens of the clofe con- 
 nection which many languages may have with 
 each other, and to prove how far the Hebrew 
 infinuates itfelf into them all, by being derived 
 from one common (lock. The reader, if he has 
 inclination, may find frequent opportunities of 
 employing himfelf in this exercife, both for a- 
 mufement and improvement. 
 
 Specimen 
 
;c4 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Specimen of Additions to the foregoing Table. 
 
 "iw Sir, a prince, an honourable man; hence 
 Sir, Sire, Sieur. 
 
 bD Col, to colled, aflemble ; hence calculate, 
 KccxtVf call, &c. 
 
 onp Kedem, the eaft ; hence Cadmus, a man 
 from the eaft, who introduced the Hebrew or 
 Phoenician characters into Greece. 
 
 -ill Bur, a hole or pit; hence bore, bury, bur- 
 row. 
 
 nmrnii Booremith; hence the Greek tfv^*^ 
 •3tv£*fi3os, a pyramid, the Hebrew word fignify- 
 ing the cave of death, or a cave for the dead. 
 
 ttWSK AbaJJj, or as it is in the Chaldaic, 
 KFNt'NaN abafhta, i. e. the father or inventor of 
 
 fire ; 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 305 
 
 fire; hence 'up*^™?, Dorice *9ee«rros, the Greek 
 name of Vulcan. The term Vulcan is mofl pro- 
 bably derived from the Hebrew name j^phm 
 Tube/kin, the firft part, Tubl, being eafily foften- 
 ed into Vul. The name Vulcan evidently ap- 
 pears to be of Hebrew origin. The character 
 given by Mofes of this perfon is a farther confir- 
 mation of this conjecture. 
 
 The paiTage in the original is as follows : 
 
 Genefis, iv. 22. 
 
 hnm nt£/m 
 
 Englifh Tranflation: 
 
 And Zillah, me alfo bare Tubal-Cain *, an in- 
 ftru&or (margin, whetter) of every artificer in 
 brafs and iron. 
 
 Qjl The 
 
 * So the word is deformed by the Mafbretic point- 
 ing, which alfo converts ttfTD Kugo? Cyrus, into Corefli, 
 to the obliteration of all etymology. 
 
3 a6 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 The laft words may more properly be render- 
 ed, The polijher of every artful work in copper 
 and iron ; which may fignify that he was the firft 
 who invented or practifed the art of imelting 
 thofe metals, and by fire converting them into 
 inflruments of the higheft utility to mankind. 
 
 mbv hdedeth, a mid-wife ; hence the defig- 
 nation of llithyia given to Juno Lucina, the god- 
 defs that prefided at births, as mentioned in the 
 Carmen Seculare of Horace. 
 
 Rite maturos aperire partus 
 Lenis Ilithyia, tuere matres 
 Sive m Lucina probas vocai-i 
 Seu genitalis. » ■ 
 
 lD3td Tapfar, by tranfpofition Satrap, a Per- 
 fian word for a general or governor. See Na- 
 hum iii. 17. S at rapa, fat rapes. 
 
 CD72T1 Hamam, to be warm; hence Hwnmums, 
 hot-baths, an Arabic word brought from Turkey. 
 
 *pt9 Tereph, prey, food caught in hunting; 
 hence t^» T§a<p«, to feed, to nourifh, food. 
 
 bin 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 307 
 
 bafi Tebel ; hence tabula, table, any flat fur- 
 face; ufed alfo to exprefs the habitable world. 
 
 ^rsn Cupel ; hence couple. 
 
 pi a Tzuk, fignifies to confine, flraiten; hence 
 choak, check. 
 
 *ia ms Mar, myr; hence iEolic ^g*, Lat. 
 myrrha, Eng. myrrh, Lat. amarus, bitter.—- 
 " Myrrh is a vegetable production, of the gum 
 " or refm kind, iifuing by incifion, and fome- 
 " times fpontaneoufly, from the trunk and larg- 
 " er branches of a tree growing in Egypt, Ara- 
 " bia, aiid Abyflinia. Its tafte is bitter, but its 
 " fmell, though flrong, is not difagreeable." See 
 Exod. xxx. 23. Pfal. xlv. 9. Cant. v. 5. 13. - 
 
 pbu M'rfik, fignifies to wring or fqueezfc out ; 
 hence milk, and midgeo, mu/cltim, to milk. 
 
 j^p Kelo, fignifies bending, inclining ; hence 
 the Greek ko^o? hollow, and the Latin verb caelo 
 to engrave, to hollow, fcoop out. 
 
 ■ pn 
 
3 o8 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 pn Tacan, fignifies to direct, regulate by 
 weight, meafure or rule ; hence «#»*, tsxt«v, « ? - 
 xiTiKTw, whence, Eng. technical, architect, ar- 
 chitecture, &c. 
 
 iyn Tor, fignifies to divide, cut, cleave ; 
 hence, Greek, t S &>*, to wound, Eng. to tear, tore, 
 torn -, alio perhaps Greek tei 5 », Lat. tero, tritus. 
 Eng. trite, contrite, contrition. 
 
 pn Theren, fignifies any thing fettled or fix- 
 ed ; hence, Greek, tyws a footftool; alfo |g«»4« 
 Lat. tbronus, Eng. throne. ' 
 
 The following derivations may perhaps ap- 
 pear whimfical or abfurd to the enemies of ety- 
 mological inquiries ; but to perfons who have 
 minutely attended to the connection of languages, 
 they will appear to have a good foundation, while 
 at the fame time they afford an example of the 
 advantages to be derived from a judicious inves- 
 tigation of radical terms. 
 
 jpT Zeken, fignifies old; by a fmall alteration. 
 it hfenex. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 309 
 
 -p-iK Aretz, fignifies the earth, which is a word 
 nearly of the fame letters as the Hebrew ; and 
 the Hebrew, by inverfion, is nearly the fame as 
 terra, 
 
 r-ms/ra Mefure, fignifies a meafure. In thefe 
 two words the confonants are the fame, and near- 
 ly allied are the Latin menfura and the French 
 
 mefurc. 
 
 Take a fample from other languages befides 
 the Hebrew. 
 
 If we pronounce the ch in the word church, as 
 the Englifh pronounce it in chorus or characler, it 
 becomes the fame as Kyrk, and both fpring from 
 the fame root, *.v ? <* <u*e ? , breviter y^,***, the 
 houfe of the Lord, Heb. b^n^ Bithal, defaced 
 by the points into Bethel. 
 
 Eglife, in French, fi gnifying a church, is from 
 the Greek ix^c-i*. in Latin ecclefia. 
 
 See, The feat, the diocefs of a bifhop, is from 
 the French fiege, and the Latin fedes. 
 
 Tke 
 
310 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 The French word ev'que, and the Englifh 
 bijhop, have not one letter the fame, though both 
 are undoubtedly derived from the; C- . ..k .««««-«?, 
 or Latin epifcopus. Litt. a fuperintendent, aa- 
 overfeer, or watchman. 
 
 Few perforts would believe that the Englifh 
 Jlrange and Jlr anger, could come from the Greek 
 prepofition £», b|, out '; from. The pedigree, how- 
 ever, runs thus; e*, «|, Latin, ex, extra, extrane- 
 us ; Old French, ejlrange., ejlr anger, (now Strange, 
 et ranger); Englifh ftrange zndftranger. 
 
 Bull, fignifying a letter or mandate from the 
 Pope, whence, Italian, bollo a feal, bollare to feal, 
 and French bulletin, fignifying an authentic pub- 
 lic document or letter, all come from the Latin 
 bulla a ftud, a flamp, a feal. 
 
 Grammatical investigation may be profecuted 
 on this plan to a very great length, and promote 
 both entertainment and inftruction. 
 
 CHAP. 
 
3i2 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 CHAP. XXIV. 
 
 Paffages of Hebrew from the Book of Pfalms and 
 the Prophecy of Ifaiah, with Tranflations. 
 
 PSALMS LXXIV. 12. 1]/ 
 
 ;npa j-niirtty bins anpn "oVa ottVni 12 
 n^an wx~\ rriity q <i itxo mns nnx 13 
 
 orV hsKD iaann jmV ^m maun nn« 14 
 
 nnna nttorn r-rn^ brrn ^rra r-irpn t-idk 15 
 
 tind nia^n nnx n^V I 1 ? *]k dv i 1 ? 16 
 
 JttJTDttn 
 
 *pm yp yitf -m^ina ha nnajn j-tdk 17 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 31 
 
 PSALMS LXXIV. 12. 
 
 1 2 But God is my King from the times of old, 
 working: deliverances in the midfl of the 
 
 o 
 
 earth. 
 
 1 3 Thou didft break in funder by thy ftrength 
 
 the fea ; thou didft break in pieces the 
 heads of the great monfters in the waters. 
 
 14 Thou didft break in pieces the heads of Le- 
 
 viathan ; thou didft give him as meat to 
 the people of the deferts. 
 
 15 Thou claveft fountain and flood; thou didft 
 
 dry up rivers of might. 
 
