Hebrew Grammar

Summary

The third person form of a term refers to a person(s) or thing(s) other than the writer/speaker and the person being addressed by the writer/speaker.

Article

In English, the third person pronouns include: "he", "him", "his", "she", or "her", for singular; and "they", "them", or "their," for plural. In Biblical Hebrew, terms which are marked for third person 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 third person.

Form

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

Paradigm

Third Person Qal Suffix Conjugation Forms
Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
third person masculine singular"	קָטַל	qatal	he killed
third person feminine singular"	קָטְלָה	qatlah	she killed
third person common plural"	קָטְלוּ	qatlu	they killed

Third Person Qal Prefix Conjugation Forms
Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
third person masculine singular"	יִקְטֹל	yiqtol	he will kill
third person feminine singular"	תִּקְטֹל	tiqtol	she will kill
third person masculine plural"	יִקְטְלוּ	yiqtelu	they will kill
third person feminine plural"	תִּקְטֹלְנָה	tiqtolenah	they will kill

Third Person Indepdent Personal Pronoun Forms
Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
third person masculine singular"	הוּא	hu	he / it
third person feminine singular"	הִיא / הִוא	hi / hiw	she / it
third person masculine plural"	הֵם / הֵמָּה	hem / hemmah	they
third person feminine plural"	הֵן / הֵנָּה	hen / hennah	they

Third Person Object Pronoun Forms
Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
third person masculine singular"	אֹתוֹ	'otho	him / it
third person feminine singular"	אֹתָהּ	'othah	her / it
third person masculine plural"	אֶתְהֶם / אֹתָם	'ethhem / 'otham	them
third person feminine plural"	אֶתְהֶן / אֹתָן	'ethhen / 'othan	them

Third Person Pronominal Suffix Forms
Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
third person masculine singular"	לוֹ / -וֹ	lo / -o	(to) him
third person feminine singular"	לָהּ / - ָהּ	lah / -ah	(to) her
third person masculine plural"	לָהֶם / -הֶם / - ָם	lahem / -hem / -am	(to) them
third person feminine plural"	לָהֶן / -הֶן / - ָן	lahen / -hen / -an	(to) them

Examples

Finite verb marked for third person

A finite verb (and/or verbal participle) in third person form indicates that the subject of the verb is someone/something other than the writer/speaker or the person being addressed.

Example: GEN 12:1
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־אַבְרָ֔ם
wayyomer yehwah 'el-'avram
and-he-said Yahweh to_Abram
Now Yahweh said to Abram

Personal pronoun marked for third person

A third person independent personal pronoun refers either to a person/thing (for singular) or group of persons/things (for plural) other than the writer/speaker and the person being addressed by the writer/speaker.

Example: GEN 36:1
עֵשָׂ֖ו ה֥וּא אֱדֽוֹם
'esaw hu 'edom
Esau he Edom
Esau (also called Edom)

Pronominal suffix marked for third person

A third 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: GEN 37:14
וַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֨הוּ֙ מֵעֵ֣מֶק חֶבְרֹ֔ון וַיָּבֹ֖א שְׁכֶֽמָה׃
wayyishlahehu me'emeq hevrown wayyavo shekhemah
and-he-sent-him from-the-Valley-of Hebron and-he-went to-Shechem.
So he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem.

As attached to a noun

Example: 2SA 17:23
וַיָּ֜קָם וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ אֶל־בֵּיתוֹ֙ אֶל־עִיר֔וֹ
wayyaqom wayyelekh 'el-betho 'el-'iro
And-he-stood-up and-went to_his-house to_his-city
He went home to his own city

As attached to a preposition

Example: JOB 39:12
הֲתַאֲמִ֣ין בֹּ֖ו
hatha'amin bow
Do-you-believe in-him?
Will you depend on him?

Example: 2KI 17:15
אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ אֹתָ֔ם לְבִלְתִּ֖י עֲשֹׂ֥ות כָּהֶֽם׃
'asher tsiwwah yehwah 'otham levilti 'asowth kahem
whom had-commanded Yahweh [dir.obj]-them to-abstain doing like-them
those that Yahweh had commanded them not to do like them.

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Person Third