THE BOOK OF NUMBERS 22 Henry Omonisaye 2/12/2004

This presentation shall consider the morpho-phonetic and syntax of some of the verses of this chapter. The imperative and the phonological shift from /a/ to /o/

yLi-hr"a'( aN"-hk'l. v6 yLi-hb'q") hk'l. v11 and yLi-hb'q") aN"-hk'l.W v17. A common feature is the use of the
lengthened imperative or the imperative with the paragogic h ,' though originally meant to add the emphatic nuance, it does not actually achieve this. However, given some instances of its occurrence, Joon-Muraoka thinks that it is honorific in some cases; for instance, when God is the addressee (Ps 5:2), a Prophet (Num 22:6), Priest (1sam 14:18) Father (Gen 27:19). The emotive particle

aN"

is also found in 2 of the imperatives. Since the nuance of paragogic

' is virtually not so clear, this particle is added if greater emphasis is needed.

(Joon-Muraoka

48d) I think this fits here because of the historical sietz im leben of the Balak and his city.

and

yLi-hb'q' and yLi-hr'a' we expect hB'qu hr'ao. If these forms are to be read qoballi oralli, the addition of the paragogic

h causes no change in the form of the word. If, however, as Jewish tradition requires, they are
to be read qaballi, aralli, then in bolli cases the Qames must be explained, as the equivalent of o. ((((((((Gesenius, 67o). The cases in which ' appears to stand in an open syllable and yet is to be read as o require special consideration. This is the case, ( a) when

Al[\P' his work, or simple vocal S wa, e.g. ! b'r>D' ox goad; Hateph-Pathah follows in ^x]v'm.li1Sam15:1, ^g]r'x]l; 24:11; (b)before another Qames- hatuph, e. g. ^l. ['P' thy work; on yLi-hr'a' and yLi-hb'q' Nu 22:6,11,17, (c)in the two plural forms ~yvid'q' sanctuaries and ~yvir'v' roots. In all these cases the
Hateph-Qames follows, e.g.
e

Jewish grammarians regard the Metheg accompanying the

'

as indicating a Qames

rahabh (broad Qames) and therefore read the ' as a. However, neither the origin of these forms, nor the analogous formations in Hebrew and in the cognate languages, nor the transcription of proper names in the LXX, allows us to regard this view as correct. It is just possible that Qames is here used loosely for a, as the equivalent of o. [Cf. Gesenius 9v also
Kutscher E. Yechezel, A History of Hebrew Language edited by Richard Kutscher, Leiden-Jerusalem1982, 33, 37, Blau, J., A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew, 2nd amended edition, Harrassotwiz 1993, 9.2-9.3.4 and Jouon-Muraoka 6] this is without doubt complicated but the point that stands out is that there

is a morpho-phonetic exchange. What is not written is pronounced in order not to depart from the expected, as given in the different traditions. v. 6 the dagesh in the suffixed preposition - called (i.e. compressed) by the Jewish grammarians is a euphonic dagesh. A consonant is sometimes strengthened merely for the sake of euphony (Dages euphonicum), and the strengthening is then not so essential.

qyxiD>

However it adds some morphological complication to our text. This takes place under some conditions namely: when two words are closely united in pronunciation by Dages forte conjunctivum: in the first letter of a monosyllable or of a word having the tone (or occasionally the counter-tone) on the first syllable, when closely connected with the preceding word, if that word ends in a tone-bearing Qames bearing

h,

(h')

with Sewa mobile preceding, or a tone-

Some limit the use of the Dehiq to the closest connexion of a monosyllable

with a following Begadkephath. However, it also applies to case we have here

aN""-

hk'l., AB-hK,n:

In all these examples the tone, were it not for the Maqqeph, would be on the ultima of the first word.(cf. Gesenius 20c and Juon-Muraoka 18i)

The complimentary verbal idea in v6

When a relative verb (incomplete in itself) receives its necessary complement in the form of a verbal idea, the latter is, as a rule, subordinated in the infinitive construct with or without

our verse, the principal idea is contained in the piel infinitive constructthe subordination of the complementary verbal idea is in the imperfect (English rendering - to, in order to or that) are peradventure I shall prevail (that) we may smite them, and (that) I may drive them out of the land.

l.. In AB-hK,n;

lk;wa may, however, be a scribal error for lk;Wn, due to the

preceding . (Gesenius 120c) I think the use of the pronoun in the 1 st person singular is consistent all through and the re-vocalization that Gesenius and others suggest may be linguistically unnecessary.

yl;Wa

The use of rv,a] in v6 as independent relative clauses

This relative particle is used here not depending (adjectivally) on a governing substantive, but itself expressing a substantival idea. Clauses introduced in this way may be called independent

`ra")Wy raoT' rv<a]w: %r"bom. %rEb'T.-rv,a] (the one) he whom you bless (that one) is blessed and he(the one)
relative clauses. whom you curse (that one) is cursed. The

ta

the accusative marker also proceeds this

construction giving the status substantia to the Although we are not talking primarily about the development of the particle- in this sense and syntax may be a late classical usage because: 1. the relative pronoun was also most not used in proto-Hebrew, 2. following the development process, it was initially used with the resumptive pronoun, 3. without the pronoun so it became relative pronoun and 4. The noun is totally removed- like in our context. (This is hypothetical). Another possibility is that this may be way of expressing the impersonal i.e., the English one and the Deutsch man or it could be a stylistic variance.

rv,a]

The Optative use of the conditional particle in v29

A wish maybe expressed with the use of the conditional particle Wl the statement here is contrary to fact conditional statement, followed by a perfect. This indicates the expression of a wish that something might have happened in past time. A transition from a conditional to a desiderative particle is in consequence of the suppression of the apodosis, in the English, O if I had! if there were (

-vy< Wl) a sword in my hand now had I surely killed thee ! The

absolute certainty that this result is to be expected i.e, dead she-ass is emphasized by the insertion of

hT'[; yKi now verily. ~yli(g"r>

V28, 32, 33 -the idea of the multiplicative

This verse expresses the multiplicative with the use of the expression

vl{v' hz<. this is the use of the analogous foot for ~ymi['P. which also
means foot, step besides the usage as time. Worthy of mentioning is the fact that of the 4 uses of

lg,r,

as multiplicative in the Hebrew Bible, we have three in the book of Numbers and the

three are in our chapter. [Ex23:14]. tAdy" is also used in Dan 1:20