Grammar:Gender/0

Gender

This topic has not yet undergone editorial review

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 It is also possible that in some of these cases the noun is actually one gender and there is simply nonconformity between it and the connected verb or modifier.

• 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 usually treated as feminine,¹² but see Hoshea 10:1 where t is treated as masculine (גֶּפֶן בּוֹקֵק יִשְׂרָאֵל) and Yechezkel 19:11 where it takes both masculine and feminine modifiers (וַיִּהְיוּ לָהּ...  וַתִּגְבַּהּ קוֹמָתוֹ) .
• 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 25:26 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  and Vayikra 11:32. See also Shemuel I 15:9 where it takes both a feminine and masculine adjective in one verse: "‎‎וְכׇל הַמְּלָאכָה נְמִבְזָה וְנָמֵס".‎²⁵
• מקום – The word is usually masculine, but see Ibn Ezra Bereshit 2:15. Bereshit Lexical Commentary 2:15About R. Avraham ibn Ezra
• סיר – Though this is generally treated as masculine, see Yechezel 24, where sometimes it is treated as masculine (verse 3: וְגַם יְצֹק בּוֹ מָיִם) and sometimes as feminine (verse 6: אֲשֶׁר חֶלְאָתָה בָהּ).  See Radak there that since the pot is a metaphor for Jerusalem, which is feminine, it is treated as such.
• 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) where it takes a feminine verb and Yirmeyahu 8:5 (שׁוֹבְבָה הָעָם הַזֶּה) where it is treated as both feminine and masculine in one verse. See also Ibn Ezra Yeshayahu 33:9Bereshit Lexical Commentary 2:15Bereshit First Commentary 2:15Bereshit First Commentary 30:38Shemot Second Commentary 5:16Tehillim Second Commentary 3:3About R. Avraham ibn Ezraand ShadalBereshit 30:38Bereshit 50:20Shemot 5:16Yeshayahu 33:9Yirmeyahu 4:30About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto on Shemot 5:16.²⁶
• פחת – Radak notes that this word appears once in the feminine, in Shemuel II 17:9 (בְּאַחַת הַפְּחָתִים) and once in the masculine, in Shemuel II 18:17 (הַפַּחַת הַגָּדוֹל).
• צעקה – Though most of the time this noun is treated as feminine, see Shemot 11:6 where it takes both feminine and masculine modifiers in the same sentence: "וְהָיְתָה צְעָקָה גְדֹלָה  מִצְרָיִם אֲשֶׁר כָּמֹהוּ לֹא נִהְיָתָה".
• רוח – Compare Bereshit 1:2 where it is takes a feminine verb ("יוְרוּחַ אֱלֹהִים מְרַחֶפֶת")²⁷ with Bemidbar 11:31 where it takes a masculine verb ("וְרוּחַ נָסַע").  See also Melakhim I 19:11²⁸ and Iyyov 1:19²⁹ in each of which it acts as both masculine and feminine in the very same verse.³⁰
• 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 MosheShemuel I 6:12Esther 5:6About R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi 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)³¹ and Bereshit 19:23 where it takes a masculine verb (הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ יָצָא).³²  See, though, R. Saadia that in the latter cases perhaps the verses mean "אור השמש יצא".

Nonconformity

Noun and Verb

Sometimes, even when a subject is clearly masculine or feminine (as when one is speaking of a girl or boy), there is nonetheless nonconformity between it and the verb. 

I. The root "היה" – This is particularly true when a noun is used with the root "היה", which many times does not conform with the gender (or number) of the subject. Many commentators³³ 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), Kohelet 11:2 (מַה יִּהְיֶה רָעָה)

