Grammar:Gender/0

Gender

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Dual Gendered Nouns

There are several words in Tanakh which are treated as both masculine and feminine, at times taking a masculine verb or adjective and at other times taking a feminine one. R. SaadiaCommentary Bereshit 19:23About R. Saadia Gaon suggests that in such cases one must conclude either that these words are dual gendered, or that the verse is assuming a missing word and it is that word which conforms with the gender of the verb or adjective that follows.¹ 

• ארון – Though the word is usually treated as masculine, at times it takes feminine modifiers as well. See Shemuel I 4, where verse 11 reads, "וַאֲרוֹן אֱלֹהִים נִלְקָח", while verse 17 reads, "וַאֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים נִלְקָחָה".‎²  See RadakShemuel I 4:17Shemuel I 6:12Yechezkel 37:7About R. David Kimchi there for discussion.
• ארץ - Compare Bereshit 1:2 (הָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה), where "ארץ" is feminine (as is usually the case), with Yechezkel 21:24 (מֵאֶרֶץ אֶחָד), where it is masculine.³  See also Yeshayahu 33:9 where the word takes both a feminine and masculine adjective (אָבַל אֻמְלְלָה אָרֶץ). See Ibn EzraYeshayahu 33:9About R. Avraham ibn Ezra there who notes this, but compare ShadalYeshayahu 33:9About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto who suggests that the verse should be understood as if written: "אָבַל יושב האָרֶץ ואֻמְלְלָה אָרֶץ".
• אש – Compare Shemot 22:5 where it takes a feminine verb (כִּי תֵצֵא אֵשׁ)⁴  with Yirmeyahu 48:45 where it takes a masculine one (כִּי אֵשׁ יָצָא).⁵  See also Iyyov 20:26 where it takes both masculine and feminine modifiers in the very same verse (תְּאׇכְלֵהוּ אֵשׁ לֹא נֻפָּח).⁶
• בית – Compare Mishlei 2:18 where it is feminine (כִּי שָׁחָה אֶל מָוֶת בֵּיתָהּ) with Devarim 8:12 (בָתִּים טֹבִים) where it is masculine (like most occurrences).⁷
• גן – Compare Bereshit 2:15 where it takes a feminine referent (וַיַּנִּחֵהוּ בְגַן עֵדֶן לְעׇבְדָהּ וּלְשׇׁמְרָהּ),⁸ with Shir HaShirim 4:12, where it takes a masculine adjective ("גַּן נָעוּל").⁹  Ibn EzraYeshayahu 33:9Bereshit Lexical Commentary 2:15Bereshit First Commentary 2:15Bereshit First Commentary 30:38About R. Avraham ibn Ezra further notes that the plural form of the verb also sometimes appears with a masculine ending (גנים)¹⁰ and sometimes with a feminine one (גנות).¹¹
• גפן – This word is treated as feminine in almost all verses,¹² with the exception of Hoshea 10:1 (גֶּפֶן בּוֹקֵק יִשְׂרָאֵל).
• דרך – Compare Bereshit 28:20 where it is masculine ("וּשְׁמָרַנִי בַּדֶּרֶךְ הַזֶּה")¹³ with Shemot 18:20 where it is feminine ("הַדֶּרֶךְ יֵלְכוּ בָהּ").¹⁴ See also Yeshayahu 35:8 where it us treated as both masculine and feminine in one verse (וָדֶרֶךְ וְדֶרֶךְ הַקֹּדֶשׁ יִקָּרֵא לָהּ לֹא יַעַבְרֶנּוּ).¹⁵
• חצר – Though it usually acts as a feminine noun, as in Melakhim I 6:36 (הֶחָצֵר הַפְּנִימִית),¹⁶ see Yechezkel 40:19-23 where it takes a masculine adjective ("לֶחָצֵר הַפְּנִימִי"). See also Shemot 35:17 where in the same verse, it is referred to as both feminine and masculine ("אֵת קַלְעֵי הֶחָצֵר אֶת עַמֻּדָיו וְאֶת אֲדָנֶיהָ").¹⁷ 
• יד – Compare Bereshit 26:25 where it is feminine ("וְיָדוֹ אֹחֶזֶת")¹⁸ with Shemot 17:12 where it is masculine ("וִידֵי מֹשֶׁה כְּבֵדִים").¹⁹  See also Yechezkel 2:9 where it takes both forms in the same verse, "וְהִנֵּה יָד שְׁלוּחָה אֵלָי וְהִנֵּה בוֹ".‎²⁰
• מחנה – Compare Bereshit 33:8 where it is treated as masculine (הַמַּחֲנֶה הַזֶּה)²¹ with Tehillim 27:3 where it is treated as feminine (תַּחֲנֶה עָלַי מַחֲנֶה).²² See also Bereshit 32:9²³ where in the very same verse it takes both a feminine and masculine adjective (הַמַּחֲנֶה הָאַחַת וְהִכָּהוּ... הַמַּחֲנֶה הַנִּשְׁאָר).
• מלאכה –Though normally treated as feminine, in several verse it takes a masculine verb or adjective.  See, for example, Shemot 12:16, "כׇּל מְלָאכָה לֹא יֵעָשֶׂה בָהֶם".‎²⁴  See also Shemuel I 15:9 where it takes both a feminine and masculine adjective in one verse: "וְכׇל הַמְּלָאכָה נְמִבְזָה וְנָמֵס".
• מקום – The word is usually masculine, but see Ibn Ezra Bereshit 2:15 Bereshit Lexical Commentary 2:15About R. Avraham ibn Ezra
• עיניים – Though often feminine (see Bereshit 27:11 or Bereshit 29:17), it can also take a masculine referent. See, for instance, Yeshayahu 2:11 and RadakYeshayahu 2:11About R. David Kimchi there, Zekharyah 3:9, Zekharyah 4:10 and Mishlei 4:25,.
• עַם – Though usually masculine, see Shofetim 18:7 (הָעָם... יוֹשֶׁבֶת לָבֶטַח) or Yirmeyahu 8:5 (שׁוֹבְבָה הָעָם) where it treated as feminine. See also Ibn Ezra and Shadal on Shemot 5:16.
• רוח – Compare Bereshit 1:2 where it is takes a feminine verb ("יוְרוּחַ אֱלֹהִים מְרַחֶפֶת")²⁵ with Bemidbar 11:31 where it takes a masculine verb ("וְרוּחַ נָסַע").  See also Melakhim I 19:11²⁶ and Iyyov 1:19²⁷ in each of which it acts as both masculine and feminine in the very same verse.²⁸
• שאלה – Though this word is almost always treated as a  feminine noun, compare Esther 5:6 and 7:2, where the word is used in the very same phrase once with a feminine verb and once with a masculine one (מַה שְּׁאֵלָתֵךְ אֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה וְתִנָּתֵן לָךְ vs.מַה שְּׁאֵלָתֵךְ וְיִנָּתֵן לָךְ).  See Hoil Moshe on Esther 5:2 that the connotation there must be "מה דבר שאלתך", and it is the assumed word "דבר" that conforms to the masculine "וְיִנָּתֵן".
• שמש – Compare Bereshit 15:17 where it takes a feminine verb (הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בָּאָה)²⁹ and Bereshit 19:23 where it takes a masculine verb (הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ יָצָא).³⁰  See, though, R. Saadia that in the latter cases perhaps the verses mean "אור השמש יצא".

