Pronoun Demonstrative

Summary

A demonstrative pronoun refers to a specific person(s) or thing(s) in particular. In English, the following words are demonstrative pronouns: "this", "that", "these", "those".

Article

In Biblical Hebrew, demonstrative pronouns can function either as nouns or adjectives. Demonstrative pronouns can change form according to gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) but NOT according to person (i.e. first, second, or third person).

Form

Paradigm

Demonstrative Pronoun Paradigm
Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
masculine singular near	(or זֶה (זֹה / זֹו	zeh (or zow / zoh)	this
feminine singular near	זֹאת	zoth	this
masculine singular far	הוּא	hu	that
feminine singular far	הִיא	hi	that
common plural near	אֵלֶּה	'elleh	these
masculine plural far	הֵם / הֵמָּה	hemmah / hem	those
feminine plural far	הֵנָּה	hennah	those

Note

The "far" demonstrative pronouns are identical to certain personal pronouns and must be distinguished by the context.

Function

As a noun

Example: JDG 7:4
וְהָיָ֡ה אֲשֶׁר֩ אֹמַ֨ר אֵלֶ֜יךָ זֶ֣ה ׀ יֵלֵ֣ךְ אִתָּ֗ךְ ה֚וּא יֵלֵ֣ךְ אִתָּ֔ךְ
wehayah 'asher 'omar 'eleykha zeh yelekh 'ittakh hu yelekh 'ittakh
And-it-is that I-will-say to-you this will-go with-you that will-go with-you
If I say to you, "This one will go with you," he will go with you

OET comparison: JDG 7:4: RV JDG 7:4 · LV JDG 7:4 · Read together JDG 7:4

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OET-RV JDG 7:4

4 “That’s still too many,” Yahweh told Gid’on. “Bring them down to the spring and I’ll short-list them there. Anyone I tell you to go with you, can do so, but anyone that I say won’t go with you, won’t go.”

OET-LV JDG 7:4

4 And_ YHWH _he/it _said to Gidˊōn still the_people is_numerous bring _down them to the_waters so_that_I _may _test _it to/for_yourself(m) there and_it _was the_one_whom I _will _say to_you this_one he _will _go with_you he he _will _go with_you and_all/each/any/every one_whom I _will _say to_you this_one not he _will _go with_you he not he _will _go.

Reciprocal

Demonstrative pronouns can be used to distinguish individuals within a group interacting with each other.

Example: ISA 6:3
וְקָרָ֨א זֶ֤ה אֶל־זֶה֙
weqara zeh 'el-zeh
And-it-called this to_this
And each one called to another

OET comparison: ISA 6:3: RV ISA 6:3 · LV ISA 6:3 · Read together ISA 6:3

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OET-RV ISA 6:3

3 They were calling out to each other,
⇔ “Commander-in-chief Yahweh is holy, yes, fully holy.
⇔ The whole earth is filled with his splendour.”

OET-LV ISA 6:3

3 And_ this _he _called to this and_saying(ms) is_holy holy holy YHWH soldiers/messengers the _fullness of _all _of the_earth/land glory _of_is_his.

Apposition to a noun

Example: GEN 27:21
הַֽאַתָּ֥ה זֶ֛ה בְּנִ֥י
ha'attah zeh beni
the-you this my-son
you are my true son

OET comparison: GEN 27:21: RV GEN 27:21 · LV GEN 27:21 · Read together GEN 27:21

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OET-RV GEN 27:21

21 Then Yitshak said to Ya’akov, “Please come close so that I can touch you, my son, and to be sure whether you’re really my son Esav or not.”

OET-LV GEN 27:21

21 And_ Yiʦḩāq _he/it _said to Yaˊₐqoⱱ draw_near please so_that_I _may _feel _you my _son _of_my are_you this son _of_my ˊĒsāv or not.

Word details: זֶ֛ה

As an adjective

as an attributive adjective

When used as an attributive adjective, a demonstrative pronoun often follows the noun, and both terms can take the definite article. Sometimes neither the noun nor the demonstrative pronoun takes the definite article. In either case, the demonstrative pronoun makes the described noun definite.

