Topic: Pronominal Suffixes on Nouns, Prepositions, and the Direct Object Marker | BBH Chapter 9
Instructions: For each Hebrew form, fill in: (1) Base Word — the lexical/absolute form of the underlying noun, preposition, or particle; (2) Suffix — the suffix element only; (3) Parse — Person–Gender–Number of the suffix; (4) Translation — the full translated phrase. Click ▶ Answer to reveal the key for that item.
| # | Hebrew | Base Word | Suffix | Parse (PGN) | Translation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | סוּסוֹ | |||||
| ✓ Base: סוּס (horse, ms) | Suffix: וֹ | Parse: 3ms | Translation: his horse · The Holem (וֹ) at the end of an otherwise complete noun-stem is the 3ms possessive suffix — one of the most common morphological elements in the OT. | ||||||
| 2 | דְּבָרִי | |||||
| ✓ Base: דָּבָר (word, ms) | Suffix: ִי | Parse: 1cs | Translation: my word · The absolute דָּבָר has two Qamets vowels; before the 1cs suffix ִי, both reduce (Shewa + Patach). Standard vowel-reduction pattern when the accent shifts to the suffix. | ||||||
| 3 | מַלְכְּכֶם | |||||
| ✓ Base: מֶלֶךְ (king, ms) | Suffix: כֶם | Parse: 2mp | Translation: your (mp) king · מֶלֶךְ reduces to מַלְכּ- before Type 1 suffixes. Note the Dagesh Forte in the כּ before the suffix. | ||||||
| 4 | אָחִיהָ | |||||
| ✓ Base: אָח (brother, ms) | Suffix: הָ | Parse: 3fs | Translation: her brother · אָח is irregular; it takes the form אָחִי- before suffixes (like the plural stem אַחִים). The 3fs suffix הָ (Qamets + He) then follows. | ||||||
| 5 | בֵּיתְךָ | |||||
| ✓ Base: בַּיִת (house, ms) | Suffix: ְךָ | Parse: 2ms | Translation: your (ms) house · בַּיִת shifts to בֵּית- before Type 1 suffixes. The 2ms suffix ְךָ attaches with a silent Shewa under the kaf. | ||||||
| 6 | עַמֵּנוּ | |||||
| ✓ Base: עַם (people, ms) | Suffix: ֵנוּ | Parse: 1cp | Translation: our people · The final מ of עַם doubles (Dagesh Forte) before the suffix. Compare עִמָּנוּ אֵל ("God with us," Immanuel), which uses the same doubling pattern on the preposition עִם. | ||||||
| 7 | אֲדֹנֵיכֶם | |||||
| ✓ Base: אָדוֹן (lord/master, ms) | Suffix: ֵיכֶם | Parse: 2mp | Translation: your (mp) lord/masters · The Type 2 suffix ֵיכֶם is used here. The base אֲדֹנֵי- is the construct plural form used with suffixes ("my lords" → אֲדֹנַי). This is a "plural of majesty" / dignity form common with titles of authority. | ||||||
| 8 | בְּנָהּ | |||||
| ✓ Base: בֵּן (son, ms) | Suffix: הָ (with He mappiq: ָהּ) | Parse: 3fs | Translation: her son · בֵּן reduces to בְּנ- before suffixes. The 3fs suffix appears as ָהּ (Qamets + He with mappiq dot). The mappiq dot shows the He is a consonant, not a vowel letter — it marks 3fs possession. | ||||||
| 9 | שְׁמֵיהֶם | |||||
| ✓ Base: שָׁמַיִם (heavens/sky, mp) | Suffix: ֵיהֶם | Parse: 3mp | Translation: their (m) heavens · שָׁמַיִם is an inherently plural (or dual) noun. It takes Type 2 suffixes. The base reduces to שְׁמֵי- before Type 2 suffixes. | ||||||
| 10 | אַרְצָם | |||||
| ✓ Base: אֶרֶץ (land/earth, fs) | Suffix: ָם | Parse: 3mp | Translation: their (m) land · אֶרֶץ reduces to אַרְצ- before Type 1 suffixes. The 3mp suffix ָם is the short form (alongside the fuller form הֶם). Context distinguishes ָם (suffix) from ָם elsewhere. | ||||||
| # | Hebrew | Base Word | Suffix | Parse (PGN) | Translation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | לִי | |||||
| ✓ Base: לְ (to/for) | Suffix: ִי | Parse: 1cs | Translation: to/for me · לְ + 1cs = לִי (Hiriq lengthens). The Shewa of לְ does not appear in this contracted form. | ||||||
| 12 | לְךָ | |||||
| ✓ Base: לְ (to/for) | Suffix: ְךָ | Parse: 2ms | Translation: to/for you (ms) · לְ + 2ms = לְךָ (Shewa under the lamed retained). The kaf carries a Qamets (ָ) — compare the 2fs לָךְ where the kaf has a final silent shewa. | ||||||
| 13 | לָהּ | |||||
