Grammar:Gender/0

From AlHaTorah.org
Jump to navigation Jump to search

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. 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
  • ארון – Though the word usually takes masculine adjectives and verbs, at times it is treated as feminine as well. See Shemuel I 4, where verse 11 reads, "וַאֲרוֹן אֱלֹהִים נִלְקָח", while verse 17 reads, "וַאֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים נִלְקָחָה".  See Radak there for discussion.

Androgynous Verbs

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

Double Feminine

Sometimes a word will have two feminine markers. Radak suggests that in such cases, the doubling serves as an intensifier

  • הֶחְבְּאַתָה – See Yehoshua 6:17, "כִּי הֶחְבְּאַתָה אֶת הַמַּלְאָכִים" (as opposed to the expected "החביאה").  Radak explains 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  (this form replaces the expected "עזרה"). Radak (on Tehillim 3:3) explains that in each case the people are either requesting or thanking Hashem for abundant aid.
  •  תבואתה (דברים ל״ג:ט״ז), נפלאתה (שמואל ב א׳:כ״ו)

Pausal Form