Example: ISA 18:23
הַדְּבָרִ֖ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה
haddevarim ha'elleh
the-words the-these
these words

Example: JOS 2:20
דְּבָרֵ֣נוּ זֶ֑ה
devarenu zeh
our-business this
this business of ours

OET comparison: JOS 2:20: RV JOS 2:20 · LV JOS 2:20 · Read together JOS 2:20

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OET-RV JOS 2:20

20 Also, if you tell anyone else about this agreement, then we’ll be released from this promise that you made us make.”

OET-LV JOS 2:20

20 And_if you _will _tell DOM business _of_our this and_we _will _be free from_oath _of_your which you_made _us _swear.

Example: 1KI 19:5
וְהִנֵּֽה־זֶ֤ה מַלְאָךְ֙
wehinneh-zeh mal'akh
And-behold this angel
Suddenly an angel

OET comparison: 1KI 19:5: RV KI1 19:5 · LV KI1 19:5 · Read together KI1 19:5

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OET-RV KI1 19:5

5 Then he laid down and slept under the broom bush, until he was suddenly woken by a messenger from Yahweh telling him to get up and eat.

OET-LV KI1 19:5

5 And_he _lay _down and_he _slept under a _broom _plant one and_BEHOLD/LO/SEE this an _messenger was_touching in/on/over_him/it and_he/it _said to_him/it arise eat.

Word details: זֶ֤ה

as a Predicative adjective

Example: JDG 4:14
זֶ֤ה הַיּוֹם֙
zeh hayyom
this the-day
this is the day

OET comparison: JDG 4:14: RV JDG 4:14 · LV JDG 4:14 · Read together JDG 4:14

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OET-RV JDG 4:14

14 “Get going,” Deborah told Barak, “because it’s today that Yahweh has gone ahead of you and will help you defeat Sisera.” So Barak led his ten thousand warriors down from Mt. Tavor.

OET-LV JDG 4:14

14 And_ Dəbōrāh _she/it _said to Bārāq arise if/because this the_day which YHWH he _has _given DOM Şīşərāʼ in_hand _of_your not YHWH has _he _gone _out to_your_face and_ Bārāq _he/it _descended from_hill of _Tāⱱōr and_ten _of thousand(s) man were_after_him.

As a relative particle

Example: PSA 74:2
הַר־צִ֝יֹּ֗ון זֶ֤ה׀ שָׁכַ֬נְתָּ בֹּֽו׃
har-tsiyyown zeh shakhanta bow
Mount_Zion this you-lived in-it.
Mount Zion, where you live.

OET comparison: PSA 74:2: RV PSA 74:2 · LV PSA 74:2 · Read together PSA 74:2

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OET-RV PSA 74:2

2 Remember your congregation that you acquired in times past,
⇔ which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your inheritance.
⇔ This Mt. Tsiyon (Zion), where you’ve lived.

OET-LV PSA 74:2

2 Remember congregation _of_your which_you _acquired antiquity which_you _redeemed the _tribe _of your _inheritance _of_your the _mountain _of Tsiyyōn/(Zion) which you _have _dwelt in/on/over_him/it.

Word details: זֶ֤ה

Example: PSA 104:26
לִ֝וְיָתָ֗ן זֶֽה־יָצַ֥רְתָּ
liwyathan zeh-yatsarta
Leviathan this_you-formed
Leviathan, which you formed

OET comparison: PSA 104:26: RV PSA 104:26 · LV PSA 104:26 · Read together PSA 104:26

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OET-RV PSA 104:26

26 Ships travel across it.
⇔ The sea dragon that you formed plays in it.

OET-LV PSA 104:26

26 There ships they_go _about Livyātān which you _formed to_play in/on/over_him/it.

Word details: זֶֽה

Example: GEN 47:6
אֶ֤רֶץ מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ לְפָנֶ֣יךָ הִ֔וא
'erets mitsrayim lefaneykha hiw
Land-of Egypt to-your-face that
The land of Egypt is before you

OET comparison: GEN 47:6: RV GEN 47:6 · LV GEN 47:6 · Read together GEN 47:6

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OET-RV GEN 47:6

6 The entire country of Mitsrayim (Egypt) is in front of you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best land, so let them settle in the Goshen area. And if you’re aware that some of them have special talents, then appoint them as overseers of my own livestock as well.”

OET-LV GEN 47:6

6 The _land _of Miʦrayim to_your_face it in_the _best _of the_earth/land cause _to _dwell DOM father _of_your and_DOM brothers _of_your let _them _dwell in_land of _Goshen and_if you _know and_there_are among_them men _of ability and_you_will _appoint _them overseers _of livestock over that_which to_me.

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Pronoun Demonstrative

Summary

Article

Form

Paradigm

Function

As a noun

Reciprocal

Apposition to a noun

As an adjective

as an attributive adjective

as a Predicative adjective

As a relative particle