Open Bible Data Home  About  News  OET Key

OET OET-RV OET-LV GHT ULT UST BSB MSB BLB AICNT OEB WEBBE WMBB NET LSV FBV TCNT T4T LEB BBE Moff JPS Wymth ASV DRA YLT Drby RV SLT Wbstr KJB-1769 KJB-1611 Bshps Gnva Cvdl TNT Wycl SR-GNT UHB BrLXX BrTr Related Parallel Simple Interlinear Topics Reference Dictionary Search

unfoldingWord Hebrew Grammar ⌂ ©

Person Second

Summary

The second person form of a term refers to the person(s) being addressed by a writer or speaker.

Article

In English, the second person pronouns are "you" and "your," used for both singular and plural. In Biblical Hebrew, terms which are marked for second personal can change form according to both gender (masculine and feminine) and number (singular or plural). In Biblical Hebrew, verbs, pronouns, and pronominal suffixes can all be marked for second person.

Neither English nor Hebrew have a formal second person address. In many languages (including German, Spanish, and French), a speaker addresses God using an informal address. In some other languages, such as Dutch, a speaker addresses God using a formal address. For more information, see translationAcademy and translationNotes.

Form

In Biblical Hebrew, a term marked for second 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 second person form.

Paradigm

Second Person Qal Suffix Conjugation Forms
Parsing Hebrew Transliteration Gloss
second person masculine singular קָטַלְתָּ qatalta you killed
second person feminine singular קָטַלְתְּ qatalt you killed
second person masculine plural קְטַלְתֶּם qetaltem you killed
second person feminine plural קְטַלְתֶּן qetalten you killed
Second Person Qal Prefix Conjugation Forms
Parsing Hebrew Transliteration Gloss
second person masculine singular תִּקְטֹל tiqtol you will kill
second person feminine singular תִּקְטְלִי tiqteli you will kill
second person masculine plural תִּקְטְלוּ tiqtelu you will kill
second person feminine plural תִּקְטֹלְנָה tiqtolenah you will kill
Second Person Independent Personal Pronoun Forms
Parsing Hebrew Transliteration Gloss
second person masculine singular אַתָּה 'attah you
second person feminine singular אַתְּ 'at you
second person masculine plural אַתֶּם 'attem you
second person feminine plural אַתֵּנָה 'attenah you
Second Person Object Pronoun Forms
Parsing Hebrew Transliteration Gloss
second person masculine singular אֹתְךָ 'othekha you
second person feminine singular אֹתָךְ 'othakh you
second person masculine plural אֹתְכֶֶם 'othekhem you
second person feminine plural אֹתְכֶֶן 'othekhen you
Second Person Pronominal Suffix Forms
Parsing Hebrew Transliteration Gloss
second person masculine singular לְךָ / - ְךָ lekha / -ekha (to) you
second person feminine singular לָךְ / - ָךְ lakh / -akh (to) you
second person masculine plural לָכֶם / -כֶם lakhem / -khem (to) you
second person feminine plural לָכֶן / -כֶן lakhen / -khen (to) you

Examples

Finite verb marked for second person

A finite verb (and/or verbal participle) in second person form indicates that the subject of the verb is the person(s) being addressed by the writer/speaker.

Example: GEN 22:18
עֵ֕קֶב אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁמַ֖עְתָּ בְּ⁠קֹלִֽ⁠י
because that you-have-obeyed on-voice-of-me.
because you listened to my voice.
Show passage in OET: GEN 22:18

OET-RV GEN 22:18

18 Because you obeyed what I said, all the nations of the earth will be blessed through your descendants.”

Jump to OET GEN 22:18 section.

Word details: ׃

Personal pronoun marked for second person

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

Example: JER 12:1
צַדִּ֤יק אַתָּה֙
tsaddiq 'attah
righteous you
you are righteous
Show passage in OET: JER 12:1

OET-RV JER 12:1

12 Yahweh, you do what’s right when I bring you a case.
 ⇔ → Nevertheless, I want to talk with you about justice:
 ⇔ Why do wicked people prosper?
 ⇔ ≈ Why are treacherous people able to relax?

Jump to OET JER 12:1 section.

Pronominal suffix marked for second person

A second 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: 2CH 15:2
וְאִֽם־תִּדְרְשֻׁ֨הוּ֙ יִמָּצֵ֣א לָכֶ֔ם
we'im-tidreshuhu yimmatse lakhem
And-if_you-seek-him he-will-be-found by-you
If you seek him, he will be found by you
Show passage in OET: 2CH 15:2

Jump to OET CH2 15:2 section.

Word details: תִּדְרְשֻׁ֨,הוּ֙

As attached to a noun

Example: 1CH 29:12
וּבְיָדְךָ֖ כֹּ֣חַ וּגְבוּרָ֑ה
uveyodkha koah ugevurah
and-in-your-hand power and-strength.
In your hand is power and might.
Show passage in OET: 1CH 29:12

OET-RV CH1 29:12

12 Wealth and prestige comes from you, and you rule over everything. You have the power and strength and control to make people great and to strengthen everyone,

Jump to OET CH1 29:12 section.

Word details: ׃

As attached to a preposition

Example: GEN 6:20
שְׁנַ֧יִם מִכֹּ֛ל יָבֹ֥אוּ אֵלֶ֖יךָ
shenayim mikkol yavo'u 'eleykha
two of-all will-come to-you
two of every sort will come to you
Show passage in OET: GEN 6:20

OET-RV GEN 6:20

20 Pairs of every kind of bird and animal, including every kind of creature that moves on the ground, will come to you so that you keep them alive,

Jump to OET GEN 6:20 section.

Example: PSA 74:16
לְךָ֣ יֹ֭ום אַף־לְךָ֥ לָ֑יְלָה
lekha yowm 'af-lekha laylah
To-you day also_to-you night
The day is yours, and the night is yours also
Show passage in OET: PSA 74:16

OET-RV PSA 74:16

16 The day is yours, and the night is also yours.
 ⇔ You set the sun and moon in place.

Jump to OET PSA 74:16 section.