אֵת

H853. eth
I. אֵת, with makk. אֶתֿ, with suffix אֹתִי; אֹתְכָה אֹתְךָ, Num 22:33, אֹתָ֑כָה אֹתָ֑ךְ, Exo 29:35, feminine אֹתָךְ; אֹתוֺ etc.; 2 plural אֶתְכֶם, once אוֺתְכֶם Jos 23:15; Jos 23:3masculine plural regularly אֹתָם, rarely אֶתְהֶם Gen 32:1; Exo 18:20; Num 21:3; Eze 34:12; 1Ch 6:50, once אוֺתְהֶם Eze 23:45; Eze 23:3feminine plural, on the contrary, regularly אֶתְהֶן (13 t.), once אֹתָן Eze 16:54 (also אוֺתְהֶן Eze 23:47, אֹתָ֖נָה Exo 35:26, אוֺתָ֖נָה Eze 34:21); forms with cholem also often written plene: — the
mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite (Moabite id., Phoenician אית i.e. אִיַּת (Schrödp. 213 f.); Aramaic יָת frequently in ᵑ7; Syriac very rare as mark of accusative (for which is preferred), but used often in the sense of substance οὐσία, also in that of self, e.g. per se, reapse, sibi ipsi, PS1640f., Samaritan ; Arabic , only used with suffix, when it is desired to emphasize the pronoun, e.g. Qor 1:4 WAG i. § 189. [Ethiopic uses k£y¹ similarly, Di§ 150 a; but it is dubious if this is etymologically akin.] The primitive form will have been 'iwyath, originally a substantive with following Genitive, Olp. 432; whether ultimately a parallel development with אוֺת sign from √ אוה is uncertain: Ol WAG i. § 188 LagM i. 226 affirm, NöZMG 1886, 738 doubts. In Hebrew the ground-form is אוֺת; the forms with ¢, e being abbreviated. In post Biblical Hebrew, used in combination with another preposition: thus הַיּוֺם בְּאוֺתוֺ = Bibl. הַשָּׁעָה בְּאוֺתָהּ הַהוּא, בַּיּוֺם; or as a nomin., e.g. הָאִישׁ אוֺתוֺ = Bibl. הַהוּא הָאִישׁ).
1 As mark of the accusative prefixed to substantives defined either by the article (or כֹּל), or by a Genitive or pronominal affix, or in virtue of being proper names:
a. with transitive verbs, Gen 1:1, Gen 1:16, Gen 1:29, Gen 1:30; Gen 2:11; Gen 4:1-2, Gen 9:3 (אֶתֿכֹּל׃) etc. Similarly אֶתמִֿי whom (in particular), Jos 24:15; 1Sa 12:3; 1Sa 28:11; Isa 6:8 and elsewhere (but never אֶתמָֿה); also with זֶה Gen 29:33; Gen 44:29; 1 Samuel 21:16; 1Ki 22:27 +, זֹאת Gen 29:27; 2Sa 13:27 +, אֵלֶּה Gen 46:18; Lev 11:18; Isa 49:21 +. So pretty uniformly in prose; but in poetry את is commonly dispensed with. By the use of את with the pronominal affix, a pronoun can at once, if required, be placed in a position of emphasis; let the order of words from this point of view be carefully noticed in the following passages: Gen 7:1; Gen 24:14; Gen 37:4; Lev 10:17; Lev 11:33; Num 22:32 thee I had slain, and her I had kept alive, Deu 4:14; Deu 6:13, Deu 6:23; Deu 13:5; Jdg 14:3 לִי קַח אוֺתָהּ take for me her, 1Sa 14:35; 1Sa 15:1; 1Sa 18:17; 1Sa 21:10 קָ֔ח תִּקַּחלְֿךָ אִםאֹֿתָהּ if thou wilt take that, take it, 1Ki 1:35; 1Ki 14:9; Isa 43:22; Isa 57:11; Jer 9:2. So הַאוֺתִי Jer 5:22; Jer 7:19. It also sometimes enables the reflexive sense to be expressed (elsewhere נַפְשָׁם) Jer 7:19; Eze 34:2. Rarely with a substantive which is undefined (Ew§ 277 d 2 Ges§ 117, 1, R. 2), as Exo 21:28; Num 21:9; Lev 20:14; 1Sa 24:6 (but see Dr) 2Sa 4:11; 2Sa 18:18; 2Sa 23:21; or which, though definite, is without the article, Gen 21:30; 2Sa 15:16; Lev 26:5; 1Sa 9:3 (so Num 16:15) Isa 33:19; Isa 41:7; Eze 43:10 (for further examples see Ew 1.c.)
