The study of the Hebrew Bible, a cornerstone of religious and literary scholarship, demands constant reevaluation in light of linguistic advances. This presentation aims to bridge the gap between the evolving fields of linguistics, specifically pragmatics and generative linguistics, and Biblical Hebrew studies. Recent decades have unveiled the nuanced role of complementizers, such as the English ‘that’, in insubordinate constructions (occurrences of subordinators that are not subordinate to anything) across many languages. This insight provides a fresh lens through which to view the Hebrew complementizer kî (‘that’), enhancing our understanding of challenging Biblical texts.
Historically, interpretations of kî have been mired in speculation, particularly in contexts where its subordinate role is ambiguous or non-existent. This ambiguity has led to varied and sometimes speculative translations that fail to leverage cross-linguistic typological insights. Building upon recent scholarship (like that of Christian Locatell) that questions the validity of understanding kî as an asseverative particle to explain such contexts, this presentation provides a typologically grounded alternative to the traditional asseverative particle interpretation of kî, utilizing the most recent studies from the field of pragmatics.
By integrating the latest linguistic research with Biblical Hebrew studies, this presentation aims to offer a grounded yet accessible exploration of insubordinate complementizers like kî. This analysis promises to shed new light on previously perplexing Biblical passages, where kî’s role as an asseverative particle or its omission in translation has obscured the text’s meaning. The ultimate goal of this presentation is to equip scholars and enthusiasts of the Hebrew Bible with a robust linguistic toolset, enhancing textual comprehension and interpretation.