On the fundamental difference between ʼâh ki and ʼâh wehinnēh

Koot van Wyk (DLitt et Phil; ThD)

 

This blog is an extrapolation from the article written by Tamer Zewi on these particles in Hebrew. The methodology is simple, namely to extract the English sample verses from her presentation and then to investigate and analyze them to see what the real meaning of the use of these particles is.

Zewi is from Haifa University in Israel and has published a number of articles on this subject. The current article appeared in published form as follows: Tamar Zewi (2011). “On כּי ראָה and והנּה ראָה in Biblical Hebrew,” in ν πάσ γραμματικ κα σοφί En pāsē grammatikē kai sophiā Saggi di linguistica ebraica in onore di Alviero Niccacci, ofm. Editors Gregor Geiger in collaboration with Massimo Pazzini. Terra Santa: Franciscan Printing Press.

The conclusion of Tamar Zewi was not satisfying to me saying that:

“In conclusion, the great majority of examples of כּי + ראָה reflect non-physical observation, that is, perception or realization of a fact or a situation, while the great majority of examples of והנּה + ראָה reflect a physical act of viewing of a material object, whether in reality or in dreams or revelation. These two meanings indeed constitute the fundamental distinction between כּי + ראָה and והנּה + ראָה.”

My own conclusion was as follows after analyzing her examples:

“In conclusion, the fundamental difference between ʼâh ki and ʼâh wehinnēh is that רָאָה râʼâh is a general seeing or looking without paying attention to minute detail but hinnēh and wehinnēh has the meaning “zoom in with sensitive perception and be calculative” (Koot van Wyk, 1st August 2018).

Christo van der Merwe of Stellenbosch University Ancient Cultures Department on Hebrew linguistics probably came the closest to what I want to say: “Cognitive proximity”. His article is in Zewi’s bibliography below. “Proximity” is for myself a zoom-in action of focus and sensitive attention.

Examples of these particles by Tamar Zewi and my analysis of them. Zewi cited the RSV with minor adjustments.

 

And (he) said, Behold*,  I have dreamed another dream’” (Gen 37,9).3

*Zoom in with sensitive perception and be calculative

 Then the LORD said to Samuel, Behold*, I am about to do a thing in Israel, at which the two ears of every one that hears it will tingle’” (1Sam 3,11).

*Zoom in with sensitive perception and be calculative

And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening; and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold*, there were camels coming” (Gen 24,63).

*Zoom in with sensitive perception and be calculative

 Then Elisha prayed, and said, O LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see. So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw; and behold*, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha (2Kgs 6,17).

*Zoom in with sensitive perception and be calculative

 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold*, a smoking fire pot and a flaming

torch passed between these pieces (Gen 15,17).

*Zoom in with sensitive perception and be calculative

 

 Then Saul said to the people who were with him, Number and see who has gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold*, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there” (1Sam 14,17).

*Zoom in with sensitive perception and be calculative

And God saw that the light was good.” (Gen 1,4).

Gen 1,10.12.18.21.25;13 3,6; 6,2; 40,16; 49,15; Ps 34,9; Eccl 3,22;

 The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (Gen 6,5);

 So when Esau saw that the Canaanite women did not please Isaac his father …” (Gen 28,8);15 and similarly Exod 10,10; 1Sam 12,17.

 And Abimelech said to Abraham, What were you thinking of, that you did this thing?’” (Gen 20,10).

The JPS goes even further: “‘What, then, Abimelech demanded of Abraham, was your purpose in doing this thing?’”

Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob” (Gen 28,6);

 And when Solomon saw that the young man was industrious” (1Kgs 11,28).

Other such examples are Gen 16,4.5; 29,31; 30,1.9; 31,5; 32,26; 38,14; 39,3; 42,1; 44,31; 50,15; Exod 8,11; 9,34; 32,1; 32,25; Judg 6,22; 9,55; 12,3; 16,18; 18,26; 20,36; 20,41; 1Sam 5,7; 9,16; 10,14; 12,12; 13,11; 23,15; 26,3; 28,21; 31,5; 31,7; 2Sam 10,6.9.14.15.19; 17,23; 1Kgs 3,28; 12,16; 16,18; 21,29; 2Kgs 3,26; 6,32; 11,1; Isa 59,16; Jer 3,8; 17,6.8; Ezek 12,3; 19,5; 23,13; Ps 10,14; 119,159; Job 2,13; Eccl 2,24; 4,4; Lam 1,20; Esth 3,5; 7,7; 1Chr 10,5.7; 19,6.10.15.16.19; 21,28; 28,10; 2Chr 12,7; 15,9; 22,10; 32,2.

