Person Third

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

Show passage in OET: GEN 12:1

OET-RV GEN 12:1

12 Then Yahweh said to Avram, “You must leave your land and your relatives and your father’s house and go to the land that I’ll show you.

OET-LV GEN 12:1

12 And_ YHWH _he/it _said to ʼAⱱrām go to/for_yourself(m) from_your(ms)_land and_from_your(ms)_descendants and_from_household your _father _of_your to the_earth/land which I _will _show_you(ms).

Jump to OET GEN 12:1 section.

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)

Show passage in OET: GEN 36:1

OET-RV GEN 36:1

36 These are the descendants of Esav (Esau) (who’s also known as Edom):

OET-LV GEN 36:1

36 And_these are_the _accounts _of ˊĒsāv that is_ʼEdōm.

Jump to OET GEN 36:1 section.

Word details: ה֥וּא · ׃

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.

Show passage in OET: GEN 37:14

OET-RV GEN 37:14

14 Then he told him, “Please go and see how your brothers are doing and the flocks as well, then come and let me know.”
¶ So he sent Yosef off from the Hevron valley, and he went to Shekem.

OET-LV GEN 37:14

14 And_he/it _said to_him/it go please see DOM the _welfare _of your(pl)_brothers _of_your and_DOM the _welfare _of the _flock and_bring_to _me message and_he_sent _him from_the _valley _of Ḩeⱱrōn and_he _came to_Shəkem.

Jump to OET GEN 37:14 section.

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

Show passage in OET: 2SA 17:23

OET-RV SA2 17:23

23 When Ahitofel saw that his advice hadn’t been taken, he saddled his donkey and rode to his city. He gave instructions to his household, then he hanged himself. His body was buried in his father’s tomb.

OET-LV SA2 17:23

23 And_ʼAḩītofel he _saw if/because _that not counsel _of_his it _was _done and_he _saddled DOM the_donkey and_he/it _rose _up and_he/it _went to house _of_his to city _of_his and_he/it _commanded concerning household _of_his and_he _hanged _himself and_he/it _died and_he _was _buried in_the _tomb _of his/its_father.

Jump to OET SA2 17:23 section.

As attached to a preposition

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

Show passage in OET: JOB 39:12

OET-RV JOB 39:12

12 Would you depend on the wild bull to bring in your grain,
⇔ and to pile it on your threshing floor?

OET-LV JOB 39:12

12 Will_you _trust in/on/over_him/it if/because _that it _will _bring _back seed _of_your and_your _threshing _of_floor it _will _gather.

Jump to OET JOB 39:12 section.

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.

Show passage in OET: 2KI 17:15

OET-RV KI2 17:15

15 They rejected his statutes and the agreement that he made with their ancestors, and the warning that he gave them. They chose to worship lifeless objects, and they became hollow and empty themselves, just like the people of the surrounding countries which Yahweh had commanded them not to imitate.

OET-LV KI2 17:15

15 And_they _rejected DOM regulations _of_his and_DOM covenant _of_his which he _had _made with ancestors _of_their and_DOM testimonies _of_his which he _warned (in)_them and_they _walked after (the)_vanity and_they _became _vain and_after the_nations which were_around _of_them which YHWH he _had _commanded DOM_them to_not to _do like_them.

Jump to OET KI2 17:15 section.

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