Nonconformity between the Root "היה" and Gender

Often the root "היה" will not conform with the gender (or number) of the subject. Many commentators³¹ note the phenomenon and suggest that it should be recognized as "the way of the text", normal for Biblical Hebrew.

• Ibn Ezra explains that  the lack of conformity might stem from the word's prevalence. Shadal compares it to the Italian "impersonale" construction, often used to express a non specific subject ("one", "they" etc) which similarly does not always conform to number.
• Cf. Rashbam who agrees that the nonconformity is simply "the way of the text" but adds that if one nonetheless wanted to look for conformity, one might suggest that in all such cases there is an assumed subject which is implied by the text: "מעשה" and it is this which conforms to the verb. Thus, such verses would read as if written: "and [an event] happened, that..."
• Examples of the phenomenon: Bereshit 24:14, (וְהָיָה הַנַּעֲרָ אֲשֶׁר אֹמַר אֵלֶיהָ), Bereshit 24:43 (וְהָיָה הָעַלְמָה הַיֹּצֵאת לִשְׁאֹב), Devarim 20:3 (וְהָיָה הָעִיר הַקְּרֹבָה), Devarim 22:23 (כִּי יִהְיֶה נַעֲרָ בְתוּלָה), Yeshayahu 33:6 (וְהָיָה אֱמוּנַת עִתֶּיךָ), Kohelet 11:2 (מַה יִּהְיֶה רָעָה)

