Chapter 9 — Hebrew Pronominal Suffix Parsing Drill

Topic: Pronominal Suffixes on Nouns, Prepositions, and the Direct Object Marker  |  BBH Chapter 9

Instructions: For each Hebrew form, fill in: (1) Base Word — the lexical/absolute form of the underlying noun, preposition, or particle; (2) Suffix — the suffix element only; (3) Parse — Person–Gender–Number of the suffix; (4) Translation — the full translated phrase. Click ▶ Answer to reveal the key for that item.

Items 1–10  ·  Nouns with Pronominal Suffixes
# Hebrew Base Word Suffix Parse (PGN) Translation
1 סוּסוֹ
✓ Base: סוּס (horse, ms)  |  Suffix: וֹ  |  Parse: 3ms  |  Translation: his horse  ·  The Holem (וֹ) at the end of an otherwise complete noun-stem is the 3ms possessive suffix — one of the most common morphological elements in the OT.
2 דְּבָרִי
✓ Base: דָּבָר (word, ms)  |  Suffix: ִי  |  Parse: 1cs  |  Translation: my word  ·  The absolute דָּבָר has two Qamets vowels; before the 1cs suffix ִי, both reduce (Shewa + Patach). Standard vowel-reduction pattern when the accent shifts to the suffix.
3 מַלְכְּכֶם
✓ Base: מֶלֶךְ (king, ms)  |  Suffix: כֶם  |  Parse: 2mp  |  Translation: your (mp) king  ·  מֶלֶךְ reduces to מַלְכּ- before Type 1 suffixes. Note the Dagesh Forte in the כּ before the suffix.
4 אָחִיהָ
✓ Base: אָח (brother, ms)  |  Suffix: הָ  |  Parse: 3fs  |  Translation: her brother  ·  אָח is irregular; it takes the form אָחִי- before suffixes (like the plural stem אַחִים). The 3fs suffix הָ (Qamets + He) then follows.
5 בֵּיתְךָ
✓ Base: בַּיִת (house, ms)  |  Suffix: ְךָ  |  Parse: 2ms  |  Translation: your (ms) house  ·  בַּיִת shifts to בֵּית- before Type 1 suffixes. The 2ms suffix ְךָ attaches with a silent Shewa under the kaf.
6 עַמֵּנוּ
✓ Base: עַם (people, ms)  |  Suffix: ֵנוּ  |  Parse: 1cp  |  Translation: our people  ·  The final מ of עַם doubles (Dagesh Forte) before the suffix. Compare עִמָּנוּ אֵל ("God with us," Immanuel), which uses the same doubling pattern on the preposition עִם.
7 אֲדֹנֵיכֶם
✓ Base: אָדוֹן (lord/master, ms)  |  Suffix: ֵיכֶם  |  Parse: 2mp  |  Translation: your (mp) lord/masters  ·  The Type 2 suffix ֵיכֶם is used here. The base אֲדֹנֵי- is the construct plural form used with suffixes ("my lords" → אֲדֹנַי). This is a "plural of majesty" / dignity form common with titles of authority.
8 בְּנָהּ
✓ Base: בֵּן (son, ms)  |  Suffix: הָ (with He mappiq: ָהּ)  |  Parse: 3fs  |  Translation: her son  ·  בֵּן reduces to בְּנ- before suffixes. The 3fs suffix appears as ָהּ (Qamets + He with mappiq dot). The mappiq dot shows the He is a consonant, not a vowel letter — it marks 3fs possession.
9 שְׁמֵיהֶם
✓ Base: שָׁמַיִם (heavens/sky, mp)  |  Suffix: ֵיהֶם  |  Parse: 3mp  |  Translation: their (m) heavens  ·  שָׁמַיִם is an inherently plural (or dual) noun. It takes Type 2 suffixes. The base reduces to שְׁמֵי- before Type 2 suffixes.
10 אַרְצָם