II. Other Examples

• Melakhim I 2:21 ("יֻתַּן אֶת אֲבִישַׁג הַשֻּׁנַמִּית") – As Avishag is a female, one would have expected a feminine verb.  Cf. RadakMelakhim I 2:21Tehillim 120:1About R. David Kimchi that there must be an assumed subject, "מתן".
• Yirmeyahu 4:30 ("וְאַתְּ שָׁדוּד‎)" – Though the subject is clearly feminine, the word "שדוד" is masculine, See the opinion in RadakYehoshua 6:17Shofetim 4:20Shemuel I 4:17Yechezkel 37:7About R. David Kimchi (and ShadalYirmeyahu 4:30About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto similarly) that the verse should be read if written "את כשדוד" (you are as one who is desolate).  Radak himself explains that since the referent is Israel, the nation can be referred to as either masculine or feminine.
• Shofetim 4:20 ("עֲמֹד פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל") – Sisera tells Yael to stand at the entrance, but uses the masculine form of the command ("עֲמֹד" rather than "עִמְדִי"). Rashi Shofetim 4:20Yechezkel 2:9About R. Shelomo Yitzchakisuggests that Sisera is emphasizing that Yael should prepare herself like a man.  Cf. R"Y Bekhor ShorVayikra 22:28About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor that this is simply the way of the text and Radak Shofetim 4:20Tehillim 120:1About R. David Kimchithat this is an infinitive, short for "לעמוד".
• Shemuel I 1:6 (וְכֵן יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁנָה בְשָׁנָה) – See AbarbanelShemuel I 1:6About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel that since both the previous verse and the continuation of this verse speak of Penina, a female, one would have expected "תעשה", but that such nonconformity is common ("ורבים ככה").  Many other commentators, instead, suggest that the subject of the verb is Elkanah, mentioned in verse 4.
• Other examples: Shemuel I 25:27 (אֲשֶׁר הֵבִיא שִׁפְחָתְךָ),³⁴ Shemuel II 14:10 ("וַהֲבֵאתוֹ אֵלַי"),³⁵ Yirmeyahu 3:5 (הִנֵּה דִבַּרְתְּ וַתַּעֲשִׂי הָרָעוֹת וַתּוּכָל)³⁶ Divrei HaYamim I 2:48 (פִּילֶגֶשׁ כָּלֵב מַעֲכָה יָלַד),³⁷

Pronouns

Sometimes Tanakh uses a feminine pronoun to refer to a male and vice versa:

• "אַתְּ" – There are three places where the word "את" is used to refer to a male:
• Bemidbar 11:15 (וְאִם כָּכָה אַתְּ עֹשֶׂה לִּי הׇרְגֵנִי נָא הָרֹג) – As Moshe is speaking to Hashem one would have expected "אתה".  RashiBemidbar 11:15Shemuel I 6:12Yeshayahu 35:9Yechezkel 2:9About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki suggests that the language hints that Moshe grew weak like a woman.  Cf.Ibn EzraBemidbar 11:15About R. Avraham ibn Ezra that while "אתה" can be used for males only, "את" can be used for either gender, comparing it to the words "לך", "בך" and "עמך", whose pausal form is feminine even when referring to males.
• Devarim 5:23 ("וְאַתְּ תְּדַבֵּר אֵלֵינוּ אֵת כׇּל אֲשֶׁר יְדַבֵּר י"י") – The people address Moshe, yet refer to him as "את" in feminine. As above, some suggest that the language hints to weakness,³⁸ while other suggest that this is normal for Biblical Hebrew (Ibn Ezra, as above).³⁹
• Yechezkel 28:14 ("אַתְּ כְּרוּב מִמְשַׁח הַסּוֹכֵךְ וּנְתַתִּיךָ בְּהַר קֹדֶשׁ")
• אותם / אותן –
• Shemot 2:17 ("וַיָּבֹאוּ הָרֹעִים וַיְגָרְשׁוּם וַיָּקׇם מֹשֶׁה וַיּוֹשִׁעָן וַיַּשְׁקְ אֶת צֹאנָם") – The daughters of Reuel are referenced in the masculine (וַיְגָרְשׁוּם and צֹאנָם) even though they are clearly female (and the other verb in the sentence refers to them as such: וַיּוֹשִׁעָן). Compare the explanations of Ibn Ezra and R. Hirsch.
• אותו-אותה
• Vayikra 22:18 ("אֹתוֹ וְאֶת בְּנוֹ לֹא תִשְׁחֲטוּ בְּיוֹם אֶחָד") – See the dispute in Bavli Chulin 78b Chulin 78bAbout the Bavliwhether the prohibition refers to both a male and female and their offspring (R. Chananyah) or only to the mother and her offspring (the rabbis).  According to the latter opinion, the verse uses a masculine referent (אותו) despite referring to a female, and see R"Y Bekhor ShorVayikra 22:28About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor that this is common in Biblical Hebrew.
• ממנה-ממנו
• Shofetim 11:34 (רַק הִיא יְחִידָה אֵין לוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ בֵּן אוֹ בַת) – As the verse is speaking of how the daughter of Yiftach had not yet born children, one would have  expected "ממנה" in feminine. See, though, Radak and Metzudat David that the verse might refer back to Yiftach himself.  Perhaps he had a wife who had sons from a different husband whom he raised, but he had no sons of his own, that came "from him"..
• See the Masoretic notes that there are five other examples where the word "ממנו" appears instead of "ממנה": Vayikra 6:8, 27:9, Yehoshua 1:7, Melakhim I 22:43 and Melakhim II 4:39.
• Possessive pronouns
• Bemidbar 36:6 ("לַטּוֹב בְּעֵינֵיהֶם תִּהְיֶינָה לְנָשִׁים") – The verse refers to the daughters of Tzelophchad so one would have expected "בעיניהן".

