10.5 The Absolute noun establishes the definiteness of a chain

The definiteness of the construct noun will match the definiteness of the absolute noun.

Figure 10.6: The definiteness of the construct noun will match the definiteness of the absolute noun.

A construct chain is either entirely definite or entirely indefinite - aconstruct chain will never mix definite and indefinite nouns

  • It is the last, absolute, word that defines whether the chain is definite or indefinite
    • בֶּן הַמֶּלֶךְ = the son of the king
    • בֶּן מֶלֶךְ = a son of a king
    • You will never see “a son of the king” or “the son of a king” in a construct chain
    • It’s only one or the other
  • There are examples in the Bible of mixing definiteness and indefiniteness but these are not done using construct chains85.

  1. מִ֭שְׁלֵי שְׁלֹמֹ֣ה is a construct chain that means “THE proverbs of Solomon.”מִזְמ֗וֹר לְדָ֫וִ֥ד means “a psalm of (to) David”, but this is not a construct chain.↩︎