✓ Base: אֶרֶץ (land/earth, fs)  |  Suffix: ָם  |  Parse: 3mp  |  Translation: their (m) land  ·  אֶרֶץ reduces to אַרְצ- before Type 1 suffixes. The 3mp suffix ָם is the short form (alongside the fuller form הֶם). Context distinguishes ָם (suffix) from ָם elsewhere.
Items 11–20  ·  Prepositions with Pronominal Suffixes
Note: Prepositions typically take Type 2 (plural-style) suffix forms. Each preposition has its own vowel pattern before the suffix attaches — learn each paradigm individually. The identity of the suffix element itself (וֹ, ִי, ְךָ, etc.) remains constant across prepositions.
# Hebrew Base Word Suffix Parse (PGN) Translation
11 לִי
✓ Base: לְ (to/for)  |  Suffix: ִי  |  Parse: 1cs  |  Translation: to/for me  ·  לְ + 1cs = לִי (Hiriq lengthens). The Shewa of לְ does not appear in this contracted form.
12 לְךָ
✓ Base: לְ (to/for)  |  Suffix: ְךָ  |  Parse: 2ms  |  Translation: to/for you (ms)  ·  לְ + 2ms = לְךָ (Shewa under the lamed retained). The kaf carries a Qamets (ָ) — compare the 2fs לָךְ where the kaf has a final silent shewa.
13 לָהּ
✓ Base: לְ (to/for)  |  Suffix: הָ (He mappiq: ָהּ)  |  Parse: 3fs  |  Translation: to/for her  ·  לְ + 3fs = לָהּ. The lamed takes a Qamets (ָ), and the He is pronounced (mappiq dot). This form is extremely frequent in narrative Hebrew.
14 לָנוּ
✓ Base: לְ (to/for)  |  Suffix: ֵנוּ → here ָנוּ  |  Parse: 1cp  |  Translation: to/for us  ·  לְ + 1cp = לָנוּ. The Qamets under the lamed (ָ) is characteristic of 1cp and 3p suffixes on לְ. "Unto us a child is born" (Isaiah 9:5) — לָנוּ יֻלַּד.
15 לָכֶם
✓ Base: לְ (to/for)  |  Suffix: כֶם  |  Parse: 2mp  |  Translation: to/for you (mp)  ·  לְ + 2mp = לָכֶם. Lamed takes Qamets (ָ). This is the same suffix element כֶם seen on nouns (מַלְכְּכֶם, item 3), showing that the suffix paradigm is consistent across different word types.
16 בָּהּ
✓ Base: בְּ (in/at/with)  |  Suffix: הָ (He mappiq: ָהּ)  |  Parse: 3fs  |  Translation: in/with her (or: in it, referring to a fs noun)  ·  בְּ + 3fs = בָּהּ. The bet takes a Qamets (ָ) before 3fs. Compare לָהּ (item 13) — the suffix ָהּ is identical; only the preposition differs.
17 בָּם
✓ Base: בְּ (in/at/with)  |  Suffix: ָם  |  Parse: 3mp  |  Translation: in/with them (m)  ·  בְּ + 3mp = בָּם (short form) or בָּהֶם (fuller form). Both are attested; בָּם is more common in poetry. The bet takes Qamets before 3mp as well.
18 עִמִּי
✓ Base: עִם (with, together with)  |  Suffix: ִי  |  Parse: 1cs  |  Translation: with me  ·  עִם + 1cs = עִמִּי. The mem doubles (Dagesh Forte) before the suffix — this is characteristic of עִם with suffixes. Compare Immanuel: עִמָּנוּ אֵל, "God with us" (עִם + 1cp with Qamets).
19 אֵלֶיךָ
✓ Base: אֶל (to/toward)  |  Suffix: ְךָ  |  Parse: 2ms  |  Translation: to/toward you (ms)  ·  אֶל + suffixes uses the extended form אֵלֵי- (Tsere + yod). This yod is the Type 2 connector. The base expands before every suffix: אֵלַי (to me), אֵלֶיךָ (to you ms), אֵלָיו (to him), etc.
20 עָלָיו