 16 To thee belongs the day, and to thee the 
 
 night ; thou haft prepared the light and 
 the fun. 
 
 1 7 Thou fixed ail the boundaries of the earth ; 
 
 fummer and winter, thou haft formed 
 them. 
 
 Rr 
 
3 H THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 PSALMS CIII. 13. 3p 
 
 : vki" 1 hy r-nrp am a s ]3 hy nK arm 13 
 :i2n3J< isy »a rnoi ins 1 IPP Kin ^d 14 
 
 •HPipnaci vkt 1 ^y aViy in abiytt Hhrr iom 17 
 
 ianwyb mps> "mrti mna nn^ 18 
 
 has irroVai ikdd pan btt&tta r-nm 19 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 315 
 
 PSALMS CIII. 13. 
 
 •13 As a father hath compamon upon his chil- 
 dren, Jehovah hath companion on them 
 that fear him. 
 
 14 For he knoweth our frame, he remembers 
 
 that we are duff,. 
 
 1 5 Frail man, . as grafs are his days, as a flower 
 
 of the field fo he flourilheth. 
 
 16 For a wind paifeth over it, and it is no more; 
 
 and its place fhall never know it again. 
 
 j 7 But the mercy of Jehovah will be from age 
 to age upon them that fear ' him, and his 
 righteoufneis will continue to fons of 
 fons. 
 
 1 8 To them that keep his covenant, and to them 
 
 that remember his commandments to do 
 them. 
 
 1 9 Jehovah hath eftablifhed his throne in the 
 
 heavens, and his kingdom beareth rule 
 ever all. 
 
3 i6 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 PSALMS LXXXIX. 6. 
 
 ^aaa r-nrr 7 ? ?-in"P mn^ "py pntrn v: *a 6 
 
 "-:a btf i^-nai man a v i£'np tids p-»ra hx 7 
 
 •jnaizaKi m )^n *]i?aa '•a mxns Si^k r-nrr 8 
 
 .♦"prna^nD 
 
 mt2 -py rnn am hVna m^m nnK 10 
 nn« r-m^ai han y\a ~\b *]k ea^'aty i 1 ? 11 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 317 
 
 PSALMS LXXXIX. 6. 
 
 6 For who in heaven can be compared to Je- 
 
 hovah, who can be likened to Jehovah a- 
 mong the fons of the mighty ? 
 
 7 God is greatly feared in the aflembly of his 
 
 faints 3 and is reverenced by thofe that fur- 
 round his altar. 
 
 8 O Jehovah, God of Hods ! who is like thee, 
 
 the powerful Jehovah, with thine attend- 
 ant faithfulnefs ? 
 
 9 Thou ruled in the pride of the fea ; when it 
 
 lifteth up its waves, thou {tilled them. 
 
 ic Thou had dallied in pieces the mighty proud 
 as one that is fiain; with the arm of thy 
 drength thou had fcattered thine enemies. 
 
 1 1 To thee belong the heavens, and to thee the 
 earth ; the world and its fulnefs, thou had 
 founded them. 
 
3 t8 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 •pwn pmrn -nan amna i-ina pan pss 12 
 
 ? T3* , 75"' ann T"p wn mn) s:> imi *]b 13 
 
 ^Dip 1 * mam "ron *]'**D3 pan bjwdi p~:s 14 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR, 319 
 
 12 The north and the fouth, thou haft created 
 
 them ; Thabor and Hermon in thy name 
 fhall rejoice. 
 
 13 To thee belongs an arm with power; ftrong 
 
 is thy hand, high thy right hand. 
 
 14 Righteoumefs and judgment are the eftab- 
 
 lifhment of thy throne; mercy a^d trufc^ 
 {hall go before thy face. 
 
320 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Isaiah, Chap. xl. ?j 
 
 
 nmya iw niff "j-n 133 -121m mip ^ip 3 
 
 rs-iypa^ tD^D^m -nttpo^ 2prn 
 
 jia/i mm 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 42 r 
 
 Isaiah, Chap. xl. 
 
 i Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people, faith 
 your God. 
 
 2 Speak ye to the heart of Jerufalem, and tell 
 
 her that her warfare is compleated ; that 
 her iniquity is pardoned; that fhe hath re- 
 ceived from the hand of Jehovah double, 
 notwithftanding all her fins. 
 
 3 A voice of one crying ; prepare in the wil- 
 
 dernefs a way for Jehovah, make flraight 
 in the defert a highway for our God. 
 
 4 Every valley Ihall be raifed, and every moun- 
 
 tain and hill fliall be made low ; the crook- 
 ed fnall become ftraight, and the rough 
 plain. 
 
 5 The glory of Jehovah mall be revealed, and 
 
 all flem (hail fee it at once; for the moutk 
 pf Jehovah hath fpoken. 
 
 Ss 
 
322 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 itton hn hop a .na nTDKi hop nna hip 6 
 
 12 nnii'3 n*\n* mn *a •.,£**» hoa iran wm y 
 
 ja^irV mp s la^nVtt nam j> s s Van -ram war 8 
 
 1 asTi 1 ?** r-ian mw nyV nan 
 
 (iV mVtyQ imn h*iap pmn mm »]^ r-bn 10 
 jvasb inVrsn idk n:& nan 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 323 
 
 6 A voice faid cry ; and I faid, What fhall I 
 cry? All flefh is grafs, and all its comli- 
 nefs like the flower of the field. 
 
 7 The grafs fhall wither, the flower fhall facie, 
 
 when the breath of Jehovah bloweth upon 
 it: Surely the people are grafs. 
 
 8 The grafs fhall wither, the flower fhall fade; 
 
 but the word of our God fhall fland to 
 eternity. 
 
 9 Afcend to a high mountain, O thou pub- 
 
 lifher of good news to Zion ! raife thy 
 voice aloud, O thou publifher of good 
 news to Jerufalem ; raife it, be not afraid ; 
 fay thou to the cities of Judah, Behold 
 your God. 
 
 1 o Lo, the Lord Jehovah fhall come in flrength y 
 and his arm fhall rule for him ; his re- 
 ward fhall be with him, and his recom* 
 penfe before him. 
 
3 2 4 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 ipTDi cKba yip unta r-iyv my rims n 
 
 bm pn r-iin a^izn jzpd jViraa Tin ^d 12 
 myn;n onn vbsn bptsn y-iKn isy e'Veo 
 
 najpm may wai mrp nn rm pn s n 13 
 
 njifnv j-nann "p*n nm inibV'i 
 
 jn isum d^tko pnEOi ^nn nns aria ]n 15 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 325 
 
 1 1 He fhall feed his flock like a fhepherd, he 
 
 fhall gather the lambs with his arm, he 
 fhall carry them in his bofom, and gently- 
 lead thofe that give fuck. 
 
 1 2 Who hath meafured the waters in the hol- 
 
 low of his hand, who hath metted the 
 heavens with a fpan, or collected the dull 
 of the earth in a bufhel, who hath weigh- 
 ed the mountains in fcales, and the hills 
 in a balance ? 
 
 13 Who hath prepared the fpirit of Jehovah, 
 
 and as the man of his counfel hath made 
 him to know ? 
 
 14 With whom did he confult, or who made 
 
 him underftand ; who taught him in the 
 path of judgment; who taught him know- 
 ledge, or made him acquainted with the 
 way of difcernment ? 
 
 1 5 Lo, the nations are reckoned by him as the 
 
 drop of a bucket, as the light duff of a 
 balance, he poifeth the ifles as a verv lit- 
 tle thing. 
 
326 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 jnbiy »*i pii imm nyn "h pit fuiVi i£ 
 
 :ib nuns inm ddrs tiaa paa a^ian ha 17- 
 
 n> lanim mm rn^i 5Jt p^mn *» Vm is 
 mpmi laypn* 3 ma *p:n win "p: bosn i? 
 
 win nna* np'V n 1 ? yy r-rwnn poran %m 
 jdiq*" nV bos pan 1 ? i 1 ? upi" 1 a:n 
 
 wm» nan MiVn wnwn MiVn iinn j^iVn 21 
 : yiNn -nnoin omnn j<nVn adi 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 327 
 
 16 And Lebanon is not fufficient to burn, nor 
 
 the beads of it fufficient to be a burnt of- 
 fering. 
 
 1 7 All nations are as nothing before him ; they 
 
 are counted by him lefs than nothing, and 
 vanity. 
 
 18 To whom then will ye liken God, or what 
 
 refemblance will ye compare unto him ? 
 
 19 A workman formeth an image, a goldfmith 
 
 overlays it with gold, and caileih chains 
 of nlver. 
 
 20 He that is deftitute of oblation, choofes a tree 
 
 that will not rot ; he feeketh for himfelf 
 a ikilful artificer to prepare a graven image 
 that fhall not be moved. 
 
 2 1 Have ye not known, have ye not heard, has 
 
 it not been told you from the beginning, 
 have ye not underftood it from the foun- 
 dations of the earth ? 
 