b. with a passive verb (Ges§ 121. 1 Ew§ 295 b) conceived as expressing neutrally the action in question, and construed accordingly with an accusative of that which is its real object: examples occur with tolerable frequency from Gen 4:18 (J) אֶתעֿירָד לַחֲנוֺךְ וַיִּוָּלֵד, Gen 17:5 (P), אַברָם אֶתשִֿׁמְךָ עוֺד יִקָּרֵא לֹא there shall not be called (=one shall not call) thy name Abram, Gen 21:5 (E), Gen 27:42; 2Sa 21:11; 1Ki 18:13; Hos 10:6 etc., to Jer 35:18; Jer 38:4; Jer 50:20; Eze 16:4-5, Est 2:13 (compare DrJPh xi. 227 f.): also with passive verbs of filling (Ew§ 281 b), as Exo 1:7 +.
c. with neuter verbs or expressions, especially such as involve the idea of regarding, or treating, appy. by a construction κατὰ σύνεσιν (rare), Jos 22:17; 2Sa 11:25; Neh 9:32 (compare 1Sa 20:13 Dr). Once after אֵין, Hag 2:17; אֵלַיָֽ אֶתְכֶם אֵין.
d. poet. (si vera lectio), after an abstract noun used with a verbal force, Hab 3:13 (Amo 4:11; Isa 13:19; Jer 50:40 מַהְמֵּכָה exerts a verbal force, like the Arabic nom. verbi [see WAG i. § 196, 43]; and Num 10:2; Eze 17:9 לְמַשְׂאוֺת לְמַסַּע, are Aramaizing infinitives: compare Ew§ 239 a).
2 את marks an accusative in other relations than that of direct object to a verb: a. with verbs of motion (very rare) Num 13:17; Deu 1:19; Deu 2:7 (to 'walk the wilderness'); denoting the goal Jdg 19:18; Eze 21:25 (Ew§ 281 d, n., 282 a 1). b. denoting time (duration), also very rare: Exo 13:7; Lev 25:22; Deu 9:25. c. expressing the accus. of limitation (rare): Gen 17:11, Gen 17:14; 1Ki 15:23.
3 Chiefly in an inferior or later style, אֵת (or וְאֵת) is used irregularly, partly (α), as it would seem, to give greater definiteness (so especially וְאֵת) at the mention of a new subject (when it may sometimes be rendered as regards), or through the influence of a neighbouring verb (a construct κατὰ σύνεσιν), or by an anacoluthon, partly (β) as resuming loosely some other preposition Thus (α) Exo 1:14; Num 3:26, Num 3:46; Num 5:10 (with הָיָה: so Eze 35:10) Num 18:21b Deu 11:2 (anacoluthon), Deu 14:13; Jos 17:11; Jdg 20:44, Jdg 20:46 (contr. Jdg 20:25; Jdg 20:35) 1Sa 17:34 (see Dr) 1Sa 26:16; 2Sa 21:22; 2Ki 6:5; Isa 53:8 (probably), Isa 57:12; Jer 23:33 (but read rather with הַמַּשָּׂא אַתֶּם ᵑ9 ᵐ5) Jer 27:8; Jer 36:22; Jer 38:16 Kt, Jer 45:4 b Eze 16:22; Eze 17:21; Eze 20:16; Eze 29:4; b Eze 43:7 (ᵐ5 Co prefix הֲרָאִיתָ) Eze 44:3; Zec 8:17; Ecc 4:3; Dan 9:13; Neh 9:19, Neh 9:34; 1Ch 2:9; 2Ch 31:17. In 1Sa 30:23; Hag 2:5 probably some such word as remember is to be understood. (β) Jer 38:9; Eze 14:22; b Eze 37:19 b Zec 12:10; אֵת סָבִיב 1Ki 6:5; Eze 43:17 strangely (in 1Kings ᵐ5 omits the clause: so StaZAW 1883, 135). — In 1Ki 11:1 וְ is merely and also, and especially (see וְ); 1Ki 11:25 is corrupt (read with הֲדָד עָשָׂה אֲשֶׁר הָרָעָה זֹאת ᵐ5); Eze 47:17-18, Eze 47:19 read similarly for זֹאת ואת,: see Eze 47:20. — For some particulars as to the use of את, see A. M. WilsonHebraica. vi. 139 ff. 212 ff. (who, however, confuses it sometimes with II. אֵת). For denoting the pronominal object of a verb, את with suffix preponderates relatively much above the verbal affix in P, as compared with J E Deuteronomy Judges Samuel Kings (see GieZAW 1881, 258 f.), — partly, probably, on account of the greater distinctness and precision which P loves.
יָת mark of accusative (= Biblical Hebrew I. אֵת; Palmyrene ית; ZinjirliHad. 28 with suffix ותה; Nabataean, Palmyrene with suffix יתה (Lzb263 Cooke170; compare RÉS468); ᵑ7 Samaritan יָת; Syriac (rare)); — Dan 3:12 יָָֽתְהוֺן מַנִּיתָ דִּי whom thou hast appointed.