# Ark of the Covenant



## Sencillo

Is it correct to say "Ark of the Covenant" (אָרוֹן הַבְּרִית) preceded with the definite article ה instead of את? Why is it normally preceded by את and not ה?


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## Ali Smith

The first member of a genitive construction can never take the definite article.


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## Drink

In addition to what Ali Smith said, the את is not a definite article, but a preposition that marks a definite direct object.


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## Sencillo

So if את is a prepositon, it it correct to use ה? Is it correctly expressed with a ה? 
Excuse my ignorance, I did not entirely understand your reply. Thank you for your answer!


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## Sencillo

Or would that mean that what is being said is "The Ark, the covenant" and not the Ark OF THE covenant?


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## Drink

The preposition את is used when the direct object is already definite. A noun can be definite either by being a proper name, having a definite article, having a possessive prefix, or by being in the construct state followed by a definite noun. Examples:

Definite (with את):
- אני רואה את אברהם -- I see Avraham (proper name)
- אני רואה את הבית -- I see the house (definite article)
- אני רואה את ביתו -- I see his house (possessive suffix)
- אני רואה את בית האיש -- I see the man's house (construct state followed by definite noun)
- אני רואה את בית אברהם -- I see Avraham's house (construct state followed by definite noun)

Indefinite (without את):
- אני רואה בית -- I see a house
- אני רואה בית איש -- I see a man's house

Just to emphasize again, את does not make a noun definite, it just needs to be used when the noun is already definite. It does not translate to anything in most other languages.

Hope this helps.


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## Techref

Sencillo said:


> Is it correct to say "Ark of the Covenant" (אָרוֹן הַבְּרִית) preceded with the definite article ה instead of את? Why is it normally preceded by את and not ה?



you brought up an interesting point here.
I couldn't find the ה of the word ארון ברית in a verse

Eg:
לשאת את ארון ברית יהוה
To bear the ark of the covenant

נקחה אלינו משילוה את ארון ברית יהוה
Fetch unto us the ark of the covenant from Shiloh

and the list goes on...

I could be reading it wrongly so no offence intended or anything. Perhaps, it is too sacred for a definite article to be added?


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## Sencillo

Thank you so much everyone!!!


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## amikama

Techref said:


> I couldn't find the ה of the word ארון ברית in a verse
> 
> Eg:
> לשאת את ארון ברית יהוה


Note that ארון ברית ה' is the whole smichut phrase, not just ארון ברית. It's actually a double smichut (הארון של הברית של ה').
The last part is already definite (a proper name) so it doesn't have the ה' הידיעה.


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## Drink

Right, ארון ברית ה׳ = ארון הברית = הארון.


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## Techref

Thanks for the knowledge. 

I realized that there is a maqqef between יהוה and ברית
so its like  וַאֲרוֹן *בְּרִית־יְהוָה*

Does the maqqef mean "the" in this context?
Thanks again


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## Drink

The maqqef only has to do with pronunciation, not meaning.

The "the" just comes from the construct.

בית אברהם can be rendered in English either as "Avraham's house" or as "*the* house of Avraham".

Similarly, בית האיש can be rendered as "the man's house" or as "*the* house of the man".


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## Techref

Got it
thanks


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