328 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 ovaana r-rawi yum ain hy n^n 22 
 jnnttf 1 ? bnaa cannD^ o^di? pis r-iaian 
 
 :n^jr inna yiK '•Baity pab o"an jrnan 23 
 
 |nan tynzr ^a «i« lint ba *]h w&a Ha ^k 24 
 
 typo myoi lt&an ana quo eaai carta 
 
 t EDNILTI 
 
 tttmp.nraio nwxi ■•avmn *» ^*n 25 
 
 nVK *oa *a uni caavpy ann -mra 26 
 j^-ip 1 cawa caVaV okix nsotaa ftraM&n 
 j mira k 1 ? e^k na y>3in crant ana 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 329 
 
 : 2 Who is it that fitteth upon the circle of the 
 earth, while the inhabitants of it are as 
 grafshoppers, that ftretcheth out the 
 heavens as a curtain, and fpreadeth them 
 out as a tent to dwell in ? 
 
 23 That reduceth princes to nothing, that mak- 
 
 eth the judges of the earth as vanity? 
 
 24 Surely they fhall not be planted, furely they 
 
 mall not be fown, furely their ftock fhall 
 not take root in the earth ; he mall alfo 
 blow upon them, and they mall wither, 
 and the temped mall carry them away as 
 Hubble. 
 
 25 To whom then will ye liken me, and to 
 
 whom fhall I be equal faith the Holy one! 
 
 26 Lift up your eyes on high, and fee who hath 
 
 created thofe, who bringcth out their hod 
 by number, who calleth to all of them by 
 name ; from the greatnefs of his might, 
 and becaufe he is ftrong in power, not one 
 is deficient. 
 
 Tt 
 
33° THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 r-nnw hmt&p -imm npi" -man nab 2** 
 :TDm ^taat^?^ viVKai mma "•am- 
 
 ya« kVi "jtf" k 1 ? y*i-Kn map join hw 
 
 nnauinb ipn p* 
 
 jniT n^ay ea^m pfcVi na tjyV ]n: 29 
 
 : isr^ kVi laV ipa^ tfbi ianT 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 33% 
 
 2; Why fayed thou, O Jacob ! and fpeakeft, O 
 Ifrael ! my way is hid from Jehovah, and 
 my judgement is neglected by my God ? 
 
 28 Haft thou not known, haft thou not heard, 
 
 that the God of eternity, Jehovah, the 
 Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth 
 not, and wearieth not ; his underftanding 
 is unfearchable. 
 
 29 He giveth power to the faint, and to thofe of 
 
 no might he multiplieth ftrength. 
 
 30 Even young men mall faint and be weary, 
 
 and choice youths mall utterly fall. 
 
 3 1 But they that wait upon Jehovah mall re- 
 
 new their ftrength ; they mall mount up 
 on wings as eagles ; they mail run and 
 not be weary; they mall walk and not be 
 famt. 
 
; 3 2 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 CHAP. XXV. 
 
 Important Extracls from 'various Parts of the He- 
 brew Scriptures, with Tranjlations and expla- 
 natory Notes, not introduced into the firft Edition, 
 
 GENESIS XV. I. 
 
 ha snrp in n^n srr^n annn inn i 
 
 ■•bx pi^Di sin ^no pirn ]m nnp "]Vin 
 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 333 
 
 GENESIS XV. I. 
 
 i After thefe things, the word of Jehovah Was 
 directed to Abram in a vifion, faying, Fear 
 not Abram, I will be thy fliield, and thy 
 exceeding great reward. 
 
 2 And Abram faid, O Lord Jehovah what wilt 
 
 thou give me, feeing I live without fons, 
 and the chief direftor of my houfe is this 
 Eliezer of Damafcus. 
 
 3 And Abram faid, Lo to me thou haft given 
 
 no progeny; a fervant of mine houfe mall 
 inherit my property. See Gen. xxiv. 2. 
 
334 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 •o r-n *]ttn" xb -Mxb vbn i-hrp -in rtarn 4 
 
 rwDtfn N!3 ann na*ni nzsinn ins s^avi 5 
 
 IDJOl an« 12V 1 ? b^lD DK Oi2313n "I3D1 
 
 jj-tpna iV r-ntym mma ;i^m c 
 
 hike ")*na:»in nty» mn^ rm vbx n^nn 7 
 tnnwi 1 ? nKtn }>"JNn tin -7^ nn 1 ? an i w 
 
 jr-nurvN *>3 riK nan mm ^n» inioi 8 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 33$ 
 
 4 And the word of Jehovah addreffed him, 
 
 faying, This perfon mall not be thine heir; 
 but one who mail proceed from thine own 
 bowels mail be thine heir* 
 
 5 And he brought him forth abroad, and faid, 
 
 Look now towards heaven, and count the 
 ftars, if thou art able to number them ; 
 and he faid unto him, fo numerous mail 
 thy progeny be. 
 
 6 And he believed in Jehovah, who reckoned 
 
 it to him as righteoufnefs *. 
 
 7 And he faid unto him, 1 am Jehovah that 
 
 brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, 
 [Heb. Aur of the Cafdim], to give thee 
 this land to inherit it ? 
 
 8 And he faid, Lord Jehovah, by what mail I 
 
 know that I am to inherit it ? 
 
 * 1. e. A noble infhnce of piety and obedience. 
 
336 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 jnn "pro anx nnnn n^K ^a j-ik iV r,p*i 10 
 •:inn k 1 ? issn run injn riinpV nna w s k 
 
 :annK qdk 312^1 anjsn by ta^n Tin n 
 
 cms* 'Sir nba: nmim boi 1 ? mm im 12 
 svbv n^s: nViJ STTDcn na^K iS:m 
 
 •jm* r-r>rp 1^ "o inn #t cnai^ "iawi 13 
 
 tmu mxa 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 337 
 
 9 And he faid to him, Take me an heifer of 
 three years old *, and a fhe-goat of the 
 fame age, and a ram of the fame age, with 
 a turtle-dove and a young pigeon. 
 
 10 And he took unto him all thefe, and divided 
 
 them in the midft, and laid each piece one 
 againft another ; but the birds he divided 
 
 not : 
 
 1 1 And when the fowls of prey attempted to 
 
 alight upon the carcafes, Abram drove 
 them away. 
 
 1 2 And when the fun was going down, a deep 
 
 lleep feized Abram, and lo a horror and 
 great darknefs came upon him. 
 
 1 3 And he faid to Abram, Know for a certainty, 
 
 that thy progeny {hall be (bangers in a 
 land not theirs, and mall ferve the people 
 of that land, who fhall afflict them four 
 hundred years f. 
 
 * Some render it three heifers, and Co of the other 
 animals. 
 
 j- i.e. Nearly to the four hundredth year rrom this 
 period. 
 
 Uu 
 
338 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 na^ira napn mVra T/naK Vk snn nnxi 15 
 
 ♦♦nmta 
 
 nnxn )iy ato nV ^a s— isn laity '•ya-i ini 16 
 
 :r-i3n ny 
 
 ip-iV^n cannn £3 nay -itpK v£ tsVi p'.y 
 
 n?2K^ nna amx nx r-nm ma *nnn ava 1 
 iy eanxn inSD nam pinn dk- ^nro -]yntV 
 ?ma ins hinarr -imn 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 339 
 
 14 And alfc that nation whom they mall ferve, 
 
 will I judge, and afterwards they fhall 
 come out with great riches. 
 
 1 5 And thou malt go to thy fathers in peace : 
 
 Thou malt be buried in a good old age. 
 
 16 But in the fourth generation they mall come 
 
 hither again ; for the iniquity of the A- 
 morites is not yet full. See Matth. xxiii. 
 32. and I. ThelT. ii. 16. 
 
 ly And when the fun went down, and it be- 
 came dark, lo a fmoking furnace and a 
 burning lamp appeared to pafs between 
 thofe pieces. 
 
 1 8 In that fame day Jehovah ratified a covenant 
 with Abram, faying, unto thy progeny 
 have I given this land, from the river of 
 Egypt *, to the great river, the river Eu- 
 phrates. 
 
 * A fmall river on the confines of Egypt, called elfe- 
 where Sihor. 
 
340 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 ■:-*5OTpn rum napn dki *vpn dk j? 
 
 jca^snn run ^nsn nan Tinn nai 2» 
 
 j-iki nwian j-mt ^nan n«i mann r-i*n 21 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 341 
 
 19 The Kenites *, and the Kenizitesf? and the 
 
 Kadmonites J, 
 
 20 And the Hittites, and the Perizites, and the 
 
 Rephaims, 
 
 2 1 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and 
 
 the Girgafites, and the Jebufites. 
 
 * Kenites, ;'. e. The Midianites. See Num. xxiv. 21. 
 Judges, i. 16. I. Sam. xv. 6. 
 
 f Kenizites — Probably the Idumaeans. See Genefis, 
 xxxvi. 15. 42. Duke Kenaz. See alfo Deut. ii. 4. and 
 II. Sam. viii. 14. 
 