| ✓ Base: לְ (to/for) | Suffix: הָ (He mappiq: ָהּ) | Parse: 3fs | Translation: to/for her · לְ + 3fs = לָהּ. The lamed takes a Qamets (ָ), and the He is pronounced (mappiq dot). This form is extremely frequent in narrative Hebrew. | ||||||
| 14 | לָנוּ | |||||
| ✓ Base: לְ (to/for) | Suffix: ֵנוּ → here ָנוּ | Parse: 1cp | Translation: to/for us · לְ + 1cp = לָנוּ. The Qamets under the lamed (ָ) is characteristic of 1cp and 3p suffixes on לְ. "Unto us a child is born" (Isaiah 9:5) — לָנוּ יֻלַּד. | ||||||
| 15 | לָכֶם | |||||
| ✓ Base: לְ (to/for) | Suffix: כֶם | Parse: 2mp | Translation: to/for you (mp) · לְ + 2mp = לָכֶם. Lamed takes Qamets (ָ). This is the same suffix element כֶם seen on nouns (מַלְכְּכֶם, item 3), showing that the suffix paradigm is consistent across different word types. | ||||||
| 16 | בָּהּ | |||||
| ✓ Base: בְּ (in/at/with) | Suffix: הָ (He mappiq: ָהּ) | Parse: 3fs | Translation: in/with her (or: in it, referring to a fs noun) · בְּ + 3fs = בָּהּ. The bet takes a Qamets (ָ) before 3fs. Compare לָהּ (item 13) — the suffix ָהּ is identical; only the preposition differs. | ||||||
| 17 | בָּם | |||||
| ✓ Base: בְּ (in/at/with) | Suffix: ָם | Parse: 3mp | Translation: in/with them (m) · בְּ + 3mp = בָּם (short form) or בָּהֶם (fuller form). Both are attested; בָּם is more common in poetry. The bet takes Qamets before 3mp as well. | ||||||
| 18 | עִמִּי | |||||
| ✓ Base: עִם (with, together with) | Suffix: ִי | Parse: 1cs | Translation: with me · עִם + 1cs = עִמִּי. The mem doubles (Dagesh Forte) before the suffix — this is characteristic of עִם with suffixes. Compare Immanuel: עִמָּנוּ אֵל, "God with us" (עִם + 1cp with Qamets). | ||||||
| 19 | אֵלֶיךָ | |||||
| ✓ Base: אֶל (to/toward) | Suffix: ְךָ | Parse: 2ms | Translation: to/toward you (ms) · אֶל + suffixes uses the extended form אֵלֵי- (Tsere + yod). This yod is the Type 2 connector. The base expands before every suffix: אֵלַי (to me), אֵלֶיךָ (to you ms), אֵלָיו (to him), etc. | ||||||
| 20 | עָלָיו | |||||
| ✓ Base: עַל (upon/over/concerning) | Suffix: ָיו | Parse: 3ms | Translation: upon/over him (or: on it) · עַל + 3ms = עָלָיו. The Type 2 3ms suffix is ָיו (Qamets + yod + vav). The base עַל → עָלָי- before this suffix. עָלָיו is extremely common in narrative and legal texts. | ||||||
| # | Hebrew | Base Word | Suffix | Parse (PGN) | Translation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | אֹתִי | |||||
| ✓ Base: אֵת (DOM — direct object marker) | Suffix: ִי | Parse: 1cs | Translation: me (as direct object) · אֵת + 1cs = אֹתִי. The Tsere shifts to Holem. E.g., בָּרַךְ אֹתִי — "he blessed me." Very common in prayers and narratives. | ||||||
| 22 | אֹתוֹ | |||||
| ✓ Base: אֵת (DOM) | Suffix: וֹ | Parse: 3ms | Translation: him (as direct object) · אֵת + 3ms = אֹתוֹ. Holem vowel in base + 3ms suffix וֹ. Among the most common DOM forms in the OT. E.g., וַיִּשְׁמַע אֱלֹהִים אֹתוֹ — "and God heard him." | ||||||
| 23 | אֹתָהּ | |||||
| ✓ Base: אֵת (DOM) | Suffix: הָ (He mappiq: ָהּ) | Parse: 3fs | Translation: her (as direct object) · אֵת + 3fs = אֹתָהּ. The Qamets + He mappiq marks 3fs. E.g., אָהַב אֹתָהּ — "he loved her." | ||||||
| 24 | אֹתָנוּ | |||||
| ✓ Base: אֵת (DOM) | Suffix: ָנוּ | Parse: 1cp | Translation: us (as direct object) · אֵת + 1cp = אֹתָנוּ. Note: on the DOM the 1cp suffix is ָנוּ (Qamets + nun + vav), not ֵנוּ (Tsere + nun + vav) as on some prepositions. E.g., שָׁלַח אֹתָנוּ — "he sent us." | ||||||
| 25 | אֹתָם | |||||
| ✓ Base: אֵת (DOM) | Suffix: ָם | Parse: 3mp | Translation: them (m, as direct object) · אֵת + 3mp = אֹתָם. Short 3mp suffix ָם on the Holem base. E.g., וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֹתָם (Gen 1:27) — "and God created them." | ||||||
Follow this four-step procedure for any unfamiliar suffixed form:
Common pitfalls: