Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar/156. Circumstantial Clauses

by Wilhelm Gesenius, edited and enlarged by Emil Kautzsch

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§156. Circumstantial Clauses.

a 1. The statement of the particular circumstances under which a subject appears as performing some action, or under which an action (or an occurrence) is accomplished, is made especially (apart from relative clauses, see § 155) by means of noun-clauses connected by Wāw with a following subject (see further on this kind of circumstantial clause in § 141 e), and by verbal-clauses (see § 142 d). Very frequently, however, such statements of the particular circumstances are subordinated to the main clause by being simply attached, without Wāw, either as noun-clauses, sometimes extremely short (see c), or as verbal-clauses (see d–g).

b Rem. Among relative clauses of this kind the commonest are the various noun-clauses, which are most closely subordinated to a preceding substantive without אֲשֶׁר, e.g. Gn 16¹²; also statements of weight, Gn 24²²; of name, Jb 1¹ (also introduced by וּשְׁמוֹ Gn 24²⁹, 1 S 1¹, &c., or וּשְׁמָהּ Gn 16¹, 22²⁴, &c.); of a condition of body, Ju 1⁷, and others.—Noun-clauses which begin with wāw and the predicate have a somewhat more independent character than those introduced by wāw and the subject^[1] (Gn 19¹, &c.). The former, however, are also to be regarded as circumstantial clauses, in so far as they describe a state which is simultaneous with the principal action; thus Is 3⁷ I will not be an healer, וּבְבֵיתִי אֵין לֶ֫חֶם while in my house is neither bread nor clothing; Is 6⁶ (Am 7⁷); 2 S 13¹⁸, 16¹. Cf. also the instances in § 152 l of וְאֵין followed by a participle, as וְאֵין מַצִּיל, &c.

c 2. Characteristic examples of circumstantial noun-clauses are Gn 12⁸ and pitched his tent בֵּֽית־אֵל מִיָם וְהָעַי מִקֶּ֫דֶם with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; Nu 22²⁴, 2 S 18¹⁴ through the heart of Absalom, עוֹדֶנּ֫וּ חַי while he was yet alive; Jer 30⁶, Ez 9² (cf. Ct 3⁸), Na 3⁸, Zc 14⁵, 2 Ch 23¹⁰; with the predicate preceding, e.g. 1 S 26¹³, ψ 32⁸.—In Gn 41²⁹ a noun-clause serves to announce a state in the future.—We may also include here certain set phrases, as פָּנִים אֶל־פָּנִים face to face (prop. while face was turned towards face), Gn 32³¹, Ex 33¹¹, Dt 34¹⁰, &c.;^[2] so also to cast oneself down, אַפַּ֫יִם אָֽרְצָה the face being turned to the earth, Gn 19¹, &c. (for אָֽרְצָה we find אֶ֫רֶץ in 1 K 1³¹, Is 49²³).^[3]—Cf. finally the formula אֵם עַל־בָּנִים mother with children, Gn 32¹²; cf. Ho 10¹⁴ and § 119 aa note 2.

Rem. On circumlocutions of this kind to express negative attributes by means of short noun-clauses (complete or incomplete), cf. § 152 u.

d 3. As circumstantial verbal-clauses,^[4] we find (1) sometimes affirmative clauses (see below), but far more frequently (2) negative clauses (see f), and among these (3) a certain number of expressions which may be regarded simply as equivalent to negative adverbial ideas (see g).

Examples of (1) Is 5^{11 b} woe unto them, that tarry late in the evening, יַ֫יִן יַדְלִיקֵם while wine inflames them; Is 1⁵, 10²⁴, 30³¹, Jer 7²⁶, 20¹⁵, ψ 4³, 5¹², 21¹³, 62⁵. The circumstantial verbal-clause is used to particularize an action which has before been expressed generally, in Gn 44¹², 48¹⁴=crossing his hands; Dt 2²⁷, Ju 6¹⁹; antithetically, 1 K 13¹⁸ כִּחֵשׁ לוֹ wherewith however he lied unto him. The verbal-clause seems to assign a reason in ψ 7⁷ מִשְׁפָּט צִוִּ֫יתָ since thou hast commanded judgement; a consequence in ψ 103⁵.^[5]

e Rem. On the cases in which an imperfect in the sense of a final clause is subordinated to a verb of motion (generally קוּם), see § 120 c.

f Of (2), subordinate verbal-clauses with לֹא (in English usually rendered by without and the gerund, if the subject be the same as in the principal clause), e.g. Lv 1¹⁷ לֹא יַבְדִּיל without dividing it asunder; Jb 31³⁴; לֹא with the perfect is so used in Gn 44⁴, Ex 34²⁸, 1 S 30², Jb 20²⁶ (without its being blown upon it). With a different subject, equivalent to a consecutive clause in English, Is 27⁹ לֹֽא־יָקֻ֫מוּ so that they shall rise up no more.—Moreover, verbal-clauses in the same sense (without doing, &c.) are frequently connected by וְלֹא; cf. 1 S 20², Jb 24²², 42³; in a concessive sense, Is 33¹, ψ 44¹⁸.

g Of (3), cf. לֹא יֵדַע (prop. he knows it not) unawares, ψ 35⁸, Pr 5⁶ לֹא יַחְמֹל unsparingly, Is 30¹⁴ (after an infinitive absolute); Hb 1¹⁷, Jb 6¹⁰ (but וְלֹא יַחְמֹל Jb 16¹³, 27²²; see f at the end); לֹא כִחֵ֑דוּ (prop. they hide not) openly, Is 3⁹ (but Jb 15¹⁸ וְלֹא כִחֲדוּ); בְּלִי חָשָׂ֑ךְ (prop. he restrains not) unceasingly, Is 14⁶; בַּל־יִמּוֹט Jb 41¹⁵ (ψ 93¹ בַּל־תִּמִּוֹט) and לֹא יִמּוֹט Is 40²⁰ (without tottering) immovably; cf. also לֹא אֶמְעָ֑ד without wavering, ψ 26¹.

1. In Dt 32³¹ this form of sequence appears to be selected for another purpose, and indeed our enemies are judges thereof, with wāw emphatic; to take it as a circumstantial clause is too artificial.
2. The expression הִתְרָאָה פָנִים to look one another in the face (i.e. to contend in combat) 2 K 14⁸, 11, 2 Ch 25¹⁷, 21, is probably only a shortened form for הִתְרָאָה פָנִים אֶל־פָּנִים.
3. That (אֶ֫רֶץ) אָֽרְצָה is really to be regarded as a virtual predicate to אַפַּ֫יִם, and not אַפַּ֫יִם as a casus instrumenti, is seen from Is 49²³, where אַפַּ֫יִם אֶ֫רֶץ precedes the verb.
4. Some examples of these have been already discussed in another connexion above, § 120 a–c.
5. In Gn 21¹⁴ the circumstantial verbal-clause שָׂם עַל־שִׁכְמָהּ is only due to a harmonizing transposition; read וְאֶת־הַיֶּ֫לֶד שׂ׳ ע׳ שׁ׳. According to the source used in cap. 21 Ishmael was still a young child; according to 17:25 he was about 16 or 17 years old.