Pronominal Suffixes on Verbs — Paradigm Tables¶
BBH Chapter 19 · Reference file
Object Suffix Forms — Reference Chart¶
| Person | Number | Gender | Suffix (on vowel) | Suffix (on consonant) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Singular | Common | נִי | נִי | Most common; after perfect: נִי |
| 2nd | Singular | Masculine | ךָ | אֶךָ / ֲךָ | Patach + kaph |
| 2nd | Singular | Feminine | ךְ | ֵךְ | Tsere + kaph |
| 3rd | Singular | Masculine | הוּ / וֹ | הוּ / וֹ | Shureq or holem-waw |
| 3rd | Singular | Feminine | הָ / ָה | הָ | Final he with qamets |
| 1st | Plural | Common | נוּ | נוּ | Shureq + nun |
| 2nd | Plural | Masculine | כֶם | כֶם | |
| 2nd | Plural | Feminine | כֶן | כֶן | Rare in prose |
| 3rd | Plural | Masculine | הֶם / ם | הֶם / ם | Short form ם common after vowel |
| 3rd | Plural | Feminine | הֶן / ן | הֶן | Rare |
Qal Perfect + Object Suffix (Root: שָׁמַר)¶
| Person | Number | Gender | Base Form | + 1cs (me) | + 3ms (him) | + 1cp (us) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd | Singular | Masculine | שָׁמַר | שְׁמָרַ֥נִי | שְׁמָרוֹ | שְׁמָרָ֥נוּ |
| 3rd | Singular | Feminine | שָׁמְרָה | שְׁמָרַ֥תְנִי | שְׁמָרַ֥תְהוּ | שְׁמָרַ֥תְנוּ |
| 2nd | Singular | Masculine | שָׁמַרְתָּ | שְׁמַרְתַּ֥נִי | שְׁמַרְתּוֹ | שְׁמַרְתָּ֥נוּ |
| 2nd | Singular | Feminine | שָׁמַרְתְּ | שְׁמַרְתִּ֥נִי | שְׁמַרְתִּ֥יהוּ | — |
| 1st | Singular | Common | שָׁמַרְתִּי | — | שְׁמַרְתִּ֥יהוּ | שְׁמַרְתִּ֥ינוּ |
| 3rd | Plural | Common | שָׁמְרוּ | שְׁמָר֥וּנִי | שְׁמָר֥וּהוּ | שְׁמָר֥וּנוּ |
| 2nd | Plural | Masculine | שְׁמַרְתֶּם | שְׁמַרְתּ֥וּנִי | שְׁמַרְתּ֥וּהוּ | — |
| 1st | Plural | Common | שָׁמַרְנוּ | — | שְׁמַרְנ֥וּהוּ | — |
Key marker: The connecting vowel qamets/patach appears between the verb stem and the suffix (שְׁמָרַ/נִי). The 3fs perfect uses תְ + suffix (שְׁמָרַ/תְנִי).
Qal Imperfect + Object Suffix (Root: שָׁמַר)¶
The energic nun (נּ) appears as a buffer before suffixes 1cs (נִי), 3ms (הוּ), and 1cp (נוּ):
| Person | Number | Gender | Base Form | + 1cs (me) | + 3ms (him) | + 1cp (us) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd | Singular | Masculine | יִשְׁמֹר | יִשְׁמְרֵ֥נִי | יִשְׁמְרֶ֥נּוּ | יִשְׁמְרֵ֥נוּ |
| 3rd | Singular | Feminine | תִּשְׁמֹר | תִּשְׁמְרֵ֥נִי | תִּשְׁמְרֶ֥נּוּ | תִּשְׁמְרֵ֥נוּ |
| 2nd | Singular | Masculine | תִּשְׁמֹר | תִּשְׁמְרֵ֥נִי | תִּשְׁמְרֶ֥נּוּ | תִּשְׁמְרֵ֥נוּ |
| 1st | Singular | Common | אֶשְׁמֹר | — | אֶשְׁמְרֶ֥נּוּ | — |
| 3rd | Plural | Masculine | יִשְׁמְרוּ | יִשְׁמְר֥וּנִי | — | — |
| 2nd | Plural | Masculine | תִּשְׁמְרוּ | תִּשְׁמְר֥וּנִי | — | — |
Key marker: Watch for the doubled nun (נּ) = energic nun + 3ms suffix. יִשְׁמְרֶ֥נּוּ = imperfect + energic nun + 3ms object suffix. Compare carefully: יִשְׁמְרֵ֥נוּ = imperfect + 1cp suffix (no energic nun doubling before 1cp נוּ).
