Phrases Outside the Sentence in the Language of the Old Testament: A Study of the Book of Genesis

Abstract

This study examines the syntactic and pragmatic functions of the QPH (Call, Address, and Parenthetical/Insertion) elements in Biblical Hebrew through an applied analysis of selected passages from the Book of Genesis. The research aims to investigate the linguistic status of these elements, clarify their role in the organization of biblical discourse, and demonstrate their contribution to meaning construction and communication within the text.

The analysis reveals that these phenomena function as independent units outside the formal syntactic structure of the sentence, while performing indispensable rhetorical and pragmatic functions essential for understanding biblical discourse. The first chapter shows that exclamatory expressions, such as hinneh ("behold"), serve as cognitive markers that attract the reader’s attention, signal presence and readiness, and prepare the audience for significant events or information. The second chapter demonstrates that forms of address reflect the relationships of authority, intimacy, and social hierarchy between characters, while the repetition of a personal name functions as a stylistic device that intensifies dramatic moments and emphasizes their significance.

          The third chapter explains that parenthetical expressions represent the narrator’s voice, providing historical, etymological, and interpretive information that enriches the reader’s understanding of the text. The study concludes that the QPH elements play a fundamental role in achieving textual cohesion, enhancing the dialogic and interpretive structure of the Book of Genesis, and highlighting the stylistic and rhetorical characteristics of Biblical Hebrew.