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 RashbamBereshit 30:38About R. Shemuel b. Meir, Ibn EzraBereshit First Commentary 30:38About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, ShadalBereshit 30:38About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto and R. D"Z HoffmannBereshit 30:38About R. David Zvi Hoffmann. Cf. Hoil MosheShemuel I 6:12About R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi 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 RashiShemuel I 6:12About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, the commentary attributed to R"Y KaraShemuel I 6:12About Attributed to R. Yosef Kara, and RadakYehoshua 6:17Shemuel I 4:17Shemuel I 6:12Shemuel II 1:26Yeshayahu 2:11Yechezkel 37:7Tehillim 3:3Tehillim 120:1About R. David Kimchi.
• Yirmeyahu 49:11 – "וְאַלְמְנוֹתֶיךָ עָלַי תִּבְטָחוּ" (as opposed to "תבטחנה")
• Yechezkel 37:7 – "וַתִּקְרְבוּ עֲצָמוֹת" (as opposed to "ותקרבנה"). See RadakYechezkel 37:7About R. David Kimchi, and see MalbimYechezkel Beur HaMilot 37:7About R. Meir Leibush Weiser who attempts to explain the unusual usage.³²
• Daniel 8:22 – "אַרְבַּע מַלְכֻיוֹת מִגּוֹי יַעֲמֹדְנָה" (as opposed to "תעמדנה"). See RashbamBereshit 30:38About R. Shemuel b. Meir, ShadalBereshit 30:38About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto and R. D"Z HoffmannBereshit 30:38About R. David Zvi Hoffmann.

Double Feminine

Sometimes a word will have two feminine markers (often, both a "ה" and a "ת"). Radak Yehoshua 6:17Shemuel I 4:17Shemuel I 6:12Shemuel II 1:26Yechezkel 37:7Tehillim 3:3Tehillim 120:1About R. David Kimchisuggests that in such cases, the doubling serves as an intensifier while Ibn EzraTehillim Second Commentary 3:3About R. Avraham ibn Ezra asserts that it is simply for poetic beauty.³³

• הֶחְבְּאַתָה – See Yehoshua 6:17 which describes Rachav's hiding of Yehoshua's spies: "כִּי הֶחְבְּאַתָה אֶת הַמַּלְאָכִים" (as opposed to the expected "החביאה").  Radak Yehoshua 6:17Shemuel I 4:17Shemuel I 6:12Shemuel II 1:26Yechezkel 37:7Tehillim 3:3Tehillim 120:1About R. David Kimchiexplains that the connotation is that Rachav had hidden the spies very well.
• יְשׁוּעָתָה – See Tehillim 3:3, "אֵין יְשׁוּעָתָה לּוֹ" (as opposed to the expected "ישועה"). Radak explains that the word refers to a  "great salvation".
• עֶזְרָתָה – See Tehillim 44:27, 63:8, 94:17 where this form replaces the expected "עזרה". RadakYehoshua 6:17Shemuel I 4:17Shemuel I 6:12Shemuel II 1:26Yechezkel 37:7Tehillim 3:3Tehillim 120:1About R. David Kimchi explains that in each case the people are either requesting or thanking Hashem for abundant aid.
• תָּבוֹאתָה – See Devarim 33:16, "תָּבוֹאתָה לְרֹאשׁ יוֹסֵף" (as opposed to "תבוא"),³⁴ and Shemuel I 25:34 "כִּי לוּלֵי מִהַרְתְּ וַתָּבֹאת".‎³⁵
• בַּצָּרָתָה – See Tehillim 120:1, where the psalmist cries: "בַּצָּרָתָה לִּי קָרָאתִי וַיַּעֲנֵנִי" (as opposed to "בצרה"), and see RadakYehoshua 6:17Shemuel I 4:17Shemuel I 6:12Shemuel II 1:26Yechezkel 37:7Tehillim 3:3Tehillim 120:1About R. David Kimchi³⁶ that the extra feminine marker emphasizes the greatness of the psalmist's distress.
• נִפְלְאַתָה – See Shemuel II 1:26 where David eulogizes Yonatan, "נִפְלְאַתָה אַהֲבָתְךָ לִי מֵאַהֲבַת נָשִׁים".  RadakYehoshua 6:17Shemuel I 4:17Shemuel I 6:12Shemuel II 1:26Yechezkel 37:7Tehillim 3:3Tehillim 120:1About R. David Kimchi explains, "והכפל לחזק פליאת האהבה".