 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold*, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day” (Gen 1,31).

*Zoom in with sensitive perception and be calculative

They said, arise, and let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and behold*, it is very fertile’” (Judg 18,9).

*Zoom in with sensitive perception and be calculative

And you shall know and see that your wickedness is great” (1Sam 12,17);

 But when Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David …” (1Sam 18,28);

 You may know and see that there is no wrong or treason in my hands” (1Sam 24,12);

 Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, Mark, now, and see how this man is seeking trouble; for he sent to me for my wives and my children, and for my silver and my gold, and I did

not refuse him’” (1Kgs 20,7).

Similar examples are 2Kgs 5,7; Jer 2,19.

 And when Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in awe of him” (1Sam 18,15);

 Then I saw that wisdom excels folly” (Eccl 2,13).

 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw that the Jordan valley was well watered everywhere” (Gen 13,10);

 He looked this way and that, and seeing no one he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand (Exod 2,12);

 And the LORD said to Moses, Thus you shall say to the people of Israel: You have seen for yourselves that I have talked with you from heaven’’” (Exod 20,22).

 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw.”

And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you” (Gen 45,12).

Here Joseph expects his brothers to see his mouth speaking and to realize

that it is speaking at the same time.

When Abram entered Egypt the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful” (Gen 12,14);

 And when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand” (Gen 39,13);

 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim” (Gen 48,17);

 When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush (Exod 3,4);

 Then David ran and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath, and killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled” (1Sam 17,51);

 But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead” (2Sam 12,19);

 And when the man saw that all the people stopped, he carried Amasa out of the highway into the field, and threw a garment over him” (2Sam 20,12);

 And whenever they saw that there was much money in the chest” (2Kgs 12,11, and similarly its parallel in 2Chr 24,11).

 And Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and behold*, the face of the ground was dry” (Gen 8,13);

*Zoom in with sensitive perception and be calculative

 And he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley, and beheld, and lo*, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace” (Gen 19,28);

*Zoom in with sensitive perception and be calculative

 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold*, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns” (Gen 22,13);

*Zoom in with sensitive perception and be calculative

 As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha said, O LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. So the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and lo*, they were in the midst of Samaria (2Kgs 6,20);

*Zoom in with sensitive perception and be calculative

 I raised my eyes and saw, and behold*, a ram standing on the bank of the river” (Dan 8,3).

*Zoom in with sensitive perception and be calculative

Other examples are Gen 18,2; 24,63; 26,8; 29,2; 31,10; 33,1; 37,25; 40,6;

41,22; 42,27; Exod 2,6; 3,2; 39,43; Lev 13,5.6.8.13.17.20.21.25.26.30.31.32.

34.36.39.43.53.55.56; 14,3.37.39.44.48; Josh 5,13; 7,21; 8,20; Judg 3,24; 9,34;

14,8; 21,21; 1Sam 10,11; 14,16.17; 2Sam 13,34; 18,24; 2Kgs 6,20.30; 11,14;

Jer 4,23.24.25.26; Ezek 1,4.15; 2,9; 8,2.7.10; 10,1.9; 37,8; 44,4; Zech 2,15;

4,2; 5,1.9; 6,1; Dan 8,15; 10,5; 12,5; 2Chr 23,13.

 And God saw the earth, and behold*, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the

earth (Gen 6,12);

*Zoom in with sensitive perception and be calculative

 And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him with favor as before” (Gen 31,2);17

 And the LORD said to Moses, I have seen this people, and behold*, it is a stiff-necked people’” (Exod 32,9, and similarly Deut 9,13);

*Zoom in with sensitive perception and be calculative

 And I looked, and behold*, you had sinned against the LORD your God; you had made yourselves a molten calf(Deut 9,16);

*Zoom in with sensitive perception and be calculative

 But I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it; and, behold*, the half was not told me” (1Kgs 10,7, and similarly 2Chr 9,6);18

*Zoom in with sensitive perception and be calculative

 

 and said to them, I see that your father does not regard me with favor as he did before’” (Gen 31,5).

