Grammar:Gender/0

Gender

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Androgynous Verbs

Sometimes a verb will combine a masculine and feminine form. For example:

• Bereshit 30:38 – "וַיֵּחַמְנָה בְּבֹאָן לִשְׁתּוֹת" (as opposed to the expected ותחמנה).  See Rashbam, Ibn Ezra, Shadal and R. D"Z Hoffmann. Cf. Hoil Moshe who suggests that perhaps the androgynous form is used because the verse speaks of mating.
• Shemuel I 6:12 – "וַיִּשַּׁרְנָה הַפָּרוֹת בַּדֶּרֶךְ" (as opposed to the expected ותישרנה ). See Rashi and the commentary attributed to R"Y Kara.
• Yirmeyahu 49:11 – "וְאַלְמְנוֹתֶיךָ עָלַי תִּבְטָחוּ"(as opposed to תבטחנה)
• Yechezkel 37:7 – "וַתִּקְרְבוּ עֲצָמוֹת" (as opposed to ותקרבנה). See Radak and see Malbim who attempts to explain the unusual usage.¹
• Daniel 8:22 – "אַרְבַּע מַלְכֻיוֹת מִגּוֹי יַעֲמֹדְנָה" (as opposed to "תעמדנה").

 

Pausal Form

¹ He suggests that there are both עצמים (joined, bigger bones which take a masculine form) and עצמות (smaller pieces of bone which take a feminine form).  Since in the vision the smaller pieces were to join to become bigger ones, this is alluded to in the androgynous form.