Welcome to the Judaism community on Codidact!
Will you help us build our community of learners? Drop into our study hall, ask questions, help others with answers to their questions, share a d'var torah if you're so inclined, invite your friends, and join us in building this community together. Not an ask-the-rabbi service, just people at all levels learning together.
Post History
After lots of searching, I finally found a paper on this topic: "The Two Forms of First Person Singular Pronoun in Biblical Hebrew: Redundancy or Expressive Contrast?" by E. J. Revell, Journal of S...
Answer
#1: Post edited
by
msh210
·
2020-08-31T23:10:43Z (over 4 years ago)
<p>After lots of searching, I finally found a paper on this topic:</p><p>"<em>The Two Forms of First Person Singular Pronoun in Biblical Hebrew: Redundancy or Expressive Contrast?</em>" by E. J. Revell, Journal of Semitic Studies 40 (1995), pp. 199–207.</p><p>The crux of Revell's argument is that "×× ×™ is typically used by status-marked human speakers, ×× ×›×™ by others." </p><p>He notes also that ×× ×™ is also used often when someone is volunteering for, requesting or claiming a position, expressing emotion or care, etc. ×× ×›×™ is used when describing a "shameful or distasteful" quality, solidarity with addressee, etc. G-d uses ×× ×›×™ where "speech concerns the addressee on a personal level" or in statements describing background context. ×× ×™ is used by G-d "in clauses which do not refer to the addressee".</p>
- After lots of searching, I finally found a paper on this topic:
- "*The Two Forms of First Person Singular Pronoun in Biblical Hebrew: Redundancy or Expressive Contrast?*" by E. J. Revell, Journal of Semitic Studies 40 (1995), pp. 199–207.
- The crux of Revell's argument is that "אני is typically used by status-marked human speakers, אנכי by others."
- He notes also that אני is also used often when someone is volunteering for, requesting or claiming a position, expressing emotion or care, etc. אנכי is used when describing a "shameful or distasteful" quality, solidarity with addressee, etc. G-d uses אנכי where "speech concerns the addressee on a personal level" or in statements describing background context. אני is used by G-d "in clauses which do not refer to the addressee".