Person First

Summary

The first person form of a term refers to the person(s) writing or speaking.

Article

In English, the first person pronouns include: "I", "me", or "my", for singular; and "we", "us", or "our," for plural. In Biblical Hebrew, terms which are marked for first person do not change form according to gender (masculine and feminine), but they do change form according to number (singular or plural). In Biblical Hebrew, verbs, pronouns, and pronominal suffixes can all be marked for first person.

Form

In Biblical Hebrew, a term marked for first person can be recognized by a variety of changes to the form. These changes differ greatly from each other, so it is difficult to sum them up in a simple, helpful way. The paradigm below shows a sample of the kinds of changes that signal a first person form.

Paradigm

First Person Qal Suffix Conjugation Forms
Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
first person common singular	קָטַלְתִּי	qatalti	I killed
first person common plural	קָטַלְנוּ	qatalnu	we killed
first person common singular	אֶקְטֹל	'eqtol	I will kill
first person common plural	נִקְטֹל	niqtol	we will kill

First Person Indepdent Personal Pronoun Forms
Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
first person common singular	אֲנִי / אָנֹכִי	'ani / 'anokhi	I
first person common plural	אֲנַחְנוּ	'anahnu	we

First Person Object Pronoun Forms
Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
first person common singular	אֹתִי	'othi	me
first person common plural	אֹתָנוּ	'othanu	us

First Person Pronominal Suffix Forms
Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
first person common singular	לִי / - ִי	li / -i	(to) me
first person common plural	לָנוּ / -נוּ	lanu / - nu	(to) us

Neither English nor Biblical Hebrew distinguish between the inclusive and the exclusive "we". The context will determine which one is meant. See also translationAcademy and translationNotes for help if the context is not clear.

Examples

Finite verb marked for first person

A finite verb (and/or verbal participle) in first person form indicates that the subject of the verb is the writer/speaker of the verb.

Example: GEN 28:15
עַ֚ד אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִם־עָשִׂ֔יתִי אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי לָֽךְ
'ad 'asher 'im-'asithi 'eth 'asher-dibbarti lakh
until then when_I-have-done [dir.obj] what_I-have-spoken to-you.
I will do all that I have promised to you.

Show passage in OET: GEN 28:15

OET-RV GEN 28:15

15 So listen, I’m with you and I’ll watch over you everywhere you go. I’ll bring you back to this land because I won’t leave you until I’ve done what I told you.”

OET-LV GEN 28:15

15 And_BEHOLD/LO/SEE I am_with_you and_I_will _protect _you in_every where you _will _go and_I_will _bring _you _back to the_soil (the)_this if/because not I_will _abandon _you until that (if) I _have _done DOM that_which I _have _spoken to/for_you(fs).

Jump to OET GEN 28:15 section.

Word details: עָשִׂ֔יתִי

Personal pronoun marked for first person

A first person independent personal pronoun refers either to the writer/speaker (for singular) or to an entire group to which the writer/speaker belongs (for plural).

Example: EXO 6:2
אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה
'ani yehwah
I Yahweh.
I am Yahweh.

Show passage in OET: EXO 6:2

OET-RV EXO 6:2

2 Then God spoke to Mosheh (Moses) again, “I am Yahweh

OET-LV EXO 6:2

2 And_ god _he/it _spoke to Mosheh and_he/it _said to_him/it I am_YHWH.

Jump to OET EXO 6:2 section.

Pronominal suffix marked for first person

A first person pronominal suffix usually functions either as a personal pronoun (for verbs and prepositions) or as a possessive adjective (for nouns).

As attached to a verb

Example: 1SA 17:9
וַעֲבַדְתֶּ֖ם אֹתָֽנוּ׃
wa'avadtem 'othanu
and-you-will-serve [dir.obj]-us.
then you will serve us.

Show passage in OET: 1SA 17:9

OET-RV SA1 17:9

9 If he’s able to fight with me and kill me, then we’ll become your slaves. But if I’m the winner and kill him, then you’ll all become our slaves and work for us.”

OET-LV SA1 17:9

9 If he _will _be _able to_fight with_me and_he_will _strike _me _down and_we _will _become to/for_you(pl) (into)_slaves and_if I I _will _prevail to_him/it and_I_will _strike _him _down and_you(pl)_will _be to/for_us (into)_slaves and_you(pl)_will _serve us.

Jump to OET SA1 17:9 section.

Word details: אֹתָֽ,נוּ

As attached to a noun

Example: 2SA 19:4 (2SA 19:1 in Hebrew)
בְּנִ֤י אַבְשָׁלֹום֙ בְּנִ֣י בְנִ֣י
beni 'avshalowm beni veni
My-son Absalom my-son my-son.
My son Absalom, Absalom, my son, my son!