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CONFUSING PRONOUNS |
EXAMPLE 122: Gn41-13a HE refers to PHAROH not to Joseph
EXAMPLE 123: Gn29-02a THEY refers to the SHEPARDS not the SHEEP
EXAMPLE 124: Gn39-14a HE refers to her MASTER not to Joseph
BACKGROUND
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Most sentences have at a minimum
--an ACTIVITY (the verb) and
some COMPLEMENT to that activity such as
--a SUBJECT (who did it),
--INDIRECT OBJECT (Where it was done),
--OBJECT (To what was it done).
* Sometimes however a sentence is MISSING some part.
* Or equivalantly, a pronoun is used whose reference is absurd
In such cases it is logic not grammar that dictates how the
sentence is read
THE VERSE
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Gn29-02 There were 3 flocks by the well;
From that well THEY watered the flocks
THE RASHI
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Suppose we follow the rule that a pronoun refers to the last
mentioned subject? They Gn29-02 is stating that THEY, THAT IS,
THE 3 FLOCKS, watered themselves.
So in this case we must interpret the word THEY to refer to
the SHEPARDS (Who are not even mentioned in the verse) That is
the verse means:
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THERE WERE 3 FLOCKS BY THE WELL, FOR FROM THAT
WELL the shepards WATERED THE FLOCKS
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Thus the pronoun THEY refers to the SHEPARDS not to the flocks
THE LIST
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In the list below we present 3 verses where a pronoun cannot
be interpreted to refer to the last mentioned subject and
instead must be reinterpreted in some other way. The last
column,PRONOUN, shows how the PRONOUN should be interpreted.
Thus in the example of Gn29-02 the word THEY refers to the
SHEPARDS not to the FLOCKS. Here is the list.
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| VERSE |
TEXT OF VERSE WITH UNINTERPRETED CAPPED PRONOUN |
PRONOUN |
| Gn41-13a |
Joe interpreted the dream;HE gave me my job back |
PHAROH |
| Gn29-02a |
3 flocks are by the well;THEY watered there |
SHEPARD |
| Gn39-14a |
Joe fled;SEE:HE brought a slave to mock us |
MASTER |
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COMMENTS |
*1 Gn41-13a
RASHI: The verse:
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And there was there a Hebrew slave who
interpreted our dreams; and as HE interpreted the dreams
so did they occur; HE returned me to my job; but HE
hanged the other person
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This sounds as if JOSEPH
returned him to his job and as if JOSEPH hanged the
other person he interpreted for.
The phrase is missing a SUBJECT and should read
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And there was a Hebrew slave who interpreted our dreams;
as HE interpreted the dreams so did they occur; PHAROH
returned me to my job but PHAROH hanged the other
person
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Thus the pronoun HE refers to PHAROH not to JOSEPH
*2 Gn29-02a
RASHI: The phrase Gn29-02a
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there were 3 flocks by the well
because from that well THEY watered the flocks
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makes it sound as if the flocks watered themselves!
Actually the sentence is MISSING a SUBJECT and should read
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There was a well with 3 flocks ..since from that well
THE shepards WATERED THE FLOCKS
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Thus the pronoun THEY refers to the SHEPARDS not to the FLOCKS
*3 Gn39-14a
RASHI: The phrase Gn39-12:14
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And she grabbed him by his
clothes (to seduce him) but he fled and when she saw he
fled she told her staff SEE THAT HE BROUGHT US A SLAVE
THAT PLAYS WITH US
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makes it sound as if JOSEPH brought
himself to this household.
Actually the sentence is MISSING A SUBJECT and should read
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And she grabbed him by his clothes but he fled and when
she saw him fled she told her staff SEE HOW my husband
BROUGHT US A SLAVE THAT PLAYS WITH US
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Thus the pronoun HE refers to MY HUSBAND not to JOSEPH
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