Grammar:Gender/0

From AlHaTorah.org
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Gender

This topic has not yet undergone editorial review

Nonconformity between Subject and Gender

Sometimes a feminine noun will take a masculine verb or vice versa:

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. Saadia 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 

  • מחנה – Compare Tehillim 27:3 where it is treated as feminine (תַּחֲנֶה עָלַי מַחֲנֶה)2 with Bereshit 33:8 where it is treated as masculine (הַמַּחֲנֶה הַזֶּה).3 See also Bereshit 32:94 where in the very same verse it takes both a feminine and masculine adjective (הַמַּחֲנֶה הָאַחַת וְהִכָּהוּ... הַמַּחֲנֶה הַנִּשְׁאָר).
  • שמש – Compare Bereshit 15:17 where it takes a feminine verb (הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בָּאָה)5 and Bereshit 19:23 where it takes a masculine verb (הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ יָצָא).6  See, though, R. Saadia that in the latter cases perhpas the verses mean "אור השמש יצא".
  • חצר – Though it usually acts as a feminine noun, as in Melakhim I 6:36 (הֶחָצֵר הַפְּנִימִית),7 see Yechezkel 40:19 and 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").8 
  • דרך – Compare Bereshit 28:20 where it is masculine ("וּשְׁמָרַנִי בַּדֶּרֶךְ הַזֶּה")9 with Shemot 18:20, where it is feminine ("הַדֶּרֶךְ יֵלְכוּ בָהּ").10 See also Yeshayahu 35:8 where it takes both forms in one verse (וָדֶרֶךְ וְדֶרֶךְ הַקֹּדֶשׁ יִקָּרֵא לָהּ לֹא יַעַבְרֶנּוּ).11
  • יד – Compare Bereshit 26:25 where it is feminine ("וְיָדוֹ אֹחֶזֶת")12 with Shemot 17:12 where it is masculine ("וִידֵי מֹשֶׁה כְּבֵדִים").13  See also Yechezkel 2:9 where it takes both forms in the same verse, "וְהִנֵּה יָד שְׁלוּחָה אֵלָי וְהִנֵּה בוֹ".‎14
  • גן – Compare Bereshit 2:15 where it takes a feminine form (וַיַּנִּחֵהוּ בְגַן עֵדֶן לְעׇבְדָהּ וּלְשׇׁמְרָהּ),15 with Shir HaShirim 4:12, where it takes a masculine adjective ("גַּן נָעוּל").16 Ibn Ezra further notes that the plural form of the verb also sometimes appears with a masculine ending (גנים)17 and sometimes with a feminine one (גנות).18
  • בית – See Ibn Ezra, Dikduk Bereshit 2:15 Mihslei 2:18 it is feminine, Devarim 8:12 masculine (lime most occurrences)
  • מקום – See Ibn Ezra, Dikduk Bereshit 2:15 
  • רוח – Compare Bereshit 1:2 where it is takes a feminine verb ("יוְרוּחַ אֱלֹהִים מְרַחֶפֶת")19 with Bemidbar 11:131 where it takes a masculine verb ("וְרוּחַ נָסַע").  See also Melakhim 19:1120 and Iyyov 1:1921 in each of which it acts as both masculine and feminine in the very same verse.  22
  • אש – Compare Shemot 22:5 where it takes a feminine verb (כִּי תֵצֵא אֵשׁ)23  with Yirmeyahu 48:45 where it takes a masculine one (כִּי אֵשׁ יָצָא).24  See also Iyyov 20:26 where it takes both forms in the very same verse (תְּאׇכְלֵהוּ אֵשׁ לֹא נֻפָּח).25
  • ארץ - See Yeshayahu 33:9 (twice in verse - compare Ibn Ezra and Shadal).
  • rashi Shemuel I 1:9

Androgynous Verbs

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

Pausal Form