# Aramaic: peculiar use of the emphatic state



## risotto

Hello, everyone.

In the Targum of Jonathan we have

וַהֲוַת לְכוֹן נְבוּאַת כּוֹלָא כְּפִתְגָמֵי סִפְרָא דַחֲתִים דְאִם יִתְּנוּן יָתֵהּ לִדְיָדַע סִפְרָא לְמֵימַר קְרֵי כְעַן דֵין וְיֵימַר לֵית אֲנָא יָכִיל אֲרֵי חֲתִים הוּא.
וְיִתְיְהַב סַפְרָא לִדְלָא יָדַע סִפְרָא לְמֵימַר קְרֵי כְעַן דֵין וְיֵימַר לֵית אֲנָא יָדַע סִפְרָא.
וַאֲמַר יְיָ חֲלַף דְאִתְרַבְרַב עַמָא הָדֵין בְּפוּמְהוֹן וּבְסִפְוָתְהוֹן מְיַקְרִין קֳדָמַי וְלִבְּהוֹן אִתְרַחֵק מִדַחַלְתִּי וַהֲוַת דְחַלְתְהוֹן קֳדָמַי כְּתַפְקִידַת גַבְרִין מַלְפִין.
בְּכֵן הָא אֲנָא מוֹסִיף לְמִמְחֵי יַת עַמָא הָדֵין מָחָן מַפְרְשָׁן וְתֵיבַד חוּכְמְתָא מֵחַכִּימֵיהוֹן וְסֻכְלְתָנֻתָא מִסֻכָלְתָנֵיהֹן תִּטַמָר.

Isaiah 29:11-14

Why is the word ספרא in אנא ידע ספרא in the emphatic state? It doesn't make any sense. Why isn't it in the absolute state? The meaning is "I can't [read] any type of book.", isn't it? It's not "I can't [read] the book.".

Thank you.


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## Glasguensis

Can you please highlight exactly which instance of ספרא you’re asking about?


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## Ali Smith

He already did, didn't he? He said he's asking about the one in אנא ידע ספרא.


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## Glasguensis

Yes the problem is that I don’t see that combination in the text, that’s why I’d like it to be highlighted


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## risotto

Guys, אֲנָא יָדַע סִפְרָא is there at the end of the second verse:

וְיִתְיְהַב סַפְרָא לִדְלָא יָדַע סִפְרָא לְמֵימַר קְרֵי כְעַן דֵין וְיֵימַר לֵית אֲנָא יָדַע סִפְרָא


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## Glasguensis

There is one specific text which is being given. The fact that he wouldn’t be able to read any other text either is irrelevant surely?


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## Ali Smith

risotto said:


> וַהֲוַת לְכוֹן נְבוּאַת כּוֹלָא כְּפִתְגָמֵי סִפְרָא דַחֲתִים דְאִם יִתְּנוּן יָתֵהּ לִדְיָדַע סִפְרָא לְמֵימַר קְרֵי כְעַן דֵין וְיֵימַר לֵית אֲנָא יָכִיל אֲרֵי חֲתִים הוּא.
> וְיִתְיְהַב סַפְרָא לִדְלָא יָדַע סִפְרָא לְמֵימַר קְרֵי כְעַן דֵין וְיֵימַר לֵית אֲנָא יָדַע סִפְרָא.
> וַאֲמַר יְיָ חֲלַף דְאִתְרַבְרַב עַמָא הָדֵין בְּפוּמְהוֹן וּבְסִפְוָתְהוֹן מְיַקְרִין קֳדָמַי וְלִבְּהוֹן אִתְרַחֵק מִדַחַלְתִּי וַהֲוַת דְחַלְתְהוֹן קֳדָמַי כְּתַפְקִידַת גַבְרִין מַלְפִין.
> בְּכֵן הָא אֲנָא מוֹסִיף לְמִמְחֵי יַת עַמָא הָדֵין מָחָן מַפְרְשָׁן וְתֵיבַד חוּכְמְתָא מֵחַכִּימֵיהוֹן וְסֻכְלְתָנֻתָא מִסֻכָלְתָנֵיהֹן תִּטַמָר.
> 
> Isaiah 29:11-14
> 
> Why is the word ספרא in אנא ידע ספרא in the emphatic state? It doesn't make any sense. Why isn't it in the absolute state? The meaning is "I can't [read] any type of book.", isn't it? It's not "I can't [read] the book.".


Actually, the emphatic state can also be used for the general designation of species. Witness:

וְ֠אַף מָאנַיָּ֣א דִֽי־בֵית־אֱלָהָא֮ דִּ֣י דַהֲבָ֣ה וְכַסְפָּא֒ דִּ֣י נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֗ר הַנְפֵּק֙ מִן־הֵֽיכְלָא֙ דִּ֣י בִֽירוּשְׁלֶ֔ם וְהֵיבֵ֣ל הִמֹּ֔ו לְהֵיכְלָ֖א דִּ֣י בָבֶ֑ל הַנְפֵּ֨ק הִמֹּ֜ו כֹּ֣ורֶשׁ מַלְכָּ֗א מִן־הֵֽיכְלָא֙ דִּ֣י בָבֶ֔ל וִיהִ֙יבוּ֙ לְשֵׁשְׁבַּצַּ֣ר שְׁמֵ֔הּ דִּ֥י פֶחָ֖ה שָׂמֵֽהּ׃
(Ezra 5:14)

And furthermore, the house of God's vessels of gold and silver that Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple that is in Jerusalem and brought to the temple of Babylon, Cyrus the king took them out of the temple of Babylon and they were given to Sheshbazzar (that is his name), whom he had made governor.

בֵּלְשַׁאצַּ֣ר מַלְכָּ֗א עֲבַד֙ לְחֶ֣ם רַ֔ב לְרַבְרְבָנֹ֖והִי אֲלַ֑ף וְלָקֳבֵ֥ל אַלְפָּ֖א חַמְרָ֥א שָׁתֵֽה׃
(Daniel 5:1)

Belshazzar, the king, made a great banquet for his thousand nobles and was drinking wine in front of the thousand.


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## 𒍝𒊑𒈾 𒂵𒉿𒀉

Yes, a singular emphatic noun can be used to designate a species but a plural emphatic cannot. A plural emphatic can only be used to mean a plural noun that has "the" before it in English, like the books, the men, the houses.


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## Ali Smith

𒍝𒊑𒈾 𒂵𒉿𒀉 said:


> Yes, a singular emphatic noun can be used to designate a species but a plural emphatic cannot. A plural emphatic can only be used to mean a plural noun that has "the" before it in English, like the books, the men, the houses.


בֵּאדַ֛יִן דָּרְיָ֥וֶשׁ מַלְכָּ֖א שָׂ֣ם טְעֵ֑ם וּבַקַּ֣רוּ ׀ בְּבֵ֣ית סִפְרַיָּ֗א דִּ֧י גִנְזַיָּ֛א מְהַחֲתִ֥ין תַּמָּ֖ה בְּבָבֶֽל׃
(Ezra 6:1)

Then Darius the king issued a decree and an inquiry was made in the archives, where treasures were deposited in Babylon.

It seems a plural emphatic noun can be used generically, too.


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## Glasguensis

Most translators would say “the treasures”. It’s not really treasures in general, it’s specifically the treasures of the kingdom.


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