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.⁴⁰
• 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.⁴¹

• 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"),⁴² and Shemuel I 25:34 "כִּי לוּלֵי מִהַרְתְּ וַתָּבֹאת".‎⁴³
• 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 Kimchi⁴⁴ 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".
• Other examples: "בְּעַוְלָתָה" (Tehillim 125:3),

Undefined Subject or Object

In Biblical Hebrew, when referring to an undefined 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". See also Ibn Janach in his ספר הרקמה שער מ"ב, that in such cases one can substitute the words "פעולה" (action) or "אמרה" (statement) for the undefined matter making it feminine.

 Several examples follow:

• Bereshit 15:6 – "וְהֶאֱמִן בַּי״י וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ לּוֹ צְדָקָה"
• Bereshit 42:7 – "וַיְדַבֵּר אִתָּם קָשׁוֹת"
• Shemot 7:23 – וְלֹא שָׁת לִבּוֹ גַּם לָזֹאת
• 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 14:41 – " לָמָּה זֶּה אַתֶּם עֹבְרִים אֶת פִּי י״י וְהִוא לֹא תִצְלָח"
• 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"
• Shemuel II 2:26 – " הֲלוֹא יָדַעְתָּה כִּי מָרָה תִהְיֶה בָּאַחֲרוֹנָה"
• Shemuel II 20:9 – "הֲתַחַת זֹאת לֹא יוּמַת שִׁמְעִי"
• Yeshayahu 7:7 – "לֹא תָקוּם וְלֹא תִהְיֶה"
• Yirmeyahu 33:3 "וְאַגִּידָה לְּךָ גְּדֹלוֹת וּבְצֻרוֹת""

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).⁴⁵  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 See, though, Radak who suggests that he masculine adjective must be modifying an unstated matter, "the cattle".

²⁶ See also Radak on Hoshea 4:19 that when a verse refers to a nation, it might use feminine language since the connotation is the "עדה" . [Similarly it is can be treated as either single or plural, whether one is referring to the collective entity or to the many individuals.]

²⁷ 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.

²⁸ The verse reads: וְרוּחַ גְּדוֹלָה וְחָזָק מְפָרֵק הָרִים

²⁹ The verse reads: רוּחַ גְּדוֹלָה בָּאָה מֵעֵבֶר הַמִּדְבָּר וַיִּגַּע בְּאַרְבַּע פִּנּוֹת הַבַּיִת.

³⁰ See R"Y Kara on Melakhim who notes this.

³¹ Se also Shemot 22:2, Devarim 24:15, Shemuel II 2:24, Shemuel II 12:11, Nachum 3:17 and others.

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

³³ 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.

³⁴ See, though, Malbim that Avigayil uses masculine language to imply that the gift is really from her husband.

³⁵ Though the king is speaking to a women, so that the subject of "וַהֲבֵאתוֹ"  is feminine, he uses a masculine verb "וַהֲבֵאתוֹ" (and not: "והבאתיו"). See Radak that the king might actually be addressing one of the male servants who would be in charge of bringing someone to the king.

³⁶ In Yirmeyahu's metaphor a husband speaks to his wife about her actions using a series of feminine verbs, but ending with "ותוכל" rather than "ותוכלי".

³⁷ See Radak and Metzudat David that the referent of the verb "ילד" must be Kalev.

³⁸ See Rashi that Moshe grew weak as he was disappointed that the people did not want to hear Hashem directly.  Cf. R"Y Bekhor Shor that the people address Moshe in the feminine since they prefer his soft, weak voice to Hashem's powerful one which they could not tolerate.

³⁹ See also Hoil Moshe that maybe originally words such as these were written with a apostrophe to show that they were abbreviated, but the apostrophe got lost in copying.

⁴⁰ 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.

⁴¹ 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).

⁴² Ibn Ezra notes the double marker, but does not explain its meaning.

⁴³ 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.

⁴⁴ See Malbim as well.

⁴⁵ This will most often occur where words are marked with the cantillation marks of an etnachta or sof passuk.