 J Kadmonites — The Orientals, i. e. the Arabians. See 
 Judges, vi. 3. and vii. 12. Q*7p MS the Children of the 
 Eajf. 
 
342 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 EXODUS XXXIII. 17. 
 
 *>tt>K nimnn rm dj rr#r> Vk mm *iQN , n if 
 
 HUD na »H3 ^Jnn iqk^t 18 
 
 )n^ iwx riK ••nam T 33 ^ S"nrr sstte 
 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 343 
 
 EXODUS XXXIII. I/. 
 
 17 And Jehovah faid unto Mofes, this thing al- 
 
 fo will I do that thou hail fpoken ; for 
 thcu haft found favour in my fight, and 
 I know thee by name *. 
 
 1 8 And he faid, I befeech thee mew me thy 
 
 glory. 
 
 1 9 And he faid, I will make all my goodnefs f 
 
 pafs before thee, and I will proclaim Je- 
 hovah by name before thee, and I will be 
 gracious to whom I choofe to be gracious, 
 and will fnew mercy to whom I choofe to 
 fhew mercy J, 
 
 20 And he faid, thou canft not fee my face, for 
 
 there {hall no man fee me and live. 
 
 * i. e. In a very peculiar manner. 
 
 -J- Or beauty. 
 
 % i. e. According to the conduct and character of the 
 perform whom I fei^cTt as obje&s of mercy. Attend to 
 the 7th verfe of the next pafTage. 
 
344 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 msn \v mam ^na orpD nan nm- 1 -iok ,, i 21 
 
 ••rou/i nisn mpsa. -pnttizn naa nara rpm 22 
 
 j nay "ip -pVx> \D3 
 
 kV ••aai nm* j—ik rvK~n s 33 j~ih 'mom 23 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 345 
 
 ■2 1 And Jehovah faid, Behold there is a place 
 by me, and thou fhalt ftand upon a rockj 
 
 22 And while my glory pafleth by, I will put 
 
 thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover 
 thee with my hand while I pafs by. 
 
 23 And I will remove my hand, and thou fhalt 
 
 fee what is behind me [or what foiloweth 
 mej, but my face fhall not be feen *. 
 
 * Perhaps the Angel that perfonated Jehovah was in 
 fome manner made manifeft to him. See Gen. xlviii. 
 16. "The Angel that redeemed me from all evil." 
 Alfo, Exod. iii. 2. and Ifaiah lxiii. 9. « The Angel of 
 " his prefence faved them." 
 
 Xx 
 
346 THE ELEMENTS 0£ 
 
 EXODUS XXXIV. 5. 
 
 own Kip"*! dw itty iajT)^ ]aya mrr* t-pi 5 
 
 : r-nrp 
 
 Hk nin^ r-nrp mp^i 1*33 Vy mrn injm 6 
 
 toi a>3n hp nun py ips np^ s^ 1 ? npsi 
 
 JB^ai bin Ba^tf bp C33 *32 
 
 nnntyn nana np^i nvm nnttn § 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 347 
 
 EXODUS XXXIV. 5. 
 
 5 And Jehovah defcended in a cloud, and flood 
 
 with him there, and proclaimed Jehovah 
 by name. 
 
 6 And Jehovah parted by before him, and pro- 
 
 claimed, Jehovah, Jehovah, God, mer- 
 ciful and gracious, flow to anger, and 
 abundant in benignity and truth j 
 
 7 Retaining benignity for thoufands of gene- 
 
 rations, forgiving iniquity, and tranfgref- 
 fion, and fin, yet who will by no means 
 hold as innocent the obftinate tranfgreffbr* ; 
 but will vifit the iniquity of fathers upon 
 children, and upon childrens children, un- 
 to the third and the fourth line of defcent. 
 
 8 And Mofes made hafle, and bowed his head 
 
 towards the earth, and worfhipped. 
 
 * Thefe words in Italics are fupplied ; but the con- 
 text and the fenfe fufficiently fliew both the neceffiry 
 and the propriety of the fupplement. 
 
34 8 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 n b a v x 
 
 r*»»K*i myon ja ava nn mm jy'i i 
 
 :nm ^ba ;>Vna prasy -ptynn m *& 2 
 nayvnm ftawti TxVn naja to "jw 3 
 
 na*a ny-p ax *nn pna ■Hon n^n ns\^ 4 
 
 ip jfrVff n&2 ■>» *!X jnn *a nnna caty s n 5 
 
 :nn:a jax n"P *p in ipaDn praia nn Vi> 6 
 
 : tamta i:a ba ly-n npa ■•aoia nrp pa 7 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 349 
 
 JOB, XXXVIII. I. 
 
 i Then Jehovah anfwered Job out of the whirl- 
 wind, and faid, 
 
 1 Who is this that darkeneth counfel by words 
 without knowledge ? 
 
 3 Gird up now thy loins like a valiant man ; 
 
 for I will afk of thee, and thou mufl an- 
 fwer me. 
 
 4 Where waft thou when I founded the earth? 
 
 declare if thou knoweft underftanding, /'. e. 
 if thou haft any four ce of information. 
 
 5 Who placed the meafures of it, if thou know- 
 
 eft; or who ftretched his line upon it? 
 
 6 Into what are the fockets of it funk ; or who 
 
 laid the corner ftone thereof? 
 
 7 When the morning ftars fang together, and 
 
 all the fons of God fhouted for jov. 
 
35o. THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 nnVnn ha-im lwaV par '■Biutt 9 
 
 |nm rpv* KUi rpoin **V) Kin ns io> "i^ki ii 
 
 nnipo inty nnyT "ipi ms i^nn 12 
 
 *ri:D» pwi nyan jnwi msaaa nnn^ 13 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 351 
 
 § Who fhut up the fea with doors, when it 
 burft forth as if it had iffued from a 
 womb ? 
 
 9 When I made clouds its clothing, and thick 
 darknefs its fwaddling band j 
 
 10 When I eftablifhed my decree over it, and 
 
 fixed bars and doors, 
 
 11 And faid, hitherto fhalt thou come and no 
 
 farther, and here mail the pride of thy 
 waves be flayed. 
 
 12 Haft thou commanded the morning \j. e. 
 
 the fun-rifing] fince thy days, and caufed 
 the dawn to know its place ? 
 
 13 That it might fpread itfelf to the extremities 
 
 of the earth, and make the wicked run 
 away from its fight * : 
 
 * See John, iii. 20- " Every one that doth evil hateth 
 " the light," &c. The translation, of the 13th, 14th, and 
 15th verfes of this chapter, in our Englifh version, is ob- 
 fcure and embarrafled. 
 
352 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 t^n 1 ? ma na^mi onin -nana -jsnnn 14 
 
 innifn 1-10-1 yvm aim crtino ino^i ij 
 
 jrtnVnnn ainn npmi ed* saaa ny nann 16 
 
 *runn rnoVs nyan mo njw *iV i^n 17 
 
 *rrtp nin* cdk nan |>*ik ^m -ry n:3inn u 
 
 noipo nt "K -]vm niK piy *]-nn : — rr ^ 19 
 
" HEBREW GRAMMAR. 353 
 
 1 4 That by it the earth might aflfume various 
 
 forms, like impreffions of a feal on clay, 
 or appear like a garment of different co- 
 lours : 
 
 15 That their light might be withdrawn from 
 
 the wicked, and the arm of violence 
 broken *. 
 
 16 Haft thou entered into the fprings of the 
 
 fea ; or haft thou walked over the bottom, 
 of the great deep ? 
 
 17 Have the gates of death been opened unto 
 
 thee ; or haft thou feen the gates of the 
 fhadow of death ? 
 
 18 Haft thou comprehended the breadth of the 
 
 earth ? declare it if thou knoweft it all. 
 
 19 Where is the way to the abode of light; and 
 
 where is the dwelling place of darknefs ? 
 
 * Meaning by the difcoveries which day mall make of 
 their crimes. 
 
354 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 nrpi miTi: pan »si iVina Vk isnpn s r> 2® 
 
 r-Tjnn *na nnsKi aVip nmK Va* n^an 22 
 
 tnnnVm mp eavV 12 npb Town Tfc'K 23 
 7>tn s Vy cnp ys s tik phm *]-inn nr -k 24 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. $$$ 
 
 •20 That thou mighteft go, and conduct it to the 
 end of its courfe ; and that thou fhouldefl 
 know the paths to the houfe thereof. 
 
 2 1 Knoweft thou becaufe thou waft then born ; 
 
 or becaufe the number of thy days is 
 great * ?. 
 
 22 Haft thou entered into the treafures of the 
 
 fnow ; or haft thou feen the granaries of 
 the hail ? 
 
 23 Which I refervef againft the time of hofti- 
 
 lity, againft the day of conflict and battle. 
 
 24 By what way are the flafhes of lightning fe- 
 
 parated ; or how is the burning eaft wind 
 fpread over the earth ? 
 
 * The original will admit of a different rendering in 
 this verfe, viz. " Didil thou know when "thou fhouidft 
 " be born, or whether the number of thy days fnould he 
 ■*' great." 
 