Indefinite Subject or Object

In Biblical Hebrew, when referring to an indefinite subject / object, the feminine is generally used. For example, in Bereshit 50:20, Yosef tells the brothers: "וְאַתֶּם חֲשַׁבְתֶּם עָלַי רָעָה אֱלֹהִים חֲשָׁבָהּ לְטֹבָה". The "matter" that Hashem thought of for good is not specific, and could be either male of female, but is marked as feminine. ShadalBereshit 50:20About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto notes that this is a general rule: "כנוי הנקבה חוזר אל הדבר... כל מקום שמשמיטין מלת דָבָר אומרים לשון נקבה".

 Several examples follow:

• Bereshit 15:6 – "וְהֶאֱמִן בַּי״י וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ לּוֹ צְדָקָה"
• Bereshit 42:7 – "וַיְדַבֵּר אִתָּם קָשׁוֹת"
• Shemot 10:11 – "וְעִבְדוּ אֶת יְהֹוָה כִּי אֹתָהּ אַתֶּם מְבַקְשִׁים"
• Shemot 17:14 – "כְּתֹב זֹאת זִכָּרוֹן בַּסֵּפֶר"
• Vayikra 5:22 – "עַל אַחַת מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה הָאָדָם לַחֲטֹא בָהֵנָּה"
• Bemidbar 22:18 – "לֹא אוּכַל לַעֲבֹר אֶת פִּי י״י אֱלֹהָי לַעֲשׂוֹת קְטַנָּה אוֹ גְדוֹלָה"
• Bemidbar 27:11 – "וְהָיְתָה לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְחֻקַּת מִשְׁפָּט"
• Yehoshua 10:13 – "הֲלֹא הִיא כְתוּבָה עַל סֵפֶר הַיָּשָׁר"
• Shemuel I 10:12 – "עַל כֵּן הָיְתָה לְמָשָׁל"
• Shemuel I 11:2 – "בְּזֹאת אֶכְרֹת לָכֶם בִּנְקוֹר לָכֶם כׇּל עֵין יָמִין"
• Shemuel i 18:23 – "וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד הַנְקַלָּה בְעֵינֵיכֶם הִתְחַתֵּן בַּמֶּלֶךְ"
• Yeshayahu 7:7 – "לֹא תָקוּם וְלֹא תִהְיֶה"

Pausal Form

Words sometimes slightly change their form when they appear at the end of a semantic unit (at the end of a verse or clause).³⁷  This is known as the pausal form since in many cases the vocalization is slightly elongated, causing the reader to pause.  After the prepositions בְ, לְ, אֵת the suffix ־ְךָ in pausal form becomes ־ָךְ, (for example: בָּךְ, לָךְ, אִתָּךְ). Though these words appear as "feminine", they are simply the pausal forms of their male counterparts.

¹ For example, Bereshit 19:23 reads, "הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ יָצָא" whereas elsewhere the noun is feminine. R. SaadiaCommentary Bereshit 19:23About R. Saadia Gaon raises the possibility that the word is generally feminine, but in this (and similar verses) the verse means to say "אור השמש יצא".

² For another example where the word is treated as feminine, see Divrei HaYamim II 8:11 ("אֲשֶׁר בָּאָה אֲלֵיהֶם אֲרוֹן י"י").

