methods of supplying their place; and these form peculiar idioms in that language.

145. It was natural for men to denominate substances from some of their powers or qualities, the exertion of which had been most striking to them; and consequently, to derive their substantive nouns from verbs; and it is so in the Hebrew tongue.

146. The first words of every language express objects of sense. The Hebrew verbs would, therefore, originally signify the actions or motions of bodies; and they would come to have other significations, by being transferred to these from that

original sense.

8, 1. To wither, Isa. xxiv. 4. "The earth mourneth (withereth) and fadeth away; the world languisheth (contrast) and fadeth away." 2. To mourn or pine away with grief.

147. In a language formed in rude times, it is natural, likewise, to expect, that the primitives or verbs would express very particular ideas, the motion or exertion of a power as it appears in one object, or one species of objects; and from this, would be transferred to other more general senses. This is the case with the Hebrew; it necessarily renders the language very tropical; and it occasions the idioms in which words of the same original are conjoined.

Warburt. Div. Leg. Blair, ib.

(prim.) "To smear with pitch." (Sec.) "To atone.”

"Seeding seed," for "producing seed."

148. It is by discovering the primary signification of a root, that its secondary senses can be accounted for; for they have all some analogy to it, though not, perhaps, to one another.

1, (prim.) "To smear with pitch," (Sect.) 1. "To cover sin, atone;" 2. "To close," which now appears only in some of its derivatives.

149. Derivatives are, in Hebrew, formed by a very regular analogy, from the roots, by the omission or the change of some of their letters, or by the addition of other letters to the beginning, the middle, or the end; and, according to the particular manner of their formation, they have some correspondent variety of signification.

Wilson, Gram. c. 17. Schultens, Gram.

150. It is only the

simple; all the other

root of the verb that is properly parts of it are compounds of that with other words, especially pronouns; which gives great regularity and significance to the conjugations.

151. The Hebrew has few compound verbs, though several compound nouns; but it never compounds these with the negative particle; and this occasions several idioms.

Grammars. Lowth on Isa. x, 15. Hence a negative particle with negation. Psal. cxliii. 2.

Schultens, ib. reg. 122.
"all," makes an universal

"No living man shall be justified." Glass. ib.

1. 3. t. 5. can. 19.

Prefixed to nouns, it has a privative force. Prov. xxx. 25. "The ants are a people (y) not strong," i. e. weak. Job xxvi. 2, 3. Amos. vi. 13.

Lowth ib. Glass. ib. can, 20.

By a natural transition, this particle, with either a verb or adjective, comes to denote a strong negation or a contrariety. Exod. xx. 7. "not guiltless," i. e. very guilty. Hos. xi. 9. "I am God *-*)) and not man," i. e. far from being man. Isa. v. 15. "As if the staff should lift itself up against (xy)

the not wood," i. e. the man who uses it, who is far from being wood. [N° 885.] ch. xxxi. 8. lv. 2.

In analogy to this, a negative with an adjective forms a superlative. Prov. xviii. 5. "It is not good (very bad) to accept the person of the wicked."

Psl. xliii. 1. "Plead my cause against a nation not godly," very ungodly. Hos. xiii. 13. "A son not wise," very

unwise.

152. It is common for those who have a scanty language, to supply its defects by mixing something of natural language with the artificial; and hence may be deduced many peculiarities of the Hebrew.

Warburt. Div. Leg. vol. 3. p. 97. Blair, ib.

153. Thus, dwelling on a syllable, or doubling its consonant, gives it an emphasis in pronunciation, and may therefore be adopted for giving intenseness to its signification.

Hence the custom in Hebrew, at least since the introduction of the present points, of giving force to a word by a dagesh forte; and the conjugations which are formed only by the insertion of it, Pihhel, Pyhhal.

154. In like manner, redoubling a syllable gives emphasis and force.

Hence the nouns formed by doubling some of the radicals, often expressive of rapidity or repetition.