 •{- Which I keep as in magazines, or armouries, to de- 
 feat all the defigns of my enemies. See Exod. ix. 24.. 
 Jalhua, x. 11. Ifaiah, xxx. 30, 
 
$ 5 6 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 fcmVfJ Pin 1 ? "j-ni nbyn *\®wb aba *■» 25 
 
 xxvi K2n» rrraanbi hki^qt r-iKiw r^n^n 1 ? 27 
 
 j^a "bJK Tbin *» ik 3K nanV wrr 28 
 
 mV» ^n a^Dty isji mpn ns* ^d jano 29 
 
 :i"i2 1 7n , > ainn *3jdi lKaniv a % tt pio 30 
 
 V^D3 J-naania ik nira mrwD '/itypnn 31 
 
 snnsn 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 357 
 
 25 Who hath divided conduits for the overflow- 
 
 ing of waters ; or paths for the flafhes of 
 thunders I 
 
 26 To caufe it to rain on the earth, where no 
 
 man is ; or on the wildernefs where there 
 is no inhabitant : 
 
 27 To fatisfy the defolate and wafte ground, and 
 
 to caufe the bud of the tender herb to 
 fpring forth. 
 
 28 Hath the rain a father; or who hath begot- 
 
 ten the drops of the dew ? 
 
 29 Out of whofe womb came the ice; and the 
 
 hoary frofl of heaven, who hath gendered 
 it? 
 
 30 Which caufeth the waters to be hidden and 
 
 hardened as a (tone, and the furfaceof the 
 deep to be faftened. 
 
 31 Canft thou bind the fweet influences of Plei- 
 
 ades , [Heb. cime, the feven ftars], or 
 loofe the bands of Orion ? [Heb. cesil.] 
 
358 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 jcaron rrsa bp win inra rrnta wxnn 32 
 
 riBt&'O a^n ok a^w r-\^n mwn 33 
 
 Maan iV iiDKn laVn n^p-in nV^nn 35 
 
 npnT D^m papr>> n*u> npaa 38 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 350 
 
 32 Canft thou bring forth Mazaruth at his fea- 
 fon, or guide Arfturns [Heb. oish] with 
 his fons * ? 
 
 33 Doft thou know the ordinances of the 
 
 heavens ; canft thou fet the dominion of 
 them in the earth ; 
 
 34 Ganft thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, 
 
 that abundance of waters may cover thee? 
 
 35 Canft thou fend lightnings that they may go, 
 
 and fay unto thee, Here we are ? 
 
 36 Who hath put wifdom in the interior part of 
 
 man; or who hath given underftanding to 
 his mind ? 
 
 37 Who can multiply the" cloudy vapours ; or 
 
 ftay the bottles of heaven ? 
 
 38 So that the duft may grow into hardnefs, 
 
 and the clouds cleave fall together. 
 
 * See note at the end of the tranflation of this chapter. 
 
360 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 ::ru* id 1 ? r-ttDn raw m:i^»i inw o 4* 
 
 irn'^ ivw bit ba n^ ra its a-wV pi-* ••» 4 c 
 
 : hzx <bzb 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 361 
 
 39 Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion, or firp- 
 
 port the life of the young lions ; 
 
 40 When they couch in their dens, and abide 
 
 in the covert to lie in wait. 
 
 41 Who provideth his food for the raven, when 
 
 his young ones cry unto God, when they 
 wander for want of meat ? 
 
 Obfsrvations on the 31/? and 32 d Verfes. 
 
 The interpretation of thefe verfes is exceedingly va- 
 rious, in all the verfions, whether antient or modern ; 
 nnd the commentators differ much in their opinions re- 
 flecting the true fenfe. The three words fino cime, 
 "TDD cefil, and ivy ofh or wy oifli, are ufed in the 9th 
 chapter of this fame book, and 9th verfe, but in an in- 
 verted order, viz. ofh, cefil, cime, and rendered by the 
 Septuagint or Greek verfion, Umiccox r.xt 's<r *•=£<>» x*t 
 et£KTtt£ov } the Pleiades, the Evening Star, and Arclu- 
 rus*. 
 
 * The largeft and moft remarkable ftar in the con- 
 itellation of the Bear. 
 
 Zz Br 
 
362 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 By the Vulgate, " Qui facit Arcturum, et Oriona, et 
 (i Hyades, et interiora Auflri :" Who maketh Arclu- 
 rus, and Orion, and the Hyades, and the interior parts 
 of the fouth; i.e. the conftellations of the fouthern 
 hemifphere. 
 
 In the firft, or Greek tranflation, 
 
 Ofh is the Pleiades, 
 ' Cefll is the Evening Star, and 
 Cime is Arclurus. 
 
 In the fecon'l, or Vulgate, 
 Ofh is Arclurus, 
 Cefil is Orion, and 
 Cime is the Hyades. 
 
 Our Englifli verfion of verfe 9th, " Which maketh 
 Arclurus, Orion, ard Pleiades, and the chambers of the 
 fouth," nearly imitating the Vulgate. 
 
 In Amos, v. 8. our verfion has, (C Seek him that 
 « maketh the Seven Stars and Orion." Heb. That 
 maketh Cime and Cefil j which words, it is very re- 
 markable, the Septuagint does not tranflate 2t all. A- 
 quilas renders A^m^ov y.ot u^iavx, Arcturus and Orion ; 
 and Symmachus, TrXtiatx? y.at ««-rp«, the Pleiades and the 
 Stars. 
 
 The Vulgate, Arclurus and Orion. 
 
 The 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 363 
 
 The Septuagint tranfiates the above mentioned 31ft 
 and 3^d verfes of the 28th chapter in this manner: 
 
 " Canft thcu fatten the band of the Pleiades {Cime) 
 " cr open the inclofure, the ioch, of Orion ? (Cefil). 
 
 " Canft thou" difplay ^«£s»a# (Mazdroth) in his fta- 
 
 " fon, and lead on the Evening Star (Oifh) with his 
 " flowing rays?" Lit. hair. 
 
 The Vulgate — " Canft thou join together the fpark- 
 " ling ftars of the Pleiades (Cime) or break the circle, 
 *« ;'. e. difturb the revolution of Arclurus (Cefil)? Canft 
 " thou bring forth Lucifer, i. e. the Morning Star (Heb. 
 t( Mazurotli) at his time; or make the Evening Star 
 « (Oifh) rife on the Tons of the earth." 
 
 Notwithstanding this ftrange intermixture, it would 
 appear, in general, that all the interpreters believed, that 
 thefe names deiigned either fome conftellations, or ibme 
 very bright ftars that had long attracted the attention 
 of mankind : That Cime is moft frequently tranflated 
 the Pleiades, and Cefil, Orion: That Ofh or Oifh is 
 fometimes faid to be the Pleiades, fometimes the Even- 
 ing Star, and fometimes, or moft frequently, Arclurus. 
 
 With refpect to Mazaruth, not tranflated by the Se- 
 venty, but converted into Greek letters, pxljspaQ *, 
 
 Chryfoftom 3 
 
 * The root is probably itt? azr, to bind, encompafs, 
 furround. . The zodiac furrounds the eajth as it were 
 with a broad belt. 
 
364 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Chryfoftom, in his Commentaries, fays, that the word 
 means the fyftems of the fta»s or conftellations that ap- 
 pear in the zodiac, or that it is a Hebrew term which 
 fignifies the Dog Star. 
 
 It is well known, that in different regions of the 
 earth, the appearance of certain (tars or conftellations, 
 before fun-rife, or after ftm-fet, marks the diftinction of 
 feafons, and regulates the laboars of the hufbandman. 
 The motions and revolutions of thefe luminaries, con- 
 ducted by general laws, in due order and arrangement, 
 loudly proclaim the wifdom and goodnefs of their Om- 
 nipotent Author, and lead all pious minds to cultivate 
 a fenfe of their continual dependence upon God, for all 
 the enjoyments of life. 
 
 The fnveet influences of the Pleiades, are the pleafant 
 effects of the genial heat of the fun, to re-animate na- 
 ture, and promote the purpofes of vegetation, when in 
 the fpring that conftellation afiumes a certain place in 
 the heavens *. 
 
 The bands of Orion, are the frofts, the fnows, and 
 the tempefts, introduced by the appearance of the col-» 
 lection of ftars fo named, and which, during the win- 
 ter 
 
 * The Latin name of the Pleiades, or Seven Stars, is 
 Vergiliae^ from Ver the fpring. See Goguet's Antiqui- 
 ties, difTert. iii. torn. i. p. 396. Bailly's Hiftory of An- 
 tient Aftronomy, p. 474, 478, and Grotius, Diodati, 
 and Houbigant on the pafTage. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 365 
 
 ter months, fufpend the labours of hufbandry, and pre- 
 vent the earth from receiving or nourifhing feeds or 
 plants. 
 