✓ Base: עַל (upon/over/concerning)  |  Suffix: ָיו  |  Parse: 3ms  |  Translation: upon/over him (or: on it)  ·  עַל + 3ms = עָלָיו. The Type 2 3ms suffix is ָיו (Qamets + yod + vav). The base עַל → עָלָי- before this suffix. עָלָיו is extremely common in narrative and legal texts.
Items 21–25  ·  Direct Object Marker (אֵת) with Pronominal Suffixes
Note: When the direct object marker אֵת takes suffixes, the vowel shifts from Tsere (ֵ) to Holem (ֹ): אֹת- appears before most suffixes. This suffixed form expresses the pronoun as a direct object ("me, you, him, her, us, them"). The Holem is your diagnostic clue.
# Hebrew Base Word Suffix Parse (PGN) Translation
21 אֹתִי
✓ Base: אֵת (DOM — direct object marker)  |  Suffix: ִי  |  Parse: 1cs  |  Translation: me (as direct object)  ·  אֵת + 1cs = אֹתִי. The Tsere shifts to Holem. E.g., בָּרַךְ אֹתִי — "he blessed me." Very common in prayers and narratives.
22 אֹתוֹ
✓ Base: אֵת (DOM)  |  Suffix: וֹ  |  Parse: 3ms  |  Translation: him (as direct object)  ·  אֵת + 3ms = אֹתוֹ. Holem vowel in base + 3ms suffix וֹ. Among the most common DOM forms in the OT. E.g., וַיִּשְׁמַע אֱלֹהִים אֹתוֹ — "and God heard him."
23 אֹתָהּ
✓ Base: אֵת (DOM)  |  Suffix: הָ (He mappiq: ָהּ)  |  Parse: 3fs  |  Translation: her (as direct object)  ·  אֵת + 3fs = אֹתָהּ. The Qamets + He mappiq marks 3fs. E.g., אָהַב אֹתָהּ — "he loved her."
24 אֹתָנוּ
✓ Base: אֵת (DOM)  |  Suffix: ָנוּ  |  Parse: 1cp  |  Translation: us (as direct object)  ·  אֵת + 1cp = אֹתָנוּ. Note: on the DOM the 1cp suffix is ָנוּ (Qamets + nun + vav), not ֵנוּ (Tsere + nun + vav) as on some prepositions. E.g., שָׁלַח אֹתָנוּ — "he sent us."
25 אֹתָם
✓ Base: אֵת (DOM)  |  Suffix: ָם  |  Parse: 3mp  |  Translation: them (m, as direct object)  ·  אֵת + 3mp = אֹתָם. Short 3mp suffix ָם on the Holem base. E.g., וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֹתָם (Gen 1:27) — "and God created them."

Quick Reference: Identifying Suffixes in Context

Follow this four-step procedure for any unfamiliar suffixed form:

  1. Identify the base word type. Is it a preposition, a noun, or the DOM אֵת?
  2. Strip the suffix. Working right to left, peel off the suffix element. What remains should be a recognizable (reduced) form of the base.
  3. Parse the base independently. Identify the noun (gender, number, state) or preposition.
  4. Match the suffix to the paradigm. Check both Type 1 and Type 2 columns if uncertain.

Common pitfalls:

Reflection Questions

  1. In items 7 (אֲדֹנֵיכֶם) and 9 (שְׁמֵיהֶם), the suffix set used is Type 2 (with a yod connector). Both base nouns are plural or plural in form. How does this confirm the rule that Type 2 suffixes attach to plural nouns?
  2. Compare לָהּ (item 13) with בָּהּ (item 16). Both end in ָהּ (Qamets + He mappiq). What is different between them, and how do you know which preposition each is built on?
  3. Items 21–25 all use אֵת (DOM) + suffix. What vowel change occurs in אֵת when a suffix attaches, and why does recognizing this change matter for reading Hebrew narrative?