Wilson, Gram. 17.

Hence also, several of the additional conjugations which some have proposed, Pehalhal, Pihlel, pyhlal, Hithpahlel. Schultens, Gram. Robertson's Gram. 1. 2. c. i.

155. Redoubling or repeating a whole word, has the same effect; and into this, many Hebrew idioms are reducible.

Glass. ib. 1. 3. t. 1. can. 5. t. 3. can. 32, 37.

Repetition of a noun, to express vehemence, Psal. xxii. 1. "My God, my God." Jer. vii. 4. "Trust not in lying words," saying, "The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord." Or, to express continuance, Deut xvi. 20. "Ye shall follow justice, justice," i. e. constantly. Or, to express multitude, Gen. xiv. 10. "The valley of Siddim was slime pits, slime pits," i. e. full of them. Exod. viii. 14. Judg. v. 22. 2 Kings iii. 16. Joel. iii. 14. Repetition of an adjective forming its superlative. Eccl. vii. 25. "That which is deep deep," i. e. very deep.

Hence also, a noun governing itself forms a superlative, Gen. ix. 25. "Canaan shall be a servant of servants," i. e. in the most abject slavery.

Thus also, a verb governing itself in the certainty or vehemence, Gen. ii. 17. die," i. e. certainly.

infinitive, expresses "Thou shalt die to

And in like manner, a verb govering a noun derived from itself, or analogous in sense, is emphatical. "To die the death, to fear with fear."

156. Men, while rude and unrefined, do not study to express themselves with accuracy; and from this principle, many Hebrew idioms may be accounted for.

Hence, some of their particles have a great multitude of significations; has 75; it always connects, but in very different relations.

future.

Hence, also, many circumlocutions, substantives for adverbs, words redundant, definites for indefinites, as "yesterday" for any past time, " to-morrow" for any A relative pronoun for a copulative, Eccles. v. 17. "It is good which (and) comely."

Glass. ib. 1. 3. t. 7. can. 3, 5.

A passive verb for the active of its correlate.

"to be ad

monished, warned." Eccl. iv. 13. Ezek. xxxiii. 4, 5. "to take warning, listen to admonition."

One verb expressing, not strictly the action intended, but one antecedent to, or connected with it. np strictly " to take," but often "to bring" what had been previously taken. Exod. xxv. 2. "That they take (bring to me) an offering." Est. ii. 16. "Esther was taken (brought unto) king Ahasuerus." (N° 871.)

Glass. ib. c. 2.

Verbs which denote a complete action, used for signifying the beginning of it. 2 Sam. ii. 10. "Ishbosheth was forty years old when he reigned," i. e. began to reign. (N° 873.) Glass. ib c. 3.

On the other hand, verbs denoting the beginning of action, used for signifying the complete action.

ופתחו,11 .sa. Ix]

"and thy gates shall be opened," "open." Eng. "kept open."

Glass. ib.

Verbs of doing, signifying only the continuance of action. "The fire upon the altar p shall burn,” con

Lev. vi. 12.

tinue to burn, made to continue. (N° 873.)

Glass. ib. c. 4.

Or signifying only, the giving occasion to a thing's being done. Gen xlii. 33. "Then л shall ye bring my grey hairs with sorrow to the grave," be, though undesignedly and involuntarily, the occasion of their falling, &c. (N° 882.)

157. But men, while rude, study to express themselves with force; and many Hebrew idioms take their rise from this propensity.

"Always" for "frequently." "Eternity" for "a long duration." A negation for a comparative. "Mercy and not sacrifice," for "mercy rather than sacrifice," Hos. vi. 6. "Receive my instruction, and not (rather than) silver;" for it follows, "and knowledge rather than choice gold." Prov. viii. 10. (N° 931.)

The nominative absolute, setting the principal word strongly in view! Psal. xi. 4. "Jehovah! in heaven is his throne."

Horsley's Hosea, Pref.