I have seen everything that is done under the sun; and behold*, all is vanity and a striving after wind” (Eccl 1,14).

*Zoom in with sensitive perception and be calculative

Come now, I will make a test of pleasure; enjoy yourself.But behold*, this also was vanity (Eccl 2,1);

*Zoom in with sensitive perception and be calculative

 Again I saw all the oppressions that are practiced under the sun. And behold*, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no one to comfort them!” (Eccl 4,1).

*Zoom in with sensitive perception and be calculative

 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, ‘I also had a dream: there were three cake baskets on my head’” (Gen 40,16).

 And when Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, behold*, the skin of his face shone” (Exod 34,30);

*Zoom in with sensitive perception and be calculative

 The people of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone (Exod 34,35)

 


Tamar Zewi concluded

In conclusion, the great majority of examples of כּי + ראָה reflect non-physical observation, that is, perception or realization of a fact or a situation, while the great majority of examples of והנּה + ראָה reflect a physical act of viewing of a material object, whether in reality or in dreams or revelation. These two meanings indeed constitute the fundamental distinction between כּי + ראָה and והנּה + ראָה.

 

My conclusion

In conclusion, the fundamental difference between râʼâh ki and râʼâh wehinnēh is that רָאָה râʼâh is a general seeing or looking without paying attention to minute detail but hinnēh and wehinnēh has the meaning zoom in with sensitive perception and be calculative (Koot van Wyk, 1st August 2018). Sometimes the ki is used as a substitute for hinnēh and wehinnēh and it can be a shortcut to imply what the hinnēh and wehinnēh would have been, if it would be there. The phenomenon of month abbreviations was prevalent near Ugarit and similarly this phenomenon is a modern smartphone feature in messaging by young people. A full understanding needs only have a word.

 

Koot van Wyk

Department of Liberal Education

Sangju campus

Kyungpook National University

South Korea

Conjoint lecturer of Avondale College

Australia

 

Bibliography

ESKHULT M., Traces of Linguistic Development in Biblical Hebrew, Hebrew Studies 46 (2005) 353-370.

FOLLINGSTAD C.M., Deictic Viewpoint in Biblical Hebrew Text: A Syntagmatic and Paradigmatic Analysis of the Particle "C, Dallas 2001.

JOÜON P. - MURAOKA T., A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew (Subsidia Biblica 27), Roma 22006.

KATSUMURA D., Zur Funktion von hinnēh und wehinnēh in der biblischen Erzählung, Annual of the Japanese Biblical Institute 13 (1987) 3-21.

KOGUT S., On the Meaning and Syntactical Status of !*) !' in Biblical Hebrew, in S. JAPHET (ed.), Studies in Bible (Scripta Hierosolymitana 31), Jerusalem 1988, 133-154.

MCCARTHY D.J., The Uses of wehinnēh in Biblical Hebrew, Biblica 61 (1980) 330-342.

V.D. MERWE C.H.J., A Cognitive Linguistic Perspective on הנּה in the Pentateuch, Joshua, Judges, and Ruth, Hebrew Studies 48 (2007) 101-140.

MURAOKA T., Emphatic Words and Structures in Biblical Hebrew, Jerusalem - Leiden 1985.

ZEWI T., The Particles הנּה and והנּה in Biblical Hebrew, Hebrew Studies 37 (1996) 21-37.

ZEWI T., Content Expressions in Biblical Hebrew, in G. GOLDENBERG - A. SHISHA HALEVY (ed.), Egyptian, Semitic and General Grammar: Studies in Memory of H.J. Polotsky, Jerusalem 2009, 302-316.

 

Biblical Translations

JPS = Tanakh. A New Translation of the Holy Scriptures According to the Traditional

Hebrew Texts, Philadelphia 1985.

RSV = MAY H.G. - METZGER B.M. (ed.), The New Oxford Annotated Bible

with the Apocrypha: Revised Standard Version, Oxford 1977.