# Pronominal Suffixes on Verbs — Paradigm Tables

BBH Chapter 19 · Reference file

## Object Suffix Forms — Reference Chart

Person | Number | Gender | Suffix (on vowel) | Suffix (on consonant) | Notes
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
1st | Singular | Common | נִי | נִי | Most common; after perfect: נִי
2nd | Singular | Masculine | ךָ | אֶךָ / ֲךָ | Patach + kaph
2nd | Singular | Feminine | ךְ | ֵךְ | Tsere + kaph
3rd | Singular | Masculine | הוּ / וֹ | הוּ / וֹ | Shureq or holem-waw
3rd | Singular | Feminine | הָ / ָה | הָ | Final he with qamets
1st | Plural | Common | נוּ | נוּ | Shureq + nun
2nd | Plural | Masculine | כֶם | כֶם |
2nd | Plural | Feminine | כֶן | כֶן | Rare in prose
3rd | Plural | Masculine | הֶם / ם | הֶם / ם | Short form ם common after vowel
3rd | Plural | Feminine | הֶן / ן | הֶן | Rare

## Qal Perfect + Object Suffix (Root: שָׁמַר)

Person | Number | Gender | Base Form | + 1cs (me) | + 3ms (him) | + 1cp (us)
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
3rd | Singular | Masculine | שָׁמַר | שְׁמָרַ֥נִי | שְׁמָרוֹ | שְׁמָרָ֥נוּ
3rd | Singular | Feminine | שָׁמְרָה | שְׁמָרַ֥תְנִי | שְׁמָרַ֥תְהוּ | שְׁמָרַ֥תְנוּ
2nd | Singular | Masculine | שָׁמַרְתָּ | שְׁמַרְתַּ֥נִי | שְׁמַרְתּוֹ | שְׁמַרְתָּ֥נוּ
2nd | Singular | Feminine | שָׁמַרְתְּ | שְׁמַרְתִּ֥נִי | שְׁמַרְתִּ֥יהוּ | —
1st | Singular | Common | שָׁמַרְתִּי | — | שְׁמַרְתִּ֥יהוּ | שְׁמַרְתִּ֥ינוּ
3rd | Plural | Common | שָׁמְרוּ | שְׁמָר֥וּנִי | שְׁמָר֥וּהוּ | שְׁמָר֥וּנוּ
2nd | Plural | Masculine | שְׁמַרְתֶּם | שְׁמַרְתּ֥וּנִי | שְׁמַרְתּ֥וּהוּ | —
1st | Plural | Common | שָׁמַרְנוּ | — | שְׁמַרְנ֥וּהוּ | —

> Key marker: The connecting vowel qamets/patach appears between the verb stem and the suffix (שְׁמָרַ/נִי). The 3fs perfect uses תְ + suffix (שְׁמָרַ/תְנִי).

## Qal Imperfect + Object Suffix (Root: שָׁמַר)

The energic nun (נּ) appears as a buffer before suffixes 1cs (נִי), 3ms (הוּ), and 1cp (נוּ):

Person | Number | Gender | Base Form | + 1cs (me) | + 3ms (him) | + 1cp (us)
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
3rd | Singular | Masculine | יִשְׁמֹר | יִשְׁמְרֵ֥נִי | יִשְׁמְרֶ֥נּוּ | יִשְׁמְרֵ֥נוּ
3rd | Singular | Feminine | תִּשְׁמֹר | תִּשְׁמְרֵ֥נִי | תִּשְׁמְרֶ֥נּוּ | תִּשְׁמְרֵ֥נוּ
2nd | Singular | Masculine | תִּשְׁמֹר | תִּשְׁמְרֵ֥נִי | תִּשְׁמְרֶ֥נּוּ | תִּשְׁמְרֵ֥נוּ
1st | Singular | Common | אֶשְׁמֹר | — | אֶשְׁמְרֶ֥נּוּ | —
3rd | Plural | Masculine | יִשְׁמְרוּ | יִשְׁמְר֥וּנִי | — | —
2nd | Plural | Masculine | תִּשְׁמְרוּ | תִּשְׁמְר֥וּנִי | — | —

> Key marker: Watch for the doubled nun (נּ) = energic nun + 3ms suffix. יִשְׁמְרֶ֥נּוּ = imperfect + energic nun + 3ms object suffix. Compare carefully: יִשְׁמְרֵ֥נוּ = imperfect + 1cp suffix (no energic nun doubling before 1cp נוּ).

## Qal Wayyiqtol + Object Suffix

Same pattern as imperfect + suffix; energic nun also appears:

Form | Analysis | Gloss
--- | --- | ---
וַיִּשְׁמְרֵ֥נִי | Wayyiqtol 3ms + 1cs | "and he kept me"
וַיִּשְׁמְרֶ֥נּוּ | Wayyiqtol 3ms + 3ms (energic nun) | "and he kept him"
וַיִּשְׁמְרֵ֥נוּ | Wayyiqtol 3ms + 1cp | "and he kept us"
וַיִּשְׁמְרֵ֥הוּ | Wayyiqtol 3ms + 3ms | "and he kept him"

> Key marker: Wayyiqtol vowel pattern is preserved; suffix attaches where the imperfect suffix would.

## Qal Imperative + Object Suffix

Form | Analysis | Gloss
--- | --- | ---
שָׁמְרֵ֥נִי | Imperative 2ms + 1cs | "Keep me!"
שָׁמְרֵ֥הוּ | Imperative 2ms + 3ms | "Keep him!"
שִׁמְר֥וּנִי | Imperative 2mp + 1cs | "Keep me! (pl.)"

> Key marker: The imperative vowel shifts slightly before a suffix (shewa under R1 may lengthen). Imperative + 1cs suffix (נִי) is the standard prayer address form (Psa 16:1 שָׁמְרֵ֥נִי אֵ֑ל).

## Infinitive Construct + Suffix (Subject, Not Object)

When a suffix attaches to the Infinitive Construct (especially with a preposition), the suffix typically marks the subject of the action, not the object:

Form | Analysis | Gloss
--- | --- | ---
בְּ/שָׁמְר/וֹ | Inf.Const. + בְּ + 3ms (subject) | "when he kept / in his keeping"
כְּ/שָׁמְר/וֹ | Inf.Const. + כְּ + 3ms (subject) | "as/when he kept"
לִ/שְׁמֹר/וֹ | Inf.Const. + לְ + 3ms (purpose/subject) | "for him to keep"
כִּ/שְׁמֹ֣עַ/וֹ | שמע Inf.Const. + כְּ + 3ms | "when he heard"
בְּ/רֹאֹת/וֹ | ראה Inf.Const. + בְּ + 3ms | "when he saw" (III-ה)

> Key marker: Preposition + Inf.Const. + suffix = temporal or purpose clause. The suffix is subject, not object. This is the most frequent suffix construction in Biblical Hebrew.

## Summary

Construction | Suffix Role | Diagnostic | Example
--- | --- | --- | ---
Perfect + suffix | Direct object | Connecting vowel before suffix | שְׁמָרַ֥נִי
Imperfect + suffix | Direct object | Energic nun (נּ) before some suffixes | יִשְׁמְרֶ֥נּוּ
Wayyiqtol + suffix | Direct object | Same as imperfect | וַיִּשְׁמְרֵ֥הוּ
Imperative + suffix | Direct object | Vowel shift in stem | שָׁמְרֵ֥נִי
Inf.Const. + suffix | Subject of action | Preposition + Inf.Const. | בְּ/שָׁמְר/וֹ