אִם‎ . . . הֲ‎: A rhetorical question anticipating a negative answer

The interrogative sequence אִם‎ . . . הֲ‎ in Biblical Hebrew can be employed in two forms of disjunctive question. The first offers mutually exclusive questions and the second comprises a rhetorical pair. Close examination of the extant examples reveals no difficulty in distinguishing between these...

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Bibliographic Details
Subtitles:ha... ʾim$dA rhetorical question anticipating a negative answer
Main Author: Watson, Rebecca S. 1971- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Sage [2020]
In: Journal for the study of the Old Testament
Year: 2020, Volume: 44, Issue: 3, Pages: 437-455
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Rhetoric / Doppel / Particle / Question / Interrogative clause / Noun / Hebrew language / Bible. Jeremia 31,20
IxTheo Classification:HB Old Testament
Further subjects:B rhetorical num
B Bibel. Habakuk, 3,8
B interrogative particles
B Jeremiah 31
B Biblical Hebrew
B double rhetorical
B Habakkuk 3
B motivated interrogative sentence
B triple rhetorical
B rhetorical questions
B אם . . . ה
B Keywords Biblical Hebrew
B אם‎ . . . ה
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Description
Summary:The interrogative sequence אִם‎ . . . הֲ‎ in Biblical Hebrew can be employed in two forms of disjunctive question. The first offers mutually exclusive questions and the second comprises a rhetorical pair. Close examination of the extant examples reveals no difficulty in distinguishing between these two forms and, further, that, when employed to express a rhetorical question, the double rhetorical sequence אִם‎ . . . הֲ‎ anticipates the answer ‘No’. Careful study of a debated example, Jer. 31.20, confirms that a negative answer is implied here, hence the evidence strongly favours this reading in the other contentious passage, Hab. 3.8. Here, triple rhetorical questions introduced by the interrogative particles אִם‎ . . . אִם‎ . . . הֲ‎ are employed in a motivated interrogative sentence, suggesting that a negative answer is therefore expected.
ISSN:1476-6728
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal for the study of the Old Testament
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1177/0309089219862826