# Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar/156. Circumstantial Clauses

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a 1. The statement of the particular circumstances under which a subject appears as performing some action, or under which an action (or an occurrence) is accomplished, is made especially (apart from relative clauses, see § 155) by means of noun-clauses connected by Wāw with a following subject (see further on this kind of circumstantial clause in § 141 e), and by verbal-clauses (see § 142 d). Very frequently, however, such statements of the particular circumstances are subordinated to the main clause by being simply attached, without Wāw, either as noun-clauses, sometimes extremely short (see c), or as verbal-clauses (see d–g).
b Rem. Among relative clauses of this kind the commonest are the various noun-clauses, which are most closely subordinated to a preceding substantive without אֲשֶׁר, e.g. Gn 16; also statements of weight, Gn 24; of name, Jb 1 (also introduced by וּשְׁמוֹ Gn 24, 1 S 1, &c., or וּשְׁמָהּ Gn 16, 22, &c.); of a condition of body, Ju 1, and others.—Noun-clauses which begin with wāw and the predicate have a somewhat more independent character than those introduced by wāw and the subject (Gn 19, &c.). The former, however, are also to be regarded as circumstantial clauses, in so far as they describe a state which is simultaneous with the principal action; thus Is 3 I will not be an healer, וּבְבֵיתִי אֵין לֶ֫חֶם while in my house is neither bread nor clothing; Is 6 (Am 7); 2 S 13, 16. Cf. also the instances in § 152 l of וְאֵין followed by a participle, as וְאֵין מַצִּיל, &c.
c 2. Characteristic examples of circumstantial noun-clauses are Gn 12 and pitched his tent בֵּֽית־אֵל מִיָם וְהָעַי מִקֶּ֫דֶם with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; Nu 22, 2 S 18 through the heart of Absalom, עוֹדֶנּ֫וּ חַי while he was yet alive; Jer 30, Ez 9 (cf. Ct 3), Na 3, Zc 14, 2 Ch 23; with the predicate preceding, e.g. 1 S 26, ψ 32.—In Gn 41 a noun-clause serves to announce a state in the future.—We may also include here certain set phrases, as פָּנִים אֶל־פָּנִים face to face (prop. while face was turned towards face), Gn 32, Ex 33, Dt 34, ​&c.; so also to cast oneself down, אַפַּ֫יִם אָֽרְצָה the face being turned to the earth, Gn 19, &c. (for אָֽרְצָה we find אֶ֫רֶץ in 1 K 1, Is 49).—Cf. finally the formula אֵם עַל־בָּנִים mother with children, Gn 32; cf. Ho 10 and § 119 aa note 2.
Rem. On circumlocutions of this kind to express negative attributes by means of short noun-clauses (complete or incomplete), cf. § 152 u.
d 3. As circumstantial verbal-clauses, we find (1) sometimes affirmative clauses (see below), but far more frequently (2) negative clauses (see f), and among these (3) a certain number of expressions which may be regarded simply as equivalent to negative adverbial ideas (see g).
Examples of (1) Is 5$^b$ woe unto them, that tarry late in the evening, יַ֫יִן יַדְלִיקֵם while wine inflames them; Is 1, 10, 30, Jer 7, 20, ψ 4, 5, 21, 62. The circumstantial verbal-clause is used to particularize an action which has before been expressed generally, in Gn 44, 48=crossing his hands; Dt 2, Ju 6; antithetically, 1 K 13 כִּחֵשׁ לוֹ wherewith however he lied unto him. The verbal-clause seems to assign a reason in ψ 7 מִשְׁפָּט צִוִּ֫יתָ since thou hast commanded judgement; a consequence in ψ 103.
e Rem. On the cases in which an imperfect in the sense of a final clause is subordinated to a verb of motion (generally קוּם), see § 120 c.
f Of (2), subordinate verbal-clauses with לֹא (in English usually rendered by without and the gerund, if the subject be the same as in the principal clause), e.g. Lv 1 לֹא יַבְדִּיל without dividing it asunder; Jb 31; לֹא with the perfect is so used in Gn 44, Ex 34, 1 S 30, Jb 20 (without its being blown upon it). With a different subject, equivalent to a consecutive clause in English, Is 27 לֹֽא־יָקֻ֫מוּ so that they shall rise up no more.—Moreover, verbal-clauses in the same sense (without doing, &c.) are frequently connected by וְלֹא; cf. 1 S 20, Jb 24, 42; in a concessive sense, Is 33, ψ 44.
g Of (3), cf. לֹא יֵדַע (prop. he knows it not) unawares, ψ 35, Pr 5 לֹא יַחְמֹל unsparingly, Is 30 (after an infinitive absolute); Hb 1, Jb 6 (but וְלֹא יַחְמֹל Jb 16, 27; see f at the end); לֹא כִחֵ֑דוּ (prop. they hide not) openly, Is 3 (but ​Jb 15 וְלֹא כִחֲדוּ); בְּלִי חָשָׂ֑ךְ (prop. he restrains not) unceasingly, Is 14; בַּל־יִמּוֹט Jb 41 (ψ 93 בַּל־תִּמִּוֹט) and לֹא יִמּוֹט Is 40 (without tottering) immovably; cf. also לֹא אֶמְעָ֑ד without wavering, ψ 26.
* ↑ In Dt 32 this form of sequence appears to be selected for another purpose, and indeed our enemies are judges thereof, with wāw emphatic; to take it as a circumstantial clause is too artificial.
* ↑ The expression הִתְרָאָה פָנִים to look one another in the face (i.e. to contend in combat) 2 K 14, 11, 2 Ch 25, 21, is probably only a shortened form for הִתְרָאָה פָנִים אֶל־פָּנִים.
* ↑ That (אֶ֫רֶץ) אָֽרְצָה is really to be regarded as a virtual predicate to אַפַּ֫יִם, and not אַפַּ֫יִם as a casus instrumenti, is seen from Is 49, where אַפַּ֫יִם אֶ֫רֶץ precedes the verb.
* ↑ Some examples of these have been already discussed in another connexion above, § 120 a–c.
* ↑ In Gn 21 the circumstantial verbal-clause שָׂם עַל־שִׁכְמָהּ is only due to a harmonizing transposition; read וְאֶת־הַיֶּ֫לֶד שׂ׳ ע׳ שׁ׳. According to the source used in cap. 21 Ishmael was still a young child; according to 17:25 he was about 16 or 17 years old.