Qal Wayyiqtol + Object Suffix¶
Same pattern as imperfect + suffix; energic nun also appears:
| Form | Analysis | Gloss |
|---|---|---|
| וַיִּשְׁמְרֵ֥נִי | Wayyiqtol 3ms + 1cs | "and he kept me" |
| וַיִּשְׁמְרֶ֥נּוּ | Wayyiqtol 3ms + 3ms (energic nun) | "and he kept him" |
| וַיִּשְׁמְרֵ֥נוּ | Wayyiqtol 3ms + 1cp | "and he kept us" |
| וַיִּשְׁמְרֵ֥הוּ | Wayyiqtol 3ms + 3ms | "and he kept him" |
Key marker: Wayyiqtol vowel pattern is preserved; suffix attaches where the imperfect suffix would.
Qal Imperative + Object Suffix¶
| Form | Analysis | Gloss |
|---|---|---|
| שָׁמְרֵ֥נִי | Imperative 2ms + 1cs | "Keep me!" |
| שָׁמְרֵ֥הוּ | Imperative 2ms + 3ms | "Keep him!" |
| שִׁמְר֥וּנִי | Imperative 2mp + 1cs | "Keep me! (pl.)" |
Key marker: The imperative vowel shifts slightly before a suffix (shewa under R1 may lengthen). Imperative + 1cs suffix (נִי) is the standard prayer address form (Psa 16:1 שָׁמְרֵ֥נִי אֵ֑ל).
Infinitive Construct + Suffix (Subject, Not Object)¶
When a suffix attaches to the Infinitive Construct (especially with a preposition), the suffix typically marks the subject of the action, not the object:
| Form | Analysis | Gloss |
|---|---|---|
| בְּ/שָׁמְר/וֹ | Inf.Const. + בְּ + 3ms (subject) | "when he kept / in his keeping" |
| כְּ/שָׁמְר/וֹ | Inf.Const. + כְּ + 3ms (subject) | "as/when he kept" |
| לִ/שְׁמֹר/וֹ | Inf.Const. + לְ + 3ms (purpose/subject) | "for him to keep" |
| כִּ/שְׁמֹ֣עַ/וֹ | שמע Inf.Const. + כְּ + 3ms | "when he heard" |
| בְּ/רֹאֹת/וֹ | ראה Inf.Const. + בְּ + 3ms | "when he saw" (III-ה) |
Key marker: Preposition + Inf.Const. + suffix = temporal or purpose clause. The suffix is subject, not object. This is the most frequent suffix construction in Biblical Hebrew.
Summary¶
| Construction | Suffix Role | Diagnostic | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perfect + suffix | Direct object | Connecting vowel before suffix | שְׁמָרַ֥נִי |
| Imperfect + suffix | Direct object | Energic nun (נּ) before some suffixes | יִשְׁמְרֶ֥נּוּ |
| Wayyiqtol + suffix | Direct object | Same as imperfect | וַיִּשְׁמְרֵ֥הוּ |
| Imperative + suffix | Direct object | Vowel shift in stem | שָׁמְרֵ֥נִי |
| Inf.Const. + suffix | Subject of action | Preposition + Inf.Const. | בְּ/שָׁמְר/וֹ |