 The bringing forth of Mazaruth, or the guidingof Arc- 
 turus with his fons, the lefTer ftars of his groupe, is the 
 regular fucceflion of the different feafons of the year, 
 as the fun traverfes the zodiac, or the uninterrupted re- 
 volution of the ftars that form the conftellations around 
 the North Pole, many of which never fet or difappear 
 from our horizon. All thefe, in their motions and ef- 
 fects, are independent of us. Our duty is fubmiffion to 
 the Supreme Director, to admire and adore. 
 
 PSALM 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 367 
 
 PSALM VIII. 
 
 Title. 
 
 To the Chief Mufician, or Director of the Sa- 
 cred Mufic: A Pfalm of David on the Gittith** 
 
 * The fame is the title of the 81ft and 84th Pfalms. 
 It is very difficult to determine the meaning of this, 
 and of many other titles of the Pfalms. Some lay that 
 Gittich fignifies a particular kind of tune or air, well 
 known at that time. According to the reading ot the 
 S*\enty and of the Vulgate, it means a pfalm to be 
 fung in the time of the viftt/ge, as r)2 gath, fignifies a 
 tuine-prefs. Others alleclge, that it was the name of a 
 harp or muiical init r ument that David brought from 
 Gath, or on which he celebrated his victory over Go- 
 liah of Gath, where, as he lings in this pfalm, the Di- 
 vine ftrength was manifefted, in enabling a {tripling to 
 kill a giant, the iniulting enemy of the hoft of Ifrael. 
 The laft meaning may apply to the 8th Pfalm, but I 
 cannot fee any relation it has to the oiher two Pfalms 
 where Gittith appears. 
 
 PSALM 
 
363 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 PSALM VIII. 
 
 jtnV ntttn rvnan by nsnnV 
 
 n«w ymn ban *]^w -ina na !3*}iK r-nrp i 
 : o^n^n Vp inin nan 
 
 *pi*ns )y7ob ty mD" 1 o^pw o^V-iy ^r> 2 
 : opanQi miK rvawnb 
 
 
 nnpan *o oik ]ai msm ^ uisk na 4 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 369 
 
 1 O Jehovah our Lord, how excellent (or ad- 
 
 mirable) is thy name in all the earth! 
 Thou haft fet thy glory above the heavens. 
 
 2 Out of the mouth of babes and fucklings 
 
 thou haft ftrengthened praife ; to defeat 
 thine enemies, to reftrain the moft enrag- 
 ed foe. 
 
 3 When I look up to thy heavens, the work 
 
 of thy fingers, to the moon and to the ftars 
 which thou haft eftablifhed. 
 
 4 What is man that thou Ihouldft be mindful 
 
 of him ; or a fon of man *, that thou 
 fhouldft vifit him ? 
 
 * Or, a fon of the duft. 
 
 3A 
 
y/o THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 ?imaim "mm "nam o^aa tsya imrnm 5 
 
 { T»V:n nnn nnw bo "j^t "wrta inVtyan 6 
 j av^ nm-iK inp n^n *<ni rraw T©28 8 
 
 j }>n^n bon -j bet t"i» na mala mrv 9 
 
 I 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. '3^ 
 
 5 Thou hall , made him a little lower than the 
 
 angels * ; thou haft crowned him with 
 glory and honour ; 
 
 6 Thou hall given him dominion over the 
 
 works of thy hands ; thou hall put all 
 things under his feet ; 
 
 7 Sheep and oxen, all of them, yea alfo the 
 
 bealts of the field ; 
 
 8 The birds of the air and the fillies of the fea, 
 
 and whatfoever palfeth through the paths 
 of the feas. 
 
 9 O Jehovah our Lord, hdw excellent is thy 
 
 name in all the earth. 
 
 * The original word, Aleim, commonly rendered 
 God, is here, and in Pialm xcvii. 7. rendered by the 
 Seventy, Angtfs, 
 
Qj2 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 PSALM XXIV. 
 
 ins *3ttw bin rmibtti y*iNn mmV i 
 irn^irp nnna bin mD^ ct^ by Kin 53 2 
 
 n&np aipiDi Dip^ "<m mrp nns riby* to 3 
 
 
 wfer» niVkd i-ip'ian r-Tirp nan r-i3*a aw 5 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 375 
 
 PSALM XXIV. 
 
 A Pfalm of David. 
 
 1 The earth and its ftores belong unto Jehovah, 
 
 the world and all who dwell in it : 
 
 ( 
 
 2 For he hath founded it upon the feas, and 
 
 eftablifhed it upon the floods, (or rivers). 
 
 3 Who mall afcend unto the hill of Jehovah ; 
 
 who fhall (land in his holy place ? 
 
 4 He that is clean in hands, and pure in heart, » 
 
 who has not let his affecxion upon vain 
 idols, nor iworn to deceive. 
 
 5 He fhall receive the blefllng from Jehovah, 
 
 ana mercy from the God of his falvation. 
 
374 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 abiy Tina iKwam q^oni onrc ixtp 7 
 
 1 112011 *j^n aimi 
 
 in 3 mm Tiroi my mim iirort *]Vn n* na 
 
 rrroffta 
 
 N2P1 O^IX' THIS 1NW1 D3^N1 anyty liMtf 9 
 
 Kin mioas nifp "iudh i'jd s-it Min ^ t» 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 375; 
 
 6 This is the generation of them that feek him, 
 
 that requeft thy face [favour] as did Ja- 
 cob. Selah *. 
 
 7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye 
 
 lift up ye durable doors, that the King of 
 glory may enter in. 
 
 8 Who is this King of glory? Jehovah, flrong 
 
 and mighty; Jehovah, mighty in battle. 
 
 9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates, lift them up 
 
 ye durable doors, that the King of glory 
 may enter. 
 
 10 Who is this King of glory? Jehovah the 
 God of Hofts, he is the King of glory. 
 Selah. 
 
 * See obfervations on Selah ^ at the end of the book. 
 
 Note* 
 
$7$ THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Notes on Pfalm xxiv. 
 
 V. 2. Upon the feas, and upon the rivers. — The origi- 
 nal word, or prepofition b'J ol, may alio be rendered 
 agawji, meaning that God had fo confolidated or con- 
 firmed the dry land, as not to be worn away or difiolv- 
 ed by the feas or the rivers. At the fame time it mud 
 be acknowledged, that it feems to be the opinion of the 
 Sacred Writers, or a principle of Hebrew cofaiogony, 
 that the Deity has fpread the earth over a vail: body of 
 waters in its centre, referved for particular purpofes. 
 See Gen. vii. 1 1. Pfai. xxxiii. 7. and exxxvi. 6. 
 
 V. 5, And mercy — p*73S and !— Ipl* do not properly 
 fignify itnet juftice; but righteoufnefs, equity, and mer- 
 cy conjoined. Tzedeke is rendered often by l^xus-wr,, 
 which, in the New Teftament, often fignifies mercy, 
 kindnefs, and even charity, or alms-giving. See Deut. 
 xxiv. 13. Pfal. cxii. 3, 4, 6. and Matth. vi. 1. 
 
 V. 6 Litt. did Jacob. — This rendering requires only 
 the fupply of the letter caph, fignifying tike or as, to 
 complete the fenfe, which feems plainly to refer to an 
 eminent inftance of the Divine favour fhewn to Jacob, 
 as recorded in Gen. xxxii. 24. — 30. « Jacob called the 
 " name of the place Penia!" i. e. -the face of God. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 377 
 
 The Septuagint and Syriac verflons fupply the words 
 O God; « that feek thy face O God of Jacob." It is 
 well obferved by Houbigant, in this place, " Ctrtefa- 
 « ciem tuam Jacob, vix ferendum. Quaerunt viri 
 « fantti faciem Dei, non faciem Jacob." — " Surely thy 
 " face O Jacob, is not admiflible here. Good men feck 
 " the face of God, not the face of Jacob" 
 
 V. 7. Lift up your heads, ye gates — In antient times 
 the portals, or tops of the gates, were moveable ; and 
 when a grand proceffion was introduced, they were ele- 
 vated with folemnity. 
 
 The King of glory— i. e. The Ark, the Symbol 
 
 of the divine prefence of the King of glory. 
 
 10 The God of hofs — JOS fignif.es a large collection 
 of any kind, and the title Alei tzebaoth, properly figni- 
 fies God of all creatures, God of the univerie. By the 
 hofls of heaven is commonly to be underftood the angels 
 and thefars. 
 
 3 B PSALM' 
 
378 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 FSALM XLVI. 
 
 nny didVp ^p mp ^iV nana* 
 
 tia-Q K2J^3 ntkaea niTp 
 
 
 
 1 |vVy ■•wwd crip takn^a 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 379 
 
 PSALM XLVI. 
 
 To the Chief Mufician, to the Sons of Korah on 
 Olamuth : A Song. 
 
 1 God is our refuge and our ftrength, we have 
 
 found him a prefent help in all our trou- 
 bles. 
 
 2 Therefore we will not fear though the eartji 
 
 fhould change its place, and though the 
 mountains Should be moved into the heart 
 of the fea : 
 
 3 Though its waters fhould roar and be tur- 
 
 bulent, though the mountains fhould trem- 
 ble by its proud waves. Selah. 
 