³ See also Bereshit 13:6 (and compare Rashbam, Ibn Ezra and Radak there), Yeshayahu 9:18,  Yeshayahu 66:8, Zecharya 14:10, Tehillim 104:5-6 (and see Radak there).

⁴ See also Shemot 9:23, Vayikra 6:3,6, Vayikra 9:24, 10:2, Bemidbar 11:2 and others

⁵ This is less common. See also Tehillim 104:4 and Eikhah 1:13 and Ibn Ezra there.

⁶ See R. Moshe ibn Chiquitilla here, Rashi Bereshit 32:9 and radak Yirmeyahu 20:9 who note this.

⁷ See Ibn EzraYeshayahu 33:9Bereshit Lexical Commentary 2:15Bereshit First Commentary 30:38About R. Avraham ibn Ezra.

⁸ See Ibn Ezra there who notes this but also brings opinions that perhaps the words "לְעׇבְדָהּ וּלְשׇׁמְרָהּ" refer back not to the garden but to the land (אדמה, a feminine noun).

⁹ See also Yeshayahu 58:11 and Yirmeyahu 31:11 where it also is treated as masculine.

¹⁰ See Shir HaShirim 4:15.

¹¹ See Kohelet 2:5, "עָשִׂיתִי לִי גַּנּוֹת וּפַרְדֵּסִים".

¹² See, for example, Yechezkel 17:8, לִהְיוֹת לְגֶפֶן אַדָּרֶת.

¹³ See also Devarim 17:16, 28:7.

¹⁴ See also Nechemyah 9:12 שמג Eikhah 1:4.

¹⁵ See Rashi Yeshayahu 35:9 who notes this.

¹⁶ See also Shemot 39:42, Melakhim I 7:8-9, 7:12, Melakhim II 21:5, Melakhim II 23:12 and others.

¹⁷ See Rashi and Ibn Ezra Second Commentary (there) who note the phenomenon.

¹⁸ See many other verses as well, including Shemot 3:19, 13:9, Yeshayahu 5:25 or 9:1.

¹⁹ This is less common as noted by Shadal (and see Ibn Ezra).

²⁰ See Rashi, Radak and Shadal there who notes the phenomenon.

²¹ See other verses as well, including: Bereshit 32:11, 33:8, and 50:9.

²² See also Divrei HaYamim I 11:15.

²³ See Rashi who notes this. See also Rashbam, Ibn Ezra and R"Y Bekhor Shor who talk about the phenomenon in general.

²⁴ See also Shemot 31:15 and Vayikra 11:32.

²⁵ This is the more common form. See also Bereshit 41:8, 45:26, Shemot 14:21, Bemidbar 14:26, Shofetim 6:34 and many others.

²⁶ The verse reads: וְרוּחַ גְּדוֹלָה וְחָזָק מְפָרֵק הָרִים

²⁷ The verse reads: רוּחַ גְּדוֹלָה בָּאָה מֵעֵבֶר הַמִּדְבָּר וַיִּגַּע בְּאַרְבַּע פִּנּוֹת הַבַּיִת.

²⁸ See R"Y Kara on Melakhim who notes this.

²⁹ Se also Shemot 22:2, Devarim 24:15, Shemuel II 2:24, Shemuel II 12:11, Nachum 3:17 and others.

³⁰ See also Bereshit 28:11, 32:32, Vayikra 22:7, Yehoshua 10:12-13, Shemuel II 23:4 and others.

³¹ See Ibn Ezra, Radak, Shadal, and R. D"Z Hoffmann.  Radak writes, "לשון הויה אינו שומר בהרבה מקומות יחיד ורבים זכר ונקבה" (The term "היה" in many place does not conform to singular and plural or masculine and feminine). See Number for examples of nonconformity between the verb and number.

³² 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.

³³ This explanation works well for the many occurrences of the phenomenon which are in poetic passages.  However, it less clear why such poetic language would be found in prose (as in the case in Yehoshua 6:17).

³⁴ Ibn Ezra notes the double marker, but does not explain its meaning.

³⁵ Here, too, Radak suggests that the form reflects the speed and diligence of the action. David is emphasizing that Avigayil came quickly to prevent bloodshed.

³⁶ See Malbim as well.

³⁷ This will most often occur where words are marked with the cantillation marks of an etnachta or sof passuk.