Pronoun Personal

Summary

A personal pronoun is a word that indirectly refers to a particular person(s) or thing(s). In English, the following words are personal pronouns: "I", "we", "you", "he", "she", "they", "them".

Article

In Biblical Hebrew, personal pronouns change form according to gender (masculine, feminine, or common), number (singular, or plural), and person (first, second, or third). Grammatically they are very similar to pronominal suffixes, but they stand alone rather than attaching to other kinds of words; also, they are more limited in their function.

Form

Paradigm

Personal Pronoun Paradigm
Parsing	Hebrew	Transliteration	Gloss
common singular first person	אֲנִי / אָנֹכִי	'ani / 'anokhi	I
masculine singular second person	אַתָּה	'attah	you
feminine singular second person	אַתְּ	'at	you
masculine singular third person	הוּא	hu	he / it
feminine singular third person	הִיא / הִוא	hi / hiw	she / it
common plural first person	אֲנַחְנוּ	'anahnu	we
masculine plural second person	אַתֶּם	'attem	you
feminine plural second person	אַתֵּנָה	'attenah	you
masculine plural third person	הֵם / הֵמָּה	hem / hemmah	they
feminine plural third person	הֵן / הֵנָּה	hen / hennah	they

Function

As a general noun

Example: ISA 41:10
אַל־תִּירָא֙ כִּ֣י עִמְּךָ־אָ֔נִי אַל־תִּשְׁתָּ֖ע כִּֽי־אֲנִ֣י אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ
'al-tira' ki 'immekha-'ani 'al-tishta' ki-'ani 'eloheykha
Not_fear for with-you_I not_be-anxious for_I your-God
Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be anxious, for I am your God.

Show passage in OET: ISA 41:10

OET-RV ISA 41:10

10 Don’t be afraid, because I’m with you.
⇔ ≈ Don’t be anxious, because I’m your God.
⇔ I’ll strengthen you, indeed, I’ll help you.
⇔ Yes, I’ll support you with my strength—always doing what’s right.

OET-LV ISA 41:10

10 Do _not be _afraid if/because am_with_you I do _not fear if/because I god _of_am_your I_have _strengthened _you also I_have _helped _you also I_have _supported _you with_the _right _hand _of my _righteousness _of_my.

Jump to OET ISA 41:10 section.

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.

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?

OET-LV JER 12:1

12 Are_righteous you Oh_YHWH if/because I _bring _a _case to_you nevertheless judgements I _will _speak with_you why the_way _of wicked_people does _it _prosper all _of those _who_act _treacherously _of treachery are _they _at _ease.

Jump to OET JER 12:1 section.

As subject of a finite verb

Sometimes an independent personal pronoun appears as the subject of a finite verb even though the pronominal subject is already indicated by the verb form iteself. In these cases, the personal pronoun functions to emphasize the personal role of the subject in performing the verbal action. When used in this way, the personal pronoun is often translated reflexively in English: "myself", "yourself", etc.

Example: 1KI 18:22
אֲנִ֞י נֹותַ֧רְתִּי נָבִ֛יא לַיהוָ֖ה
'ani nowtharti navi layhwah
I I-am-left prophet for-Yahweh
I, I alone, am left as a prophet of Yahweh

Show passage in OET: 1KI 18:22

OET-RV KI1 18:22

22 Then he said, “I’m Yahweh’s only remaining prophet, but Ba’al has 450 prophets.

OET-LV KI1 18:22

22 And_ ʼĒliy^yāh _he/it _said to the_people I I _am _left a _prophet to/for_YHWH I_alone and_the _prophets _of (the)_Baˊal are_four hundred(s) and_fifty man.

Jump to OET KI1 18:22 section.

As subject of a verbal participle

Example: DEU 8:1
אָנֹכִ֧י מְצַוְּךָ֛
'anokhi metsawwekha
I am-commanding-you
I am giving you

Show passage in OET: DEU 8:1

OET-RV DEU 8:1

8 You must consistently follow the instructions that I’m giving you today, so that you all can enter and occupy the land that Yahweh promised to your ancestors, and live there and multiply.

OET-LV DEU 8:1

8 All _of the_command which I am_commanding _of_you the_day you(pl)_will _take _care for_doing so _that you(pl)_may _live and_you(pl)_will _increase and_you(pl)_will _go and_you(pl)_will _take _possession _of DOM the_earth/land which YHWH he _swore to_ancestors _of_your(pl).

Jump to OET DEU 8:1 section.

In apposition with a noun or pronominal suffix

Sometimes a personal pronoun simply repeats a noun or pronominal suffix that has appeared earlier in the sentence. The specific function of the repeated pronoun must be discerned from the context in these cases, but often the repetition expresses some kind of emphasis on the identified person(s) or thing(s) within the sentence.