Plural construct forms in Biblical Hebrew act as linguistic bridges—linking nouns into syntactic units that express possession, origin, and association. Masculine plurals in ־ִים often collapse into ־ֵי (e.g., מַלְכֵי), while feminine ־וֹת forms may remain intact or subtly shift. Suppletive nouns like אִישׁ → אַנְשֵׁי bypass predictable patterns, echoing ancient layers of the language. The construct chain demands precision: no article on the first noun, agreement shaped by the second, and adjectives trailing the whole unit. Grasping these forms deepens not just parsing—but the architecture of biblical thought.
What Is the Construct State?
In Biblical Hebrew, the construct state (סְמִיכוּת) is a grammatical construction used to express possession or close association. It links two nouns: the first is the “possessed” (in construct), and the second is the “possessor” (in absolute). This construction replaces the preposition “of” in English.
For example:
- סֵ֫פֶר – book → סֵ֫פֶר הַמֶּ֫לֶךְ – “the book of the king”
- דְּבָרִים – words → דִּבְרֵי הַנָּבִיא – “the words of the prophet”
In this construction, plural nouns often undergo changes in form, stress, or vowel structure when shifted into the construct state.
Regular Patterns of Plural Construct Forms
Plural construct forms in Biblical Hebrew follow specific morphophonological rules, often involving vowel reduction, contraction, or suffix adjustment.
| Plural Form (Absolute) | Construct Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| סְפָרִים | סִפְרֵי | Books → Books of |
| מֶ֫לֶכִים | מַלְכֵי | Kings → Kings of |
| דְּבָרִים | דִּבְרֵי | Words → Words of |
| נְבִיאִים | נְבִיאֵי | Prophets → Prophets of |
| חֲבֵרִים | חַבְרֵי | Friends → Friends of |
Common Construct Suffix Patterns
When moving from absolute to construct, the following vowel/suffix transformations commonly occur:
- Masculine -ִים becomes -ֵי (e.g., מַלְכֵי)
- Feminine -וֹת often remains unchanged in construct (e.g., מִלְחָמוֹת → מִלְחֲמוֹת) but may shift vowel under stress
- Segholate plural patterns often compress or reduce vowels (e.g., סְפָרִים → סִפְרֵי)
These shifts often affect accent placement and vowel length but are morphologically consistent in root structure.
Examples of Feminine Plural Constructs
Feminine plural nouns ending in -וֹת typically preserve this suffix in construct but adjust internal vowels.
| Feminine Absolute | Feminine Construct | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| מִלְחָמוֹת | מִלְחֲמוֹת | Wars → Wars of |
| תּוֹרוֹת | תּוֹרוֹת | Laws → Laws of |
| נָשִׁים (irregular) | נְשֵׁי | Women → Women of |
| שָׁנִים | שְׁנוֹת | Years → Years of |
Construct Form in the Dual
Dual nouns also form a construct state, often reducing the final -ַיִם to -ֵי or internalizing the genitive relationship.
- יָדַ֫יִם → יְדֵי – “two hands” → “hands of”
- עֵינַ֫יִם → עֵינֵי – “eyes” → “eyes of”
- רַגְלַ֫יִם → רַגְלֵי – “feet” → “feet of”
This construct form is functionally indistinct from plural construct, and the duality is understood from context.
Irregular Construct Forms
Some nouns have highly irregular construct forms due to suppletion, ancient phonological shifts, or loss of syllables.
| Base Form | Plural Construct | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| אִישׁ → אֲנָשִׁים | אַנְשֵׁי | Suppletive plural, with irregular construct |
| אִשָּׁה → נָשִׁים | נְשֵׁי | Suppletive feminine plural construct |
These forms must be memorized and are especially common in narrative and legal passages.
The Syntax of the Construct Chain
A construct chain (סְמִיכוּת) must remain uninterrupted. The two (or more) nouns form a syntactic unit in which:
– The first noun loses the article (the construct cannot take הַ)
– The definiteness of the phrase is determined by the second noun
– Adjectives follow the entire construct chain and agree with the whole in number and gender
Example:
- סִפְרֵי הַמֶּ֫לֶךְ הַטּוֹבִים – “the good books of the king”
Mastery of the Construct as a Key to Syntax
Plural construct forms are essential to reading Biblical Hebrew accurately. They appear frequently in prose, law, and poetry, shaping genitival relationships without using prepositions. Mastering them enhances syntactic parsing and deepens theological and literary analysis of the biblical text.
