Revisiting the Hebrew Definite Article: A Reference Hierarchy Model1

Abstract

The presence of the article ha on Hebrew noun phrases has long been considered the signal for marking definiteness. Scholars have traditionally explained exceptional cases either within the category of definiteness or by genericity. Applying the cross-linguistically conceived ‘reference hierarchy model’ to ha-marked noun phrases in the Book of Judges has revealed that the article ha can also mark specificity, a referential category often associated with indefiniteness in the literature of Biblical Hebrew. In fact, many of Biblical Hebrew’s exceptions fall within this category. These exceptions display a pattern: the ha- marking for specificity is not determined by features within the noun phrase but rather outside of it. They are licensed by a small set of verb types, preposition and sentential moods.