Double Object Constructions in DSS Hebrew

Abstract

In this article an overview is given of the verbal valence patterns of the verb ‮נתן‬‎ in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Four patterns are distinguished for this verb: 1. ‮נתן‬‎ + OBJECT to produce; 2. + ‮נתן‬‎ OBJECT + RECIPIENT to give to; 3. ‮נתן‬‎ + OBJECT + LOCATION to place; 4. ‮נתן‬‎ + OBJECT + 2ND OBJECT to make into. All occurrences of the verb in the DSS corpus used, consisting of 1QHa, 1QS, 1QM, and 1QpHab, are discussed and divided into one of these patterns. This study shows that pattern 3 occurs most, followed by pattern 2, and that it can be argued that pattern 1 and 4 also occur in our DSS corpus, though the evidence is scarce. In some cases, translations, differing from the translations in the editions of the texts, are proposed that better reflect the verbal valence patterns used in the clause.