 4 There is a river, its ftreams fhall gladden the 
 
 city of God, the holy place of the taber- 
 nacles of the Mofl High. 
 
 V 
 
ffe THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 ttinn Vn nnpi STrtK 5 
 ? ipn rriaaV otiVk mtjn 
 
 J }>-1K J172n iVlpn jm 
 
 ■uep miana mn^ 7 
 
 mm j-nVi?sn nn lab 8 
 : y-ian maty aw -i&'k 
 
 y-ian nap "ir nian^a matm 9 
 man fSfn "^aw nitfp 
 : ran *piy irtor 
 
 :|>iKn aiia »m oil* 
 
 137DP r-nana mm 1* 
 ?rV?o tupir? >fiVa Mb a awn 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 3S1 
 
 £ God is in the midft of her, fhe fhall not be 
 moved ; God fhall help her at the fpring 
 of dawn. 
 
 6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were mov- 
 
 ed ; he uttered his voice, the earth melt- 
 ed. 
 
 7 Jehovah the God of Hofts is with us, the 
 
 God of Jacob is our high tower. 
 
 8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, what 
 
 defolations he can make in the earth. 
 
 9 He caufeth wars to ceafe unto the end of the 
 
 earth ; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth 
 the fpear in hinder, he burneth the cha* 
 riot in the fire. 
 
 10 Be Hill and know that I am God ; I will be 
 exalted among tt 
 alted in the earth. 
 
 exalted among the heathen, 1 will be ex- 
 
 1 1 Jehovah the God of Hofts is with us, the 
 God of Jacob is our high tower. Selah* 
 
382 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 Notes on Pfalm xlvi. 
 
 On olamuth, — The fame obfcurity hangs over this 
 word, as over many others in the titles of the Pfalnis. 
 The root is thought to be "zzhy which fignifies to hide 
 or conceal from view, and accordingly the Seventy ren- 
 der r~i°(ftby bl* ( vki% tov x^tut, upon or for things con- 
 cealed ; but what thefe hidden things are, they inform 
 us not. Tll^y is frequently rendered a virgin, a young 
 woman, therefore fome underftand this title to be a di- 
 rection for the pfalm to be fung, and accompanied with 
 mufic, by virgins. See I. Chron. xv. 20. Others are 
 of opinion, that the term means a particular tune or air, 
 or a mulkal inftrument. 
 
 There is plainly a rhythmus, meafure, or appearatice- 
 of cnuflcal feet in this pfalm, nearly approaching to our 
 rhyme. I have endeavoured to preferve it in the ar- 
 rangement of the lines, which may be converted into 
 our characlers, and read after the following manner : 
 
 I. 
 
 Aleim lenu mahaze uoz 
 Ozere betzaruth nimtza mad 
 
 II. 
 
 Ol cen la nira bemir aretz 
 Ubemut erim beleb imim 
 
 m. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 383 
 
 III. 
 
 lemu ihmeru mimiu 
 Iroflm erim begauthu, S<c. 
 
 There is a confiderable variation in the rendering of 
 the latter part of the 4th verfe by the Seventy, and by 
 the Vulgate, which, in the Pfalms, almoft ccnftantly co- 
 pies the Greek verbatim. What we tranflate, " The 
 " holy place of the tabernacles of the Moft High," the 
 Seventy reoderj -ayweffs ro *wi»»p» 'xvrtt '« 'v^ta-ru; — the 
 Vulgate, Sancl/f caret tabernaculum fuum altijjimus ,- 
 « The Moft High has faw&ified his tabernacle." They 
 had read 132U73 his tslernacle x with the affix, infiead of 
 ^DZ'72 in the genitive of pofkion, tabernacles of, making 
 Wlp a verb active in Kal. If the full Signification of 
 ladajh be attended to, the tranflation is very juft, and 
 the connection natural: Kad.fh not only fignifies to be 
 or to male holy, but alfo to Jeparate, fit apart, place in 
 fiftty or fecurity out of the reacb of danger, to preferve 
 holy, pure, uncantantinated. Then the fenfe runs thus : 
 
 " The Moft High will place his tabernacle in fafety 
 
 <* God is in the mid ft of his city, fhe fhall not be 
 " moved j God will help her at the appearance of the 
 «« morning." See I^falm xxx, 5. and cxxvi. 5. Alfo 
 Ifaiahj xxxvii. 36. 
 
 PS4.LM 
 
384 THE ELEMENTS' OF 
 
 PSALM LXXII. 
 
 t risVa^ 
 
 •jbn p^ inpw \r) -[bri 1 ? T'taswo crnVa i 
 
 jtosi^ai T»^yi pnasa *py p* 2 
 
 iripiss j-nrnai or 1 ? aiV# onn inw* 3 
 
 ;pw joti ;vik ^aaV ^tyv sr "3i> tosty 4 
 
 iDnn in ht ^sVi tynty or inn" 5 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 385 
 
 PSALM LXXII. 
 
 For Solomon, in honour of, or concerning Solo- 
 mon. 
 
 1 O God give the knowledge of thy judgments 
 
 (laws) to the King, and thy mercy to the 
 King's fon ; 
 
 2 That he may judge thy people with righte- 
 
 oufnefs, and thy poor with equitable deci- 
 fion : 
 
 3 That the mountains and the hills may pro- 
 
 duce profperity to the people, during his 
 mild adminiftration. 
 
 4 He mall judge the poor of the people, he 
 
 mall fave the fons of the indigent, and 
 break in pieces the opprefibr. 
 
 5 They mail fear thee as long as the fun and 
 
 moon endure, throughout all generations, 
 
$86 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 j-pK ^dsk nr -lmai o^ ir ovs tti § 
 
 i-Di-TV 1 isy v^ki cd"2s ljn:^ vssV 9 
 
 nniy "oba p*«n L nma a«m t^ann ^Vn 10 
 
 *p"np* -own jodi 
 
 jinvw a^a bz cs^a ^o rt unman n 
 
 ib nw ]no ■om vwn jtok V>x* ^ 12 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 387 
 
 6 He (hall come down like rain upon the mown 
 
 grafs, as mowers that water the earth. 
 
 7 In his days fhall the juft man flourifh ; and 
 
 there mall be abundance of peace, till the 
 moon ceafe to exift. 
 
 8 He fhall have dominion alfo from fea to fea, 
 
 and from the river unto the ends of the 
 earth. 
 
 9 Uncultivated nations fhall bow before him, 
 
 and his enemies fhall lick the dufl. 
 
 ,-xo The kings of Tarfhifh and of the ifles fhall 
 bring prefents ; the kings of Sheba and 
 Seba fhall offer gifts. 
 
 1 1 Yea, all kings fhall fall down before him, 
 
 all nations mail ferve him : 
 
 1 2 For he fhall deliver the needy when he cri- 
 
 eth, the poor alfo, and him that hath no 
 helper. 
 
388 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 tywv C2V1K j-nwsn ]V2*n bi bv Dm k| 
 
 : vm ddt np^i Ott/sa *?k:p D^nDi *pnD 14 
 
 - i inarm ^ esvn 
 
 ]i3nVr> wm s ann cam ynxa m nos ^n> 16 
 jf-mn aisuo -pyn urarl ins 
 
 imam i?itf \W wav ^sb anVii^ itt£> *h* if 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 389 
 
 $3 He fhall have compaflion on the wretched 
 and on the indigent, and (hall fave the 
 fouls of the needv. 
 
 J 
 
 14 He fhall redeem their foul from deceit and 
 
 violence, and precious fhall their blood be 
 in his fight. , 
 
 1 5 And he fhall live, and to him fhall be given 
 
 of the gold of Sheba ; prayer alfo fhall be 
 made for him continually, and daily fhall 
 he be praifed. 
 
 1 6 There fhall be plenty of corn in the land, 
 
 even on the tops of mountains ; its fruit 
 fhall wave like the cedars of Lebanon. 
 The inhabitants of the city mail ffourifh 
 like the grafs of the field. 
 
 17 His name fhall endure for ever, his name 
 
 fhall be continued as long as the fun; and 
 men mail be bleffed in him, all nations 
 - fhall celebrate him as bleffed* 
 
390 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 hn r-m mis k^d^ obiy 1 ? mis tDEHinai 19 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 391 
 
 18 BlefTed be Jehovah God, the God of Ifrael, 
 
 who alone doth wondrous things. 
 
 19 And bleffed be the name of his glory for 
 
 ever; may his glory fill the whole earth. 
 Amen and amen. 
 
 20 Here end, or are finimed, the prayers of Da- 
 
 vid the fon of Jeffe. 
 
 Notes on "Pfalm lxxii. 
 
 The title of the Pfalm hjor Solcmon t and it is general- 
 ly thought to have been compofed by David, in honour 
 of his fon Solomon, when raifed to the throne, and de- 
 clared his father's fucceffbr. See I Kings, Chap. i. 
 
 It is almoft unnecefTary to obferve, that a greater 
 than Solomon is here. All commentators, both Jewifh 
 and Chriftian, apply this Pfalm to Jcfus Chrift, the true 
 Meffiah, and confider it as a prophecy of the nature 
 and bleffings of his government, ^nd of the fupreme 
 happinefs to be eternally erjoyed by all his faithful fub- 
 je&s. 
 
 V. 3 . 
 
392 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 V. 3. — The turn that I have given to the words in 
 this verfe, feems to exprefs a more complete fenfe than 
 the common verflon j tzfbw does not fign'ify peace only, 
 but all good things, both temporal and fpiritual. 
 
 The general meaning is, the mofl barren and uncul- 
 tivated parts of the country fhall, npl^n during the 
 mild and equitable government of this wife and good 
 king, be .productive of all good things. The mountains 
 and hills, formerly barren and unfertile, the" haunts dC 
 robbers and oppreffors, fhall now be cultivated, and be- 
 come the abodes of peace, and the fcenes of feiUvity 
 and abundance. 
 
 V. 5. They pall fear thee — If the true reading be, 
 as in our prefent copies, "jitrT" the tranflation, " They 
 " lhall fear thee," is juft ; but it appears, from the ren- 
 dering of the Seventy, that they had read ^n^l from 
 the root *|"1N to be long, in Hiphii, to lengthen or prolong „■ 
 for they tranflate the verfe thus : 
 
 Kent ffvu.Tretpuuf.vu ra> ( yiXi<jo xai %^a t»js o - Atjfjjj yvict; yziittv* 
 
 The Vulgate— Et pennanebit cum file et ante lunam in 
 generatione et generationem. 
 
 " And he fhall continue with the fun, and before the 
 (( moon, from generation to generation." 
 
 This, 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 39j 
 
 This interpretation produces a good meaning, re- 
 moves the obfcurity arifing from a fudden change of the 
 perfon, and is in perfect conformity with other paffiges 
 of Scripture, that defcribe the glory and perpetuity of 
 the Meiliah's reign. S'.e Pfalm xlv. and Ifaiah liii. 10. 
 where the fame word Tl^ is ufed. — " He fhal! prolong 
 " his days, and the pleasure of the Lard fhall profper 
 M in his hand." 
 
 V. 6. Hejhall come down like rain — or rather, his go- 
 vernment, the felicity of his adminiftration, mail be as 
 when rain defcends upon mown grafs. 
 
 How beautifully is the fame fubjeft embellifhed and 
 illuftrated, by an afTemblage of pleating images, II. Sam. 
 
 xxiii. 3. " The God of Ifrael laid he that ruleth 
 
 K over men mult be juft, ruling in the fear of Got], 
 «« that he may be as the light of the morning when 
 " the fun rifeth, a morning without clouds, as the ten- 
 « tier grafs fpringeth out of the earth, by clear fhining 
 M after rain." 
 
 V. 8. He pall have dominion alfo from fea to fia-^ 
 i. t. From the Red Sea or Arabic Bay to the Mediter- 
 ranean, and from the Euphrates to the Great Defcrt ; 
 or from one end of the earth to the other. 
 
 V. 10. The kings of Tarjhijh— Tarftnfh or Tbarfis 
 
 fignvfies. the fea in general, or the Mediterranean, beft 
 3 D known 
 
394 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 known to the Jews. Kings of Tarfhifh are the king?? 
 of thofe countries which border on the Mediterranean, 
 Sheba, Ethiopia ; Seba, Arabia the Happy. See II. 
 Chron. chap. ix. The Queen of Sheba, elfewhere cal- 
 led the Queen of the South, gave to King Solomon 
 one hundred and twenty talents of gold, great abun- 
 dance of fpices and precious ilones. 
 
 V. 20. Here end the prayers— An obfervation of the 
 collector of the Pfalms, intimating that this was either 
 the laft, or among the laft of David's facred compofx- 
 tTons, or public prayers. 
 
 Obfetfoations 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 3^5 
 
 Obfervaiions en Sela/j* 
 
 This Hebrew word has occafioned much criticifm 
 snd fpeculation ; and, after all, the true meaning of it 
 is perhaps not yet fully underftood. It is ufed feventy- 
 three times in the Pfalter or book of Pfalms, and no- 
 where elfe in Scripture, except in the Song of Habba- 
 kuk, never appearing unlefs in metrical compofitions, or 
 longs fet to mime ; hence it has been a general opinion, 
 that it is a mufical note or fign. Some explain it by 
 the terms, Vox paufae et attentiotiis, a word intimating a 
 paufe to raife attention ; others, Elevatio vocis, a railing 
 of the voife in mulic, as forte is ufed in modern times. 
 Some tranflate it infeculum> for ever; and the Seventy 
 by lSi<x.-\>x , Xp-4 i which fome render a paufe in finging ; 
 but which, I think, may with more probability be un- 
 derftood as a folemn intimation or direction, that all the 
 mufical instruments fhould found at once in company 
 with the fingers ; or that the infl rumental and vocal mu- 
 fic fhould unite, in one grand chorus. 
 
 Aben Ezra * fays, the word is entirely to be referred 
 to mulic, when employnd in Divine fervice : That it is 
 
 * Aben Ezra was one of the raoft learned and intel- 
 ligent of all the Jewifh rabbies : He lived in the twelfth 
 century, and has left fome very judicious commentaries 
 on various books of the Old Teftament. 
 
396 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 a direction to the finders and players to unite their 
 voices and inftruments in one concenttis, or one univerfai 
 combination of founds. 
 
 David Kimhi*is of opinion, that it fignifies elevation, 
 or expreflion of loud found ; but hints, at the fame 
 time, that it contains a direction to the worfhippers to 
 raif; their minds, and elevate their thoughts to the Su- 
 preme Being, and the adoration cf his perfections. To 
 this view of the matter, no ferious reader of the Ffalms 
 will find caule to object. 
 
 The Chaldee Paraphrafr, in thisTargum, or Interpre- 
 tation of the Ffalms, renders Selah by ydfih le olemin, 
 in aelernu?n, for ever. 
 
 The Latin Vulgate never tranflates it at all, and 
 places no word in its room. 
 
 The modern Jews, at the ccnclufion cf their public 
 prayers or hymns, fay Amen, Selah. See I. Chrcn. 
 xvi. 36. 
 
 It is furprifing, that among all the writers on this 
 fubj^t, none of them have ventured a conjecture,- 
 which feems highly probable, and, I think, accounts 
 
 better 
 
 * D. Kimhi was a Jewifh Rabbi of the 1 3th century, 
 a Scripture critic of fome reputation, and that one of all 
 the rabbies mod followed by Chriftians, in the compofi- 
 tion of their Hebrew grammars and dictionaries. 
 
HEBREW GRAMMAR. 397 
 
 better for the ufe and propriety of the term, than any 
 fuppofition that has hitherto been formed. 
 
 The root of the word appears evidently to lie in the 
 two fir ft letters bt> which is in contraction for HVd to 
 rai/e, to exalt, to magnify. The n at the end I would 
 confider as an abbreviation for m fo that the word 
 Selah nbD is a contracted form of TTiVd celebrate 
 
 YE JEHOVAH, Or, EXALT YE THE LORD, viz. in fongS of 
 
 praife, accompanied with mufical instruments, and is 
 nearly of the import of rnV?n Laiidate Dominum, 
 Praife ye the lord, or, in our characters, Hallelujah, in 
 Greek letters, aXXAteM. This conjecture receives ftrong 
 confirmation from the 4th verfe of the lxviii. Pfalm, 
 latter part of the verfe, 1E7D JT2 milW nmb "fa? 
 common tranflation, " Extol him that rideth upon the 
 « heavens by the name jah." 
 
 It is highly probable, that the meaning here affigned 
 to Selah is the true one, as it correfponds to the digni- 
 ty and chief end of devotional mufic, in which the 
 finders and players were frequently reminded of the fa- 
 cred intention of their folemn prayers, praifes, and a- 
 d' -rations. All were defigned to magnify the name, the 
 nature, the perfections, excellencies, and works of Je- 
 hovah the only true God. In this fublime exercife, the 
 church on earth are fellow worfhippers, in perfect concord 
 with the church in heaven : Rev. xix. 1. —3. "And 
 » after thefe things, I heard a great voice of much 
 « people in heaven, faying alleluia, falvation, and 
 
 " glory, 
 
&>8 THE ELEMENTS OF 
 
 " glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord tfujf 
 «' God, for true and righteous are his judgments. And 
 " again they faid Alleluia. And the four and twenty 
 " elders, and the four living creatures fell down and 
 "worfhipped God, faying Amen, Alleluia. And a 
 « voice came out of the throne, faying, Praife our God 
 " all ye his fervants, and ye that fear him both fmall 
 « f and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a 
 « great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, 
 « and as the voice of mighty thunderings, faying, Al- 
 " leluia, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigned*." 
 
 FINIS. 
 
 Alex. Smejllie, Printer, Anchor Clofe, Edinburgh. 
 
DATE DUE 
 
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